Photo taken in a Metro Manila public elementary school near where we used to live.
When my colleagues and I were at the school, I brought one to the back of it to show a mini-park. It still sits there, a quiet witness in the noon-day sun of how that part of the city has transformed.
Gone is the impressive ancestral home, west of the park, of the city's most influential family. Even before the family matriarch passed away some years ago, they built in its place a row of townhouses that bear extra-ordinary scale and proportions than most urban "townhouses."
Across is the compound owned by another family from which members have contributed invaluably to the social sciences and education, art and architecture. Some of the family's descendants were friends of mine back in high school.
The property gate facing the park used to welcome Manila's literary and artistic personages. Inside it was one of the pioneering and most unconventional private galleries to have ever been established in the country and I am proud to be part of its roster of exhibitors. Founders of present-day artist-run spaces acknowledge the gallery as a major influence. It is now hushed.
Nearby the park is the historic church but the solemnity of its facade has been removed by the looming presence of a new high-rise condominium in the background.
Otherwise, some pre-war houses are still along the park perimeter, as are the medium-height park trees that provide shade to the usual vagrants who retire on benches for siesta.
The photo above, however, has its own story. Read it on my first "real" story-entry which I posted on a new awesome site called Cowbird.com here.
I am listening to all of Nature's collection of drum rolls in its arsenal right now.
~ 2:29 pm, Quezon City
Post scriptum
Really, when Nature puts on a show, everybody halts to listen, watch or do some inward reflection.
After all, what else can we do when caught in a light show in the mid-afternoon, with incessant rolling and barreling and banging of the skies above, and a burst, an unstoppable flow of the skies' mighty waters that rushes our negligence away.
And then, a deafening silence. And a sigh. And then the sound of every body's routine creeping back in, slowly breaking the hush, taking over what was, for a few minutes there, a reminder of our fragility. ~ 3:27pm *cross-posted
Ongoing at the Cultural Center of the Philippines is the 2008 Cinemalaya Film Festival which, as we know, has recently been the source of many good films that's done the rounds, have been recognized for their excellence abroad and have made us proud.
Cinemalaya is the current flame bearer of its forebear, the much maligned Marcos-era ECP — the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines — and of the ECP's counterpart, at least in support of independent production, the MOWELFUND. In any case, all three entities produced unparalleled Filipino film classics outside of the mainstream.
From being one of the most prolific film producers in the 70s to the 90s, our local film industry's output has slumped, thanks in no part to the short-sightedness of many 80s film producers that made film after film that were short on depth but overflowing with mediocre acting and production values.
The counter-culture persisted nonetheless. Now, it seems that the indies are the heirs apparent to Jose Nepomuceno(left)89 years later, much more reflective of the Filipinos and the so-called "national consciousness", but sadly still in search of the Filipino audience and of genuine patrons.
Download the full schedule here.(10 pp. PDF file. Schedules written as of July 7, 2008. May change without prior notice. Please check with the venue for day scheds. CCP Box Office: [63-2] 832-3704 and [63-2] 832-1125 loc. 1409 - 1410.)
Some people weave burlap into the fabric of our lives, and some weave gold thread. Both contribute to make the whole picture beautiful and unique. ~ Anonymous
Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino not only made waves among the locals in Manila in August, he literally waded through the flooded metro in a barong enroute to Malacanang to receive an award of recognition. In September, he wore the same to the launch of his book and film premiere of Death Proof in London.
In the recently-held Golden Globes announcement of nominees shown on television, Tarantino was again seen wearing the barong and the Pinoys took notice.
The barong, or more formally known as Barong Tagalong, has had its share of being the news topic, most recently at the 2007 APEC summit in Australia in which, according to the APEC organizing committee, they cited '"various sources of information" it compiled for their media backgrounder' when they gave out APEC-related kits and referred to the barong worn by the participating heads of state at the 1996 Summit in Subic as a 'mere peasant's shirt'.
Reuters
This factoid prompted the Philippine government to request APEC for clarification. Many stories about the barong Tagalog have been woven into its fabric of existence. One particular reference to the barong in the Americas is how the barong purportedly influenced Cuba's own guayabera. A Latino forum entry in one of its threads has this post under Where are Guayaberas from?contributed by 'C.T. Mexica':
GUAYABERAS
I owe my earliest memory of the guayabera to my paternal grandfather who wore them during many a humid South Texas day that he complimented with a pair of linen trousers and the customary cowboy boots.
Older Puerto Ricans refer to them as jíbaros, stateside they are sometimes referred to as the "Mexican wedding shirt," whereas throughout Latin America there known as the guayabera, and finally as the barong tagalog in the Philippines, their birthplace.
Of course, any good Cuban would seriously beg to differ. Nevertheless, the barong tagalog originated in Philippines shortly after the arrival of the Spanish. Within the Spanish colonial caste system, the barong tagalog was a symbol of Filipino servitude based upon practical Spanish fears. Concerning attire, Filipino subjects were required to wear transparent and untucked shirts, less they attempt to conceal a weapon or attempt to dress in the manner of the overseers.
The barong tagalog eventually traveled east on Spanish galleons where they were slightly modified and honed into shirts with four pockets in the Yucatan and Caribbean. Since then they have been worn by the likes of Hemingway, many a tropical debonair, countless musicians and farmers alike as well as with Cuban and Filipino diplomats.
The long history of this shirt survives in the vision and designs of Martínez Montiel, provided in large assortment cuts and colors. This guayabera shirts can be found on fridayshirts website. White is the traditional and elegant choice of both novice and aficionado. However, if you want to peacock a little and flaunt opt for one of the brighter colors, such as yellow. The beauty of the guayabera lies within its versatility. It can be worn with either trousers or jeans and whatever your choice of footwear may be. Not to mention its natural compatibility with a straw fedora. Dress accordingly.
-C.T. Mexica
Note that the entry above also refers to the oft-repeated story of the barong as the locals' (aka "subjects") attire that was supposed to show distinction among the Spanish-era social classes. This story has, indeed, done the rounds.
Back to Tarantino, he looks comfortable enough in the Filipino barong to be wearing it in functions abroad, albeit in sneakers instead of balat (leather; hide). Perhaps it was the surreal padyak (pedicab) ride he had in the streets of Manila in the middle of a tropical downpour, or the good time he reportedly had, courtesy of Pinoy hospitality, or simply that the barong, made of fine piña (pineapple fiber) or jusi (banana fiber), is a cool attire to wear or be in.
Lastly, it could also be the fact that Filipinos, one of the most talented lot anywhere, just got Tarantino right down to his sensibilities, when they 'localized' him in this classic intro short for the 2007 Cinemanila Film Fest in September:
CREDITS: A spot from TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno, Manila to announce the guest of honor of this year's film festival -Quentin Tarantino.
• Product : Cinemanila International Film Festival
• Agency : TBWA\Manila
• Creatives :
Melvin Mangada (Executive Creative Director)
Badong Abesamis (Creative Director)
Angge Arches/Ali Silao (Art Director)
Ryan Rubillar/Badong Abesamis (Copywriter)
Sunny Lucero (Agency Producer)
• Director(s) : Mario Cornejo
• Prod. Co. : Reality
• Country : Philippines
• Sound design : Sound Production Company
• Post-prod : Larger than Life
Tarantino photos copyrighted to Reuters, The London Traveler and the Associated Press
One of the weirdest days of the year probably. Intermitent (strong) rains, bloody traffic jams, kids being sent home wading in the flood (when they actually made it to school dry), and Quentin Tarantino taking the pedicab in Manila through flooded streets to Malacanang to receive an award. Classic.
[Almost] pulp fiction We make do, and have fun, as he did. Wallowing, yes, but not in tears. AP writes:
Tarantino, director of "Pulp Fiction" and the "Kill Bill" movies, wore a traditional Filipino formal shirt and sandals.
He was handed size-13 black leather shoes because sandals and rubber shoes aren't allowed inside the palace during presidential ceremonies, said a staff member of the National Commission on Culture and Arts.
Tarantino, 44, was among three Lifetime Achievement award winners in the 9th Cinemanila, a film festival featuring foreign and local movies.
He is writing a book about Philippine films, particularly the horror and action movies he saw in his youth.
The AP wire did not say that he changed into a pair of black jogging pants (it had a white leg stripe) which he wore with the barong. It did not also say that, while he had fun ("It was a lot of fun. It's the way it is, I guess. ... It was wild... No worries. I've done more serious things than that.") his companions, including Filipino director Tikoy Aguiluz, were horrified (perhaps, either at the thought of taking the pedicab TO MALACANANG, or to not take the pedicab ride too seriously).
In May when my cousin was here for a visit, one of her concerns was charging purchases using her debit card at gas stations. No, it wasn’t that her card would not be honored; rather, the concern was perhaps the fact that the staff at our gas stations – greasy and poor lit as they are in some branches, the stations – might commit identity theft, whether intentionally or otherwise, as may have been the unfortunate experience of some of her friends and acquaintances back in the US.
Of course we assured her that incidence of card fraud was nearly unheard of in Manila. Ok, that may not be entirely true. But at least for us whom she was with, none among our circle of friends have so far been victims of such incidents.
Identity theft have been rarely reported in the news; some cases have been topics for late-night TV docu-series that told of MOs at ATMs or swiped payments made by shoppers in malls or department stores using credit cards, but even these establishments have put in place certain measures of verification prior to receipt of payment.
So, it does not mean that consumers are safer because we do not seem so hi-tech and covert – even the Love Bug author was supposedly found to be not much of a techie himself.
However, there is a bigger danger to unconcealed illegal activities in that the victims are far at risk because they face direct assault to their persons and properties. And when the low-tech lowlifes decide to go hi-tech, the consequences are instant, unsavory, and more damaging.
The irony to low-tech crimes on hi-tech properties – laptops in this case – is that the items stolen are [1] of no use to the thief [2] because the thieves themselves may be computer-illiterate. This does not mean, however, that the thieves are totally technologically challenged, as they reaffirm the dialogue on Invention. Therefore, in being so challenged by the prospect of getting their hands on a piece of technology, they resort to primitive means: smashing windows, unhooking car locks with wires, distraction (“What time is it?”) &mdash the usual, low-tech MOs, ho-hum, but it seems to work effectively. The overall irony, though, is that these thefts have been occurring more regularly lately, yet none have been reported in the news.
Could it be that the victims are not wont to bother filing a police report? Could it be because some see stolen laptops as merely a case of losing expensive toys and nothing more? I think what is missed out is the fact that laptops have become the equipment of choice for serious work by some people – no, make that most people here in the Philippines – my friends included. And what an investment in time, money and productivity it took them to make this choice possible. Caveat emptor! ..................................................
Culled Stats: • The price of a workhorse laptop (Apple or PC) is almost equivalent to a second-hand car. • The most incidents of stolen laptops are from unattended vehicles parked in public places. • The second most popular places for stolen laptops are in public cafés. • There have been rare cases of Macintosh laptops being returned to their owners because they were password-protected.
