My Nokia E61

I write this because I am no longer the sole owner of E61 at the office. Mr. E has been in awe of this phone because of its wide landscape screen, and is, gawd, replacing his communicator with an E61. Why?? My dream phone is a sleek communicator but since I can only afford a plan 2500, I learned to love my E61, but I guess more so because I get to be unique. So unique that when a badminton playmate saw my phone, he immediately noted that it looked like his Aurora calculator.

But I love its many features. I don't use all of them (and for this I think I may have the wrong phone- specs is over my requirement), but here are some of its features I love:
1. The wide screen allows me to have a real pleasant internet browsing and blogging experience. In fact most of my blog entries are now done in my phone. The wide screen with a 5-turn joystick, the fast loading of screens, together with the P10/30 minute charging of smart makes it no longer necessary for me to have a landline installed at home.
2. The qwerty keypad allows me to type fast and write notes during meetings, send it via bluetooth to my laptop and send it via outlook. Now this could all be done on the phone itself if I had a Blackberry Connect or mail connection, which I don't have. This is actually a great feature because even Blackberry users rave about the E61 because of this option. So in meetings you'd find me with just a phone and if you see me with my phone, I'm either typing up notes, synthesizing the meeting, surfing or blogging (when I'm bored with the pace, or the speaker). Sometimes I do all three in the same meeting, using the WLAN connection for internet access.
3. Reading my documents/reviewing a presentation/practicing a presentation. Again, I just send the file via bluetooth and the phone recognizes Microsoft Office applications like Excel, Powerpoint, Word and even Adobe Acrobat. So when I'm done with a presentation, I send it to my phone, and I practice what I'm going to say. God, I did this by fly when I typed up my Docent Script Saturday from 6 AM til 8 AM, then when I changed my choice of paintings, I had to revise my script at lunchtime and practice my script before my 3 PM practical test. I loved it!
4. The voice activation feature lets me know who my caller is, along with the ringing tone. It's cool.
5. Sleek design. It's modern, it's light, it looks business-like.
6. Standby applications mode- i can talk on the phone and then go back to surfing, or text then switch to browsing. This is a real neat feature.

There are downsides of course, and here is my list:
1. The size is too big to fit in a pocket.
2. I know we're not supposed to text while driving, but we do. It's a bit tricky to do this.
3. You have to have an sms accelerator installed because when you send a hundred text messages a day, it somehow needs help. The software patch fixed this.
4. If your fingers are stubby or big, don't get this phone. This fits my fingers perfectly, but sometimes my letters still get mixed.
5. It can't hold birthdays on the calendar, which should remind you each year how old the celebrant is. There is an anniversary reminder, but not a birthday. Go figure.
5. No camera

So yes, whenever somebody asks me what my phone is, I tell them it's my calculator. Oh, but it holds my life, too.

I choose to love him still, on my own. In my heart there can be no other guy. I realize this is unrequited, and therein lies the foolishness, but i shall remain truthful to myself and not run around killing something that grew slowly, faithfully throughout the years. If I shall die loving him, I die knowing that I did my best, and the greatest lesson about love and life is remembering i lived fully and loved immensely.

Rome

ROME is electrifying. It has all the fiery ingredients to a good show- violence, sex (lots of it, visual, contextual and subliminal) and oh yeah, history. It is a visual feast; a delight not only for the eyes, with a language that is music to the ears (watch out for young Octavian's lines). Its strong plot based on the times of Pompeii, Julius Caesar, Brutus, Mark Antony, Ptolemy, Cleopatra, Cicero, Octavian the emperor provides a rich tapestry for the show. Its beauty lies in its attention to details. Here is a true testament to the best outsourced model:hollywood. From its writers, actors, production and post production staff, everyone is a freelancer, not attached to any big studio and yet working cohesively to achieve flawless execution. Sometimes i think i'm in the wrong industry..

Sunsets and the Meaning of Life

Photos from: my trusted Canon Ixy and Rommel's Sony 7.5 megapixel point and shoot dgcam. Girls of marketing



Contemplating the Desert- A Story from the Warrior of the Light

Three people who were passing in a small caravan saw a man contemplating the sunset in the Sahara desert from the top of a mountain.

“It must be a shepherd who has lost a sheep and is trying to find it,” said the first.

“No, I don’t think he is looking for something, especially not at sunset - that confuses your vision. I think he is waiting for a friend.”

“I bet he’s a holy man looking for enlightenment,” commented the third.

They began to discuss what the man was doing, and got so involved in the discussion that they nearly ended up fighting with one another. Finally, to find out who was right, they decided to climb the mountain and ask the man.

“Are you looking for your sheep?” asked the first.

“No, I don’t have a flock.”

“Then you must be waiting for someone,” claimed the second.

“I am a lonely man who lives in the desert,” was the answer.

“Since you live in the desert, and in solitude, then we have to believe that you are a holy man in search of God, and you are meditating!” asserted the third man, content with this conclusion.

“Does everything on Earth need to have an explanation? So let me explain: I am here just looking at the sunset: isn’t that enough to lend a meaning to our lives?

Augustin

I look at my 2000 Tokyo pics, and I was surprised to see photos of Augustin Vidovic. He is a French software guy who'd go to the office with un-ironed shirt and shorts. But bless him, he shared his cheese flown in from France!

Along with it, his sakura photos, which are fabulous.


My desk in Tokyo. I need that space!

More Japan Chronicles

Oh. I miss Japan.

Isn’t it weird that I have so much affection for this country which raped Manila and beheaded my grandfather in the 40s?

The Japan I know, though, is the contemporary Japan, circa 1995-2005. The land of weird youth, of freedom in fashion, of the best food and first rate quality living. It has its own vibe, and remains my top favorite travel destination.

The best way to get around is to take the train. The JR Line (green line) goes around in a complete loop, and famous stops include:
1. Shibuya (teentown with the huge pedestrian crossings, best ramen shops)

2. Omotesando (like the famous boulevards in Europe),

3. Harajuku (where you’ll find eclectic, eccentric, punk, goth fashion),

4. Akihabara (best electronic shops )

5. Yoyogi Park


In my next travel post, top Japan moments!

Stalker Soundtrack

It happened one night. I got a" stalker". One day as I was getting my gym bag out of the car along with my tired body, I turn off the ignition, and imagine my surprise when a shadow of a man tries to open my car door. (Soundtrack:Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho). But then all I manage to blurt out was, " Ngee!". It turns out this new guard at the basement parking of the condo is being friendly. Although I find this weird as other guards do not do this, I do not say anything. Over the next few days, he not only opens the door for me but checks out my lights, points out the new paint scratches when I had a minor incident. It begins to get weirder when he offers to help me carry my bag up to my unit one night. I politely decline but he mentions that he does not see me with any man, so I must be single. I tell him I'm married and he is in Singapore (Soundtrack: Going Bananas). Not because I'm longing for Toot Toot but because I felt a need to get this bugger off my back. After this I start getting weird text messages and phone calls each night, which I don't answer. This texter tells me he saw me, mentions he likes me, that one day he will reveal himself to me. I dismiss this as trivial and don't think about it further. When my basement 2 slot is bought and I move to basement 4, another weird incident occurred. I was driving up from basement 3 to 2, and this tall, young guard who seemed not shy to show that he fancies me stops my car by signalling the emergency sign (both hands flailing),flagging me to stop the car just so he can ask if I was not returning to the basement 2 slot. (Soundtrack: The Twilight Zone). By this time I get scared. The call from the unknown guy starts again and I finally text back, surmising this is the same guard " Pag di ka tumigil isusumbong kita sa admin!". He replied by saying, " Kung gusto mo akyat ako dyan sa unit mo ngayon para pag-usapan natin yan.." ( Soundtrack: Jaws) I got scared shitless as I was alone that Sunday night.

The next morning I go to the admin and report the guard, asking them to trace the cellphone number to him. My guy friend O accompanies me to talk to the security in charge, demanding that they transfer the guard because of intrusion to my privacy (opening my car door, asking to bring me up to my unit, making personal observation about my sex life or the lack of it-just kidding, and stopping me to ask another personal question). Then O walks me safely back to my unit. The next day my stalker is replaced. Soundtrack:Handel's Halleluiah!

My Blog Links

Thank God for technology. I remember one of the things that I hate when my computer crashes (I've used 2 desktops and about 5 laptops, and experienced virus/worms, reformats, hard disk failures resulting to pc crashes at least 4 times) is I had to rebuild my bookmarks, and add favorites. Now, that fear is gone, gone, and every link is in one site. This is using netvibes. It's like reading the daily newspaper, I have business sites, from CNN, to CSNews, as well as a sprinkling of entertainment, reference and my favorite blog writers. These are some of my links that I'd like to share with you readers:


1. Seth's blog- Seth Godin (The Dip, Purple Cow, All Marketers Are Liars) is, for me, the best contemporary marketing guy. He is of course, multi-talented-writer, technorati, observer of people, a smart arse, but his views are very very practical.
2. Guy Kawasaki's How to Change the World blog is another interesting read. He is "the guy!"
3. Unusual Business Ideas That Work- what can i say, there are some unusual ideas here, which is good for innovation. It always triggers my mind. Consider these: UglyDolls.com, How to Make Millions Selling Unattractive Toys, How to Make Money Buying and Selling Ideas Online
4. Trend Hunter Magazine-I am gravitating towards making a living doing mystery shopping, selling ideas or identifying trends. What will you do with these trends? : "World's First Sexy Supermarket" , " Internet Addictions and Gaming Obsession Causing Deaths", "One in Eight Teleworkers are Nude", "Vintage Furniture for Stylish Children"???
5. CNN.com (just a glance at the titles restores my peace, that the world is business as usual)
6. CSNews.com (for the convenience store industry)
7. Presentation Zen -I'm always working with powerpoint, and I always want to improve. But even if you don't always use powerpoint, this is all about making your point across. The write-ups are interesting, what with titles like "Yoda vs Darth Vader". It's also here that I saw the World's Best Powerpoint Presentation. That one's really good!
5. Other interesting reads: Wired News, Google NEws, MadEconomist.com
6. The weather
7. My guilty pleasures-New York Times Book List, In Style for the latest fashion trends, Bryanboy.com (Don't judge me!), PinoyTravelBlog
8. My long blog list includes favorite writers Jessica Zafra, Jeanne Therese Andres, and some of my friend's blogspots and homepage. I asked Daya to have her nanay, Lualhati Bautista, have her own website so I can link to her site. I am a fan.

If you have some other links that you'd like to share with me, please post a comment.

Men in Trees

"In moving on,we are sometimes tempted to look back. We are tempted to look for the safety of the past, but love is never about being safe. In order to move on,we need to grow... And growing is what it's all about."

It's Our Time!

Here is a picture of our marketing team during our Nasugbu team building last weekend. Seated beside me is Alex, Jun, Mariel, Chris.

On the second picture is our "class pic", marketing division 2007. The majority of the team is aged 26 and below. It's Our Time!

You know your time has come when:
1. you, instead of the elders who came before you are now responsible for large business units in the organization.
2. you tend to be more outspoken than the others, and when you look around, you realize you're one of the "mature" ones
3. the president looks you in the eyes when he wants to get a point across, holding you responsible for his directive
4. you drive for your team instead of being driven!
5. you get to be the judge in ping-pang-pong drinking games instead of a participant (they would like to kiss their peers, not their boss)
6. you can say anything you want
7. you can laugh as loud as you want
8. you let them eat first before you fall in line at the buffet table
9. you pair 'em up
10. you pair even the gays up


Oh well. With great power comes great responsibility.

A Day in the Life of a Marketing Manager

8:30 am. After waking up at 6 am, I just brush my teeth and head for the gym to do 30 minutes on the treadmill and another 20 minutes on the ellipticals. By 8:15 I make my way to the office. I check emails as soon as my laptop boots up, and I get spammed about viagra, and request tracker from stores brings in about 30 concerns about my categories. I get emails from the US HQ about a strategy on drinks,then from our president about our other cagory strategies, and I begin sending out correspondence.

10 am: On my table are 2 printouts from our category managers, one is the project plan of our secret weapon strategy for the year, the other, reviewing the strategy for last year's miserably failing categories. It's like this for the strategic categories I handle; it means working with a lot of new and really exciting concepts which also means treading a pioneering path, which takes more work because it involves convincing,influencing others to prod on, to buy into the idea. Some ideas work, some do not, but the right move is to do an assessment and just move forward or to try another concept, to never stop innovating. Before a product is launched, a marketing strategist needs to use the left brain to map out the plan and execution of the program, and the right brain to creatively communicate the concept to the users, to generate excitement and sell the idea. I think about this as I look at the last 10% of our Next Big Thing's work breakdown structure, and it both delights and excites me. Today is a good day, sometimes, I get no ideas, so I get up and go outside to get inspiration- a new TVC, a newly-launched product in the mall, a new shop. I head out and observe people. Not today, though, as I prepare myself to review the hard task.

By 12 noon, I hear somebody from marketing say "Guys, for once, let's have lunch on time!", and I respond by egging my team to head up to the cafeteria (we end up checking out their meal and prices in comparison to ours). Before I can brush my teeth, a staff approaches me to review his dashboard design for the information system I wanted set-up. I tell him to simplify, and reduce too much information which may clutter the catman's job and make them lose focus. I also tell him to lighten up and get to know others in the team.

1:30 pm I prepare for an interview with a potential team member and review the resume, and my list of questions. Over the years, I have learned it's best to ask key questions to get an insight to how an applicant's mind works.

By 2:30 I'm done and I get a sample coffee cup from our product review panel. Coffee cup on my hand means I need full concentration on the task at hand. But before I can start, the marketing director approached me and asked me to do a presentation which has been running in my head for a week, but is not yet fully cooked.I don't think he has an idea how to do it at this time, and told me he is relying on me. I take this chance to tell him I cannot be held accountable, but not responsible for a section, and responsible but not accountable for another. His "matrix move" on praising me about being really good lands hollowly and he finally admits I'm right. (Sometimes, eventhough I don't like it, you just have to kick butt. It helps that there is teamwork and we trust each other enough to be able to say what's on our minds.) I go back and review the presentation for our declining categories and I comment with a long list of points that need to be stressed to show previous work done; I also raise questions that need deeper digging. We'd better be certain when we make a presentation to the president. We don't, after all, want to hear him say again, " Are you guessing?" Sometimes, when we don't have data, we use feedback, anecdotes from stores, but it is best to arm the category managers on anticipating his thinking process so they don't get shot down.

4:00 pm I go back to my emails, setting up 2 meetings for next week with operations and engineering. I've learned the art of conducting meetings, and sometimes i don't like going to one if it drags for more than an hour, so i ask my team to prepare their ideas and our stance prior to next week. Goodness, no, it's not another meeting for that meeting, it's more of a consult.

5:30 pm I finally put into writing the company's review of category plans, at least, the outline of it. I complete the draft, and delegated tasks to a team member. I pass by the product panel review and they are reviewing new hotdogs and condiments. I take my seat, banter with our supplier partners, and introduce the new catman to the group, then we eat our way into 6 hotdog samples. My instinct liked one in particular, and the reformulated one, I asked them to revert to the original, which was more flavorful. A friend texted me today; he thought our firedog hotdog was a winner because it removed his hangover-that's a real spicy one, after all. He is our target market, and that hit the spot. In the end, that's why this work matters, when we get satisfied customers, it gets inspiring to do better and better.

A MARKETING MANAGER NEEDS TO: (From CSNews- US)
1. Have integrity. With all the contracts one signs with a wide variety of companies, honesty is probably the number one prerequisite for the job.
2. Communicate well. Good communication skills are a must since you need to have interactions with everyone, from vendors, to the president or the night-shift store clerks, to a large assembly of store, franchisees, area and district managers.
3. Multi-task: You have to be able to handle multiple projects at the same time, and keep track of them. From planning a store layout to improving processes, the marketing manager touches all aspects of the company.
4. Multi- talented. From negotiating contracts with food service vendors to planning food service menu offerings to allocating advertising dollars, the marketing director is the true Renaissance man of the retail organization.

This Is For Him

I woke up and he was there in my dreams, aloof, distant. He told me his friends from SG were all giving him dates but he hasn't gone to any of them, and yet he remained detached, refusing to hug me or hold my hand, and he'd walk in front of me, along with his friends. I watched and tried to gauge how I felt about it. He would watch me too and in my mind he just wanted to make sure I was fine because he didn't want to initiate a show of concern, lest I'd put meaning to it. At one point in the dream, he felt exasperated and said,"I didn't want to but ..." . He felt bound to come to me in the dream, but he didn't want to, and his face, you can see in his face there were other, more important things on his mind. Clearly, even in a dream, I was beating myself up, for he has moved on, and I'm still here stuck, deep in the recesses of my mind, no longer pining for his love, but unable to let go. At times I'd ask myself do I deserve to be left like that? Not to be cared for, but left on my own, without any more thought nor kind words, after making him my world? He got his wings, and he chose to fly away from me, without looking back; he is mightier than he's ever been. When he found himself, when he became strong enough to say what was on his mind all along, he walked away. But I am not a victim. He has free will. Just as he chose to stay away from me without another word, I can choose to live, and let live, asking God to heal me, to perhaps prepare me to love again. I can only pray to God that He will be kind enough to send a loving, gentle man, one who is not in pursuit of wealth but is after leaving a legacy of loving. As for him, he taught me many lessons, I fell and hurt; I rise, dust myself up, and walk on not knowing where this leads me to, but I walk anyway.

LET IT GO..
By T. D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you.

And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk
away from you: let them walk.

I don't want you to try to talk another person into
staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring
about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you.
I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you, let them walk.
Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The Bible said that they came out from us that it
might be made manifest that they were not for us. For
had they been of us, no doubt they would have
continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you.
And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them
stay.

Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person; it
just means that their part in the story is over. And
you've got to know when people's part in your story is
over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead.
You've got to know when it's dead.

You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you
something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the
tenth spiritual gift. I believe in good-bye. It's not
that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know
whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me.
And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop
begging people to stay.

Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong
to you and was never intended for your life, then you
need to......

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ...

LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and
see your worth...

LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you ...

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and
revenge...

LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or
addiction...

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets
your needs or talents...

LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude...

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel
better...

LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take
you to a new level in Him...

LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken
relationship...

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try
to help himself...

LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed ...

LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so
used to handling yourself and God is saying "take
your hands off it," then you need to...

LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things.
GOD is doing a new thing NOW!!!


LET IT GO!!!

Get Right or Get Left .. Think about it, and then...

LET IT GO!!!

"The Battle is the Lord's!"

Love The Ones You're With

A friend asks me again today, “So are you still feeling restless today?”
She worries about me, and I respond ,”A bit.” The past 2 weeks, in an effort to change my tempo, I began going to the gym again, this time in the mornings, and transferred to a new badminton court, playing 2x a week. The badminton guys ask me and my sister to bring our boyfriends so we can play doubles. Arrghh.

F keeps his cool and distance, telling me I don’t need to look for love- tough love or whatever. I just need to be tough. er. Whatever his purpose is- distraction, confusion, affection, it better stay that way, until I learn my lesson, that is. As for others who show interest but are not real, better stay away, keep moving! Myr tells me, “You deserve someone better, not the complicated one, you are young and beautiful, you will find one, just wait, take it easy, enjoy life!”

Cha hugs me with her text today,” Smile your day out. You are beautiful!”

Then another friend sends me this write-up by Jennifer Jones, which was along my line of thinking yesterday when I was home alone, relaxing after the torturous schedule I put myself through. Thank you M.

My alarm is set for 6 a.m. I get out of bed around 7. In that hour, my much abused clock radio only lets me snooze for nine minutes at a time. I have it set to a golden oldies station, so the Beatles and Ronettes serve as my daily morning wake-up call.
Blame it on a repeating play list or the fact that my head is foggy before breakfast, but the other morning I was almost certain that I heard Stephen Stills’ “Love the One You’re With” more than once... which was really one time too many for me.
You remember the song. The chorus went something like:
There's a rose in a fisted glove
And the eagle flies with the dove
And if you can't be with the one you love
Honey, love the one you're with
Being a song from the ‘70s, I’m quite sure it was an excuse for free love. However, its timing this day was near perfect to bring me out of a funk.
The weekend prior, I traveled back home for a little R’n’R – not rest and relaxation but rather relationship rehab. Every time my heart gets broken or some misguided romantic expectations leave me lonely, I’m on the first tank of gas back to my hometown. This time was no different.
I drove all the way there throwing every impossible question up to God that I could. Most of them started with “why.” I was just confused and mostly disillusioned, because this time, I really thought I had something good. I wondered why finding a love that was simple seemed so difficult.
My pursuit of bitterness was derailed the moment my bags hit the floor of my parents’ house. They embraced me and didn’t let go all weekend long. My mother told me how much she prayed for me (and my “someday” husband). My dad watched old movies with me, and we discussed the novelties of Technicolor in 1950s cinema. My brother left a piece of trash in my luggage that I didn’t discover until I returned (how kind of him to give me an idea for his Christmas gift this year). It took many forms, but it was all love.
In a moment, I realized that the thing I thought I lost was all around me. It wasn’t the way I desired it, but at the same time, it was exactly what I needed. In the absence of the one I wanted to be with, people who genuinely cared about me were ready and willing to draw me in. Their love was uncomplicated and unconditional – it was the answer to my prayer.
I believe the Scriptures when David calls God a shelter and strong tower in Psalm 61:3. I know that refuge from the unexpected storm is real and tangible in this life. God gives it to us in the form of relationships. We’re born into community, because we need each other to make it through this journey.
Someone once asked me what my goal was with my writing. What’s the message I want people to know? I replied, “That you’re not alone.” When he walks out the door or she says she doesn’t love you any more, I want you to know that you’re not alone. In every life, God provides a soft place to land. It could be a parent or sibling. It could be friends that feel as close as family. It could be a spouse or the church. It could even be a stranger on the street who offers you a kind smile. There are flashes of His acceptance everywhere to let you know You are always in His sight.
Soul artist Sade once sang, “It’s only love that gets you through.” It’s true. We bruise and batter each other in this life, most of the time unintentionally. However, there is an intentional love that’s only an arm’s length away if we’re willing to reach out and hold it close. Learn to receive God today in whatever face He shines through. Love the ones you’re with, and in turn, you’ll rediscover the treasure that you’ve held all along.

With babies like these, how can I miss such a wonderful reminder of God's countless blessings? I believe God sends his angels in our time of distress. It was no coincidence they arrived here when my mind was in chaos. God reminded me to love, love, love ..and life will be easier.

New Do, May Birthday Celebrants, The Real Paparazzi Shots

Happy sweet 16 to Mae, and Myr, Happy, Glorious, Gorgeous at 32!





Photo taken at Paparazzi, Shangri-la Edsa

How to Appreciate Art

Isabel Kenny, an artist, writer,producer and visual literacy expert teaches us how to appreciate art. She has over 20 years experience in her field, and is a docent herself at the Los Angeles, California Museum of Art. Art is, as i believed, an area of my interest, and i was surprised that i learned to appreciate it more with history and culture. My new-found friends Nina, Nina and Carlota were so into it, we wouldn't go to the restroom during class because we didn't want to miss a thing- be it a piece of history from Manuel quezon III or a world war II story, or how to better appreciate art. The last Saturday before our practical exam as museum guides is especially interesting; the art appreciation class helped me learn how to look at paintings. It's a bit tricky, especially with modern/contemporary art, which includes abstract. How does one begin to read the clues as to what the painter wants to convey with his brush strokes that surreptitiously mean nothing to the onlooker except that- a series of strokes with a dab of color? Let me, in my own words, summarize what I have learned:

1. People go to museums to LOOK AT THE ART, to look at the real thing. As museum guides, we should prod them to do that by creating a story, a theme, and a script that would sometimes include questions that would make them look at the painting.

2. To then appreciate art, we should see what draws our eyes to it- what is the subject, and what is its overall effect. Use adjectives-grand, majestic in the case of The Great Oak Tree by Van Ruisdael, or happy, warm, nostalgic in the case of Two Little Girls of Renoir.



In the case of Zobel's abstract art, some of his untitled paintings give an overall zen-like feeling, with his use of light, shadow and color. Sometimes he would be assymetrical in his composition, and yet the art would give off a balanced look. His Tension Luminosa is a powerful contrast of black and white; the white so powerful as one's eyes are drawn to it in spite the heavy diagonal brush strokes and lines, and the grey shadows surrounding 80% of the painting. No matter what it is, there is something in the artwork that your brain picks up; respond to it and you're on your way to interpreting the art.

3. How did the artist convey his subject, in other words, how is his technique? Van Gogh's Starry Night, for instance, showcased the artist's unique brush strokes. One can see that a larger part of the painting depicts the sky, and his strokes convey all the good and bad things that can happen at night; in the swirls and dark colors you can almost see the wild thoughts that run through someone's mind, and yet the lighter colors lets one feel that night, for some, is rest and relaxation.


Henry Matisse's Red Studio is interesting. At first, one would see the walls of his studio with a line that separates one wall from the other, but then the line disappears. However, on the larger wall are several paintings, and at its side a set of neatly stacked artworks. One loses perspective because the wall is merged with the furnitures painted red inside out, without a similar outline as the wall or the paintings. One is jolted to the fact that this is a painting, and not the artist's real studio.


Publication from the MoMA: "Modern art," said Matisse, "spreads joy around it by its color, which calms us." In this radiant painting he saturates a room—his own studio—with red. Art and decorative objects are painted solidly, but furniture and architecture are linear diagrams, silhouetted by "gaps" in the red surface. These gaps reveal earlier layers of yellow and blue paint beneath the red; Matisse changed the colors until they felt right to him. (The studio was actually white.)

The studio is an important place for any artist, and this one Matisse had built for himself, encouraged by new patronage in 1909. He shows in it a carefully arranged exhibition of his own works. Angled lines suggest depth, and the blue-green light of the window intensifies the sense of interior space, but the expanse of red flattens the image. Matisse heightens this effect by, for example, omitting the vertical line of the corner of the room.

The entire composition is clustered around the enigmatic axis of the grandfather clock, a flat rectangle whose face has no hands. Time is suspended in this magical space. On the foreground table, an open box of crayons, perhaps a symbolic stand-in for the artist, invites us into the room. But the studio itself, defined by ethereal lines and subtle spatial discontinuities, remains Matisse's private universe.

There are many other ways of appreciating art, but I leave you with these three.
1. Look at the painting
2. See what makes you drawn to it (colors? symmetry? balance? composition?)
3. Note the artist's technique.

Then perhaps we won't end up wandering aimlessly at museums. Hopefully, we'd come back. I can't wait til my next travel for a visit to the museum this time, and not the museum of contemporary times (the mall).

Razon's Halo halo

What a pleasant surprise! My sister has been bugging me for weeks on end, telling me I should, we should go to Razon's. " I want to go to Razon's. I want halo halo from Razon's."

So finally, we went there on Sunday, after my badminton with her at Racqueteers in Quezon City. It was a funny exercise. Ronnel, the caretaker of the place went to play with us, assessing our beginner skills, before letting us play amongst ourselves. At the middle of it all, I kept laughing at Eden. I don't know why but I see her and my knees would go weak, and my grip would soften, then I'd burst in staccato laughs. We were at it for an hour before heading home to pick up the kids - remember, they just want the journey, and are not particularly interested in the destination.

It was a production number to get the kids dressed and into the car, and we managed to drag Tito Wuwu and Mama with us. Razon's, as I say before I digressed, was a pleasant surprise. It was simplicity at its best. The shaved ice and the generous serving of creamy milk, plus the macapuno and the sweetened saging are the main ingredients, which did not lend itself colorful, but was a knockout in my list. I did not even complain that my halohalo was served ahead of the pancit luglug. It was that good. My summer is complete.

As if the gods heard me, it started raining today.

Photographs and Memories

There I was, on the photograph, standing on the footsteps of the ancient church, my back to the camera, as if I were among the passersby caught in time, while the photographer tried to capture his subject. I remember that moment vividly; he didn't want to take part in it, in any of it, except perhaps to take photographs. Now he has that photograph, among many others in his own world, and i shall remain nameless but not forgotten.

World War II and You

Prof. Bernard Karganilla dedicates his column to me and other docents-in-training in his column yesterday entitled, "World War II and You". The full article is on this site: www.malaya.com.ph/may05/edkarga.htm. He started module 3 of our saturday class with the documentary on the japanese atrocities, available on sale at the ayala museum for P700. Every filipino should watch this to understand how manila was raped and pillaged by the japanese from 1942 to 1945. Women raped, men beheaded, babies bayoneted, rich and poor together burned alive, the chinese, germans mocked before killed. It is an investigative report done with the survivors of the japanese occupation so that we will not forget the sins of the japanese fathers who refuse to apologize to our nation, and instead continue to honor their war dead in yanasaki shrine in tokyo. Although the war is centralized in manila, there were other casualties of war- in lipa, a massacre, and in panay island where the youngest brother of my grandfather,who, while running away from the japs who reached aklan, got caught and bayoneted, and eventually beheaded. This is a tale i heard from my relatives, who are now one by one dying of old age; our land, which used to be well-maintained, free from shrubs and weeds, now run in disarray as only an aunt is left to tend to it. Planting rice is never fun, as they say, and the youth, my grandmother said, would rather text than tend to the fields. .. I also used to ask Lolo Doroy about his wartime participation, he fought alongside the americans in the war, along with 18000 filipino men, out of which only 6000 got the renumeration and package promised them. Lolo was lived to see that day and got his family settled in before he died; others were not as lucky. He was 16, at that time of the war, and he was 65 when he set foot in the U.S... What many filipinos also don't know is that the americans, when they came in the 1900s were shooting at us like the native americans. It was the first mechanical war our filipino men fought, and they were helpless as the americans had big tanks and guns, and they even had a name for the filipinos- they were shooting goo goos, like they shooting ducks and they would party on fridays after a fight. This is uncanny because filipinos now love everything american, its consumerism, materialism, from american idol to hotdogs and branded apparel. The reason for this is when the americans colonized us, they also sent english teachers who taught our lolos and lolas english, and this assimilation made us love their culture. There were over 100,000 killed in world war II, and the filipinos triumphed over this. but we musn't forget. Along this story is a book that await to be written, about our valliant guerillas, our brave women,and how our kanya kanya attitude helped the americans in their quest to reclaim their colony; alongside this, there is a film in there somewhere that needs to be captured, and seen. It is the story of each and every filipino; so we will not continue to be a nation of dancers and overseas workers who toil away from our families and this beautiful land, a land where the sun always shines, and the people always endearing with their smiles.

Badminton class 2

My wrist and lower arm are still sore from just the forehand lessons taken from badminton class 1,and im back again today for a second serving. At P550 per class (court fee/personel trainer), it is expensive for me, but i said i want to make sports a priority this year so i do it anyway. The first lesson focused on the proper grip, form, and one on one practice on hitting the shuttlecocks across the net. For today's class, Godo makes me hit the cocks with more snap and follow-through. I began to see the difference between the hits with an outstretched arm,loose grip, snap and followthrough. If i were more relaxed, i could actually hear the snap coming out of, gasp, my racket and i wonder if it was partly due to my new Prince in Pink racket or my newfound proper form and technique. I figured its a combination of all. My problem is really my arm,most often its not stretched and too uptight. I learned to change it this session. Godo then begins to hit me with forehand and backhand throws, and i keep pausing after 20; i'm sweating from all over, including my singit and inner thighs,catching my breath and sipping water. I hit them all and Godo is pleased. I'm so looking forward to the next one., but i've to work on my endurance. ....i find interesting allies on badminton this week. A 50 year old bachelor who texts like a starstruck teenager with the me, u, grammar and spelling, telling me where to buy my stuff and get the best rates, a 23 yr old potential badminton buddy from the office, a colleague who asked me to help in a fundraising tournament for her friend's kidney tranplant,an ex, sister,brother and friends. Life goes on after all. Indeed.

Spatial

I finally get my own parking space at the office. Actually, they gave me a 3rd basement slot years ago which was only available 3 days a week. I didn't get it because i wanted the second basement slot and i got traumatized the first time i parked there when i scratched a paint off my boss' newly minted car. (I just learned how to drive then.) And when I tried to get the car off the 45 degree incline, my Honda City went down without reaching the top. It wasn't the car- it was my driving ability, or my guts. Oh wow. How time flies. That was 6 years ago, and I could have saved P28,000 on parking fees all those years.

So anyway I parked today and there was nothing to it- going down, or going up. It was not even challenging. Of course now it's funny that I'm driving the car that my boss used to own, and I said to myself then that wouldn't it be nice if I'll end up driving the HRV. Never mind that the HRV is 6 years old, but what are the chances that looking back, the thing I wanted has now become a reality? This brings me back to a line in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, which is one of my favorite movies (even if it is only rated B by critics), where Senor Martini (Vincent Riotta), the Italian realtor/friend of Frances (Diane Lane's character) tells her at the scene near the end of the movie, " So you see..your dreams all came true...You wanted a family, you now have a family..You wanted a wedding, ..you have a wedding in your own garden now....". I paraphrase, but that's the gist. The movie's tagline:The Only Thing More Surprising Than The Chance She's Taking...Is Where It's Taking Her.

But then again, I don't feel like escaping to Tuscany, nor have grand illusions of my future. I'm taking it one day at a time. Sometimes, an hour at a time.