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CONT ENTS 24 COVER STORY Rediscovering the martial art that defeated Magellan
34 STYLE Inner-city castaways
Cover Photo by Patrick Segovia 41 EATS
OCTOBER 2015 03 HEALTH
14 FEATURE
08 FIXTURE
47 RECIPE
10 SPACE
48 THE GET
Solutions for inner bodily ailments
Localizing Mexico
Exploring the local vintage bike scene
How portraiture persists in the modern age Seasonal vegetables in a creamy dip
A denim designer’s vision beyond fabric
Modernizing knit through bags
EDITOR’S NOTE Live to fight or fight to live Many days we are caught in a battle. It could be as petty as a battle on what photo to upload on Instagram or as major as your combat with traffic that could last for hours. Preocuppied with our daily grind and the many distractions thrown at us left and right because of the Internet, there are some days that we feel lost and dazed with no clue of what really matters. We take a look at what our forerunners did right, what was vital to the Filipino society then, and how we try to find its importance in the present day-to-day living. The slow return of bicycles on the
fast lane is seen as an indicator of commuters seeking more options to travel from point A to point B. We visit an exhibit that takes value in the creative process rather than the finished masterpieces of some great artists. And we realize the gaining popularity of Filipino Martial Arts. Every day, we attempt to create a fighting system—trying to find the right combination to approach this ever-changing society. As portaitist Nikki Luna puts it, “Most people would like to be able to leave a depicted part of them to the next generation.”
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Northern Living is published by Hinge Inquirer Publications. 4F Media Resource Plaza, Mola corner Pasong Tirad Street, Barangay La Paz, Makati City. Visit www.facebook.com/ northernlivingmagazine now. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @nlivingph. We’d love to hear from you. Email us at nliving@hip.ph. For advertising, email sales@hip.ph. This magazine was printed responsibly using recycled papers with biodegradable inks.
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WEAVING GROUND
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Hi there! Sorry but I can’t help but ask: How do you guys come up with stories? It’s so random when you first look at it but then the articles are really interesting and the photography looks great. Great shoot with Miss Ramsay. Thanks for keeping it real. Arnold Cortez-Espiritu
GROUP PUBLISHER BEA J. LEDESMA MANAGING EDITOR DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS LEX CELERA, PRISTINE L. DE LEON CREATIVE DIRECTOR NIMU MUALLAM GRAPHIC ARTIST MAYSIE LECCIONES STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER PATRICK SEGOVIA CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS CHARLIE CARBUNGCO, BEVERLY DALTON, AJ ELICAÑO, KARLA MAQUILING, KAT PATIÑO MARQUEZ, ROMEO MORAN ILLUSTRATORS MARTIN DIEGOR, MANO GONZALES, TRISTAN TAMAYO, SAINTE JAMES TAN STYLISTS CHARLIE CARBUNGCO, KAT PATIÑO MARQUEZ, OLIVIER YOAN HAIR AND MAKEUP XENIA R. PHOTOGRAPHERS GABBY CANTERO, SAM LIM, JILSON SECKLER TIU, OLIVER YOAN COPY EDITOR SEPTEMBER GRACE MAHINO PROOFREADER ERIC NICOLE SALTA EDITORIAL CONSULTANT RIA FRANCISCO-PRIETO CUSTOM ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITORS PAM BROOKE CASIN, ANGELA VELASCO EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS TJ BILLONES, PAM CARLOTA, PAULINE MIRANDA, CHRISTELLE TOLISORA 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 KRISTINE MAY PAZ 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 SALES SUPERVISOR POLO P. DAGDAG KEY ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST ANGELITA TAN-IBAÑEZ SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ABBY GINAGA, THEA ORDIALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ANDIE ZUÑIGA, SARAH CABALATUNGAN, CHARM BANZUELO SALES SUPPORT ASSISTANTS RECHELLE ENDOZO, MARA KAREN ALIASAS MARKETING ASSISTANTS ERLE VIRGILIA MAMAWAL, JANNELLE TURIJA GRAPHIC ARTIST LEE CACES, JR LAROSA
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HEALT H
SMALL THINGS MATTER
Studies reveal that a bacterial organism in the intestine can alter one’s mood TEXT KAT PATIÑO-MARQUEZ ILLUSTRATION TRISTAN TAMAYO
If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that we can rely on food to pick us up during life’s stressful or daunting moments: ice cream for a bad break-up, coffee and chips for an all-nighter, pizza when we’re feeling down. But despite the uplifting comfort our favorite food brings to our spirits, it might actually be doing the opposite. Just ask your gut microbiota. Gut microbiota, or gut flora as it was previously called, are the bacterial organisms living in our intestinal tract that help digest certain foods that our stomach and intestines fail to do. But more importantly, as recent studies suggest, they can also send signals to the central nervous system, much like our organs do. From these findings, researchers have implied that the health of our gut microbiota has a significant impact on our mental condition—as well as on our gastrointestinal and immune systems—due to their ability to interact with our brains. Even the slightest negative effect on our gut microbiota can cause mood switches and even depression; observe how the feeling of sluggishness sets in after we’ve eaten processed food. Our gut microbiota just responds better to natural food sources. Thus, to ensure good mood and the prevention of more pressing mental diseases, we must also ensure the optimal health of our gut bacteria. It’s best to consume food that balances them.
and heart disease, but it can also make us susceptible to anxiety and memory loss. Researchers have recently discovered that an alteration of our gut bacteria caused by fatty food can cause inflammation in our brains. This, in turn, can cause mental diseases such as depression, and is even linked to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Make probiotics and pre-biotics part of your daily diet They weren’t kidding; Yakult is good for your health. Probiotics like Yakult help fight off bad bacteria in the digestive system that attack gut microbiota. Probiotic foods like yoghurt, kimchi, pickles, miso soup, and sauerkraut not only help protect our gut bacteria but also helps boost the immune and digestive systems. Pre-biotics, on the other hand, feed the good bacteria already living in your gut, giving them the necessary boost they need to fulfill their functions. Asparagus, bananas, oatmeal, red wine, honey, and legumes are great examples. Avoid fast food Processed food like processed grains, sugar, junk food, and the like kill off our gut microbiota and reduce their numbers by about a third. This could be a huge factor as to why people who consume more processed food are more susceptible to obesity—they just don’t have enough gut bacteria to digest what they consume. There is also enough evidence to show that low gut bacterial Cut back on fatty food Not only does fatty food put our bodies at risk for obesity activity is linked to autism and schizophrenia.
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BEAUT Y
GROWING YOUR LADY GARDEN
Fleshing out the hair trends when it comes to Brazilian wax TEXT BEVERLY DALTON ILLUSTRATION MARTIN DIEGOR
In recent years, girls have chucked their razors, choosing instead the way of the wax when it comes to hair removal down there. Popularly known as the Brazilian wax, story has it that this waxing trend was started by seven sisters from Brazil sometime in the late ’80s. They opened a salon in Manhattan that offered this pubic hair removal process, and New Yorkers were shocked by it in the beginning. But by the ’90s, it became de rigeur, as the New York Times put it, for the women of Manhattan. More than a decade later, in Manila, beach season or not, Filipina women have been more than welcoming to this Brazilian look on their girly parts. Errant hairs are usually not a pretty sight, but with fuzzy armpit hair made cool time and time again (originally by the French and then by Americans like Julia Roberts in the 1999 London premiere of Notting Hill and now Miley Cyrus on Instagram), hairiness in the bikini area is beginning to look on-trend. Some women are already reticent about going full frontal and are choosing to leave more
hair behind—the full-bush Brazilian as it is called. In this treatment, only the bikini line and the labia are waxed, and the rest of the top bush remains. It looks more natural but without skipping the grooming routines. As au naturel as it looks (New York Magazine says it’s the normcore of pubes), it is still precisely orchestrated below while the top remains unscathed. Contrary to the all-bare Brazilian, the full-bush skips some of the pain endured in waxing. A strategic schedule must still be kept to reduce the pain: a week or two after the monthly period. The same amount of maintenance also applies: lightly exfoliate before getting the treatment, and do not shower or wet the affected area right away after waxing. However, the question is: is this let’s-make-hairfreely-hang trend from the ’70s back for good? Ultimately, and we say this without beating around the bush, wherever women are in their furry or non-furry preference, they’re called “private parts” for a reason.
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CR AF T
EARTH’S COLOR
Liven up your wardrobe with this acceptable food stain TEXT AND STYLING KAT PATIÑO-MARQUEZ PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA
ALL-NATURAL DYES
What you’ll need: Plant material of your choice (beets, turmeric, red onion skins, spinach) 2 large pots (not to be used for cooking) All-natural textile or clothing (100% cotton, wool, etc.) Vinegar Gloves Water NOTE: The amount of plant material you’ll need will depend on how deep you want the color of the dye to be. Directions: 1. Take your plant material of choice and chop into smaller pieces. 2. Place chopped pieces into your pot and pour water. 3. Place the pot on your stove and let it simmer for at least an hour to get a good tint. Stir occasionally. 4. Strain the plant material out of the dye water and set aside. 5. Place your fabric in a separate pot and add a color fixative—1 part vinegar and 4 parts water—until the fabric is covered. 6. Allow the fabric to soak up the color fixative and simmer this for an hour. 7. After simmering, remove the fabric from the water and wring out any excess. 8. Place the wet fabric into the dye mixture and simmer until it reaches the desired color. 9. Remove the fabric from the dye using rubber gloves to avoid color transfer and wring out thoroughly. 10. Hang to dry. 11. Wash fabric before adding to other laundry.
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FIXT URE
A REFLECTION ON CANVAS
In the age of selfies, do identities rendered through brush strokes still leave a mark? TEXT AJ ELICAÑO ILLUSTRATION SAINTE JAMES TAN
Imagine a portrait of yourself hanging in your home, your own face staring back at you, wearing a familiar look that you can almost, but not quite, reproduce on demand. It’s like someone’s glimpsed you in an impossibly candid freeze-frame and recreated that moment, just that moment, in oil or pastel. Your canvas reflection is stylized, handmade strokes replacing highdefinition detail, but the artist’s hand has captured things that no camera could: a glint in the eye, the ghost of an expression you haven’t yet made. To call it “photorealistic” might seem to give it both too much credit and not nearly enough—but perhaps photorealism isn’t the point. The unanswered question, then, on your painted double’s unmoving lips: what, then, was the point? Traditional portraiture, at first glance, might seem unsuited to the contemporary age. In a world where high-quality digital images can be taken in a splitsecond by any smartphone, in an age so accustomed to people taking photos of themselves that we’ve invented the selfie stick, the idea of paying someone else to spend time to paint you might seem quaint. But there’s far more to portraiture than simply being an antiquated substitute for photography. “I don’t think there’s any competition [between portraiture and photography],” says artist Nikki Luna. “Photography is an art, too. [But] I prefer painting portraits since there’s a process of immersing yourself with the act and discovering your subject while painting. It’s not as instant as clicking a camera.” Portraiture has its roots in the ancient world, when rulers and kings commissioned artists to depict their likenesses for posterity. As artistic techniques evolved,
portraiture evolved, too; the image of wealthy families sitting for portraits during the Victorian era, with all the finery and formality of that age, is a powerful one. And despite the advent of digital photography, portraiture remains alive today, driven perhaps by a desire that has remained unchanged for centuries: the desire to leave something behind. “Most people would like to be able to leave a depicted part of them to the next generation,” Luna explains. “It’s trying to capture that one time, moment, and age in your life that could define who you are, what you do and believe in, even after you are gone.” The people who get portraits made are as varied as those who paint them. Winner Jumalon, for example, mostly paints other artists and art collectors, while Renan Ortiz tends towards political figures and everyday Filipinos undergoing struggles and difficulties. And Nikki Luna, even as she doesn't identify specifically as a “portrait artist” per se, enjoys painting women’s movement leaders and activists. Portraiture has no longer become an exclusive province of the wealthy; now, more people want in on the action. “I think until now people are attracted to portraits as another way of expressing who they are in one sitting, in one image,” Luna opines. “This is very personal. It is meant to be an appreciation of yourself, valuing yourself enough that [you reward yourself ] with a portrait.” This process of discovering the subject is an essential part of portraiture. During a sitting, subject and artist interact directly—by necessity—while the artist works. And this discovery is not limited to the artist; the subject too may discover new sides to him- or herself
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through the artist’s work. This sustained intimate exchange allows the artist real-time insight into the subject’s character as an integral part of the creative endeavor. A portrait artist gets to know the subject in a way that a photographer might not, and brings that firsthand knowledge into the rendering. It’s one thing to capture physical detail and quite another to depict character, and the portrait artist attempts to balance both. A now-viral tweet by a historian, John Gallagher (@earlymodernjohn), dated January 6, 2015, reads, “In my day we had no narcissistic selfie sticks—you just paid a man to come to your house and paint you surrounded by your possessions.” We have always used depictions of ourselves as forms of self-presentation,
always tried to use images to capture the intangible things that make our identity. Some would call that narcissistic, perhaps even futile. The portrait, after all, will never capture everything about you, no matter how skilled the artist. (At least selfies have a higher pixel count.) But a portrait is you as understood and depicted by the artist. The point isn’t the mechanical fidelity of a camera, but the very human experience of meeting someone new. They say you can never really know yourself until you’ve interacted with someone else, and a portrait is that experience as captured by canvas and brushstrokes, and rendered through that most unique thing about you: your face, gazing back at you as if to say, “Yes, someone understands you.”
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SPACE
AGAINST ANTIQUITY NORTHERNliving
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SPACE The living room where Ino Caluza’s family relaxes, and one of the few rooms with a TV.
This designer’s house keeps innovation as its focal point TEXT KARLA MAQUILING PHOTOGRAPHY SAM LIM
There is no master plan to the house that Ino Caluza built. Over the last 11 years, the designer behind custom denim brand Viktor has overseen four renovations to the family home in Antipolo, each one coinciding with the opening of a Viktor branch. Each addition was to fill a nagging need in Caluza’s home, affectionately nicknamed “Casa Caluza.” “The first renovation happened when I opened a shop in Podium in 2004; it was the space for the atelier,” he remembers. The unveiling of the TriNoma branch in 2007 brought about a second one, which addressed Caluza’s need for personal space. With the atelier in one corner of the house, he needed to “draw the line between work and home.” This was solved with a new wing with a music room, a bedroom, and a library, all adjacent to the atelier but tucked away so he could still enjoy some private time. Later renovations resulted in a sun deck, easy access to another deck built around a decades-old mango tree. The pool area was carved out so he could entertain friends from Manila. With a background in architecture, Caluza oversees every renovation, acting as architect, interior designer, and contractor. “The good thing about designing your own house is you know what you need.” Keeping to his very own minimalist philosophy, the multi-storey, seven-room house has raw concrete floors
and walls in either white or blue, inspired by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Glass walls keep spaces well lit without need for artificial light. Huge windows allow air to circulate and give a good view of the valley. Storage spaces are tucked away behind division walls. Bonsai, skeleton, and yucca plants as well as cacti bring in energy from the corners. Spaces are intuitively connected to each other, every turn leading to an exciting discovery: a wall garden hanging over the bathtub in Caluza’s room, a nook underneath the stairs where one can sneak in some private reading time. Household maintenance has been a challenge for Casa Caluza, what with Antipolo being a naturally wet area and with Caluza’s platoon of pets (a dog and several cats) whose need for mobility was also considered. He has since imposed a no-shoes/slippers policy. “When my guests visit me, I want them to relax, so being barefoot makes them feel as though they are in a resort. It’s a grounding experience for everyone. Whether you’re a doctor or the president, when you step into my home, you take off your shoes,” he explains. A second dining room and kitchen area in the roof deck are in the pipeline. Caluza envisions this new space to be “an all-glass open area, like a French atrium with a lot of plants,” where he could cook while entertaining. After four renovations, Casa Caluza continues to be a masterpiece in progress.
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SPACE Clockwise from right: Many of the rooms employ natural ventilation and minimal artificial light; Caluza’s dog, Major; A sharp delineation of space creates private and public nooks.
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FEAT URE
CHAIN REACTION NORTHERNliving
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Detours, road blocks, and highways make up a man’s life in two wheels TEXT LEX CELERA PHOTOGRAPHY SAM LIM
It’s quarter to 11 in the morning, and I’ve been circling Parang, Marikina in a taxi, looking for signs of a vintage bicycle store. Seldom are there buildings more than two floors high this side of the North, and with no landmark other than a siopao stand, I was running out of patience, and money, too, as the taxi meter ran a bit faster than I thought it should. From a previous conversation, I remember being told that the shop had vintage cars parked out on the sidewalk in front of its gate. Spotting them with eager eyes and a body looking to rest—as it should on a Saturday morning—I pay my fare and step out of the cab. The cars parked in front of the shop are old and rusty. The gate, a wall of sheet metal, is welded with the word “Bzkleta.” I ring the doorbell and someone opens the gate. Inside: a corridor of bicycles upon bicycles upon bicycles, made of different shapes, sizes, frames, and handles, their colors muted by rust. Some of the bicycles have accompanying signs that state their brand along with a year. Most of these bikes are propped against the wall but some are hung, and a few are suspended on the ceiling. At the end of the corridor is a wide backyard
shaded by trees, with dozens of bicycles yet again affixed on various corners of the walls surrounding the area, along with countless knickknacks. I take a deep breath and sit on a bench surrounded by trays filled with bike parts and tools. I’m at Bzkleta Classic Bike Shop. I’ve been here before a few days prior, but only now do I appreciate the details surrounding me. Bzkleta is one of the very few bicycle shops in the Philippines that specializes in refurbishing and selling vintage bicycles. The shop has been in operation for around a decade, but its vast collection stretches for more than a century and can fetch a price of hundreds of thousands of pesos. The owner joins me on the bench. “Sorry, pare, alas dos na kami ng umaga natapos,” he apologizes. Lee Pua III is, as he puts it, the one-man show behind Bzkleta. With over 20 years of experience working on bikes, Pua’s career is both a result of fate and choice. “Nagsimula ito as a hobby. When I was young, my family was into old stuff: military vehicles, old cars, old motorcycles, kahit anong luma in general. Bike ang napasok ko since ‘yon ang binigay sa akin na means of transport,” he says. After being given his grandfather’s bike, Pua tinkered with the idea of
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FEAT URE Pua's workshop is surrounded by bicycles-some refurbished, some custom-madeall waiting to be sold to the right owner at the right price.
knowing what it would look like if it’s new, and thus began his collection of bikes. He would buy bikes around the neighborhood, seeking parts to assemble the bike he already owned. By the time he was in high school, he had more than 100 bikes. After college, Pua asked permission from his parents to travel to other countries to start a career in bike fabrication. He traveled to Hong Kong, China, Australia, and eventually resided in Amsterdam for a few years. He sought knowledge for his craft, and despite the language barriers, he learned to become a successful bicycle machinist. Returning to the Philippines, Pua set his eyes on starting a bike shop. “I started investing. Some shops, ang stock nila, isang buong warehouse. Niresearch ko, hinanap ko ‘yong mga pinaka-unang bike shops sa Pilipinas, which I found out were in Escolta. Since on the rocks rin ‘yong operation nila, doon ako nagsimula. At that time, around early to late ’90s, walang social media kaya mahirap. I had to go door to door to find parts.” Scouring for more remnants of old bikes, Pua then traveled to the provinces, which spawned a set of stories in itself. He has experienced being chased by guard dogs and even getting arrested, all in pursuit of a quality pair of wheels. He keeps a notebook with a list of leads that have the models that he wants, one of which took him a span of six years to acquire.
These stories are what make the bicycle unique, he says. Some of his customers are more interested in the story, the provenance of the model, rather than the model itself. “Hindi lahat ng luma, may value.” Knowing these stories as well as the technical know-how prove to be both a blessing and a burden to Pua. This is also the reason why he is a one-man show; all this knowledge can’t simply be passed on to someone else. But Pua keeps going because this is his passion, shared with many others like him who keep cycling culture alive in the Philippines. He has this to say about bicycles in the modern day: “Go to London and Amsterdam and they’re all riding bicycles. They’re all going back to basics. Here in the Philippines, people don’t see bikes as a status symbol, which shouldn’t be the case. Let’s admit it: isang kotse isang tao dito. If we could ride a bike to work—any kind of bike—then that would be great. And healthy,” he says with a laugh. Our conversation continues as Pua, now wearing a leather apron, works on a bicycle. He looks the part, and the place somehow has an air of belonging. When you look at the vast collection of bikes, you don’t see the past making itself relevant in present day, but rather remnants of culture easing itself back into the world. Hopefully, the rust hasn’t consumed the bicycles by then.
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FESTIVAL OF THE ODD
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An exhibit of unconventional artworks probe into the point of unfinished business TEXT PRISTINE L. DE LEON PHOTOGRAPHY JILSON SECKLER TIU
On a rainy September day, when a fairly small crowd has gathered inside the safe cocoon of the Lopez library, cultural advocate Dr. Esperanza Gatbonton stares at artist Riel Hilario’s sculpture, calling it an upright body pinned down by darts, though it turns out not to be the case. Hilario explains his work, a product of a dream sequence, as a late president dying and his body blooming instead of turning rotten. Still, Gatbonton contests. To her, there hangs Saint Sebastian, valiantly defeated and shot with mocking arrows. “I still think that those are darts,” she insists. “Convince me those are flowers.” There isn’t exactly a storm brewing, just occasional fits of laughter desperately sustaining a lively air as the two exchange their opinions in good humor. “I’m being very bad to the artist today,” Gatbonton jokes (or not really). “All my works are meant to be misunderstood,” Hilario assures everyone. “They’re open-ended. There’s no fixed meaning.” For this particular exhibit, Hilario’s work—along with those of two other contemporary artists, Toym Imao and Ling Quisumbing Ramilo—stands side by side with unfinished works by Filipino masters. The show is called “Open Ends,” and with its pieces, expect an ensuing mental brawl between the artist’s intent and the spectator’s interpr-etation. Rough Molds The first room in the exhibit houses something like fallen monuments brandishing fragments of its former glory. You could say there’s an embattled dignity to their supposed resurrection, except these pieces in a
dark room haven’t yet seen the light of day. Imao’s stillborn maquettes were never deemed worthy of their pedestal. They were proposals turned down in favor of works whose show of valor is as clear-cut as a high school play. Imao’s works, as the artist himself puts it, “are projects that depict specific historical events and individuals differently.” Take, for instance, the Death March. We’re familiar with the visual of Filipino and American soldiers marching to their reaper; Imao, however, demonstrates its significance through crying women. “[Others think this imagery] has no valor,” explains curator Ricky Francisco of why the work wasn’t approved. “[But] the ‘Tres Marias,’” Imao adds, “shows the courage and contributions of women during the Death March. [The piece] focuses on life rather than death, the triumph of the human spirit amid one of history’s darkest moments.” Backstage Performance Ramilo’s room is a quiet carnival of bric-a-bracs. There are hundreds of number two pencils, a cluster of yarns standing in as installation, and—beside unfinished landscapes of Hidalgo—framed doormats. “I used a lot of unorthodox materials to present classic or formalist themes like landscapes and constellations,” explains Ramilo. Beside Hidalgo’s moonscape is Ramilo’s own rendition: a framed black metal sheet with speckles of color. It wasn’t painted, like we’d assumed; the piece was taken from her grandmother’s roof before the house was demolished. In one corner is woodwork resembling an artist’s
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FEAT URE Toym Imao portrays Pedro Abad Santos seeking justice for his brother Jose’s death in the Japanese era (right). Ling Quisumbing Ramilo installs a studio exhibiting a set of number two pencils that she calls “querida” (extreme right).
“Tradition will die—it always does—but expression does not. The artworks [are] alive because they’re open-ended.”
studio, an inelegant stage set placed in the wrong play. “The museum is a place for finished works, [but Ramilo has] put a studio that shows where things are made. Here, the studio is the museum,” explains Francisco. Seeming to challenge the canonmaking process of how value is manufactured when a piece finally acquires a stage, Ramilo’s exhibit is simultaneously play and provocation. With the pieces’ simplicity, they seem to say, let’s blast that illusion to extraordinary heights. A Different Creed At the far end of the hallway, we are returned to Hilario. Framed rough sketches of Juan Luna and Hidalgo hang on the walls, displaying faces and bodies floating in the limbo of the artists’ abandoned drafts. Hilario’s santo-like sculptures stand erect, resisting any religion that wants to claim them as its disciple. There’s a stroke of irreverence running riot
in his works. It’s the angst of the modern mind, as Dr. Eliza Gatbonton puts it. Coming from a town of santo-makers, Hilario explains that “[traditional] santo-making has a closed meaning-making structure. There’s a code that it’s meant to instruct, to propagate the faith, but I wanted to show that codes are arbitrarily created.” Here, the wooden amalgam of anatomies feeds us with no dogma whatsoever, only that art wills itself free of any canon or creed, the idea binding this odd set of artworks across definitions and generations. As the maestros’ sketches are unfinished, so do Hilario’s works elude a fixed interpretation. “Tradition will die—it always does—but expression does not,” he says. “The artworks [are] alive because they’re open-ended.” So whether it’s a blooming cadaver or a fallen saint, we don’t really arrive at a conclusion. In this parade of the peculiar, something tells us that’s exactly the point.
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COV ER STORY
ART
OF WAR NORTHERNliving
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COV ER STORY
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COV ER STORY
Rediscovering the ancient Filipino martial art that inspired Bruce Lee TEXT MARA SANTILLAN MIANO PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA ILLUSTRATION MANO GONZALES
Sticks and swords greeted me on a warm, sunny Saturday morning. Arriving to a class already beginning with their conditioning exercises—drills incorporated with arnis sticks and body weight—I remain clueless on what to expect except for my basic knowledge on arnis from sixth grade P.E. class. While I watch them warm up, I notice an old man walking around the studio, watching them too, but like a hawk. He’s tall and lean, his back hunched, knees bent, head lunged forward—as if always in fight stance. I figure he must be Henry Espera, the man who developed Rapido Realismo Kali (RRK). Quiet, unassuming, and kind, he trained under historic Grand Masters Antonio Ilustrisimo and Alejandro Abrian, who taught free classes in Luneta Park every day in the late ’80s. Espera was just a jeepney driver then, but has been developing RRK since. After he retired, he started teaching full-time. To simplify things, arnis, kali, and eskrima refer to the same Filipino weapon-based fighting system. They have hundreds of variations, are mixed with martial arts from other countries, and have been developed through time by different Grand Masters; the Filipino Tekken character Josie Rizal, for example, uses arnis/ kali/escrima mixed with yaw-yan, short for Sayaw ng Kamatayan, a Filipino kickboxing technique. People have varying opinions on their differences—that they are different by linguistic, cultural, geographic, and arbitrary reasons—but for the purposes of this story, I’ll call them collectively as Kali. RRK is Espera’s own modern style. Rapido Realismo
Kali literally means fast and realistic blade, stick, and hand-to-hand combat. He took the various Kali styles he got from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and incorporated them with his own moves. RRK is not a sport with rigid, cut-out methods. It is a modern street-fighting skill applied to self-defense. “Like Krav Maga?” I ask, adding that I practice it. “Yes, exactly,” he nods. “You will find that Kali is very similar to Krav Maga. They are inspired by the same ancient techniques.” The deadly technique used by the Israeli army, one of the strongest military forces in the world, shares the same roots with native Filipino martial arts? I know FMA is good and is taught to Russian, American, and Indian Special Forces and all, but the idea of traditional kali bored me. It was all Figure One, Two, Three, Four. I thought the sticks look lame, plus I wouldn’t have sticks in real-life situations anyway, hence I chose Krav Maga. Master Espera looks at me, confused, then politely corrects me. “After you learn the sticks, we take them away and teach you hand-tohand. That’s the principle.” How come there aren’t more people teaching this? Excitement chases away my initial regret and shoots up my spine, and I stand up quickly. “Show me,” I interrupt, completely forgetting about the interview. I raise my hands in defensive mode, jokingly challenging this 10th degree red belter. He smiles and mocks a strike. I answer with a Krav chop, but before I could even blink, he spins his arms around mine in a snakelike motion and completely has me in a lock with my head exposed. I'm sold. “Teach me!” I squeal. He laughs and we spar our arms as if they were Kali sticks. Up, up, down, down, up, down, up, down. “Every part of the human body is a weapon,” he says. “But you must understand that the whole body is also a network of traps.” He bends his head to his shoulder. “This is a trap.” He bends his arm. “And this.” Then he claps his hands together. “Even this.” He then teaches me the basic moves. RRK is largely based on the Kali’s redonda—the principle of striking continuously in a circular motion
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COV ER STORY
“After you learn the sticks, we take them away and we teach you hand-to-hand. That’s the principle.”
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COV ER STORY
while alternating the direction of the wrists—but infused with grips and joint locks. It’s fast yet fluid, and it looks and feels completely unorthodox, which was what appealed to me—plus the fact that it’s Filipino, of course. It has that tribal, esoteric feel, which I guess would be especially attractive to Western fighters because it can make their technique look more exotic. I mention this to Master Espera, and he confirms that numerous fighters from Europe and the U.S. have flown to the Philippines to learn Kali from him to enhance their previous muay thai, jiu jitsu, judo, aikido, karate, and tae kwon do foundations. If you Google “Krav Maga vs. Kali,” you’ll discover that a number of forums compare and discuss the two techniques. Martial arts enthusiasts describe Krav as more “choppy” than Kali, which only makes sense, because it was developed primarily for the military massive that prefer to disarm and defeat the opponent quickly so they can proceed with ops, rather than engage in prolonged combat. It’s simple, brutal, and efficient, designed to carry out maximum power targeted at the enemy’s most vulnerable spots,
with the least amount of movement. Kali, meanwhile, is more about speedy and continuous whipping strikes and bites that damage in increments and tire the opponent. Fighters online say Krav is better for empty-hand combat while Kali is better for weapon disarming and the like. If it helps to compare, notable individuals that practice Krav Maga include Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Daniel Craig, Tom Cruise, and Hilary Swank, while famous practitioners of Kali include Bruce Lee, Dan Inosanto, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker. Kali is a rare Filipino martial art that people promote by practice, but which self-defense technique is better really doesn’t matter. With fighting styles, you pick and mix your poison. As I write this, I have just finished my second session with Master Espera, and I find that Kali enhances, instead of obliterates, my existing technique. The best thing about martial arts, though, is how quickly it can zap you back with self-discipline. Training involves waking up at 5 a.m. every day, eating healthy, and feeling self motivated.
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Coat and shirt, Marc-Antoine Barrois.
ST YLE
URBAN ABANDON Adrift on the fringes of the city PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING OLIVIER YOAN
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ST YLE
Top, Prada. Jacket, Marc-Antoine Barrois.
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ST YLE
Alma, Louis Vuitton, Greenbelt 4. Hat and tie, Marc-Antoine Barrois. Shirt, Ralph Lauren. Shorts, Moschino.
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ST YLE
Coat and shirt, Marc-Antoine Barrois.
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MODELS XENIA OF WOMEN PARIS AND MATTHIEU. MAKEUP XENIA R.
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M ARKET
ANALOG CATALOG An affinity for objects of the old world PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA
1
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1. Wall clock, P4,850, Newgate London, Rustan’s, Glorietta 4. 2. Sunglasses, P16,500, Native Sons, Ronnie & Joe, SM Aura Premier. 3. Camera (M-P ‘Edition Safari’), Leica, Greenbelt 5. 4. Woman classic ceramic watch, P4,700, Braun, Segnatempo, Greenbelt 3. 5. Pen, P1,049.75, Parker, Rustan’s Glorietta 4. 6. Brass compass, P3,450, Rustan’s, Glorietta 4.
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EATS At Smokin’ Cues, there are only six varieties of barbecues, some of which have special dips and seasonings.
BY MEAT ALONE
This barbecue joint in White Plains is worthy of a gathering TEXT LEX CELERA PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Negative connotations aside, the same expression can be used for this neighborhood restaurant along White Plains, but for different reasons. Any self-respecting barbecue joint must have more than one kind of barbecue, and the various ways you can taste barbecue from different countries make Smokin’ Cues a safe post-afternoon rush hour hangout. Each of their variants of barbecue stands out on its own, but some flavors are just a cut above the rest. The Kansas City-style Pork Belly Barbecue is glazed with whisky sauce for a mild, tangy zing, though if you’re looking for something closer to home, the Filipino inihaw Pork Belly Barbecue is the answer. The sides and drinks complement the roster of barbecues well. The Corn Kernels with Parmesan Cheese, in particular, meshes well with the textures of any of the main offerings. Divided into an al fresco dining area outside and an air-conditioned indoor area, Smokin’ Cues attempts to bring the experience of the outdoors to their diners. The indoor area’s walls are lined with repurposed telephone poles, and the al fresco area is lined with plants. The countertops and the tables also have wood elements.
The result is a convivial atmosphere reminiscent of a log cabin. “When we think of barbecues, we immediately imagine the outdoors, so we wanted to make the interiors look like you’re eating outside,” co-owner Dale Liwanag explains. Beyond its affinity with the rustic, Smokin’ Cues is also an exploration of the many versions of barbecues across the globe. What started as a brainstorming session for a new dish at neighboring Bawai’s (which the Liwanag family and Fru Malijan also own) resulted in a new concept: a Vietnamese barbecue dish made with beef, lemongrass, and fish sauce that has since become a bestseller. Each skewer is ideally taken with a glass of iced tea or a bottle of beer. Their Apple Pie, a crustless version with thin apple slices and frozen bits of cream, is an ideal palate cleanser—unless the inuman goes on, calling for another round of barbecue and beer. For as simple a meal as skewered meat, there’s no need for extravagance. Eating at Smokin’ Cues feels like eating at your own backyard, and that’s where the charm of the restaurant lies: simplicity, playfulness, and the inviting smell of grilled meat.
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EATS Clockwise from right: A skewer of their Chicken Satay; Signages distinguish the restaurant from the plant shops in the area; The deconstructed Apple Pie.
Smokin’ Cues. 42 Katipunan Ave., White Plains, Quezon City. 236-0824. 0917-6741445. www.facebook.com/smokincues.
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EATS At a small Kapitolyo joint, two tacos in small tortilla wraps may not look like much, but they fill you up quick.
TACOS WITHOUT BORDERS
Taco Vengo pulls off Mexican street food that’s curiously authentic and inauthentic at the same time TEXT ROMEO MORAN PHOTOGRAPHY SAM LIM
“Tacos have arrived.” That’s what Abbie Manotoc, half of the husband-and-wife team behind Taco Vengo, insists the restaurant’s name means. The words are mere gibberish in Spanish anyway, so they are free to imbue them with any definition they want. Interestingly, that also seems to define the cuisine they serve. Taco Vengo—a taqueria that feels like a speakeasy, especially in the evening when the warm lamps are on and the jazz floating through the speakers gets a little louder—zeroes in on the most basic of Mexican street food: tacos, burritos, nachos, and some churros for dessert. They’ve decided to leave the carne asadas, the quesadillas, and everything else you’d look for in Mexican cuisine to other, more popular restaurants who are willing to serve them. The food is based on authentic Mexican, but that’s the only thing authentic about it. Whether they intended it or not, Taco Vengo lends its own meaning to Mexican street food. The entire menu is built around redefining the way we experience and expect the cuisine. “Where [authentic Mexican] would take us,” says Manotoc, “we were very open to exploring.” Indeed, the dishes never end up tasting Mexican, whatever that means. For example, despite insisting they never tweaked any of
the recipes to appease the Filipino taste buds, the pork taco tasted and felt just like sisig, only in an oily soft tortilla, down to the chicharon toppings. The shrimp taco was pretty much like eating tempura. Even the dessert we were served, the ingeniously named chwaffle (a churro waffle) was the inevitable logical evolution of the current churros craze. “We took a big gamble,” says Manotoc. “We didn’t try to make it Fil-Mex. We feel that the taste sophistication of a lot of people is changing. People are waiting for something else, looking for something else. We actually tried not to tailor it to local tastes and preferences.” Ironically, in the pursuit of distinction, they may have ended up dictating the Filipino taste. So if it’s not Mexican and if it’s not Filipino, what, then, is it? What is actual Mexican? Well, if you’re still worried about that, then you’ve missed the entire point of the operation. “Our goal when we put up the taqueria was to make really good tacos,” explains Manotoc. “We felt there wasn’t a really good place that served really good tacos.” It’s not a knock on anyone or any other restaurant. It just means the Manotocs knew what they wanted no matter what flavor we’re looking for.
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EATS The original idea for the restaurant involved an open-air taco “production line� where everyone could watch (right). Tofu taco, chicken taco, pork taco, shrimp taco (below).The structure of Taco Vengo is actually two container vans attached (below, right).
Taco Vengo. 16 United St., Kapitolyo, Pasig City. 0917-3278989 / 0929-7748671.
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EATS At Puzzle Cafe, the K-pop Quesadilla is stuffed with kimchi and tuna bits and is made for a light afternoon snack.
RIDDLE ME THIS
A new café is a much needed piece in an educational puzzle TEXT LEX CELERA PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA
What is the puzzle in Puzzle Café? The café’s sprawling menu changes every four months depending on the customers’ preferences. The items on the menu have creative and somewhat humorous names, but the meals themselves are no laughing matter. Their Bongga Longga is a tasty rendition of the longsilog. The K-pop Quesadilla is an unusual yet successful harmony of Mexican and Korean flavors. The Ichi Ni San is a sushi bake that invites you to feel its texture with your hands first before your mouth, scooping it up with a sliver of nori. The meal selections are different yet familiar, and can fill the hunger of any diner who enters. The secret lies on the café’s preparation of each dish, beginning with the sourcing for its ingredients. Ysabella Canoy, whose family manages the restaurant, wants their food close to comfort: “The longganisa from our Bongga Longga dish is from Cabanatuan. The bacon from our Shakin’ Bac’n Rice is from Cagayan de Oro. Along with these, the items found in our gourmet store are imported goods, which are either very hard to find here in Manila or can’t really be found anywhere else except in Puzzle Café.”
The interiors are courtesy of a design studio next door: motivational quotes adorn the tables and walls, and the seemingly disorganized miscellany ties the space together, manifesting the name well after the puzzle piece furniture. But there is really no puzzle to be solved in Puzzle Café. Despite the name, the place is straightforward enough. Its name came to be after Jose, Canoy’s brother, picked the word “puzzle” from a list of objects that he liked. In fact, Puzzle Café was made entirely for him, who was born with autism. He and his fellow trainees form the team of Puzzle Café and are the heart of its concept: a safe environment for the differently-abled to grow in a public space. Canoy sees it as a mission. “There’s always that fear that the special needs of a loved one will not be accommodated, that some people might start staring at them. Puzzle Café aims to be an environment where this will not happen.” There are no trailing modifiers in Puzzle Café, no “-alt” nor “-sub” attached, nor need for pity as one enters its door. Just good food and a fun place with a clear message: different is beautiful.
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September 2015 Volume 10 | Issue 1
September 2015 Volume 10 | Issue 1
UNDER COVER
OFFSHORE
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EATS Puzzle XXX Café’s subtle colors against the colorful furnishings inside (right). The tiramisu waffle is best shared (extreme right). The Ichi Ni San is Puzzle Cafe's version of a sushi cake (below).
Puzzle Gourmet Store and Café. 1 Comets Loop Blue Ridge B, Quezon City. 0917-5019645 / 0998-9722550.
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RECIPE
BEST IN WHITE
The richness of roasted veggies in a bowl of melted cheese and cream TEXT AND STYLING CHARLIE CARBUNGCO PHOTOGRAPHY GABBY CANTERO
ROASTED VEGETABLES IN MORNAY DIP INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup milk 1 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 pc. eggplant 6 pcs. thin asparagus 1/4 cup kesong puti Cumin powder 1/8 cup basil leaves 1/4 cup smoked bacon Salt and white pepper, to taste PREPARATION
1. Make a roux. First, melt the butter in a pan and add the flour. Stir until the mixture is smooth and golden brown. 2. Pour the milk into the pan and continuously stir it in medium
heat until it thickens. 3. Create a mornay sauce. Add the parmesan, cumin, and chopped basil into the mixture. Whisk to combine all the flavors into the mixture. Set aside. 4. Thinly cut the eggplant. In a hot pan with oil, sear the slices of eggplant until it turns golden brown on each side. 5. SautĂŠ the bacon until crispy. 6. Chop off the end tips of the asparagus. 7. Pour the mornay sauce in a ramekin and place the asparagus, eggplant, bacon, and kesong puti on top. 8. Heat it using an oven toaster for around 10 minutes or until top becomes golden brown. 9. Serve with toasted bread or crackers.
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T HE GET
IN THE LOOP
This line of bags unravels a need for continuing innovation and enduring art TEXT PRISTINE L. DE LEON PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA
“Verloop” is a Dutch word meaning process, a continuing pledge for evolution. When Ella Lim decided to employ the word as a name for one design lab, their collection of bags similarly embodied the principle. Knit bags with an expressive play of colors characterize the design. The process is another animal altogether: “We employ unexpected materials, details, and industrial techniques. The fact that we [have] our own factory allows us to experiment freely.” In Europe and the U.S. where they started marketing hats, scarves, and gloves, knitted fabric used for bags was a show of innovation. Lim adds, “Even small details such as the direction of a zipper or the dimension of internal pockets contribute to the element of surprise.” Whatever revelations Verloop may have up its sleeve, even Emma Watson, photographed wearing their striped tote bag, wanted in. In 2015, the Japanese market embraced the bag line, as it satisfied the Japanese’s hankering for inventive form and lasting function. Here, artisans continue to work and rework the knits, weaving tradition and innovation together in an endless loop. Verloop. www.verloopknits.com. info@verloopknits.com
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M A N A G E D
B Y
www.thebellevue.com 14 Scout Rallos St., Laging Handa, Quezon City, Philippines 1103 t: (632) 990 5000 f: (632) 990 6000 e: info@thebhotelqc.com
Superior Twin Room
NOW OPEN #bhotelqc Facade
B Hotel Quezon City is situated in 14 Scout Rallos St., Laging Handa, Quezon City. Chic, bright and contemporary, it raises the brand’s commitment-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 – all tailored to suit your eclectic taste. Sense an ambiance that’s suited for the well-travelled individuals. Pastry Corner
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