Down the Rabbit Hole

Another weekday holiday brought me and my museum-hopping friends Mary, Bing, and Man to the next museum/art gallery in our checklist: the Ayala Museum ( http://www.ayalamuseum.org ). I've been there twice before (both as a student) and there were instances when Noah and I were staring at the entrance but didn't have the time to go in. Today, I had the luxury of spending an afternoon viewing dioramas that showcase snippets of Philippine history. Photography is not allowed, just like in the Cultural Center of the Philippines, so I am not posting any here. --- The 60 dioramas at the Ayala Museum divided Philippine history into various stages but not necessarily in the way it was taught to me in school. Philippine history was defined, in my history classes, based on who had occupied the Philippines at any given time: the Spaniards, the Americans, and the Japanese. Instead, the dioramas and a multimedia exhibit showed history based on how Filipinos viewed it: before colonizers, the

Another weekday holiday brought me and my museum-hopping friends Mary, Bing, and Man to the next museum/art gallery in our checklist: the Ayala Museum ( http://www.ayalamuseum.org ). I've been there twice before (both as a student) and there were instances when Noah and I were staring at the entrance but didn't have the time to go in. Today, I had the luxury of spending an afternoon viewing the various exhibits that showed how strong Philippine international trade relations were with the rest of the world, a common theme I have observed previously in exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum and the National Museum. The Ayala collection further showed how rich the foundations of Filipino culture are. Photography is not allowed, just like in the Cultural Center of the Philippines, so I am not posting any here. --- Gold of Ancestors. Gold has always been one of the most expensive metals worldwide. But it's not only valued by contemporary people. Even in pre-historical periods, Fili

January 2006. That's when I first saw the car that would bring me from point A to point B for the next seven years: a Honda Jazz 1.3 CVT . Fast forward 186,000++ kilometers later, I bid the car good-bye. While I've been planning on selling it for sometime, the reality of parting from the car still came as a shock... and that was earlier today. Yes, the Jazz was sold on my Mom's birthday . Since the car transferred hands and I am home alone, I wasn't in such a celebratory mood. Anna and I will eat on the weekend to celebrate Mommy's birthday. It still feels surreal that the Jazz is no longer mine. So to cope, I'm listing down 10 memories with the Jazz, just on the top of my head. Here goes... The rear seat became a mini-zoo . The stuff toys became a perfect distraction for my nephews and nieces. A friend was attempting to get the platypus doll for himself; I ended up teary-eyed. They're my toys! Long trip to Pampanga, take 1. Anna and I drove n