Willem Haenraets (1940- ?)

The heavens still shed tears and here I am surfing the net with the hope of finding something that would be of interest to me. Lately, I have been feeling a little hollow inside, with no Muse to inspire me.

Tonight while lurking in the forums, I chanced upon a painting by William Haenraets, an artist born in Rotterdam, Netherlands. I was instantly enamored of the soft pastels conjuring a dream-like apparition of a white horse alongside its mistress in white. The painting seemed to have captured in an instant the two crossing a shallow body of water.

Curious, I looked up the artist and found these two other paintings of his:

"Two Girlfriends II"

"Young Girl II"

These remind me of impressionist paintings of the 19th century, though of course, the theme here is obviously young girls.

Note: The images are not mine.

Of Unrequited Love and Masterpieces

On my way to the National Archives this morning, I took the LRT, instead of the usual jeep. I woke up late and I do not plan to waste precious time being stuck in the horrible traffic along Quezon Avenue.

While on board, I thought about unrequited love and how it has the capability of ruining a person's life. Also, I thought about how sorrows can be beautiful at times (Weiss Kreutz ending song "Beautiful Alone" playing inside my head) and how an injured heart can derive inspiration to create a masterpiece, pretty much like what Goethe did in the film of the same name.

While reflecting on Lotte's words "Our love is not meant to be in reality, but in poetry", I thought about putting all my emotions onto something concrete. At that moment, as buildings and billboards flash in front of my eyes, I recited fragmented Spanish verses in my mind. I composed verses in Spanish, in French, in Bahasa Indonesia, in Filipino.

Thinking about this project, X-Japan's ballad collection started to play inside my head. I thought of how too much passion is poured into every song in that album, how one can easily see Toshi singing and Yoshiki playing the piano from the heart, and how their performances never fail to touch me for the reason that they were able to give form to the emotions of one hopelessly deep in love with an unresponsive love interest.

It is in times like this that I go back to being a frustrated romantic. I always go back to Gustavo Adolfo Becquer, whose Rimas make him one of my favorite poets of all time.

Rima III

Sacudimiento extraño
que agita las ideas,
como huracán que empuja
las olas en tropel;

murmullo que en el alma
se eleva y va creciendo
como volcán que sordo
anuncia que va a arder;

deformes siluetas
de seres imposibles;
paisajes que aparecen
como un través de un tul;

colores que fundiéndose
remedan en el aire
los átomos del Iris
que nadan en la luz

ideas sin palabras
palabras sin sentido;
cadencias que no tienen
ni ritmo ni compás;

memorias y deseos
de cosas que no existen;
accesos de alegría
impulsos de llorar;

actividad nerviosa
que no halla en qué emplearse;
sin rienda que lo guíe
caballo volador;

locura que el espíritu
exalta y enardece
embriaguez divina
del genio creador...
¡Tal es la inspiración!

gigante voz que el caos
ordena en el cerebro,
y entre las sombras hace
la luz aparecer;

brillante rienda de oro
que poderosa enfrena
de la exaltada mente
el volador corcel;

hilo de luz que en haces
lo pensamientos ata;
sol que las nubes rompe
y toca en el cénit;

inteligente mano
que en un collar de perlas
consigue las indóciles
palabras reunir;

armonioso ritmo
que con cadencia y número
las fugitivas notas
encierra en el compás;

cincel que el bloque muerde
la estatua moldeando
y la belleza plástica
añade a la ideal;

atmósfera en que giran
con orden las ideas,
cual átomos que agrupa
recóndita atracción;

raudal en cuyas ondas
su sed la fiebre apaga;
oasis que al espíritu
devuelve con vigor...
¡Tal es nuestra razón!

Con ambas siempre en lucha
y de ambas vencedor,
tan sólo el genio puede
a un yugo atar las dos.

And indeed, memories of times spent together, those awkward moments including joys and sorrows alike, flood my mind. I remember a line in Wordsworth's (another poet I love) "Daffodils" (one of my favorite poems ever) wherein he writes,

"For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils."

Because the present gives me a major heartbreak, I turn to happy memories to somehow ease the pain. Because I know that we can never be, at least in my mind, in my dreams, in my fantasies, we are.

(The Delusions of an Unhappy Girl)

Cine Europa: Proti Fora Nonos

Proti Fora Nonos, or Little Greek Godfather is a comedy film about an 11- year old boy named Alex who was sent to Crete by his politician father as the latter's substitute for the baptism of the child of a local party cadre. The presence of Alex's father was important to secure votes and to promote democracy (however it is defined) in Crete, but as he was too busy to go himself, Alex was assigned an important mission: to be a godfather and to read his father's prepared speech.

But everything is not as easy as it seems. Alex, being brought up in America, was unfamiliar with local customs. He couldn't even speak straight Greek. Being made to eat local delicacies and to compliment the cook regardless of the taste, and being advised to say yes to all the demands of the prominent families in Crete, young Alex had to struggle and to sacrifice his own views and opinions.

With the help of his young friends, he was able to succeed in his mission and do more. With his own speech (he did not read his father's) and with the speech of his friend, the oft-rebuked brother of the baptized child, a new democracy is defined wherein not only humans, but also hedgehogs are treated with dignity and equality.

This is a comedy film about growing up and about asserting one's own views and standing up to one's principles. It also shows an ugly side of politics wherein politicians promise everything and anything just to get the votes they need to be in power.

Cine Europa: Goethe!

This German film is loosely based on Johann Wolfgang Goethe's life mixed with the plot of the Romantic writer's epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther.

In the film, the young Goethe (Alexander Fehling) failed his exams and was sent  to the boring town of Wetzlar where his life will change forever. There, he befriended Wilhelm Jerusalem (Volker Bruch); the two of them under the employment of Justice Albert Kestner (Moritz Bleibtreu).

One night a a party, Goethe met the tipsy Charlotte Buff (Miriam Stein) and the two exchanged light insults though it is clear that at that very moment the two were attracted to each other. Goethe wooed her and the two fell in love.

There is, however, one problem. Kestner wanted Lotte for himself and being rich and influential, Lotte's father (Burghart Klaussner) wanted him to be his son-in-law, seeing the marriage as the only way to keep their house and to be able to send his children to school. Kestner and Lotte got married, but not without a lot of drama, as the young wife sacrificed herself for her family's sake.

Hearing of his beloved's wedding, Goethe writes a novella entitled The Sorrows of Young Werther which chronicles the love affair between him and Lotte. After that, he attempted suicide but failed.

On his return to his own town, he was surprised to find a crowd demanding copies of a certain book. He didn't know that he had become an in-demand writer. Turned out that Lotte sent the manuscript to a publisher.

This is a sad tale about a love that is not meant to be. The movie started out light with a little comedy here and there, then as suspense is built centering on the Goethe-Lotte-Kestner love triangle, the movies becomes dramatic. One gets teary eyed as Lotte confronts Goethe to say that theirs is a love not meant in truth, but in poetry. One cannot but cry as Goethe, flooded by sweet memories of a short love affair, pours his passion into writing and sketching, immortalizing a love that will endure only in the pages of literature.

This is one of the best films I have seen this year, thanks to Cine Europa and to Shangrila Cineplex. Because I have been studying and learning about material culture, I was fascinated with the details of this film, for instance, the costumes and the fashion,  the glass windows, the stoneware ink bottle, the oven, and other things of the late 18th century.

A Message

"In life, there are always people watching our next move, desperately waiting for us to fail and even praying for us to give up. Don't mind them! It just doubles the fun of living and surviving. Let's keep in mind that failures and problems are not the things that we should be scared of. They could lead to breakthroughs and great discoveries. See life as an adventure and enjoy every moment of it!"

I received this SMS at an opportune moment in my life, when I was in self-doubt and in great need of good cheer amidst this savage civilization. And twice did  receive the message. The best part is that the sender is not even a dear friend nor an acquaintance, but an anonymous one. I have subscribed to SMS News, you see, and sometimes, it sends me inspiring quotes as well as jokes.

Japan: Kingdom of Characters @ Metropolitan Museum

This is a late write up of Japan Foundation's exhibit JAPAN: KINGDOM OF CHARACTERS at the Metropolitan Museum in Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex. The exhibit was from July 7 to August 20. I went there last August 13 (Saturday) armed with just a piece of Choco Banana cupcake for lunch and water of course.

"In recent years, a subculture related to Japanese anime and manga has rapidly attracted worldwide attention. To make the most of this trend, the Japan Foundation has organized this traveling exhibition called "JAPAN: Kingdom of Characters" which examines characters as one radical aspect of subculture.

"Used unhesitatingly by both adults and children in private and public spaces, before we realize it, these characters have become a part of our daily landscape. One finds, for example, characters printed on bank passbooks and train commutation passes, and as indicated by the regular and seemingly natural presence of stuffed mascots at local police boxes, they have permeated everyday life in Japan to a degree that would be unthinkable in most other countries.

"What exactly is a character? Why are they so popular? What kind of society do these characters reflect and what kind of influence do they exert on that society? And finally, where is Japanese culture headed In this exhibition, as we introduce the intimate relationship between characters and Japanese people, we hope that the visitors will gain a better understanding of teh cultural and historical background behind the Japanese love of characters as well as the future of characters in contemporary Japan."

(cited from the flyer)

The P100 I paid for the entrance is so worth it. I was given a small pamphlet, a souvenir methinks of the exhibit. It contains pictures of the exhibit so I guess it's okay when the staff forbade visitors to take pictures inside the museum.

Some anime included are Pokemon, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Doraemon (my love), Gundam, Mazinger Z, Galaxy Express 999, Astroboy, Urusei Yatsura, Chibi Maruko Chan, Magical DoReMi, Haruhi Suzumiya no Yuutsu, Sergeant Keroro, and of course Hello Kitty.

Sentai series are also featured, with Masked Rider being the most prominent. Sexy female characters are literally put on glass cases on pedestals, which include characters from Dead or Alive, Positive Penguin Life, Bunny Girl, Heartful Memories~ Little Witch Parfait, Gunbuster, Tenjou Tenge, Otaku no Video, and Fate/Stay Knight.

Together with the on-going exhibit Manga Realities at Ayala Museum, this just proves that anime exerts a strong influence on the Filipinos. One cannot also dismiss the fact that every year, thousands flock to anime conventions which are held in different parts of the country in different times of the year. It is this phenomenon, usually termed as "anime explosion" that sparked my interest in studying anime as a media form that can influence and produce a new subculture.

Bote't Dyaryo Museum @ Escolta

I have been to Escolta countless times before but I never knew that there is a museum there. When I sought the help of Mr. Manny Encarnacion two weeks ago for my research on glass bottles, he referred me to Bote't Dyaryo Museum in Escolta, Manila and that was how I learned of the museum's existence. I visited the place yesterday, Sept. 12, 2011.

The museum is located at the second floor of Calvo Building. It's not hard to miss, just look for Mercury Drug and Tropical Hut. The ground floor of the building has old photos of Escolta before. The building also houses the country's oldest elevator, according to a guy who works there. It reminds me of the lift in the movie "Titanic".

The door to the bottles collection is made of depression glass with iron grills. As one enters, one immediately notices the lack of oxygen inside. The windows are closed and the airconditioning was turned off. I immediately set to work, noting down the different glass bottles in the collection, not minding the lack of oxygen, but thanking the owner of the museum for his collections. I never knew we had a glass bottles museum. (But now I know.)

Some of my most interesting finds are the Pond's bottles which were of porcelainous glass. Old Coca-Cola bottles are a must, of course. I was surprised to find Royal Tru-Lemon, perhaps a precursor of Royal Tru-Orange. I didn't know that RC Cola was already in existent in the early 1900s. I asked my dad about it and he said the current RC Cola was just a revival. There were also a cabinet full of cobalt blue bottles, which I personally love the most for their uniqueness. There are also ink bottles, several wine, beer, and water bottles, among others. It is also curious to find weird-sounding medicine names embossed on some bottles.

Other things to check out are the dioramas of prominent landmarks in Escolta in early times, with information and advertisements regarding them. Newspaper clippings and ads can be found inside the room opposite the bottles museum.

Entrance is P50. Minimum of 5 persons required for the tour. The museum is open Mondays to Saturdays, 9am-3pm with lunch break 12nn-1pm.

Queridas ni Rizal: Love and Sex in Philippine History @Ayala Museum

One of the privileges of a volunteer is that one gets to attend an event for free, though one has to work for it. Still, there is a double advantage because not only do I get to improve my social skills, I also have a taste of what it's like to be part of a team that makes an event possible and successful.

I especially love it when Ambeth Ocampo gives lectures. It has always been a dream to see him in person, to know what he's like. And boy was I surprised o find him approachable, funny, witty, and very clever man indeed. Newspaper columnists usually strike me as cynical and self-righteous. But this is a man of good cheer, who gamely poses in front of the camera.

So anyway, in his second lecture at Ayala Museum (which I was able to attend), Ambeth Ocampo talked about how historians do away with anything that might tarnish the name of our heroes, rendering them saintly and divine, far from being human errors and passions. Sir Ambeth has always talked of this purging of history, which for him makes the heroes all the more unreachable.

 An example he gave was the case of Juan Luna, known for his fiery temper and for killing his wife and mother-in-law. Early historians would say that what happened was an accident, that Luna shoot the door and that the bullet passed through the door and killed the two women. For Sir Ambeth, the murder was not an accident but an intentional act.

He then moves on to Rizal, our National Hero. Historians used to portray him as saintly and without blemish, unlike his other friends who frequent the brothels in Europe. But his diaries and letters say otherwise. Rizal's advices that "it" may only be done once in a month, is for Sir Ambeth, the "it" refers not to a game of chess but to sex. (This of course drew laughter from the audience, with Sir Ambeth himself admitting that his is a green mind.)

Another issue is Josephine Bracken's miscarriage, to which historians attribute almost incredible cause. One is that Josephine fell when Rizal's nephew sat on her lap. Another is that Rizal and Josephine had a fight and the first beat up the latter. The third, from Zaide, tells of Rizal playing a prank on the woman at night thus causing the accident.

Sir Ambeth also answered the question why Rizal remained single. According to him, Rizal loved only one woman--- his mother Teodora Alonso. He also cites Rizal when the latter wrote "... in the critical moments of my life, I have always acted against my own will, obeying different purposes and mighty doubts"

After the lecture, a portrait of Sir Ambeth's beautiful grandmother was presented to him.

Crazily Sleepless Week

These past few days have been quite stressful with many events coming into being almost at the same time. For one, I was a volunteer at the 4^th .MOV Fest and I signed up for duty for four days. Then, there’s UP-ASP Fieldschool 2011 Exhibit where I have to make a diorama with a classmate, aside from helping my other classmates set up the exhibit. There’s also the Binalot Talk on September 7 where I will have to present my analysis of the glass shard artifacts recovered during our fieldschool. I dreaded September because of these, most especially the Binalot Talk, since I am not inclined to speaking in front of the public.

But anyway, a girl’s got to do what a girl’s gotta do. I was still lucky to have found the time to attend the launching of the book “Under the Storm” which was part of the 4^th .MOV Fest. It was held in Ayala Museum. It was nice to be back there and to be having a taste of what it’s like to be part of a team that organized the event. Quite stressful, yes, but it was fun talking to celebrities. Where else can I get the chance to talk to Mercedec Cabral, Glaiza de Castro, Becky Mon, Rox puno, etc? Despite the fact that I arrived home super late (which made my parents a bit mad at me), I was still happy for having such an experience. It was part of my “throwing myself to the wind” plan this year. (Though I regret not being able to join the other events because I had other events to attend to. Hopefully next year I'll be able to really be a full-time volunteer.)

September 3 and 4 found me making the diorama together with a classmate, trying to beat the deadline which was Sept. 5 (Monday). Working nonstop and with just 4 hours of sleep and having nothing but Cheez It chips, instant noodles, cookies, and Milo chocolate drink almost drove me to the point of insanity. I thoroughly missed having real food--- at that time, my mind was filled of images of beef kaldereta on top of steamy rice, chicken tinola, mapo tofu, fish fillet... Still, we were able to finish the bahay na bato diorama. What is surprising is that both my co-worker and I didn't enter into serious arguments. On the contrary, we took everything in stride, treating it as a bonding moment, talking about crushes, dreams, aspirations, worldviews, music, even joking and laughing out loud. It was a great bonding experience.

Because of lots of preoccupations, I got home at around 1am for days, much to the ire of my parents who thought I had been off to some bar or something. Sorry to say this, but bars and discotheques and the like are not my cup of tea. Besides I'm too busy with my academic load to even think of dallying.

When the exhibit was nicely put up, I still was not entitled to get my at least 10 hours of cutie sleep. No, I had to prepare for my Binalot Talk, race against time to go to Quiapo to check out the Bote't Dyaryo Museum at Escolta (which turned out to be in vain super thanks to the heavy traffic flow which hindered me from getting to Escolta early). I was so sure I would explode anytime soon but fortunately, I didn't have the energy nor the time to self-explode.

So when the Binalot was over, I was able to heave a BIG SIGH OF RELIEF. Oh Sleep, my muse, my sweet beloved, I am back into your arms!

UP-ASP Fieldschool 2011 Exhibit

As part of the University of the Philippines-Archaeological Studies Program's (UP-ASP) mission and vision to educate the public on archaeology and update them on the latest excavations, this year's field schoolers are mounting an exhibit at the Palma Hall Lobby (AS Lobby) from Sept. 6 to Sept. 9.

This year's field school, under the directorship of Dr. Grace Barretto-Tesoro, was in Pinagbayanan, San Juan, Batangas. Now on its third and last year in the same town, the excavation team unearthed a bahay na bato (mamposteria or stone house) dating to the last half of the 19th century.


A diorama was created by yours truly and by a colleague. Artifacts shall be put on display. Everyday for the duration of the exhibit, different artifacts shall be displayed according to the theme. There will also be "permanent" artifacts for public viewing.

Everyone is invited to the opening tomorrow at 4:00pm. Free food and drinks shall be served.

UNDER THE STORM Book Launch at Ayala Museum

The second day of the 4th .MOV Fest this year took place at Ayala Museum last night, Sept. 2, with the book launch of the poetry collection "Under the Storm". A series of poetry readings by poets and celebrities alike and live band performances livened up the event which started at 8pm and ended at 11pm.

Celebrity readers included Mercedec Cabral, Becky Mon, Glaiza de Castro,Gio Respall, and Ketchup Eusebio, among others.

Performances by Axel Pinpin & The Propaganda Machine, Corporate Lo-fi, Vigo, and Anthony Piggott rocked the night big time.

4th .MOV Fest ZERO DEGREES OF SEPARATION

Everyone is invited to the 4th .MOV Fest, a celebration of music, film, and poetry.

September 1- The Podium
DVD Launch of SHORT FILMS FOR LONG PEOPLE
featuring Lav Diaz, Pam Miras, and Raya Martin
FREE

September 2- Ayala Museum
Book Launch of the poetry collection "UNDER THE STORM"
featuring Bienvenido Lumbrera, Germino Abad, and Pete Lacaba
FREE

September 3- Greenbelt 3
Album Launch "SONGS FROM THE END OF THE WORLD"
featuring Joey Ayala, Kate Torralba,a nd Vin Dancel
Silvershots Awarding
FREE

September 2 to - UP Film Center
World Premiers from Asia, Europe,and the Americas
TICKETS at P100 each