October Bite Magazine Vol 3 No10 by apiong bagares

OCTOBER 2009 VOL.3 NO.10 Florence and the Machine, Lungs / The Ancient Art Of Drinking To Music. Hic! / October Mayhem / The Dawn / The Paradox of All Hallow’s Eve / More than just PSP / Do not Support Your Local Artist and more…

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Before we started celebrating Octoberfest there wasn’t much fest in October. Consequently, it was just another tedious month that somehow got in the way of getting faster to the biggest fest of the year, Christmas. Mind you, this was more than a hundred years after the first celebration of this event in the country where they really had the “K” for this event, them having invented beer. Thus, if you’re wondering why they spell it Oktoberfest, there you are. Seriously, with Octoberfest, we now have a better way to keep track of our memories of October: “Was that the year you really got plastered?” “No, that was the year before, when you passed out.” “Really, but wasn’t that the year when you pissed in your bottle then drank it?” And so on. Memory time once again, boys and girls. But, -- and we do feel marmish saying this – don’t let memory making be the cause of losing the organ where such memories are made, acted, stored and recycled: your noggins. So, don’t get plastered, don’t pass out, and, please, don’t piss in your bottle and, lastly, please, please, please don’t drink it. There. Go!

Roy Lumagbas Text Minder David Harris Inspiration Mona Polo Word Factory / Guidance Apiong Bagares Page Design / Photos Philip Sinajonon Page Design / Illustrations Marites Abatayo Sales Executive Iris Su Viral Marketing Pumpkin Property Custodian Paul Dean Editorial Contributors Ching Villalon Dexter Sy bakunawa_on_the_loose Chai Fonacier Russ Raniel Ligtas Mia Arquillon Marquiz de Kintolimbo Ching Villalon Photo Contributions Archie Uy Aldo Banaynal Nicko Real Mirza Barcenilla

The Front Teeth p.s. What is the sound of a beer bottle opening?

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Drunk on Music

Cover Design

Miko Suarez

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FIRSTBITE

ZOOMIN / DRUNK ON MUSIC

HEADBANGER

Ingredients: 0.5 oz. Banana Liqueur, 1.0 oz. Brandy, 0.75 tsp Cinnamon Directions: mix, drink and find a seat.

PUNK ROCK COLA Ingredients: 6 cans

October Mayhem Paul Dean

of strong Beer, 3 cans of frozen concentrate e.g. Orange Juice and 1 bottle cheap whisky. Directions: Mix all in a large bowl or bucket, let the orange juice melt to cool off the other stuff. Tastes great after the first cup.

BLACK SABBATH Ingredients: 1.0 part Whisky, 1.0 part Rum, 1.0 part Jagermeister Directions: Real Drinkers, get buzz’n fast

JIMI HENDRIX Ingredients to use: 1.0 .oz budweiser beer, 2.0 .oz jim beam bourbon, 0.5 .oz Raspberry Liqueur Directions: Mix all ingredients and serve over ice whilst seated. Once the brave juice starts flowing, some relevant music is needed to set the scene e.g.

Halloween and Ocktoberfest probably makes this the biggest party month of the year. Having survived and experienced numerous Octoberfest happenings/events throughout October, many people have no need to worry about costumes and makeup for Halloween, as most of them by this time look like death warmed up and their laundry hasn’t been done since September! So, the 31st October heralds the big finale for what has been an expensive, OTT, but still enjoyable month Most adults are aware of the factual history of Halloween, but for a brief period on the 31st some let their minds drift into the outer reaches of this ancient Pagan ritual that has since been highjacked by many others. Suddenly they begin to peep behind the veils of mystery, imagination, the unknown and all kinds of strange stuff. To survive this creepy journey and to not end up behaving like a quivering wreck in front of friends, a touch of libation is much sort after and recommended, especially for those with a sheltered upbringing. Examples (www. idrink.com):

Sympathy For The Devil – Rolling Stones This House Is Haunted – Alice Cooper Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath Wicked Annabella – ZHH The Kinks The Ghost Song – The Doors Sweet Dreams – Marilyn Manson Down With The Sickness – Disturbed An Cat Dubh – U2 Youth Of America – Birdbrain Goodbye Horses – Q Lazzarus I Love The Dead – Alice Cooper Closer – Nine Inch Nails Lullaby – The Cure Dragula – Rob Zombie Dead Skin Mask – Slayer Brain Damage – Pink Floyd Diary Of A Madman – Ozzy Osbourne Thriller – Michael Jackson Later on when the partying has quietened down, some people move on to storytelling. Some purely to frighten their more nervous compatriots, or because they have had an unusual experience at some point in their life, which doesn’t sound so daft to them or others under the influence of mind altering nectar. Most of us have a story, doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from read on: ZOOMIN / DRUNK ON MUSIC

In 1995, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr went into the studio to add their voices to an old John Lennon demo of Free As A Bird. Afterwards, the three surviving Beatles posed for a photo outside the studio. In the instant before the photographer snapped the shutter, a white peacock wandered into the shot. “That’s John,” McCartney said. “Spooky, eh? It was like John was hanging around. We felt that all through the recording.” .Sir Paul McCartney always maintains Lennon was in the studio with them throughout the recording -- fooling around. He recalls, “There were a lot of strange goings-on in the studio -- noises that shouldn’t have been there and equipment doing all manner of weird things. “There was just an overall feeling that John was around.” McCartney also told Observer Music Monthly that the group put a backwards recording at the end of the single as a joke, “to give all those Beatles nuts something to do.” Listening to the finished recording in the studio one night, McCartney claims that in the middle of the otherwise indecipherable garble, the words “jooohn lennnnon” could clearly be heard. A rambling old building just off of Nashville’s Music Row housed the corporate headquarters and recording studios of RCA in the 1950s. It was in a small studio on the first floor of that building that Elvis Presley recorded his breakthrough 1956 single, Heartbreak Hotel. After RCA moved to other quarters, the building became a TV production facility. An audio booth and studio lighting panel occupied the space in which Elvis recorded. Studio crew members swore that every time Elvis’ name was mentioned during a show production, something strange would happen: a light would blow out, a ladder would fall, some unexplained noise would suddenly be heard through the soundsystem. Rock music lore is full of eerie tales which, some would say, reflect the sex-drugs-rock ‘n’ roll culture more

10 ZOOMIN / DRUNK ON MUSIC

than they validate theories of the occult. True or not, they make for some entertaining Halloween tales. In addition to being the title of a 1969 Cher album, 3614 Jackson Highway is the more commonly used name of Muscle Shoals (Alabama) Sound Studio, where the album was recorded. The studio is said to be haunted by the ghost of one Eddie Hinton, who wrote songs and played backup for artists such as Aretha Franklin, Boz Skaggs, and the Box Tops. Musicians waiting for their turn in the studio have reported seeing an unknown man in a blue suit (like the one the late Mr. Hinton was wearing when he was buried) wandering around the place. Elvis considered his many UFO sightings to be signs from gods. Michael Jackson, whom many believed to be an alien, was so obsessed by the possibility of life on other planets that he wanted to pack up his show and take it to outer space and perform the Moonwalk on the Moon. And along the way, Elton John and David Bowie created Rocketman and Ziggy Stardust, and Sammy Hagar, Rick Wakeman, Dave Davies and Nina Hagen have experienced classic UFO abductions. From Elvis to the Beatles, from Jerry Garcia to Marilyn Manson, rock stars claim to have seen, communed with, been inspired by, and sometimes even descended from extraterrestrials. The birth of Elvis was marked by the appearance of a mysterious blue light over his house. In August 1974, John Lennon spied a UFO from the window of the penthouse he shared with thengirlfriend, May Pang. Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithful encountered a luminous cigar-shaped mothership while camping in the English countryside in 1968. Jimi Hendrix told a friend, “I am a spiritual messenger, sent here from another place.” Another tragic music star, Freddie Mercury, returns from beyond the grave in spirit form to help fans and pals get over lows in their lives. The late Queen star insisted superfan Melina Richmond seek a psychic pal in a bid to prove he really was there for her -- just like a scene from hit movie Ghost. Richmond explains, “I felt stupid but I agreed to meet this woman and that made me realise that I was in tune with Freddie -- maybe from reincarnation to reincarnation. “I figured I’d known him in previous lives, and he has been a regular visitor ever since -- always courteous and intelligent. I can’t conjure him up,

he comes to me when he wants to. Normally when I need a friend.” Foo Fighter Dave Grohl also had a terrifying experience at the hands of a ghost -- but he feels he brought it on himself by dabbling with the spirits. He discovered his Seattle, Washington, house is haunted by the ghost of a native American woman, who murdered her baby more than a century ago, after holding a seance. It was his ex-wife Jennifer’s idea to make contact with the spirit world through a Ouija board after the couple had witnessed some strange goingson in their home. Grohl says, “Jennifer asked if there were any spirits in the house. The glass on the Ouija board spelled out, ‘Y-E-S’. I was just looking at Jennifer and she wasn’t moving at all. The glass was travelling without her pushing it. “Jennifer then asked, ‘What happened here?’ The glass spelled out, ‘M-U-R-D-E-R-E-D’. I asked who was murdered and got the reply ‘M-Y-B-AB-Y’.” Grohl has since found out that, according to local legend, a native American baby was murdered there during the late 19th century by its mother and buried in a well. The mother is said to haunt the area, waiting for her child to be given a proper burial.

started talking to them, or things went missing. “I was very sceptical until the night after my daughter Mickey was born. She was disturbed and I went to see her. Her room is full of mobiles and they were going berserk. I thought a window must be open, but they were all shut. I was terrified.

HAVE A GREAT OCTOBER AND REMEMBER, YOU’RE NEVER ALONE.

Speaking in 2001, John Entwistle of the Who revealed, “A lot of weird things have happened in the 22 years I’ve been in this house. Among them are sightings of a lady in 19th century clothes walking the grounds, and the camera of an uninvited photographer falling apart. “Most recently I was having trouble locating a recording of Keith Moon pounding out a never-used Who song, and so I asked my friendly ghost for a helping hand. “A few hours later when I was about to give up the search, the tapes spontaneously fell off a shelf behind me revealing the Moon recording which had been hidden behind them. I used it.” Rock star Sting admits he has always attracted the spirits -- ever since he was a child. He swears supernatural Roman centurions walked the rooms of his childhood home in Station Road, Newcastle, England. And he called in the ghost hunters when he discovered his home in Highgate, north London, was haunted. The hitmaker still owns the historic house, and feels the spook chasers did their job -- because he can have a quiet night’s sleep there these days. He admits, “Ever since I moved there, people said things happened -- they were lying in bed and people DRUNK ON MUSIC / ZOOMIN

Paul Dean

Definitions of Drunk:

1) Having one’s faculties impaired by alcohol 2) Being dominated by an intense feeling 3) A feeling of strong excitement or elation

One definition of Music: An agreeable

sound which is capable of arousing the emotional and physical senses We can therefore determine that ‘Drunk on Music’ does not necessarily need an intake of alcoholic beverages to make us drunk. Music is intoxicating with or without alcohol, bridging the extremes of euphoria and sadness and capable of inducing tears or the desire to dance like a raving lunatic. Like music, alcohol and its effects have been present wherever people have lived throughout history. Drinking is documented in the Hebrew and Christian bibles, in Greek literature as old as Homer, in Confucius’s Analects. If we go back even further, our primitive ancestors were remarkably adept at inventing numerous concoctions to help diminish the stress of everyday life, and when necessary build up their courage to

12 SOUNDBITE

fight off Mammoths or Sabre Tooth Tigers, as well as sweet talk the local wenches into visiting their state of the art caves without having to resort to bashing them over the head with a club and dragging them by the hair. Once the musical elements were also slowly introduced into their lives (party time around the ancient campfire BBQ), life became a bit simpler, easier, less aggressive and more socially acceptable. The girls in their latest skins, a good paint job on their faces, fluttering eyelids, giggling, chatting and gyrating to the latest drum s o u n d . The guys, laughing, shouting, chanting, headbanging, imbibing the witchdoctor’s latest brew, flashing their physical attributes and dancing as though their loincloth were full of particularly hungry vicious red ants. HANG ON a minute - this all seems to

remind me of nearly every bar, music venue and club I’ve ever been to all over the World.

Some things never change! Anyway, it would therefore appear that music could be very loosely referred to as an airborne stimulant and probably the only one that is absorbed into the body through the ears (sometimes also absorbed by physical vibrations). Although it needs continuous doses to experience the full effects, it is usually available for free, so is extremely popular and is accessible through many channels. It is often enjoyed and absorbed by many people at the same time, so can be very social, but with modern technology one can now buy personal absorption kits which allow you to enjoy the experience without affecting others around you. The side effects can include extreme elation, melancholy, a desire to make strange sounds through the mouth, exhibitionism, voluntary and involuntary physical twitching, not to mention hearing damage. It is extremely addictive once experienced and there are no verifiable records of anyone who has managed to kick the habit during their lifetime. This stimulant is produced worldwide and in volumes far exceeding all other kinds. Because the producers of music are so numerous and take on many guises, the product can take on many different forms. Most addicts have their favorite and tend to stick to it vehemently. Although gener-

ally it is not illegal to partake of this stimulant, people who absorb certain forms of it can be persecuted, showered in derogatory comments, and condemned and laughed at by others, which has necessitated them forming their own groups who worship the same form of stimulant in their own segregated dens. Although many people quite often mix the two i.e. music and alcohol, caution should be used at all times. It must be remembered that music is widely regarded as a stimulant whereas alcohol is clinically classed as a depressant. Doses of music combined with a moderate intake of alcohol have no major detrimental effects, but an excessive intake of alcohol can lead to some very unpleasant side effects e.g. headaches, deafness, vomiting, rejection by others, loss of memory, loss of personal possessions, inability to navigate home, ability to bore people to death and eventually considerable embarrassment. Physically, alcohol may initially enhance the elation effect of music, but in large quantities it will eventually result in the mind being unable to control or operate certain physical actions. Mentally and physically everything will follow a downward trend! The after affects of music/alcohol abuse can be quite prolonged and serious e.g. bad breath, high irritation levels, ringing in the ears, loss of appetite, exhaustion, blisters/bruises/cuts, end of relationships and friendships, unauthorized overdrafts, loss of employment, severe memory loss and nagging abuse from many quarters. October is fast becoming the most dangerous month worldwide for excessive abuse by music and alcohol users, so beware! If you do end up ‘going over the top’ take note that it is now widely accepted that the verbal cure ‘never again’ has been proven to have no lasting or beneficial effect whatsoever.

Tip for Bar owners - A French study shows

that turning up the volume on the music can speed up drinking at the bar. Researchers found loud music correlated with increased alcohol consumption and shortened the amount of time it took for bar patrons to empty their glasses. Previous research had shown that fast music can cause fast drinking, and that music versus no music can cause a person to spend more time in a bar. With previous research on music, food, and drink, high sound levels may cause higher arousal, which leads the subjects to drink faster and to order more drinks. Loud music may have a negative effect on social interaction in a bar, so that patrons drink more because they talk less.

SOUNDBITE

The Paradox of All Hallow’s Eve Dexter Sy

I’m a rational man – I’m a thinking man. And when I think, I think on the basis of reason – definitely not emotion. But every once in a while, irrationality takes over – and this becomes especially true around this time of year, to me at least. If all this seems like beating around the bush to you, it’s because it is. The point is, and as much as I hate to admit the truth, Halloween scares me. Looking back on the chronology of this over-hyped holiday, it all started as some paganistic celebration that, well, just went a little overboard as history progressed. Soon, the supernatural and the occult – arguably mere manifestations of man’s overactive imagination – crept into the festivities and pretty soon, children were dressing up as witches and ghosts (and, more recently and definitely less aptly, whichever comic book hero was the trendiest in the period concerned) to, in their own adorable little ways, muscle homeowners into giving them candy. Much like highway robbers to a caravan. Given all the facts, how is it possible for a grown man to be afraid of this one partic-

14 RANTRAVEANDWHINE

ular day in the Roman calendar? Let’s just say custom can be pretty powerful when backed up by loitering thoughts. Along with the commonly celebrated premise that Halloween is a night when ghouls are free to wreck terror on man, my sometimes-crippling fear of becoming, all of a sudden, capable of seeing spirits gets me awfully uneasy on Halloween. The movie “Stir of Echoes” did me in: some Doubting Thomas had a ritual done on him that, as it was claimed, would grant him a third eye. So it worked and he ended up having to deal with all the restless souls wandering his newly-purchased home. Amidst the screams resonating through the movie theater, I had to think to myself, “crap, that could have been me.” Unfounded as it was, the possibility still lingers in my head until now, and it rings loudest on All Hallows Eve. It doesn’t even help that there never really was a hype over this holiday in this country, not until recently at least. We were a generation raised on madefor-TV movies, and we all know what happens to the kids who trick o’ treat on the wrong house. Solipsism – the school of thought that claims everything outside of our heads to be non-existent. This keyboard I am typing on exists only because I think of it. “There is no you, there is only me” as the Nine Inch Nails song goes. The question is – is the converse as acceptable? If everything outside of our mind does not exist, does everything inside our mind exist? (Let me assure you this will not soon turn into a full-blown philosophical banter, so patronize me for a moment.) That’s a terrifying idea, especially to the few of us who have all kinds of nonsense embedded into our daily thought cycles. By this line of thinking, vampires (or anything less trendy, like zombies) become as real as the kindly old lady tending the sari-sari store next door. Then again, and this is going by the traditional definition of reality, there’s much to fear in the realm of reality alone. It’s a wonder I have any time at all to worry about ghosts. Sure, a floating white sheet is creepy, but in the end, why should it be any scarier than

any other sheet that can’t levitate? Think of everything else we have to worry about on a daily basis – dead presidents’ kids running for a presidency their parents could hardly handle; the Archdiocese making more legislative decisions than the Senate; the Senate tackling “moral” issues like they were the Archdiocese. Then there’s the small stuff that, believe me, we have to sweat – middleaged shoplifters incompetent enough to get their surveillance videos up on YouTube; East Asian girl groups desecrating the art of music with their brainless song-and-dance ditties; macho jocks (and I don’t refer to the teen drama stereotype) beating people over something as juvenile as a moshpit dance gone wrong. It’s a world gone mad, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the undead, vengeful spirits, and vagabond souls have left for greener pastures – maybe to Europe or somewhere hip like that. Heck, I’ve made up my mind. I won’t be silly this year. I won’t be scared of Halloween. Not exclusively, that is.

Florence and the Machine Lungs

[(Island Record Group 2009] This is one of the best ‘escapist’ albums I’ve ever heard - the lyrics are for YOU not for her or anyone else. Dream and dream harder. Bet Bowie loves this, bet Beck loves this, bet Frank loves this...I love this...such imagery doesn’t come often. Rejoice a new messiah...A Slow Dive into bliss. Listen, then listen again and again, then file under B for Brilliant. Florence specialises in dark, gothic imagery werewolves, wedding dresses, bleeding hearts and coffins - and quirky tunes that start quietly and build into big, soaring climaxes. The songs are generally angry, with an undercurrent of violence and/or animal passion, and a nagging hook to keep you there. When this girl falls in love, you gather, she really falls. When it’s over, the only recourse is pain, rage and vast quantities of alcohol. The current single Rabbit Heart was written after her label asked her for something more upbeat, but ended up with a typically jaunty chorus about sacrifice: “This is the gift/ It comes with a price/ Who is the lamb/And who is the knife?”. Despite its dark heart, there’s a real joy about this debut. It’s the sound of someone who has found their voice and is keen to use it - as loudly and freely as possible. Download: Between Two Lungs; Dog Days are Over

Text by: M Uppet

www.florenceandthemachine.net

RANTRAVEANDWHINE

Do not support your local artist. I repeat, Do NOT support your local artist. That is not a typographical error and yes, you read it right. Now upon reading that opener, one might immediately take offense and ask at the back of his head, “Who does this arrogant schmuck think he is? What has this fucker got against the present state of local art and/or culture?” Or you would assume that I am lashing out, out of bitterness and frustration, and just generally jealous of the current fad in the gall of good taste. I may be arrogant, bitter and jealous but believe me I am not “totally” anti-art. Caveat: before you bring in the pitchfork and throw me out to the wolves (or, wishful thinking, turn me into another hot numba’ for the internet mob) I urge you to be sensible, stay on your seat and please, hear me out first. (I am actually assuming most readers of this mag are sensible enough to actually “read” in the first place, so cool it and take it easy with the verbal jabs.) My main beef with the tired and clichéd opposite and supposedly optimistic slogan is this: it is not much with the “cause” itself but a far more relevant and pressing postulation which can be categorically summarized into one word: triteness. To wit, there is nothing more blasphemous than

16 SOUNDBITE

going to a hole-in-thewall gig/exhibit and hearing the A-word being lightly thrown over and over again. More so, there is nothing more aggravating than blatantly seeing the “phrase” printed on some pretentious hipster’s undersized shirt. Reading “Save The Whale” or “Buy Now, Pay Less” would have been tolerable, but reading “Support Your Local Artist” is totally unforgivable even by the Vatican ruling and can only be redeemed by either a thousand lashes on the inner thighs or death by Flo Rida’s Low on the headphones on infinite loop ‘til your cochlea turns to sardines or your brain into a dripping Slurpee. Heck, some even go to such lengths as whoring themselves with such tactless captions as, “I am a struggling artist, will do Art for food.” or “Feed me, I’m an Artist” (with double emphasis on the capital A). Newsflash: employing such crude tactics does not make you look as “cool” as you think you are. If you are suffering so much then why don’t you quit and go back to your 9-5 grind instead. Of course, this is not to say that I am against “artists who suffered for their art”. This is in no way a spit in the face of Kahlo, Van Gogh and their ilk. I have such faith in the creative denouement of brave human condition to the extent that I actually believe that the presumption “true artists suffer” is, in fact, the only universal truth there is, yet at the same time, way way far from the truth. This contradictory realization can be harmoniously explained in

Ther no sym in a

two ways: 1) history never lies and 2) in the first place, it was their maladies, be it mental or physical, that made them submit to the marvel of art. Final point, which I think is the ultimate nail on the coffin for the persecution, is this: the words “support” and “local”, how do those equate to or fit the idea of you empathizing with the “artist” and his work? I mean, don’t you actually have to “like” the artist before you can appreciate and support his/her stuff? Or is it merely an exercise in sheer apathy and lassitude out of politeness? Does it have to necessarily mean that all local artists are– for the lack of a better word – that “good” that you actually support all of them? Are we merely a race of non-scrutinizing idiots who can’t tell garbage from the good stuff and would immediately eat it when it is shoved down our throats? “But dude, you’re totally missing the point. The whole aesthetic of art is highly subjective…and who will support them first if not us?” Well maybe so, but that’s really beside the argument now, isn’t it? (And I would say that these are two different points thrown altogether.) I would support art or an artist if I find it, well, likable and not because I am arbitrarily told by some bloke to do so. And, by the way, who are you to tell me that some crudely painted piece of enigmatic low-brow cinema art is in any way more “serious” than your Pollock, and vice versa?

re is mpathy art.

The Dawn Sound the Alarm [MCA Music, 2009] All “Sound the Alarm” is is a gone-awry attempt at a darker sound for The Dawn. This is a band we knew for uplifting anthems like “Salamat” and “Iisang Bangka”. Then they come out with the first track “Fire Down Below”, which sounds like a much, much watered-down Symphony X. They try to redeem themselves with “Lumulubog”, which is a little more like the Dawn we knew and loved, but by now, it’s way too late, and I’d already decided in the most disgruntled way possible, this album sucks. You just shouldn’t even attempt a “mature” sound when you’ve had decades of great albums behind you. On a side note, I may just be biased after hearing that Francis Reyes had left the band. I loved Francis Reyes. When he took the stage with Mike Elgar at MTV Pilipinas and owned the youngster, my mouth was left gaping. Is there something about the Dawn that invariably drives (good) guitarists away? Some good points about this album: Jett Pangan’s vocals, despite the age he must be by now, seems to still be in top form. That’s about it. Aside from that, whether you’re hoping for the good old Dawn or a fresh reinvented one, what you’ll get is a needless compromise between the two.

So the next time some rich kid tells you to “support” the “local” artist and, more so, that it is a part of the “struggle”, I want you to immediately punch him in the gut. (He deserves it.) Whose struggle? Fool, don’t tell me what to do. I can think for myself and will appreciate a good thing if I see one. There is no struggle. Do not, for a minute, think that there is. It’s up to you whether you sway or you stay. There is no sympathy in art.

Text by: Dexter Sy

www.myspace.com/thedawnmanila

ALBUM REVIEW

The chosen drink is not as macho as the other more ubiquitous, “red” choice, and it certainly isn’t the drink for the month, but who wants to get a really bad headache in the morning from solitary alcoholic debauchery anyway? This near-empty bottle of shiraz will suffice my need for inspiration (and/or will) without compromising my responsibilities tomorrow for that other magazine. And before I stray any further, let me get back to the subject (or subjects, still not sure) at hand.

As the title suggests, this is about alcohol and singing. Whether or not this first sentence implies a rather compromised text on the subject (or subjects, I’m not really sure) at hand, I suggest you take reading this as just another shot of whatever alcoholic beverage you prefer. You see, this writer, under considerable pressure from both magazines he exists and subsists in, is writing this piece under the influence of his favorite drink, the classic vin rouge, with the voice of Placebo’s Brian Molko from the speakers. 18 RANTRAVEANDWHINE

The initial intent of this story is to simply discuss the apparent connection between drunkenness and singing. Since, in my experience (which I have complete authority to express in this article), getting drunk has never occurred without the presence (or at least a semblance) of a song sung by either one or more of the drinking companions at that time (including the self in singular mode). As the naïve homosexual boy-looking-man that I am, I wondered why that was xo? Thus, the idea of writing this piece about it was born and was suggested to the evil mastermind of this charming albeit literally, cute magazine. Said mastermind of course agreed to the proposal. Here ends the lousy attempt to justify the illogical existential qualities of this article. We shall continue in the next paragraph after more or less a centimeter of leading. Drunkenness and Song, this pair has had more than its share of fame as a rhetori-

cal figure with its third err- wheel— “women” as the famous hendiatris “wine, women, and song” (in any order). The tripartite motto has appeared in over ten languages and cultures as the original trio or as three of four components of other collective of indulgences such as Sweden’s “a soccer team, beer, and women with shaved genitals” and Spain’s “naips, women and wine, and bad ways”. The two former elements certainly relieves us from the danger of being labeled sexist so it’s best stick with them at this point, although the British naval equivalent is quite an interesting alternative: rum, sodomy and the lash. Not everyone can carry a tune but everybody sings, and although only a significant portion of us indulges in the bliss of alcohol intoxication, most have probably experienced at least sitting on a table populated mostly by beer bottles, wine glasses, shots of whisky or gin, or a jug of the native liquor. Singing, although practiced universally, isn’t as universally acceptable when served to more ears than one pair. And while the word universally has been used twice in the past sentence, let us use a varietal in the next sentence to break the repetition, as well as state what is probably the most crucial point of this rambling—err—discussion. Alcohol’s role is to enlarge our bellies for the accommodation of the more awkward and apprehensive activities, and proclivities in life, those nuances of the homo sapien that either lead to violence and/other horrific incidents and also, ironically, the rare and more beautiful moments and instances in an individual’s history. I daresay the latter should be highlighted more in these dark times. German poet Johann Heinrich Voss, believed to be the source of the phrase wine, women, and song, insisted in the alleged original text: er nicht liebt Wein, Weib und Gesang / Der bleibt ein Narr sein Lebelang or “He who loves not wine, women, and song / Remains a fool his whole life long”. Certainly, there is, at the least, some truth to this. British mystic Aleister Crowley suggested that “wine, women, and song” may be used to develop genius or to attain the mystical state in an individual. While these claims remain debatable even until now, I am more inclined to give emphasis to the products of our featured combo to further establish this connection. The prevalence of drunkenness/liquor themed songs surprisingly range from being funny, poignant, profound to sublime, well, at least the ones that worked. Songs like One For My Baby made famous by Frank Sinatra, Laklak by Teeth, the North American traditional 99 bottles

of Beer are some (actually the only) songs that come to my mind. Even the great Johann Sebastian Bach composed a waltz entitled and obviously dedicated to Wine, Women, and Song. A track from the venerable Parish of Edgar or Parokya ni Edgar, in my opinion, is one that can be ascribed the four adjectives enumerated above concerning drunkenness/liquor themed songs. A stanza explains it all for this writer: May mag jo-joke sabay kampay/Biglang inom sabay dighay/ Kwentuhan na walang saysay/Tawanan na walang humpay, loosely translated “jokes and toasts/simultaneous burping and chugging/nonsensical stories/ laughter without end.” The incorporated list, although short, is reason enough to indulge more in both for the promise of different forms, gradations and versions of ecstasy. However, at this point, this writer has found himself in a conundrum, much like the blissful oblivion drinking and singing drowns us in. The intention and logic of this article have completely eluded me, more so the answers to the question (if I even presented one) or the details of the subject (or subjects, and yes, I’m still not sure). However, let us not entirely relegate alcohol as an agent of irrationality and idiocy. Some great writers in fact, have created some of their best works with the aid of dear alcohol, including Edgar Allan Poe, Truman Capote, and Charles Baudelaire. That is not to say that this is anywhere near that avenue, in fact, this would be millennia away from the works of those aforementioned names. Ruminating albeit subconsciously on this matter whilst typing, I have come to the conclusion that the link between drunkenness and singing, therefore, is the throat: in comes the alcohol, out comes the song. According to a dear friend of mine, Dr. Fell, the disinfecting qualities of alcohol and the therapeutic coldness of err…a cold one allow cleansing and rejuvenation for the throat and the vocal chords thereby stimulating them into a state of celebratory functioning that cause the occurrence of a bursting into song.

RANTRAVEANDWHINE

We take every care to ensure thet the information we publish is accurate. Yet, we are not responsible for any changes to event and consequently for any information that have been forwarded to us of those changes. Do make use of the phone numbers provided.

FRIDAY

CEBUHOUR BEERFEST 2009

Cebuhour local bands August Skyline, Docudrama, Caviar Sweet, Sadaea, Foc Fashion, MRPD, The Lower Class & more . . Venue: Kitchebogz Restobar, Mango Avenue, CC Phone: 0916 3792473

ONE LOVE JAM

Island music with Pohaku Venue: The Outpost / 9pm onwards Phone: 417 2929 Anti – Folk acoustic act from Australia, with guests, Toxic Orgasm, Vampire State, Tiger Pussy, Ramonitos, Gentle Folks, Area Lockdown, Van Gogh’s Ear, Die Radio, Sternumb, Icarus and Blonde Wigs. Entrance is 35php + sticker. Venue: F&B bar Phone: 0917 2715256

SANTING SKALAWAGS @ HANDURAW Venue: Handuraw Pizza Phone: 232 6401

Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto Phone: 253 7021 3

SATURDAY

ROCKTOBERFEST

Celebrations kick off w/ some good old rock n’ roll. Venue: The Outpost / 9pm onwards Phone: 417 2929

DISCO SATURDAY: OBSESSED

Dance to the music that drives you crazy… introducing John Paul Chiu. The disco Saturday. Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto Phone: 253 7921

YEAH BOY!

August Skyline Album Launching with our Cebuhour local bands Campbell, Docudrama, False Graveyard, Twinkle Dudu, Midday, Lucia and more.. Venue: Kukuk’s Nest Phone: 09228654303

NERVE STING @ HANDURAW

A night of acoustic music at the Northwing. Venue: The Northwing, SM City Cebu Phone: 0920 6399910 Venue: Handuraw Pizza Phone: 232 6401 10

SATURDAY

ARIVAL OV BLASPHEMY

With Fallen Angel, Rundinado, Midday, Astarus, Cursed Loath, and more… Venue: Kukuk’s Nest Phone: 231 5180

ACOUSTIC NIGHT FEAT. NATURAL EPISODE Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto Phone: 253 7921

The much-awaited album launch of the neo-tribal group...also with performances from guest bands. Venue: 14Zero bar, Raintree Mall Phone: 417 2929 16

FRIDAY

TAMBAYAN SA OUTPOST: SEASON 2

A premiere showing of the 1st episode of the 2nd season plus live performances by Lui, The Line Divides, and Cuarenta. Free Admission! Venue: The Outpost Phone: 417 2929

ACOUSTIC NIGHT FEAT. CARL FERRER Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto Phone: 253 7021

RED OCTOBER

By Noel Cabangbang Venue: Handuraw Pizza Phone: 232 6401 17

SATURDAY

CEBUHOUR BEERFEST 2009

Venue: Handuraw Pizza Phone: 232 6401

WEDNESDAY

MIDWEEK SESSIONS : ROCK – A – BYE, BABY Nursery Rhymes in Rock n Roll! Featuring Still, Foc Fashion, Undercover Grasshoppers, Twinkle Dudu and the midweek mint performance by Bethany. Hosted by Insoy Niñal. Free Admission! Venue: The Outpost / 9pm onwards Phone: 417 2929 9

FRIDAY

CEBUHOUR BEERFEST 2009 All over the city concert with our Cebuhour local bands Rescue A Hero, Monoline, Anagram, Docudrama, Shepherd's Plaid, Tropical Roots, Zero Delay and more . .. Venue: Kitchebogz Restobar, Mango Avenue, Phone: 0916 3792473

ACOUSTIC NIGHT FEAT. RHAPSODY

20 BOOKMARK

ACOUSTIC SESSIONS W/ SOULSTRING

SUGBUWANON

ACOUSTIC NIGHT FEAT. CARL FERRER

Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto Phone: 253 7921

The much-awaited album launch of the neo-tribal group...also with performances from guest bands. Venue: The Outpost Phone: 417 2929

POHAKU @ HANDURAW

HARAKIRIMOSH PRESENTS: STEVE TOWSON

SUGBUWANON

All over the city concert with our Cebuhour local bands Sefyla, Lucia, Sadaea, August Skyline, False Graveyard, Ashtrid, Monoline and more . . Venue: Kitchebogz Restobar, Mango Avenue, CC Phone: 0916 3792473

ACOUSTIC SESSIONS W/ SOULSTRING A night of acoustic music at the Northwing. Venue: The Northwing, SM City Cebu Phone: 0920 6399910

ACOUSTIC NIGHT @ ALEJANDRO’S Featuring White Boman’s Pig Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto Phone: 253 7021 22

CEBUHOUR BEERFEST 2009

THURSDAY

All over the city female bands concert with our Cebuhour local bands Undercover Grasshoppers, Lowela, Mathet, Tight Place, Sadaea, Tiger Pussy, Face First Down, Midday and more . . Venue: Club Pump 2, Mango Avenue, Cebu City Phone: 0916 3792473

FRIDAY

SESSIONISTAS LIVE @ THE WATERFRONT

ALL WEEK

Featuring Nina, Richard Poon, Sitti, Aiza Seguerra, MYMP and Duncan Ramos Venue: Waterfront Hotel & Casino, Lahug Phone: 232 6888

LIVE BANDS ALL WEEK LONG @ JAZZ ‘N BLUZ

ACOUSTIC NIGHT FEAT. RHAPSODY

20% off on ALL beers, cocktails, and your favorite Outpost Pizzas. Everyday (except closed Mondays) Venue: The Outpost / 5pm – 9pm Phone: 417 2929

Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto Phone: 253 7921

CEBUHOUR BEERFEST 2009

All over the city bands concert with our Cebuhour bands Docudrama, August Skyline, Campbell, Twinkle Dudu, Incoherent, Diamonds and Guns, Streets of May, Midday and more . . Venue: Kukuk’s Nest Phone: 0916 3792473 24

SATURDAY

THE GRIM REEFERS

Lucky Doobie presents a pre – Halloween special. Free Admission! Venue: The Outpost Phone: 417 2929

ACOUSTIC NIGHT FEAT. NATURAL EPISODE Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto Phone: 253 7921

RHYTHM OF SKANKIN SOUND

The concert tour Venue: Brgy. Sambag, Covered Gym, 8 pm Phone: 0909 7802974 / 0906 9183075 28

WEDNESDAY

ACOUSTIC SESSIONS W/ SOULSTRING

A night of acoustic music at the Northwing. Venue: The Northwing, SM City Cebu Phone: 0920 6399910 30 FRIDAY

SOUTHERN PRIDE

A gathering of some of the best the south has to offer. Cebu, Davao, Cagayan, Bohol, and Dumaguete...represent! Venue: The Outpost / 9pm onwards Phone: 417 2929

ACOUSTIC NIGHT FEAT. NATURAL EPISODE Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto Phone: 253 7921 31

SATURDAY

THE OUTPOST HALLOWEEN!!!

Come in your scariest costume, be the most creative, and win prizes on that night. For more log on to our website www.theoutpost.multiply.com Venue: The Outpost Phone: 417 2929

SPARC 7

Venue: Handuraw Pizza Phone: 232 6401

Venue: Jazz ‘n Bluz Phone: 232 2698

HAPPY HOUR @ THE OUTPOST

VUDU HAPPY HOUR

Local beer starts at 45php. No door fee. Venue: VUDU / 5:30 – 8pm Phone: 234 0836 / 236 7700

FORMO HAPPY HOUR

Happy hour from 6pm to 10pm choose fromP45 net on your fave mojito, San Mig Light and other cocktails Smirnoff Twist flavored vodka tonic, 7 or screwdriver at P65 net. Venue: Formo Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700 MONDAYS

FOLK NIGHTS

With Alex Canete. Venue: Handuraw Pizza, Lahug Phone: 232 6401

M SESSIONS (FREEFLOW)

House/Tech/Underground DJs get together Venue: Zcrets Resto bar / 9pm Phone: 2539942

MONDAY CLASS @ FORMO

Dj Hans, Jude and Marlon, teach a thing or two about house music. Venue: Formo / 6pm Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700 TUESDAYS

TUESDAY CLUB CLASSIC

Great times are best with the right kind of dance anthems from Djs Jude Flores and Marlon Orellano--dance-floor history at its finest. Venue: Formo Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700

BABY BOOMERS NIGHT

With the Bark Band. Venue: Handuraw Pizza, Lahug Phone: 232 6401

VUDUEOKE TUESDAYS The freedom to sing like no one's listening; sing your heart out without a care in the world. Tuesdays only. A definite, absolute, must-do. Doors open 6 p.m. for early (song) birds. Venue: VUDU / 6pm Phone: 234 0836 / 236 7700

VINYL NIGHTS

BLOOD

Halloween costume party, featuring Dj Jay, Come in your Halloween costume and get a chance to win awesome prizes! Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto Phone: 253 7921

Vinyl Record Nights…or as what the regulars have called the "plaka nights". Old and new classics played as it was played old school style...on a turntable using the "plaka". Venue: The Outpost / 9pm Phone: 417 2929

RHYTHM OF SKANKIN SOUND

OPEN MIC ROCKY-EOKE @ IAMIK’S

The concert tour Venue: Brgy. Guadalupe, Covered Gym, 8 pm Phone: 0909 7802974 / 0906 9183075

Venue: Iamik’s, Chicken & Beer Phone: 238 2366 / 0922 8426457 BOOKMARK

WEDNESDAYS

WILD WAHINE WEDNESDAYS With DJ Errol & guest bands Venue: Handuraw Pizza, Lahug Phone: 232 6401

WEDNESDAY RHYTHMS Baileys for the ladies and your fave Y101 Djs. The rhythm crew plays your requests live every week. Venue Formo Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700

OPEN MIC ROCKY-EOKE @ IAMIK’S Venue: Iamik’s, Chicken & Beer Phone: 238 2366 / 0922 8426457

SONGWRITERS NIGHT @ THE OUTPOST

With Luisa Castillo. Guest songwriters will talk about their experience, inspirations, techniques, and play a couple of their creations. This month will feature Carlos Choi of Still, Cilee of Undercover Grasshoppers, Jay of Joint Project, Insoy of Missing Filemon, Edz of Julia, Val of Southwings, and many more. Venue: The Outpost / 8pm onwards Phone: 417 2929 THURSDAYS

ALL ACOUSTIC @ ALEJANDRO’S Open Mic with Anton Mansueto Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto Phone: 253 7921

DE JA VUDU THURSDAY Bring back memories from your well loved 80s/90s hits. Back to Basics, beloved Old school Vudu-style. Venue: VUDU / 8:30pm Phone: 234 0836 / 236 7700

LEARN NIGHTS

THURSDAY SOUL With 60s, 70s, rhythm and blues with DJ Bob Sellner and Cuarenta Open bar on selected beers and Mangojitos from 6pm till 10 p.m. Venue Formo / 9pm - No cover charge. Just good vibes. Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700

NU107 UNPLUGGED SESSIONS Watch your favorite bands play their materials stripped-down, raw, with no frills. For the weekly schedule, tune in to NU 107 Cebu. Venue: The Outpost Phone: 417 2929 FRIDAYS

ACOUSTIC FRIDAYS

Venue: Iamik’s, Chicken & Beer Phone: 238 2366 / 0922 8426457 Hip Hop and RnB Beats serve fresh and hot with Deejay Krizz Bones and Marlon Orellano Venue: VUDU Phone: 234 0836 / 236 7700 BOOKMARK

With stand up comedian MYRA and a sing-along session. Venue: F&B bar Phone: 262 7631

TREFF REWIND Music from the 70's, 80's and 90's Toast to the good times. Listen to the definitive sounds of 3 of music's most unforgettable decades at Cebu's chicest hot spot on weekends. Venue: Waterfront Hotel & Casino, Lahug Phone: 232 6888 FRIDAYS - SUNDAYS

THE LOFT WEEKENDS

Enjoy your weekends while listening and dancing to the beat of The Loft’s resident DJs. Venue: The Loft Phone: 231 3284 SATURDAYS

JAMMING SATURDAYS @ IAMIK’S Venue: Iamik’s, Chicken & Beer Phone: 238 2366 / 0922 8426457

THE HOUSE OF VUDU

Vudu brings you The Return of House Music to the Main room featuring powerhouse Djs Marlon Orellano and Maxie Perez with vocal, prog tech house VUDU Resident RnB DJ Kutlyfe at Prive Lounge with sexy RnB Venue: VUDU Phone: 234 0836 / 236 7700

SPONJIE REGGAE

Reggae music party. Venue: 14Zero bar, Raintree Mall Phone: 0905 5267322

DISCO DELUXE SATURDAYS

With Zarah Smith & guest bands. Venue: Handuraw Pizza, Lahug Phone: 0918 6040775 / 232 6401

W/ triumvirate DJ’s Hans, Marlon & Jude. Open bar on Orange-jitos, Johnnie Walker & selected beers. Venue Formo Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700

WEEKENDS @ F&B BAR

FEMME WEDNESDAY

Sexy vocal house mixes by Vudu spin doctors, Maxie Perez and Marlon Orellano. Venue: VUDU / 6pm Phone: 234 0836 / 236 7700

VUDULICIOUS FRIDAYS

FRIDAY NIGHT RAPTURE

With Gap mobile’s Gilbert Go and Ronald Tan, and Smirnoff Twist in new flavors, orange, strawberry, black cherry & green apple every saturday. Venue Formo Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700 SUNDAYS

LAID-BACK SUNDAYS W/ WORLD MUSIC

Looking to have a relaxing dinner with your family and loved ones after a weekend of partying? Sundays @ The Outpost are just what the doctor ordered...not too crowded, intimate, coupled with great food and perfect ambiance, with world music in the background. Venue: The Outpost / 8pm Phone: 417 2929

SUNDAY CHILL & REFILL

Take a break, prep for the week ahead with chill out music, good vibes and great cocktails. with happy hour all the way, only on Sundays. Venue: Formo Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700

SUNDAY LUNCH & DINNER BUFFET With unlimited Iced Tea. Venue: Handuraw Pizza, Lahug Phone: 232 6401

4 - 17

BITE NIGHT Paok Pattern Design Competition

Designing with purpose, thoughts = pattern. A two-week exhibit of art works. Awarding night on 17th with live doodle, graffiti, open bazaar, free tattoo sessions, PI Shirts for raffle, skate deck and more, with performances by Russ Ligtas, Hastang, Zarah Smith, Mary Peril and Uno. 1st prize - 15k & BITE Magazine Cover featuring winning pattern, 2nd prize - 10k, 3rd prize - 5k. Venue: Handuraw Pizza / 7pm onwards Phone: 232 3116 4 - 13

THINK PINK! YEAR 2: PHOTO EXHIBIT

See only pink in black and white. Portraits of real people, advocates and survivors. Venue: Rotunda Area, Ayala Center Cebu Phone: 516 2035 / 231 5342 (loc. 324) 9 - 23

CAI SIMPLY AT 15

The 15th anniversary exhibit of Cebu Artists Inc. Theme of the exhibit is all in Still Life. Venue: SM Art Center / opening 6pm Phone: 233 6332 / 0915 7568365 16

“KADAIYA”

Featuring Jorge Lao, Jose “Kimsoy” Yap Jr., Maxcel Migallos, Nomar Miano, Jay Labra, Geraldine “Gigi” Ocampo, Melver Mercado, Gary Watin, Jundale Bebita, Ivy Apa, Chad Plattring, Chester Baldicantos Venue: Gallery Q Phone: 345 6919 23

SORE: LUCILLE “RUSTY” UMALI

The graphic memoirs of romantic lust, a love that was lost, hurt and the reclaiming of pride and self worth… Her first one – woman exhibit Venue: The Outpost Phone: 0916 3423485 / 417 2929 9 - 11

CINE EUROPA 12

Oct. 9 : Free to Leave, Give the Devil his Due, Orient Express, Just Another Love Story, Christmas Story, Rec. Oct. 10: You & Me, The Blind Flyers, The Demons of St. Petersburg, Zoo Rangers in South America, Love is All, Dark Blue World. Oct. 11: Sundays on Leave, The Guy on the Grave Next Door, Rascals on the Road. Visit http://delphl.ec.europa.eu/ for more details on the films. Venue: Onstage, Ayala Center Cebu OCTOBER 10 ONWARDS (SATURDAYS)

FILMMAKING WORKSHOP / SHOWING

PLDT myDSL Watchpad Film Showing Series (and Workshops) in coordination with Tsinelas Association Inc. at selected high schools, colleges and universities. For more info, visit www.insoymada.com and www.tsinelasdiaries.wordpress.com

BIKING THROUGH TAJIKISTAN

A multi-media show by Mr. Jens Funk of his recent mountain biking expedirion on the Pamir Highway. Venue: The Outpost Phone: 417 2929 ALL MONTH

PINK OCTOBER

Breast Cancer awareness month. Venue: Worldwide 3

CUTTING EDGE

The annual fashion show in accordance to the Fashion Design Class. Venue: CAFA Bldg., University of San Carlos – TC Phone: 344 3801 (loc. 705) 9 -18

THE ILLUSIVE: “WORLD OF WONDERS” Facedown Productions in partner with KSM Events Presents, The Illusive in the World of Wonders Magic Show. Tickets available at: Ayala Center Customer Service, SM City Cebu Department Store Customer Service, Party Details at Parkmalll… Venue: Cebu International Convention Center / 8pm Phone: 0918 9069874 ALL MONTH

CAPOEIRA

Capoeira Cebu Academy offers classes with award winning Capoeira instructor Jensen Go Chow. Venue: Luan Bldg./ Regency Crest / Ballet Centre – Ayala Phone: 412 4076 / www.capoeira.ph 17 - 18

XTOBRE DOS CLIMBING

A two days event with Speed Climbing Competitions for kids ( 6 – 15 years of age ), Top Rope Climbing Competition for beginners, & Bouldering Climbing Competition – Open Category ( men’s and women’s ) Venue: Vertigo Climbing Center, Metrosports, Lahug Phone: 0906 2949665 3

MOON WALK

Moon Walk - a walk against breast cancer. 1000 participants—cancer support groups, public & private organizations, medical students, & women community members—have pledged to walk for the cause. Venue: Assembly time 4:30-5:30pm Assembly area: Cebu Business Park near Pag-Ibig Tower contact Gina Mariquit, 254-6351 16 - 18

THINK PINK! YEAR 2: PINK GARDEN ORGANIC Experience the greens & flowers of Cebu in a breathtaking Zen garden setup & get natural and gourmet produce. Venue: The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu Phone: 516 2035 / 231 5342 (loc. 324) BOOKMARK

24 CREATIVE JUICE

Weaving Dreams bakunawa_on_the_loose

We like to romanticize the harshness of life. We are deeply immersed in our own little dramas, caught up in fleeting fads. It’s very seldom when we willingly look reality in the eye, abandon our sense of entitlement, and acknowledge that life takes a lot of hard work. Meet Danilo Dinopol, a.k.a. Tata. He’s not famous; you don’t know him just yet. He’s the master sample maker at Interior Crafts of the Islands (ICI in short, owned by the Cobonpue’s) and the Hive, a consortium of Cebu’s top furniture designers whose trademark is weaving (more often than not, the “open weave” and the “crazy weave”). In the renaissance of Cebu’s furniture industry whose most recognized representative is Kenneth Cobonpue, Tata might well be forgotten like the unnamed master artisans who helped build St. Peter’s Basilica. Except we’ve decided to do our part to not let that happen to him. His story is not a rags-to-riches story but it is nonetheless interesting, worthy of an F. Sionil Jose novella or a Joey Ayala song. His story is of everyday toil, with

his daily challenges and tenuous dreams. As we talked to him, he was animated as he shared about his work; at times a hint of uncertainty crept into his voice when sharing about his family and hopes. Because our society today is full of get-rich-quick schemes and BPOs which pay big, we sometimes forget the value of hard work and sweat. Traditionally, we Filipinos put a lot of value on being able to finish school, and get a diploma. Afterwards, you are expected to get a job as a pen-pusher, paper-shuffler, or a mouse-clicker behind a desk, earning salaries way above the minimum without breaking a sweat. Nevertheless, Tata has found his niche in the furniture industry. He started working as a buri, rattan, plastic and wicker weaver for ICI around 1993 but his CREATIVE JUICE

TO VIEW HIS WORKS.. YOU WILL HAVE TO TALK TO HIS BOSS. Know more about Tata call him xxxxxxxxxx

exposure in weaving started in elementary school in Amlan, Negros Oriental. He had to make a basket made out of the spine of coconut leaves. After finishing elementary school and having just entered first year high school, his mother died. This event led him and his siblings to fend for themselves. For him, he had to leave school and had a string of odd jobs around the country, whichever way the wind blew. Until he heard about a weaving job available in Cebu.

from the drawing board, to the factory, and on to being exported and, sometimes, on to movie sets. But essentially, that is what Tata does on a day to day basis.

But what exactly is his job description? For us who can only ooh and aah over the unusually shaped yet unutterable familiar and organic forms of Hive artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; furniture, we may not be able to readily comprehend the challenge in bringing the designs to life

According to Tata, every piece is a puzzle because the designer does not give him a manual on how to make the metal frame, how to make it comfortable (so the frame wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t dig into your back when you sit, lounge, or lie), and how to seamlessly weave around irregular corners and curves. The designer is inspired, imagines a

26 CREATIVE JUICE

His work cycle for every piece is such: he gets the design, makes the frame for the weave, starts the weaving and presents the finished sample to the designer. If the sample is approved, he needs to make another for the factory floor (the first sample is for the showroom). He then needs to teach others how to make it. Sounds easy enough? On the contrary.

piece, and draws it – but it is up to Tata, with a lone assistant, to bring it to reality. There are times when he runs into minor challenges – like when he has to advise the designer to change a minor detail to make a piece’s frame and weaving more structurally sound; or when he has to give a good example as to how to make “crazy weaves” to show workers how to avoid having their units rejected by the quality assurance team. (BTW, “crazy weaving” does not have a readily understandable, symmetrical pattern, unlike traditional weaves. Workers often complain that QA always rejects pieces with “crazy weaves” because the pieces already look like rejects.) On the whole, Tata admits that his is a tough job. He’s responsible for a lot of things and to a lot of people, designers and workers alike. When asked how he does it, his reply is that of a classic tinkerer - experiment, your state of mind when it comes to work must be that of play, take short breaks to think while working, have plenty of patience to teach and be taught, you have to like what you’re doing but at the same time be tolerant of not knowing whether you’re doing the right thing or not. Lessons to learn from a modern maestro de obras. Good luck to those of us who still have to learn these lessons!

CREATIVE JUICE

28 SPOTLIGHT

M Ju or st e t PSha P n

Play Station Portable, or more commonly known as PSP is a popular handheld game console. Well who hasn’t seen one? Before, owning a PSP kinda like sets your status. Whenever somebody sees you holding one, they’d say you belong to the “can afford” sector of the society. But these days, it’s different. Anyone can own a PSP as long as you want it. As they say, “If there’s a will, there’s a way.” So now, I’m thinking some of you own PSPs. Ever heard of PSP Cebu? I wasn’t aware of this group until I bumped into its thread at istorya.net. I was reading the posts of the members and without realizing it, I started posting too. I was hooked by then. Then came the WiFi launching at the Northwing in SM. One member asked if I could join them. I said I’d try; the fact that it started at 5:00pm and I’d be off from work by 6:00pm was a factor to consider. But he insisted that I could come by anytime after work just as long as the mall was still open. And so I decided to check on the said event, besides, I had nothing to do on a Friday night. Once there I was introduced to the entire group. Boy was I in a daze. It’s quite weird but cool that these guys called each other by their handles (a.k.a user names) in istorya, although they really knew each other’s real names (it’s just that it’s easier for them to remember their handles rather than their real names. Who wouldn’t anyway? They see the person’s handle whenever they post on threads almost everyday.) They welcomed me like I was already one of them for a very long time. We talked about PSP stuff, games, how I learned about the group and other trivial things. Soon after it was goodbye time, but before that, they invited me again to join their Saturday Gatherings at IT Park. With the feeling that I would always be welcome, I joined them the next day, a Saturday, at a McDonald’s where the entire gang was. Being with them was utterly fun. Such gatherings usually start at 8:00pm on a Saturday and shuts down during the early hours of the next morning. Once they tire of playing, food tripping comes next. And what follows after that depends on the mood of everyone. There are Special Gatherings too (like Holiday Gatherings and Special Events). One recent Special Gathering was during the 8th anniversary of City Sports Club Cebu, and PSP Cebu was invited for its Carnival Sunday. Kids came and played together with the group and their PSPs. The kids got upgrades and games according to their requests. Techniques for certain games were also taught by the members of the group. We actually did something good to make those kids happy. Aside from things involving PSPs, the group is also a melting pot of different talents. The tarpaulin lay-outs for the gatherings are being done by one of us. We also have photographers who document each of our gatherings. The group is also proud of it own song-- written, arranged and performed by members of the group. A music video is even in the works. See? Who said PSP Cebu is only for PSP addicts, geeks and whatever you might want to call it? Anyone can become one of us. Gatherings are what we look forward to. We get to play PSP games and mingle with friends all at the same time. We are here for fun and friendship. We are more than just PSP. SPOTLIGHT

Funky Town

Random photos of last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on. To download photos visit

www.bitemagazine.multiply.com 31

CEBU CITY Abaseria (Filipino Deli & Cafe) 32 Pres. Quirino Street Villa Aurora, Mabolo Tel: 234 4160 Abuhan Uno (Filipino) F. Ramos Street Tel: 253-1881 After Hours Tapas Lounge (International) Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 231 6550 AK&7 Bar & Discoteque The Gallery, Mabolo Tel: 233 3328 / 232 4285

Cafe Georg (International) Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 234 0887

Grand Majestic (Chinese) Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 232-1103 / 231 6982

La Tegola Cucina Italiana (Italian) Busay Hills Tel: 419-2220

Cafe Laguna (Filipino) Ayala Terraces Tel: 233-8600 Ayala Center Tel: 231-0922

Gustavian Ma. Luisa Road, Banilad Tel: 344 7653 Ayala Terraces Tel: 417 1281

Lai Garden (Chinese) Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 234 1580

Casa Verde (Filipino) V. Ranudo Extension Tel: 253 8234 The Walk, I.T. Park Tel: 412 3336 Chateau de Busay (Italian) Busay Hills Tel: 231 2000 / 231 2039

Alberto Biano Homade Pizza 74. F. Llamas St. Darras & Bowler Punta Princesa Labangon (Continental) Tel: 267 7440 / 09234421650 Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 345-0945 Alejandro’s Filipino Restaurant Da Vinci’s Pizza 81 Don Jose Avila Street Asia Town I.T. Park Capitol Site Tel: 415 8881 Tel: 253 7921 Anzani Panorama Heights Nivel Hills, Lahug Tel: 236 0097 Aziza (International) Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 234 1685 / 234 1681 Banri Noodle House Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 234 0788 Bigby’s Cafe & Restaurant 3rd floor Ayala Terraces Tel: 234 2395 Bo’s Coffee Club Ayala Terraces Tel: 234 2492 SM City Fiesta Strip Tel: 412 9233 Capitol Site Tel: 255 4969 Banilad Town Center Tel: 345 2342 Raintree Mall Tel: 236 0116 Banilad Town Center Tel: 345 2342 Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 412 0267 Synergies I.T. Center Tel: 238 8168 Brown Cup St. Patrick’s Square Tel: 4126353 Skyrise Bldg., I.T. Park Tel: 4158482

David’s Steak & Seafood (International) F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 231 0157 10 Dove Street (International) Sto. Nino Village, Banilad Tel: 346 0618 East Ocean (Chinese) Old Banilad Road Tel: 231-3898 Formo Restaurant & Lounge Banilad Town Center Tel: 416 2170 / 416 1990 Gerry’s Grill (Filipino) Ayala Center Tel: 415 8284 / 232 4159 Ginza (Japanese) Old Banilad Road Tel: 232 5406 Giuseppe’s Pizzeria & Sicilian Roast (Italian) Ma. Luisa Road, Banilad Tel: 343-9901 Golden Cowrie (Filipino) Salinas Drive, Lahug Tel: 233-4243

Handuraw (Pizza) Gorordo Avenue 232 6401 One Mango Avenue 416 3200 Iamik’s Chicken & Beer (Filipino) 77 Tres Borces Street Mabolo Tel: 09228426457 Ila Puti (Asian Fusion) Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 415 8800 Jazz n Blues F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 232 2698 K1 Family KTV Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 412 1111 / 412 2222 Kalye 80’s Restaurant Rahman Street, Mango Ave. Tel: 255 4505 Kanyoen Yakiniku Restaurant (Japanese) F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 232-2989 KK Restaurant (Malaysian) Parkmall Tel: 421 1828 Krua Thai Banilad Town Centre Tel: 344 2800 SM City Fiesta Strip Tel: 231 8338 Kukuks Nest Gorordo Avenue, Lahug Tel: 231 5180 La Buona Forchetta Da Paolo (Italian) Advent Compound Acacia Street, Lahug Tel: 231-3398 La Marea (Pastries & Coffee) Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 416-2919 Paseo Arcenas Banawa Tel: 412 2577 The Walk, Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 412 6484

Lemongrass (Thai/Vietnamese) Ayala Terraces Tel: 233 8601 Lighthouse Restaurant Gaisano Country Mall Tel: 231 2478 / 231 2878 Manuel’s Parklane Hotel Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 411 7000 Marco Polo Plaza Hotel Nivel Hills, Lahug Blu Bar & Grill Cafe Marco El Viento Restaurant & Pool Bar Tel: 253 1111 Marriott Hotel Cebu City Cebu Business Park Garden Cafe Palm Lounge Pool Bar Tel: 415 6100 / 415 6101 Maya Taqueria + Tequila Lounge (authentic Mexican cuisine) Crossroads Banilad Tel: 238 9552 / 238 9618 Mooon Cafe (International) 4242 E. Osmena St., Guadalupe Tel: 253-3635 The Walk, Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 412 8795 Ayala Terraces Tel: 417 1701 Off Roads Coffee F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 231 8881 Olio Bar & Restaurant (Continental) Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 232-3589 Persian Palate (Indian & Persian) Ayala Center Tel: 232 5898 Mango Square Tel: 253 6745 Pino Restaurant (Filipino) Malvar Street, Lahug Tel: 232 3637

WHERE TO BITE

Pump Grand Convention Center Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 232 3637

Wine Shop (Spanish) Gorordo Avenue, Lahug Tel: 233 3744

R & R Store 1298-A V. Rama Avenue Tel: 253 0758

Yumeya Kihei (Japanese) G/F Pacific Star Bldg F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 234-2388

Spice Fusion (Asian) Banilad Town Center Tel: 344 2923 SM City Tel: 238 9591 Starbucks Ayala Garden Row Tel: 231 8456 SM Fiesta Strip Tel: 231 6455 Sunflower City Disco Salinas Drive, Lahug Tel: 231 8413 The Ching Palace Salinas Drive, Lahug Tel: 417 2988 The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 412 1388 SM City North Wing Tel: 412 5118 Ayala Terraces Tel: 417 1399 The Loft Restobar Asiatown I.T. Park, Lahug Tel: 231 3284 The Outpost Bar & Restaurant Cebu Veterans Drive, Lahug Tel: 417 2929 The Tinder Box (International) Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Banilad Tel: 234-1681 Turtle’s Nest Book Cafe Gorordo Avenue, Lahug Tel: 236-1982 Vudu Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 234 0836 / 232 1457 Waterfront Cebu City Hotel Salinas Drive, Lahug Cafe Fortuna Cafe Uno La Gondola (Italian) Madeleine Mizu (Japanese) Port Seafood Restaurant Sally’s Piano Bar Tin Gow (Chinese) Treff Bar Tel: 232 6888 / 232 6880

38 WHERE TO BITE

Z Bar Archbishop Reyes Avenue Banilad Tel: 416 1300

MANDAUE CITY City Garden Coffee M.L. Quezon Street Cabancalan Tel: 348 5362 Ichiriki Chaya (Japanese) A.S. Fortuna Street, Banilad Tel: 345 1300 Kagura (Japanese) A.S. Fortuna Street, Banilad Tel: 346 0088 / 346 7776 Kaona (Filipino) A.S. Fortuna corner H. Cortez Streets , Banilad Tel: 343 9994 Nonki (Japanese) A.S. Fortuna Street, Banilad Tel: 422 3159 Pier One Parkmall, North Reclamation Tel: 422-8686

MACTAN Abaca Boutique Resort & Restaurant Punta Engano Road Tel: 495 3461 / 236 0311 Gustavian Marina Mall, MEPZ Tel: 341 3093 / 415 1979 Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa Punta Engano Road Manny O’s Wines & Tapas Sanctuary Bar Sapphire Pool Bar Seas Restaurant Pink Lobby Bar Vanilla Beach Cafe Tel: 492 7777 / 492 7704

Krua Thai Marina Mall, MEPZ Tel. 495-4818 La Tegola Cucina Italiana (Italian) Marina Mall, MEPZ Tel. 340-9070 Magellan’s Landing (International) Marina Mall, MEPZ Tel: 341-0918 Manna Sutukil (Filipino) Mactan Shrine Punta Engano Road Tel: 340 6448 Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort Allegro Restaurant Oyster Bar at The Cove Molto Joli Tel: 492 0100 / 232 5411 MB’s Tavern, Restaurant & European Deli Basak, Lapu-Lapu City Tel: 341 3610 Plantation Bay Resort & Spa Marigondon Kilamanjaro Kafe Fiji Restaurant Mogambo Springs Spa Savannah Grill Palermo Tel: 340-5900 / 340 5988 Shangri-La Resort & Spa Punta Engano Road Acqua Beach Bar Buko Bar & Grill Chi Spa Chill Out Bar Cowrie Cove Tea of Spring Tel: 231-0288 The Marlin Bar & Restaurant Cebu Yacht Club Lapu- Lapu City, Mactan Tel. 341-4754

SPAS Cebu Holiday Spa Gov. M. Cuenco Avenue Banilad Tel. 234 4791

Meddah Spa Crossroads Arcade Archbishop Reyes Avenue Banilad Tel. 234-2080 Sawadee Spa MLD Building Archbishop Reyes Avenue Banilad Tel. 234 4171 The Spa at Cebu 1 Paseo Saturnino Maria Luisa Road Banilad Tel. 412-0888 / 416-3888 Yoga Thai Massage Sanciangco 416-8366 Gorordo 232-7510 A.C. Cortez Mandaue 343-3563

FITNESS Baseline Recreation Center Juana Osmena Street Tel. 253-1457 Cebu Holiday & Fitness Center Molave Street Camputhaw Tel. 231-0408 Citi Gym Waterfront Cebu City Hotel 232 6888 / 2326880 Fight Club Banilad Town Centre Fitness First 4F Ayala Center Cebu 234 2222

QUICK FIX McDonalds 348 6236 / 348 MCDO Jollibee Lahug 232 3800 Mango 254 2268 Mactan 340 2015 Taxis Holiday 345 1622 /23 Safeway 345 0861 Spider 259 1579 / 253 4602 Police Patrol 166

Holiday Gym & Spa M. Cuenco Avenue Tel. 234 4791 Noah’s Stone & Spa Resort Abuno, Pajac Lapu-lapu City Tel. 342-8379

ERUF Ambulance 161

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