Kontra-Kontra (2-man show) at Sigwada Gallery

Sigwada Gallery’s initial salvo for 2009 opens on January 10 at 6pm and runs through January 31, 2009. Cocktails will be served as the exhibit closes at 6pm onwards.

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Kontra-Kontra

tad pagaduan
igé trinidad

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As antagonist's anthem dethrones the radiant sunrise of modern mornings, we caress a conscious violator to those who actively thrive on agitating stories, corrupting honor and punctuating imaginary scandals in everything, by which they would naturally expect themselves hailed upon as contemporary gods on their deliberate declaration of distaste and division among societies. Flaw-fetishes devoted in exposing errors for them to heroically put out.

Pseudo heroes, pseudo paradise
The land of empty angst: underneath our nuclear bomb.
-
However, since we’re crowned and shall always be crowned with self-perceptions, one might merely scoff and insist that such torments are crucial to crucify humanity onto rightful definition; that there is indeed an error somewhere in a system of supposed perfection.
In this case, the show itself, being the anti-torment testimonial that it is, is labeled the torment, fueled by the logic of a notion whereby firing a gun to the gunman who ought not to live, we ought not to live for we mutated into gunmen ourselves by taking the immediate sweetness and benefit of the bullet, the apparatus of notoriety that was opposed as implied. The hero therefore became the villain. Gandhi became Hitler, and most likely, vice versa.

Putting paradox for a face, the show devastates itself with societal armageddon, a conception misconceptualized by another conception; a showdown of ethical beliefs and ethical beliefs; Utopia versus Utopia.

Undressing the theme to a naked, simpler thought bubble, the meaning is simply given, protruding, candidly self-explanatory to naked ear; functional, waxed or deaf; Kontra-Kontra is contradiction against contradiction, against contradicting against, serving with hostile helloes a visual supper of erected middle-fingers for erected middle-fingers.

Finger-lickin' antagonisms,
the various shadows of salvation, the motivation
of the schism.

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Sigwada Gallery

Gallery hours (Monday-Sunday, 10am-6pm - beyond 6pm by appointment)

0917-8075659 • 743-5873

1921 Oroquieta St., cor. Tayuman, Sta. Cruz, Manila

year-end survey

Following Martin & Abbey :) Pampalipas-oras, pero napaisip ako nito ah. Share lang. Happy New Year!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
lots! choice cuts: go up onstage at CCP's Little Theater with raketmates Sawsawan for the Production Design of Tanghalang Pilipino's EJ, contact artists for a project, go to Corregidor, blanked out while in Corregidor, take care of rats as pets, learned Filipino Sign Language, completed the Simbang Gabi, subjected friends to each other :)

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I never had any. Will I make one for 2009? Maybe.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
my sis-in-law!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
yes, a very good friend and classmate in UP, during a mountaineering accident. typhoon Frank.

5. What countries did you visit?
none, huhuhu.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
uhm. a sound master's thesis topic!

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Christmas Day. superb family, blessings, friends, and i received the bestest presents.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
finally having the guts to quit a (turbulent) long-term relationship that really wasn't good for me anymore.

9. What was your biggest failure?
being unable to continue with a research project.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
nothing bad. just bad coughs and colds that kept me up or woke me up at night.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
ohmy. hmm. my elephant iflops!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
my bff. no contest :) i am so proud of her!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
a good friend. i was hoping things would turn out okay (still) between us. i'm still hoping.

14. Where did most of your money go?
hmm. the first part of the year, mostly to food & travel. nights out with friends, cab rides. lomography. the latter part of the year, to myself, clothes and such. yey :)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I got really excited about a particular Christmas present. :) though it was given days before christmas (and i usually end up opening stuff before xmas day), i held back until it was Time.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
can't think of a particular one. first song that comes to mind is Turn, Turn, Turn by the Byrds. i grew up a lot this year. also, The Start of Something by Voxtrot. tuwa at kulit lang. Funny Little Frog by Belle & Sebastian. i like frogs. (labo)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? definitely happier.
richer or poorer? richer, thanks to a project.
thinner or fatter? ohmy. fatter. hahaha.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
focusing on finishing my master's. i keep saying "thesis na lang ang kulang" but i'm not doing anything about it.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
er, hmm. money-wise, unwise spending. wala pa akong ibang maisip.

20. How did you spend the holidays?
with friends and family. the best combination. ecstatically happy and fulfilled. despite the bumps along the way, it's been a great year for me.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
i fell out, fell in, fell out, and in again (i think). so that's a (probable) double yes, right?

22. How many one-night stands?
Zilch.

23. What were your favorite TV programs?
Californication (thanks to my classmate and friend RJ, his bday gift to me, hehehe), and Pushing Daisies (thanks to Mark na nagkwento) lang ang napanood ko on dvd eh. ganun ako kadalas nakapanood this year.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I'm not much of a hater. :)

25. What were the best books you've read?
ohno. di ako masyadong nakabasa, but all of the books i managed to finish this year were all great: Sherds (okay not so great for this F. Sionil Jose), The Book of Numbers, Sexing The Cherry, The Walrus Was Paul, Varjak Paw, and The Outlaw Varjak Paw (thanks ige for lending me the dms)

26. What was your favorite film of this year?
Juno. AND Across the Universe. trippy! i liked it so much i put it on my xmas wishlist. thanks susa for getting me an original copy! :) isa pa pala yung Ms. Pettigrew Lives For A Day. katuwa. hehehe.

27. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
laid-back, tomboy artist slacker tambay, as always.

28 Whom did you miss?
hmm. lomomanila! i wasn't able to participate in the events/projects this year.

29. Who was the best new person you met?
young visual artists who became good friends, Deaf artists, martin's friends esp. abbey & obie, at ang tweebo ng oro!

30. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
if you know it's not for you, don't force it. trust your instincts but be wise in making decisions.

31. What was your greatest musical discovery?
(late ako eh at ibang genre ang pinakikinggan ko talaga) - Belle and Sebastian :)

32. What did you want and get?
i wanted my life (what made me, me) back. i got it. :)

33. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
my 24th was spent on a long walk around old Manila, and dinner by the bay. :)

34. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
guts.

35. What kept you sane?
my friends, old and new, whom i got to spend more time with this year.

36. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
John Lloyd forever.

37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
i wonder if you realize you fascinate me so

tee hee hee.

masakit sa pisngi

ang sobrang pagngiti. pictures ng pinhole camera na natanggap ko noong pasko. saya, tuwa, galak, nakakamaliw na pasko paksiw! dabestest. salamat santa! :)

fish

tambling

so this is christmas

photos everywhere. but i won't be posting any, not right now. not that my christmas was unpleasant. on the contrary, 2008 christmas week was one of, if not the best i had. that is, until last night to this afternoon.

an itty bitty bit of information reached me last night. did it do enough damage to my hapee holidays? somewhat. not much. good thing someone had a better head, and let it pass. me, i'm not good at letting things pass. my friends know how hot-blooded i am, facing/forcing an issue or an asshole head-on, but the past few months i've been learning to control myself, and i realized it also feels good to keep a wise silence, to let things be, to walk away.

good thing my friends aren't like me. thanks for calming me down guys, you know who you are.

as for the details, rather not put 'em down here. let's just say i hope it doesn't happen again. if it does happen again, well, to hell with the miserable entity who'll cause it. this really is getting so tiring. (i could hear our friend writer-picture taker-wushu master glenn atanacio--->present saying at this point, "ano pare, upakan na natin?" hahaha. the cholo and the martin would most probably agree, isn't that how sweet the glenn is?)

okay, enough of the negative energy! here's something christmasy: lotsa thanks to susa for the dvd. i did act surprised! :) you have to come by the house sometime with martin for our pizza afternoon. there's domino's just across the subdivision. (and bibingka, and kfc, and lechon manok, and burger machine...)

i did say this was probably the best christmas ever. i'd like to say the phrase "months in the making" but that wouldn't ring true. some of the time perhaps. the first day of my christmas fell on an ordinary day in september. i wrote a wishlist then too. i've looked forward to a better christmas since october. a taste of christmas fell on a november thursday. since then i've been celebrating little christmases every week. santa gave me a special present a few days before christmas--i'm relieved that he thinks i've been more nice than naughty this year. (eh?)

santa's gift was the only 'early' present that i really disciplined myself not to open until christmas. after midnight mass, the moment we got home, i rushed to the package and immediately felt like a cat with a new toy: ecstatically wide-eyed with curiosity, with excitedly playful paws. it didn't register right away what it was when i first saw it. when the lights finally flicked on in my head, i became dizzy. i realized it was because i'd stopped breathing, and just stared.

and recalled some things. chuckled.
realized. oh, so that's why... i even grew bold enough to think "(blah blah blah blah) after all."

after that frozen moment i ate my sopas and hamon smiling like an idiot. i thanked santa. then i received a message from santa saying that he, too, liked the 'note' i gave him. i'm glad he did. it was the only way i could show him how i felt, without looking so much like a stalking, screaming fan. (eh? again)

["(because if you can't say it on christmas when can you eh?)"]

a better christmas. yep. last year it was painful when i had my hair cut. my neck which was supposed to hold my head in place as the hairdresser pulled at my hair was very, very uhm...'newly-massaged' by a human garrote the previous night. it was painful to even turn to the side. today, i had another session with the same hairdresser, but this time i didn't wince.

blabber blabber blabber. the day after christmas i fixed my things, sorted out trash, gave away some stuff, made some much-needed space for books and cameras (two "new" ones for christmas!). now i'm at my desk--i have a desk! wow. and i found objects. some of these made it to the trash. i'd like to think i've grown wiser this year and have carefully chosen the things i want to remember when i grow old. none of the foolish sentimentality that came with the (turbulent) past relationships (spanning the years 2000-2008, hahaha). come on. i had to throw away some stuff so i can start again. throw. no more looking for it; i've learned from it. discard. it has served its purpose. let('s) go.

since

blogposts are historical documents, i'm making this wishlist public just for the sake of reference. that, on this particular day in this particular year, these are the things i thought would be nice to receive this particular christmas. and yeah, susa did say we've started on my wishlist some months ago (september if i remember correctly), and now, well, i've had more time to actually think. haha. plus i don't know where i put my notebook that contains the list (hint, hint).


so, for the sake of listing (i love lists), here goes my [attainable] material stuff wishlist (emphasis on 'attainable material'):

1. a lomo lc-a+ camera (wide angle baby! there are available 'colored' ones, and i'd like the orange or blue-green one. hehehe)


2. notebooks - without lines, or if lined, the not-so darkly-lined ones (i never fill 'em up and i change notebooks as the 'emotional need' arises)


3. writing materials (ballpoint, pencil, gel, markers...)


4. 35mm & 120mm film (color slides & negs, b&w)


5. a good all-weather jacket (doesn't have to be green; i have five green jackets already!)


6. a sturdy, long-lasting foldable umbrella (provided i don't lose it or leave it in the fx/bus/jeep)


7. music (we never stop learning)


8. additional memory for my laptop (so i can reinstall a cs3)


9. non-mainstream movies, / indie films, documentaries, tv specials, concerts


10. backpack (my five-year-old army green bobcat is starting to say goodbye)


11. loose white cotton shirts for fieldwork


12. earphones for the mp3 player (i always lose/yank to death my earphones)


13. an external hard drive (320 gig is great; it will last me 'til post-grad studies. hahaha)


14. a panasonic lumix wide-angle cam, preferably with a minimum 8 mp (uh, still thinking if this is attainable--i've read good reviews on the lx3 model; however price-wise, this is still a bit 'out')


15. an artwork (open interpretation)

and that's it. as for the non-material ones, there's always world peace and love, good health for all especially my family and friends, peace of mind, happy pets, insatiable curiosity and wonder (may we never fail to dream!) and thursdays.

i sound like the sixties.

no this isn't a wish. i just want to show that i'm getting better and better at making rally-style posters and placards. hahaha.

now it's starting to look a lot like Christmas

hell workweek's finally over! just a few stuff to finish before the year ends (liquidations, photo sorting, blah).

done half of my christmas shopping, thanks in part to the sunday lung center market, our weekly source of ilocos empanada and bulacan tinumis. i got myself an early christmas gift, a very lucky find--it has my name written all over it, and i just can't help but think it was sitting there for me to 'find' it. hahaha. destiny!

i'm too "bubbly" as of the moment to write anything longer than three paragaraphs (i enjoyed doing someone's christmas gift so much my hands are still itching for more). i can however put five photographs in this post. hahaha.

eliza the elliefant (she was the only one of her kind--a 'toy' speaker that connects to any mp3 player/ipod--in that stuffed toy pile; i was even doubting if her headphones/speakers worked. imagine my extreme happiness when they did!)

i didn't know what to name her, so i asked for help. eliza raw, kasi parang di tumatanda. and well, since she is a musical toy, i also remembered eliza doolittle, one of my favorite broadway musical characters (from "my fair lady"). so there, eliza the elliefant.

eliza the elliefant with mr. kite the iguana: sharing the music

she flops! (her tag reads: "iflops. share the tunes!") did a quick research and it turns out that they're called 'i flops Stereo Pets' and sold for almost ten dollars. lemme see. i got her for uh, four dollars? hahaha. merry christmas to me!

miel had a photoshoot yesterday for her birthday invitations. in this photo she looks like one of king mongkut's kids in the (yul brynner) production of "the king and i". her first birthday will be on january 6; the party would be (if i am not mistaken) on january 11. and of course, saving the best for last:

this photo is proof that miel takes after me.

because

Filipino Deaf Visual Art Group at Sigwada

In celebration of its 8th year, the Filipino Deaf Visual Art Group or FDVAG is proud to hold its painting exhibit titled “Natural Nudes” on December 8-18, 2008 at the Sigwada Gallery in Tayuman.

FDVAG is a group of Deaf artists established in November 2001 and affiliated with the Philippine Federation of the Deaf, a national Deaf people’s organization.

FDVAG has held annual exhibitions at the University of the Philippines Church of the Risen Lord since 2001. They have also exhibited at the Tomlinson Gallery, PhilFirst Building, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, SAMU’T SARI, and Pan Pacific Manila. Members’ works (greeting cards, etc.) have been sold in the Philippines and overseas to Japan, U.K., and the U.S. Most of their members have participated in the prestigious nationwide competitions of the DOW Chemical, Metrobank, Shell, Philip Morris, Faber-Castell, and AAP (Art Association of the Philippines), and garnered awards and recognition for their works.

The Natural Nudes exhibit is comprised of the works of the following FDVAG members:

Rommel L. Agravante
Amelito C. Regalado
Gil P. De Guzman, Jr.
Manuel V. Adonis

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The exhibit opens on December 8, 2008 at 6:00PM at the Sigwada Gallery, 1921 Oroquieta cor. Tayuman Sts., Sta. Cruz, Manila.

di umaakyat ang pagong sa puno

laurie: "...hindi namamatay. umaakyat sa puno."

joni: "e hindi naman umaakyat yung pagong sa puno e."

laurie: "nagju-jump..."

joni: "hindi rin...hindi din juma-jump yung pagong e. lumalakad lang yun!"

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ganitong klaseng rasyonal na pag-iisip ang nakasisira sa imahinasyon ng bata. kaya siguro di na ako makapagsulat ng magandang istorya, masyadong cause & effect, 1+1=2, black or white na ang takbo ng utak ko. hehehe. olats.

so that's why the titles are all in lowercase

remember when you were being taught to write, how the big letters differed from the small ones? remember the blue-red-blue lines that guided your hand to form the proper height of the letters, telling you not to go beyond the red when making baby a's? write properly, said teacher, start your sentences and proper nouns with capitals.

recall your writing exercises, when you were made to write rows upon rows of letters, until you got it right. your grandmother used to make the outlines of the letters using a very light-colored pencil, so that you wouldn't have to measure too much. at the end of the year you were awarded the 'best in penmanship' star, the red one. you grew up being known to be one of the best spelling-and-grammar rules followers in class. you know what doesn't belong in a sentence. you know when an 'h' is silent.

capitalization is serious business. all german nouns are capitalized. on government forms, you use block letters. you are quite good at doing big letters, except for one: your capital j looks like an s, so you always put a small serif at the top.

the literary people, you find out, are really the ones who break the rules. remember the numerous small i's and the not-capitalizing-at-the-beginning-of-sentences thing? they must be really great, you think, to be exempted from the rule. they are even praised and labelled geniuses for thinking of such a witty way to write 'i have something to say, but i am really insignificant' with that small i. postmodern, they say, postmodern.

capitalization is serious business. small letters are cute, fun, mellow, and easy on the eyes.

it's such a cool, unpretentious, humble way to write, you learn. the word processor automatically capitalizes all i's, and it annoys you. you go back and write it properly: "i". i, i, i. i am small. i is small. i am insignificant, but i have something to say.

a lesson in big & small

portraits

Tissa

Miel

Bunch

Igê

Tad

nobody bursts my bubble today

Deflate is on detable.

thursday morning

this is what happens when many blog-worthy events in my life occur at the same time: they don't make their way into my blog. i get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of what i want to say, and often my hands can't catch up with my mind, so i just say "it was ok". i'm not very good at summarizing really; as much as possible i include details ("show don't tell"), and i disappoint myself when i forget to say something. so it's either i babble a lot or i don't say much at all. sometimes i wish i could just stick a flash drive in my ear, upload narratives (and expletives if need be), and transfer to the computer. i guess no one's invented the technology yet. the cure for lazy writers who can't filter.

yes, there's makiling, ust, sigwada, home, cubicle, sigwada, and back home again. reports, encoding, walking, coffee, documentation, guessing, exhibits, waiting, cab rides, and thursdays.

hang up

"The place smelled of coffee, but he wasn't there, the coffee wasn't his."

tad boXed up

"After confessing this she was sure his response would begin with a T."

Bunch Garcia at the Sigwada Gallery

A Cup of Memory: From Angono to the heart of Manila.

Bunch Garcia's works as an artist-in-residence of the Neo-Angono Artists Collective will grace the newly-opened Sigwada Gallery!

November 14, 2008, 6PM
Sigwada Gallery
#1921 Oroquieta Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila
http://sigwadagallery.multiply.com
http://hannahbunch.multiply.com

kitakits.

Commonwealth-Fairview traffic on a Sunday

Probably the worst one I had been in--on a Sunday.

I was northbound, on my way home from fieldwork. The traffic started to slow down when I got to Litex, just as I was nearing our subdivision. I started to take a nap, thinking what the heck I'm tired, until my mind toinked my consciousness with the words "carbon monoxide."

Three Counting Crows songs later, I noticed vehicles turning to the southbound lane for a counterflow. There must be a collision, I thought. Four Beatles songs later, I noticed people walking on the road. Bumaha na naman siguro sa may Winston, I thought. I was around 500 kilometers away from our subdivision gate so I decided to wait it out a bit--after all, I wasn't in a hurry to go home. Three Turtles songs later I got impatient; and, dizzy with exhaust fumes, I got out the jeepney and crossed Commonwealth.

When I got out the jeep, what scared and amused me at the same time was the sheer monstrosity of the traffic going into Fairview: the counterflow left just one lane southbound, there were cars trying to make a left turn but couldn't, there were people who fled the area in droves. Something I haven't seen before in that part of Commonwealth going to Fairview on a Sunday.

Then, I was glad I didn't go home earlier.

Fieldwork finished early. We got back to UST at around 4:15-4:30, and I headed straight for home, only I couldn't get a ride to Fairview along Espana. I waited around thirty minutes until I decided to just take two rides. So, I took a jeep to SM West, embarked at Timog, and waited for anything Fairview. An SM Fairview FX neared. I hailed it. It slowed down. Then this schmuck tears past me and makes for the door. I saw the driver look at me apologetically. Kung mainit lang ulo ko nu'n, hinila ko na 'yung tarantado palabas ng FX at tinadyakan ko pa sa balls. Anyway. I took it as a sign na di pa ako dapat umuwi. Lingon-lingon. Uy, Red Ribbon.

A hundred and twenty pesos poorer but with a happy stomach, I sat by my lonesome and read what I haven't finished of Ambeth Ocampo's Bonifacio's Bolo. Other thoughts: I was struggling whether to text him or not, about the historical facts I've learned, about the downpour that greeted us on our way back to Manila. Man this cake sucks. Looked at the clock. 7ish. Okay, I can go now.

Where the H have all the Fairview rides gone?! As I waited by a building with a "barbershop with private rooms", I watched a couple of bonggang-bonggang performers rehearse a dance number at a talent/event agency twenty paces away. Okay, let's try this 'waiting for a ride home' again. Finally, an empty jeep to Almar. Two minutes later it was full. The ride was swift and the vroom-vroom loud. I couldn't even hear Adam Duritz shout-singing about feathers in his hand.

Ayan, Litex na, lapit na 'ko. Ayus. Then, this:


This is the southbound lane (going to Manila) that's gone northbound. That's the Fairview marker at the center. Good thing I was only three blocks away from home, and I felt sorry for those who lived farther--Lagro, Novaliches, San Jose Del Monte. 'Yung mga taga-'Greater' Fairview pwede na'ng maglakad eh.

"Ang lakas kasi ng ulan," said my sister when I showed her the photos and the videos I took. Pero kanina pa 'yun, di ba? I commented, still with disbelief. "Pero sobrang lakas, as in, sooobra..."

* * * * * * * * *

Tungkol sa ulan, recently
Pag nakakapanood ako ng pelikula o palabas na may eksenang umuulan, parang nararamdaman ko na rin ang mga patak sa aking balat. Parang nababasa rin ang aking mga paa. Parang kulang na lang, nandu'n din siya.

wala lang.

60 Things You Possibly Didn't Know About Me

Nakuha ko kay berniii sa Multiply. Wala pa akong maisulat na iba eh. Basta masaya ako.

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
- Dust.

2. When was the last time you threw up?
- After a beer night out with Martin. It was the peanuts that did it, I think.

3. What's your favorite curse word?
- Shit. On very very special occasions it would be the F-word.

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today.
- Dahil maaga pa (8:47 AM pa lang) at wala pa akong kinakausap masyado, si Miel pa lang. Yung daga ko pala. Pupunta kami ni Gypsy sa vet mamaya. Check-up.

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
- Nanonood ng special features ng Saturday Night Fever habang nagche-check ng e-mail.

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
- Upload ng The Byrds video sa Youtube, singing to Belle & Sebastian.

7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now?
- Nag-aalaga ng daga.

8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
- Nope.

9. What is the last thing you said aloud?
- chorus ng "Hey Mr. Tambourine Man"

10. What is the best ice cream flavor?
- Choco Hazelnut.

11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
- Propel (susyal!).

12. What are you wearing right now?
- Sampageti sando na may hearts, at shorts na brown na may teepee prints.

13. What was the last thing you ate?
- Keebler Soft Batch choco chip cookies.

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
- Dehins.

15. When was the last time you ran?
- As in takbo? Matagal na, mga 3 weeks ago, with Fitch. Pero sumayaw naman ako kagabi.

16. What's the last sporting event you watched?
- Opening ng Beijing Olympics sa DVD.

17. What is one thing you could totally live without doing?
- Drugs ;)

18. Who is the last person you emailed?
- Ricci, para sa "Ano Ba Talaga ang ART?" dvd project.

19. Ever go camping?
- Ay oo.

20. Do you have a tan?
- Bilad talaga ako sa araw.

21. What is your guilty pleasure?
- Late nights.

22. What kind of foundation do you use?
- Powder lang ako eh.

23. Who is your cell phone service provider?
- Globe.

24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
- Oo, na kina-cut down ko na (ang paggamit ng straw).

25. What did your last IM say?
- "babye"

26. Are you someone's best friend?
- I hope so!

27. What are you doing tomorrow?
- Aga gising, puntang uste, chaperone ng mga bata, puntang pampanga akyat bundok, outreach, baba ng bundok, stopover, balik uste, uwi sa bahay.

28. Where is your mom right now?
- Nasa isang review center, doing her thing.

29. Look to your left, what do you see?
- three shelves of dvds.

30. What color is your watch?
- Di na ako nag-watch eh. Pero nung meron dati, blue na may mouse print.

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia?
- Koalas.

32. Would you consider plastic surgery?
- Nah. Pwera na lang kung kailangan (halimbawa natuklap ang kalahati ng mukha ko sa isang freak accident, at ayaw ko namang magmukhang two-face).

33. What is your birthstone?
- Aquamarine.

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
- Eat in.

35. How many kids do you want?
- Initially, two. ;)

36. Do you have a dog?
- Meron! Lima sila. Pusa meron din, 15 na ata sila. Isda, meron din, 13. Daga, dalawa naman.

37. Last person you talked to on the phone?
- Ross from Unang Hirit. Gusto niyo'ng malaman kung bakit?

38. Have you met anyone famous?
- Hmm sa mga gig at art events, ganun. Lolita Carbon. Nag-reply sakin sa text si Ely Buendia. Pwede na ba 'yun?

39. Any plans today?
- Puntang vet papa-checkup si Gypsy, daan ng Sigwada para i-finalize kung pwede mag-exhibit ang FDVAG dun, anticipated mass sa uste wid da pamilee, dinner dun sa Jap resto sa may Retiro, sulat ng articles para sa Academia.

40. How many states have you lived in?
- Isa lang, Pilipinas!

41. Ever go to college?
- UST Faculty of Arts and Letters at UP College of Social Sciences and Philosophy.

42. Where are you right now?
- Parents' room, mom's desk slash kitty dining table.

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
- Anxiety brought about by the dvd project.

44. Last song listened to?
- Belle & Sebastian's Dirty Dream Number Two.

45. What do you wash first in the shower?
- Paa ang unang binabasa.

46. Are you allergic to anything?
- Wala na naman. Ayus nga eh.

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
- Tsinelas pang-harabas

48. Are you jealous of anyone?
- Naw

49. Sweet foods or Salty?
- Sweet tooth. Minsan alternate.

50. Is anyone jealous of you?
- Wala na naman siguro.

51. What time is it?
- 9:14 AM

52. Do any of your friends have children?
- Yep, mga sociobabies!

53. Do you eat healthy?
- I try to. Salads.

54. What do you usually do during the day?
- Try to work amidst the distractions in the office.

55. Do you hate anyone right now?
- No, not much of a hater.

56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
- Yes, and hi.

57. Favorite time of the day?
- Early morning (either mahimbing ang pagkakatulog ko or magic hour na nakakapagsulat ako).

58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
- 25. Quarter life! Tanda ko na pala. :)

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
- Nope, pero madaming flags dun sa Grotto Vista.

60. How did you get one of your scars?
- Kagat ng aso yung nasa pisngi-ulo ko. Rarr!!!

looking for the "awww..." factor

From an article Ambeth Ocampo wrote in February 1992, titled 'Leap year and Love Letters':

"As we move out of this month associated with love, I was able to dig up the text of a typical adolescent love letter written at the turn of the century by students of Mary H. Fee, an American schoolteacher sent to Capiz to teach English and introduce the little brown brothers to apples, Washington, stars and stripes, and the American way. She often confiscated such letters from classroom Romeos. One such letter read:

"LOVELY AND MOST RESPECTABLE LADY:
I am do me the honor to write you these few unworthy lines to tell you why you are breaking the heart and destroying the good health of my friend Pedro. Always I am going to his house every night, and I am find him weeping for you. He is not eating for love of you. He cannot sleep because he is think about your eyes which are like the stars, and your hairs which are the most beautiful of all the girls in this town. Alas! my friend must die if you do not give him a hope. Everyday he is walking in front of your house, but you do not give to him one little word of love. Even you do not love him, you can stop his weep if you like to send him one letter, telling to him that you are not angry to him or to me, his friend."

I miss writing letters like that (the emotion involved, not the grammar). Enough of the business/ secretarial letters I've been writing the past months (and years, if we include my org work since high school); enough of the terse messages one gives and receives through SMS and e-mail. Reading about 'the past' makes me nostalgic for longhand writing and postage stamps, for something that can be kept folded underneath a jacket or between the pages of a book, that can be tucked underneath the pillow before going to sleep. Something that can be seen and read without the need for electricity. Something tangible that can dramatically be thrown away or burned, and not just clicked.

Who am I kidding? Nowadays it could be better to talk to someone through a small window on the screen than attempting to speak to a person an arm's length away. Could be easier to rip the plug off the wall than to write, with shaking hands, a short note. More practical, less time-consuming, less embarrassing, more face saved.

At the end of the day though, you wonder how he writes his name.

b o X e d 2008 -- and my 100th post! yey!

boXed 2008 is about the erotic stories behind the corners of your wall…
about the sensual subconscious and the real or the unreal…
revolving, evolving and dying, decomposing and living once again.

We talk about the taboo of our inner world as we create a whole
universe of sensitivity.

A universe of stories told and untold.

opens NOVEMBER 15, 2008 (Saturday) at 6PM.

The CUBICLE ART GALLERY
40A. C. Raymundo corner Stella Maris Street
Brgy. Maybunga, Pasig City 1603, Philippines.

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Participants:
Katrina Adrias, Arkisens, Darrel Ballesteros, Allan Balisi, Elvert de la Cruz Bañares, Zeus Bascon, Serjohn Bato, Giselle Bautista, Art Bermido, Robert Besana, Bru, Con Cabrera, Miro Calderon, Buen Calubayan, Ronald Caringal, Jeff Carnay, Clint Catalan, Francis Comendador, Jigger Cruz, Don Djerassi Dalmacio, Melvin Dantes, DeformIndustry, Crisanto De Leon, Ian Del Espiritu Santo, Alon De Guzman, Fabo, Dexter Fernandez, Ging Flores, Mayang Frigillana, Dina Gadia, Angela Garrido, Sarah Gaugler, Eva Gubat, Neil Arvin Javier, Helen Jose, Vinita Karim, Lindslee, Lesley Lim, Michelle Pauline Lim, Mark Magistrado, Angelo Magno, Joseph Manata, Lotsu Manes, Hana Marasigan, Meneer Marcelo, ER Masilang, Feanne Mauricio, Jovenz Mayor, Kat Medina, Treb Monteras, Jamel Obnamia, Edrie Ocampo, Okto, AJ Omandac, Nico Orillano, J. Pacena II, Francis Pacheco, Vincent Padilla, Tad Pagaduan, Lynyrd Paras, Mervin Pimentel, Cheyenne Quintana, Julius Ramirez, Oliver Ramos, Sam Ramos, Kirby Roxas, Mark Salvatus, Jopay San Juan, Aman Santos, King Santos, Julius Sebastian, Reine Shih, Apol Sta. Maria, Mimi Tecson, Jomike Tejido, Hubert Tibi, Fernando Torres, Tatong Recheta Torres, Ige Trinidad, Wesley Valenzuela, Ulysses Veloso, Maan Villanueva, Lauren Villarama, WeAreAnalog, Ray Zapanta, and Costantino Zicarelli.

Gallery Hours:
Mondays to Fridays - 9am to 9pm
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays - By Appointment

thecubicleartgallery@yahoo.com
+[63 2] 641-6700
+[63] 919 584 88 08 (Gallery Manager)
+[63] 915 781 01 35 (boXed organizer)


Venue map:

so much to say, but first of all

FORGETFULNESS.

flash drives
folder of contacts
cellphone
things i've said

These are just some of the things I've forgotten the past week. Scary. My short-term memory's starting to betray me. Don't tell me why.
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So, what happened in Pampanga?
I'll tell you a bit about it then I'll digress.

It was the second time I've attended the UGAT Conference (the first time was in Miag-ao, Iloilo), and I was a bit disappointed at the turnout of participants--less this year. Ate Jo, a former classmate, said that it might be because the venue was near and therefore not 'exciting' enough--after all, it was only about an hour and a half trip from Manila. But of course I was okay with it; not only did I get to see my old classmates but also I got to spend time with two of my closest college friends Rejie and Prim.

Aida, Lorna, Fe

I've been there before, that heritage district in San Fernando--office work, we went to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Office. Also, over at Angeles, we got to visit the Henson ancestral house. Old structures never fail to amaze me. When I'm in a museum house I feel tingly.

The more I see old structures and learn local history, the more I want to go to my mom's province, Bulacan, to take in the stories of the place, of my family. I always find it interesting that my parents first met at a common relative's wake, and unfortunately I always forget (again, the forgetting) how the branches of the family connect and intertwine. One of our lolos took it upon himself to be the family historian, tracing the genealogies and positing that the Villarama clan came from a village in Mexico.

I always question this because, diligent as he is, Lolo Erning overlooked an event in Philippine history that might have had a hand in all this: the Claveria decree that gave Spanish surnames to the 'native' Filipinos.

The genealogical chart Lolo Erns made was given to me, because I think no one else in my family took much interest in that sheaf of typewritten paper.

Last year I started an online family tree. I could only supply information about my generation, leaving the 'roots' to my mom. A small step. Then, during our family reunion last December, we had an activity wherein all the families were made to make their own family trees using cartolina, crayons, and felt-tip pens. The trees were then presented, and then compiled by our family. The trees now serve as a memory device, and would surely come in handy during the holidays.

One of the things I asked my mom before was whether she new of any relative who might have been a Katipunero--after all, their family has roots in Angat, Sta. Maria, Marungko, and Malolos in Bulacan. I was hoping there was.

Something 'newer' though: Lolo Erning's chart showed that there was a Philippine Constabulary soldier member of the family who died in Corregidor. That's as far as he knows. I want to dig deeper, say, 1800s--but unfortunately I don't think there's anyone living who can supply the data. No one in the family's fond of keeping written records too. How about old newspapers in the library, birth registries in old parishes? Worth a try, though I hope they weren't discarded or burned. Always in history there's a fire.

Sometime, perhaps, when I have the resources (and time), I'll go dig, do some research. Anyone in the family willing to fund? Stateside people? :)

[I see the Villarama 'pingkit' eyes in my cousins, sometimes I think I exhibit it too. Often people would ask if I had Chinese blood. It's just the eyes I think.]

Mielyboo!

Too bad that my mom's old house in Angat had been torn down--I loved that house, the capiz windows, the bamboo slats, the old cabinets. I never much cared about it when I was young and we went there during fiestas and other family gatherings; it was only recently that I began to miss it, much more when I sat in the conference listening to discussions on heritage and going around an old town. Nostalgic.

Swimming in the Angat River. Fear of a great flood, building a raft that would take the family to Manila. A lola eloped with her beau. Mom walked to school and went home for lunch. Her mom was a teacher at the school, which ran up only to third grade. She finished the rest of grade school in Espiritu Santo in Manila, then went on to high school in UST. When the high school building burned down they had classes at the seminary.

Old pictures. My youngest sister looks like my pre-teen mom, with long wavy hair and bright big eyes. And I look like

a little frog princess in a bikini.

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Rejie's folks do not sleep before 2 a.m. They made me eat chocolate cake at 12:30 a.m. Midnight chitchat+snack. It's a house that never seems to sleep. They have roomfuls of books. I could get lost among the piles. Tito Pete has a lot of photography books. They drove me to the conference venue every morning. I am writing a lot of simple sentences.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Look what I found! Wanna know what I did with this photo? Ask my mom!

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This tape I'm making for Laura.... has music she likes. Things that make her happy. And for the first time, I think I'm starting to see how that's done. - Rob in 'High Fidelity'

I have recently acquired 'new' songs that a friend generously gave a couple of weeks ago. I thought the Pampanga trip would be a great time to fully 'immerse' myself in the new music, so as I was packing I was also 'screening' the songs, picking out the albums that could keep me company during the ride.

Listening to the cd was like meeting a stranger. First, curiosity. Then, questions, who are you, what are you doing here, stuff about likes, dislikes, life in general. The more you find out about the person the more you see similarities (and differences) between you. Like, how he/she also has the habit of getting the window seat in the bus, eating the edges of a sandwich first, or looking up at the sky at six in the evening. You take note of information, of stories, that make the person less of a stranger.

What do you do with the differences? You compromise, if you have to. I think it is somehow like heritage, or religion. You don't discard the existing for the new, but you adapt the new to suit your current interest or need.

Am I making sense?

Oh yes, the cd. When I finally got my 'chosen ones'--those that easily appealed to me--I realized that they were very similar to what I was already listening to. Some weeks ago I had a eureka moment in the musical sense--I 'found' my genre. When I told friends about this they said, "because it's the music you grew up with. You always come back to that." I guess so.

Imagine picking albums from a 4-gig cd to fit in a 2-gig player. So who made it to the list? Well, my Counting Crows was still there, sixties pop, motown, and folk rock, Elliott Smith, some Beatles of course, Weezer, some pop-rock-reggae-standards miscellany, and from the cd, my top four picks: Belle & Sebastian, The Lucksmiths, Of Montreal, and The Housemartins.

There you go. How's that sound?

manyaman queni

Gusto ko lang sabihin na nakabalik na ako mula San Fernando, Pampanga.

Bukas na ang mahabang istorya.

Basta wag niyong ipakain sa mga pusa ang mga daga ko

Dapat ibinilin ko 'to bago ako umalis ng bahay kanina.

Nag-iwan ako ng dalawang notes sa bahay tungkol sa pagpapakain ng mga alaga kong daga at isda: kung ano'ng oras sila papakainin at kung ano ang pwedeng ipakain (sa mga daga). Matagal-tagal din akong mawawala, kung pwede lang isama si Gypsy, ibinulsa ko na siya.

Wala lang.

Mga natutunan ko ngayong linggo (huling post ko ito bago umalis pa-Pampanga):

-Ayon kay Rey "Sexytime" Domingo, 'guitarer' ng Brokensauce (aka Wasaknapatis/Sirangleekumkee), masarap ang Coke na may beer.
-Nagbibigay pala ng discount cards ang Gloria Jean's.
-Masarap pa ring magbabad sa Quiapo.
-Kung mamalasin ka, mamalasin ka talaga.
-Mas malaki ang fish fillet dun sa poster ng Chowking kesa sa actual.
-Masaya at mabilis maglakad pauwi habang nakikinig sa "Dancing On The Street."
-Di pa rin kami nakakabili ng iced tea sa bahay.
-Matagal na akong hindi nakakakain ng shawarma.
-Posible palang ngitian ang isang tao kahit hindi mo siya kaharap.

finally finished

Submitted my Boxed exhibit entry yesterday at Sigwada Gallery.

Mukhang pasado naman. :)

Pinahirapan ako ng mga photos na 'yan ha, nakatatlong lipat ako ng photo shops sa Hidalgo hanggang sa maitama 'yung pagpapaprint. Pati 'yung framing, sumablay nung una, inulit pa 'yung matting.

'Yun. Tapos na ako!

Sa November 10 daw ang opening, sa Cubicle Gallery sa Pasig. Antabayanan ang invite. :)

Bago pala 'yun, isa pang 'big event'--ang 18th boitday celeb ni Tissa sa October 31. Magpapa-games ako. Bwahaha.

Eto pala, for fun. Galing kay Jonar.

HOLLAND: Hope Our Love Lasts And Never Dies
ITALY: I Trust And Love You
MONACO: May Our Noble Affair Continue Onwards
IRELAND: I'll Remain Enamoured, Loving, And Needing you, Darling
PARANAQUE: Please Always Remain Adorable, Nice, And Quiet Under Ecstasy
WAIKIKI: Welcome Aking Irog, Kita'y Inintay nang Kaytagal. Imissyou.
INDIA: Inside, Now, Dahil Imbiyerna Ako!
IMUS: I Miss U, Sweetheart
BALIWAG: Beauty And Love, I Will Always Give
QUIAPO: Quiet U, I Am Pissed Off!
DUBAI: Don't U Believe Ako'y Iyo?
IRAN: Ikaw Rin Ang Nawalan
PIER: Please Ignore Everything, Right?
TIANGGE: Tama, Ikaw Ang Naging GungGong Ever

Ikaw, ano'ng lugar ang isisigaw mo? :)

I'm A Little Teapot

My brilliant mind came up with another stroke of genius this morning while I was waiting for a ride to work:

"I'm A Little Teapot" is one of the most sexually-connotative kiddie ditties there is. Let's put the lyrics down.

I'm a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle and here is my spout. When the water's boiling hear me shout. Lift me up and pour me out.

I'm thinking of an 'organic' object here, and it's not something you can put tea in. Green-minded people will have no difficulty guessing.

Sorry, sorry.

Normally I'd have a song running in my head; my playlist would include anything from musicals, to rock, OPM, and the occasional ballad or LSS from the previous jeepney/bus/fx ride. Perhaps some of Saturday's conversation stuck to me, when we (Susa, Martin, Abbey, & Obie) were waiting for Pinikpikan's last gig to start. There was a story about nuns and difficult-to-harvest mushrooms. Then I also ordered garlic mushrooms.

Perhaps, too, I'm like this because I had been working on my entry for the Boxed exhibit this November. The theme is 'erotica', and friends and I have been talking about it all week! So there you go. [This morning I had the photos printed and framed (hello again Quiapo), and I'll be able to drop them off at Sigwada Gallery later. (Crossing fingers, hoping to pull it off.)]

Short and stout stuff aside, an announcement:

On Wednesday afternoon I'll be heading off to San Fernando, Pampanga for the annual UGAT (Anthropological Association of the Philippines) Conference, this year on "Performing Heritage." I'm hoping to pick up some ideas for my (finally) thesis topic. Possibly no intarnets then, but I'll still try to write, and post later, perhaps on Sunday when I get back. I'm on a roll.

Tea!

i wish my cats were this cuddly

they're actually on their way to a big fight, which would leave them scraggly and uncute. meoooow.

oh, and i've just finished doing some photomanipulations for my Boxed entry. yeah yeah, me doing photomanips. well, i don't manipulate my film shots, just the digital ones, and i did say in my multiply blog that this is just my Plan B. anyway, patikim ito:


not exactly this but something like this. that's the 'feel' of it.

i'd like to think i did okay in the photos i've chosen for the exhibit. well, i like. you be the judge when the exhibit opens in november. i'm not about to post the photos anywhere yet. :)

managinip ka man nang gising, duling ka pa rin

sige na, sablay na ang pamagat. wala po akong intensyong makasakit ng mga may karamdaman. ito ay isang pagkukutya sa sarili.

*ang kwentong ito ay kasaysayang-utak, at walang kinalaman ang nagmamay-ari ng utak sa mga pangyayaring nakapaloob dito. kung ika'y natatakot malaman, mangyari lamang po na huwag nang basahin. para na rin sa ikagagaan ng loob ng may katha. maraming salamat.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

BAKIT SA AKING PAGTULOG, UMIINDAYOG PA RIN ANG ULIRAT?

Napanaginipan ko nanaman siya kagabi. Hindi ko alam kung bakit tuwing napapanaginipan ko siya ay hinahalikan ko siya. Pangalawang beses pa lang naman--ito lang 'yung naaalala ko. Mayroon daw tayong mga panaginip na hindi na natin natatandaan. Inisip ko bang panaginip iyon habang ako'y nananaginip? Hindi. Pero kagabi (o ngayong umaga), na-kontrol ko kung gaano katagal pa kami magkasama.

Isang mahabang pagpapaalam: mga kalsadang tinatawid, hanggang sa ako'y ihatid sa isang tila terminal o sakayan ng tren. Pailalim. Paalam, at dadaan sa pintuan, o bababa sa hagdanan. Tapos nandun siya ulit. Paalam ulit, hanggang sa hindi ko na alam kung ano pa ang ginagawa niya, at ginagawa ko, roon. Doon ko nga ba nahawakan ang kanyang kamay?

Ay, hindi. Bago pa dun. At noong kinuha ko ang kanyang kamay tinignan ko siya, hinahamong bawiin niya ang kamay na hawak ko.

Sa istasyon na tren umupo kami sa sahig (sa istasyon nga ba? o sa ibang lugar? --ay ewan, mahalaga pa ba ito? Basta't umupo kami at puti ang sahig.). Halos magkatapat. Malapit sa aking kamay ang kanyang kamay. Nagtagpo.

Kailan nangyari ang halik sa panaginip na ito? Hindi ko na matandaan. Upang magtagal pa ay hindi ako (kami) tumigil, at dahil ako ang may-ari ng panaginip, ginawa ko ang nais kong gawin. Siguro iniisip ko rin na mawawala nanaman siya. Na hindi ito totoo, at magigising din ako.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

may dahilan kung bakit ko siya napanaginipan (ulit) kagabi. hindi ako makatulog. gustong matulog ng katawan ko ngunit ayaw magpatalo ng pag-iisip. siguro sa gitna ng pagtatalo ng isip at katawan ay naisip ko siya. siguro hindi sapat para kay isip ang ginawa nila mata. siguro bitin si isip sa nangyari kay kamay. siguro naawa si isip kay katawan at naisipang hayaan na ring makatulog. siguro natuwa rin kahit papaano si isip kaya nagluto ng masarap na panaginip.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

may dalawang naglalabang kaisipan:

1. Panaginip lamang ito, kathang-isip, natural na proseso ng utak sa pagtulog, at hindi dapat bigyan ng kahulugan.
2. Panaginip ito, ang paraan ng utak para ma-proseso ang mga pangyayari sa buhay, at pinaniniwalaang makapagbibigay ng 'solusyon' o kasagutan sa mga dinaramdam na mga problema o sitwasyong kinasasangkutan (sa tulong ng mga eksperto sa sikoanalisis).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

huwag na natin masyadong isipin kung alin ang ating paniniwalaan; wala rin namang patutunguhan.

BARYA LANG PO SA UMAGA.
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At para sa iba pang nagbabagang balita,

Rej, veklang muret ka, matapos ang halos sampung buwan ay makikita na ulit kita sa susunod na linggo. Ihanda mo na ang mga pusa at magtimpla na ng mainit na tsokolate. Mahabang kwentuhan 'to. [Pakamusta kay Fafa Fitz! Salamat in advance sa board & lodging!]

Love In The Time of Chorva

oo magandang title ito ng anthology, or EP.

limang taon

Nasaan nga ba ako noong huling limang taon?

nandito:

1. NASA MAY MGA ULAP AT BATO

2003: USTMC Batch 2003 1st climb sa Tarak Ridge (dito nagsimula ang lahat, as usual nakasimangot si 'kuya von').

2. NASA LOOB NG LARAWAN

2004: PedXing exhibit noong 2004, nasa likod ko 'yung painting ni Jepoy Almario, na based dun sa isang short story ko.

3. NASA GITNA NG DAGAT

2005: Sa Miag-ao, Iloilo, kasama si Charly (dakilang Ilonggo ka talaga!) sa isang resort sa tabi mismo ng UP Visayas campus, ilang oras bago magsimula ang UGAT session.

4. NASA BUNDOK

2006: Simula ng trabaho sa uste bilang community organizer, umaakyat ng bundok para sa pagsasakapangyarihan ng mga katutubong aeta. Kasama ko sa pic sina "mothership" Ate Abby at "Portrait of My Love" Sir Joey, ang aming bossing. Ayus.

5. NASA ERE

2007: At nakapasyal ulit sina Susa, Dash (with bf Brian), at Orya sa Enchanted Kingdom makalipas ang maraming taon (since high school ata mga tsong).

FORLORN at Sigwada Gallery

FORLORN formally opens the newest art space in the heart of Manila, featuring the works of:

Lawrence Borsoto

Mark Magistrado

Oliver Ramos

Ivan Roxas

CJ Tanedo

October 11, 2008. 6PM

Sigwada Gallery, #1921 Oroquieta Street, Manila
Exhibit runs until October 31.

critters

There is a weekend chore I enjoy doing, one I don't mind spending so much of my time on. I don't even think of it as a chore; it is like a visit to the zoo. Everyday I see my pets (and sometimes when I see them I feel like I'd rather not leave for work but instead cuddle up all day with them and watch movies) but it is during the weekends when I can spend time with them without thinking of traffic and deadlines.

Some of my friends think it's cute and cool that I have a lot of animals in the house; some are disgusted by the very thought that I have rats. Haha. But I wouldn't be me without animals, now would I? So bear with me. At least you know what I do on Sundays when I'm not out doing fieldwork. :-)

This weekend Fuzzy got a warm bath (he was all greasy and couldn't clean himself well; his fur was in clumps), the little big dogs went to the vet for their shots, and the rats got a condo. The friendly neighborhood pet shop ran out of 'houses' (in an earlier blog post I said I'd be buying another--one for each rat--but I didn't get to.). They did have these shoebox-sized enclosures for birds, so I got one of those instead. Pretty big, but it will do. More cuddling space during rains! :)

Gypsy's starting to lose some of her color--her brown stripe's getting gray highlights, turning pepper. I know it was going to happen eventually; I didn't know it would be this soon. Oh well. She's still as lovable as can be. Dublin on the other hand is still her snobbish self and will always try to bite when she feels invaded. So I let her be, and coax her to eat with a spoon.

Prettycat (yes, that's her name) sleeping in a CD holder

Gypsy looking out the window-doorway beside Rizal.

Dublin's 'lofty' house & Gypsy's condo.

Gypsy's best Rizal pose.