The Atigas!

Tinabu, husband Nelli and baby Naz surprised be by saying they were in town. Luckily enough, my Sunday was free and I was able to meet up with them at very colorful Martha's Cakes in the Fort. It was nice seeing this Singaporean based couple after so long. Baby Naz is not even two years old but she's certainly looking like she's going to have a growth spurt for a long time. This I bet is thanks to her Samoan dad! Am pretty sure she will grow up to be as wonderful as both her parents and that she will be able to eat cupcakes, a whole bunch of them with us adults very soon.

Get me Sum-Sum-OH!

Yes, we all make fun of them or have made fun of them at some point-but the world of Sumo has always fascinated me. Think about it, how many other sports make it a requirement for you to gain a ton (sometimes literally) of weight, then nap, then wear the most body bearing uniform available then pay you heaps of money if you win and you attain God-like status because of it? Really! Morbid fact: Most of these big gents die when they're in their 60's but before all that there is the glory of all that is Sumo-fantastic. This was the second to the last day (Sept 29, 2008) of a big 15 day event and Francois was able to score us some tickets. Yes-there are scalpers in Tokyo you just need to look desperate to attract them. We were able to get near to nosebleed seats but it was still a good view all around and the energy from the crowd was magnetic. Coolest part is that you could eat popcorn and ice cream as you watched these thonged Titans battle it out in the sand below. I got to see the Yokuzuna Hakuho (Mongolian origin) kick major ass against Bulgarian Ozeki Kotoosho. Am still not familiar with all the rituals and ceremonies and I doubt I will get to watch another tournament in the near future but am super happy that I did. We didn't get to see a lot of the starting 'dances' but we were fortunate enough to see the better wrestlers in this Sumo Banzuke. Outside, it was amusing to see them being stopped by fans and one even got into his BMW and drove off, still dressed in his robe with his hair piled high on his head followed by his sumo-alalays. Needless to say, Baby and I took photos with the ones from the lower divisions as they exited the hall and man, we are sooooo petite! Good for the ego for sure! I am hoping that if I do chance upon another tournament, maybe next September that we can have a closer seat. The 'front' row is pretty cool as you get to sit on cushions on the floor and get served sake and sushi-or other Japanese delights as you watch the wrestlers grunt and groan away to the top prize.

Artful Escape in Antipolo

Instead of spending a Sunday channel surfing and stuffing your face with junk food (trust me, you will regret it come Monday) it may be time to get out of the metropolis and take a drive up to Antipolo to check out the Pinto Art Gallery.

Having locked the chips and the dip in the pantry I was whisked away one afternoon and welcomed with relatively traffic free roads to check out this art haven built by Dr. Joven Cuanang. I had heard about this place from friends many times before, that it was a weekend retreat originally and had eventually been turned into a hotspot for exhibits and gatherings for the cultured kind.

The coolest thing about Pinto Art Gallery is that the entire place is one huge exhibit hall. You get to see paintings on one floor, installations in the garden, furniture in the entrance, textiles draped in another room etc. The most exciting bit (at least in my opinion) is that visitors are free to move around at will, over the entire property, and enjoy the fresh air and the wide-open spaces that have pockets of art ready to pop out and greet them.

If you get tired, there’s actually a bed right smack in the garden (yes, the couch potato in you might get tempted) if you want a little spiritual enlightenment, you can go into the chapel, or if you want some meditation time you can go and enjoy some quiet moments overlooking an almost endless expanse of trees. For those feeling the need to express themselves, there is a mini-amphiteater located near a guest house, a fitting area that can probably be used for poetry readings or impromptu theater performances.

Art all around

On the Sunday of my visit, an exhibit entitled Aramid had just opened, I saw handmade furniture, pottery pieces and inabel textiles from Ilocos among others. I met with Dr. Cuanang who warmly welcomed guests and personally tried to show them around whenever he could.

As I viewed some paintings on the elevated floor of Gallery One, I could see a steady stream of art lovers come in and wander around freely, some were first timers such as me and I could hear sounds of delight as they took everything in.

There were regular visitors of course who showed first timers around, or family visiting from abroad. “I never knew something like this existed here” was commonly heard (in various versions) throughout the afternoon. Since it was the first day of this monthlong exhibit (the Pinto Gallery is celebrating the Antipolo Arts Festival till the end of June) merienda was served in the form of batac-styled empanada (freshly brought in) and dirty ice cream. Not quite sure if the food is a regular onsite experience but it certainly made the stay more enjoyable.

Families brought their kids who happily ran around the garden and if the weather was better I’m pretty sure Dr. Cuanang would have encouraged them to jump into the pool. Before I left I even asked the good doctor if he could rent out the place for a weekend stay (perfect for a group of friends or even a family wanting a short distance out of town escape). “Not yet,” he smiled although perhaps to keep it a sanctuary for both himself and art lovers it may be a not “ever.” Still, that one Sunday afternoon was more than enough for me to plan a trip back there whenever I need an artful escape.

Pinto Art Gallery is a member of the Silangan Foundation for Culture and the Arts. Gallery hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., from Wednesday to Sunday. It is located at 1 Sierra Madre St., Grandheights, Antipolo City, Rizal. For inquiries log on to the gallery website at www.pintoartgallery.net, E-mail silangan.foundation@gmail.com or call (632) 6971015.

Artful Escape in Antipolo

By Katrina A. Holigores
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Last updated 19:05:00 05/30/2008

MANILA, Philippines—

Inter-ART-ive Exhibit

Text and photos by Katrina A. Holigores

When you were a kid you probably heard “don’t touch!” yelled at you in panic as you went rushing towards some objet d’ art that to you looked heavensent from Toys R Us. Something that would have cost more than all your limbs combined when auctioned off in Sotheby’s was to you nothing more than something you just wanted to get your hands on and throw against a wall (or a cousin). Come on, you were probably 5 or 6 (or even younger) and art appreciation made no sense. The stigma though of untouchable art stays with us into adulthood. It seems to become even worse when we realize how much art, especially good art…costs. We’re not just talking about paintings of course, but anything and everything that will look at home in a museum or the creepy neighbour next door’s house.

What if you could find a playground of art? Imagine instead of swings, slides and a sandbox you would get to actually interact with art, and actually have fun and not get a spanking afterwards. Impy Pilapil’s Outdoor Sculpture exhibit at the Ateneo is a great way to kill a couple of hours alone or with a bunch of friends. But, choose wisely, bring buddies who actually want to have fun. If all they want to do is sit and stare direct them to the nearest cinema because you’re about to get your hands a little dirty.

The cool thing I’ve learned about installation art is that anything goes. Size, shape, form, texture, color, or meaning. Perhaps that only rule should be that if it’s bigger than you, it better be sturdy enough never to come crashing down and crushing you to death. Anyway, no danger of that happening here I was assured my managing curator of the Ateneo Art Gallery, Yael Buencamino. The first piece I saw was entitled the Mangrove and for a moment there I could imagine how it must have been, lying in my crib as a newborn staring up at a shiny, brighty, multicolored mobile. Yes, even at my age, I can still think (and act) like an infant. There were other pieces that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. The first was a wish stone made out of marble. With a paintbrush dipped in water you could write out your heart’s desires on this slab of stone. Whether or not your wish comes true remains to be seen but it sure is fun having to write it out, and with the hot sun or some gentle winds, even your most secret intention slowly disappears never (you hope) to be revealed to anyone else.

For a sensorial experience (and to work out some trust issues) have a friend guide you over the Barefoot Trail with your eyes closed. Feel different sensations greet your barefeet as you slowly walk over portions of wood, sand, porcelain, glass, granite and pebbles. The giant Chime Halo made out of solid bamboo makes for a rather noisy but melodious game of hide and seek if you wish. Do your own thing beat wise on the inside and ask someone else to strum out a tune on the outside, don’t forget to look up while inside, every aspect of this exhibit is meticulously crafted, infusing manmade structures with God given ones.

You can spend several hours feeling like a child again, try out your musical skills at the colorful foam orchestra of The Music Chamber. A rainbow labyrinth of guitar shaped instruments that require a good shake for a tune. Play sungka, (another massive marble slab accompanied by marble stools) or sit down in my personal favorite the Nautilus to take it all in. This exhibit is certainly not one you can rush through, but rather one that requires the regaining of your childhood curiosity and wonder to thouroughly enjoy the art of play. Feel young again and this time, feel free to touch everything in fact, you will be encouraged to.

Impy Pilapil’s Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit will be on display until August 31. For more information visit the Ateneo Art Gallery Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Heights, Quezon City or call Tel 426-6488

(Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer May 17, 2008)

Walk Like An Egyptian

Walk like an Egyptian

Text and photos by Katrina A. Holigores

“You have a beautiful eyes!” no, this was not some grammatically incorrect compliment during a romantic date but rather an attention getting yell thrown at me and a friend as we walked through the Khan El Khalili in Cairo. We were going shopping in the many streets and stalls in this world famous souk of all sorts and the competition for Egyptian pounds, dollars or euros was pretty fierce. Other lines that caught our attention as we passed and ignored were “I pay you to look only!” and “In here everything costs nothing!” In the end we got a couple of cool bargains although the word “bargain” takes a whole new meaning in Egypt. Seriously there are no price tags, so even a bottle of coke is subject to a buy and sell argument. In the end ( if you have the patience) the shopper and shopkeeper think they “won”. All's fair in love, shopping and “friend” pricing.

This is not a shopping story although it certainly is a no-miss experience if you ever find yourself in Cairo, but rather an essay on a travel dream come true. Since I could remember, I suppose from reading Tintin comic books as a child I have had a fascination for Egypt. It seemed like such a surreal place to visit, so mysterious, so ancient and almost caricature. (Yes, based obviously on comic book depictions) I remember in one particular Asterix and Obelisk adventure they made a parody on how the nose of the Sphinx was destroyed-I later found out it was an act of defiance by a lone vigilante when I finally saw the Sphinx for myself. I remember standing in front of it and just saying to myself ‘wow’ it’s more than I expected, for some reason, in spite of the the seemingly endless stream of tourists surrounding it, and the broken nose, it had an almost regal quality. It’s certainly not the prettiest thing I’ve seen, but it’s also nothing like I’ve ever seen. And you can’t stop taking photos of it, it’s just magnificent especially when viewed from the front with a pyramid rising behind it. I found myself just starting for a moment and wondering if this was real.


A quick backtrack, since being in Egypt is like going back in time, the morning of my arrival I found myself on the road to my hotel. As we were cruising along the highway I noticed some unusual shapes in the distance, in other words, they didn’t look like a normal structure…they were triangular..oh! oh! “Are those the pyramids?” I gasped to my guide, “Hmm yeah” he answered with the same enthusiasm as a Filipino would if we saw a sari sari store on the road. Despite my fatigue from the flight I nearly glued my head to the window of the car to get a clearer view of the pyramids. The sight itself was surreal after years of wanting to see the pyramids they seemed just a rooftop jump away, my friend and I were to start our tour the next morning and our first stop would be the Pyramids of Giza, like a child’s first visit to Disneyland I watched, transfixed as the pyramids soon faded from view.

The pace of our first day was perfect, we had a fabulous guide, a lady who’s English was impeccable and love for country was evident named Randa. First stop, the toblerone shapes of the desert, which again to my amazement was right smack in the center of “town” it seemed. Seriously, it was like we were in some commercial area and not in some farflung sand-infested oasis. The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) was our first stop-which is the last I believe of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The second, smaller one still had some limestone left at the very tip, resembling a dusty snowcapped mountain more popularly knows as Chephren was built for Khafre, the son of King Khufu and the “smallest” was for Khufu's grandson, called Menkaure. After walking around the pyramids we were taken to view them from higher ground to embark on our camel ride. Another first for me to actually get on a camel outside of a zoo, and experience the rather nerve wracking standing up and lying down of one when you mount and dismount. My companion actually screamed when the camel stood up, she was not alone a couple of other tourists did too. If you are faint of heart, I have to admit it’s a rush that can be scary for some…and you realize as you look down that you’re higher up than you may want to be.

Even with the heartpounding rush you feel with the uneven pace of the camel and the almost nonchalant indifferent manner its handler has as you’re being led around your heart races even more once you see the pyramids in all their splendour. Our guide ( who looked like he couldn’t be more than 11) ordered us in rather strong english to go through a series of poses, some on the camel and some off, and definitely some in extremely cheesy positions. Still, it was hard not to have a good photograph with that kind of backdrop. When we got back to the camel starting point we were immediately immersed in the art of bargaining. “How much?” I asked camel owner, he looked at me with a wide smile “Egyptian money or American money” “American” I replied “Forty dollars each” he said, his smile never wavering. I raised an eyebrow and looked at my guide. She looked at him straight in the eye and said “Twenty five” he said (yup still smiling) “thirty”, “No, twenty five” “But you go for a long time” at this point, I interrupted and said “No, we went only short time, just until there”, and pointed at some nondescript spot and he then said “Ok, ok, cause you are friend, twenty five.” Wow, fast friends indeed. We paid him twenty five each and then I saw the 11 year old, sullen looking still look at me with a knowing look and reached out his hand. Yup, he wanted a tip, I gave him five dollars and pointed to my friend saying it was for both of us. He didn’t get it, he tapped my friend and reached out his hand, and probably would physically stop her from leaving until he paid her. From that moment on, my friend and I made sure we always had small bills, because even if Egypt is magical and a no miss in this lifetime, the greatest travel tip, is to be prepared to tip. Everyone. Just keep smiling.

Text and photos by Katrina A. Holigores printed in the Inquirer May 10, 2008. Manila.

More Than Durian in Davao

The last time I was in Davao all I saw was the airport and my hotel. This time around, I was going to see a hotel on my way to the airport, but wow, what a hotel. When you think of the name Kublai (depending on your age) you may think of Kublai Khan, the last emperor of the Mongol 

Empire and founder of the Yuan Dynasty. If you were partying out in the 80’s, you think of the hotspot Kublai’s (like I do) where anything and everything was legal—but thankfully without the digital image evidence (Phew, many of you may be saying). In this part of the world though, Kublai was the name of an artist who is giving expressive art a whole new dimension. I arrived at the Ponce Suites Hotel and all I could say as I took in the entrance was “Wow, size matters.” Huge sculptures greeted my companion and I, and even if they looked like they weighed more than a ton, some of them seemed to be suspended like they were as light as air.

Inside the hotel I was in for a rather explosive set of textures, colors and images. Every single space of this four-story hotel is covered in an artwork. Yes, if France has Versailles in terms of decadence, Davao has Ponce Suites in terms of expressionism. Each floor greets you with a different theme. You look up, down, around, upside down and there is always something to look at. I even had my share of giant spiders, comical bat sculptures and a huge gecko staircase. Wow, who needs Walt Disney on acid when you have the artist who made all of this—Kublai Ponce

 Millan.

Upon meeting Kublai, I couldn’t help but think “Oh my god, he looks Mongolian!” what with the long hair the slanted eyes, the goatee and moustache. But of course I bit my tongue. He was

 the most charming and humble of hosts as he brought us up and down his hotel/gallery. Yes, you don’t have to check in to take a tour, but if you do, a regular room will cost about P800 a night—not bad and another incentive to come back. He told me that after a long stint of living in Manila, he decided to return to Davao and just do what he loved for fun and hoped that other people would have fun with it too. In fact, he doesn’t sell any of his artwork, he keeps everything and just finds more and more places to put them.

Those who, like me, have only been as far as the airport can get their dose of Kublai’s art by looking at the sculpture of a giant durian with women coming out of it.

My friend and I had a late flight to catch so we decided to chase the sunset and go to another one of Kublai’s projects, the People’s Park right smack in the heart of the city. It is actually Kublai’s dream to just build public places for children. (He has a son and daughter and his wife is pregnant with his third). So he envisions areas where they can play and families can go to enjoy themselves without having to spend a lot of money.

The People’s Park is a statement of integration. The sculptures of larger than life children represent different looks of Fiipinos from their dress to the fruits or products of a particular region. The entire park is family-friendly—children run and climb on everything, adults sit around and walk around and there is an educational component for everyone as the different trees come with “labels” so you can even get a lesson in tree-ology.

What’s even more amazing about this park is that it is litter-free. “The people take pride in this as their personal space even if it’s public,” shares Kublai, “so there is a certain reverence with how they treat it, they don’t leave anything and throw their trash in the respective trash bins.” The park is also free of charge, like his hotel turned gallery (where we capped the night off having vegetarian pizza) Kublai has created (and continues to create—as he is in the process of building another park in another province) a sanctuary for the senses.

Ponce Suites is located on Roads 3 and 2 Doña Vicenta Village II, Bajada Davao City. Contact No. (092) 778-8808 or (802) 227-9070 www.poncesuites.com

Text and photos by Katrina A. Holigores
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Last updated 04:34pm (Mla time) 04/18/2008

Kalipimu: Move with Spirit

By Katrina A. Holigores
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Last updated 16:33:00 03/28/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Stuck. Trapped. Blocked. Disconnected. These are words that formed part of my daily dictionary. Active as I was on the outside, inside I was feeling lethargic, and going through the motions of life on automatic pilot. I had tried meditation to clear my head of a thousand voices—but they just wouldn’t shut up. Even my outward movements felt mechanic, truth be told, finding quiet time was a skill I did not possess. An inner desperation led me to an old acquaintance (on recommendation of a mutual nephew) to Kalipimu. Kali what? Kalipimu, without delving into details (since you can Google it or go to www.innerdance.multiply.com) it was explained to me as an ancient healing ritual indigenous to pre-colonial Philippines—practiced by tribal shamans, the baylan (male) and the babaylan (female). They were the soul “doctors” before Christianity was brought (some say ‘forced’) upon us with the arrival of the Spaniards.

Feel it to believe it

But describing the power of this healing ritual in words is unjust. Experiencing it is the only way to go, or in this case, flow. I was simply asked to sit down and close my eyes. I felt light touches on various parts of my body and later on was slowly and seemingly stretched with gentle pushes and pulls. Part of me thought, “Ok, feels nice, but … ” and my mind started to drift off, to the usual traffic of what I did that day, what I was going to do later … etc., etc. The being moved around continued and at some point I found myself lying down on my back, eyes still closed taking in the music that was being played and trying desperately not to think about anything else but stay in the moment. I decided to just let my friend finish his work and I would politely just lie still until the session was over.

The tipping point

My friend stopped physical contact with me and moved a short distance away. My hands started to tremble, and jerk—to an irregular beat all on their own. My arms, planted firmly on the floor, started to sway, in no fixed direction left, right, round, up, down. At this point I should have freaked out, but I didn’t, I was mesmerized, transfixed (even with my eyes still closed) by the flow, by the loss of control which was still, weirdly enough, controlled. I felt little snaps of electricity traveling from my elbows to the tips of my fingers, as if something was slowly being released into the world and beyond. The trembling and shaking continued and this time, the voices in my head did shut up and my mind flew free. There was a lightness I felt, although I was still very connected to my body. All I could comprehend in this in-between state was that something had opened up within that allowed me to see into another dimension of myself, one that acknowledged an inner life force that had long been dormant. My body continued to move on its own and as I turned my head to one side my eyelids opened slightly and I ‘saw’ standing over me a woman, dressed in what seemed to be native American garb, her expression was one of observation. There was nothing sinister about her presence, she just seemed to belong there. Minutes later I heard a voice in my ear welcoming me back to the present. I left that night feeling like I had definitely found something. “This practice is a guru-less one,” my friend explained, “all you need is to find spirit and you can continue this on your own.” That night, alone and lying in my bed, I plugged in my iPod, closed my eyes and was taken over by movement once more.

Level Up

A month passes and I find myself on a plane to Davao, and greeted in the airport by Pi Villaraza—who I will identify basically as the moving force behind the awareness and expansion of Kalipimu and its benefits. I was going to spend the Easter weekend at his base, in the Don Bosco Youth Camp in Makilala, North Cotobato. For the next three days, I was going to immerse myself in all the healing qualities that this inner dance had to offer. First was release, the blocks, past life traumas, issues, hurts that were contained in my subconscious. The movements that took over my body were sometimes violent in their force and speed, but they never once caused any injury nor any fear in me, it was almost like I welcomed the spasms, the coughs that escaped from my throat and, on one occasion, tears. In the midst of one of my almost cathartic states, I had images of all the people in my present life who had hurt me and as tears flowed I heard myself addressing each of them saying, “I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry,” Yes, it was a reverse, instead of forgiving I was the one asking for it instead. That particular session left me with a rather deep sense of emptiness, and as it was performed on a rock overlooking a beautiful flowing river, I curled up into a fetal position and allowed the Universe to cradle me once more, so vulnerable, and yet open to what was around me. The key was, I was no longer caught up in the past, it was a giant, giant leap for me as I came to understand later on during my stay. We are emptied out, so that we may change what fills us, what makes us, and what moves us.

Part of this immersion was also reconnection to the purity of nature. Our party hiked, swam, took in the icy cold and warm waters offered by the mountains, natural heated pools and the cleansing benefits of breathing clean air and drinking fresh, flowing water. I felt like a child again, there were no “no’s” involved in anything I did as I explored what surrounded me and what was within me. By the end of the weekend, I had even learned the healing art of massage through Kalipimu. During this heightened state of connectivity to spirit you can activate another’s own life force to remove pains, both physical and emotional by touch. You become so sensitive to energy that sometimes you don’t even need to look where to place your hand, you are guided to it intuitively.

Everyone Can Heal

To think that Kalipimu is an instant fix is a huge mistake, it is part of a process, one that is designed for you to dig deeper and deeper, and you realize how much you may have repressed when the rigidity of adulthood took over the free spirit you possessed as a child. We all have aches and pains, but the ones we repress are the most difficult to bear. Kalipimu is like a much needed hug to a bruised heart or a broken soul. There is an almost instant soothing that takes place, but it doesn’t make all that pain or past issues go away. It takes practice, and sincerity. When it is later combined with an intention to heal, it may be used to free others from their own issues. It has been known to ease physical ailments, enhance creativity and more importantly (as in my case) feel connected again. Visualization ( if you’ve been on the recent law of attraction bandwagon) is energized when in a state of inner dance release. This could possibly take you one step closer to the person you were meant to become.

No one experience is the same; to resonate with spirit at this level is different for everyone, and is definitely for everyone.

A three-day Inner Dance convergence in Makilala, North Cotabato will occur on May 8-12. For more details call or text: 0919-2358153 and 0916-4748496

Special thanks to Betsy Gamela of the Don Bosco Foundation for Sustainable Development and her staff.

London Calling

It's been over 10 years since I got my M.A. from the UK ( wow that rhymes) and more or less 10 years since I last set foot in London. This was to be the last leg of a 6 day (crazy) work assignment and I had already shelved the idea of having enough time to go around and see a city that held a lot of wonderful memories. I was hoping to see my classmates ( or at least one) from my school before, have some typical pub fare and catch a show at the West End. After taking a look at the itinerary given to me by the DOT I decided not to expect anything since the 3 days we were going to be there would have us occupied from early morning til evening. In fact, it got to a point that I had to ask my friend and her husband to make an allocation to just meet me in my hotel for drinks since I didn't think I would be able to step out and see her! But, on a very happy note, things turned out much, much better than expected. Apologetic for our 'blitz' like stay in Berlin the DOT informed us that 1) Our first afternoon in London would be spent at our leisure and 2) that they were going to get tickets for two West End performances.Namely Lord of the Rings and Wicked. My heart leapt-I had been DYING to watch Wicked ever since I read the book and heard from my friends who had seen it in New York that the music was terrific. I wasn't too keen on Lord of the Rings since I wanted to spend an evening with my friends, and I hadn't heard any reviews about it-at least about the music, it was heralded to be a feast for the eyes in terms of visual effects and stage design. So, when the clock hit 4pm I got a phone call from my former classmate, Natasha, and we met in my hotel lobby to hit the streets of London. The sun had decided to come out that day so walking around was still cold but definitely more bearable than Berlin PLUS you could see around you for miles with the sun beating happily down. After walking around and taking photos in South Kensington and Knightsbridge ( the photos will be posted soon) we went for typical pub fare in the Soho district. I couldn't decide between fish and chips or a heartier bangers and mash...so I just asked the waitress who laughed and said "The bangers and mash of course! It's so much healthier!" her cheery sarcasm was appreciated and I went with the 'healthier' option.
I was able to reconnect with Natasha and her husband, Gavin, who I never met since they were wed about 7 years ago ( I was unfortunately not able to make it to her wedding) and as luck would have it Ulrike another classmate of mine was able to join us! She was someone I hadn't seen since we had our graduation ceremonies down in Kent. Although I was pretty tired ( our night ended around 10 pm) I thoroughly enjoyed myself and felt so happy that my friends could join me at a last moment's notice! Plus, I had Wicked to look forward to the next night, this trip could have already ended with that thought since I hadn't expected much in terms of personal activities.
Again, the luck of the Irish was radiating strong in Londonium because the next morning during breakfast of warm brown toast and jam we were told that we could have the morning free since the DOT activities were going to begin in the afternoon. That was GREAT news our hotel was within walking distance of two museums, The Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum ( the V&A) I sms'd Tash just to see if she was free to meet up with me at museum's opening at 10am and she was! We spent a great remainder of the morning visiting them both and I caught a great exhibit at the V&A that dealt with costume design and set design (in miniature) and we popped down to the coffee shop where I had my absolute favorite, scones with clotted cream and tea! Yum!
The afternoon was spent at the Excel Center where the International Dive Show was taking place and I must say that the Philippines' booth was practically the only destination exhibit booth there. So many people came and went especially when Filipino food was served for as well as drinks towards the end of the evening- we even had a band playing and some San Miguel beer accompanying the mixed cocktails! At night, it was off to Wicked, which was marvelous, I loved every moment of it and the theater was packed-literally from first row all the way to the back. It had a lot of funny moments-great delivery from the actress who played Glinda and the music was powerful- gotta get my hands on the soundtrack!
After the play it was off for some comfort eating of Asian fare at Bugis Street Resto at the Millennium Hotel in South Ken, again walking distance from our hotel (Grange Strathmore).
Even if that night ended in some rain and quite late ( not much sleep for the wicked watchers) I don't think I could have asked for a better way to bulldoze through 72 hours in London the way we did. God Save the Queen ;-) Photos coming soon!

Amsterdam Airport

I have been Schipoll'd! I don't think I have been to an airport as many times in as many days. KLM is the only carrier that has flights direct from Manila to Europe and because of this it was our stopover de rigeur on my recent trip to Berlin and London. My travel companions and I had the unfortunate experience of having our flight cancelled, literally at the 11th hour ( inside the plane and already taxing) on our first night. So, instead of landing in Berlin to enjoy a full day of touring the next day we were transported to the Holiday Inn around midnight-or 1am. I was so exhausted from the MNL-AMS trip plus all the waiting that I kind of lost track of time. After gorging (fatigue=hunger) on the hotel's buffet ( it was hot food, not great but it was hot and filled a need) I schlepped off to bed. Really cute hotel room though, and I slept like the dead. We had to check out at noon and spent the next 6 or so hours back at Schipoll since KLM could only rebook us an evening flight to Berlin. Sad. Schipoll isn't the most happening airport I'm afraid, at least not the terminal we were in. The other people travelling with me made a joke on how they had walked the length of the airport and had pretty much memorized the placement and prices of every product. Thing is, every leg we had from thereon had a stop in Schipoll so, I can even include myself in the "memory" game. I don't want to complain too much though as rumor has it that KLM is also going to pull out of the Philippines (as Lufthansa is about to end of March) and it's a good airline-movies and TV on demand. Schipoll-ing all the way may be a bit of a pain ( no free wifi internet like in Singapore or HKG airports) but with a good magazine, book or company is bearable-for as long as there are no more cancellations last minute. As you can see from the first photo, we would have actually done that on the runway just to get off the ground. ha ha ha! Anyway, til next time Schipoll!

Abuhan Dos in Cebu

Dinner with the FTV peeps ( Jia flew in from Singapore ) and our friends from Marketing and Creatives at Abuhan Dos was an experience in itself. Abuhan-the original on Ramos Street I remember from way back in 2001 when I first ventured out to Cebu. It was known for it's pochero-sort of like bulalo which was really good and quite cheap. Perfect after partying fare. This time around almost 7 years later I find myself in Abuhan Dos which is also on Ramos Street but in what could possibly have been an old house. It's got two floors and even an outdoor karaoke section (shudder). Thank goodness we just went there to eat and not to exercise and torture our vocal chords. Filipino comfort food (read: not healthy) as the group ordered pochero (the house specialty-what we Manileños would call bulalo) and sizzling pochero. There was also callos, lengua, grilled taningue, kangkong and chicken salad. The area of Ramos street is not the nicest with a lot of homeless and "women/ trannies" of the night abound. We did have an interesting experience when a woman holding a cellphone approached us and asked if she could be our friend. We waved her away since we had no idea who she was and she proceeded to the bar and eventually sat down with a man (who looked like he hadn't eaten or showered in days) on the other side of the restaurant. After they ate the man left right away and she even went back to us and said "See you later". We thought, 'Ok, weirdo, but a friendly one' her companion was more sketchy looking to be honest, but we were glad that he left without paying us any attention. After she left, we asked the waiter what was going on and apparently this was part of the woman's M.O. she comes in, approaches a big group and pretends to befriend them. She then sits with her companion (or perhaps someone else) and proceeds to order food, then they leave and she tells the waiters that she's part of the big group and to just add her orders to THEIR bill. Thankfully, the watiers and the staff had had experiences with her before so they actually asked her to pay BEFORE she ordered and when she had a receipt they served her her food.
I must say that the whole incident made everyone uncomfortable and I could tell that there was tension even when we were digging into the food. (Which was very tasty by the way, but how can you go wrong with fatty pork). I don't know if Abuhan Dos can "control" something like that since it's not in a great area and they shouldn't really discriminate ( after all the woman did pay for her meal ) but it did bring down the dining mood. Perhaps if we had stayed on the 2nd floor the whole situation would have not come to pass.
Moving forward, I can say that the group enjoyed the get together and despite the threats about hitting the gym the next day or moans about not wanting to eat another bite ever, we still proceeded to La Marea for dessert. Dietary hypocrites we are indeed.

Earth Rat Welcome!

The last time I formally celebrated Chinese New Year was a good 9 years ago. I remember specifically that we had to dress in either white, silver or red and that we had to follow an auspicious "route" recommended by the late Paul Lao of the Mandarin Hotel. It seemed like a fun thing to do, from what I can recall we all had to be inside a white, silver or red car and we had to pass through certain parts of Metro Manila ( and Old Manila)-in some parts we had to circle a landmark three times! We were a big group of friends and even my mom was game enough to participate. The last "stop" was at the Mandarin Hotel ( surprise surprise) and there was a dragon dance and a buffet ( that you had to pay for) and a gazillion people. In fact, just the people on the road doing the route was already a lot. Not sure if that year turned out to be particularly lucky but I had fun and my friends had fun and that's enough happy energy to make any year good right?

This year though is "my" year, being born in the year of the Rat. I had been invited by Joy Lim, proprietor of Charms and Crystals to her condo to celebrate the Eve of Chinese New Year. Apparently she only invites certain clients, family and friends to partake of a specially prepared selection of food ( each have their own meaning) and rituals to welcome in 2008. We started out writing our wishes on wishing paper and folding 8 pieces of lucky money. These would all be burned in a big fire in front of the altar of dieties on the roofdeck of the condo. As we started throwing our wishes and money into the fire (lit by three sticks of sandalwood incense that were also later placed in front of the altar) the fireworks started at the stroke of midnight Joy explained would "open" up the heavens since the next step was to write our wishes on red balloons that would be released (all at the same time) and would now "enter" the opened heavens. Pretty cool huh? Almost everyone was in red and the wishing writing was pretty much a frenzy but you could tell that everyone had hope in their hearts and were really praying for a much better new year.

"About 80% of wishes come true" winked Joy to her guests and she started handing out lucky money in red ampao envelopes "You keep this in your wallet so you will attract wealth" were her instructions. I now have a bright red and gold envelope sticking out of my wallet, who knows right? Am not going to complain if my bank statements reveal more $$$ in the coming months.

So to everyone who believes in Feng Shui or thinks this is all Feng-phooey, I would like to wish you all a very, very Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Learning for Living

As part of the work I do for my family's foundation I took a trip recently to visit two of the projects that we have been funding. One of them I've taken a personal interest in and it's one that we have been giving money too for the last five years. In fact, for my birthday about 3 years ago I actually spent it there with the kids and had friends and colleagues donate what they wanted to the kids and a clown act donated their services to entertain the kids for the day. There was food and some toys and of course money that was given that day and since then I've been getting regular reports of the progress and status of the Living for Learning Foundation. Last week when I went I was happy to see that the overall environment was still very clean and that the children were all very well-groomed, clean and eating a healthy diet. Patricia MacAuliffe, a Canadian lady who has been in charge of the foundation for many years makes sure that their diets consist mainly of vegetables and fish while meat and fast food are kept to a strict minimum-which is rare for most filipino diets.

She reported that they have been increasing their enrollment and are getting more and more children by the year and now the foundation is sadly lacking in funds. They do get donations but because of the growth in their classrooms they are going to have to make a hard choice of turning away kids, or even parents ( who attend vocational seminars to have a sustainable livelihood) or even worse, cut down their much needed staff (teachers, caretakers etc) When I asked her for a breakdown she said that they need a minimum of Php 2M a year in order to just stay afloat. If they could get more than that in a year then they could add more vocational programs for the parents ( mostly the mothers) and perhaps have more food for the feeding program or even teachers. This broke my heart because they currently have Nursery, Kindergarten and Prep classes, plus they try and have a sustainable 'Alumni Kids Program' for the older kids who can no longer participate in the classes-and without additional funds they will have to pare down many things. Living Learning doesn't make any profit for itself it just stays afloat from year to year. Right now they are taking care of about 200 children, and are hoping to still be able to maintain that or increase it ( with more funding in the coming years).

To give a quick breakdown, to keep ONE kid in school costs Php 10,000 a YEAR which is Php 833 a month! So this blog is a quick shout out to anyone and everyone who would like to make slight difference in a kid's ( and his or her parent's) life. Plus, you can be sure that you will get regular reports of where your money is going ( I have decided to donate a minimum amount on a monthly basis) as Learning for Living can issue receipts and you can always go and visit the facility in San Jose, Rodriguez in Rizal.

Donations can be made via their peso account: Living for Learning Foundation Inc. BPI Family Bank, acct # 5843-1609-31 or through their dollar account BPI Family Bank # 687-400-5191. I know everyone must have their own charities of choice but this is a chance to also contribute to the growth of a small community month after month so giving is a consistent regular thing, rather than just giving and forgetting. I do hope that even spreading the word about this program to other interested parties will help, as money is something that they are in dire need of for the near and far off future.

Learning for Living Foundation is located at the Tipanan Hose, Camia St. San Jose, Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines. their email is learningforlivingph@yahoo.ca and tel. 948-4415.

A Road with A View

(published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer Nov. 17, 2007)

Text and photos by Katrina A. Holigores


It was almost like a rite of passage. An escapade up north that started in the dead of night. The end point was Baguio, one day before the end of February three years ago. My professional career had hit a speed bump and I was dating a guy who could best be described as a dead end. Going nowhere it seemed, I was then asked by an indie-hero to come along to shoot a “roadtrip” travelshow. The invitation was like a kiss from an angel, and at a red-eyed hour we set off for the NLEX and up, up and away we drove to the city of Pines. The plan was to cover the floral festival known as Panagbenga, but before that, indie-hero intimated, he wanted to show me a road he had discovered. It looked deserted and abandoned at ungodly hours but was traffic jammed virtually impassable as soon as the sun came up. “You have to see it right before the sun rises, it’s magnificent.” Having been nursed on National Geographic fodder I held my breath and kept my cynicism inside my camera bag. Four, five, six hours passed and I was amazed that the darkness did not intimidate our driver as I couldn’t even make out a single street sign. It was an endless black snake of asphalt but eventually we came to a clearing and all traces of sleepiness left me in a single breath-which was just as quickly taken away by what I saw. It was as if the skies were smoldering, rich with the colors of rising flames and framed against thick white smoke. For the next ten minutes all we could do was watch in silent awe as the sun slowly waded through the clouds as if coming out of a rich foamy bath. Once sunlight streamed in from all directions, the glamour of the surroundings disappeared and the road was revealed as nothing extraordinary, just a means to get from one end to the other and so we continued on our journey. I look back on that trip as a turning point in my life. Soon after, my career shifted gears and I found a detour out of Mr. Dead End. Funny, all this from an unremarkable road with an unforgettable view.

Aman's Art

It's funny how people can take you by surprise. While at Maribago Bluewater Resort my friends were talking about a up and coming painter, Aman Santos, they were complimenting his style and also the fact that he was in his 30s but could pass for a teenager. I was looking forward to meeting him and seeing his art at the Bluewater Gallery. Lo and behold, turns out AMAN is really DINGDONG Santos from my highschool! He was one batch below me and we were both on the Student Council (yes, laugh now) together in the 80s! Ha ha ha! Too funny, of course being me, I ripped his ego to shreds by calling him Dingdong in front of everyone, he was a good sport anyway and he laughingly defended his name change by saying "Who would buy a painting by an artist named DINGDONG?!" The Aman has a po-wint. He walked me to the gallery and showed me his work, part of the three man exhibit and suffice to say I was taken aback by what I saw. I would never have expected it out of him, not because he wasn't smart or creative back in highschool, but I certainly didn't think he would ever be a painter, shows you how much you know when you're that young. I guess school doesn't make aMan. I then found out that he was one of BenCabs apprentices and even if he studied to be a PT he went back to UP for Fine Arts and is now even teacher in their VizComm department. Take at look at some of his work. If you're in Cebu drop by the Bluewater Gallery at Maribago Bluewater Resort to check out the Art of Three Exhibit that runs until November 20. The resort is in the Mactan side of Cebu province you can call Juliet Amazona (032) 492-1808 or 232-5411 if you're a non-resort staying guest for an exhibit viewing appointment.

Au Natural

Discovering something new is irreplaceable, especially when it's a place you want to share with friends and, in this blog's case, the rest of the cyberworld. A Wednesday afternoon found me in a new gallery on Quirino Ave (athough people of a different generation will firmly identifu the area as Tambo) to see a series of photographs of children during playtime. Before the Michael Jackson in you comes out take note that the photos connote a joy and abandon that kinds lose themselves in during their endeavors. Hey, even sleeping is done with so much enthusiasm it take a rather cruel heart to want to stir them from their slumber. The photos were even arranged in a way that it made you want to look at them, and when I say arranged...I mean you have the opportunity to do some neck and back stretches. Congratulations to Chit and Eileen Ramirez who put up this gallery which I hope will pump in more work and even more interesting styling curator style. "Natural Lang" is the current exhibit at Blankspace, 0431 Quirino Ave, Paranaque tel. (02) 851-2647. Take a couple of hours out of a "usual" weekend and go view something new, which will probably bring more than a smile to your face. To the arts, and to those who still have the spirit for it in the Philippines. The battle isn't over they say til the soldiers stop fighting.

Old loves

I write this particular blog after having just "published" my Madrid photos early this morning. It's almost like I'm fully accepting that my Europe trip is over and the Madrid album ( since it was the country of my last stop ) is the closing of a door. Hopefully a door that can be opened more often than it has in the last 6 years. I lived in Madrid from 1997-1999, I had a small but well located flat, right in the heart of the Paseo de la Castellana. There were tapas bars around me, schools and every form of transportation that could get me from one end of Madrid City to the other. Seeing my old friends, some married and with kids and some still single and enjoying themselves in my former country of residence made me a tad sentimental. I kept on asking myself if I could live in Madrid again, if I could start from scratch ( the way I did 10 years ago) and just immerse myself in a land that was fueled by passion, and a certain stubborness to be more modern, and perhaps perform better in the world economy. The answer right now, is probably not, only because if I return to Madrid it's to be able to sit back and fully enjoy the city without having to worry about where the next Euro is coming from.I was able to watch a fantastic bullfight on TV, went to the rastro, watched Jesus Christ Superstar in Spanish and reconnect to this wonderful, wonderful place that hosted me for over two years and never once made me miss my country of birth. How many times in a life can you actually say you don't miss where you come from even if where you come from is a place that is not bad at all? I still remember as my plane was about to touch down in Barajas how my heart sped up and my adrenaline went ballistic, for about 2 whole, extraordinary minutes I was in total euphoria at just the thought of being in Madrid again. My dream is still to buy a 2 bedroom flat there and use it as my base every summer either to stay and chill or travel the rest of Europe. Porque no? Quizas, quizas, quizas.

A Pilgrim Age

A Pilgrim Age

By Katrina A. Holigores
Inquirer

Last updated 03:37pm (Mla time) 09/28/2007
MANILA, Philippines—We have just zipped through another month. Not a great believer in coincidences, I find it ironic that as we focus on speed this weekend I have just passed through the slow, sleepy town of Assisi in Italy, and have, over the last two weeks, been inside over a dozen churches. Being a flexible Catholic, I can appreciate certain aspects of the religion that I was born into but remain clueless (by choice) of many others. One tradition (no idea of the source) that I grew up with was the wish-making associated when entering a church for the first time. There are many versions of this ritual; some say you make one wish, and some say three. Suffice to say, the latter quantity is what I opted for each and every time I found myself in front of the nth altar for the day.

During this quasi pilgrimage I had a chance to observe my companions and a thousand strangers entering and exiting each of these historic and significant houses of worship. There were those of course who went in as it was part of the tour they had spent X amount of Euros on. There were the local tourists who entered and, depending on the level of their faith, opted to sit down, say a prayer, or just take a photo (no flash) and then make their way back outside. For me, the visits were a combination of both, a chance to digitally document some masterpieces in art and architecture and also, on a more personal note, to slow down, take a break and indulge in the solemnity and sheer energy of a space that has housed over a million prayers and represented a steady vestibule of hope.

Like a Prayer

To have faith is to believe, without a shadow of a doubt, in an intangible happy ever after. Wishes, like prayers, are said when nothing else in the physical world can help you so you throw your heart’s desire out into the wide open flux of the divine. Wish granted? Some people ask for a sign, while some are content with the knowledge that someone or something out there has already heard and all they have to do is believe.

Faith is a funny, albeit powerful emotion. In my case, it has certainly lifted me over some of the more challenging potholes in my existence even if I have never subscribed to the more rigid norms that govern believing in God or a higher entity. The wishes that I’ve said in silence I know have been jotted down and one day I will come to realize if they have indeed been granted. Of course, the “wait” or as a very wise friend of mine pointed out the incorrigible “in-between” stage is the hardest part, and this again is where putting your trust in the unknown (but still knowing—if that makes any sense at all) has to come into play.

I Saw the Sign

So, how do we trust? Just saying to think positive sounds as shallow as the almost casual way people use soul searching nowadays. “Letting go” is a phrase that makes sense but isn’t easy to do, we revert back to old habits in order to find reassurance or affirmation that what we want we will get, and ASAP. Be patient? Try watching paint dry and you will see how easy that is especially when you are thoroughly convinced that your life will be so much better once wish 1-1000 is delivered to your doorstep.

Perhaps the best thing we can all do, in the time it takes from realizing what we want and actually getting it, is to grow up. To fully accept (with no sarcasm and rolling of eyes) that everything does happen for a reason and that the sooner we find out what that reason is we can better discern what to really wish. To put into full and utter belief that an omnipotent Santa Claus is making his or her list (and that we are on it) is the best we can hope for.

As I light another candle in one of the last churches of my trip, I look up and make my wishes and see sunlight slowly spreading across the ceiling and frescos. I feel like I’ve just received a knowing smirk from up above. Believe it or not.

Lazy blogging

Before I get into this blog, let me take the lazy way out and just cross post all the articles that I've written, that have been published before I start with new thoughts.

The Real Brunei Beauty

The Real Brunei Beauty
Katrina A. Holigores treks deep in to the Brunei forest and gets high (literally)

Photographs by Katrina A. Holigores

I’ve always loved the great outdoors and have never balked at the idea of doing things just for adventure. Whitewater rafting, cliff climbing, snow and water sports are already happily crossed out from my “things to do before you die” list. Trekking in the wild outdoors, though, is something that never leaves my list and I indulge in it as often as possible. I don’t think anything can beat a good old nature hike, basking in the benevolent shade of age-old trees and filling your lungs with the freshest air. It was a bit surprising for me to learn on my recent trip to Brunei that they actually had a national park where one could swim, hike and be one with wild animals (and possibly wild people). The two-hour flight from Manila to Brunei was made rather pleasant by the excellent service of Royal Brunei Airlines; although I must say that flying will never really hold any charms for me. I ordered my low-salt meal and fell asleep in my chair that seemed to recline to the level of a nice cushy bed. Ah…
The city of Brunei itself was clean, and not very densely populated. The hotel, a “six-star,” sprawling structure by the name of The Empire, was lavish and an astounding sight for its sheer size and the decoration (gold and semi-precious stones) which adorned the lobby and some of the more exclusive suites. Even with all the pampering that one can expect from a hotel of this caliber, I was looking forward to venture outside my massive 100-square meter room and see what Brunei was all about. The tour guide spoke about the Ulu Temburong National Park, a lush and green area measuring around 50,000 hectares. Only 100 of it though, are designated as park grounds. Located on the Borneo island, Brunei still has about 70% virgin forest left—pretty astounding, considering all the (ahem) progress that has been going on in the rest of the world…
Wait—Borneo? Isn’t that where you find headhunters, cannibals, and savages? (Nope, that’s Congress.) Anyway, our group had the assurance of our savvy travel agent and Brunei regular, Vernon Prieto, that he had been to the National Park several times and had returned uneaten (although his head did look a little small…) Joking aside, we were promised a marvelous journey into the best that nature had to offer, plus a healthy way to burn the all-you-can-eat buffet we exploited at our hotel. The highlight of Temburong was the canopy walkway that rises up about 50 meters from the ground. It doesn’t sound too impressive in terms of height, but the thing was, just to get to the “ground” we had to climb about 1500 steps up a mountain. Of course, these are things I only found out once we arrived at the park.
We took a jetty from Brunei to the capital of Temburong, Bangsar town, then took a 30-minute bus ride to the Batang Duri Jetty, then were transported right via a temuai, similar to a bangka without the katigs on the side. This ride up the Temburong River took us across many rapids and the breeze coming in from all sides as we passed through an endless amount of trees was absolutely refreshing. If I wasn’t trying to desperately spot wild animals I probably would have fallen asleep. The indigenous people of Temburong, called Iban, manned the boats, and with great skill I must add. The water level can sometimes be quite low, so they have to maneuver the temuai over sand bars, rocks and even fallen logs.
On the river ride, I was fortunate enough to spot a couple of egrets. For those who are more sharp-eyed (and patient) than I, it is said that small reptiles are also plentiful here: the green Wagler’s Pit Viper, flying lizards and even geckos. Our guide happily reported that if we went into darker parts of the jungle, we would be able to spot some alligators. (Or was it crocodiles?) Whatever, we weren’t particularly interested—more out of fear, and not an adversity to reptiles. At the headquarters, we were informed guests could also choose to do a two-day tour of the rainforest which would give them more opportunities to not only see the animals mentioned above, but all types of insects, amphibians, birds, mammals and botanical wonders. Upon hearing this, I kind of regretted that we only had one day to stay. I have no fear of wild, exotic animals for as long as I have a highly skilled, sensitive guide who will die for me in case I am attacked (and I’m only half joking).
So up the mountain we went. It wasn’t a terribly steep climb and by the halfway point (around 600+ steps) I could already feel my breakfast and the overindulgent dinner slowly melt away. I was also melting from the heat, but because of the shade of the trees, I wasn’t feeling drained or even feel like stopping for a rest. Nature is really invigorating, especially if you allow yourself to be inspired by it. The trees were majestic, the chirping of birds and insects make me feel like a female Tarzan.
My other companions scaled the steps at his or her pace. That way, nobody felt that they were in an Ironman Triathlon. At 45 meters up, we were allowed an undeniably spectacular birds-eye view of the park. The bridge itself was a bit shaky, but no way, at any point, did I feel like I was in any danger. I think a couple more meters up and I could have touched the clouds. Talk about having an (aluminum) palace in the sky.
Going down was of course, much easier than going up. Before we returned to Bangsar to take the jetty back to Brunei City, the group made a cultural side trip—a visit to a traditional Iban longhouse. A long house is er, long, as it is an elevated abode split up into about 10-15 sections to accommodate 10 to15 Iban families! It’s communal living at its most comfortable. Some tribes choose to have very simple living arrangements, with a common room for the elders and the children to run around and play in, while some opt for more modern fittings built out of concrete instead of wood. There is a “head” family of the household and I guess this kind of authority and leadership prevents it from turning into a Melrose Place on stilts.
The feeling I got overall from my short stay in Brunei and its surroundings was one of peace. The people lived in relative harmony, and the differences in religions and backgrounds seemed to make no difference. My experience of the highs (literally) and longs (literally as well) of Brunei was definitely one for my books. Who knows, maybe next time around, I will get to see even more wildlife. The proboscis monkey is found only in Brunei and famed for its, uh, special salute. (Yes, the name is a clue.) Jempat Lagi!, say the Bruneians. I’ll take that as a standing invitation.

Your Itinerary
How To Get There: Royal Brunei Airlines flies six times a week from Manila to Bandar Seri Bagawan, the Brunei capital. For reservations or bookings, contact the Royal Brunei general sales agent at phone (2) 897 3309 and (2) 895 3545, e-mail . To visit Ulu Temburong National Park, contact El Camino Travel and Events, phone (2) 521 1588 or e-mail .

Where To Stay: The Empire Hotel And Country Club is an award-winning, breathtaking palatial resort fit for a sultan (or king). Opened in 2000, The Empire has won numerous awards as one of Asia’s best resorts, notably winning the World’s Leading Presidential Suite from the World Travel Awards two years running (2003, 2004). Visit for reservations and special packages.

Tam-Awan Village, Baguio

Published in What's On and Expat Newspaper

Tam-Awan Village,Baguio: Garden in the Sky
By Katrina A. Holigores

Known to many as the summer capital of the Philippines, Baguio city is also a treasure chest of fond childhood memories for me and members of my family. From going round (literally) in circles on the locally bred horses at Wright Park, to the first bite of salty grilled corn in Mines View, a trip to Baguio holds a promise of great weather, blue skies and lots of activities. The city which is located in the province of Ilocos Norte (about 5-6 hours by car from Manila and one hour by plane) was developed originally as an R&R location for the American soldiers.
Nowadays visitors come to Baguio to enjoy cooler climates, see the offerings in terms of shopping on very busy Session Road, experience alternative dining atmospheres such as Oh My Gulay in Vocas and Café by the Ruins as well as the local art scene that Baguio has long been known for. National Artist Ben Cabrera has called Baguio his home for many years and a visit to his house is an unforgettable experience due to the beautifully sunlit area he uses as a studio that is filled from end to end with his paintings and personal collection of bulols ( rice gods).

A recent trip to the north got me curious about a place that was part of the brainchild of Ben Cabrera and Chit Asignation called Tam-awan Village of “Garden in the Sky”. Ben Cabrera otherwise known as Bencab is no longer active with the community but Chit Asignation remains passionate about this makeshift Ifugao village in the area of Pinsao which now serves as an artist community and a tourist must see. My longtime friend, the very enthusiastic and engaging Nina Poblador offered to be my guide into Tam-awan one bright and rather chilly day.
For those who have had the fortune of eating at the badly missed Kusina Salud, Nina and husband/ chef Paul were the proprietors of this quirky haven which hosted visitors both local and international with mouthwatering food and drink during their Baguio jaunts. After Nina and I paid a visit to Bencab we set off to walk down the road to Tam-awan which was semi pleasant due to the weather and not so due to the amount of vehicles that passed us on the way there.

Perhaps one day there will be efforts to rid the city of smoke belching modes of transport. When the entire city of Baguio was still adequate grazing land for cattle, the area where Tam-awan village is now located had a spring which served as a ma­jor water source. Thus, the place became associated with chanum, which in Ibaloi, means water.
Adopting the name to sym­bolize its vision, Chanum Foundation, Inc. took on the role of being as nurturing and life-giving as the spring in Tam-awan Vil­lage. Chit Asignation, who now serves as the Vice President for the Chanum Foun­dation was present to greet Nina and I as we ascended the steps of Tam-awan. There were already many tourists (Korean and European) who were waiting patient­ly for a performance from the Tam-awan dancers, all dressed in indigenous garb. To while the time away, some were having their portraits done by several artists who have made Tam-awan their second home.

Chit explained to me that The Chanum Foundation, which was founded in 1996, began to reconstruct Ifugao houses in Ba­guio with the view of making a village model accessible to people who have not had the chance to travel to the Cordilleras. They started out with three knocked-down huts which were transported from Ban­gaan, Ifugao. Currently guests of Tam-awan can see seven Ifugao huts and two Kalinga houses. The huts are still made out of original materials although they had to add new cogon roofs. With the aid of traditional artisans the huts were re­constructed and eventually laid out to best resemble the design of a traditional Cor­dillera Village.

Before the performance started I got a chance to look inside the colorful interi­ors of the Gallery Café. One can purchase artwork from the artists belonging to the community as well as have something to eat and drink. There was also an ongo­ing art exhibit in another gallery (with no café) and I was given the schedule for 2007, it seems in their sincere support for the local art scene Tam-awan has become the home for both the artists and a perfect venue for them to display their works year round. I heard Chit announcing that the performance was about to start so I found a little niche between the stone floors and proceeded to take photos of the dancers, getting lost in their music and amazed at the amount of strength and control it took to do some of the moves in the “ritual courtship dance” which was the first act.
After the performance guests were served boiled kamote ( sweet potato) and invited to feast on local fare such as native chicken in broth or pinikpikan (the chicken, upon research is not killed in the most humane of manners but is integral to the taste of the dish) with rice and local vegetables. I do not eat fowl if I can help it but I did help myself to some of the warm broth and rice and must admit it was very tasty. After the carb loading I was off to climb up the rest of Tam-awan vil­lage to take a look at the huts and the view. On a clear day one can see a breathtaking sunset and part of the South China Sea.
While trying my best to frame an en­tire Ifugao hut into a photo I was told that there are some differences between an Ifu­gao and a Kalinga Hut. As architecture has never been easy for me to understand, I read the definition from the well-written Tam-awan website. “An Ifugao house is compact and though deceptively simple, its architecture is quite sophisticated. Built by clever mortisans without nails or hardware, it exemplifies the exactness of Ifugao construction and uses heavy hand-hewn timber. Elevated to about shoulder height by four posts usually made of hard wood, the house, with periodic re-roofing, can last several generations.
The Kalinga house is a more spacious commode and is made with the same hand-hewn pinewood. The binayon is the traditional octagonal house of Southern Kalinga Province and Tam-awan.” Guests may also choose to stay the night (or two) in one of these huts and there are also workshops that they may partici­pate in during their stay. As I crossed the hanging bridge and started to make my way out of Tam-awan, I thanked Chit and Nina for a very enriching albeit brief look into another side of Baguio. This, I felt, brought me closer to what existed before the horseback riding and the grilled corn, and I am forever grateful for an added op­portunity for me to build new memories of what I can also be called the Summer Art Capital of the Philippines.
What to do at Tam-awan
FEATURES AND ACTIVITIES
• Accommodations in authen­tic Ifugao huts
• Venue for conferences, sem­inars & workshops
• Dap-ay (stone-paved gather­ing place)
• Art Gallery and Crafts Shop
• Coffee shop
• Fishpond
• Indigenous flora and fauna
• Eco-tours
• Sunset-viewing
• Martial Arts demonstrations
• Art Work shops
• Livelihood and crafts dem­onstrations on:
- Paper making
- Printmaking
- Basket weaving
- Bamboo craft
- Rice wine making
- Solar drawing
- Drawing and painting
• Interaction with Baguio and Cordillera artists
• Cultural shows
WORKSHOPS
· PAPERMAKING
· PRINTMAKING
· TEXTILE ART
· SOLAR DRAWING
· BASIC / ADVANCE DRAWING
· Others:
- Oil Pastel
- Printmaking with collo­graph
- Monoprints
- Rubber cuts
- Other workshops as per re­quest/s would depend on the avail­ability of artist
Rates
Lodging
1 PERSON Php 500.00
2 PERSONS Php 900.00
3 PERSONS Php 1,100.00

For an EXTRA PERSON add Php 200 each
GROUP (10 PAX OR MORE)
Php 250 each

For meals, reservations must be made in advance. Tam-awan Villa ge is located in Pinsao Proper 2600 Baguio City For more information call (074) 446-2949 go to: www.tamawanvillage.com