Love

Shoes, lace, skirt, frills

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Being stuck in a corporate world, it’s almost easy to lose your creativity.  The constant conformity to the rules and regulations — and even code of ethics and conduct — will eventually trim the rough edges, the same edges that are often the source of paint, color and frivolity.  It is  a struggle to keep that alive, especially if the paint and the color and the frivolity are what you have been doing for most of your life.

Which is why I’ve been working really hard in getting into photography classes.  I love photography.  A picture paints a thousand words and that sweet Bread song were said and sung for a reason:  it’s the truth.  You don’t need words or actions or a singsong voice to translate the romance, the joy, the heartache and the agony.  All you need are your eyes.

Your eyes see everything.  The windows to the soul, they say.  And in a way, that’s what I want to do.  To give you a good view.  A good enough view that will move the windows.

I just want to get there…

It was May in July

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Jerome invited me and Anj for some cultural bathing at the 6th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival in Cultural Center of the Philippines.  I remember the first time I went there and digested my first load of indie films.  It was quite exhilarating to see everything five years after.  It was almost like a commencement of sorts.  Like coming to full circle.

And of course, I met the two people who ignited my love for films, Johnathan Rondina (whom I ran into at Mocha Blends by Harbor Square) and our thesis adviser, Flordeliz Abanto, who is know the president of PACE (Philippine Association of Communication Educators).  We had quite a chat and she was exactly the same, the  passionate teacher who knows the arts can change the way you see the world.  It was great to feel the passion I know I’ve lost.

Aldrich was able to join in.  We miss the Chinaman what can we say.  Adah, having nothing to do, tagged along too.  It was quite a spontaneous afternoon.  We were dejected though when we didn’t get to see the short films Jerome wanted to see.  But we did get to see Mayohan by Dan Villegas, screenplay by Paul Sta. Ana.

Mayohan is led by Lovi Poe and Elijah Castillo and the setting is Infanta, Quezon.  Lilibeth (Poe) is a 19-year-old lass of the province, coordinating the May-End Dance.  Niño (Castillo) is a 15-year-old binatilyo from Cubao, coming for a visit to his grandmother with his aunt.  Amidst the festivities, he becomes the focal point of the town’s Dance.

The film was a good tickler.  It had the right mix of comedy and melancholy love affair that happens only to teenagers and only during  summer.  Even the rain had a sweet, loving touch to the film.  It  reminded me of Red Shoes, with the sincerity of the boy’s admiration exhibited silently and loudly at the same time till the very last minute.

Poe’s acting is what surprised me the most.  It’s not that it was compelling and moving; it was the fact that it was just right.  She played the lovely lady in the barrio who didn’t really know or care that she’s the prettiest of them all.  She was strong and delicate at the same time, which is why Castillo’s charming young gentleman demeanor always felt the need to protect her and look after her.  And Ping Medina?!  Let’s just say he coined the next best catch phrase after Joey Tribiani’s “How you doin’?”  So, “hel-lo.” :)

The last I’ve heard of Infanta was when it was struck by tragedy.  The cinematography managed to capture the beauty of that deluge.  The lush greens, the refreshing water… even the brown murky sand seemed to play a vital role in courting Lilibeth.  It was almost like the entire production staff coordinated the entire locality to look ordinary and verbose all at the same time.

For the first time in 11 months, I didn’t like the fact that I lived in Quezon City.  The festival will run till July 18, and I really want to watch the gala nights for the other films.  I guess a part of me want to see if the people we interviewed five years ago are still the same people inspiring the newest breed of writers and directors to change the Philippine film industry standard.

And of course, to see if I made a big enough impact to their lives (like they did in mine) and they remember me too.

For a complete schedule of the festivities, click here.

Photo credits:
Mayohan Facebook  page

Old songs bring me back to life

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So this past week was very triumphant.  My partner Vicky and I went and explored Cabatuan, Iloilo and discovered the silence of the people there.  And by silent I mean really silent.  Their quiet demeanor spoke volumes, and sometimes became very hard to interpret.  Nonetheless, we enjoyed our stay and could not be more thankful to be back in Manila.

This is Cabatuan’s famous church, San Nicolas de Tolentino.  Picturesque isn’t it?

I received a lot of good news this week.  I am so close to thinking that my luck is just about to run out.  I am so blessed, it’s sickening.  It kind of makes me think what I did to deserve such good fortune.

Then I went home and showered to this song.  I almost forgot how haunting this song is, and how it spoke to me when I first heard it in high school.

if your hope scatters like the dust across your track / i’ll be the moon that shines on your path


Your favorite moment captured

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A lot of times, I regret not taking enough pictures.  Even though I have tons of albums in Multiply and Facebook, I still feel that I haven’t captured enough moments.  At the same time, I feel bad each time I try to pause a moment just to take a picture.

I guess that’s why I love television.  And photo galleries.  And photojournalists.  And portraits.  And paintings.  They manage to recreate that fleeting second between an argument and a breathless kiss.  Photojournalists capture human emotion with such accuracy and delicate precision, and the emotion never gets lost, in pictures or in translation.

I’d give a lot to have that ability.  I’d give a whole lot to learn that skill.  There are so many beautiful things that fly by our noses and they are all beautifully disarming and we never frame it.  We take a mental picture and as time passes, we forget it.  It would be nice to have a reminder hanging on your wall.


Ross and Rachel’s first kiss is worth playing over and over.

First Heartbreak

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Now, there’s a female version and a male version.  Both can equally crush your heart and make you gush at the same time.  They kind of reminded me how I was when I had my heart broken.  To be fair, my reaction wasn’t that different from theirs.

I think their reaction is not so different from everyone else’s.  Maybe children really are smarter than adults.