Rough Groove

View from my office

need for cash

From a Metrobank ad in Mabuhay, an in flight magazine of Philippine Airlines:

“The farther you are, the more exciting things you’ll discover, the more you’ll need cash.”

Bond Live in Manila

20 Oct. Reena of Public Affairs texted me while I was in a meeting that tickets are available for Bonds Classified Concert Tour at the PICC at 2000H. Hmmm. Bond. Tall, supermodel looks, lanky and armed with violins, violas and a cello, the quartet of lovely ladies is bringing classical music to a wider audience by jazzing it up, fusing it with modern sounds, drums, keyboards and guitars. I like their music, in fact, I have their first two albums. This is their first concert in Manila as well as their first time to be in the Philippines. With a free ticket available, I decided to accept the invitation.

With Nova and Rhyz, both from Public Affairs too, we hopped into a cab and proceeded to the concert venue. We arrived at 2030H and still it wasn’t starting. People have already started to fill the seats and we were seated near the stage but at the sides. I was at the right side, row C seat 10. Not a good location but it still offers a good vantage point to see the quartet up close. And then the lights dimmed, and music started to play. One by one, the women went up the stage.

They’re really beautiful up front. Its quite refreshing to see violinists, violist and a cellist in high heels, party dress, beautiful long blond and black tresses moving about the stage playing their modified instruments. And yes, they play good with much gusto, spirit and enthusiasm.

And, man, they have well toned legs! I couldn’t help keeping my eyes off Tania Davis’ (the one with the viola) especially her calves. So sexy

The women were also supported by a black quartet on keyboards, drums, lead and base guitar. Steve, the base guitarist easily gets one’s attention. What with his long hair that sharply contrasts with the rest of the band’s bald heads, goatee and those gyrations and movements that it seems, he has his own dance, doing his own ballet.

Overall, the concert was good. And its pleasing to hear new and jazzed up renditions of known classical pieces especially like from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake as well as music from the Nutcracker Suite and Brahms’ Hungarian Dances.

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.

P Burgos, Makati City

Cuddles. Jungle. Ivory. The Matrix. Stardust. Montana. High Heels. Billboard Club.

Flower girls. Flower boys. Fake watch and sunglass hawkers. Taxi drivers.

Bouncers. Pimps. Prostitutes. Comfort Girls. Young. Old. Beautiful. Not beautiful. Dressed to the nines. Full make up. Plain looking.

Japanese. Koreans. Caucasians. White. Black. Yellow. Brown. Fat. Thin. Balding. Dashing…

…and other life forms line the streets of P. Burgos, the red light district of Makati. No, I’m not here to gawk at these people or watch the dancing lights running through the marquee’s edges (but I do admit, it is interesting to watch them not for the pity-you-lucky-me thinking but more on the kaleidescope of forms, color and features of these denizens to the haughtiness of the foreigners that take their pickings from the vurnerable if not desperate ladies sashaying on the hard concrete earth littered with candy wrappers and other plastics). Or heaven forbids, taste its poisoned fruits.

I was just passing by on my way to the hotel where I’m staying.