Details

These are the magnificent friezes, columns and chandelier in the main lobby of the National Art Gallery of the Philippines, which used to be the Legislative Building of the country. I know that the architectural details have been there since the early 20th century, when it was built during the American Colonial Era. Unfortunately, I do not know anything about the chandelier, not even whether it is old or new. If I may hazard a guess, I think it's both. The main chandelier looks like an antique but the organic glass shapes and curvy rods with balls at the end are a newer addition. In fact, the addition reminds me so much of Filipino artist Impy Pilapil's work. What do you think?



If I ever find out, I'll let you all know, of course.

The firm

Only a quarter of a century old, Puno & Puno Law is one of the best-known law firms in Manila. Like most other law firms in the country, they can handle almost any kind of legal case but their particular specialty is corporate and regulatory laws. Thankfully, we were at their offices because of an event and not because we needed their services.

Partners

For the life of me, I just can't get a decent photo of my own grade school and high school, Holy Family. Barbed wire runs on top of its walls and utility cables are thick all over. This is just the side of the school; the cables at the front, which is in our neighborhood's main street, are even worse. Holy Family School is run by the Siervas de San Jose (Servants of Saint Joseph), a religious missionary congregation founded in Spain, and is an all-girls school. It is separated from Claret School, an all-boys grade school and high school, by a single, low wall. Needless to say, a lot of heckling and eyelash-batting goes on around that wall during recess and lunch break.

Artificial wings

This is the introductory piece of Filipino-German artist Kawayan de Guia's exhibit titled "Bored on the Fourth of July." He was the recipient of the 2008 New York Art Project residency grant which is selected annually by the Omi International Arts Center. "Bored on the Fourth of July" was shown in the Ateneo Art Gallery last year but I forgot to post it back then and just saw it again yesterday when I was cleaning up my iPhoto. From the exhibit notes:

In two sets of images and texts, Kawayan puts forward a critique and commentary on the human propensity to consume that he witnessed in America and rediscovered on his return home. It is a propensity, a hollow greed that America projects on the world. In this world, shopping is the new drug; the source of fleeting mass-produced moments of happiness and artificial healing.

Tolling for a century

Here is a side view of the 1896 St. John the Baptist Parish Church, better known locally as Pinaglabanan Church, showing the bell tower which is separate from the main church. You can also see here where its unusually-shaped but beautiful stained glass window is.

Green means yes

I feel like such a hick for posting this because I'm sure they're common in more developed countries, but I just had to because I was actually delighted when I realized what they were. I noticed them on the ceiling of the parking building when we last went to an SM Supermall, and it took me several seconds before I understood what they were for. A green light means that the parking space is free and a red light means that a car's parked there. Now, drivers don't have to crawl through all the lanes looking for a free slot; just one look at the lights and they'll know whether they can park on that level or move on to the next. Isn't that so clever? I doubt if they'll help ease the awful traffic around Manila's humongous malls during weekends though.

Cloudzilla

Seen while walking out of the Ateneo de Manila University campus on our way home at 6:00 in the evening a few days ago.

Visit the Sky Watch Friday home page and tour the skies of our beautiful world.

Almost opaque

I posted a similar photo of the Rizal Library of the Ateneo de Manila University back in May, but one taken in the early evening when the windows look completely transparent. I just find the difference in the opacity of the windows—depending on the light and the time of day—absolutely fascinating.

The king of sending

The Philippines' answer to UPS and FedEx: LBC. Its international destinations are not quite as extensive but its fees are much cheaper. It also has two services which the other two do not offer, both aimed at our large population of overseas workers. The first is money remittance, which is necessary in this country where most of our people do not have bank accounts. The second is the balikbayan (returning countrymen) box, a box of a specific dimension which is sent from another country to the Philippines and which can be filled with anything and everything non-perishable no matter the weight. It is sent by sea so it can take up to six weeks before it reaches its destination but it's usually the only way to send heavy things back home.

Morning exercise

I don't know who they belong to, but every morning I see two white hens pecking away in the front yard of our neighbor across the street. When they reach a bit beyond her gate, they turn around and go back down the road where they came from. Not a scenario most people would expect in a metropolis like Manila, but you'd be surprised what other farm animals people can keep in their houses here. We don't have a law regulating things like this after all.

Give praise

The FEBIAS College of Bible in the City of Malabon may be small and its buildings a bit dilapidated




but it has one of the biggest and most handsome trees I have seen in the metro




and lots of other plants besides, all of which give the small campus a certain graceful air.




FEBIAS stands for Far Eastern Bible Institute and Seminary, the original name of this interdenominational Bible school when it opened in 1948.

Simple blessing

A relief of the Madonna and Child in the gardens of the Santa Maria della Strada (Our Lady of the Way) parish church in Quezon City.

Forces

The headquarters of the Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas (Philippine Navy) is dwarfed by the headquarters of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines). Both are along Roxas Boulevard in the City of Manila.

See what's reflecting what at James' Weekend Reflections.

The governor's gate

This small doorway through the thick walls of Intramuros is called the Puerta Postigo del Gobernador because it was near the Spanish Governor-General's palace. This is the door that Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal walked through when he was brought by Spanish soldiers from his jail in Fort Santiago to Bagumbayan where he was executed by firing squad in 1896. The little room where the guards of this doorway stayed was also where the young Manuel L. Quezon, who much later became the President of the Philippine Commonwealth, was incarcerated after he surrendered to the Americans in 1902.