anik-anik love

budjette tan

2012-02-20T05:04:00.000-08:00

Budjette Tan lives and breathes storytelling. He is the writer of the comic book Trese. It tells the story of Alexandra Trese, a supernatural investigator solving crimes committed by creatures from Philippine folklore.

Budjette shares a well-organized work space with his wife, Wella. He has an impressive collection of graphic novels and a growing number of fan-made Trese memorabilia. Take a peek inside his creative space. :)

Budjette Tan

(Mandaluyong City, Philippines)

Occupation: Advertiser by day, comic book writer by night

Website: www.tresecomics.com

Favorite toy as a child: Fisher-Price toys

Favorite toy now: my iPhone

Turn-ons: an exciting, surprising story

Turn-offs: people who just talk about themselves

What are 5 things that inspire you right now?

The crime reports in the Metro section of the Inquirer

Seeing the thriving Filipino comic book community

My team doing kick-ass work and winning pitches! Go Team MRM!

Getting new artwork from Kajo

My wife

Who are your influences?

As far as comic books are concerned... in the 80s, it was the works of Chris Claremont, Frank Miller, and Alan Moore. In the 90s, it was Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison. And in the 2000s, it was Warren Ellis.

As far as other storytellers are concerned, I think Sting's songs have been a big influence, Stephen King's short stories, and TV shows like Twilight Zone, X-Files, CSI, and Fringe.

Top 5 movies: Aliens, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Se7en, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises

Top 5 books: Sandman, Planetary, American Gods, Killing Joke, Dark Knight Returns

Music you listen to: When I'm typing down the script, I usually listen to the Ray Brown Trio. I have this album of theirs which they record live in a branch of Starbucks. I like listening to the piano beat as a type. Makes me want to type faster.

If I want to get into a certain mood for a scene, I listen to Sting or to the soundtrack of The Dark Knight.

5 Favorite websites: Newsarama.com and iFanBoy.com for my daily comic book news. Housed within iFanBoy is the Word Balloon podcast, hosted by John Siuntres, who interviews comic book writers and artists. Deviantart.com is how I keep tabs on the new and current Filipino artists. Of course, Facebook and Twitter, to keep connected to my family, friends, and readers.

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? Sleep. Read comics. Try out new restaurants with my wife.

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? What do you mean? Are you asking, what would I be doing if I were not in an ad agency? I would be doing comics full time! And if it weren't comics, I'd still like to be in a place where I can tell stories for a living.

If you can have any super power, what would it be? I want to have all the powers of the Martian Manhunter! He can shape-shift, has telepathy, flight, super-strength, heat vision, can become invisible and transparent, and has great abs!

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? I think the biggest problem of the world is hunger. And this "hunger" can range from the lack of food in one's belly to the need for attention and gratification. We hunger to be "liked" and loved.

What do you think is the solution? To be generous and help feed the hunger of others.

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? Finish what you start. Get things done. Keep writing your story.

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read):

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who things you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can.

"...I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind.

"And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself." --- Neil Gaiman

jason moss

2012-01-30T19:40:00.000-08:00

He is a visual artist, educator, and mountaineer. His studio is a playground for his artistic imagination and a treasure trove of interesting books. Take a peek at the creative space of Jason Moss! :)

Jason Moss

(Quezon City, Philippines)

Occupation: Visual Artist / Part-time college instructor

Favorite toy as a child: Lego

Favorite toy now: I don't collect toys anymore

Turn-ons: Educators

Turn-offs: Elitists

What are 5 things that inspire you right now? Impurities of the skin, colors that I do not use, old cinema clips, listening to a stranger's random conversation, nature

Top 5 movies: Spirited Away, Legend of 1900, Star Wars series, Back to the Future series, Burton's Batman

Top 3 books: Lynne Truss' Talk to the Hand, What's What, and Grey's Anatomy

Music you listen to: Anything, but lately mostly punk rock

5 Favorite websites: Lance Armstrong's, BBC, Bored Panda, Ted.com, Accuweather

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? I go diving or trek mountains, or just travel to eat

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? Urban Planner

If you can have any super power, what would it be? Teleportation

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? Poverty

What do you think is the solution? Expose the greedy

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? Never be in a hurry.

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): Everything you can imagine is real. - Picasso

jp cuison

2012-01-23T00:40:00.000-08:00

Art director JP Cuison's creative space showcases his growing collection of vinyl toys, art books, and of course gig posters. JP's colorful sanctuary was designed by his wife. Check it out! :)

Rizal Borg busts created by JP Cuison

(left) "Grakatak" is JP's piece for the "Munnyfestation" group exhibit

Gig posters created by JP

Anik-Anik Love's feature on JP Cuison's creative space also came out at the Philippine Daily Inquirer's 2bU section (photo by JP Cuison)

JP Cuison

(Pasig, Philippines)

Occupation: Senior Art Director, CEO and founder of GIGZILLA

Website: www.jpcuisonart.blogspot.com

Favorite toy as a child: Masters of the Universe's "He-man" (Mattel), WWF's "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Playmates' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle "Raphael"

Favorite toy now: Bandai / Popy Voltes V, vintage 1970's (Thank you Mr. Edmund Yanga)

Turn-ons: being real, comedy, unconventional

Turn-offs: pretensions, seriousness

What are 5 things that inspire you right now?
1. Future
2. Daughter and Wife, Family
3. Banksy
4. Matt Groening
5. Richard Branson

Who are your influences: Jack Kirby, Ed Roth, Frank Kozik, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtestein, Dina Gadia

Top 5 movies:
1. Fly Me to the Moon (Tito, Vic, and Joey)
2. K-PAX
3. Kakaba kaba ka ba?
4. Iron Man 1 and 2
5. KICK ASS

Top 5 books:
1. Bible
2. Basic and Beyond Language
3. Gig Posters vol. 1
4. Kikomachine komix
5. It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be (Paul Arden)

Music you listen to: Pheonix, Blur, MGMT, Beatles, Supergrass, Eraserheads, The Limousines, Coconut Records, Beulah, Tito Vic & Joey (tough hits)

5 Favorite websites:
1. www.gigposters.com
2. www.9gag.com
3. www.youtube.com
4. www.jpcuisonart.blogspot.com
5. www.vigilantcitizen.com

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? When I'm not busy with work (advertising) I do art.

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? Full-time painter / artist, musician

If you can have any super power, what would it be? Brainwashing

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? The Illuminati

What do you think is the solution? Resist the New World Order

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? Just be yourself.

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): "True skill comes without any effort" -Li Mu Bai (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)

diego mapa

2012-01-10T00:36:00.000-08:00

Musician Diego Mapa's (Pedicab, Monsterbot, Cambio, and now Tarsius) creative space can be found at the spacious attic of their house. He loves collecting vinyl records, indie magazines, and is a thrift shop fan boy. Take a peek inside Diego's creative playground. :)

Diego Mapa

(Quezon City, Philippines)

Occupation: Musician, Music Arranger, and Associate Web Manager of www.artisteconnect.com

Website: online music arranger reel - www.wix.com/diegomapa/home

tumblr - diegomapa.tumblr.com

Favorite toy as a child: GI Joes and Tranformers but I lost them all.

Favorite toy now: My laptop

Turn-ons: vintage anything, gear, clothes, records, toys, memorabilia, furniture, video games, etc.

Turn-offs: rude, conceited people, and war freaks

What are 5 things that inspire you right now? successful art projects, or business ventures from my friends that I like, Pinoy rare grooves or records, history books from World War II, toys old and new, and found furniture

Who are your influences? in music, my favorites are The Beatles, Beach Boys, The Kinks, The Zombies, Cornelius, Beck, The Cure, Joy Division, New Order, The Faint, Fugazi, Pixies, Nirvana, Giorgio Moroder, Telex, Kraftwerk, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Buddy Rich, Sergio Mendez, Joao and Astrud Gilberto, J Dilla, Madlib, DJ Shadow, Eraserheads, VST, Hotdog, Cinderella, and the list goes on...

Top 5 movies: The Godfather, Goodfellas, Ninth Gate, Inception, Norweigan Wood, Sukiyaki Western Jango

Top 5 books: Lust for Life, Last nite a DJ saved my life, Brave New World, Sin City books, and The Watchmen

Music you listen to: if currently listening to - Rotary Connection, Jazzanova mixtapes, Pet Projects: Brian Wilson Productions, The Drums - Portamento, M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming, and The Pains of being pure at heart - Belong

5 Favorite websites: indabamusic.com, artisteconnect.com, insound.com, turntablelab.com, stonesthrow.com

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? I bike, hang out with my kids, watch DVDs, or rummage my favorite thrift stores

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? I can imagine myself being a chef, a flight attendant, working front desk of a hotel, working in a t-shirt company, or a nurse or a care giver

If you can have any super power, what would it be? X-ray vision, invisibility, the ability to crawl on walls, I can spit spiderwebs with my hands but still fly, and I also have cool gadgets, a billionaire with super intelligence. So I'm like Batman, Superman, and Spiderman in one --- that can be invisible. Kinda redundant huh?

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? corruption, violence, racism, and greed

What do you think is the solution? Peace and let them have what they want, anyway someday they will implode here on Earth or in the afterlife. I'm for what Gandhi, Buddha, or what Jesus would say.

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? God, family, and friends are the greatest remedy to spiritual and physical hunger and loneliness.

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): currently, "You can't achieve anything just by sitting around." - William S. Burroughs, Interzone

real living magazine feature

2011-10-09T07:52:00.000-07:00

Want to take a peek inside my creative space? Grab a copy of the October 2011 issue of Real Living magazine. :)

3 other bloggers were featured too: Arianne and Bea of aplusbinthesea, and Arlene Sanchez Maslog of makeroomforbliss.

christian san jose

2011-09-29T05:05:00.000-07:00

Check out the creative space of web/graphic designer Christian San Jose aka CSJ! :)

Christian San Jose aka CSJ

(Pasig City, Philippines)

Occupation: Designer

Website: www.christiansanjose.com / www.create.ph

Favorite toy as a child: Lego

Favorite toy now: Mac

Turn-ons: Talent

Turn-offs: Smokers

What are 5 things that inspire you right now? Money, success, baby sister, friends, parents

Top 5 movies: The Social Network, Toy Story, Up, Wall-E, How to Train Your Dragon

Top 5 books: Rework, Purple Cow, The Tipping Point, It's Not How Good You are (...), The 4-Hour Workweek

Music you listen to: Jay-Z, Kanye West, Incubus

5 Favorite websites: Good, Techcrunch, Dribble, Fast Co. Design, Smashing Mag

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? Sleep

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? Teacher

If you can have any super power, what would it be? Stop time

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? Greed

What do you think is the solution? Share

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? If you really work hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen.

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): "The miracle of your mind isn't that you can see the world as it is, it's that you can see how it isn't." - Kathryn Schulz

manuel ocampo

2011-08-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

His spacious studio together with generous amounts of sunlight spilling into the area felt so refreshing and inviting. There were tubes of paint, books on the great masters, and huge paintings everywhere you looked. A fertile place enticing one to toy with ideas, create things, and experiment. :)

Take a look at the creative playground of notable artist Manuel Ocampo!

Manuel Ocampo
(Makati City, Philippines)

Occupation: Manual Laborer of Weird Menageries Gussied Over White Ground

Website: www.dagcgallery.com

Favorite toy as a child: As a child, I used to play with anything I could put my hands on as toys while in a state of fantasy.

Favorite toy now: Now my toys are for real, and my fantasies forbidden.

Turn-ons: Kindness always turns me on. It's a striptease that never stops.

Turn-offs: Evil. Pure Black Evil. It taints everything and ruins the day like shit smeared on a shoe.

What are 5 things that inspire you right now?
The color Black inspires me, which is the bastard offspring after a night of colorful orgy.
White is just asking for it.
Blue says it all.
Red always captures attention.
And Yellow is extremely sneaky, never underestimate it. Too much of it ruins everything. While too few doesn't make a party. Yellow is passive aggressive, pummeling you with soft paws.

Top 5 movies: Going to the movies is like going to see the dentist, except I'd rather go to the dentist to take away the pain. Movies just create more problems, because people tend to mix fantasy with reality. It can never be the vehicle for social revolution as early cinema was previously hailed to be. Too much entertainment makes one pathetic. While too much content will make you apathetic also. It's a no win situation. Plus, you still have to pay for admission. I don't see the point of sitting back and being the receiver of other people's fantasies at my expense. I'd rather have my own.

Top 5 books: Everyone should read. Books are better than movies for it allows you to imagine things yourself. As that famous slogan says, "if books were made of bricks," (then knowledge can really do damage, so to say). If you could let your fingers get past the cover, the table of contents, the preface and introduction, on your way to chapter 1, then surely it's a book worth the look. My recommended reading: if it's something that instructs you on how to do things correctly (driving, paying taxes, family planning, etc), it it's a reading that constructs a bureaucracy of interpretations that allow spontaneous arguments, if what you're reading helps you be aware and sometimes sensibly aroused, if it provides an escape, if the book can serve as a prop for conversing with the attractive person next to you, and if the book has the potential to transform its material into something else other than the purpose of reading, then all these qualities make it a truly great book.

Music you listen to: I like listening to ambient noise that just keeps you company without the cloying need to affect you. It is just what it is, a formless incoherence that is not necessarily void of presence.

5 Favorite websites: I can't name them. They are all illicit. You might get a virus.

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? My free time is always caught in traffic.

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? I already have a different job, and now miss the first one.

If you can have any super power, what would it be? The power of money.

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? People loaded with opinions.

What do you think is the solution? To get off his ass and find a different job.

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? Ask me this question when I'm gone.

Most inspiring statement/movement (heard/said/read):
Don't stop believing.
Don't stop 'till you get enough.
Love like a hurricane.
Like a virgin.
Can't get no satisfaction.
Heaven knows I'm miserable now.
What, me worry?

lena cobangbang

2011-08-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

She loves to cook, collect tiny toys and knick-knacks for her artwork, and has a growing collection of well-designed art magazines (she wants to get into publishing one of these days). Take a peek into the world of artist Lena Cobangbang. :)

*Lena has an upcoming collaborative exhibit with Mike Crisostomo titled The Weather Bureau : Experiments in Degree Zero on September 5, 2011 at Blanc Gallery, Makati City. Kitakits! :D

Lena Cobangbang

(Quezon City, Philippines)

Occupation: Artist / freelance production designer / caterer / freelance writer / gallery manager of Secret Fresh

Website: don't have a real website but I have works posted on some websites like ---

-www.lenagrrl.multiply.com

-www.lukinda.multiply.com

-www.zimmermann-kratochwill.com

-www.kitchentestdriver.wordpress.com - which is actually my attempt at being a travel and lifestyle blogger

Favorite toy as a chile: none. I read more books like Choose Your Own Adventure and Nancy Drew

Favorite toy now: homemade play dough, cookware, Diner Dash, and Cooking Mama

Turn-ons: intensely stimulating conversations

Turn-offs: idiocy and rudeness, and assholes (but what is an asshole? the term itself is relative)

What are 5 things that inspire you right now?

a. the idea of Adolf Hitler becoming an artist instead

b. Architecture, ruins, old buildings, terrain vaguest, maps, diagrams, Malevich, utopia/dystopia

c. moments of nothingness and bliss, the ecstasy of St. Theresa - still bewildered by it and being my alma mater's patron saint

d. cook books and gardens

e. sci-fi movies and dreams

Top 5 movies:

a. La Jetee - especially when I saw this in the late 90s during the Pelikula at Lipunan festival run at SM Megamall

b. A Clockwork Orange

c. God of Cookery / Drunken Master

d. Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag / Kisapmata

e. the Eon Flux animation series / Akira / Ghost in the Shell

Top 3 books:

a. all volumes of Cabinet magazine

b. Rem Koolhaas S,M,L,XL - yet to have a copy

c. Larousse Gastronomique - yet to have a copy, will probably not have to go to cooking school if one has such a copy

d. Fantagraphic comic books!

Music you listen to: hmmmm... too lazy to select from what I have in my hard drive, basta madami yon from Benny Goodman to Animal Collective to Stereolab to Sergio Mendes to Esquivel

Favorite websites: wikipedia, Project Gutenberg --- free books, yay!

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? sleep, watch videos, cook, writing long letters to friends

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? madami --- assassin, tour guide, caterer, food stylist, publisher, hotelier, food writer, sommelier, architect, pilot, forensics pathologist

If you can have any super power, what would it be? the power to... I don't know... to fly na lang... I had a really vivid dream one time that I was flying like Icarus, really feeling the breeze beneath and then the next day I dreamed again about swimming naman

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? moral breakdown

What do you think is the solution? annihilation to start a new, because I believe we're at the tail end of civilization already having reached the peak, what would inevitably come after is the decline and its own destruction

What's the most important life lesson you've leaned so far? that giving smiles mean a lot especially when given in complete sincerity. And of course the value of humility and to learn to live and make do with what one has already (so true when I did production design gigs), and to never underestimate people

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): hmmm... this wasn't "inspiring" but find this instead really funny on a crocheted banner on a city bus en-route to Ayala Ave --- the road to success is under repair

kate torralba

2011-07-26T01:48:00.000-07:00

Walking into musician/designer Kate Torralba's creative crib instantly made me smile. There were bursts of vibrant colors and knick-knacks everywhere! :) Like the songs and clothes she creates, Kate's place is overflowing with fun & quirky pieces. Her space really reflects the passionate and positive energy that she has. Her dog Daisy is such a charmer too!

Kate Torralba

(Makati City, Philippines)

Occupation: fashion designer / pianist-singer-songwriter / entrepreneur

Website: blogs.stylebible.ph/katetorralba

facebook.com/katetorralba (music page)

facebook.com/KTDesigns (fashion page)

twitter.com/katetorralba

Favorite toy as a child: My Barbie army, comprising of 30 Barbies and 2 Kens. A highly competitive dating ratio: I had to dress each girl up to the nines and make up interesting scenarios. The Kens always seemed to run out of pickup lines.

Favorite toy now: my adopted 2-year-old Maltipoo Daisy. But I don't dress her up - after my last dog Miu-Miu turning homicidal and reading a certain Lourd de Veyra piece on canines, I'd rather be careful.

Turn-ons: talent, wit, thoughtfulness, all things good and geeky: good music; good writing; good boys who are tall, lanky (and handsome naman!), shy, nice to their moms and sisters, and God bless them if they wear glasses, because I have a spectacle fetish. I am fascinated by people who put a lot of thought into what they create: an intricate artwork, a well-written piece, a killer musical score, a perfect pastry crust.

Turn-offs: all things bad and unsanitary - bad intentions, bad teeth, bad breath, bad taste - but that's relative, right?

What are 5 things that inspire you right now? the process of creation, love, 6841 miles, chic grandmothers, and the Big Guy that I don't see but am beginning to really, really believe in.

Top 5 movies: I hate these lists - how could you narrow 'em down to just 5?! Off the top of my head, 5 movies I really liked: Inception, In The Mood for Love, La Mome, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Amelie

Top 3 books: Outliers, The Great Gatsby, Streams in the Desert.

Music you listen to: OMG. Do you have time for this?!?

Right now, I'm listening to Kakkmaddafakka's super fun Hest album - it was a gift from Erlend Oye, and it's my instant picker-upper these days. (Hmmm... maybe we should bring those boys to play here!)

On my current playlist: Ciudad, Joanna Newsom, The Fleet Foxes, Beach House, Jonsi, Frank Sinatra, Humanfolk, Explosions in the Sky, Burt Bacharach, Barbara Morgenstern, Turner, Pasta Groove

To feel good, I always go back to the Beach Boys, The Pretenders, Fleetwood Mac, The Whitest Boy Alive, and Phoenix. I listen to Sigur Ros and Chopin when I'm feeling stressed. Tom Waits and Joni Mitchell's Blue album to accompany my emo stints.

And my own music. Cos for some reason I still cringe listening to my own stuff. I'm training myself to get the hang of it soon. Cos if I can't stand it, why the hell would anyone be able to?

5 Favorite websites: twitter.com (what a brilliant invention), huffingtonpost.com, pitchfork.com, bitrebels.com (so helpful!), lettersofnote.com

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? I sleep. It is the greatest indulgence when there is so much to do! I like to putter around the house, look for things I misplaced, write music, try to read the books and magazines I haven't read. I see and get in touch with friends and family as much as I can.

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? I'd be a full-time touring musician. Or a professional pizza/dessert taster. Or a hue-namer (?? I don't know how to call it) - someone who creates names for paint shades, make-up, and nail polish colors! That would be so cool!

If you can have any super power, what would it be? The power to multiply myself - so I could do everything I wanted - make music, make clothes, travel, write, blog, go on a food trip, and manage my business at the same time.

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? Apathy and cynicism

What do you think is the solution? FHL - faith hope and love (so sue me for being a cliche)

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? That God gives, and God takes away. So be kind, appreciative, and don't be so full of yourself!

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): Gaaaah there are so many! But of late, here's one that resonated with me: "So, what does patience feel like? For me patience is the slow, yet perfect unfolding of my dreams one day at a time." - Mastin Kipp

ben-hur villanueva

2011-05-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

A spontaneous trip to Baguio City led my boyfriend Paolo and I to the studio of renowned sculptor Ben-Hur Villanueva.

We were drawn to the place because of the huge metal figures resting atop the roof of the gallery Arko ni Apo. Upon entering the gallery, a small cafe with newspaper clippings welcomed visitors. At the second floor, intricate metal sculptures were on display. We heard music and smelled incense coming from the balcony so we curiously peeked outside, and there he was... the artist at work! Lucky us! :)

I asked if I could photograph his work area. I was careful not to take too many photos of the artworks because of their "no picture taking" policy. We ended up having coffee with sir Ben-Hur and his cool family, talking about art & life for two hours. I learned so much from that serendipitous meeting, "simplify and maximize" he said. Simplify your life and maximize your talents. We left Arko ni Apo with a bottle of soy coffee and a pocket-full of wisdom. :)

Ben-Hur Villanueva
(Baguio City, Philippines)

Occupation: sculptor, educator

Website: arkoniapo.multiply.com

Since I wasn't able to ask Sir Ben-Hur the usual set of questions for Anik-Anik Love, here is a really good video I found online that captures him perfectly. :)

*video from loqal.ph

apol sta. maria

2011-05-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

I didn't know where to start shooting when I entered Apol Sta. Maria's creative crib... artworks on the walls, tons of toys, and a drool-worthy collection of books! Kaloka sa dami ng interesting things! ;D A fun afternoon of stories about his recent trip to Nepal, and how not to lose books when lending them to friends. Hehe. ;)

christina dy

2011-04-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

Great things come in small packages. Christina Dy creates massively beautiful charcoal pieces that are 12 feet high and 60 feet wide, no small feat for the spunky 5-foot tall artist. :) She's also the founder of the pole dancing group called Polecats.

CD's work area is a small corner in their condo unit. A thin blanket of charcoal dust covers everything; including her once-white laptop. When she's not drawing, this little artist haven turns into her pole dancing area. Too bad her pole wasn't there when I dropped by, it would have been awesome to photograph her while she practiced her routine. :)

Christina Dy (a.k.a. CD)
(Mandaluyong City, Philippines)

Occupation: drawist, pole dancer/instructor

Website: christinady.com (under construction pa!), slab.silverlensphoto.com, polecatsmanila.wordpress.com

Favorite toy as a child: a second-hand upright piano (i had dreams of being a classical pianist when i was 4, so not much time spent playing...)

Favorite toys now: my pole -- his name is Rain!!!

Turn-ons: i like funny, kind, extremely talented people. i also like dark chocolate and fluffy cotton sheets. the ocean. and ropes. haha!

Turn-offs: i don't like mayabang people. people with no dreams. loud cars. long toenails.

What are 5 things that inspire you right now? aerial arts (silks, hoops, trapeze, ropes), the human body, the human brain (ok, it's less than 5!)

Top 5 movies: Great Expectations -- first movie i saw that i noticed the production design (it was green); Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind -- so sad and so hopeful at the same time; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -- it's just beautiful; In the Mood for Love -- great pd (production design)!; Big Time -- funniest Pinoy movie EVER! :)

Top 3 books: Anais Nin -- Delta of Venus; book on Schiele -- first visual artist i really liked; Scrabble lists!

Music you listen to: a lot of OPM -- Sugarfree, Urbandub, Up Dharma Down, Drip, plus some NuSoul

5 Favorite websites: ay hala... i don't really surf

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? play scrabble with my family, learn a language or a new skill

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? cellist

If you can have any super power, what would it be? manipulate time

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? miseducation

What do you think is the solution? nako. education, on whatever level, however small. we have to start somewhere.

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? be thankful. everyday.

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): Sometimes people let the same problem make them miserable for years when they could just say, "So what." -- Andy Warhol

*CD at Pecha Kucha Night talking about pole dancing :)

uno magazine feature

2011-04-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

Anik-Anik Love was featured in the March 2011 issue of UNO Magazine! :) Maraming salamat, Ramon de Veyra and Vicky Herrera!

Read the full article at Vicky Herrera's blog. :)

manix abrera

2011-04-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

I've been bugging my boyfriend to introduce me to Kiko Machine Komix creator Manix Abrera for the longest time. When I finally met Manix and he agreed to have his creative space photographed, I couldn't believe how lucky I was. :)

Manix is the nicest guy ever! He lives in a very clean and impeccably organized studio, where all his books are safely wrapped with plastic cover. His pens and notebooks are even lined-up neatly on his desk whenever he draws. :) Take a peek into the world of well-know cartoonist Manix Abrera!

*Also, check out his comic strip News Hardcore online! :)

Manix Abrera
(Quezon City, Philippines)

Occupation: cartoonist

Website: www.kikomachinekomix.com

Favorite toy as a child: laruang dumptruck

Favorite toy now: clay

Turn-ons: pag mahilig mabasa :)

Turn-offs: pag hindi mahilig magbasa hehe :-/

What are 5 things that inspire you right now? sobrang dami eh, as in! tapos kadalasan, mga maliliit na bagay na perfect ang timing. kunyari, pagod na pagod ka na tapos biglang may ihip ng hangin na ooooh sarap. hehe :D

Top 5 movies: Not One Less, Wall-E, Amelie, 2001: Space Odyssey, Cinema Paradiso

Top 2 books: The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Watchmen, The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy

Music you listen to: iba-iba! as in! hehe :)

5 Favorite websites: hindi kasi ako masyado nag-i-internet. hehe :)

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? tumulong sa kapwa, magbasa, mag-bike, o manood ng sine

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? hmmm... documentary filmmaker (sana) hehe

If you can have any super power, what would it be? yung super power na pwede magtravel sa deep space :D

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? nakakalimutan na natin tumingin sa langit minsan. hmmm... :)

What do you think is the solution? tumingin-tingin sa langit :)

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? imbes na mag-focus sa problema, mag-focus sa solusyon :)

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): mag-invest sa memories, hindi sa material things :)

13 lucky monkey

2011-03-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

Out of the blue, I got an email inviting me to hang out at a studio that designs rings. I had no idea what kind of jewelry they did until I saw their blog, and instantly fell in love with their kick-ass custom-made rings!

Hot rods, tattoos, leather, and metal... check out the workshop of Dante Dizon and Noli Conrado of 13 Lucky Monkey! :)

13 Lucky Monkey

(Makati, Philippines)

kabunyan de guia

2011-03-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

Enter the colorful and whimsical world of mosaic artist Kabunyan de Guia! :)

The gate of the de Guia compound represents all of the family members: Kawayan, Kabunyan, Kidlat, Kat, and Kidlat Tahimik

Kabunyan de Guia
(Baguio City, Philippines)

Occupation: mosiac artek (taga-basag ng tiles, taga-pakulay ng banyo) and professional masayang tao

Website: themightybhutens.multiply.com, mytsart.multiply.com, kabuchawpet.multiply.com

Favorite toy as a child: bolex ni tatay (kaya may nasayang na mga roll ng film ni tay. Hehe. Sorry tay) [his tatay is artist/filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik]

Favorite toy now: Kalipay, yung anak ko :)

Turn-ons: watching people, lakad-ing, laro-ing

Turn-offs: greed, SM-ism... welcome to republic of SM!

What are five things that inspire you right now? Di lang 5 eh, daming happenings araw-araw --- mga naririnig sa kanto, mga nababasa sa kung saan-saan.

Top 5 movies: Syempre anjan na yung films ni tay :) at ni Rene Requestas na kamukha niya :) aside prom dat...
Kantoku-Banzai by Takeshi Kitano
Visioneers by Jared Drake
Wristcutters: A Love Story by Goran Dukic
Life is a Miracle by Emir Kusturica
The Science of Sleep by Michel Gondry

Top 3 books:
Rizal with the Overcoat by Ambeth Ocampo
Good-bye and Thanks for all the Fish by Douglas Adams
Ikabod by Nonoy Marcelo

Music you listen to: Halo-halo parang ice cream at bagoong :) From YOYOY Villame (I lab you dapat national artist ka!) to Skatalites to Balkan stuff, Emir Kusturica, Gogol Boldero (panalo-panalo!), basta masaya at nakakapaglipad ng paa wag lang mga ar en bee bling bling robot voice dugo ilong ko

5 Favorite websites:
lpcoverlover.com
designbyhumans.com
mp3locker.net
jpgmag.com
jimcarrey.com

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? Parang dapat baliktad. :) Maskonti work ko. Hehe. Gumagawa kami t-shirts T's ART, mga designs ranging from love of ones country, to funky designs straight from our imagination, to shirts that will just leave you wondering "HUH?". Available in Cubao X's Junkie Shop, Mad Kahuna, and Vinyl On Vinyl sa Collective in Makati

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? Naaliw ako sa mga mascots, yun siguro. :) Or yung nagdadala ng film reels from one sinehan to the other

If you can have any super power, what would it be? Sarap lumipad laking tipid sa pamasahe

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? Greed. WHY CHOOSE QUANTITY OVER QUALITY! KUNG MABONGA KOTSE MO, AYUSIN MO NAMAN MAKINA MO! KUNG MAYAMAN KA NA, WAG NA KUMAIN PA NG MGA SMALLER BUSINESS! :) BALIK NATIN ANG PAKIKIPAGKAPWA NATIN SA MGA TAO. :)

What do you think is the solution? KONTING PAG-IISIP PAMINSAN-MINSAN LANG

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry." - sabi ni lakay dalai lama, in other words float through life don't make your own problems

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): Bathala na! Leave it to the jamming with the cosmos. Make defect into effect. Gisingin ang sariling dwende and you will be the best in whatever you do. - sabi ni lolo tatay Kidlat Tahimik

gian romano

2011-02-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

I didn't know much about fashion in 2004 but when I was assigned to shoot Mega Magazine's Young Designer Competition back then, and saw his grand prize winning collection, I instantly became a fan. :) Dark, punk rock yet streamlined, his designs called out to me and I've been stalking his work/website since then. So it was really awesome when he agreed to have his space photographed!

Step inside the creative crib of superb fashion designer Gian Romano! :)

Gian Romano

(Malate, Philipppines)

*If you happen to be in Singapore, drop by Black Market to check out Gian's inspiring designs! :)

off-topic and shameless plug

2011-02-03T06:45:00.000-08:00

Aside from creative spaces, for the past 2 years I've been cooking up a photo project on women's sexuality --- something close to my heart. :)

"Five years ago, Mitch Mauricio realized that even as an “adult” she had but a vague understanding of her own sexual identity, that she lived most of her life ignoring her urges and her desires. She made a conscious decision to recognize these often ignored aspects of her personality and to document her discoveries using her camera. Did other women feel the same way about their own sexual development? Do they even acknowledge their own sexuality? To find answers, Mitch set out to connect with other women who were willing to share their stories in the hopes of broadening her understanding of a topic that is discussed only in hushed tones, if at all.

In Puerta, Mitch’s first solo exhibit, she shares with the public an intimate collection of photographs that fearlessly explore female sexuality. Her work is an attempt to stimulate discussion about women’s sexual desires, their unique needs, and the role that female sexuality plays in our lives.

Mitch attempts to capture all twelve vagina portraits completely devoid of sexual objectification and commercial glamour, in the hopes that the audience will come to see the vagina in a different light."

Puerta opens as the Valentine exhibit of Pablo Gallery in Cubao at 7pm on Febuary 12^th.

See you all there! :)

f. sionil jose

2011-01-25T07:12:00.000-08:00

It was so surreal to interview National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose! I've always been an avid reader of his thought-provoking books. Back in college, I even stalked his bookstore Solidaridad just to get a glimpse of him. After almost a decade, I finally got to meet him. I was so starstuck that I forgot to take pictures! He was cool enough to let me swing by again to take photos, he even gave me a signed copy of his latest book "Sherds"! :D

Despite the fact that he's a National Artist, he's a very warm man who takes time to talk to the youth. He wears hats in fear of catching a cold (he even wears a bonnet to bed!) and his favorite food is oysters. Take a peek inside the creative space of writer Mr. F. Sionil Jose! :)

The round table where several political leaders, such as Ninoy Aquino and Carlos Romulo, would come and discuss ideas with F. Sionil Jose

his books were translated into 22 languages

his very supportive wife Maria Teresita Jovellanos

Francisco Sionil Jose

(Malate, Philippines)

Occupation: Writer

Favorite toy as a child:

Favorite toy now: Haha! It wouldn't be books, but I like books. I love books! Kanina there was an American scholar here, he was telling me about the E-book. I don't use a computer or a laptop, yan yung ginagamit ko (points to typewriter) or longhand. Sabi ko, "But that's nothing like holding a book!"

What are your turn-ons?

What are your turn-offs? I detest ostentation.I detest people who look down on us. I detest people, who by their actions, demean us. That's why I'm so mad at this girl, yung sa "wine sucks"... Yung nagpunta sa Hanoi na Mislang. Bastos! I wrote to Ricky Carandang to fire her. She has no business working at Malacañang. If she were an ordinary writer like me, ok lang yon. But she represents the Philippines, government yan. If I say that Vietnamese food is awful, ok lang yan, who cares! But if I were the President of the Philippines on a state visit, iba na yon. For instance, I'm invited by someone and the steak is very tough. I want to be honest all the time kung maaari e, "How is the steak?" Sabi ko, "It has character!" Hahaha! Yon ang stock comment ko pag ayaw ko yung pagkain. Ok di ba?

What are the things that inspire you right now?

It's not inspire, hija. It is anger. Well, it can be an inspiration. That's the other side of love, hija. Love inspires, so does hate.

What are the things that anger you right now? That pushes you to write? Not so much anger, hija, but disappointment. Itong si Noynoy. I like Gibo pero nanalo si Noynoy, what can we do? I understand that maybe I expect too much from him because I knew his father very well. Ninoy used to sit where you are seated, Nick Joaquin din dyan.

Mitch, I've always been politically conscious nung bata pa ako, meaning when I was in High School. I was already politically conscious when I heard Quezon speak at Luneta. Naintindihan ko na yan. I've seen a lot of political leaders come to power and decay. 3-4 months into office and this President is already showing signs of irreversible decay. I'm very unhappy. Tapos sabi pa niya in Hanoi that his critics are his enemies. No! Ano bang agenda ko? What is the agenda of so many people? We criticize him because we want him to succeed. It was such a pleasure na nawala na si Gloria sa katungkulan, and now here he comes and what does he have to offer? I'm not very happy. And I don't think he's going to change.

Tapos yung budget, ang laki-laki ng mga pork barrel. Everybody knows that these congressmen will spend half of the pork barrel for themselves. I'm really depressed talaga. Wala na bang pag-asa ang bayan natin?

Dito sa bayan natin, Mitch, when you stop complaining or stop talking about all these nasty things that are happening to us, you're dead --- patay ka na!

Favorite movies: Filipino? "Ganito Kami Noon" ni Eddie Romero. I like that very much. Yung kay Fernando Poe atsaka kay Sharon Cuneta, wherein Fernando Poe plays the bodyguard of Sharon. Maganda din yon. None of the Carlo Caparas movies! He's so stupid! You know one of the tragedies sa bayan natin is that a 3rd rate movie maker like Carlo Caparas earns millions. Nakita mo yung story na billion Pesos from the Charity Sweepstakes? While ang best writers cannot live on their writing.

Foreign... There are so many. Yung Japanese act "Seven Samurai". And there's this other film na nakita ko, it was in Japanese... "Shall We Dance". Nakita mo yon? "Wuthering Heights," it impressed me very much! Batang-bata pa, high school pa lang ako. Si Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff and Merle Oberon as Cathy. Ang ganda! Black and white. I saw it in 1938 or 39.

In the 1950, we step up FAMAS. Kami nila Rosa Rosal, D. Paolo Dizon, Eddie Romero, and more. Si Janice Tuvera, Fred Bunao, we were the writers. Paolo Dizon, Janice Tuvera, Fred Bunao, myself, and Teddy Agcaoili. Lima kaming writers. Atsaka si ano... no pito! Fred Muñoz of Literary Song Movie. May isa pa. Pito kami. We're about 20. We set up FAMAS.

What type of music do you listen to? Some of the songs I like, yung compositions ni, namatay na siya e. The old composers ng Kundiman magagaling sila (Nicanor) Abelardo (Sir Sionil hums the song). Atsaka meron isa pang gustong-gusto ko pop song na kinanta ni Dulce. I prefer, whatshername... Lea to Charice. Si Charice malakas lang ang boses e. Her voice doesn't have the limpid and silver quality ng boses ni Lea

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? Read, walk, watch TV. Reading relaxes me. Because I enter another world, hija. Not the world of crime, graft, dirt, and violence which is our world.

What do you enjoy reading, sir? Halo-halo! (He starts showing me his books) Tignan mo 'to, this is the "The Lexus and the Olive Tree", it is about globalization. The selected stories of Willa Cather is one of my favorites. O, China. O, Political Esthetics. O, History Imperial Japan. The Plato Primer. Iuuwi ko mga ito. They'll be my reading for the next few four days siguro pagkatapos yan (points to a another stack of books). Every time I want to relax, I pull this out (a book of poetry by William Butler Yeats). He's my favorite poet. Pareho kami ni Nick Joaquin, gustong-gusto niya ito.

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? I'd be a cook siguro! Hahaha. I'd be a cook or an artist. Or I'd like to be a choreographer. Or a composer. I'd like to be a choreographer or a composer. I like to dance!

So you like to cook also? No, hindi, I like to eat! Hahaha!

If you can have any super power, what would it be? Alam mo, hija, you are asking very silly questions, pero OK lang! Hahaha! Because yung mga questions na yan hindi pwede mangyari. Hahaha!

If... if... You know, I would like to have a lot of money, hija. So that I don't have to worry about making a living, and I'll just be happily writing and writing and writing na lang. But you know, this thing didn't happen. Life is more pain than pleasure. It's in the blood. Yung araw na hindi ako makasulat parang the day is not complete.

Sir, so you really feel the need to write? Yeah, yeah. And, alam mo that last book, my daughter Jet who is also my... Eto siya (shows me photos of his family). These are my great granddaughter. Mga grandchildren ko ito.

Are they here in the Philippines, Sir? No, only two. They're all in America.

Nung nabasa niya yung draft of "Sherds", she had many objections, so we had to argue. But she's a very good critic, you know. So sabi ko, "Ano Jet, walang magsasabi sa akin kung hindi lang ikaw or yung Mama mo or yung mga kapatid mo, shall I stop na?"

You know, because I know that you'll get the truth from those who really love you eh... yung talagang mga nagmamahal sa yo. "O wag, Papa, pwede pa!", sabi niya that's why inumpisahan ko yung pangalawa. So I sent her the first draft, "Ano hinto na ko, anak? Ano, maganda?" "Hindi pa" sabi niya. So that's it, I'm still writing. Because I'd like to stop when one of my daughters tell me "Laos ka na. Huminto ka na." Because there are some people who don't know when to stop, and that is very sad. Very, very sad talaga. Kala nila... Because the body, the mind, everything ages in this world. Kala nila they're still very good. But at least kung athlete ka, you know when you have to stop because hindi mo na magagawa. It's difficult you know. Pero if it's the mind that works, it's very difficult. Football players, boxer, basketball players, they know that they have to retire. But the writer wouldn't know eh.

What do you think is the biggest problem right now? Sa atin? Moral malaise, hija. Consumerism which is basically a moral problem. Poverty is a moral problem, hija, it's not economics. It's not social or political, it's moral. If you get right down to it... you should have listened to the discussion I had with this writer na Amerikano. There are times when I have people... when the conversation is so interesting, so pertinent and I wish they should have been recorded. Kasi kanina, you know most of Americans are pragmatists. They deal with the realities. Sabi ko "No", many of the things that bring us problems are problems that start from the heart, sa puso. So I was telling him, this Tiglao, Roberto. He used to be the Ambassador to Greece and now he writes a column for the Inquirer. So he was writing all this statistics and gross, about the era of development. Ok, it was statistics, but on the surface. Sa ibaba, which is deeply embedded in human nature hindi lumalabas yon. And it's the artists, the writers who are capable of bringing this out. Because we were discussing development kanina, why is it that countries develop on other's decay. Why do empires flourish and they also decay. In other words, the story of civilization, not just the story of man. So I was quoting to him my favorite American jurisprudence authority... and I remembered his quote which I read a long time ago, and it's still with me since then. Sabi niya, "Freedom, the spirit of liberty is in the heart. When it dies there, no constitution, no court of law can restore it." So in other words, hija, in that mycosis and result of human development springs deeply from the heart. It's the heart, the spirit that moves men and nations. And the vitality, the strength, and the integrity of that heart, of that man, can be seen in what he does. So makikita mo na an institution decaying or flourishing. Ganon dito sa Pilipinas, because so many of the Filipinos, the Filipino leaders wala silang puso. They have no sense of nation kaya ganito tayo.

Have you been to Hong Kong, Mitch? On Sundays, pumunta ka sa Star Ferry in Victoria Island, hundreds of Filipino maids andon sila nakaupo sa sidewalk kumakain, nagkukwentuhan sila. And everyone who passes by will recognize them as the Filipino domestics in Hong Kong. Kung Pilipino ka, makita mo silang ganon you get very ashamed. Ganito na ba ang nangyari sa atin mga Pilipino? Sabi nung taga-Hong Kong, we are a nation of servants. Pero yung mga mayayaman na Pilipino they don't care because hindi na sila Pilipino, you understand? Ang puso nila hindi Pilipino so hindi sila nahihiya, hindi sila napapahiya, you follow? Pero kung Pilipino ka sa puso, makikita mo mga kababayan mo na ganon, mapapahiya ka. That's what I mean. That is perhaps the best illustration. Why do you care? Hindi ka naman Pilipino, kahit na Pilipino passport mo but deep in your heart hindi ka Pilipino. Wala kang malasakit sa bayan mo, this is what I mean. That is my example now.

What do you think is the solution to moral malaise? I've answered that question long ago. Nothing less than a revolution, hija, nothing less. I feel guilty saying these things because who am I to want a revolution when I'm here in this air-conditioned bookshop being comfortable.

You know, isang bata na kakilala ko si Eman Lacaba, younger brother ni Pete Lacaba, he used to come to the bookshop, naupo diyan. I try to give time to all the young people who come to see me, you know. Kung minsan I feel guilty about Maningning Miclat, do you know her? Because she used to be there too. So sabi ko, I should have given her more of my time, because we would discuss literature. Nagsusulat siya ng poetry. I don't want to give a bleak image to these people, lalo na si Eman. So nagulat na lang ako nung sinabi na namatay siya sa Davao. So sabi ko, baka our discussions confirmed him kaya napunta siya doon, you know. Sometimes I have to think hard about my own political beliefs, because alam kong yan ang solution. I can only say matanda na ko, I have no time to go join a revolutionary movement. Kaya galit na galit din ako sa mga komunista because hindi nila ginagamit ang utak nila. I have communist friends, writers... mali kayo mali kayo. Sila Satur, mga kaibigan ko yan, si Bobby Malay. They're my friends and I love them dearly. I know that they have suffered a lot, especially sila Bobby and Satur. Pero isipin mo, nakakahinayang, and also many of them were betrayed by their own comrades.

What is the most important life lesson you've learned so far? Compassion. That is what is lacking sa mundo natin.

Have you read Bertolt Brecht? The communist poet and playwright. He wrote a poem shortly after World War II, an ode to the next generation. I remember two lines lang doon, one line is, "shouting about injustice hoarsens the voice". Naintindihan mo yon? Specifically addressed to writers. So be careful that you don't shout too long or too loud because your voice will hoarsen. The other is, "And we who want the world to be kind cannot ourselves be kind." Kung minsan naisip ko yon, I want the world to be kind but have I been kind myself, kung minsan hindi.

Is that the most inspiring statement you've heard? Hindi naman, hindi naman. But they are things that I remember. It's difficult to be self-righteous also.

What's the most inspiring statement you've heard? Not the most inspiring statement, hija, but my greatest inspiration is Rizal mismo, number one. The greatest influence in my life as a writer is Rizal.

My greatest influence as a person was my mother, yung nanay ko. She taught me sacrifice, hard work, virtue. We were very poor, my mother worked very hard for us her children. Nung nakita niya na I liked reading, nung bata ako she would go all over town looking for books for me to read. Because she herself, her generation, she finished Grade 7. Shortly after the turn of the century atsaka her teachers were the first teachers --- the Thomasites, yung mga American soldiers. And in those days, when you finish Grade 7 you can teach already. So she also taught English for a while. You know, if you saw her she was a tiny woman, nakapinggol (pusod), we call it in Ilocano yung buhok niya dito and she was always in the baro't saya. She never wore Western dress, and she never wore shoes. Puro mga sapatos ang suot niya palagi ay tinatawag namin na kutso, you don't see it anymore. Parang slipper na makapal ang swelas na ganito.

Yung parang may takip po tapos may embroidery? Yeah! We call it kutso. Yan ang palaging sinusuot niya. When we had foreign visitors, mga scholars na ganyan, I would introduce her to them and she would speak beautiful perfect English because yung mga Thomasites they taught beautiful English. And my children would be, "Ay si Lola ang galing mag-English!" Hahaha!

O, wala ka ng tanong? Haha!

leeroy new

2010-12-13T04:50:00.000-08:00

I was really lucky enough to catch sculptor Leeroy New preparing for his Opulescence exhibit before he flew off to Singapore! His work is absolutely amazing & definitely progressive... you just can't stop staring at his art pieces. I'm totally lusting after his Sacred Heart wall pieces! Hehe. :)

Check out the space where artist Leeroy New's creations come alive!

Leeroy New
(Quezon City, Philippines)

Occupation: Artist/Sculptor/Designer

Website: still in the works courtesy of Dan Matutina, in the meantime visit strycatcher.multiply.com. You can also check out my designs for Delirium at deliriumdesigns.multiply.com

Favorite toy as a child: I didn't really play with toys but instead I had your typical art materials... and I climbed trees a lot.

Favorite toy now: Clays and Polymers

Turn-ons: Humor, vision, articulate x substance and extra large toes...?

Turn-offs: No humor, no vision, no substance, short toes

What are 5 things that inspire you right now? The latest technologies overlapping with contemporary industrial design, architecture, and fashion. Does that count as one or four?

Top 5 movies: I don't really have a top five, I feel it would be unfair to the other films I like...

Top 3 books: The same concern applies to books...

Music you listen to: It really depends on my current empire state of mind

5 Favorite websites: I don't really surf that much to have a top 5

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? Bum around, eat a lot of really good food, and drink like there's work tomorrow but you just don't care

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? If it were really up to me, I'd be a ninja assassin. The Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon X Naruto kind.

If you can have any super power, what would it be? Jumper!

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? The insecure human condition as inhabitants of this infinite universe... and potholes

What do you think is the solution? Threatening alien life forms (as illustrated in Alan Moore's Watchmen)

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): I feel these two questions have more or less the same answers for me... "Everyone has to choose/have their own battle to fight", "Excellence in everything you choose to do", & "With vision comes responsibility"

anik-anik love recognized at the 2010 philippine blog awards

2010-12-12T08:21:00.000-08:00

Can't believe Anik-Anik Love won Best Culture and Arts blog at the 2010 Philippine Blog Awards!!! :D Thank you PBA for the recognition, thank you to the anonymous supporter who nominated the blog, thank you to the avid readers, and a heartfelt thank you to the artists who willingly open their space & life to Anik-Anik Love!

*Congrats to Von Cuerpo for winning one of the Top Three Posts of the Year! Check out his winning post here. :D

gilda cordero-fernando

2010-12-02T06:08:00.000-08:00

Her story "A Wilderness of Sweets", a heartbreaking tale of a young girl's experience of war, blew me away when I read it back in college... been a fan ever since. I was really excited when she agreed to have her place photographed.

We spent an an entire rainy afternoon just talking about life, love, and art. She asked me if I can contribute a picture to support an article she was writing, of course I said yes! Check it out here. :) That afternoon was one of the most enlightening days of my life!

She's an award-winning writer, artist, cultural icon, and an inspiration. Enter the realm of the colorful, warm, and utterly hip Gilda Cordero-Fernando!

*Tita Gilda is so original that she created her own questions to answer in the blog! Hehe. ;)

Gilda Cordero-Fernando
(Quezon City, Philippines)

Age: 80 going on 30

Sex: Female (latent cougar)

Status: In antique relationship with same old boyfriend for 58 years

Occupation: Writer, late blooming artist, erstwhile publisher, and theater producer (lugi, of course)

Interests: The arts, Filipiniana in all forms, fashion, learning from young people

Favorite toy as a child: A teddy bear that we buried 30 years after because the stuffing was coming out

Favorite toy now: The boy-toy I married 59 years ago and still love above all

Aversion: Boxes and labels

Top 5 movies: La Strada (Fellini), Babette's Feast, Seven Samurai (Kurosawa), Ganito Kami Noon (Eddie Romeo), Andg Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros

Books presently on my bedside table: Rage by Alfredo Roces, Tagbanwa, Palaspas

Book read lately: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (Pulitzer Prize), Reinventing the Body Resurrecting the Soul by Deepak Chopra, the trilogy of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Music you listen to (and dance to): The classics, tangos, Phil. bands, Susan Boyle, Norah Jones

What frightens you most: Any machine!

Ambition: To join a cosplay

When you're not busy with work, what do you do? Hang out with young friends. Why? You learn so much from them as long as you know how to listen. I prefer them to old people whom I'll soon see anyway, while it will eons before I see my friends again in my next lifetime.

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? I'd be a fashion designer of cuckoo clothes.

If you can have any super power, what would it be? I'd be a billionaire and fund all ground-breaking theater pieces and projects.

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? Not to follow everybody else's advice. To always be true to one's own self.

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): "Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional."

philippine blog awards nominee

2010-11-24T06:42:00.000-08:00

Got a very nice surprise in the mail a few days ago, Anik-Anik Love is nominated at the 2010 Philippine Blog Awards! Awesomeness! :D

kiri dalena

2010-11-23T02:52:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to capture artist-activist Kiri Dalena's sculpting space (shared with her mother Julie Lluch and sisters Sari & Aba) while she was preparing for their family's first four-woman exhibit "Home Works", shown at the Alliance Francaise de Manille last October. Check it out! :)

Gabriel Krista Lluch Dalena (Kiri)
(Quezon City, Philippines)

Occupation: Filmmaker and Sculptor

Favorite toy as a child: It was a pink pink plastic doll with eyes painted silver and none of her parts were moveable. My sisters tell me she was creepy but I loved her dearly. I named the doll Waling-Waling, after a flower.

Favorite toy now: A gun metal toy and another doll. The gun hangs over my bed. The doll is in my closet. My parents surprised me with the doll on my 6th birthday. I've moved around all these years but I insisted on keeping her even if she has lost her eyes and most of her hair. That birthday is still the best day of my life.

Top 5 movies:
Biyaya ng Lupa
Red Balloon
Forbidden Games
I Am Cuba
La Strada

Top 3 books:
Philippine Cross-Section (edited by Maximo Ramos and Florentino B. Valeros
Almanac foe Manilenos (Nick Joaquin)
Salvaged Poems (Emman Lacaba)

Music you listen to: I'm listening to Kundiman now. Nicanor Abelardo. Or rather I tinkle with the piano keys every so often pretending I can play Mutya ng Pasig.

Favorite websites:
criticine.com
angelfloresjr.multiply.com
bulatlat.com

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? I love to sleep. I also enjoy having coffee near the breakwaters in Manila during sundown.

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? I'll probably enjoy working as a cook. Or an archivist.

If you can have any super power, what would it be? I don't mind having China.

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? Protect the center

Most inspiring statment/moment (heard/said/read): The Future is Unwritten from Joe Strummer

directed and edited by Kiri Dalena

ian carandang

2010-11-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

I was instantly blown away when I met Ian Carandang --- he is the creative mind behind the mouthwatering & unique flavors of Sebastian's Ice Cream! An afternoon with him is total ice cream overload from flavors like vodka, beer, coconut, and blue cheese with nuts & honey.

A love for ice cream, a Ben & Jerry's book, an old-fashioned churner from his aunt, and his desire to create new flavors were the ingredients that motivated Ian to be Ice Cream Artisan.

Check out what inspires innovative Ian. :)

Ian Carandang
(San Juan, Philippines)

Occupation: Head Sorbetero for Sebastian's Ice Cream

Website: http://www.facebook.com/Sebastians.Ice.Cream

Favorite toy as a child: Nintendo Famicom (too many games to remember)

Favorite toy now: Super Street Fighter 4 for the PS3

Turn-ons: Being comfortable in one's own skin. A stocky, chunky guy with a good nature. A nice double chin.

Turn-offs: Being unkind.

What are the 5 things that inspire you right now?
1. OPM singers Ebe Dancel from Sugarfree and Aia de Leon of Imago - to be a musician playing original music in the Philippines is to constantly fight an uphill battle.
2. The French Laundry's Thomas Keller - quest for perfection
3. Mario Batali - his playful, indulgent outlook on food mostly closely matches mine
4. GamerBee - Taiwanese SSF4 player who uses Adon, a low-tiered character and recently won a tournament in the US where he beat the best players from the US and Japan
5. Eric Stonestreet - kept plugging away in Hollywood doing work and never losing hope, finally becoming a star as Cameron on Modern Family with huge ratings and winning an Emmy the first time he was nominated

Top 5 movies:
1. Ratatouille
2. Kill Bill Vol. 1
3. Unbreakable
4. The Incredibles
5. Spaceballs

Top 3 books:
1. Blade of the Immortal manga series by Hiroaki Samura
2. Sandman: Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman
3. Kingdom Come by Mark Waid & Alex Ross

Music you listen to: A mixture of OPM, country, folk, pop, rock, and hip-hop: Indigo girls, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, Sugarfree, Imago, Cynthia Alexander, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne. I also listen to stand-up comedy albums like Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, and Patton Oswalt.

5 Favorite websites:
1. Televisionwithoutpity.com
2. Shoryuken.com
3. Seriouseats.com
4. Ew.com
5. Eventhubs.com

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? Go online. I can watch TV shows that otherwise wouldn't be available locally, read up on any of my interests, check the news, keep up on food trends and ideas. It's an infinite source of information, entertainment, and porn. And it's pretty much free. What could be better?

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? Cartoon voice actor. I could have the thrill of acting without having to diet.

If you can have any super power, what would it be? Green Lantern's power ring. Versatile power set and open to the imagination of the user.

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? Poverty. Pretty much every problem in the world can be traced back to people not being able to think about anything else since they're too busy worrying about having roof over their heads and getting something to eat.

What do you think is the solution? Education. Quality, non-sectarian Education to the world's children to be precise. It gives us higher standards in choosing our leaders, where we will no longer settle for the same old politicians but want for true, visionary leadership. It teaches us that taking care of the environment is not an optional scenario. It teaches us that using books written 2,000 years ago to justify bigotry, intolerance and a distrust of science is ridiculous; that we have more that unites us than separates us. Education gives people the tools and the confidence to rise up and attain their full potential. A good education is everything to a young mind, no matter what country or situation you are in.

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? Take nothing for granted. Nothing is so powerful or unshakable that it can't be taken away from you in an instant.

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read):
The movie Ratatouille, in the pivotal scene when Anton Ego writes his review of Remy's food. It had tears in my eyes when he was done:
"The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations, the new needs friends. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its make have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realized, only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere."

dan matutina

2010-09-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

I chanced upon his website while surfing the internet and was blown away by his amazing work! He enjoys working with shapes, is inspired by folklore, and starts his day early. Check out the organized space of designer/illustrator Dan Matutina at the Idea!s office. :)

I LOVE his Bakunawa piece!!!

Dan Matutina
(Quezon City, Philippines)

Occupation: Designer / Illustrator

Website: http://twistedfork.me/

Favorite toy as a child: Ninja Turtles action figure

Favorite toy now: Phone, Starcraft & World of Warcraft

Turn-ons: Good vibes + coffe & tea

Turn-offs: Bad vibes

What are 5 things that inspire you right now? People I work with, family, friends, the internet, books

Top 5 movies:
Robert Benigni's Life is Beautiful
Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai
Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon
Mike De Leon's Kisapmata
Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Top 3 books:
Bruno Munari's Design as Art
Isabel Allende's Stories of Eva Luna
Mark Haddon's Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Music you listen to: All kinds, but right now I like chiptune & electronic

5 Favorite websites: Grain Edit, It's Nice That, But Does it Float, Net Driver, & Engadget

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? Play games, coffee, travel

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? I would either be a cook or a scientist. Hahaha.

If you can have any super power, what would it be? Teleportation. Bamf!

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? Apathy

What do you think is the solution? Optimism :)

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? There's always hope. :)

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): Be brave right through and leave for the unknown!

anik-anik love at plus63

2010-09-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

Anik-Anik Love at Plus63!

Thanks to Dan Matutina. :)

mango red

2010-08-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

They are the most innovative (and most sought-after) wedding photographers in the country. They enjoy traveling and believe in the power of love. Take a look at the eclectic space of uber-creative brothers Randall and Ryan Dagooc!

Randall and Ryan Dagooc
(Pasig, Philippines)

Occupation: Shuterrr!

Website: www.mangored.com

Favorite toy as a child
Ryan: GI Joe, family computer

Favorite toy now
Ryan: Vintage scoots

Turn-ons
Ryan: All things beautiful

Turn-offs
Ryan: bright white fluorescent lights and ginormous basketball shoes

What are 5 things that inspire you right now?
Ryan: My past, my future, my past, my future, my past

Top 5 movies
Ryan: Old Boy, Pulp Fiction, Infernal Affairs, The Consequences of Love, Broken Flowers, A Clockwork Orange, BlowUp ('di marunong magbilang :))

Top 3 books
Ryan: ahhh ehhh... too lazy and dumb to read

Music you listen to
Ryan: The Kinks, Beck, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Tim Buckley, Leonard Cohen, Holly Golightly, The Clash, Cat Power, Sonic Youth, The Good The Bad and The Queen

5 Favorite websites
Ryan: too many to mention

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time?
Ryan: Rummaging through vintage shops, ukay-ukay, scootering til kingdom come!

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be?
Ryan: a bank robber

If you can have any super power, what would it be?
Ryan: to become immortal, then die

What is the biggest problem of the world right now?
Ryan: overthinking

What do you think is the solution?
Ryan: sleeping and dreaming

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far?
Ryan: make better mistakes tomorrow

mark salvatus

2010-07-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

He collects stickers, loves street art, and he just keeps on creating! Take a look at artist Mark Salvatus' studio. :)

Mark Salvatus
(Manila, Philippines)

Occupation: Visual Artist

Website: http://marksalvatus.blogspot.com

Favorite toy as a child: robot

Favorite toy now: point and shoot camera

Turn-ons: smart

Turn-offs: dumb

What are 5 things that inspire you right now? my family, the world, people on the streets, everyday experiences, nice conversations

Top 5 movies: Kids, Clockwork Orange, Dreams, Elephant, City of God

Top 3 books: The Cat Painter, Papa's House Mama's House, Mga Selyo ni Lolo Benicio (all of them are children's books that I illustrated, hehehe)

Music you listen to: all kinds of music

5 Favorite websites: Wikipedia, Facebook, Pilipinas Street Plan Blog, Wooster Collective, Urbanism.org

When you're not busy with work, what do you in your free time? Food-trip around Quiapo-Binondo-Divisoria area, ukay-ukay trip in Cubao, Evangelista, Avenida, etc.

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? a master chef!

If you can have any super power, what would it be? go to different places and time in an instant, like Hiro Nakamura!

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? Global Warming

What do you think is the solution? leadership, we can start on our own little ways

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? Everything is possible.

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): "Don't stop"

uro dela cruz

2010-07-09T02:44:00.001-07:00

He's the director of the hit comedy show Bubble Gang, he plays the saxophone, collects vintage cameras, and an avid fan of film photography --- check out the haven of Direk Uro dela Cruz!

Rosauro Q. dela Cruz aka Uro Q. dela Cruz
(Pasig, Philippines)

Occupation: Film/TV Writer/Director

Website: rosauro.multiply.com, urodelacruz.wordpress.com

Favorite toy as a child: pen and paper

Favorite toy now: any computer

Turn-ons: When somebody says something that totally changes the way I look at things.

Turn-offs: When somebody claims that what he is saying is original but it is something said by somebody else before.

What are 5 things that inspire you right now?
My family: Anna my wife, Tata my eldest, Toto and Dodong my two boys.
The dynamic "naif" artistry of the people of my hometown Lucban, Quezon during the Pahiyas Festival
The World Wide Web
The current accessibility of most reading materials
The availability of classic films everywhere

Top 5 movies:
Foreign films
Kim Ki-duk's "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring"
Federico Fellini's "Amarcord"
Kon Ichikawa's "Fires on the Plain"
Terence Mallick's "Days of Heaven"
Robert Altman's "Nashville"

Filipino Films
Peque Gallaga's "Oro, Plata, Mata"
Butch Perez's "Haplos"
Ishmael Bernal's "Manila After Dark"
Abbo dela Cruz's "Misteryo sa Tuwa"
Ina Feleo's "Labing-labing"

Top 3 books: (as of the moment. It can change next week)
The complete set of Blair and Robertson's the "Philippine Islands"
The Latin American trilogy by Louis de Bernieres
Tom Rob Smith's "Child 44"

Music you listen to:
Rimsy-Korsakov and Mahler (for the serious stuff), all of Tom Waits' (thanks to Peque Gallaga and Butch Perez for introducing him to me), clarinet concertos, Astor Piazolla, and Crosby Stills and Nash (being true to my age)

5 Favorite websites:
TED
eBay
rangefinderfilipinas.com
Project Guttenberg
youtube

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? Reading, going on photo walkabouts (alone or in a group), cooking, watching movies

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? A documentary film maker

If you can have any super power, what would it be? Time travel. Super speed-reading.

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? There are too many powerless people and very few powerful people.

What do you think is the solution? Just a few good men with super power.

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? That you can't take it with you.

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read)? Wherever you go, there you are.

Video by Pia Faustino of GMANews.tv

luis katigbak

2010-06-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

His place is packed with books... on the bed, in his closet, and in every nook and cranny! Check out the world of writer, editor, and Palanca Award winner Luis Katigbak. :)

Luis Katigbak
(Quezon City, Philippines)

Occupation: Writer / Editor

Website: thekingofnothingtodo.tumblr.com, twitter.com/luis_k, www.unomagazine.com.ph

Favorite toy as a child: Super Robot Gaiking, with accompanying Space Dragon. (Borrowed, not actually owned. I did own a Shockwave though, the only Transformer I could afford, because a rich classmate got bored with it and sold it to me for P50, which even in those days was chump change.)

Favorite toy now: Hepa the yellow stuffed hippo. Although I consider him not so much as a toy as a roommate. Wish he would cough up his half of the rent though.

Turn-ons: Smarts, creativity, genuineness, jocosity, bibliophilia, and nice feet.

Turn-offs: Incompetence, hypocrisy, manipulativeness, being inconsiderate, stubbornness (as opposed to tenacity), and unfortunate taste in music.

What are 5 things that inspire you right now? Dreams, memories, facts, words, love.

Top 5 movies: This list is changing all the time. Today it's: Trust (I love Hal Hartley), Until the End of the World (a near-future road trip movie, wide-ranging and oddly affecting), My Neighbor Totoro (I love Miyazaki), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (intriguing idea, amazing execution), Bon Voyage Charlie Brown (a childhood favorite).

Top 3 books: This list changes even more than the movie list. Today my top 3 is: Momo by Michael Ende, Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut, and Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. Tomorrow it might be My Life and Hard Times by James Thurber, Watership Down by Richard Adams, and From the Teeth of Angels by Jonathan Carroll. I could go on...

Music you listen to: XTC, Prefab Sprout, ebtg, Outerhope, Ciudad, Up dharma Down, Drip, Massive Attack, David Bowie, The Sundays, The Spinanes, etc. Basically songs that remind me of who I am or who I want to be.

5 Favorite website: Topless Robot, The AV Club, Cracked, Chris' Invincible Super-Blog (and a ton of other comic blogs), Fingertips Music (and a ton of other music blogs)

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? Go to gigs. Plunder secondhand book shops. Read blogs and other online distractions. Harass my landlord's cat. Eat adobo flakes. Listen to music in other people's cars. Sing along.

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? A filmmaking, comics-drawing architect with a Ph.D in Mathematics. Who breakdances.

If you can have any super power, what would it be? Okay, this is a question I have asked myself repeatedly since my age was in single digits. Most cool powers have serious drawbacks: super-speed, telepathy, even invulnerability (and don't get me started on optic blasts or hyper-senses). At first I was going to go with time/space manipulation (a la Hiro Nakamura), but I realized that I would probably spend the rest of my life trying to "fix" EVERYTHING. So... I'm going to go with a power which actually infuriated me when I was a child reading X-Men/New Mutants comics, because it seemed to me so useless: Doug "Cypher" Ramsey's "superhuman intuitive facility for translating languages, spoken or written, human or alien in origin." Especially now that he can 'see' combat skills as a form of language, and can totally kick your ass. But even aside from that, he can communicate with anything in the universe, and hack any computer. Aw yeah.

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? Fear.

What do you think is the solution? The Green Lantern Corps.

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? "There is no gift like the present." He he.

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read): "Write the story that only you can write! The story that makes your balls twitch!!" - the late Francisco Arcellana, at a lecture in UP in the mid-90s (with accompanying snatching-at-the-air gesture)

juan caguicla

2010-06-14T20:07:00.001-07:00

His place looks like he just moved in yesterday --- minimal but edgy. Take a look at ace photographer Juan Caguicla's creative playground!

Juan Caguicla
(Malate, Philippines)

Occupation: At the moment, I make pictures. And make a magazine every single month.

Website: www.lazyjuan.com

Favorite toy as a child: New Year explosives from Bulacan and Binondo (which I think is illegal now)

Favorite toy now: Since the above is illegal now, I'm currently having an on-and-off relationship with guitars again (after over a decade) with the addition of MIDI.

Turn-ons: Good stuff

Turn-offs: Bad stuff

What are 5 things that inspire you right now? Can't think of any at the moment. How uninspired of me...

Top 5 movies: Waaaay too many to just pick five... This is a question near-impossible to answer.

Top 3 books: See above

Music you listen to: See above

5 favorite websites: I'm not too internet friendly. I suck at HTML, CSS, Java, and whatever else programming language virgins use to make their way around the world-wide-web. It just seems like too much work for me. My head hurts just thinking about it. I'm half-kidding.

I'm not online enough to have usual haunts and favorite websites, I'm not too much into the surfing thing (if at all), I actually have better things to do than while away the time doing nothing productive in front of the computer (which I'm sure a whole mess of people have managed to make a career out of).

Now I'm not knocking people that spend eighteen hours a day online but what I'm saying is, I'm just not too into it. For the most part, its just email, checking updates, maybe a bit of chatting (every-so-often) and a bit of research on whatever, blogging now-and-then sums up my online experience. I'm quite pedestrian that way.

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? Do absolutely nothing.

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? See above

If you can have any super power, what would it be? Being GOD could be somewhat be cool. Then again, according to the Hindus, we already are, so I don't really know. The Hindus confuse me.

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? People

What do you think is the solution? People

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? Its that "WE DON'T KNOW SHIT".

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read)? For the life of me, I can't think of any at the moment. I'll let you know when I hear one.

A friend was just talking about some talk show just before I sat down to answer these questions. This is a question you should be asking Oprah, she'd have a fucking field day with a question like this, so would Doctor Phil (if Oprah permits).

anik-anik love now on facebook

2010-06-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

Anik-anik love is now on Facebook!

Add me up to get the latest posts from the spaces of creative Filipinos. :)

sid maderazo

2010-06-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

He loves spending time with his family but when he needs some quiet time, he heads down to a cozy corner at Bowler restaurant. Take a look at hotshot commercial director Sid Maderazo's creative nook!

Sid Maderazo
(Makati, Philippines)

Occupation: TV commercials director, President 88storey Films, partner Bowler Restaurant

Website: 88storeyfilms.com, Bowlerrestobar.com

Favorite toy as a child: Voltes V, GI Joe

Favorite toy now: Cars

Turn-ons: A lot to mention

Turn-offs: stupidity and mediocrity

What are 5 things that inspire you right now? My family. That's all I ever live for.

Top 5 movies: Too many to mention but The Godfather would be top of mind

Music you listen to: Alternative and R&B

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time? I spend most of my time with my family. I play video games (PS3). Watch movies.

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? a graphic designer or a painter

If you can have any super power, what would it be? the ability to fly and see through walls

What is the biggest problem of the world right now? religion

What do you think is the solution? Hmm tough question

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far? Never be afraid to jump. Risk everything and just do it.

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/read/said): My personal mantra --- Think with your eyes, see with your mind.

show us your city contest

2010-04-15T09:46:00.001-07:00

Anik-Anik Love is one of the shortlisted entrants in the Show Us Your City competition! Cool! :)

Here is the write-up:

Mitch Mauricio's Manila is a bright, design-inspired place made up of box-head creatures and creative folk. Of music, photography, design, fashion, art and skating. Desks and posters, the tradition and contemporary, literature and legacies.

For her Show Us Your City entry, celebrity and fashion photographer Mitch Mauricio submitted Anik-Anik Love. A virtual holding pen for images and interviews that provide insight into some of the creative folk currently living and working in Manila.

Mitch first began publishing pieces on Anik-Anik Love in October 2009. Rather than focusing on the physicality of this East Asian centre, the blog portrays the rich tapestry of creatives that call the city home; delving into their past, their product, and their motivation. By exploring their worlds, Mitch creatives a comprehensive picture of what makes Manila a creative city.

Subjects include local design duo Inksurge, writer/editor and HIV advocate Wanggo Gallaga, and fashion designer Shanon Pamaong.

:)

dex fernandez, mark andy garcia, and froilan calayag

2010-04-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

Artists Dex Fernandez, Froilan Calayag, Mark Andy Garcia, and Raffy Napay share a huge space as their home and studio. Check out their creative clutter. :)

Dex Fernandez, Mark Andy Garcia, and Froilan Calayag
(Marikina, Philippines)

Occupation
Dex: artist
Andy: artist
Froilan: artist

Favorite toy as a child
Dex: found objects
Andy: joystick
Froilan: machinery

Favorite toy now
Dex: gameboy (tetris classic)
Andy: kahit ano basta may NBA Live saka bomber man
Froilan: people

Turn-ons
Dex: may sense of humor, cool, smart
Andy: simple lang
Froilan: pinkish

Turn-offs
Dex: bobo
Andy: mayabang saka masyadong maingay yung bibig
Froilan: umber

Top 5 movies
Dex: dancer in the dark, trainspotting, the pianist, linda linda linda, clockwork orange
Andy: the eye, shutter, ghost fighter the movie, the ring, terminator 2
Froilan: butterfly effect, trainspotting, cocoon, emerald garden, frida

Top 3 books
Dex: english dictionary, english-tagalog dictionary, nihongo dictionary
Andy: bible, letters of vincent van gogh, if i perish, munch by himself, impressionist of home
Froilan: anghel y demonios, the world of children, spirit of the family

Music you listen to
Dex: kings of convenience, whitest boy alive, bloc party, peter, bjorn and john
Andy: iba-iba basta maganda ang lyrics saka naiintidihan pa rin
Froilan: crickets

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time?
Dex: naglilinis ng kwarto
Andy: naglalaro ng bomber man
Froilan: masteral

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be?
Dex: mcdo crew
Andy: doctor na lang, yung nag-oopera
Froilan: water therapist

If you can have any super power, what would it be?
Dex: flying invisible man
Andy: gusto ko yung nakakapagbasa ako ng isip, para alam ko kung sino yung may balak na masama sa akin, para alam ko lang
Froilan: fire power

Where do you find inspiration for your creations?
Dex: sa mga taong nakapaligid sa kin, sa mga bagay at pangyayari na nakikita ko. at sa sarili ko.
Andy: dyan dyan lang
Froilan: inspirations

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read)?
Dex: sabi ng teacher namin nung elementary ako habang nag-eexam, "class kung di niyo masagutan yung ibang tanong, proceed muna kayo sa iba, para di kayo maubusan ng oras, then balikan nyo na yung mahihirap na tanong."
tapos nung minsan nanood ako ng isang talk show advice ni kris aquino don sa guest nila, "make the most of it"
Andy: meron din, pero secret ko lang yun.
Froilan: pain is money. look at the cost of happiness.