Rough Groove

Araw ng Makati

Friday and it was Araw ng Makati (Makati Day). Strangely, it was not declared a non-working holiday unlike the same celebration in Cebu and Davao. Anyway, there was a parade in Ayala Ave: a series of floats, some celebreties, street dancing in costumes, papier mache higantes (giants), some big business representatives, brass bands and the usual city government employees.

It was the first time for me to see confetti raining down Ayala Ave. This is usually done when parades happen or some major event unfolds along this famous avenue.

Papier-mache higantes (giants) during a break in the parade.

Jorge, a spectator. What attracted me to this fellow was his unusual shades with a hologram of a catlike image. And he was willing to have his photo taken. No qualms about it.

Nina the singer, she was atop a float waving to the spectators.

Makati

We were walking to the office last Thursday and along the way, did some photog.

New abode

We arrived last 3 November at our new abode with a few personal things in tow.

As the condo unit was really bare and our other personal things haven’t yet arrived from the provinces via forwarder, we just slept at the floor.

Orientation cum work, work and work

20 - 24 October

Together with my teamates for the new group that was formed, we came to Makati to meet our new managers, get a feel of the place, our new workmates and familiarize with the functions. Already my first day was rather busy that I was able to go out of the office at about 1900H after a meeting with some colleagues from other groups planning for the upcoming tasks that we need to finish before the month ends.

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Ayala Museum. New

It was more than 10 years since I last went to the Ayala Museum in Makati. I was surprised and quite proud that the museum, still at the same location, but, man, with a new building, is really very beautiful, squeeky clean, and, shall I say, world class.

Entrance is 150 pesos (roughly $3) and its worth it. 4 floors of exhibit space devoted to:

1/F - arts (at the time of my visit)

- Marc Llimargas’ photo exhibit on Gaudi’s works entitled “Gaudi” as part of Instituto Cervantes’ Spanish Festival for Culture and the Arts
- an exhibit of Alexander Charriol’s paintings which were quite impressive and at the same time funny.

2/F - the dioramas that the museum is famed for which traces the history of the country from the prehistoric peopling of the Philippines, trade with other Asian nations, colonization by the Spaniards, eventual war and colonization with the Americans and Japanese, the birth of the republic to Ferdinand Marcos’ draconian clutches. It has scale models of maritime vessels like the galleon, caravel, chinese junk, and other water transport. Also notable are the various Philippine heroes and presidents, the foreign colonizers as well as Aetas (natives) shown lifesize indicating their height.

3/F - painting exhibit of Zobels, Amorsolos and Lunas

4/F - various exhibits

- Philippine costumes from the 19th century. Interesting pieces include the men’s trousers and hat made from carabao horn, shawls made of pineapple fiber and silk)

- prints of 19th century Filipino costumes attibuted to Damian Domingo from the New York Public Library and the museums’ collections

- Philippine art expressed in ivory from religious icons to family heirlooms. the exhibit also highlight the Philippines as the world’s major producer of Christian images in ivory from the 16th - 19th centuries.

This museum should be in every visitors’ as well as Filipinos’ must go to site.