Art as Conversation
My approach to art is to see if it works as a whole. I wasn’t wowed by Mideo Cruz’s “Poleteismo”, but I get it. If the only thing we see is a condom and a dildo over pictures of Jesus and Mary, then the criticism fails.
I overheard a colleague criticize Mideo Cruz’s work as being too controversial, because, “If this were a Middle Eastern country he’d be dead.” Yes, but then the rest of the world goes on to call them barbaric.
“Poleteismo” was shocking, but I wouldn’t say controversial because it is a slice of the real world. I thought what made it more disturbing for other people was the placement of pop culture posters right next to religious imagery. For those who thought it tasteless, I say they haven’t been inside a typical poorhouse where it’s not weird to see FHM posters are put up next to the Last Supper. It’s not about being sacrilegious to them. It’s just decor, it’s their aesthetic. Agree or disagree with it, it’s their concept of “maganda”.
As the debate on reproductive health rages on in the country: Do we also continue to deny that religion, Catholicism in particular, continues to meddle with what should be state issue of reproductive health? Review your facts. The symbolism of “Poleteismo” isn’t even that much of a stretch.
In the time I’ve spent with the arts, I have not seen any government or church body support or uphold a standard for art and aesthetic. I have seen a lot more toned down, even outright banned.
This is what agitates me most about the Mideo Cruz fiasco: why are we so concerned about what shouldn’t be seen, when we haven’t set the foundations for good, local art?
Recommended viewing: “Hamlet 2” by Andrew Fleming.
“It was stupid!” “Yes it was stupid, but it was also theater.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giBWNkRta5o]
Flower Memory: R.I.P. Sugawara-san
The first time I ate at Hana was after a very bad fight with my boyfriend at the time. Upon Khursten‘s invite, I commiserated with friends over takoyaki and cold house tea. I came home smelling, as Mom described, “Like a Japanese grill.” I replied, “But that’s how you know it’s real.”
When then-boyfriend and I made up, we continued to frequent Hana. More takoyaki and shaved ice desserts were had. Even after our break-up, Hana and Little Tokyo became a watering hole and comfort zone. Friendships were enforced and forged over umeshuu, sake, yakitori… it was the best of Japanese cuisine without having to leave the country.
The more I visited Hana, the more I got to know the Sugawara’s, especially Yue. Yue and I shared a fondness for cute toys, anime, Japanese movies, and music. Through Yue I also got to know her sister, Mom, and especially her Dad, Mr. Sugawara.
Mr. Sugawara, in particular, we joked to be “Mayor” of Little Tokyo. He got along with the shop owners, and helped keep the peace among them. I know that no trip to Hana was complete without seeing him seated at the bar, smoking and talking loudly with his friends and colleagues.
I remember the first time I met him, when Yue, Angel, and I had dinner to celebrate my purchase of a tokidoki vinyl toy. He gave us a few coupons for ice cream at Chotto Stop. “He won the coupons at a karaoke contest that he also organized,” Yue shared, “His friends thought it was strange that he organized and won it.”
I love good food, but I had a notoriously small appetite. Yue would joke, “You can never be a Sugawara!” Khursten, who spent New Year’s Eve with them, and sought to pick up a few recipes from Mrs. Sugawara in the process, fondly called them her “yakuza”. For a time, I took her literally.
It was with Mr. Sugawara’s blessing that we were able to follow the World Cup in the wee hours of the day at Hana. We joined the Japanese community of Little Tokyo in cheering their team on, and their sadness in defeat. Hana also kept their doors open for the World Cup final, which ended with our entire table singing “Ole Ole” when Spain took home the cup.
Over Holy Week, Yue and I went out on Good Friday for a tour of Intramuros and Binondo. We were stuffed with dimsum and streetfood from the tour, but Mrs. Sugawara wanted us to taste-test some new menu when we got back. It is probably the best Japanese meal I’ve had in Manila, come to think of it.
I didn’t see Mr. Sugawara then. I remember Yue mention in passing that he was sick – he loved his smoke, and he loved his drink, a bit too much.
I met up with an old college friend last Friday at Hana. It was the first time since Holy Week that I’ve visited, Mrs. Sugawara didn’t even recognize me with my short hair. We caught up a little bit in between the bustle of the dinner rush, but she made no mention of Mr. Sugawara.
I just found out a few hours ago that he had passed on.
A number of anime series emphasize that good food is made by good hearts, or something along those lines. The warmth and generosity of the Sugawara’s have always come out in their cooking, especially in Hana.
If you’re a Japanese foodie, I urge you to drop by Hana at Little Tokyo, Makati. It’s the restaurant with a takoyaki and barbeque grill in front. Great meals are served at reasonable rates starting at around P200 for a dish. More than just treating yourself to comfort food, you’ll also be helping a lovely family at this trying time.
You will be missed Sugawara-san. Thank you for everything.
The World in Pixies: Life without facebook
I am now easing into a new life as a digital copywriter for a major advertising agency. As I like telling people, “What else do you do with someone who wastes a lot of time online?”
But well, it’s still an office. I settle in and find out that facebook is banned on most of office’s premises. It poses new challenges, and new frustrations to this vocation. I mean, we do facebook pages with limited access to facebook.
For the first few days, as I was given the grace of waiting for a job order. I was baffled on what to do with my time. The “sparklies” of tumblr can be blinding after awhile, the overabundance of pictures and posts make it the digital equivalent of pixie sticks.
On the other end of the spectrum is G+, but with limited users, there’s only so much you can take in from the chronicles of the social media wars.
Yes, there is twitter, and in this event: thank god for twitter brand accounts, up until they post a facebook link.
So-called “free time” has become my nerd time. I caught up on online reading in between pages of the copy workbook.
Anyway, other sites you can use, rather than waste time on:
Trendhunter – Think of it as social-anthropological tumblr. It’s a crowdsource determining what’s buzzing in real life and online, with some very interesting results.
Mashable – The news source for tech, social media, and more.
Blogherald – More news, and compelling editorials on consumer behavior online.
I realize that while I am a copywriter at heart, I am also nurturing an inner semi-frustrated digital planner. That’s what I get for socializing better online than in real life.
And of course, I get my dose of features on music, art, etc at Salon and The Rumpus. If I feel a little silly, I check in at Cracked or McSweeney’s.
If there’s anything to thank the great facebook ban for, it’s for reminding me that there’s a life outside of facebook. WWW still applies, it’s a world wide web after all.
I am the horcrux
I had written this after an unexpectedly emotional reaction to Deathly Hollows part 1. It is now mere weeks before Mom’s death anniversary, and just days before Deathly Hollows part 2.
Harry Potter was with me throughout high school to the tail end of college. Funny as always, how the end of the movie series also comes at a time of transition. As I confided in a Tita over lunch, if I was told last year I’d be in this place today, I wouldn’t have believed it.
But here I am. I’ve made the transition from journalist to copywriter for an ad agency. Mom spent almost her entire adult life in the agency world, and it was only during my time as an ad journalist that I uncovered her battles for big ideas. She also suffered for it. My family is not big on making dynasties, so this is a very big shift.
I remember Potter, awkward about the legacy of his scar. Each year in Hogwarts is a battle. He is marked, he struggles, he lives to be the boy who lives. I feel like I’m in the same boat, now that I’m “following” Mom’s footsteps so to speak. It’s not a matter of choice, it’s a matter of circumstance. I may not have the scar on my forehead, but I carry it. I struggle. I live to live, and live for another.
I hate that it sounds like I’m pitching a Hallmark film, but it really is my life thus far. I lament that I have very few friends that get even the slightest idea on what it’s like. It is that point where you risk every moment every time things just happen.
Potter gets his happy ending in seven books. In real time, It will probably take me about 7 years, hopefully.
Thus is the tale of the girl who lives.
The rainbow connection: Kylie in Manila
I cannot get over what a rich year it is for theater and entertainment in Manila! With CCP Tanghalang Pilipino and Writers Bloc’s Virgin Labfest 7, Atlantis Productions’ ‘Aida’, Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Varekai’ in Manila, and then Kylie finally decides to make a stop: how do I begin to choose?
I finally got ‘Aida’ and Labfest out of the way, as I want to keep on supporting local talent. I just happened to be pulled into watching The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber concert for work, which was a blessing, though it was not a must-see for me this season.
It then came down to Varekai versus Kylie. Only one can be accomodated by the currency I have on-hand, and it was a painful decision to make. I ended up choosing Varekai for the simple reason that I have already seen a Cirque du Soleil show, ‘Alegria’, some years back. Who knows when Kylie will next swing by?
I admittedly am not as familiar with her more recent albums, as I am still very much stuck in the ‘Fever’ era. Still, based on the videos of her Showgirl tour, I had faith that this fabulous demi-goddess would not let us down.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z-cjxaZNiw]
Oh what a circus, oh what a show! A fellow Kylie fan said that the Manila production is slightly scaled down to accommodate budget and location, but it certainly didn’t show. It was a spectacle of light, dancing, costumes, and ripped men wearing next-to-nothing. Kylie herself was the light fantastic, taking us through the sea, space, and time. Take note: the electric fan was dead center stage, for an ethereal effect when she sings, dances, or simply addresses the audience.
The “impromptu” ‘Especially For You’ duet she shared with the audience was a great way to make up for the years she hadn’t visited. I only wished she had a little more faith in us and had us sing it out, we didn’t need a voice over to sing with. But we appreciate the thought!
Other songs I recognized: ‘A Night Like This’, ‘Spinning Around’, ‘Love at First Sight’, and ‘Can’t Get You Outta My Head’ from Fever; ‘Especially for you’, ‘Locomotion’, and ‘Better the Devil You Know’ from her classic era; then ‘Slow’, ‘Wow’, and of course ‘For the Lovers’.
The audience was very into it, not a single hand was down during ‘Especially For You’, and in true Filipino fashion: for the classics, not a single word was missed.
If that doesn’t guarantee a return sometime in the future, I don’t know what else will. Maybe we’ll get ‘Lucky’ next time?
But above all, thank you Kylie, for gracing us with your presence. <3 Wowowowow!
Below is the Aphrodite concert performance of ‘For the Lovers’ in Melbourne:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZEKCAetddA]