An Affair with Glass and Cars

An affair with cars and glass

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
April 14, 2014

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Glass artist Ramon Orlina creates whimsical glass display arts in various shapes and sizes, cuts and colors. Because his glass pieces evoke sophistication and class, scheming “black crows” with their “klepto” claws rush to get a piece of his shiny, shimmering works. His most controversial piece, according to the architect himself, is his 67-piece stylized bird sculpture “Wings of Victory,” which used to hang in one of Singapore’s malls until one day when it just magically disappeared.

BenCab’s Art Car “Sabel sa Beetle” (Images by Pinggot Zulueta)

Orlina has installed an interactive display system in his recently opened museum in Tagaytay, which aside from his past works, shows a compilation of local YouTube clips of these so-called “crows” stealing his shiny display pieces with ease and nonchalance. In one, a pudgy woman lurks behind the glass doors of a showroom at SM Megamall. In one swift swipe, a small jade Orlina glass sculpture vanished into thin air. Ramon says, “Nobody from the showroom has said anything, nahihiya daw sila sa’kin.” It is no wonder that Museo Orlina in Hollywood Subdivision, Brgy. Tolentino, Tagaytay is heavily guarded.

ART FOR EVERYBODY

Despite the series of seemingly unfortunate events, Ramon, or Mon as his friends call him, has chosen to showcase his legacy. The artist feels like he holds a responsibility of instigating and proliferating arts in the hearts and minds of the public. “People come here to Tagaytay for the view of the lake and volcano, horseback riding, food, and weather. And nothing for the arts,” the 70-year-old glass artist says.

In Museo Orlina, there is an amphitheater, sculpture garden, organic coffee shop, and interactive display system. This place is home to a broad spectrum of the arts—sculpture, architecture, music, installation, painting, photography, and performance—nestled in the heart of a tourist spot.

The newly opened four-unit five-level townhouse-turned-museum also serves as a testament of Mon’s ever-evolving artistry. Apparently, some critics say his artworks are outmoded, tired. “Alam mo, Mon, magaling ka. Kaya lang ‘yung mga gawa mo, pare-pareho lang,” people often say. But Mon begs to differ.

Architectonic Inspirations, Study I, carved glass and painted mild steel

Before he made it into an art form, glasses were for utilitarian purposes: drinking vessels, window glass panes, windshields. Mon pioneered the medium and elevated it as respectable artwork. From turning scrap glasses into whimsical display art pieces, the architect has definitely come a long way since he started in the ‘70s.

Every glass masterpiece mimics his playful mindset, from shiny, textured, and colored to matte, smooth, transparent, and etched. “All my works are influenced by my childhood. Lalabas lahat ‘yan later on, eh. So ’pag tinatanong sa’kin ano bang inspiration mo, I say ‘I have a lot,’ from the beginning of my childhood, my comics, my drawings. I also have a great-grandparent who could cut glass, so instead of capiz, glass ang nakalagay sa windows.”

He has also ventured into handcut Swarovski jewelry, bronze and copper sculptures, and metal installations. “I am doing other mediums—I produced a show and I also work with metals so I don’t dwell only in glass sculpture,” says the artist, whose many pursuits include fortune telling and the paranormal. (Yes, he can see ghosts.)

INTO THE GALLERY

But in Mon’s gallery you won’t see ghosts, but reflections and refractions of light through the glasshouse he bought from a friend. Contained in the 370-square-area museum are his collections of celebrated and unfamiliar glass pieces from then and now, sharing space with paintings and sculptures by Olivia d’Aboville, Betsy Westendorp, Leeroy New, and Anne Pamintuan, among others.

EVOLVING ART Glass artist Ramon Orlina showcases his evolving artistry—from prism to textured glasses—in his Museo Orlina in Tagaytay

The first floor houses the Reflections Gallery, devoted to exhibitions of various artists. While the second and third floors are treasure troves of Mon’s early pieces, favorites, and recent works. The roof deck offers a bird’s eye view of Taal Lake and Volcano. Tucked in the basement of the museum, meanwhile, is his collection of vintage cars, which his friend National Artist for Visual Arts BenCab used as canvas in painting his most iconic subject, Sabel, Ben’s melancholic symbol of despair.

Aside from glass, Mon apparently has an open affair with cars. At his office inside Museo Orlina, you’d find a bed that doubles as a cabinet, housing his collection of miniature Beetle cars. You can see the sparkle in the glass artist’s eyes whenever his eyes would fall on their gleaming fenders. No doubt about it, Mon likes anything shiny.

‘Flying’ in the water

Rediscovering the benefits of swimming

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
April 8, 2014

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For Hungarian coach Ivan Petrov, swimming is synonymous with flying.

“A swimming pool is like a sky. You can move freely in the water, do what you want because there is no limitation. You have nothing to be afraid of. Who doesn’t want to fly, anyway?”

This being said, swimming—for competition or recreation—welcomes anyone who wants to “fly” in the water, including the elderly and the handicapped.

Petrov has handled a 66-year-old man who wanted to learn how to swim. After three months of dedication and motivation, Petrov said he became a better swimmer.

Moreover, Petrov said there is no significant difference between a regular and disabled person when he or she is in the water.

“Swimming doesn’t cause cruel impact on one’s skeletal system. The joints for instance, are not affected by gravity. There is no great impact on the ankle or spine. So anyone can move freely in the water even if, for instance, he doesn’t have legs,” he said.

In fact, the human body becomes lighter when it is in the water. When immersed to the waist, the body only holds half of its weight. While when submerged to the neck, a body only bears 10 percent of its weight, the rest is controlled by the pool. Hence, swimming also provides convenience to people suffering from stiff muscles, arthritis, sore joints, or obesity.

Petrov, however, cautioned that persons with asthma and epilepsy should inform their coaches about their health conditions. Alternatively, they may not want to swim alone.

Leaner, stronger muscles

Petrov noticeably has tone muscles and broad shoulders. Physical fitness after all, is just one of the benefits of swimming.

When one swims, he or she uses every muscle of the body, unlike in other sports.Running, for example, only requires a specific part of the body.  A swimmer on the other hand, uses every muscle and bone when in the water. The water is about 12 times denser than the air, which means that the resistance is stronger when in it. As a result, the muscles become leaner and stronger.

Coach Ivan Petrov during his recent visit to the Philippines for the ‘Cutting Through Water Workshop’ held at the San Beda College.

Healthier heart and lungs

Having a healthier heart and lungs is another benefit of swimming, it being a total body workout. According to Petrov, a competitive swimmer’s heart beat averages 180 per minute, while a recreational swimmer averages 140 heart beats per minute.

The rapid heartbeats improve the efficiency of the heart to pump more oxygen and blood in the body.  As a result, it lowers bad cholesterol and improves blood pressure. Swimming also expands the lung capacity and helps the lungs use oxygen efficiently.

According to the American Heart Association, exercising for half an hour, like swimming, reduces coronary heart disease in women by 30 to 40 percent.

Happier spirit

“Swimming is also a good way to meditate,” Petrov said.

In fact, exercising releases endorphins. The body produces endorphins as a response to stimuli like stress, pain, or fear. Thus, they are responsible for our excitement, feeling of being high, and satisfaction. In effect, swimming lowers stress and makes one’s body more relaxed like that in a yoga session.

Murakami Underground

But this underpass bookshop also has Shelley, Sheldon, Shakespeare, and more, all of them you can buy for a song

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
April 7, 2014

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Think of Haruki Murakami’s novels as you walk through the Manila City Hall underpass. Within the chaos of it, the rows upon rows of vendors selling cheap clothes and used phones, the indifference and desperation of the streetpeople, lies a portal to other worlds.

“It’s like a scene straight out of Murakami’s novels,” says AJ Laberinto, referring to life in Underground City, the pit of Manila, just beneath the asphalt jungle. He owns the Books from Underground, the four-year-old thriving treasure trove of literary gems tucked within the Manila CityHall underpass.

(Image by Pinggot Zulueta)

“No one has thought of it, a bookshop in an underpass, where you least expect to find one,” he adds, the “‘underground,’ after all, also connotes something dubious… illegal,” or to, borrow from the literary masters, forbidden.

Not that the store is selling anything unlawful, nothing like a speakeasy at all, where everything is hush hush. If you know how to look, what it offers is rarities. Or, if you’re lucky, maybe even banned books—now that’s forbidden, which gives us all the more reason to check it out.

Among the inhabitants of the Books from Underground, in the yellowed pages of secondhand classics, are the likes of Oscar Wilde, Kate Chopin, H.G. Wells, Louisa May Alcott, John Green, and Meg Cabot. “You got to have the pulse—” started Laberinto before in midsentence he was interrupted by a group of co-eds from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila looking for a copy of The Game of Thrones. Unfortunately for the students, all the proprietor could say, shrugging his shoulders, was “Come back next week. I don’t have it yet.” What he has to sell he knows by heart, thanks to his internal inventory of books, a list he keeps only in his mind. Here among these piles of books was not a businessman, but a book lover, a wide reader, whose lifestyle he himself considers “bohemian.”

“I like reading and collecting books, especially Russian literature by the likes of Alexandr Pushkin and Anton Chekhov,” says the 32-year-old, his eyes lighting up behind his prescription glasses and the shadow cast by his fedora hat.

This is how the bookshop started from scratch. He and a friend Winter Gabayron, 34, saw a demand for reading materials, those not required by schools. Most of the books are from their own collections, the others they get from buy-and-sell enterprises, still others from such random strangers as a boy, who once bought a complete set of The Game of Thrones, only to realize his girlfriend did not like any of them. “So he sold the set to me,” says Laberinto, waving his gloved hands.

According to him, contemporary internationally acclaimed novels like George R. R. Martin’s sell like hot cakes, although from time to time, there is a clamor for local authors. The quaint little shop, dusty, musty, stuffy, and old, houses the cheapest (P10 for magazines) and most expensive reading materials (P1,000 for autographed titles, rare books like Filipiniana).

Before a customer stole his attention asking for a copy of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, Laberinto was saying that contrary to what we tend to think, “many young Filipinos still like to read…”

In the words of Rufus Wainright, set to the music of Burt Bacharach, “I don’t know… Go ask Shakespeare,” but by then, the man behind the Books from Underground was too busy entertaining the other customers.

Till I met you

‘He has a purpose for what He gives us. It is important that we use it to give Him glory. Burying a potential or hiding a talent is synonymous to becoming evil.’

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
April 7, 2014

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Kuh Ledesma wears many hats. She came in the room, dressed down, in what she does not often let others see her in. This time around, instead of singing in front of a camera or entertaining her legions of fans, she talks to a canvas, unmasking the other side of her personality: the artist.  “Over the years I found out that it is not good for us to bury our talents,” says Kuh. “He has a purpose for what He gives us. God gives some people more talents and gifts. It is important that we use it to give Him the glory.”

(Images by Pinggot Zulueta)

For her, burying a potential or hiding a talent is synonymous to becoming evil, a verse from the Bible that she swears by. While in high school, Kuh painted almost every day but when she went to Bacolod for college, her focus shifted. That was about 40 years ago. She might have briefly run away from her first love, but now she’s running toward it. She’s now on her second one-woman exhibit, dubbed “The Beauty of Purpose,” which will be on display tomorrow, April 8, at Whitespace.

“My reason for painting has become clear to me. The purpose of my exhibit this year is to raise enough funds to produce a movie on healing. The title of the movie is Hilom. It is my hope that this film will expose the perils of believing in albularyos (faith healers) and to believe in the power of God’s word and the power of prayer and the Bible.”

God acts as her muse. For her, painting is an opportunity to talk about the Bible. The sacred Scripture evokes the same calmness and modesty in her strokes, showing the softness and fluidity of her lines, dots, and curves.

The Vine and the Branches 9, acrylic on canvas, 2013

One of her acrylic paintings on display, The Vine and the Branches, is composed of gold lines and curves that caress the black canvas. It looks simple, yet speaks volume. Her imposing artworks of vines, branches, and cellos represent her music career and devotion. Her collection demonstrates the elegance of black and gold and how they lend drama and meaning to each painting. It also translates how well she is connected to the Bible, her talents, and herself.

”We are to give God glory in all we do and show Him the beauty of purpose. The thing of beauty is a joy forever,” she says.

Whitespace is located at 2314 Chino Roces Ave., formerly Pasong Tamo Extension, Brgy. Magallanes, Makati City

Is Peter Pan ready for the real world?

A closer look at the Generation Millennials, those born between 1980 and 2000, and their thoughts on graduation and life after school

by Nicky Faustine P. De Guzman and Eugene Y. Santos
March 30, 2014

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Graduation Day is an exciting milestone for every student. College students, in particular, are ecstatic about this occasion, the end of school, the doorstep to the “real world,” “no more pencils, no more books, no more teacher’s dirty looks.” Nothing beats the feeling of finally getting over college to make way for a new life chapter.

THE GRADUATE

All seems rosy until the bubble inevitably bursts. A few days or weeks after graduating, a moment of trepidation comes along, and most youngsters fresh out of college are left pondering on what to do next. Take a job? Pursue further studies? Start a business? Or just drink the night away—who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Apparently, today’s generation, the Millennials (or the “Peter Pan generation”), has a dilemma  and in no better time than after graduation does it force them to think what they really want out of life, now that they have a wide range of choices or access to limitless information on what is available. While they may be willing and able to take a head first plunge on a #YOLO (you only live once) Instagram post, it takes a whole lot of courage for them to face the “real world.” They are scared as hell of growing up, and would rather delay any typical adulthood rites of passage to start a career. Narcisstic, they are often tagged, because, as they have been described in many character profiles, from Time Magazine to The New York Times, they are selfish, selfie-sh, raised ironically by the preceding generation on a diet of feel-good, me-time, you-are-beautiful-no-matter-what-they-say, this-is-my-party-and-I’ll-cry-if-I-want-to, and express-yourself.

While Dingdong Dantes is this year’s most celebrated graduate, many of his batchmates from various schools nationwide are still unsure where to go on the road ahead.

The Time Magazine story, “The Me Me Me Generation,” portrayed the Millennials, or those born between 1980 and 2000, as “lazy, coddled, a bit delusional.” It also doesn’t help that the Millennials want flexible work schedules and more “me time” while on the job. So, are they harboring such a delusion? Or are they just motivated to pursue what is rightfully theirs to begin with?

Millennials, as we found out, can be finicky in a savvy way. They are job-seeking smart slackers who have serious career aspirations, and they are very thrilled and excited to join the workforce. The problem, however, is where they should work and how much are they willing to sacrifice for what the older generations called the hard-earned success? Instead of settling for just any company that’s available, they’ve set their eyes on multimillion-dollar companies or international firms with a global reach, according to a survey done by the National Society of High School Scholars.

THE DIGITAL ERA

THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION Actor Dingdong Dantes is proof that a crazy schedule is not a hindrance to earning a college degree. Last week, he graduated, earning his degree in Business Administration major in Marketing from the West Negros University (WNU) in Bacolod City. “Alam mo, you really need to manage your time well. When you’re given assignments, kailangan matuto ka ring mag-sacrifice at mag-balanse kung alin ang dapat i-prioritize. Education is the solution. It is not enough to know what your goal is, you must know how to chase it—and chase it real damn well,” said Dantes, who also received a special citation from WNU for being his batch’s Ambassador of Goodwill. Being a staunch advocate of education, Dantes plans to pursue the “One Chair, One Child” project of his Yes Pinoy Foundation and Lifeline Foundation Support Team, Inc., which aims to provide chairs for a school in Iloilo City that was devastated by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

In a recent survey conducted by Manila Bulletin’s research section, 25 out of 36 respondents say they are prepared to face the real world outside the confines of their universities in Metro Manila. Statistics from the said survey also notes that compared to earlier batches, most new graduates think they are more academically competent and updated, creative, and unique, too.

“I am more updated with the latest trends,” says Melissa Pangilinan, 19, a Foreign Service student from the Lyceum of the Philippines University, when asked what her advantage is over graduates from previous batches.

Meanwhile, Hans Adrian Lagman, 19, an Advertising student from the University of Santo Tomas, was more careful with his answer. “I’m not quite sure about our edge over the people who graduated earlier but I guess it’s about having the knowledge with the latest in technology since the world is beginning to enter the digital era,” he says.

Many Millennials point out that being young works for their benefit. They think their college education has equipped them with the necessary skills and, at the same time, they think they have all the motivation it takes to succeed.

There is a catch, though. Because Millennials have been raised with the notion that they can be anything and everything they dream to be, with no exceptions, and achieve their personal life goals without having to sweat the small stuff, a job sometimes appears to be a slow process to the realization of the life they were born to live. It also has to fit within their spectrum of personal interests and even conform to their standards. A journalist, for instance, once quit a job he so completely enjoyed and when his boss, puzzled by his sudden resignation, asked him why, he simply said, “I told myself that after two years, I should have been at least promoted.” He spent the next two years jobless, occasionally taking on freelance work, and eventually rejoined the industry.

There’s a big job mismatch among youth employment these days, arising from the fresh graduates’ lost notion of what their passion really is and what they like or even what they want to do. So, although they are adept in social media, most of them seemingly lack the appropriate career guidance they need once they’re plunged into the everyday workforce.

BETWEEN WHAT’S REAL AND WHAT’S IDEAL

Dexter Cabalza, 20, a Journalism student from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, is grateful for his parents’ guidance. Although he had always considered himself a “math and science” person, he took up Journalism because his mother told him he was a good writer.

Now, here in the Philippines, most people have the notion that journalism, along with other Liberal Arts courses, may be intellectually stimulating but financially unrewarding. They might be wrong, and it looks like Cabalza may be off to a good start once he steps outside school. These days, some jobs related to the Liberal Arts are lucrative, such as being an art director, a PR assistant, a company content writer, and being involved in a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) unit.

Yes, BPOs are the so-called “sunshine industry” of the Philippines, because of their supposed financial benefits. They are such a magnet for young people that even those who have yet to finish their tertiary education go for them, as long as there’s an opening and a college diploma is not required.

While some accuse the Millennials of being money-driven, there seems to be such a big gray area in their preferences to arrive at any conclusion. When accepting a job offer, not very few of them surprisingly put monetary compensation only next to interest or passion. It’s safe to assume that for these young people, money only serves to fuel their passions in life. To these Millennials, the trick is to work first to earn some money and then to use the money to go for personal pursuits, such as a more fulfilling yet less financially rewarding career, or as a startup capital for a business.

But maybe this ideal is just a matter of age. As the generations before them experienced it during their younger years, Millennials today seem curious about what’s ahead for them and, since the future is only an idea, they might as well dream up the very best. “It’s just a matter of setting goals after graduating,” says Gabriel Cedrick Victorino, 20, a Business Administration student from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. “I think every Millennial who has just graduated should think that he or she is neither a kid nor a student anymore and that it’s time for us to spread our wings and soar high in the industry of our choice. It’s time to live the dream, as they say.”

Classic combo with a twist

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
March 27, 2014

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Cronuts and Ramen Burgers made it to the top hybrid food combos in last year’s local food trends. In Hong Kong and Singapore, burgers in different forms and textures were the craze: “Black Burger” made from squid ink and mashed potato base in truffle sauce and “Samurai Burger” with patty dipped in teriyaki paste.

Fast food chain Wendy’s brings in “Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger” exclusively to the Philippines, obviously a take from the Bacon Nation of America.

“What’s really good about this hamburger concoction is that it is anchored on our all-time favorite American comfort food. The play of bacon, patties, and pretzel is a quirky yet ingenious food invention. Its appeal and taste are universal,” said Elizabeth Pardo-Orbeta, Wendy’s Philippines chairman.

Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger is a combination of the fast food chain’s classic and well-loved ingredients. Sitting on a warm and crispy pretzel bun is a beef patty complemented with strips of bacon, melted cheddar cheese, honey mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, and onion rings. Its chewy and crunchy bun matches, without overpowering, the flavors of the bacon and patty. The star of this creation is the bun with a cross on top to signify that it is fresh off the oven. Each bun is actually handmade and baked to perfection.

A pretzel is a crispy biscuit that has a salty crust and soft dough on the inside. This German invention has a dark brown color owing to the process it undergoes. Each pretzel is dunked promptly in water and sodium hydroxide (lye) mixture before it is finally baked. This technique gives the bread its unique taste and color. Pretzels are commonly served in a knot shape and often mixed with chocolate, honey, caramel, or peanut butter. This time around, pretzel is mixed with our favorite comfort food.

But crazy food creations like hybrid food combos, while apparently originating from the West, aren’t ingenious at all. Come to think of it, marrying two different ingredients dates back to our old tradition. Filipino food lovers have a way of juxtaposing dishes based on their own silly preferences. Some voracious eaters even put ketchup on their sinigang. This savory dish in fact has different provincial permutations like Pampanga’s pomelo sinigang and sinigang sa pakwan, which use the innate sweetness and sourness of pomelo and watermelon in lieu of tamarind.

So, what crazy combinations do you usually do with your food?