Poetic Isolation

I can't remember when my fascination for a cup of joe begun, but my love for reading deepened right after I finished reading Sidney Sheldon's Rage of Angels. I don't consider it as an incomparable work of literature, but it is significant for me because it's the first novel that I have read and finished.

Discovering novels actually did make me feel like I have unearthed a valuable treasure. It must be the same feeling somebody has while visiting Italy for the first time. (Ask Elizabeth Gilbert for a confirmation. I haven't been to Italy yet.) Since then, I just kept on looking for new books to read. Aside from novels, history books give me pleasure.

My busy work schedule finds it difficult for me to actually sit down, and do nothing but reading. My solution? I make sure to always have a book wherever I go, which is why I cannot live with clutches. At times when I can't bring my books with me, I go to places with lots of those wonders - a library! Any library would be perfect if you can bring a cup of joe inside it whilst flipping through the pages of your favorite book. Sounds like heaven right? It is and I've been to a heaven here on earth in a place called Philosophia Library Cafe. It was hard to imagine at first that such place exists, but I am not dreaming and it does.

Located approximately an hour away from my humble abode, Philosophia Library Cafe is a playground for literature and history lovers. And why is that? The cafe houses various history books; some of which are rare (and expensive).

Stoked as I was, I found it difficult to choose what books to disturb. I end up reading Lucy Urgello Miller's Glimpses of Cebu and Ahmed Cuizon's The History of LapuLapu City. Both are equally fascinating to read, and to say that I have learned a lot from those two would be an understatement.

If you are curious what those books are about, they are primarily all about the history of two of my beloved cities; Cebu and Lapulapu. I was born and raised in Cebu, but I am currently working in Lapulapu. The tale of the two cities weaved in those books made my heart flutter, and more proud of my cultural identity.

Coffee anyone?

Wrote some promises on my leather journal :)

Though austere, the library cafe embodies a certain feeling of warmth that welcomes its customers. The juxtaposition of colors in its interiors and furnishings made me think of Middle Eastern art.

Wall of wisdom :)

A bounteous shelf of history books awaits anyone who visits the cafe. I have only read one during my first visit and I couldn't wait for my mind to devour the other enlightenment hiding within these treasures.

Who else wants this guitar-shaped bookshelf?

Their best-selling goody <3

Aside from highly-caffeinated beverages, a variety of bread, cakes and pastries is available in Philosophia. There's nothing grand about them, but they are more than worth their prices. Their cakes are definitely a must-try and most of them costs only a bit higher than a hundred pesos.

Hey me!

Feed both of your mind and your senses at Philosophia. The library cafe is located just before the flyover in the National Highway in Barangay Maguikay. For any sort of questions, feel free to shoot them a message on their Facebook account. Have a lovely weekend and if you ever plan to visit the place this weekend, don't miss the chance to relax and let their books do the wonder!

love lots,

Tin

Something wonderful always blooms in China and in the world of art. The fascinating country and art in general have the power to wave beauty in countless ways possible. Last week, I got the chance to grasp such wonder whilst checking out the Cham Lim Visual Art Exhibit at the Mountain Wing Atrium of SM Seaside in Cebu. The exhibit is in consonance to this year's Chinese New Year.

A river of awe cascaded deep within me as I look at the cornucopia of Chinese and Western paintings created by the members of the Chan Lim Family of Artists. The passionate family of artists has been engaged in the arts for almost half a century already. Though none of them have studied art formally, their artistic prowess cannot be denied as reflected on their paintings. Today, three generations of Chan Lim artists continue to practice art using a wide variety of medium, styles and techniques. The younger generation enjoys experimenting with modern digital techniques.

Much of the family's work lies in oil and watercolor. While most of their art are on canvas, they have also forayed into other media. Common subjects of Chinese paintings such as nature which are very much evident in their works.

Some of the paintings, which you can see below, have Chinese characters in them. Understandingly I don not understand them so I asked a Chinese student of mine what those characters mean. She told me that some of them are poems, while some are dates, possibly when the artist finished the painting.

Pictured above is Dr. Alex Chan Lim who demonstrated basic Chinese paintings for the members of the media.

Right after entertaining interview questions, Dr.Alex guided us for a basic Chinese painting workshop. The great Jose Garcia Villa once said that the Chinese have their own way of being Chinese. I couldn't agree more with the genius. Chinese painting is much different from Western painting as it requires more discipline, and to master it involves so much practice.

What's photographed above is my own version of bamboo using the techniques on how to create a Chinese painting. Looks easy right? But it took me more or less three hours to complete that! haha From that moment I conclude that I am definitely 100% Filipino. lol Chinese painting is not a piece of cake, but the experience given to us by the Chan Lim was more than worth it. Aside from the members of the media, students from different schools in Cebu were also given a free workshop by the Chan Lim family.

A collaborative painting done by some members of the Chan Lim family

Should you wish to see more than 200 blooming artworks of their family, head over at the Mountain Atrium at SM Seaside. The grandeur of Chan Lim's brush strokes can be witnessed 'till February 5 of this year. The family also has their own art studio in Pasig City. If you wish to buy some of their paintings, you may head over to their website at www.chanlim.com

Which one is your favorite painting from the photos above? Let me know in the comment section below. Have a happy weekend, and to my Chinese friends: Xīnnián kuàilè. Happy New Year!

love lots,

Tin

Recently hailed as the best festival in the Philippines, the Sinulog festival of Cebu has so much to offer. Every third Sunday of January, locals and tourists alike flock in the queen city of the south to witness a one of a kind festival.

Colorful, jovial and solemn. Three words that could sum up what the festival is like. Any form of photage wouldn't do justice to capture the finest things that happen every Sinulog. From its grand street parade which could devour an entire day, to the Sinulog dance contest held in the Cebu City Sports Complex, Cebu turns into a seedbed of wonder once the festival starts to begin.

What is Sinulog?

Before scrolling down to see some of the photos that I've captured during the festival. allow me to briefly state a bit of its colorful history, as well as its significance to the whole Cebuano society. chos!

Sinulog is a festival in honor of Señor Santo Niño or the Child Jesus. Its origin can be traced back on the early 15th century when a Portuguese conqueror named Ferdinand Magellan gave Hara Amihan, a native Cebuano leader, an image of the Child Jesus as a gift.

According to some sources, Sinulog comes from our local word sulog which means "like water current movement", describing the forward-backward steps of the traditional Sinulog dance.

Other sources state that the dance came from Rajah Humabon's adviser Baladhay who believed that he saw the child Jesus who taught him the dance steps.

Today the festival serves as a celebration of God's gift and a commemoration of our acceptance to Roman Catholicism. We celebrate Sinulog by conducting a series of novena mass, a solemn procession, and other various means of praising the Child Jesus, such as holding a Sinulog dance competition, a mascot making competition, and conducting a fluvial parade. Of course, some people, especially the millennials celebrate Sinulog via street parties, which is not bad, but some limitations must be considered.

My way of celebrating the festival is not by attending street parties but by simply joining the traditional Sinulog on the feast of Sto.Nino and by attending a mass. My simplest way of capturing the beauty of the festival is by taking photos so here you go.

A giant mascot made of compact discs and paper mache.

The many faces of the Child Jesus

Taho :)

Sinulog dancers, January 2016

Sinulog fluvial parade, January 2015

The Creation of the World; a painting on the ceiling of Basilica Minore del Santo Niño

Sinulog Novena Mass

I'm not a very religious person. I haven't completed any novena mass yet but celebrating Sinulog in my humble ways makes me more proud of being a Cebuano. The celebration reminds me of how beautiful and jocund life can be when God is with us. It makes me feel blessed.

If you are visiting Cebu on a January, don't ever miss the grandest festival of the Philippines.

Have a blessed weekend!

love lots,

Tin

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Kairos

Feel the Warmth of Wisdom and Coffee at Philosophia Library Cafe

China Blooms in SM: Chan Lim Visual Art Exhibit

Sinulog from My Humble Lens