Office phase

The secret lives of office stuff.

Unproblematic tensions

exhibit a at the gallery of the College of St. Benilde School of Design and Arts "roots out notions of the contemporary in recent works" by 11 artists.

This laudable initial effort offers proof that the local can be global. Personal
favorites are the sayas over a colored background, Tony Perez's paintings of the Cubao MRT station (one of my hubs as a commuter), the clipboards on the wall, and the poetic lines on the floor. It's like being in Hoxton again.

However, other ways of displaying works could still be explored and pieces should be placed much higher than eye level only when there is enough space for the viewer to move back.

That the aircon was not working because we were the only visitors that Saturday afternoon diminished the impact of the experience and I felt like nitpicking about the tarpaulin. You'd expect contemporary design to neatly tack hangings such that the corners are flat on wall.


The building is another story in itself. CSB-SDA is a forward-looking structure in an area of Manila stuck in a time rut. But that's its new world charm. White walls and high ceilings give artists that openness and light that the shadow of the LRT robs from the main campus. The lack of sidewalks on Vito Cruz still bothers me. Then again, designers and artists could also be inspired by the flaws and quirks of their environment.

Barrio siesta

I got pulled into a three-and-a-half hour meeting I had nothing to do with. In a restaurant. And I was tired and sleepy. Pinned in a tight corner and with little to shoot, here's what I came up with.

Thai today

Thai eatery Jatujak, much like the Bangkok market it is named after, is all about good finds at a good price. With contemporary interiors matched with Thai accents, the top 40 hits in the background are not out of place. The Pad Thai and Sate are reliable favorites. A vegetarian selection is available, as are spices on your table. Every dish is sure to be flavorful.

The godmother

I think the way I hold the baby gives away the fact that I am not his mother.

Kaleidoscopes 4

Not as fun and pretty as the previous ones, but still interesting.

Schmapping Copenhagen

The folks over at Schmap have been adding virtual travel guides for North American and European cities like there's no tomorrow. I wonder when they'll do Asia (they have Australia and New Zealand so far). Again, I'm lending them one of my photos. This time, it's of the Glyptoteket in Copenhagen. So if you're swinging by the Danish capital, take a look at Schmap's Copenhagen guide. My photo is part of the Town Hall Square and Tivoli virtual tour and filed under Museums and Top Attractions. I just have to say that their description of Roskilde is so funny.

For your mp3 collection, part 14

Kyle Fischer:"Should Your Way Ever Need Finding Back"-cute summons

The Long Winters:"Ultimatum"-escapes classification

Owen:"Places to Go"-advice letter

The Red Hot Valentines:"All You Get"-radio-friendly teen beat

Richard Wilson:"In and out of coma"-folk out of Sweden

Say Hi:"Let's Talk About Spaceships"-anything but us

Shannon Campbell:"Your Own Dot Org"-startup humor

Starlight Mints:"Pumpkin"-crazy silly flirty

Steve Reich:"Electric Counterpoint"-a joy to listen to

They Might Be Giants:"Am I Awake?"-bleepy rock?

What Made Milwaukee Famous:"Sweet Lady"-Sesame Street love

Cheap reads

Three finds from Booksale MCS. Total bill: P370. Not the freshest magazines, pop thinkers and scholarly writing, but still worth more than their sale price. Recycling and spreading good ideas around makes perfect green sense.

Real Simple is one of my favorite magazines because it is clean and simple, like a perfect, minimalist life.
Smart Mobs needs little explanation.


The last one caught my eye because I seldom find a Routledge book in the used books market.

Earth Day + World Pyro Olympics 2008

Today being Earth Day, I wanted to share something I sent to La Mancha, the organizers of World Pyro Olympics, through their website. Whether or not you go to the WPO, you can do something. Why don't you take a few minutes to do the same?

Dear Mr. Crisostomo,

As I have never attended WPO, I am looking forward to being at this year's event. As an ordinary citizen, I just wanted to make a proposal--a challenge that holds positive potential for your company.

Last year when I was in London, I noticed that the events held by the city were carbon-neutral. Now I have read that the environmental impact of fireworks is negligible compared to other sources, that CO2 emissions are not that large, and that most chemicals in pyrotechnics combust and are non-toxic. However, there is no doubt that pollutants are released into Manila Bay and that the different elements of setting up your event, including transportation, have some effects on the environment, however small.

Given the size of your event in terms of attendance and visibility, being carbon neutral would be a significant stand and a model for other Filipino companies to follow.

I honestly do not know how to purchase carbon credits in the Philippines, but I am sure there are ways of being implementing this in your own way.

I do hope you consider this suggestion and look forward to your positive response.

Sincerely,
XXXX XXX

Now there are so many sides to this issue, ranging from the morality and philosophy behind carbon credits to the practicality of it all. Call it naive, but I was compelled to take a stand. I could not not do it.

I hope to see the fireworks. I don't see that as hypocrisy. Every day, we all make the choice to consume more or to consume less. If you're going to produce more CO2, at least be responsible for your own carbon footprint.

Miss O' Green and me, 20 years later

Inspired by Young Me Now Me on Color Wars, I tried to recreate a photo from 20 years back. We've moved houses, the sofa has been re-upholstered, the pillows have changed covers, and of course I've grown bigger. I couldn't do anything about the lighting, but I tried to make my hair look short, dressed down, and unearthed my beloved Patty O' Green from hibernation.

What else has changed? For some reason, my doll now looks more mischievous than me... Just some silly Monday morning fun. Hope you like it.

Catching up in Makati

I contacted two friends from school who I had not seen for years and gave them a brief: let's meet someplace I do not know. Both of them were in Makati, which game me a chance to do quite a bit of walking.

J. took me to Sango the Burger Master at Creekside, Amorsolo Street. We had a great seaweed salad and rice burgers (not the McDo flop). As usual, I was a messy eater, but I managed to finish everything because it was so tasty. The origami and the cheerful servers are also big plus points. There's an adjacent Japanese Co-op which I hope to explore next time I'm in the area.


We then discovered Donau Gourmet, also along Amorsolo, by accident. It's a delightful Deutsch deli with servers in Bavarian attire. Expat-centric crowd but not intimidating. (Maybe because J. looks foreign?) There are some lovely-looking breads worth another visit. I had fun looking at the all-German food labels. Kartoffelsuppe! Imverhonig! It's not Aldi, but fun nevertheless.

P. took me to CCW, which is tucked away from the buzz on Guijo, in a corner off Pasong Tamo. It's a good place for sitting down and reading one of the books in their collection. (There's free wi-fi, too.) I only had a mango shake, which was filling enough for me, but I suppose I should have Coffee, Cakes and Waffles, if that's what they're supposed to be known for. The place has a pleasant home-y atmosphere, which was perfect for catching up on our lives.

I had not seen J. since college graduation, but it was not difficult to catch up because she's still as bubbly as ever. P. switched schools after second year high, so it has been quite a while. It was actually funny to know that she went from being bullied to being a bully herself. As J and P each have a toddler son, their lifestyles have changed quite a bit. It's nice to see them as doting moms to cute little boys.

Interartive

Interartive is Demetrio Dela Cruz's exhibit of mixed media and interactive art featuring award-winning pieces from previous years and newer, but similarly themed works that defines the electronic spirit of the early 21st century.

Judging from the Saturday hoarde of young walk-ins, the mixed media pieces using CDs and pseudovirtual imagery have the benefit of mass appeal. However, the interactive art tended to appear gimmicky and distracted from real artistry despite the striking images and embedded messages. Just as the battery-operated pieces ran out of power on the second day, the novelty of flashing lights disappeared with repeated viewing and the interactive potential of art remains unrealized. Overall, the show is a fine jump-off point for discussions on the relationships between art, the Internet and everyday life--relationships that shape our consciousness but take for granted.

Presented by Galerie Y
SM Megamall Art Center
Until May 5, 2008

Sundae Battle Sunday

From fastfood halo-halo, I moved on to the sundaes of two top fastfood chains, all priced at P30, with two variants each. McDonalds has caramel and fudge; Jollibee has pastillas caramel and rocky road brownie.

Clearly, Jollibee has that extra push by adding the pastillas and the brownie to the basic caramel and fudge. But the Jollibee cup is considerably smaller. Make that shockingly smaller: I was nearly open-mouthed when I was handed a cup less than half-full, whereas McDonalds tends to fill their larger cup with more soft ice cream. Patriotism aside, our countrymen deserve more bang for the buck and Ronald wins over the big bee based on value for money. Caramel and fudge on their own are good enough--more sugar than anybody needs.

Surrounded by green

Pretending to be outdoors when I'm stuck inside.