April 2015 Volume 8 | Issue 20
NEW BREED
OPENING FIRST QUARTER OF 2015 To be opened in 2015, B Hotel Quezon City is situated in 14 Scout Rallos St., Diliman, Quezon City. Chic, bright and contemporary, it raises the brand’s commiment-to-value to a new level. A state-of-the-art business center and function rooms, a restaurant, a fitness center, a pool and 111 well-appointed rooms to suit your eclectic taste. Sense an ambiance that’s suited for the well-travelled individuals.
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NORTHERNliving GROUP PUBLISHER BEA J. LEDESMA MANAGING EDITOR BEVERLY DALTON ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA EDITORIAL ASSISTANT PRISTINE L. DE LEON CREATIVE DIRECTOR NIÑA MUALLAM GRAPHIC ARTIST DANICA CONDEZ
20 COVER STORY CARA Welfare Philippines is a refuge for animals, opening the path to adoption and forging companionship between men and animals
APRIL 2015 04 HEALTH Easing jet lag by resetting the body clock the moment you land
08 FIXTURE Gold trappings create a significant timeline of our country’s material culture
05 BEAUTY The resurgence of modesty puts the one-piece swimsuit in the spotlight this summer
16 FEATURE Potter Mia Casal draws inspiration from earthy surroundings for her work of art
06 CRAFT Another way to keep travel mementos safe and organized
38 RECIPE A refreshing taste of the sea with a Japanese touch Cover photo by Johann Bona
EDITOR’S NOTE Moving forward Travel is one of the best ways to say goodbye, physically and metaphorically. As you set your plans out for new adventures this month, we recommend you to start a travel journal if you haven’t. It can be through writing or taking photos, which you can store in a DIY keepsake kit. When you leave that place, you take a lesson with you and know you can still look back through captured memories. But it’s not only through the people you meet in your travels that you learn something. The animals we encounter along the way, like
dogs, have a way of teaching us. CARA Welfare Philippines has many amazing rescued dogs looking for lovely homes. We look into the life-changing stories of these neglected canines, and find that their departure from an old life in the streets is proof that hope exists. Through their rehabilitation story, they get a second chance at having a better life. And we, at Northern Living, came to realize that isn’t that why we leave and say goodbye? We depart in search of happiness, and the journey makes us grow.
Talk to us on Facebook and you just might win a special prize from us. Visit www.facebook.com/northernlivingmagazine now. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @nlivingph. We’d love to hear from you.
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CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS CECILE BALTASAR, CHINGGAY LABRADOR, INA AMOR MEJIA, MARA SANTILLAN MIANO ILLUSTRATORS LEE CACES, TRISTAN TAMAYO STYLISTS EDLENE CABRAL, SAM LIM, INA AMOR MEJIA HAIR AND MAKEUP CHUCHIE LEDESMA, BULLET REYES PHOTOGRAPHERS JOHANN BONA, GABBY CANTERO, TOTO LABRADOR, SAM LIM, INA AMOR MEJIA, MIGUEL NACIANCENO, JOSEPH PASCUAL, JILSON SECKLER TIU COPY EDITOR SEPTEMBER GRACE MAHINO PROOFREADER CESCA VIZCONDE EDITORIAL CONSULTANT RIA FRANCISCO-PRIETO CUSTOM ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITORS PAM BROOKE CASIN, ANGELA VELASCO EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS PAULINE MIRANDA, KRISTINE FULGENCIO, THERESE STA. MARIA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES SHANNA MALING, INA MATEO, GENE PEREZ GRAPHIC ARTISTS ROI DE CASTRO, TEJ TAN, YAYIE MOTOS, JAYCELINE SORIANO, JANINE ALCANTARA PRODUCTION MANAGER NOEL CABIE PRODUCTION ASSISTANT MARICEL GAVINO FINAL ART SUPERVISOR DENNIS CRUZ FA ARTIST JR LAROSA BOARD CHAIRPERSON ALEXANDRA PRIETO-ROMUALDEZ FINANCE ADVISOR AND TREASURER J. FERDINAND DE LUZURIAGA LEGAL ADVISOR ATTY. RUDYARD ARBOLADO HR STRATEGY HEAD RAYMUND SOBERANO VP AND CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER IMELDA ALCANTARA SVP AND GROUP SALES HEAD, INQUIRER GROUP OF COMPANIES FELIPE R. OLARTE AVP FOR SALES MA. KATRINA MAE GARCIA-DALUSONG KEY ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST ANGELITA TAN-IBAÑEZ ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ABEGAIL GINAGA, ANDIE ZUÑIGA, SARAH CABALATUNGAN, ALETHEIA ORDIALES SALES SUPPORT ASSISTANTS RECHELLE ENDOZO, MARA KAREN ALIASAS
This magazine was printed responsibly using recycled papers with biodegradable inks.
FEEDBACK
OUT WITH THE OLD I try to stay away from carbs but when I saw the rabbit fricasse and fettuccine recipe, I knew I just had to try it! Worth the carb count! Looking forward to reading more interesting recipes in the magazine! I’m already wondering what’s next!!
@nlivingph @nlivingph www.facebook.com/ northernlivingmagazine nlivingph@hip.ph Share your thoughts on our latest issue and get a chance to win prizes. Congratulations everyone for winning Villa Del Conte gift certificates! Call 403-8825 to claim your prize.
Jayanne Abad
Sheila Liao
I am such a fan of the twins and even if their faces are not shown on the cover, I had a feeling it would be them! I grabbed it right away in a Starbucks coffee shop! I am always inspired by their travels! Now I want to plan my next trip again! Good job on featuring them!
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SPECIAL FEAT URE
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MORNING IN MIDNIGHT How to avoid crashing after landing
TEXT CECILE BALTASAR ILLUSTRATION LEE CACES
Crossing multiple time zones may mean travel, adventure, and new experiences, but most of the time, it also means jet lag. This is a sleep disorder you temporarily get when your body’s internal clock gets thrown off by the different time zones you pass through: when everyone else is asleep, you’re raring to go. Your nocturnal habits have been reversed. Nothing can be more exhausting and frustrating to a traveler. Here’s what you can do to ease the effects of jet lag. Before traveling Eat a balanced diet and exercise. It would be great if you don’t have to wait until you have to travel before doing this. Traveling across time zones and being in shifting altitudes for many hours are no small deal to your body. You need to be as fit as you can be to handle jet lag effectively.
On the plane Stay off alcohol. Both alcohol and cholesterol may make you feel sluggish, which is not a good approach to dealing with jet lag. Adjust your watch to match your destination’s time. Although this does nothing to help you physically, syncing your watch to the time zone you’re traveling to helps you to prepare mentally. Make sleeping on the plane as comfortable as possible. Use ear plugs or noise-canceling headphones. Bring a small, comfortable pillow. Don’t let a snorer or a lumpy airline-issued pillow disrupt your body clock.
At your destination Get some sun. Light exposure will make sense out of your muddled hormones. Going outside and basking under the morning sun will eventually set your body Start syncing your body clock with your destination’s time clock back on the right track. zone a few weeks before you leave. However, you would be better off not doing this if your trip is short and Hydrate. Jet lag could cause headaches, muscle pain, you’re not crossing over more than three time zones. If dizziness, and nausea. Drinking a lot of water can help this is the case, you can just stay on home time. ease these symptoms. Begin your trip by being well-rested. Cut down on nights out a couple of days before your trip. Pack ahead so you don’t have to stay up the night before you fly, packing in a panic.
Take cat naps. If you’re groggy and can’t get a coherent sentence in at midday, don’t force the issue. Take a power nap instead. A 20-minute nap can give you that energy boost to get through the day.
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BEAUT Y
THE RETURN TO MODESTY
The comeback of the one-piece swimsuit is right on time TEXT BEVERLY DALTON ILLUSTRATION DANICA CONDEZ
Two-piece bathing suits, or what we well know as the bikini, may still dominate the island scene today, but with last year’s rise of the #hubadera trend, showing off skin may already have reached its saturation point. When it comes to beauty and style, the return to modesty is beginning to look like a wise choice. It seems quite appropriate that with this conservative resurgence, the one-piece swimsuit is making a slow comeback. But will it be a hit as it was during its heydays before the ’40s? During that time, women could only wear a one-piece; if they were going to wear two-piece suits, they would still look modest, exposing only their mid-section in the slightest way possible. The belly button was always
covered in those days. A century before that, women wore a kind of voluminous bathing attire and used this sort of transportation hut, which they called bath machines. Women would get inside the bath machine to change into their bathing attire, and this machine would transport women (by horse or by a group of people) to the shoreline. Women would just go straight into the water, and no man would ever see them in their bathing attire. At this point, though, culture is still very far from coming into full circle with the past. But the return of the one-piece could be the start: when it comes to swimsuits, less is no longer looking to be more. A lot of younger girls may disagree, thinking of the one-piece as something only their grandmothers would approve of, but this kind of swimwear actually gives power back to the woman. The spotlight is no longer on the body and skin itself but on the image of the woman. Truth be told, the one-piece could be a woman’s dignifying power suit at the beach—with only a sliver of decolletage showing. As this swimwear slowly goes back into the limelight, it also shows that when it comes to beauty and style, going back to what is modest and conservative could be more progressive than we think.
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CR AF T
WISTFUL THINKING
Revel in nostalgia; tuck Paris, Tokyo, and other countries in keepsake boxes TEXT, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND STYLING INA AMOR MEJIA
TRAVEL KEEPSAKE KIT
What you’ll need: Sturdy kraft boxes with lids Card stock in colors of your choice Foam sticker letters in color of your choice Scissors Glue Ruler Pencil Eraser Items from your travels
Directions: 1. Decide which items you’d like to keep in the box such as tickets, museum passes, restaurant napkins, postcards, and others. 2. Using the card stock and glue, cover the exterior of the boxes in sections. 3. Arrange the letters of the city you want to mark the box with on a surface and draw a straight line using the ruler across all the letters. 4. Cut the letters straight across the line. 5. Erase the pencil marks on the letters if visible. 6. Position the upper and lower parts of the letters on one side of the closed box to approximate the spacing. 7. Stick the upper parts on the lid, and the lower parts directly below them. 8. Store your memorabilia in the boxes and display them on coffee tables or shelves.
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GOLD DIGGING
Everyday items reveal the grandeur of our ancestry TEXT CHINGGAY LABRADOR ILLUSTRATION TRISTAN TAMAYO
One of the easiest ways to accessorize is to fancy up your attire with some jewelry. Outfitting yourself with jewelry is a way to add aesthetic value to your ensemble. While jewelry has always added visual appeal, historically, it carried more weight than mere aesthetics. Jewelry helped establish one’s social rank, marital status (as still seen today), and membership within a tribe. Prior to the Philippines’ colonization by the Spaniards, jewelry was prevalent in barangays and tribes as part of our pagan roots. Amulets, talismans, charms—the now folkloric anting-anting and agimat—were woven into the beliefs that linked people with religious ceremonies and status. Flat, round, and triangular pendants hung around necks and were believed to heighten the senses and the wearer’s innate ability to self-heal, to harness superhuman strength, or to connect with elementals. As the Spaniards swept in to conquer the lands, jewelry took on a mixed tone. The Catholic Church granted official acceptance of rosary beads as part of prayer and spiritual practice in 1520, and just one year later, Ferdinand Magellan sailed into our shores and breathed new life into what were once tribal, elemental symbols. Religious symbols began to flourish. Amulets and talismans were replaced with crosses: symbols of God’s love. Rosary beads also hung around people’s wrists, the
Catholic interpretation of a practice present in other faiths such as Islam and Buddhism. As the Church gained power during the 300-year colonization, these religious symbols became more than just ways to connect with the faith. They became signs not just of devotion but of the power that came with it. Despite the supposed austerity promoted by the Church, those in power were gilding themselves in gold and jewels. In the mid-18th century, crucifixes and scapulars became widely popular. Intricate tambourine jewelry and reliquary pendants became fashionable in and out of the church. But the Filipinos’ strong ties to their pagan beliefs still remained, melding the jewelry of this new religion with the unshakeable belief that their talismans could bring them protection. This mixing of cultures is still evident in the many talismans and charms sold in front of Quiapo Church today. As the Spanish rule ended and the Americans swept in with secularization, jewelry took on a different tone as well. Religious articles took a backseat as fashion, adornment, and jewelry as we know it today took over. A sign of our rich history and a symbol of today’s predilections, jewelry creates a significant timeline by which we can trace our material culture.
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NORT HERNER The town of Fang-Od has been flocked by tourists around the world after being featured in National Geographic.
A LIVING CANVAS
The last of the Kalinga tattoo makers continues to share the tradition of tattooing at 95 years old TEXT DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTRA PHOTOGRAPHY JAKE VERZOSA
Numerous indigenous groups scattered around the 7,107 islands of our motherland have rich histories of tattoo artistry. Long before the Spanish conquistadors landed in our shores, tattooing has become part of the Filipinos’ culture. It has been a standard of beauty, social status, and bravery. In the island of Luzon, tattoo is referred to as batok. Deep in the mountains of the Cordillera region, there nestled different tribes who practice the art of traditional tattooing. A little village in Kalinga named Buscalan is now a tourist destination. After a 15-hour bus ride from the capital, a two-hour top load jeepney ride, and an hour trek, seek for a twofloor hut with a sign “Tattoo Artist Fang-Od” hung in front. Knock on her wooden door and a small old woman with rows of tattoos on her body will open the door. Locals and foreigners alike
take this formidable journey to have their skin pierced and inked by the only living woman who still practices this ancient art form. Fang-Od is her name and she is also one of the few living tattooed women of Kalinga. Among the tattooed women, Fang-Od is the only mambabatok or tattoo artist in the village. Watch her make the ink and tool on her own. From soot and water, she creates the black ink and places it on a coconut husk. She gets a thorn from a pomelo plant and attaches it to a bamboo stick and that makes up her tattooing tool. Brace yourself while she laces the thorn with the ink, as she is about to begin one of the most physically excruciating experiences you’ll have in your life. She gets another bamboo stick and strikes the bamboo on the tool that will pierce your skin 90 to 120 times per minute-the handtapped method of tattooing.
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Fang-Od obtained her first tattoo at the age of 15 and learned the skill at 18. It was vital for her people to acquire these permanent markings since tattoos represent beauty for women and bravery for men. Tattoos were symbols of men who have fought to protect their people from enemies. As proof of their bravery, men are to bring the heads of fallen enemies to the village before getting inked. Women that are heavily tattooed are highly coveted by men. Fang-Od was said to have had 36 suitors in her lifetime but remains unmarried to this day. Thus, she has no children that will inherit her skill. Fortunately, one of her sister’s granddaughters named Grace Palicas is interested in learning the art form. She is currently shadowing her grandmother with hopes to master the skill and continue Fang-Od’s legacy.
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“Women that are heavily tattooed are highly coveted by men. Fang-Od was said to have had 36 suitors in her lifetime but remains unmarried to this day.�
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SPACE When Jay Taruc was still living in Cubao, he purchased one of Louie Cordero’s early works. An untitled Elmer Borlongan piece is found on the floor (right). A custom art toy by Romeo Lee can be found above the piano (extreme right).
PAST THE SURFACE
Clean lines and white walls represent this broadcaster’s desire for a space outside the newsroom TEXT DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA PHOTOGRAPHY MIGUEL NACIANCENO
Wearing his iconic black bandana, he immerses in remote communities inside and outside the capital. Riding his motorcycle, he travels far and wide to relay untold stories of people and places. We see him on TV roughing it up to tell stories with utmost honesty and credibility. Little did the common folk know, there is another side of Jay Taruc that departs from his broadcast journalist image. A modern white house with a well-groomed lawn sits on the outskirts of the capital—on a peaceful village that serves as his refuge after days of being on assignment. And upon stepping inside his massive jigsaw door, an artwork designed by Reg Yuson, one would conclude that it is definitely off-character. It could be compared to entering a Soho art gallery. His extensive white walls mixed with pockets of concrete industrial corners are filled with numerous artworks he has acquired over the years. “Primary consideration was to accommodate and provide space for our art collection and lots of open spaces,” Taruc shares. “I have always been attracted to modern homes and structures with clean lines. We thought it would be practical in the sense that it would give us more freedom to move things about.”
Taruc admits that he has been a music fan since high school. “I remember purchasing a lot of vinyl records from artists I’ve never even heard of on the basis of the album art,” he adds. Then, he discovered his appreciation and love for the art. Apart from his vinyl record collection, hints of his love for music are evident on the artworks displayed around his space. He leans on contemporary art that screams “rock and roll”— that may pertain literally to music but some also reflect his affinity towards social realism and pop culture. An example is a portrait of the Clash bassist Paul Simonon, a collaboration between photographer Kate Simon and street art pioneer Shepard Fairey entitled Obey. Over the years, he has developed relationships with artists who have the same interests as him. “Elmer Borlongan is one of our friends, and we both share the love for bicycles, vinyl records, and rock and roll,” he cites. Some parents are anxious of displaying expensive artworks around the house once they have kids. However, for Taruc and his wife, it is a way to introduce art early to their children. “We make it a point to discuss art with our kids and entertain questions about what they see hanging on our walls or objects displayed around our home,” Taruc points out.
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“We allotted this particular wall space for Bernie [Pacquing] for a huge abstract work that we thought we would never move or replace,� shares Taruc. He commissioned this art piece from Pacquing entitled Achilles Heel.
SPACE SPACE
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LIFE FROM CLAY NORTHERNliving
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Exploring how, for Mia Casal, to be a potter is to shape one’s life around one’s art TEXT PRISTINE L. DE LEON PHOTOGRAPHY JILSON SECKLER TIU
There’s something enviably appealing about the pastoral home that breathes life into Mia Casal’s art. Over a hundred miles north of the capital, her residential studio sits beside a beach and a sunken greenery that transforms into a lake whenever the storm hits. Her Zambales is no Manila, and its charm owes itself greatly to this contrast. “I can see the mountain where I get my terra cotta clay from,” says Casal. “I see carabaos, goats, dogs, birds, and cows take their time as they live throughout the day.” The idyll, convincingly, is fuel for the potter’s art. Watching the natural theatrics of the place, you’d ask, just how deeply must someone be immersed in the world of her craft in order for her to recreate it? Her dinnerware, tumblers, pitchers, vases, and accessory beads are in different specialty stores and exhibits. Then there’s Art in the Park last March, and ABS-CBN’s upcoming teleserye, Pangako Sa’yo, where she trained one of the leading actresses how to spin the wheel, and where her creations will figure prominently in one scene. With her crafts abounding around the city and the media, one could see how her pieces powerfully hark back to the place where they were made. “I want people to see that I live near the beach,” she says. “The greens you see [in my ceramics], resemble this bukid that’s right in front of me. The baso, half white, half blue, is like the landscape of the sea and sky.” The modern, elegant grit of the design—rough sands on the outer surface and semi-gloss glazes resembling water on the inside—look as though they’ve sprung spontaneously on the shore, the mugs and pots looking as natural as sea shells. Wholly and directly, it’s an aesthetic evoking nature—as, perhaps, can be expected from a community who lives off the natural bounty that the sea provides. “The good thing about living in the province is you survive even if you don’t have money. Everything is by the sea.” Like the body of water in all its boastful profusion, here, the mind is as free and fertile. “Nature plays a big role,” she affirms.“In Manila, I was never inspired to make anything.” Working for a publishing company back in 2002, she was not at all pleased with being stuck in a corporate den. “My hands,” she recounts, “were longing to
be creative.” When her friend urged her to visit Ugu Bigyan’s pottery haven in Tiaong, Quezon, she was immediately smitten at first acquaintance. “As soon as I felt the spinning clay between my hands, I knew I wanted more of it.” The sudden affair then followed its due course: It took her first to Lanelle Abueva’s Potter Exchange in Eastwood, and then to Jon Pettyjohn’s pottery school in Makati, before finally deciding to set up Clay Ave: “I converted our two-car garage into a mud pit!” Life became a montage of one pottery exhibit to another, of teaching one crowd of new enthusiasts to the next. On her travels—to New York, Italy, or the local islands—she makes it a point to visit workshops and communities that similarly cultivate the craft. Potters, she pointed out, as though pertaining to a wholly different breed, are honest and direct; “I guess we feel very close to the earth. We get down, dirty, and real.” It was in 2013 when she decided to embrace dirt in its full glory. When teaching had cast a drought on her ability to create, she moved to Zambales to set up her pottery studio by the farm and beach. Time there is as fluid and as sluggish as the river that runs nearby. She would sit by the shore across the street, just “to stargaze and listen to the waves.” It’s a life in tune to nature’s rhythm, spawning ceramics that pay tribute to nature’s forms. Simply, it’s the total reversal of what it means to be factory-made. Like natural elements, none of her two pieces are alike. “People today are more interested in handmade pottery,” she shares. “They want to see that each piece is uniquely handcrafted by its maker.” The rough, irregular touch of grit in her designs give character to her pieces or, if we’re feeling briefly spiritual about the case, breathe soul to her creations. Some decades ago, her mother told her how there is life waiting beyond the capital, urging her past the toll gates, past where Manila’s concrete pavements end, to where lands, seas, and skies converge. “At some point, we have to know [we’re] from the earth and [we] can play with [the soil]. [We] can have it in [our] hands and [we] can form something out of it.” And indeed, she has not only formed art; she’s made a life out of molding clay.
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FEAT URE Casal does everything from mixing clay to kneading, forming, firing, and glazing (right). She teaches pottery during the summers. Her students from Clay Ave have now set up their own studios. (below).
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Apart from dinnerware, Casal makes pieces for the wall and adds clay features on furniture. For her, a good clay craft must always be functional, while the perfect piece is “something that all potters have yet to see in their own creations.�
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HOMECOMING NORTHERNliving
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COV ER STORY
Love, forgiveness, and happiness come in the most unexpected way, and sometimes with fur TEXT MARA SANTILLAN MIANO PHOTOGRAPHY JOHANN BONA
When adopting a pet, it’s either you choose the dog, or the dog chooses you. But in the curious case of CARA (Compassion and Responsibility for Animals) Welfare Philippines volunteers Eric Suguitan and Thea Maceda, they didn’t have the final say over Kimchi’s adoption. It was Ginger, their clever, alpha labrador, who picked him. On a visit to CARA to see Angelo, a handsome aspin puppy they met at the oragnization’s adoption event in Greenbelt 5, Kimchi walked up to Suguitan while he was going around and getting to know the other fostered dogs. He walked up to him from 10 meters away, stood up on his hind legs and asked to be petted and carried. “Kimchi chose us, but Ginger chose him,” he recalls with a laugh. He was the only dog ever that she didn’t bare her teeth at. “Ginger wasn’t familiarized with other dogs properly as a puppy, and had always growled at other dogs,” says Suguitan. But when they were walked simultaneously that same day, it looked as if it was something they always did together. “We then knew we had to have him. We were so happy CARA chose us over the many others who applied to adopt him, even though we were living in a small apartment with no yard.” Ginger, Maceda says, is Kimchi’s soul sister. “When she is brought out first, he cries, thinking that he would get left behind,” she says. They often take them to pet events together, and the two friends are often the center of attraction, as people find it endearing that they are off-leash but tethered to each other. Ginger acts as his guide dog, as he is almost blind. She keeps Kimchi out of trouble—whether it’s bumping into things or unknowingly wandering off. Both Suguitan and Maceda imply in separate testimonials that Ginger contributed greatly to Kimchi’s inspiring emotional and psychological rehabilitation. A king cavalier mix, Kimchi was found in Alabang, emaciated, suffering from cherry eyes that went untreated, and tied to a post. He has been with Suguitan and Maceda for two years now. He is smart, learns fast, and loves going out for walks. “Last week
while I was putting on my sneakers, he kept looking at me while he clawed at the door and whimpered. He was telling me to hurry up!” Maceda laughs. “The minute I opened the door, he ran out.” He is sweet and playful, and gets along with the house cats. He often plays with them, chases them around the house, and is also often chased in return by the cats. They all seem to love this as they have never seen the cats hiss, fight back or claw at him. He is gentle and the cats often cuddle up to him at bedtime. “Kimchi is living proof that adult dogs can love unconditionally and be loyal to their new parents,” says Maceda. “Suguitan and I are blessed to have this wonderful being with us. We thank God constantly for having brought him into our lives.” Kimchi showed the couple that dogs can love conditionally, despite having been abandoned to die. She laments, “People find it so easy to abandon dogs and cats when they get bored, or when the pet gets sick and old, even if their pet has been with them for some time. If a sweet, lovable, pedigreed dog like Kimchi could be abandoned, then it must be worse for aspins and puspins.” “We wanted to do something about it,” adds Suguitan. Inspired by Kimchi’s story of love and trust, they have been CARA volunteers since. They tell me this story, greatly hoping it inspires people to adopt pets instead of buying from breeders and pet stores. Animal overpopulation has been an issue of concern all over the world, and is a growing problem in rapidly developing Metro Manila. Adopting would be the obvious ethical move to alleviate animal overpopulation. CARA dedicates itself to help the plight of animals while providing caring and responsible homes for their rescues. Those who choose to adopt not only alleviate the problem of animal overpopulation, but also save dogs from irresponsible or abusive pet owners and hazardous environments and help the shelters make room for more animals in need of a home. Turn the page to find more stories of abandoned, loving dogs that look forward to making your home a happier, more ethical one.
CARA Welfare Philippines, 175 Lopez Rizal St. cor. Samat St., Mandaluyong City, 532-3340, 0910-7297026, adoption@caraphil.org, caraclinic@gmail.com.
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COV ER STORY
SHOT ON LOCATION THE GREENERY
“People find it so easy to abandon dogs and cats when they get bored … If a sweet, lovable, pedigreed dog like Kimchi could be abandoned, then it must be worse for aspins and puspins.”
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Shaun Shaun was named after Shaw Boulevard, the place he was rescued at as a puppy. When CARA found him, he was suffering from mange, barely had any fur, and was emaciated. Now around six to eight months old, Shaun is a friendly, active, and playful dog. Perfect for individuals with an active, highly social lifestyle.
Softie Softie was rescued in an area in Pasay, and is very affectionate and curious. She is estimated to be around two years old. Softie needs an especially caring home with skilled and dedicated owners, as she is in treatment for TVT cancer, a treatable venereal cancer common with strays. She loves to go on walks.
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COV ER STORY
Tammi Tammi was found on the sidewalk of an exclusive Makati Village. She was weak, and had a leg injury from being hit by a car. She is about three to four years old, and is very sweet and mild-mannered. Like Kimchi, Tammi’s temperament is ideal for homes that already have pets. She will get along with both dogs and cats, maybe even birds and small animals, as she won’t bother to chase and jump after them.
Robina Robina suffered from mange and was almost hairless when she was found. She had deformed front legs from mineral and calcium deficiency. She has now fully recovered at about one year old, and is very friendly and active. Robina takes some time warming up to strangers. When she is already familiar with her surroundings, she becomes sweet and friendly.
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THE LOST GIRLS
They fled without a map and an agenda in summer’s breezy and colorful garb STYLING EDLENE CABRAL PHOTOGRAPHY JOSEPH PASCUAL
Dresses, P2,799 each, both Sfera, SM City Makati.
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ST YLE
Button-down shirt, P1,990, H&M, SM Megamall. Shorts, P2,490, Zara, Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
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ST YLE
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ST YLE
Pullover, P1,015, Forever 21, SM Megamall. Skirt, P2,290, H&M, Robinsons Magnolia.
SHOT ON LOCATION PINTORESCO. MAKEUP CHUCHIE LEDESMA. HAIR BULLET REYES. MODELS PAMELA AND CRYSTALLE OF ELITE MANILA.
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WELL READ
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Literary trappings that let you escape reality TEXT BEVERLY DALTON PHOTOGRAPHY JILSON SECKLER TIU
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1. Book clutch by Olympia Le-Tan, P2,650, LeSportsac, Robinsons Magnolia. 2. Wooden symbol block, P199, Typo, TriNoma Mall. 3. Phone case, P1,199, Out of Print, Fully Booked, Greenhills Promenade. 4. Eyeglasses, P399, Typo, TriNoma Mall. 5. Light box, P2,999, Typo, TriNoma Mall. 6. Wooden symbol block, P199, Typo, TriNoma Mall. 7. Jabberwocky and Other Stories by Lewis Carroll, P899, Fully Booked, Greenhills Promenade. 8. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, P880, Fully Booked, Greenhills Promenade. 9. Canvas tote bag, P799, Out of Print, Fully Booked, Greenhills Promenade.
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SHOT ON LOCATION FULLY BOOKED, BONIFACIO HIGH STREET BGC.
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EATS The Frozen Custard Chocolate Vanilla Twist looks like a softserve but won’t melt as easily. It’s rich and thick, and feels exactly like ice cream on the tongue.
TOO COOL TO HANDLE
Escape the heat with a cold treat made of whisked eggs TEXT BEVERLY DALTON PHOTOGRAPHY GABBY CANTERO
Summer is finally here and the heat is at its height. Too bad some of us are in the city and all we can do is dream of laying our banigs under the sun and wiggling our toes in the sand. But, if not by the sea, there is another way to cool off by way of mouth. Cold treats are best served on a balmy day, sitting in front of the fan in your sando as drops of sweat trickle down the face. We’ve all tried several reincarnations of cold treats—ice cream, sorbetes, gelato, snow cones, and even our very own halo-halo—but the recent entry of Rita’s Italian Ice in the country is about to change summer’s sweets. We could easily mistake a cone of Rita’s as soft serve ice cream, but it isn’t. “We call it frozen custard because the ingredients are the same as custard. The main ingredient is egg. By using eggs and cream, we’ve made the product much thicker and more dense,” explains Rita’s co-owner and operations manager Ted Castro. “We have similar-looking machines [as with making soft-serve ice cream] and it’s dispensed the same way. With soft serve, what happens is [the machine] dispenses an air overrun of 80 to 100 percent, meaning half of what you get is mostly air. It’s very light and it
melts easily. But with frozen custard, it’s dispensed with an overrun of 50 percent, making it really, really thick,” he adds. And it’s true! Invert the cone upside-down after a few licks and it still stays on the cone—a test worth trying for first-timers. Expect frozen custard to feel like ice cream in the mouth but with a richness to it. The Italian ice treats will also not disappoint. “It looks like a snow cone or shaved ice,” Castro describes, “but unlike them where you just get crushed ice with syrup and toppings altogether, Italian ice is made using the same process as ice cream.” It all starts with water, then the syrup and toppings are added and churned in a special Italian ice machine. “It’s smooth and creamy. You don’t get ice chunks at all,” he says. The house of Italian ice and frozen custard offers 40 flavors like mango, vanilla, and coffee. A dozen of toppings is also available: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, candy sprinkles, chocolate chips, and many more. “Our bestsellers are combinations of both [Italian ice and frozen custard.] They just go so well together,” Castro says. The challenge then is creating a combination, maybe one that is reminiscent of an island escape while stuck in the city.
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EATS The Gelati is a mix of Italian ice and frozen custard. A customer-favorite is the cotton candy. Another surprising twist is the Blendini, made with vanilla custard and blended with watermelon ice and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Rita’s Italian Ice. GF V-Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan City. 650-5859.
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NOLI SOLI Ad FP.indd 10
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RECIPE
NORI DREAMS
Activate your taste buds with a bowl of citrusy seaweed TEXT, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND STYLING SAM LIM
SEAWEED SALAD WITH HONEY SESAME ASIAN VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS
100g white radish 10g dried mixed seaweed 1 small red onion 1 small yellow bell pepper 4 pcs. cherry tomatoes 2 wedges of lemon Cilantro for garnish Roasted sesame seeds for garnish For the dressing:
PREPARATION
1. Prepare the vinaigrette by combining all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and then mix vigorously. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. 2. Soak the dried seaweed in cold water for 10 minutes. Dry it on paper towels then set aside. 3. Wash, peel, and grate the radish in 2 separate cocktail or rock glasses. 4. Add the seaweed on top of the radish.
1 tbsp. sesame oil 3 tbsp. canola oil 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar 1 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. honey Salt and pepper
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5. Slice the red onion into thin slices then place on top of the seaweed. 6. Slice the cherry tomatoes in halves then place the red onions on top. 7. Dice the yellow bell pepper then place beside the tomatoes. 8. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top of the salad. Make sure the dressing reaches the bottom of each glass. 9. Garnish with cilantro, lemon wedges, and sesame seeds.
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T HE GET
MEDIUM OF ROMANTICS
How letter-writing still holds its charm in the virtual age TEXT PRISTINE L. DE LEON PHOTOGRAPHY TOTO LABRADOR
Long before instant messaging came at the fore of personal exchanges, there was letter-writing, which, though revered by sentimentalists, sounds as laughably dated now as the old art of serenades. Think back to the time of Jane Austen when acquaintances were sustained through long letters instead of real-time Skype or social media, and when confessions were penned instead of spoken face to face. Romantic to a degree, yet in part just comic and ridiculous, it’s easy to presume that polite society suffered from a collective fear of confrontation. Of course, albeit this seeming detachment, one can never discount the intimacy involved in the act of writing letters. “More than kisses,” as John Donne quipped, “letters mingled souls.” When more roads and ports were opened, coaxing people to travel more, it was virtual messaging that tried to bridge the larger gap. The Internet—while compressing space and time—still lacked something more intimate that letters used to have. With a wired generation fanatic about everything concise, Studio Roxas and Filip+Inna came up with a closer substitute for letters; it’s more tangible than e-mails, and doesn’t ache with canned emotions characteristic of commercial cards. Studio Roxas Travels with Filip+Inna was thus bred through a kind of union. A children’s book illustrator met with a clothing company and their mutual love for traveling brought a collection of postcards to vivid life. On them are amusing portrayals of five tribes, “[highlighting] the notion of exploration—of the islands and new creative territory,” as illustrator Isabel Roxas puts it. Depicting tribes across the archipelago, the postcards echo an idea we know from way before: no matter the divide, writing to someone can close the distance in a way. Sure, it may not be a total collapse of space, but it allowed, what bold romantics would be apt to call, the coupling of souls.
Travels with Filip+Inna collection by Studio Roxas. www.filipinna.com and www.studioroxas.com.
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