The National Museum of the Philippines has many regional branches, but I've only been to the National Art Gallery in Manila. I first went when I was a freshman, though my memories are now limited to the picture my block took on its front steps. Admission had been free until only recently, when they started charging entrance fees; and rightfully so, because the museum needs and deserves continuous funding for its maintenance and the restoration of the artwork it houses. October is Museums and Galleri[...]
If there's anything that can be done one day at a time, it's learning. I advocate the thinking that anything can be learned, even skills that people insist are dependent on talent, like singing, dancing, and writing. Sure, talent makes it so that there is a predisposition to a skill, but with enough attention to the right procedure and plenty of practice, I think every skill can be developed. I've always envied visual artists, those that can replicate the world around us, and especially those that can tra[...]
Let me start by saying that though I will try to be objective, I probably won't be, and this post may be driven by my biases as a Filipino, and as an alumna of the University of the Philippines. Once a year, my school spirit intensifies, and I become an internet troll... only for the UAAP Cheer Dance Competition ;) I think it's because our school had never won, or even contended, in any other major sport, that I defaulted to pouring all my heart and energy into supporting the UP Pep Squad's athletic efforts. It was[...]
Those last weeks of September just flew by, and I was kept busy by the remaining workouts of the Manila Throwdown, trying out Mystery Manila for the first time, and spending time with family and friends. Some of my best friends' birthdays are in September, as well as my dad's. For my dad's birthday, we hosted a small dinner at home for his high school buddies. Mom, Yaya V, Yaya Rose, and I started cooking as soon as I woke up. On the menu, we had steak, eggplant parmigiana, sardine puttanesca, sweet and sour[...]
Getting tipsy at a wine fair, Christmases, graduation, family trips, and the long-distance runs we joined last year For the past weeks, since she'd finalised paperwork and itinerary, my sister has been out with friends having mini-despedidas for her #CountdownToSydney. The latter half of this week was spent at home, packing and arranging last minute details for her trip. During this time, I was priming myself for her departure, reminding myself that she'll be back sooner than I think. One year might see[...]
That morning light and tree-cast shadowsIt was a combination of I-Couldn't-Put-It-Down and The-Traffic-Is-Stressing-Me-Out that made me whip out the book I'd been reading. I had reached the plot twist, and it was making me antsy. At the climax of most books, I have this bad habit of glancing ahead, wanting to find a word or phrase to lessen the weight of not knowing what's about to happen... and then I feel guilty the moment I glean exactly that, regretting I did not wait for the proper build up. I finish[...]
Is the concept of a "family friend" one of those Filipino-isms? I don't think I've ever heard any other nationality use this exact phrase as we do, oftentimes as modifiers instead of nouns. Others say, "she's a friend of the family," but we say, "she's a family friend." There is also a connotation that the relationship is much deeper than others: a family friend is someone you roll deep with, possibly spent endless summers with when you were younger; and no matter how far life has stretched your band of friendship,[...]
My sister requested to have dimsum for brunch, at this cart-serviced Chinese joint we frequent only on Sunday mornings, because it's her last weekend in the country for a while. After a giant bowl of congee, and several plates of our usuals doused in chili oil, we headed to the shopping centre to run some errands. While waiting for her number to be called at a certain telecom's customer service, she wanted to grab some Rita's from a couple of shops down. We both quickly chose Gelatis, then noticed a promo[...]
Manila Throwdown started today, as they posted the first team WOD (Workout of the Day) at 12:00 am this morning. I was a reluctant participant, and I'm still not that hot about competing, but I can see what they mean about this being a great opportunity to learn things about myself. Admittedly, it really was fun trying to achieve something with buddies.My team, Children of the Morn, finally got together today for the first time to record our video. Shoulder to OverheadI managed a 105# squat clea[...]
Something miraculous happened today: the UP men's basketball team won the first two consecutive games of the season, which hasn't happened since 2005; and they beat DLSU for the first time in six years.#UAAPSeason78 Updated Men's Srs. Basketball Team Standings pic.twitter.com/WlgqWVx8RB— ABS-CBN Sports (@abscbnsports) September 9, 2015This win can't just be luck, it's most definitely a combination of better coaching, individually talented individuals, teamwork, and rigorous training. It's been years, but that jus[...]