Where hope's in bloom (watercolor on paper)

A daffodil

For hope,

Faith,

Good fortune,

and new beginnings…

I did one last summer. It’s not as remarkable as a pro’s work, but as I was looking at it the other day, it became clear to me why I chose this particular subject and picked those hues from the box of watercolor tubes, gathered  several paintbrushes, and started working.

Flowing Leaves (9x12 watercolor on paper)

This piece, which I named “Flowing Leaves,” was done almost four months ago, the same time I had to make a major decision. It is now that I realized why I picked those leaves from the garden and painted the watercolor pad in blue: because at that time, I was turning over a new leaf; taking my life in a new direction. I thought that although the water in the stream has a particular destination, I have decided to go against the current and create my own channel.

So far, I’m loving the decision I made. Life is good (and the Almighty’s making it even better). I couldn’t be more grateful.

I’m sure you all know Fanny Serrano. He’s a well-known celebrity makeup artists in the country. He enhances the beautiful faces of movie celebrities such as Sharon Cuneta, Lorna Tolentino, Amy Austria and many others. But did you know TF (as Fanny Serrano is fondly called) has a secret?

It’s not a new line of beauty product, no. It’s Secret Cafe — a coffee shop that, in the beginning, was intended for the husbands or boyfriends of the clients of Fanny Serrano Beauty Salon. He wanted them to be comfortable while waiting for their beloved have their hair or makeup done. But word travels fast. Soon, the secret nook beside his salon is no longer a secret. According to TF it seems his clients were impressed with the food and service of Secret Cafe.

Unknown to many of us, TF loves to experiment with food. Through the help of his very resourceful chef, Henry Ranas, he is able to fulfill his food ideas for the restaurant. He wants Secret Cafe to be known not just as a place that serves good food but healthy as well. Some of the food in the menu that’s becoming popular are the Unagi Sandwich, Pinoy Shawarma, and the pan de sal creations (Panlonto, with longganisa, tomato and egg; Pansarto, with sardines, tomato and egg; Pancorto, with corned beef, tomato and egg; and Panchito, with chicken, tomato and egg).  Here, take a look at some of Secret Cafe’s offering:

The Squash Okoy (squash-shrimp fritters) is served with vinegar and lots of garlic. It tastes better than the usual okoy and is more healthier because flour has been replaced by squash. And the Pinoy Shawarma… it’s filled with veggies and really tastes Pinoy (filled with adobo or chicken liver)! If you’ve tasted unagi sushi or any Japanese food cooked with unagi (Japanese term for eel), you will also love Unagi Sandwich. It has a creamy taste and goes well with the whoele wheat bread. Try the Sayote Shake, too. You’ll be surprised! You won’t even think it’s sayote.

What is good about Secret Cafe is the creativity exhibited in the food itself. Most of what the restaurant serve are original creations and, in a way, the recipes are unknown to diners. That is why TF chose to name his dining haven “Secret Cafe.” Although prices of the food are a little higher for the pocket of the ordinary Pinoy.

Secret Cafe does not only boost of its menu. TF is a fan of the art deco era. He deemed it as the perfect look and feel for Secret Cafe. The earth-toned walls is teeming with art deco paintings and the Tiffany chairs go very well with them.

Experience Secret Cafe, located along Scout Rallos in Tomas Morato, Quezon City. It’s right beside Fanny Serrano Beauty Salon.

A familiar sight? When was the last time you were here?

Located at the heart of Manila, Rizal Park is one of the main attractions of the city. In the Spanish colonial era, it used to be a cleared area aimed to buffer any rebellious acts of the locals against the walled city of Intramuros, which, at that time, was the center of business and social activities. The area was then named Bagumbayan or New Town, but was better known as Luneta because its shape was like a small moon or lunette (Spanish). In 1912, Act No. 243 of the Philippine Assembly, declared the place as the site where a monument of Dr. Jose Rizal and a mausoleum which will house his remains will be erected. This location is almost the same spot where Dr. Jose Rizal was executed on December 30, 1896. Up to this day, two ceremonial guards known as Kabalyeros de Rizal or Knights of Rizal guard the National Hero’s monument twenty-four hours a day and all throughout the week.

How much of Luneta have you seen so far? Do you have a photo by the Rizal monument? Or are you one of those who find this idea appalling? But leaders from other countries do not think so. In fact most visiting dignitaries make it a point to pay respect and lay a wreath at the monument. The many times I’ve been in Luneta, groups of foreign visitors excitedly pose in front to take pictures.

Today, aside from the Rizal monument, Luneta Park has other attractions like the man-made lake with a replica of the archipelago in it, the Quirino Grandstand, the Chinese and Japanese Gardens (favorite venues of students for rehearsals of school presentations), a monument of Lapu-Lapu and a few meters from the monument is the National Museum, and the big flagpole in front of Rizal monument (marks kilometer zero). At night, visitors can catch the light and sound show about the last days of the National Hero in the park’s open theater.

Let me end this post with snapshots of Bagumbayan today:

Photos: marker of Jose Rizal’s execution site; a series of relief sculptures depicting the life of the National Hero; a scene in the light and sound show

Photos: La Madre Filipina (a detail on the right side of the Rizal monument also depicts a mother and has this inscription below: “La Madre Filipina cria el porvenir del pais”*); Binhi ng Kalayaan (unveiled during the Philippine Centennial, dedicated to the heroes of the country); a very attractive tree, Natinal Museum of the Filipino People (used to be the Finance Building); Lapu-Lapu monument; bulova clock

—————

*Rough translation: The Filipina mother nurtures the future of the country (Fil.: Ang ina ang humuhubog sa kinabukasan ng bayan)

Some of the photos in this post courtesy of my friend Agnes. Used with permission.

Pan de Amerikana embodies quality dining experience. The concept of the restaurant is meant to make every diner feel at ease. The ambiance is a fusion of European, Asian and Filipiniana that blended well together, creating a homey environment and a perfect garden set up. Unlike other concept dining places, Pan de Amerikana is not restrictive. Guests are free to wander around while waiting for their food to be served and linger some more after they have finished eating. And speaking of food, the restaurant serves authentic Marikina dishes and other Filipino foods. Marikina boasts of its Everlasting and Waknatoy. Everlasting is similar to embotido but it is placed and cooked in a “llanera.” It is named as such because it in the olden days, this dish is ever present in festivities and gatherings. Waknatoy on the other hand is like menudo. And like everlasting, it is also always on the table of almost every family gathering. The Chinese settlers in Marikina during that time would always complain and say, “Ito na naman? Wak na `toy!” (This dish again? No, not this dish again!). Other notable dishes in Pan de Amerikana are the Ilocano sarabasab, Bicolano express-laing, Cebuano sinugba and sisig rice. But the taste of these foods is not the only reason to dine at Pan de Amerikana. With a very nice ambiance, you’ll be surprised at how affordable their meals are.

Some of the things to look forward to at Pan de Amerikana

More than a place to eat, Pan de Amerikana is also an educational facility. As an added attraction, people can play chess for free. There are rows and rows of tables embedded or etched with a chessboard. Chess pieces are also available near the counter, which people can use. They just have to return them afterwards. But that’s not all! Kids can start appreciating chess also despite their young age through Pan de Amerikana’s giant chessboard. The big chess pieces, according to Mr. Jun Salvador of Pan de Amerikana, are instructional materials, like those used in Russia, Canada and Singapore.

The giant chessboard

The restaurant is also a haven for Marikina artists. There is an art session in Pan de Amerika every Tuesday and artists can display their pieces there until they are sold.

But why is the restaurant named Pan de Amerikana? What started it all?

Before the restaurant, Pan de Amerikana used to be a bakery selling 1950′s pandesal. It is different from the pandesal we are familiar with because its main ingredient is whole wheat flour and it is cooked using firewood, so the taste is really different. The size of the bread is big and sold for only five pesos and fifty centavos (Php5.50) a piece. They also sell a loaf-like pandesal (pandesal pan Amerikano) for fifty-five pesos (Php55.00). The pan Amerikano and Marikina are among the basis for the name of the restaurant.

Other attractions at Pan de Amerikana are the tree house, the rope bridge, and it offers free Wi-Fi service. Pan de Amerikana is located at 92 Ordoñez Street, Concepcion Dos, Marikana City. You may reach the restaurant at 475-2398. It is open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm from Mondays to Saturdays and 7:00 am to 3:00 pm on Sundays.

For more photos of Pan de Amerikana, click here.

I may be wrong, but most people think that museums are meant solely for the well-off members of the society, an activity only the rich people can afford and enjoy. That is a HUGE misconception. If you can afford buying tokens for a videoke machine (don’t shoot me, I have nothing against karaoke singing. I’m Pinoy, so I like it, too), you definitely can afford museum entrance fees. Some of them do not even charge a dime!

You see, museums are there for you — for you to learn more about your community, your country, a religion, a new technology, history, etc. Spending time in a museum somehow changes, in a positive way, your view of yourself as part the society. Sometimes you can find the missing aspects of your life. It can be fun, only when you start appreciating what you see there. You can even say, museums rock!

It had been a little while since I’ve been to one. This year I plan to visit as many as I can (that’s the GRAND plan!). And since I’m based in Metro Manila, I’ll start here. I’ve made a list of the museums here and grouped them by locality.  You might want to visit them also. Or join me!

Here goes my list with a few basic details:

City of Manila
Museo Pambata (Ermita)
Museum Hours:
Sunday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Tuesday-Saturday 8:00 am-5:00 pm (Aug – March), 9:00 am-5:00 pm (April-July)
Admission: Php 100 (children & adults), Free/discounted for Manila residents (bring ID); Free for museum workers and teachers (bring ID); Free for street children, infants

Archdiocesan Museum of Manila (Intramuros)
Museum Hours:
Monday-Thursday 9:00 am-11:30 am, 1:30 pm-4:30 pm
Friday 9:00 am-11:30 pm
Admission: Free

Casa Manila Museum (Intramuros)
Museum Hours:
Tuesday-Sunday 9:00 am-12:00 nn, 1:00 pm-6:00 pm
Admission: Less than Php 20

San Agustin Museum (Intramuros)
Museum Hours:
Open Daily 9:00 am-12:00nn, 1:00 pm-5:00 pm
Admission: Free (you have the option of making a donation at the museum)

The National Museum of the Philippines (Rizal Park)
Museum Hours:
Wednesday-Sunday 10:00 am-4:30 pm
Admission: Php 100 (adults), Php 30 (students with ID), Free on Thursdays

Pasay City
The CCP Museum (Roxas Blvd.)
Museum Hours
Tuesday-Sunday: 10:00 am-6:00pm
Admission: Php 40 (adults), Php 20 (students and children)

Philippine Airforce Aerospace Museum (Villamor Airbase)
Museum Hours:
Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm
Saturday 8:00 am-12:00 nn
Admission: Php 20

Metropolitan Museum of Manila (Roxas Blvd.)
Museum Hours:
Monday-Saturday 9:00 am-6:00 pm (closed on Sundays and Holidays)
Admission: Php 80

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, The Money Museum (Roxas Blvd.)
Museum Hours:
Monday-Friday 9:00 am-4:00 pm (lunch break at 12:00 nn-1:00 pm)

Makati City
The Ayala Museum (Greenbelt Park)
Museum Hours:
Tuesday-Friday 9:00 am-6:00pm
Saturday-Sunday 10:00am-7:00 pm
Admission:
Ground-Third Floor Galleries
Adult: Php 150 (Makati resident), Php 350 (non-resident)
Senior Citizen/Child/Student: Php 75 (Makati resident), Php 250 (non-resident)
Ground-Fourth Floor Galleries
Adult: Php 225 (Makati resident), Php 425 (non resident)
Senior Citizen/Student: Php 125 (Makati resident), Php 300 (non-resident)

Museo ng Makati (Brgy. Poblacion)
Museum Hours:
Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm
Admission:

Philippine Army Museum (Fort Bonifacio)
Museum Hours:
Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:00 pm
Weekends – only for group/organized tour (advanced reservation required)
Admission: less than Php 20 (info needs verification)

Marikina City
Shoe Museum (Brgy. San Roque)
Museum Hours:
Monday-Sunday 8:00 am-5:00 pm (lunch break at 12:00 nn-1:00 pm)
Admission: Php 20

Miniature Museum (Brgy. Sta. Elena)
Museum Hours:
Monday-Sunday 8:00 am-5:00 pm (lunch break at 12:00 nn-1:00 pm)
Admission: Php 30

Belen Museum (Brgy. Sta. Elena)
Museum Hours:
Monday-Sunday 8:00 am-5:00 pm (lunch break at 12:00 nn-1:00 pm)
Admission: Php 30

Doll Museum (Brgy. Sto. Niño)
Museum Hours:
Monday-Sunday 8:00 am-5:00 pm (lunch break at 12:00 nn-1:00 pm)
Admission: Php 25

Quezon City
Jorge B. Vargas Museum (UP-Diliman Campus)
Museum Hours:
Tuesday-Sunday 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Admission: Php 20 (UP student), Php 30 (non-UP student)

This is sort of my birthday gift for myself also. I thought that a little culture/art appreciation won’t hurt.

Hey, if I missed something on the list, feel free to add it up in the comments section. Also, I’m going to post details of my visits to these museums.

Being surrounded by these people, I’ve learned to appreciate the arts at an early age. I’ve learned to open my eyes and somehow see beyond a picture or painting. Most of all, I got to try my hands at painting/drawing! Here, take a look at some of my pencil drawings:

These are the only ones (and a couple more pencil drawings) I was able to save from my now very battered sketchbook. These were experiments; me trying to discover if I could do pencils and/or charcoal. Before, my sister and I used to have “art sessions” at home. We would spend a whole day doodling on our sketch pads, trying different mediums. In those “sessions,” I’ve discovered that I’m more comfortable working with watercolor (tube ones). Unfortunately, most of those works in watercolor have been ruined or got lost. And I don’t know if they’re any good; all I’m saying is that I love using that medium.

I’ve tried sketching animé characters as well; got carried away with the animé fever in the Philippines back then (click here to see a sample). And I attempted doing “nude sketches,” too. I was able to save one, which is barely recognizable now.

What do think of my works? I plan to explore this avenue again, rediscover this skill or talent (if there’s any) in the visual arts. I bought a new sketchpad and some pencils and trying to find a better kind of tube watercolors. And I found this website, which gives step-by-step instructions in drawing and painting. I have a feeling it will be very helpful.

______________

You may also want to check the following related posts from my other blog:

forgotten passion

playing artist

Thanks to programs like Mr. Picasso Head and bomomo, now you can further explore your creativity. With Mr. Picasso Head, you can create your own Picasso-like piece. Really fun!

Here’s one of my creations:

Framed it and all so it’d look like a real painting. This is inspired by one of Pablo Picasso’s sketches.

What do you think of that one? To see the other pieces, click here, here and here. Go, create one, too. Be Mr. Picasso!

If you’d rather be an abstract artist, bomomo is perfect! It’s a little difficult, but more fun! It’s gonna test your patience, too. Here’s one of mine:

“Sail Away”

What do see in the picture? That’s the only one I was able to create so far. Will do more, definitely. Create your own bomomo abstract, too.

Thanks to Sherma for referring these sites to me! Love them, girl!

P.S. : Do share your pieces, peeps (especially the people in my blogrool)! Leave a link in the comments area. I’d love to see them!

——–

check this out too:
Art Project

Anyway, on the last day of April, my colleagues/friends at the office decided to push trough with our plan of dining together at Adarna Food & Culture. It was also a farewell dinner for Conrad as it was his last day at the company. That was my third time at Adarna, and like my previous visits, it was again an enjoyable experience. This restaurant really keeps on surprising me and my taste bud.

There were thirteen of us who dined at Adarna. Butch, the waiter assigned to serve us, ushered us to our reserved table near the piano (we really specified that our table be by the piano because we planned to sing some songs after eating). Everybody instantly liked the homey ambiance. We ordered several platters of Batanes yellow rice, dilis, piassok, sigarilyas salad, Adobong Batangas ala Adarna, Pochero, Tapa served with a very interesting dip, and Gising-Gising. It was a delightful dinner; every bite a moment to relish. Personally, I have never imagined that sigarilyas (winged bean) could taste that good. The salad was one of the groups favorite. Piassok was a sure hit, of course—the beef melts in your mouth. This dish is a must-try at Adarna. Everything is a must-try at Adarna!

The Group (from left: Che, Avi , Yme, Chris, Tet, Leng-leng, Gemma & Alan, MJ, Obet, Conrad, Sir Jojo, and Sir Jay) Just finishing our cups of coffee, tea and hot choco. Thanks to Chef Giney for this photo.

Adarna Food & Culture is open until 10:30 in the evening. But we were enjoying the place, the company of each other and the singing that we somehow lost track of time. It was half past eleven when we left; many thanks to Ms. Beth and Chef Giney for allowing us to stay that long.

Here are some more pictures:

Jamming time! Yeah, we weren’t “that ready” for a night of music (`yan may baon talagang songbook )

Havin’ some good time.

Another group photo, taken just before we left Adarna.

Introducing ‘Yagit’ (orphan) — the character that started it all.

Then came jolly fellow ‘Wagi’ (winner/successful)

As Conrad pointed out in his blog, someone has to take the opposite of a winner. Thus, ‘Sawi’ (failure) was born.

____________________

Hitokirihoshi is planning to write a story about these “P’s.” Check her blog, maybe she has posted one already.

Hey, peps, can you guess what they are?