Resting Your Tired Senses In Art

You are bound to be drained if you have 2 classes in Economics and Theology that directly deals with poverty. So it's just timely that I went to the Ateneo Art Gallery (since I still don't have time to go to Ayala Museum for Olivia d'Aboville's exhibit) today to recharge and find some inspiration.

I asked my friend, Kenneth 'Pale-Boy' Javier, to accompany me even though he's clueless about art in general.

There were a lot of interesting displays. I get attracted to pieces that stimulate the senses - something you can actually taste, smell, hear and feel - beyond just seeing it.

Kenneth keeps asking me why I particularly feel sad whenever I looks at this piece - something that can't be explain by reason or logic. Maybe it emits a subconscious sadness.How about you?

This reminds me of an ear that cannot hear, or a voice that wants to be heard. It's shaped like an ear but the place where it's supposed to be are covered by steel plates.

This reminds me of a highly convoluted and violent dream. I hate it! But it has the power to attract the viewer, it draws you and grows into you.

I won't write about every single piece.

I'll just show you guys the pictures.

Ateneo has a good collection from Zobel, Ang Kiukok, Manansala, HR Ocampo, Legaspi...

I've been viewing their works for years, but I kinda still surprised myself when even from afar, I can distinguish who painted which painting:D

If you are feeling down and depressed, it's good to get your thoughts lost in an art gallery.

Getting More Hands On

After preparing for weeks and cutting around 1,800 calling cards,

and packing 180+ member kits (with lanyards, newsletters, business cards, button pins...),

and ordering 24 boxes of pizza,

we were able to pull of this FIFA themed general assembly for HPAIR.

I'm glad that I'm part of an org that directly interact with its members.

I used to be a VP for a national org by the Salesians and it was kind of mundane job since you just decide on some projects without really knowing the members of each chapter. It's almost the same with my environmental org right now, we just amend administrative policies and allocation of funds with people whom you can't understand well because of their accents.

I hope this will be a good year for the org and our members! :D

I'll try to get more hands on this time:D and not just delegate all my jobs to others. I actually miss the stress of cramming for an org, it makes me more alive:D

Failure to Save 200 Hectares of Forest Wildlife

Earlier this year, my dad and uncle went to Brunei to help facilitate the construction of a dam there. My dad did the surveying of the area while my uncle designed the dam.

It was a good tandem and I'm proud of them, except that they'd have to cut 200 hectares of forest trees and wildlife in order to construct it:((

If you happen to know Magat Dam up North (biggest dam in Asia when it was built) along the border of Quirino and Isabela, it is interesting to note that in order to construct it, they paid the people living in that area to leave the place. (THE ANIMALS WEREN'T PAID!!!)

Aerial view of Magat Dam

Now they have people living above the river near it.

At the bank of the river, they have a mini market where they can sell their newly caught fishes.

They deforested the area and flooded it with water coming from the Cagayan River. My uncle designed and headed the team who built it.

We visited it last summer and we rode a boat in the river near the dam. It was a beautiful sight - at one side, you can see the natural horizon. If you'd look at the other side, there is a man made horizon because of the wall of the dam.

They'll be constructing the new dam in Brunei this September and I really wanted to scream to my dad the harm he's doing to the environment for the sake of progress. How about the long term costs of what they're doing!?

You may not see it but I'm really passionate about what I believe in. We should be stewards of the Earth and not drain its resources for our own benefit.

So to have someone (or two) inside you own family who destroy 200 hectares and years worth of evolution and growth is something that is hard to accept. What can I do? He's the one who pays my tuition.

It's a chilling thought that families of animals which have lived in that area of the forest would have to go, or even die because of selfish human progress. The trees who stood there longer than the oldest man alive, will have to give its glory up for us small men just to satisfy our crave for more efficiency and progress.

Dad Calling the Media Against the Water Company

I overheard my dad last night threatening the poor call center dude from the water company that if they won't fix the huge hole in front of our house (which they drilled) he's going to call the media and sue them or something!

I was already at school earlier when I realized I forgot my memory card for my camera so I went home. When I arrived, there was actually this lady news reporter and a camera man from ABC5 interviewing my dad's spoke person aka former driver turned pseudo politician!!!

I have no picture of the actual interviewing because they were packing up as I arrived home.

My dad actually called the media to investigate this catastrophic hole in front of our house. In a matter of minutes, I saw vehicles from the water company parking in our area and there were engineers/ feeling special people in front of our house!!!

I just got home and there are still people in front of our house drilling, welding, sucking the water with their noisy machines... etc. My dad wants to get this done quick because last time, we paid roughly 25,000 pesos because of the leak. That's like having a pool!

The noise is really irritating and I still have to do loads of stuff. And we do not have water right now!!!:((

It's interesting to note how institutions quickly respond if you use the media against them. Will they respond this quick if we didn't as the intervention of news report on TV?

I didn't get to watch the telecast on TV because I was at school. Haha! Hope someone saved it in YouTube:D

My Senior Bucket List

We had this thing called the Senior Integration Program "Paglunsad" earlier and we were asked to write our bucket list. Here's some of mine:

Before I graduate, I'd like to...

1) Appear in a tarp / poster

2) Spend a day in Tagaytay with friends

3) Wear harem pants, winged shoes and fur hat to school (not all at the same time please!)

4) Give my blue rose to my crush (hihi! as Isa suggested)

5) Treat a street child to lunch

6) Lose 10 pounds!

7) Be a vegetarian for at least a week

8) Have at least one of my paintings published in our school's art portfolio (i'm finishing one tonight)

9) Have a creative photo of me in every landmark in school

10) Train a soon to be great leader...

Bonus: Get stranded in school

Above all, I just want to get my NSTP done!

And actually, I still don't want to graduate. If you've been reading my blogs for the past years, you'll notice that I'd usually write about things that happened in the past. I think there's just to much to miss in Ateneo:(

Animals and Intestinal Monsters in School

I screamed two times this week because of giant frogs. As I was walking along the carpark after attending Rajo Laurel and Amina Aranas' networking session, there was this giant frog which jumped out from god knows where!

Then as we were shooting for a promo material near the new lib, there was again another giant frog (there are actually 2) which was swimming on the fountain/wishing stream.

They probably put the frogs as pest control, or a Siopao restaurant has stopped importing frog meat so they just throw these critters in school.

I just realized that if you sit anywhere near a tree, there is bound to be an insect somewhere who's ready to invade your personal space.

They crawl in you shoes, pants and even Louis Vuitton bags...

There's also this interesting art piece crawling in front of the art galleries. Some call it a caterpillar, but it looks more of a body made of intestine.

If you'd stare at it for a while, your senses will get stimulated. You'll feel itchy and uncomfortable. Metaphorically speaking, it tastes like blood.

But in fairness, we may not be an art school but the administrators (or whoever was responsible for putting that huge exhibit) are trying to make our campus stand out above the rest - in a weird and good way.

Now tell me, does any bio/medicine school have a two-storey digestive system display?

Marking God's Love

Joey Velasco and I knew the same child saint statue back in high school. It was there when he bullied someone back in his time, while my friends and I ate our lunch there.

I just heard earlier that he has passed away.

Two years ago, we followed him for weeks for a theo class project...

we went to his house for an interview and a tour of his studio...

The paintings that were not being exhibited were there.

After he told us about his bullying childhood phase, law school dreams and the sacrifices that his father made, he narrated how he began to paint - because he got really sick and depressed.

He has wonderful kids and a very lovely wife. His maids even gave us halo halo during the interview.

Joey Velasco left a dedication in my book: Marking God's love with a fellow Bosconian (since we both went to Don Bosco.)

He may be gone but he what he left us is something really inspiring. His painting made Jesus more relevant and more felt by us Filipinos.

And personally, he was the one that inspired me to paint. May he rest in peace.