2016!

In a culture like ours in the Philippines, certain new year traditions are being performed to attract good luck in the coming year.  In our home, we usually have 13 kinds of round fruits on the table, for abundance.  We also have sticky rice treats for the family to "stick together".  At the strike of 12 midnight, each family member eats 12 grapes at the strike of 12 midnight(for abundance for the next 12 months) and kiat-kiat (small citrus fruits) are rolled from the main door into the house to welcome good luck into the household.  

As the year changes, all the lights in the house should be turned on and your wallet , pockets and angpao envelopes should have lots of money. There should be noise to drive away bad spirits or bad things.

There are also some dont's to watch out for.  Don't spend money on the 1st day of the year or else you will end up with a lot of expenses during the year.  Don't serve chicken or you will be poor (from the idiomatic expression "isang kahig, isang tuka" which means hand to mouth existence).  

It's 2016 now and some of these age old traditions are still being done.  It's part of the fun of being a Filipino and I'm not missing up on (some of) them. 

But I'm also not missing up on another "personal tradition":  to look back and be grateful for the good the past year has brought me, and to look forward with a heart full of hope to the new year.  So for this 2016, my life-hashtags would be:

#liveyourdream

#stepintoyourgreatness

#dontholdback

#lovedeeplyandfallhard

#explore

#enjoytheworld

#passion

#inspire

#nurture

Happy 2016 everyone! 

Balut 101

Merriam-Webster defines balut as "a food in the Philippines consisting of duck eggs incubated almost to the point of hatching and then boiled".  To us, it is simply one of the street foods just like the barbecue (well...seriously...not really....). 

To most non-Filipinos, balut can be one of the "most disgusting, strange, terrifying food" . Which I understand, what with balut actually being a duck fetus :) .

Recently, our Swedish expat at work decided he will try the balut. And we taught him how to do it properly:

1. Crack a hole on the shell -usually by knocking the egg on the table
2. Sip the soup from the hole
3. Peel the rest of the egg
4. Put some salt, or vinegar
5. Eat everything in one go (for your sake :) ) 

Way to go ...just completed the first step to becoming a Filipino :)

Pinto Art Museum- Antipolo's Pride

Pinto is the Filipino word for "door".  True to its name, Pinto Art Museum opens the door to contemporary Filipino art.Owned by Dr. Joven Cuanang, Pinto has become a venue to exhibit creations of homegrown artists.

Museum entrance

Situated in a one hectare garden, and with spacious galleries, the claustrophobic me appreciates the very relaxing ambiance of this museum, as opposed to some stuffy old museums. 

Paintings and mixed media arts depict contemporary Filipino life and culture.  There is "Liga" (or basketball league) , basketball being the favorite sport of the Filipinos. "Liga" is more than basketball game, it is a community gathering, a way of life.  

 "School Service" is a rural version of school "bus".  I see this scene everyday in Antipolo and it disgusts me: 8 or more children cramped in 4-passenger tricycles. A total disregard for children's comfort and safety.    

"Pag-asa" shows the high value Filipinos put on education.

Visitors would also see sculptures/art objects in and out of the museum galleries, in between pillars, in the gardens and even by the fence. These are some favorites:

We did not expect the museum to be huge and to spend hours in the museum- but we did. We needed to cool down at the Pinto Cafe.

It was time well spent.  Pinto Art Museum is definitely one of Antipolo's pride.  Too bad I discovered it only 10 years after moving to this city.

Pinto Art Museum is located at:

1 Sierra Madre St Grand Heights

Antipolo

Telephone: (632) 6971015