Friday, October 19, 2007
Regarding Mr. Danilo Pangan
(Making the best deal with Filipino Painter/World Class Artist Mr. Dan Pangan...swerte and humbled to acquire a masterpiece hi hi hi)(Paoay Church-oil and acrylic on canvas with wood carving)
The artist hones his work with love for his filipino roots and passion for nature that surrounds him. Embellished homes of wood carved into indigenous fruits, trees and plants portrays a vellum hovering the central pieces of his work. Danilo Pangan opened his show on October 9 2007 at the Lobby of the Philippine Embassy along 5th avenue in Manhattan, New York City. He was well received, admired for his non-incredulous voyage of tint, hue, line, curve and detail. The churches and filipino ancestral homes that he paints come alive from a window view; also a part of the work's composition. The most dramatic nudge of his work were the wood carvings he installed within the canvas. Danilo pays attention to each detail of a pineapple, leaves of banana trees and the subtle dance of papaya trees. An old rocking chair with woven backs of raffia or abaca strings matches the decorative vases inside a home that is across Rizal's ancestral abode. Mr. Pangan's sister Ms. Gene Pangan- David constantly makes one feel that each piece is a perfect gift for a love one, a close friend, a family and will complement any home. Ms. David takes care of her younger brother while he does his show in both the east and west coast of the united states. The experience is a once in a lifetime blessing. A sudden quick turn in my universally "trying to reallign it life"...and it's all for good. This is one reason why I am so proud of being a Pinay and a true blooded filipino. It is because of people like Mr. Dan Pangan who pushes his passion for world class status based on his love for his filipino roots and culture.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Nessun dorma...sweet dreams Luciano
(Luciano Pavarotti:tenor, was born in 1935 in Modena,Italy and died on September 6, 2007 at his place of birth,he was 71 years old).
Synonymous to his perfect rendition of Puccini's Turandot...the maestro's singing in elation of Nessun Dorma (no one sleeps) is perfection. Honestly, no one dares to top such performance. All of his 71 years were lived fully and at his most passionate venue...singing. I have never seen an opera on stage. The first time I heard an opera song was watching the movie "The mirror has two faces" with Barbra Streisand and Jeff Bridges. The scene was; Jeff wanted to win Barbra back so he took a cab to Park Avenue (my first film to really appreciate Manhattan)and she (Streisand) realized how much she loves him, she decided to meet him with her pj's on, kissed Jeff in the middle of Park Avenue while a guy in the building ( who saw them smooching) started playing a vinyl record of...yep, Nessun dorma and I fell in love with the song right away. Of course it was a Pavarotti and this was ten years ago.
To this day songs from Turandot, La Boheme, Tosca, Carmen (none of these i have seen, but have listened to) creates not only ripples but an unaccountable number of pangs of desire, pain,compassion and joy rolled in to one. This is what an opera song can do to me. I can't wait until I attend my first opera, hopefully this spring of 2008.
The maestro taught me to linger through his songs which language I could not even understand. The son of a baker who dreamed only of one thing...to melt our hearts away through his ethereal voice.Luciano Pavarotti may sleep forever but his resounding music and expression of true art never dies.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
The boys of Xavier
I call them my Posse. The boys of Xavier, my former 7th and 8th grade students are all grown up and heading for college.This photo was taken after their graduation ceremony in St. Patrick's Cathedral. From the left is Arthur Wang who was accepted in one of the prestigious industrial science schools in Rochester. Hay Lee will be going to Polytech in Brooklyn, Yong Xiang who is a first generation immigrant received the Bill and Melinda Gates Scholarship Award will be attending Notre Dame in Indiana and Lung Nin will be heading for Stony Brook. These boys were also in DK's class(St. Joseph School 7th and 8th grade) and they were the smartest and the funniest too. But most of all these boys are compassionate, kind hearted and sensitive. I almost cried when I saw Hay Lee looking for his mom when parents are suppose to stand to be honored by their sons. Hay Lee's mom could not understand English that much and Hay Lee was several pews away and figured his mom might need his help, it was a tear jerking moment. Hay Lee's dad passed away when he was young. So it's just him and mom. Arthur Wang's mom and grandmother were so supportive. Arthur's dad left for China when he was small. And Yong Xiang is his family's hope. Neither parents speak English and Yong Xiang had to translate for us constantly every time we would congratulate the parents for raising such a wonderful son. These boys also have part time jobs even if they are in school. With scholarship grants and monies they are to receive I hope and pray they don't get to work in college until they graduate.
Arthur, Hay Lee, Yong Xiang and Lung Nin...you guys look six million dollars richer what with all your tux and a rose in your lapel. I am truly proud of you guys.
DK Valedictorian
I was a new teacher in St. Joseph School and about to become the 7th grade homeroom teacher. David Kong or DK as we would always call him sits in front of the class. He was quiet, usually he would utter things in Chinese which I could not decipher and just give a poignant smile while I figure out if it's deliberate or a jaunt sarcasm. Truth being, it was just an innocent smile.I know nothing about the class, I was hired towards the end of September of 2001. Their homeroom teacher had to leave and I was a replacement. DK was also an ESL student. English is not his first language at home. His parents were immigrants from China and he was raised in New York City with both worlds. The "chinamerica" way as I call it in an undertone. DK also had a difficult time figuring out math problems(probably because of the language barrier at that time), creating good sentences without the traps of run ons and fragments were tedious tasks for him. In a thumbnail 7th grade for DK was a struggle. But there was one thing he had that the rest of the class seem not to have,well--in a sort. DK always went the extra 10,000 miles and he was always there no matter what. He was never late, never absent. He always asked for help and was willing to stay for extra hours until he gets the lesson. These were the qualities I observed that made me reflect where he was heading...he will be great someday, I just had this gut feeling that he will. A year passed and he was off to 8th grade. I was still his math and science teacher. The moment I stepped into class and gave the first test for both science and math, it was a different David who handed me the papers. He was more mature, more organized and just focused. He did not graduate valedictorian of his 8th grade class but he was my golden boy. My incoming 7th and 8th grade classes were tired of listening about David this and David that over and over. DK was just so hardworking and he never gave up at all. He just knew in his heart that if he would set his mind into it, he will make it. And maybe, my other students will do even half of what DK has done. Four years after, I had a visit from David.Even if I don't get to see him for a long time, I always have a catch up news with his school work, girlfriends, heartbreaks and journeys in life. A month before high school graduation I asked him if he is graduating top of his class and he was honest and candid in letting me know that he was not so sure because there is another student whose GPA is so close to his. I looked at him without batting an eyelash and said "You will be the valedictorian, we will all just have to pray harder" and he just gave me that same smile I saw the very first day I caught a glimpse of that 7th grader. A month after,DK hand delivers a graduation invitation and he is class valedictorian. It was my first graduation attendance in St. Patrick's Cathedral. The air inside the church profusely blends with joy from family and friends and the anxiety of graduates. The best part of course was hearing David's speech and watching him receive all those medals.He even got an award for perfect attendance for four years. That is just amazing. As his former teacher...it was an honor to be a part of his education sojourn. As a friend it is a treasure this friendship holds.
Monday, June 04, 2007
when hard work REALLY pays off
Jesse and I decided to make murals on paper for a lesson I did on biomes with the 6th grade. The planning took us two weeks and another week to get all the materials. We used paper that has been in stock for years in school and decided to use Tempera paint because it just dries up so fast. We started the drawings, sketches, research for about a week or two but decided that if the 8th graders will help, the murals could be set up in less than a month. Each student were assigned one or two or even three species to draw on paper and we taped them in mock sheets which were about 11 inches by 33 inches. The murals were 1.5 meters by 3 meters big. The 6th and 8th graders put their heart and soul into these murals, some of them even staying late after school to help out. Creativity, cooperative learning, talent, kindness, fun, joy, sweat, grumpiness, tedious work but most of all satisfaction were garnered emotions as we finally set the murals up on the wall. KUDOS to the 6th and 8th grade students of St. Joseph School...they did a great job indeed! Thank you so much 6th and 8th graders...I am so proud of you guys.
research time
6th graders in the computer lab. every species were researched on every layer of both the ocean and rainforest biomes
1st section of the ocean biome
From the top left is the arctic region where polar bears live. A mother seal is feeding on a fish and swimming with her pups are part of the arctic waters too. A nautilus on the lower left rests behind seaweeds, fan corals and rock corals. A lobster, the sea turtle in full view, reef sponges, seastar attached on a rock,eels and a blue green crab completes this part of the biome.
2nd section of the ocean biome
This section lets you see a peeking head of a sea turtle, and above it are baby seals and killer whales that are part of the arctic water. The octopus becomes the central point of the mural. There are more sea anemones and clown fish, clams, a puffer fish, shrimp, lion fish and a seahorse. More seaweeds and fan coral playfully graze the ocean floor.
3rd section of the ocean biome
The lower part is the deep sea area where a cookie cutter shark can be found right above a sperm whale (they can go deep to feed according to Billy our 8th grade marine biologist). An angler fish, jellyfishes exhibiting bioluminescence and an underwater volcano completes the deep sea area of ocean life. Rocks to the left gives an illusion of a down slope. Above the deep sea area are sea urchins,a slug, sea anemones, clown fishes, a Venus flower basket, seaweeds, fan corals, gray sharks, stingray, bottle nose dolphins, moon jellyfish, squid, part of an octopus, a swordfish and plankton which are found in open water. Above this part of the open water are penguins found in the Antarctic waters of the south pole.
The Emergent Layer
The very top of the rainforest where huge kapok trees grow, cacao and cocoa trees also dominate rainforests although they are not as tall as kapok trees. To the left is a Toucan and above it is a sloth that can also be found on the right side. Sloths usually stay in the canopy but hey, who did say they can't climb all the way to the emergent layer. A Harpy eagle to the left and a Macaw to the right of the mural made this rainforest biome mural captivating. And those cute night monkeys are just awesome to look at.
The Understory
The understory will have trees trying to grow in competition with other trees to reach the canopy. Just above the red and orange frog to the left is a Pygmy Marmoset monkey. This monkey is so small that thrives blending into small branches and barks of small trees. Butterflies, snakes and a banana tree with a branchfull of banana fruits can be noticed at the background. To the very right of this mural is a rainforest crocodile that thrives in rainforest floors by the river.
The Shrub Layer
This layer will have low growing shrubs and small plants. On the left side of the mural is a pink dolphin and below it is a hummingbird. Tha amazon rainforest will also include the river and pink dolphins are part of the amazon river habitat.
The Forest Floor
The rainforest floor is the lowest layer where it is usually dark because huge taller trees get all the sunlight. For this part of the mural, the kids painted a jaguar, bromeliad flowers, hibiscus, ferns, mosses, all sorts of insects and arthropods.Brightly colored frogs also dominate this part of the mural.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Thursday, May 03, 2007
An alarming portent...hope for KIRIBATI
Are we about to have the very first refugees of global warming? The country of Kiribati(pronounced kee-ree-bus) set beautifully at the Pacific Northeast of Australia is at its most subtle and euphemistic way of saying...slowly disappearing. With the Kyoto Protocol still hanging over coat hangers of Australia and the United States; aggressive entities will keep on pushing for zero emissions as much as the world can push. Kiribati President Anote Tong, as he seeks all support for his country and people, diversifies with utmost energy to let the whole world know that maybe Kiribati men women and children would not have to leave at all, over becoming refugees of Global Warming. Other neighboring islands are also at risk, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and most probably islands of Micronesia will be greatly affected. With 92,000 Kiribati residents, the magnitude sets a whistling toll.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Al Gore: my president...of the World.
It was an iconic vision that lit bright like a bulb in my head. An episode of the Twilight Zone in 1984 showed two traveling scientists from the future trying to save a 14 year old girl in the present year (1984) not to skip class and take drugs and turn herself to an alcoholic for she will be the president of the world in the next 40 years. Highly fictional. But it was a dark cloud hovering over my head for 20 years. Is it possible to have one president for the whole planet? Is it humanly possible?
Then in 2006 I saw the documentary An Inconvenient Truth the very first day it was in theatres, I was just convinced...he could be the one. Al Gore may probably be the very first president of the world.
As a politician he has with him the whole package; non reticent in demeanor and stand, philosophical and a genius in multiple facets of human strife, he has great foresight and pro active by nature. As a member of the social cornucopia he carries with him a sense of humor like no other, the heart for those affected by several degrees of hardship, his family and the extension of his family roots him to bring forth what is best for others, he takes what hurts into the more positive. He infectiously becomes this principal mover to change the world...in immediate paced strides.
Gore has spoken the truth for years. In school, in papers, in his books, in congress and senate, in public appearances in hearings and lobbying. He was ridiculed, thought of expanding a hoax when it comes to his global warming issues and tapped as an extremist on fooling the public and influencing global status quo. He will never be any of these anti conservationist labeling.
I see his face on TV. And i browse photos of him spread all over cyberspace...from a youthful looking rockstar of the white house to this trimmed salt and pepper haired prolific environmental mover. The lines on his face reveal experience, pain, defeat,sleepless nights, dreams, mourning, hunger, will,uhmp for change, solutions and resolutions thought of day in and day out, his hopes for the United States, his hopes for the whole world, his concern for mankind...the list is endless. And yet when you see him, on that stage, speaking about where we are right now and showing slides of our planet and what have we done so far; you see no lines on his face at all but fine pennants of a man made for OTHERS and for the WORLD.
The man is unstoppable. He did lose the presidential election in 2000, one of the most devastating elections I have ever experienced in my life. Yet Gore decided in a heartbeat that he would have to do something, so he professed to show his slides again and speak...and share as far as where his soul will reach him. He did not even question and succumb to such a defeat and soared way above to do greater things.
Yes, there will be others, far better than this man, your own candidate perhaps. But in my world...he is my EARTH PRESIDENT.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Melissa, going back to strings and an inconvenient truth
The DVD release of Al Gore's award winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" is a must buy. It also includes the music video composed and performed by Melissa Etheridge for the film's soundtrack. The lyrics are just astounding and powerful most especially when it was played towards the end of the film when several suggestions and information on climate change, conservation and environmental moral responsibility were written if not stressed enough. The music video influenced me to try playing the guitar again. I have not plucked the strings for almost 16 years. Now would be a most apropos time. In Al Gore's final words in this documentary, he reminds us of our only home. In closing the song "I need to wake up" cascades the background as you read...
Are you ready to change the way you live?
The climate crisis can be solved
Here's how to start
go to www.climatecrisis.net
you can reduce your carbon emissions
In fact, you can reduce your carbon emissions to zero.
Buy energy efficient appliances and lightbulbs.
Change your thermostat ( and use clock thermostats)
to reduce energy for heating and cooling.
Weatherize your house, increase insulation,
get an energy audit.
RECYCLE.
If you can, buy a hybrid car.
When you can, walk or ride a bicycle.
Where you can, use light rail and mass transit.
Tell your parents not to ruin the world that you live in.
If you are a parent, join with your children
to save the world they will live in.
Switch to renewable sources of energy.
Call your power company to see if they offer green energy.
If they don't, ask them why not?
Vote for leaders who pledge to solve this crisis.
Write to congress.
If they don't listen, RUN FOR CONGRESS.
Plant trees, lots of trees.
Speak up in your community.
Call radio shows and write to newspapers.
Insist that America freeze CO2 emissions
and join international efforts to stop global warming.
Reduce our dependence on foreign oil;
help farmers grow alcohol fuels.
Raise our fuel economy standards;
require lower emissions from automobiles.
If you believe in prayer,
pray that people will find the strength to change.
In the words of the old African proverb,
when you pray, MOVE your feet:
ENCOURAGE everyone you know to see this movie.
LEARN as much as you can about the climate crisis.
Then put your knowledge in ACTION.
You remember the song and you remember ways on how to save our planet or you remember to be environmentally responsible and you remember the song.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
EARTH DAY 2007 (April 22, 2007)
(Photo courtesy of Beth Reina, CA, photo op..sunrise (cape cod) Provincetown,Ma.)
Last Friday April the 20th I reminded all my 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade students about EARTH DAY this Sunday and one of my 6th grade student blurted out "Is it not everyday that we should celebrate Earth day? I saw a poster in your classroom." Wing Man Lee (a 6th grader) was absolutely right. In our own little way, as often as we can, as much as we do and as immediate as we would,let us consider and try to live for a sustainable, healthy, environmentally rich life. ABC's ( channel 7 NYC) PlanetEarth2007 a one hour episode program last Friday listed seven ways, that are humanly possible to keep our planet livable and for our children's children to enjoy. Lose the plastic, use environmental bulbs, close the tap, unplug, lower thermostats,minimize our carbon emission/footprint,choose environmental products. But the list must not end in seven, the list can go on infinitely and the possibilities are endless. The thing that struck me the most in this ABC special; was a bird in the Amazon rainforest that can imitate the sounds of nature, like the chirping of another bird or the wails of a prancing amazon monkey. Then a new set of footage were shown, it is the same amazon bird but this time it is imitating the sound of a car alarm and an electric saw that is cutting down its home. This is an image that was truly devastating. What have we done? and...what can we do? Whatever it is my friend, let's do it beginning now. For we all still want to see the sun set and majestically rise.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Cats Rule
This year, Pablo our orange tabby will be seven years old and Thirdy our gray and white long hair cat will be six years. It is so funny and authentically a farce when you just sit back and observe. They are the most hilarious odd looking feline couple we ever had. Oh, they have different personalities, to the extreme and on opposite sides of the spectrum but they are the best buddies too. They both love sleeping, about 40 hours in a day, they enjoy eating (only dry food) but Pablo would let Thirdy eat for the first 10 chows then Pablo would take the rest (talk about modesty and self-sacrifice), they both love sitting on the window sill and watch snowflakes fall and they always have to meet at one point...in the bathroom; in our bath tub! They honestly do it, once a day at least. What is going on inside their heads? Such fecundity we humans won't be able to decipher. After a while they silently walk to the bed where we also sleep, stare at us, probably brush their paws here and there and doze off...again. Oh, did I tell you that they also snore; annoyingly. Whew these piquant furry creatures of Isis; they're lazy, they're bossy, they practically run your life. All the definitions of one who can really rule and yet we choose to obey in hypnotic submission.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Proud Mom
I received two extra special cards for my 38th birthday. They are from my children Jennika, Jessika, Jino, Jayne and Jiego. I picked up the packet(from the Philippines) in a Fedex station on 42nd street and 11th avenue and I took the subway coming back home. I refuse to open the packet in the train knowing how emotional I could get so I waited until I was back in my Harlem apartment. Like a well overflowing, my tears were unstoppable. My children...despite the distance, the time lost, the hugs and kisses amiss and every single thing I could think of that I was not able share with them, they still love me no matter what. With their cards there is so much hope and so much love over powering that I know all our sacrifices will be worth it one day. My youngest son Jiego, even made me his own special card, all with his quaint and well formed script handwriting. It is as if I have all my five children right by my side as I read my card aloud (of course I am alone) with blurry wet eyes. I love you Jennika, I love you Jessika, I love you Jino, I love you Jayne and I love you Jiego. Thank you for remembering my birthday and yes we will see each other soon. In God's will maybe you can all come and have a vacation here in New York City or once everything is in place regarding my status then I can come home for a visit. Love can really bridge the most unexpected things. In all honesty, I can truly declare that my five children are my heroes. They are patient, kind, respectful, caring, forgiving, impartial and most of all loving. I am proud and humbled at the same time to be their mother...and I will always be.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The Barnes Foundation
I celebrated my birthday with a surprise gift from PungPung Marissa. It is an overnight stay in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania after a four hour intensive tour of the Barnes Foundation Museum in Merion, PA. Agnes "Agie" Villanueva Semana who lives in South Jersey with her husband Chris and daughter Ella sent me a hello email one day and mentioned the museum. Being a museumite with a chronic museumitis I itched to see it once i get a vaykay(vacation) from work. Luckily, Marissa got my hint in a nanosecond and I received one of the best birthday gifts ever not to forget a tearjerking heart melting birthday card from our children Jennika,Jessika,Jino,Jayne and Jiego and a singing card from Jeng and her family with a mini cone tagged "NO WHINING", greetings from Batski, Kala,family and lots of friends.
The edifice stands on a 12 acre arboretum purchased by Dr. Barnes. Albert C. Barnes, a medical doctor from U. Penn Medical School who made his money producing an antiseptic Argyrol founded the museum in 1922. Barnes' passion for the arts egged himself to try painting, realizing it was not his cup of tea he collected fine pieces and amassed a great number of impressionists, post impressionists and early modern art.
As I enter the gallery of course I am already at awe, it was a cru de te of priceless delight. You can devour into it, drink if you like but one can never surmise to even digest through its beauty. " It is not a museum, it is an art school" according to Barnes; he set pieces as a wall ensemble based on composition, color and line open to the aesthetic visual perception, exploring meaning and experience as a whole. Masterpieces of Renoir; all 181, the most number ever collected by a man, the early works of Cezanne and late paintings, the only nude piece that Van Gogh ever painted, the rose caryatid and reclining nudes of Modigliani, Seurat's "The Models" which is so huge and I never knew it was housed in the Barnes, Picasso's earthy "Flower sellers" simply entitled Composition with all its distortion speaks of only beauty beyond nirvana and my favorite of all is Henri (on-ree) Matisse's mural which grandiosely hovers on the cathedral wall of the main gallery..."The Merion Dance" in pale pink and periwinkle blue backgrounds nude dancers in rhythmic motion, mindless of whoever watches them from below. Seeing the mural as it was pointed to me by Marissa, made me sit on one of the indoor benches and quenched a parched soul. I never moved my head lower than a degree, until i knew I am straining my neck. Matisse has done it again. There are really painters and there are the few who can mellow your soul leaving an infinite mark.
I could not say if it is the same raw emotion I felt when I saw Fragonard's Progress of Love at the Frick Collection(highly recommended). Henry Clay Frick's art archive dates from old masters (Goya, El Greco, Titian, Vermeer) to post impressionist art(Renoir,Gainsborough,Stuart and Whistler). But, the four panels of French artist Fragonard is unforgettable.
The thing is, every collection I visit leaves a certain tinge of positive reinforcement on whatever dilemma I am going through my life on that particular moment. Visits replace expensive dates with a shrink and I have no qualms with that. Besides standing face to face with priceless work created before my time and telling my children and hopefully they will tell their children and do the same feat, I get to know all these wonderful stories behind each painting or sculpture and behind each man or woman involved. Take Dr. Albert Barnes, he tried exhibiting his collection, to inform and to educate on impressionist and post impressionist art and it was poorly received and insulted almost claiming Barnes with a pariah status. What with all Renoir's reclining nudes,Cezanne's bathers and Modigliani's African inspired naked women with their elongated facial structures; at that time of the depression these were perceived as trashy paintings. Today, Barnes has proven everyone wrong. Art beholds a certain degree of utopia in the human spirit. Whether it be nudes or non objective art which seem meaningless at first glance. It is a swift communication between the creator and the observer; and that is a line that no one can breakthrough.
Four hours of going through gallery after gallery is not enough. Barnes also collected a number of African art pieces and I still have the second floor to whiff through in slow pace. That will be for a next visit, my 39Th birthday perhaps. Thank you pungpung for this amazing experience, mwah mwah mwah!!!
(Photo above: Henri Matisse's "Merion Dance". Barnes commissioned Matisse for this and he painted it in three huge canvasses in Nice, France and was shipped to Merion, PA for the foundation)
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Marissa's Chocolate Souffle..Yummo!
This is light and this is heart melting. Marissa baked one of my favorite indulgences on the table. It is a great sign...the souffles were perfect! For Marissa's first time souffle challenge, the result foresees the emergence of a great chef hooohaaaa. We ravaged the chocolate concoction with penchant style as we sip champagne ( a must do combo). It is airy, sweet intoxicating, warm in your palette chocolate delight. To Marissa abadu for being so many things but for now, thank you for your uhmmm so good chocolate souffle. You are the best pastry chef ever!!!
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