Sacred Idolatry

His works engulf the narrow, restrained space of the Green Papaya Art Projects’ gallery. From the doorway, you can see two massive pieces welcoming your approach. A couple of steps reveal four slightly smaller ones. “It’s a set of idols,” artist Gaston Damag states about this exhibition, which he has named Wanted. “Wala nang mga idols. Hinahanap na natin. [There are no more idols. We are missing them.]”The huge drawings depict images of the bulol—the carved wooden figurine of the Ifugao rice god. Damag shares, “Most of these are made by my hands, with no brush. I call them ‘digital drawings.’” It is a counter-reference to how modern day development has transformed the use of one’s hand. “I’m so tired of all these ‘digital’ [things]. So I said, okay, I’ll do some digital drawings, the most primitive way.”

He stands next to the bigger pair of paintings and demonstrates, “Dito, parang sinasampal ko. [Here, it's as if I'm slapping the work my hands.]” He extends his arms to show that the width and height of the drawing correspond to the length of his extended arms.

The traditional idol has actually been featured many times in his exhibitions. “It’s idols that I really know,” Damag points out. “I’m from Banaue. It’s part of our heritage.”

Damag, who is of Ifugao descent, is known for his use of ethnographic symbols to create his very contemporary works. His engagement with cultural artifacts—whether bulols, or African idols, or the likes—in his various exhibitions can be traced to a trip where he found himself viewing his heritage in the Museum of National History in the U.S. “The objects were from the Philippines, from Banaue,” Damag relates. “Most of the objects in the showcases were from my family. Inside, you could see pictures of my uncles. It surprised me to see my ancestors, the first generation, in that museum. And there I was, a modern man looking at these things. It’s a question of cultural representation.”

It is this cultural question that has changed the course of this artist’s journey. Damag clarifies, though, that his search is not one of identity but one of comprehension. “Some artists think about pure representation. Some artists are more conceptual. For me, it’s more the search for representation of cultures. How cultures understand other cultures. I analyze about an ideal way to present these things. I am artist, I make suppositions. There’s no reality. All propositions.”

It has been four years since Damag has been in the Philippines. Paris has been home for many years, a move that began quite romantically. “I followed my (then) girlfriend, a Frenchwoman,” he divulged. But it was study that he pursued in Paris, taking up Civilisation Française at Faculté de la Sorbonne (Paris) and earning his Diplôme National d’Expression from Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris.

His participation in major exhibitions is a growing list of international shows, his most recent ones included Greece, Germany, and Luxembourg. His return to the Philippines this year is marked not just by Wanted, which echoes his ethnographic objectives, but also by a more special work. Further inside Green Papaya, past a wall that divides the space, is Monument.

“Monument is more personal,” the artist muses. When Damag was in third grade in the ’70s, he and his classmates were summoned from their classrooms by the military. The children were brought to the barracks where they saw a woman lying on a table. The story told was that she was a rebel killed in an encounter. “Palagay ko tinadtad s’ya ng bala. [She was peppered with bullets.] I still remember the brain, the blood falling down on the semento. I made this piece because every time I go back to the Philippines, I would think of her.”

Damag says that while this project was difficult to put together, it was even “harder not to do. It was a release.” He tells us of his plans for it. “I want to see where she came from. And maybe from this big painting, I’ll do a film about this woman [tracing back] to when she’s about 16. [When she was probably happy and went to fiestas.] I need to find her friends, talk to them. Who’s this woman? What was she doing? How did she get involved? How did she become an insurgent?”

The space that Green Papaya houses plays a particular role in this first step. “When I started working with Peewee [Norberto Roldan, the curator], and I saw the space, I thought this is nice here. When you enter, you don’t see it because we have that wall. This is a very personal space. It needs to be personal.”

Damag discloses that he doesn’t expect people to totally understand his ideas, but he would like to get his ideas as close to them as possible. “What I don’t like so much in art is when people come and see and they see what they think, but they do not to see what they’re supposed to look at. They see what they think because they always see the thing as a mirror of themselves. So they make interpretation of what they think. And if they see what they think, the art doesn’t exist. It’s dead. When you create, you have something you want to give to your audience.” [Note: original quote unedited goes, “May ginagwa kang trabaho, may gusto kang ibigay. Eh kung yung tumitingin, tinitingnan lang ang sarili nya, it’s nothing. It’s a massacre.”]

We do get some insight on how to navigate our way to this artist’s ideas. “Most artists have this concept of windows. They like to zoom [an idea closer] to them. I prefer the contrary. These images,” he waves his hand at his works on the wall, “masyadong malapit sa akin [sic]. It’s what I really know.”

Wanted/Monument was presented in cooperation with Alliance Francaise de Manille at the Green Papaya Art Projects. Green Papaya Art Projects is located at 124a Maginhawa Street, Teacher’s Village East, Diliman, QC, tel. (02)9262096. Thanks to curator Norberto Roldan.

published in Mega, October 2007

Intense Escape

Kate Torralba not only designs some of today’s hottest clothes and accessories, she also rocks on the keyboard.

Upon her arrival at the quaint Bar42, Kate Torralba saunters in and amicably chats up the producer. Known for her cheery and colorful dresses as much as for her gracious and pleasant personality, she takes to the keyboard and begins to shock those unfamiliar with the other side of Kate. She renders and emphatic version of “Black Hole Sun” by grunge rock band Sound Garden.

Piano first

Even at four years old, Kate didn’t allow obstacles to deter her foray into music. It was at that time that her mom and the rest of her family were taking piano lessons. Everyone except her, that is. “I wanted to take lessons,” recalls Kate. “But they said, ‘You’re a baby.’” To her family’s amazement one day, the young Kate started playing the notes of the song “Moon River”—the tune that everyone was studying she had learned to play by ear.

Formal piano lessons began at age 7. “I was really advanced,” Kate shares. It was said that she was at prodigy level, with a skill so natural and superior for her age. A scholarship in the US was offered, but being the eldest daughter, her family declined. Kate was to stay at home. At age 9, however, Kate made it to the US, this time to perform for a recital in Los Angeles.

Kate’s love affair with the piano soon encountered a rocky patch. Classical music became too tiring. The “discipline was too much,” states Kate, who in grade school became intrigued with rock music. By high school, Kate was finding piano uncool, and even went so far as to trade it for the guitar, teaching herself a new skill.

“I called myself Mrs. Kurt Cobain,” Kate giddily reveals, alluding to the late Nirvana lead singer.

In her native Cebu, Kate became the vocalist for HardCandy, a band playing female pop alternative. An erstwhile self-confessed The Corrs fan, Kate took to the role of violinist as well, but didn’t fare as well as her other endeavors. “I sucked,” she laughs. The band earned a modest amount of success. In 2000, it garnered 5 awards at the first San Miguel Cebu Music Awards, including Band of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year.

Tonight, tonight!

Tonight, as she reaches emotional intensity, she gives us a hint of the serious, introspective woman behind the animated character many take for granted.

Kate is playing without a setlist, drawing requests from the crowds and playing her favorites: Sarah McLachlan, Everything but the Girl, and of course Tori Amos—the artist “who makes piano cool.” Whether it is Pearl Jam or Radiohead, The Cure or Massive Attack, Kate deftly recreates a musical experience that shuts out the rest of the world.

Kate admits that her two personas—fashion designer and musician—are alter egos of each other. “The clothes are the happy [side]. The music reveals my darker side.” The darkness she speaks of points to the complexities her music unveils to her audience.

Fans have pinned their hopes on an album from Kate. She divulges that the idea is not too far-fetched. “One of my goals is to release an album before I turn 29 in December,” Kate shares. “An EP [extended play] at least.” As she bids her goodbye, we do leave knowing that when she’s ready, we can expect an invitation into a whole new realm of Kate’s musical exploration.

published in Mega, October 2007

Get a Leg Up!

It seems that, for some time, there have been disagreements as to what constitutes a perfect set of legs. But a quick search on the internet on who has the best legs leads to many, many sites bestowing the title on a whole lot of people.

When we think of legs we think of Tina Turner’s iconic and insured pair of legs which, even when she was already nearing her 60s, was engaged in promoting the Hanes hosiery line. We conjure images of models sashaying down a catwalk on slim and slender legs that seem to sprout from their armpits. Late last year, Braun went all over the United Kingdom to look for the country’s best set of gams—based on a complicated formula that took into account the calf-to-thigh ratio and the skin’s texture and sheen.

Whatever the verdict is, most would agree that shapely, toned, smooth and unblemished are the top characteristics for desirable legs. While the genetic lottery may play a role in what we are born with, modern-day treatments and research can, thankfully, help us improve our leggy qualities.

Dark Troubles

The darkening of skin areas is usually caused by friction and trauma. Spending too much time on your knees, for example, can blacken them. A nasty mosquito bite can also leave an unsightly dark mark on your legs. While some emerge from their weekly devotion to the Baclaran church altar with nary a blotch on their skin, it’s quite possible that genetics, and not answered prayers, play a factor in this shadowy situation. “Sometimes it’s a matter of skin type,” says Dr. Camille Angeles of Beverly Hills 6750. She explains that Caucasians, and subsequently the mestizos, are less likely to suffer from hyper-pigmentation. Filipinos though, specifically the moreno type, have to be more wary; unfortunately, the darker-skinned folks are more prone to it. Dr. Sheila Acosta of Belo Medical Group clarifies that discolored skin may also be caused by a bad reaction to certain creams or peeling agents.

Whitening treatments are recommended options to treat the discoloration. At Beverly Hills 6750, the procedure involves the application of specially-formulated whitening creams to the problem spots. For the knees, in particular, chemical peels are also given to renew the. Side effects would include mild peeling between and after the sessions. Both treatments are usually recommended for five sessions, spaced one week apart. Belo Medical offers the option of a body scrub coupled with natural bleaching agents, which may be localized to the particular areas. Two to three sessions per week is suggested, which would last for about five weeks. It is imperative though, for both procedures, to follow the maintenance regimen prescribed that comes with their respective take-home kits. Beware of over-the-counter alternatives that may interfere with the effects, and most certainly, avoid sun exposure for the period of the treatments.

The Diamond Peel Treatment is recommended at Facial Care Center. This involves the use of a machine with a diamond-crust applicator tip with a suction mechanism that is administered over the skin to exfoliate it. Dr. Isabelita Joya explains that the procedure “renews skin to lessen the pigmentation.” For those who are need more intense results, boost the effects of the treatment with the Diamond Ultra Peel which infuses vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, vitamin A, and glycolic acid in the procedure.

A Scarry Sight

Besides the dark, discolored kind, scars can also be hypo-pigmented—a lightening of skin color. While an option is to undergo the whitening procedures to match the light scar, Belo Medical also recommends a procedure to color the area. With Multiclear, a probe is used to emit UVA and UVB rays to trigger the production of melanin cells. After five to ten weeks of weekly treatments, the skin tone should even out considerably.

Keloid scars are a little more complicated to treat. These are raised scars, sometimes reddish, that are a result of an overly aggressive way healing process of the skin after wounding or trauma. The use of silicone gel sheets can be effective in lessening the thickening of the skin. It is best to ask a dermatologist for help in securing them, as they aren’t readily available in local drugstores. To address the problem of keloid directly, Beverly Hills 6750 offers a new procedure that combines the practice of injecting intralesional steroids with the use of IPL and botolinum toxin. Intralesional steroid injections are administered to depress the height of the scar. Botolinium toxin enforces immobilization, and hence prevents the scar from rising, while IPL lessens the redness. This is done every two weeks, until desired results are seen. The injections can be quite painful, though.

Hair, hair, everywhere!

Unless you plan to wear long pants forever and bar anyone from touching and seeing your legs, the habit of shaving or waxing must have become a time-consuming routine. Don’t we wish to be rid of leg hairs forever! But until some genius comes up with such a lifelong solution, modern technology gives us the option of permanent hair reduction. Laser procedures over time effectively lessen the thickness of the hair, slows down hair regrowth, until the hair that grows back is practically negligible (some maintenance may be required, but this time, treatments will be far in between). One of the best things about laser treatments is that it is relatively painless compared to earlier options of hair removal, like electrolysis. There would be some sort of stinging to be felt, something akin to a rubber band snapping on the skin. The pain is mostly manageable, but some may need anesthetics if their tolerance for pain is quite low.

Facial Care Center uses the Laser Light, a diode laser. The applicator, called a chill tip, is glided over the legs, and dissipates heat to from inside the hair root to outside, progressively destroying it, without spilling over to the skin. Beverly Hills 6750 recommends the Comet. It combines bi-polar radio frequency and a diode laser to isolate the treatment area and leave the surrounding skin free from potentially harmful side effects.

Since different people may react differently to certain procedures, Belo Medical provides the use of three kinds of laser: the Aurora laser, the Light Sheer Diode Laser, and the Cool Glide Nd:Yag laser. The Light Sheer Diode laser emits light that is well-absorbed by the pigment located in the hair follicles. The Aurora emits controlled intense pulsed light (IPL) with radiofrequency. Radiofrequency does not target pigment and therefore is effective in treating lighter hair. The Cool Glide Nd:Yag laser’s wide beam causes less scattering and therefore more effective skin penetration. The cooling head stays in contact with the skin, effectively protecting it by preventing the laser energy from causing permanent damage to the skin tissue.

The Fight Against Fat
Sometimes, even after the most devoted diet and exercise efforts, getting a perfectly toned body looms to be impossible. Belo Medical’s Lipo-dissolve procedure targets those last stubborn five pounds that decided to settle on your thights. Lipo-dissolve injects agents directly onto the fat to melt it. After injecting the medication into the target areas, the Starvac (an ultrasound machine) is used to massage and spread it into the body area. For those with a low threshold for pain, a topical anesthetic is applied 30 to 45 minutes before the procedure. After the treatment, painkillers may be taken to relieve any ensuing discomfort or pain. The treatment is repeated after two weeks to four weeks, and it takes about four sessions to see some results. It is recommended to supplement the Lipo-dissolve with Lipolite to contour and shape the area as well. Lipolite combines a bi-polar radiofrequency and infrared light energies with the added feature of tissue mobilization to ensue a deep tissue massage. It allows heat to be delivered deep into the fat layer to help soften and eliminate hardened fat as well as contract the collagen fibers which result in skin tightening.

Belo Medical suggests the liposuction combined with Smartlipo for more redundant fats. Smartlipo uses the Nd:Yag laser which acts directly on the fat cells by destroying the membrane and liquefying the fats to make suction easier after. The procedure is done under sedation, which should take roughly two hours. There is a two-hour recovery period after as well. After surgery, one can expect some oozing of anesthetic and blood to occur. Pain relief and anti-inflammatory medication is prescribed after, and the patient is advised to wear a binder that will initiate skin contraction. Significant change can be seen in a few days, but it takes some six weeks for the swelling to really go down.

Sometimes, genetics is the unfair culprit. A predilection to big thighs and legs may be programmed in the DNA since birth that makes any kind of weight gain more significantly seen in those areas. Dr. Ariel Torres of Marie-France suggests the use of their cold wraps for those who are generally overweight. The 25-minute procedure involves a literal wrap of medicated elastic bandage, bound comfortably around the body which makes one look like a mummy—a freezing one, that is. The wrap itself isn’t cold, but the medication draws heat away from the body, lowering body temperature, which makes the body compensate by working overtime to burn energy, and most likely about two inches off the thighs within a month. While the bandage is only tight enough to cling on the body, allowing for mobility during the entire session, the initial cold may take some getting used to. First treatments usually just cover the torso and thighs, to get one acclimated to the temperature change. By the fourth, the entire body is wrapped. Scheduling treatments may be considered as workouts; 2 to 3 times a week is ideal.

Marie-France offers a more localized alternative, the Vara Pulse. It targets the fats specifically on the legs by agitating the fat cells. After a dry brushing of the area to make the skin more receptive and sensitive, a gel is applied. The applicator head is placed directly on the area for fifteen minutes allowing ultrasound waves to stimulate fat cells and drain them through the lymphatic system. After 4 to 7 treatments, a fraction of an inch can be expected to be lost.

For best results, take time to have a consultation before undergoing any of the featured treatments and procedures.For more information, log on to http://www.belomed.com or http://www.mariefrance.com.ph or call Beverly Hills 6750 at (02) 893-8888.

published in Metro, May 2007

Do you know what I can do with my mobile phone?

Today, we know that a mobile phone is more than just a phone. With the numerous features that manufacturers come up with constantly, a phone can be an address book, a camera, a video recorder, an organizer and more.

And now with terms like 3G adding to the lexicon consisting of GSM, GPRS, and WAP, things are starting to sound more complicated than it used to be. I suppose it means advancement, but I’ve found out that it doesn’t take a supremely advanced phone for me to take part in today’s technological progress. See, even with a lowly no-frills phone, I found out that I have so many options to spruce up my mobile way of life.


Fun Messages
At the very least, my mobile phone doesn’t just connect me to friends through text messages and phone calls that are so commonly exchanged, I also get connected to them whenever I forward a joke that I receive from my subscription to the funnies. In return, I get forwarded love quotes and inspirational words from my friends who opt to be subscribed to their own dose of regular SMS and MMS content.

I also get to indulge in a guilty pleasure: tuning in to artistas. I don’t even need to watch my gossip shows so much when I can have Kris Aquino sharing her stories or Robin Padilla calling with an update. Did you know that I can even get a singing greeting that I can pass on to others? Now that’s a riot.

Timely Reminders
My mobile phone has also proven to be very useful when I need to be alerted about several things. Every time I need to sell something or am shopping for something in particular, I no longer need to hang around by my computer to know how my transactions are progressing. Because of Bidshot.com’s mobile-enabled auctions and classifieds, I get alerted directly on my mobile phone and I can be easily reached by my buyers and sellers at any time of their convenience.

It works almost the same way when I’m in the mood to meet someone new. Crushcow.com apparently is much more than a dating and personals site. Their cool features allow me to get match alerts on my phone and, if I choose to, it lets me chat anonymously with my matches through my mobile as well.

Besides those handy options, I also get to be reminded of something very basic. I don’t know about everyone else, but GreetAlert.com is my answer to remembering everyone’s birthdays. Finally, I no longer have to be known as the thoughtless and ungenerous friend, because not only am I able to greet people on their special days on time, I can even send them a mobile gift appropriate for the occasion, like a cute MMS greeting card!

Practical Ideas
Of course it’s not all fun and games with mobile phones, after all, they do have a primary purpose: to open lines of communication. It’s especially important to have quick and uncomplicated access to certain people in times of emergencies, like the police for instance. In such a case a simple access code and keyword is all I need to know and I can send them a message right away and have them respond to me just as easily.

While it is less of an emergency, topping up my airtime credit is an urgent matter. Thankfully, not having load is no longer a problem for me. For one thing, I can still send a text message to someone else, as long as my recipient shoulders my message. It’s like texting collect! Also, I don’t need to hunt around for retailers just to load my phone credits. My friends can simply transfer airtime credits to my number just as simply as sending another text message.

Ubiquitous Presence
The great thing about the mobile experience is that while my mobile phone has become a most necessary, essential and compulsory accessory to my everyday activities, my mobile lifestyle does not end with the use of my mobile phone. A favorite discovery is the Chikka Messenger, because this way I can reach and be reached by anyone, at any time!

Certainly, with an instant messenger that uses my phone number, I can use it to reach my friends’ mobiles when I’m at my PC and they get all my messages just like an ordinary text message. Because the Chikka Messenger has evolved so much recently, I can now even send MMS, e-mail or load to these mobile users!

Conversely, this also means that I can text my friends who are online. As long as they are using the Chikka Messenger, we can send messages to each other constantly—from PC to PC, from PC to mobile, or from mobile to PC. And I don’t even need to be a techie genius to understand how brilliant an idea this is.

So even as I save up for the latest coveted phone model, I’ve got more than enough to have a totally enhanced mobile lifestyle. After all, as I’ve found out, there’s really no reason to be left out in today’s culture of mobility for me—or anyone else.

Published in chikka.com, July 2005.

Speak Up, Stand Out

Don’t be one of the many employees who trudge to work everyday and give just enough to get by. Candice Lopez shares how self-improvement can help you get ahead with your career.

Sometimes, after spending much time and effort to find gainful employment, we quickly fall into the complacency trap. It is easy to get buried in the daily requirements of going to work everyday, meeting pre-set goals and deadlines, and, generally, going in the regular flow of things.

It’s easy fall into the trap of being just another employee in the workplace: to become one among many.

A progressive employee understands, however, that there is a need to show improvement, potential and increased capability in the workplace. That employee knows that there is a need to speak up: to have opinions heard, suggestions fielded, recommendations offered to demonstrate motivation, initiative and enterprise.

“Communication is very important in the workplace–for advancement or if you want to move to another company,” states The Talk Shop’s director Sheila Viesta. “In any career, you need to know how to articulate your thoughts. If you can learn to articulate well, your confidence will be an edge.”

The Talk Shop, with Sheila at the helm, deals with a lot of clients who come in for speaking classes. It is usually a combination of conversation expertise, speech eloquence, and grammar mastery. The center evaluates each participant to find out his learning style, level of confidence and to gauge his particular requirements and work consideration. Each evaluation is free of charge and a program is designed specifically for him.

While the center emphasizes on the use of English–”We have to accept the fact that English is the lingua franca,” says Sheila–it aspires for a more holistic, less academic and more practical approach to applying it. As she explains, “You just can’t know how to speak English, you have to be able to talk about life and general topics, and you have to merge logic and creativity. You have to make sense. So the programs are fortified with lessons on confidence building and positive thinking, all integrated in the English curriculum.”

And while the Philippines is already known as an English speaking country, it has been reported on countless time that it is a skill we have yet to master thoroughly and properly. In fact, the overall deterioration of written and spoken English has been seen over the years.

Sheila demonstrates a common problem. “We usually formulate our thoughts in Tagalog and then translate. So by the time we’re ready to speak up, the person we’re talking to already assumes that we don’t know that much. That’s one thing we consider in designing the exercises for individuals and for companies.”

It is not just a skill for call-center agents or executives dealing with their colleagues. Communication, and communicating in English at that, has a vital impact on the career of the employee who chooses to use the language to his advantage. The Talk Shop has actually seen the rewards. “We have so many clients who wanted to become trainers, or manager, or supervisors. They realize that they became those immediately after our program.”

Of course, there is more outside the language than its theoretical applications, which The Talk Shop has initiated and integrated. “All of the courses are for career advancement and personality improvement,” says Sheila. They also have a course on social graces and corporate etiquette for professionals who want to take advantage of their opportunities.

One confident with the language understands, for example, the difference between aggressiveness and assertiveness. Filipinos, especially those who speak of dyahe a lot, will find it useful to learn the mechanics to be the latter and not come across as rude or uncouth. Communications skills, after all, are not purely an innate talent. It is something that can be learned and improved. “You can stretch your potential and tap other avenues, you can improve yourself, your verbal and global knowledge to know what to say, how to say it, at the right time,” Sheila asserts.

She gives an example. “Lets say we have an employee who finished several degrees, and another one who didn’t even finish one. If the latter knows how to draft letters properly, how to answer the phone effectively, how to deal with clients, how to coordinate with the boss, what things to say, how to pronounce certain words, how to communicate effectively, then that person has a better chance of getting the top position, than the other person who finished so many degrees but doesn’t know how to speak up.”

It may all seem very basic and so very simple, and yet the hurdle often lies in the person’s reluctance to admit that help is needed, or in not knowing what to do about it. Sheila shares that their clients range from the ages of six to 56, which goes to show that it has nothing to do with age, just a decision to seek improvement.

She notes sagely, “There are so many resources, so many centers to go to for self-improvement, but it has to start with the individual. Much of the things you need to communicate with other people and to progress in life are learned. I started taking speech courses in high school and I really made an effort to develop myself. Because no matter how much I have up here (brain), if I cannot speak up, if I always have butterflies whenever I speak in front of people, if I’m always nervous, then there’s no chance for me. This is what I learned and exactly what I teach my students.”

Whether it’s to learn how to speak well in front of a crowd, how to master technical writing, or how to integrate corporate etiquette and language usage, you can never stretch your potential too much.

The Talk Shop, like its various counterparts, have their services readily available, whether for one-on-one sessions or for group classes. It’s now just a matter of deciding where to begin.

Hopefully, you can successfully communicate a promotion soon after.

Published in e-yellowpages , March 14 2005