May

May perhaps is the busiest month of 2014 because of my many commitments. Last March, I received an email saying that I qualified as a candidate for the Wikimedia Cultural Heritage Mapping Project to be held in Herald Suites. I was ecstatic, since I know I'd be meeting a lot of like-minded fellows whose interests include travelling and cultural heritage. I was happy to see two fellow archaeologists so I didn't feel out of place that much.

The three-day workshop was fun although it also made me quite grumpy because I didn't get my much-needed cutie sleep. Everyday we learned a lot of things, from creating Wiki articles, to editing existing ones, to lectures on photography and architecture. And every night we needed to stay up until early morning to finish some exercises, leaving no room for sleep. But it was one great experience despite the challenge of resisting the urge to fall asleep during lectures due to lack of sleep. It was still a miracle that the speakers were able to fully hold my attention and I am proud to say that I only fell asleep once and it only lasted for less than 10 minutes. Well, for one, the lectures were interesting and I couldn't just pass up the chance to learn more about architectural styles.

One memorable moment of my life happened in May. Travelling to Batanes used to be just a dream but now it is a dream come true! I super love the simple way of life there. I love watching the clouds go by. I love how the heavens would surprise you with quick rainshowers and then the mighty sun would come out again and spread its hot rays all over. I love the breathtaking views. I love the food (especially the lobsters!!!), I love the people whose beautiful eyes make me stare at them for so long. But like a beautiful dream, it has to end and poor me has to go back to chaotic Manila.

An important activity that I added to my already long list of things to do is hitting the gym. Finally! I just wish my efforts pay off since as of writing, I have yet to see any improvement though some of my friends remarked that I've slimmed down a little.

As a Wiki volunteer, we were assigned to scout for built heritage within our vicinity and I'm happy to discover places I wouldn't have thought to go to. I also went out twice with a fellow volunteer and I'm happy to know that this guy also likes animé. Yay! And he´s got a lot of titles in his collection. :) (If only we have 30 hours instead of 24... I miss being able to do a marathon...) And I finally got to visit F. Sionil Jose's Solidaridad Bookshop where I bought books related to built heritage and history. Made a big dent on my wallet, I must say.

As bonus, my family and I went to Antipolo for our annual pilgrimage. We then had lunch at F.I.S.H. along Visayas Avenue and I highly recommend the place to all seafood lovers out there. The food there is delicious, servings are generous, and the price is reasonable. Service is okay, too. So what more can you ask for? It's very rare that we reach a consensus that we like a restaurant and this one earns just that.

May also marks my first movie night out with the coolest people in the office. We watched X-Men Days of Future Past and had gelato at Gelatissimo. I wish we could hang out more outside office hours.

The last day of May was spent at the music studio where I attended my first and last practice for our rehearsal the following day. Still lucky to have had practiced a bit at home despite the looong time I haven't had classes. Seeing how others play inspired me again to put my heart into playing the violin. We went home super late and super tired, too. On the plus side, my friend and I got to hang out together again. 

January

January is coming to an end and I have yet to add anything other than what I did in December last year. 2014 started with a personal vow not to wish for the usual things I ask for, so I can give my heart a rest and stop expecting things to get better. 2013 ended with a promise to focus on the self and continue to reconnect with people whom I care for.

Reading my diary entries in highschool and early college years made me aware of how much I changed. I didn't realize the big change in me all these years, always thinking that I remained the same. But comparing my erstwhile angry, furious, self-centered writings to those at present, I can say that I have definitely become more compassionate and more tolerant of other people.

Perhaps, reading more about Buddhism and visiting Buddhist temples struck something in me. That life is illusory and empty used to be only a theory, but now a principle I hold, so I try to create meaning for myself in this world of constant change, to help me cope with my daily existential grievances. Pain is a passing illusion and relief is always just around the corner. Just be patient, I always tell myself. Perhaps my daily engagement with the very inefficient transportation system here somehow changed me a great deal. To escape great discomfort, I allowed my mind to wander aimlessly and come to myself when I am about to get off the train. No-mind practicing at its best.

Back from my first IPPA (Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association) Congress, held this year in Siem Reap, Cambodia from January 12-18, I was left utterly stunned and restless from all the amazing things I learned about archaeology in different parts of the world, more so about methods in archaeological science, a field I want to specialize in because however it is difficult to admit, I realized I love lab work more than the field.

I wanted to write so badly about Cambodia, but I didn't know where to begin. On cold nights when you feel too lazy to do things, I couldn't even look at the pictures I took for fear that I might just stare for hours on end hoping for muses to visit me so I could begin to write. It seemed like a dream. Yesterday's dream. I used to think that I would certainly cry when I walk on the grounds of Angkor Wat and touch the ancient temples' walls. When I was there, I only stood, overwhelmed, breathless, aiming to breathe in all the memories, wishing for time to stop so I could spend more time recording, touching, investigating. Now back in Manila, it felt surreal, like a beautiful dream you didn't want to wake up from.

Just four days after my return, my sisters and I flew to Boracay for that much-needed getaway. Boracay was never on my bucket list of places to go to, because of my perceived notion that the island is already very much commercialized. Indeed it is, but it was there where I found the finest white beach sand yet. My feet happily tread on the beach, sometimes deliberately burrowing deep to wallow in the creamy sand-saltwater mixture. And the winds! How they blew! The sunset blocked by hundreds of paraws... The lights at night, the blue sky... There is more than one reason to go back.

Just got back from Boracay this Monday and headed straight to work despite feeling extra sleepy and tired. But it's all so worth it.

Now if only I can start writing about my recent travels....

07282012: 300 Years of Philippine Maps @ Metropolitan Museum of Manila

Last July 28 (Saturday), despite the rains and fears of being stranded due to flooding in one of Manila's flood prone areas, my friend and I attended the lecture by Dr. Benito Legarda Jr. on the life of Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Boulevard. Dr. Legarda also talked about the Filipino engraver Nicolas de la Cruz Bagay, among other things like the problems encountered in map-creation during those times, and also the differences between the 1734 and 1744 maps of the Philippines.

We were surprised to find out that Dr Legarda's talk was supposed to be held a week before our visit but due to bad weather, it was moved to July 28. In the afternoon, Florentina Colayco of UP College of Fine Arts talked about the artistic aspect involved in mapmaking, thus shifting the discourse from the scientific to the artistic. She gave examples of artworks associated with spatial identities, dislocation, utopian visions, protest against war, technology, and uprisings.

After this, Metropolitan Museum Director Sandra Palomar Quan hosted the guided tour upstairs where different artworks were on display. I especially find the exhibit on bottles interesting. In it, the artist turned regular bottles of ketchup, cheese spreads, and the like into works of art. Also, a post with many signs ubiquitous in the cities of Metro Manila, while considered an eyesore, here triumphs in calling the attention of visitors. Chunks of painted cement, on the other hand, may cause eyebrows to raise and may make one question if it is art. It's always interesting to know how artists create their works and where they derive ideas, and when you do understand why something is made the way it is, you appreciate it better.

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This post would include my first photo for the mere reason that the museum acknowledged my help with the exhibit. I volunteered as translator of the texts accompanying the maps from English to Filipino.