Had a three-song gig two nights ago at the 70’s Bistro. It was a fund-raiser for drummer-musician-artist Noe Tiu who passed away last week due to a stroke. Noe was a good friend and he did a lot of our posters, artwork, and we enjoyed his great company and spirit. You will be missed Noe!

The gig was fun. It’s a small venue, not a fancy one but has a lot of character and spunk.This is a place where lots of young bands learn their chops. Tomorrow night, we will be doing a concert at Crossroads. It will our first time in the venue. I have not seen it yet but I hear it is a 2000 plus seater. I am excited to do the show with the bbest band abyone can ever have. If you are thinking of watching, call 4265301 (APO office) and resreve your tickets.

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A cousin who lives in Switzerland was telling me that a millionaire friend of hers was recently fine 40,000 Swiss Francs (about 38,000USD) for… are you ready for this? Speeding! YES, SPEEDING.

Apparently, the penalties for road violations is proportionate to what you earn. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it. If a millionaire was charged a 100 dollar fine for speeding, it would hardly be a deterrent. But if you had to pay an amount that hurts, then you will make sure you follow the rules. This is something we can apply here.

If Boyet the taxi driver is caught speeding, a 500 Peso fine would hurt, for sure. If Lucio Tan is the one caught, would, say, 1 million or more be a proportionate penalty?

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My first article for Hills News, a local publication in Baulkham Hills in the Sydney suburbs was published last week. My beat is travel and leisure. I wrote about Boracay and immediately got a response from a reader who enjoyed both Boracay and my article. I am so thrilled to be able to truthfully claim that I am a columnist in Manila (Philippine Star) and in Australia.

One of my dreams is to talk with the world as my audience and to see my books published internationally. One country at a time.

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The day my column on Jun Lozada was published at the Philippine Star, I got a text from Carmen, Jun’s sister who texted my secretary Ollie through a number she saw in the workshop announcement attached to my column. She said that I wrote the article like I knew Jun personally and thanked me for it. Last Monday night, I met Jun and his family at the Mass for Truth at the Gesu Church at the Ateneo de Manila Campus. I shook his hand, congratulated him for his courage and truthfulness. I got a hug from him. Later on, as Jun went to the front of the church were the media was waiting for him, I talked to his nephew, his brother and sister for awhile. I know how they feel and the pressure that they are all going through.

I remember what author Joseph Campbell said about life being an adventure. Everyone is always kicked out of a place of comfort, and thrown into the unknown. This is a pattern one sees everywhere in all cultures and throughout history. In the twists and turns of the journey or mission being undertaken, everytime the hero is at his wits end, or about to give up, someone comes in to point the way to a new direction so that the journey can continue. The journey will require that the hero go through fire to purify and steel himself. When he has learned what he must learn, he will return to impart what he knows to his people.

Campbell points out that every person’s life is a hero adventure. One may choose the adventure or may be thrown into it without choice initially. We soon learn that the choice is there for us to continue or stop. When we refuse the call to go on with the adventure, we stagnate and kill our own spirit.

Life is like mythology and the the mythical template is always like this. Campbell talks about the neccesity of leaving one’s comfort zone (Adam and Eve’s Eden, Frodo’s Shire, Shakyamuni’s palace, for examples) as the start of the journey. Come to think of it, even at the very start of life, we already by necessity have to leave the comfort of the womb.

This mythic theme of ‘getting into trouble’ is clearly demonstrated in the lives of Luke Skywalker, Buddha, Jesus. Also throw in as examples, Rizal, Ninoy, and the lives of countless ‘ordinary’ people who said ‘yes’ to the challenge. By saying ‘yes’ and carrying it through, they became bigger than what they were. They became at the very least, ‘extraordinary’.

So Jun, don’t despair. You are in good company. For every twist and turn, trust that there will be a ‘Gandalf’ or an Obi Wan Knobi or an angel who will be there to guide you.

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On February 21, Thursday, the new MCAD (Museum of Modern Art and Design) is opening it’s doors for their very first exhibit. The MCAD is the newest and most modern museum in the Philippines to date. For their first exhibit, they are featuring eleven personalities and how they have influenced contemporary life and culture. One of them is none other than yours truly. You are all invited to be part of this. We would be so happy to see all of you there.

Please come. If youy cannot today, the exhibit runs for 6 months. Below are the details of the exhibit:

EXHIBIT A
roots out notions of the contemporary in recent works by…..

JUSTINO ARBOLEDA, agricultural engineer
JUNY BINAMIRA, boat designer and builder
BUDJI LAYUG, designer / stylist of domestic environments
CLODUALDO DEL MUNDO, JR, scriptwriter and filmmaker
NEAL OSHIMA, photographer
JIM PAREDES, songwriter and performer
TONY PEREZ, playwright, novelist, and painter
JUDY FREYA SIBAYAN, conceptual artist
INNO SOTTO, couturier
RICARDO DE UNGRIA, poet
RAMON VILLEGAS, jewelry designer and antique dealer

curated by MARIAN PASTOR ROCES

MCAD (Museum of Contemporary Art and Design) is at the School of Design abd Arts building, De La Salle College of Saint Benilde,
950 P. Ocampo St., Malate, Manila

The evening’s DJ will begin the program of rock music from the last 30 years, at 6:00pm, on February 21, 2008.

Choose your own dress code. Come in haute, avante, or nondescript couture. Bring any attitude.

Tours of the building commence at 5:00pm and end at 6:00pm.

Indoor parking is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.