VG in SG!

More on our Sing trip!


"To do good work, one must eat well, be well-housed. Have one's fling from time to time, smoke one's pipe and drink his coffee in peace.-VVG"

Early this year, I tried to paint a Van Gogh. My favorite among his artworks, Field with Poppies. That, after buying this small booklet of his paintings and his life story. But till now, the white canvas remains as is, white. First, I haven't even finished the crowned prince and princess painting I started some months back...lah-di-da.

Anyway, going back to VG in SG...I was talking on the phone with my friend Mitzi,who just came from the Merlion city, back in July, when she started gushing about her visit to ArtScience Museum, with Ricky, her hubby, where VG's paintings were installed! I almost died of envy right there and then. (Good thing, I had yummy spaghetti lunch to look forward to. My title should read, how my yummy spaghetti saved me hehe.) But I said, I've no plans to go to the City of Fines this year. My plan is to go there next year with my mom and dad. So, VG will have to wait. But she said he can't, he's only there till Oct. Who knows where he's going next. It's SG now or never. But I thought, maybe, I'll see him in another city. In the next lifetime. Boo-hoo-hoo.

But what do you know, a few days or weeks later, another friend was enticing me to go to Sing. With VG on my mind, I said why not! And by Sept, I was engulfed and awashed by magnificence; amazed by the masterpieces of the the great Vincent. I could've stayed there all day in awe. But no, the "kids" were in haste. They wouldn't even let me see the presentation for the third time. I only saw it twice! We had to go ride The Flyer and buy a laptop, part of the agenda for the day.

Anywho, I'm posting here the pics we took inside the gallery. Taking pics inside is forbidden but as they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. In this case, disregard the signage and start shooting. Like everybody else. ;p





For the record, those are the only pics I took. The ff. were by my friends. In short, I've only 2 offenses. Them, a lot ;p















The culprits!


The culprits doing footsies! Ah-huh!



Quotable quotes from the eccentric artist:


"Great things are done by a series of good things put together."


"A good picture is equivalent to a good deed."
(Take that CCP and Mideo Cruz! But then again, "good" is subjective.)


"An artist needn't be a clergyman or a churchwarden, but he certainly must have a warm heart for his fellow men."


Facts You'd Probably Not Care to Know; But Since I Cared Enough to Write Down, Can You Just Pls. Read Along?



1. Van Gogh created approximately 900 paintings in 10 years. (Whoa!That's almost 2 paintings a week.) At one time, 80 paintings in 10 weeks!(That's more than one per day.)

2. Only sold 1 painting in his lifetime.
(Bummer! That's probably why he was depressed, distressed and cut off his earlobe. And not because of a disagreement with artist friend Paul Gaugin. Kidding. You want more cheez? My book says, he presented his earlobe or a portion of it, as some claims, to a prostitute in a brothel. Needless to say, but I'm saying anyway, he was mentally deranged that time. You can see in his lines, how troubled his mind is. Or heart. Mentally deranged but none the less, a master.)

3. Created his most famous painting, Starry Night (which inspired a song of the same title), inside an asylum in St. Remy de Provence, France.



4. VG wrote 800 letters in his lifetime. Mostly to his brother, Theo, whom he loved and who cared for him so.

5. VG shot himself in Auvers, France and died 2 days later at the age of 37.

6. Thanks to VG's brother's wife (no name given) who devoted herself to collecting VG's paintings and letters for his work to get due recognition, we now enjoy all these beauty.

My First Novel: Noelle, Chapter 3

Jason Has a Good Heart

*reprint from Mod Magazine, 2011

published on Mod Magazine

After a delicious dinner at Anton and Frances’s apartment and while the host was serving cake and coffee, Noelle suggests they play a game.

“I like playing games.”

Everybody got excited. Noelle gives them each a piece of paper and pen. She explains, “this is called the blessings game. Write down your name on top. When I say “go,” write down as many blessings you have received in your life, big or small. This will be timed for 1 minute,” she checks the timer on her phone.

“Then what?” Jason thinks it’s a lame game.

“I will tell you the rest later.”

“Hey, don’t be a sourpuss. Be a sport and just play along. Do as I say, you are under my roof.” Frances kids Jason.

“Yeah,” her husband supports her. Jason shakes his head and writes his name.

“What blessings?” Kara asks.”Give me an example.”

“Like for me, this scholarship, you my friends, my family, this wonderful dinner tonight.”

“David!” Kara declares to let Jason know they are still together. Jason looks at Noelle and she said yes to Kara silently.

“My handsome hubby,” Frances declares Anton as his blessings.

“Yes,” Noelle nods.

“Make sure you write her name too, Anton or it’s World War 3,” Jason was chuckling.

“I got a new client today,” Martin tells the group.

“Alright, so you guys get the idea. So let’s?” Everybody nods in agreement so they start.”Remember, big or small blessings.”

When the phone beeped, they were feeling good about writing down their blessings. They started counting and comparing what they have listed.

“All right. Next, turn to the other side of your paper. Write your name of top. When I say pass, pass your paper to your right. Once you get your seatmate’s paper, I want you to write down the blessings you think that he or she has received. Including his or her good traits and talents he or she is blessed with. Time here will be shorter. Ready? Pass.”

When they were done and each got their paper with their name on it, Frances told them to compare what they think are their blessings and what their friends think as good about them.

“Hey, what do you know somebody thinks I am sexy,” Anton announces and flexes his flabby arms. Then asks Frances, ”honey, did you write this?” To which his wife said yes. “Then you’re gonna get some sexy loving tonight.”

“Yuck,” Kara was pretending to barf. The group laughs.

“Would you guys want to share what is written on your paper?”Noelle asks her friends. They were game so each got a chance to talk about their blessings. When it was Frances turn, she told them about her promotion.

“Is that what this lovely dinner is for?” Kara asks and gives her friend a congratulatory hug. Anton was nodding.”My wife is now Managing Editor,” he said.

For the first time, Frances was speechless but was just beaming with joy and pride.

“Congratulations!”

“Thank God.”

“Let me shake your hand so I could be next,” Jason takes her hand laughing. The gang was having a great time tonight.

Later, Jason approached Noelle in the corner and asked, “did you make up that game?” She nodded. “It was fun. So, you count waking up in the morning as a blessing?”

“Yes. I believe it is God’s gift to me.” Noelle smiles.

“That is something I take for granted. That is a new and fresh insight for me.” He smiles at her. Oh, what a sweet guy, Noelle thinks to herself.

Suddenly he changes the subject that jolts Noelle, “so, you and David got back together? I am happy for you.” Noelle was nodding and said thank you. She saw his sincerity. He does have a good heart. That made her like him all the more.

singapore is now my favorite city...next to mla lang of course!

after my recent visit to singapore, it's now my favorite city for the ff. reasons:

1. trees lining up the streets



i love trees period.

2. the place is clean.

what else can i say?



3. people are friendly and mild mannered.

even when riding mrt, i don't feel rushed. the general pace is relaxed compared to hk. no pushing compared to the scenes in our mrt.



4. i love the artscience museum!!!



the lotus flower structure itself is a marvel. designed by architect moshe safdie, the museum is dubbed as the welcoming hand of sing.



i find the rain incubus fountain inside it, amazing. it's like an oasis in the middle of a concrete jungle.

sg is home to other numerous architectural wonders - esplanade, marina bay sands hotel, shoppes at marina bay, helix bridge, the flyer, changi airport...and the list goes on.

5. van gogh



just because, i saw van gogh's paintings there, when i think of sg now, i associate it with van gogh and vice versa. no actual paintings, just larger-than-life projection of his artworks on the walls. it was great being immersed in his colorful and mind-blowing creations. i could've stayed there all day. more on van gogh on my next blog.

6. nice malls (ion orchard & shoppes at marina bay are my faves) & stores (lv, chanel, gucci, h&m, sephora to name a few.



anybody knows when will a&f open? their board-up got us ladies excited.).
but i have to point out that i prefer manila's forever 21's merch mix & visual mdsg over sing's.

7. ice cream on the street



for an ice cream lover, this is a big plus. easy access to various flavors of this delish treat. though on all 3 occasions, i always stuck with triple chocolate and with the same manong hehe.

but, i have to say, our mamang sorbetero's cart is much more visually appealing.

8. mrt loop
very convenient & accessible, very easy to move from one loop to another.



except for the funny smell in the trains though. good thing, i came prepared. i brought my ever reliable "armas," panda ointment. it's a must for ever travel outside the country.;p

9. changi airport
(pronounced chan-yee)

t1's arrival toilets are spacious; departure comparable to 4-star hotel's. i like the idea of putting a low sink for kids. free foot massage!!! just don't forget to wear socks. even their airport tubes are carpeted! elevated train, smrt, from one terminal to another. you can start your tour right inside the airport grounds!

10. good roads



no potholes. no traffic, or at least, our ride to the airport was a breeze. i have to note that this was on a sunday night. but even our short ride from marina to bugis on a saturday night was quite quick. you see, mostly, we rode the mrt. so, i couldn't say for sure. but i do envy their smooth roads.

11. great cars

audis, beemers and benzes are quite a common sight. with sports cars here and there.



in my visit in 2008, i saw a bentley for the first time, up close! i even grazed my hand over it. haha!

12. yummy foodie

while rhei loves fried prawn noodles and ate it every meal for 3 days!!!


jesson feasted on pork & at times roasted hainanese chicken.



while, i ate hainanese chicken rice, soup noodle (i didn't take note of the name) and the fried prawn noodles.



13. snow city!

i don't like snow because it's cold. and that you have to wear thick jacket and boots etc. but the tube ride, i like!



even after 3 rides, i wanted to go back for more.

14. serene



singapore has a special place in my heart because of my friendship with serene, my first and only singaporean friend. visiting her country 3 years back was a happy one for me. she was gracious enough to drive me around, with my also first-timer friend sylvia and my cousin janet, who used to work there, in her benz. how cool was that!
and treated us to dinners at upscale restos.

unfortunately though, i didn’t see her this sept because she was on work tour in south america. but i’m looking forward to meeting her again on my next visit in feb. and hope to have a great time with her & my friends in my favorite city outside the philippines!

p.s.

as in any trip, the best part is having fun people to be goofy with. at least on pics. thanks to rhei & jesson! had a wonderful time with you guys!







ganda na sana, panira naman si manong ;p



rhei found something she likes but cannot buy, kaya hanggang posing na lang.



vote for the silliest pose. but keep it to yourself.



the failed jumpshot which we blamed on the digicam, of course.



and our best jumpshot, in the funny category, with the title, "lion king, mufasa, and the elephant." which is who? ;p

My First Novel: Noelle, Chapter 2

Noelle Makes The Move

*reprint from Mod Magazine, 2011



published on Mod Magazine,Jan-Feb 2010 issue


“What, are you just going to look at me like that? Are you going to ask me out or not?” Noelle cannot believe how straightforward she is tonight. Maybe she should stop ordering Margarita.

“I thought you have a boyfriend back home?” Jason asks as he puts down his beer bottle. It was just the two of them tonight. The other two couples did not show up on their weekly night out.

“Not anymore.” Noelle’s conscience was shouting liar, liar!

“What happened?”Jason sounded concerned.

“We broke up, ok? End of story.” She pretended to look hurt that she did not want to tell him anything about it and at the same time, exasperated at his being nosy.

“I am sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.” Unless you do something about it, she adds in her mind. She just looks at him and stares at his eyes then his lips and back. She read in a mag, that that is how to signal the guy that you’re interested in him. Is it working on Jason?

Jason looks at her, stares at her eyes and sees a lonely, confused girl. He takes the cigarette she was lighting and puts it out in the ashtray.

”It doesn’t look good on you,” he says. She did not bother arguing and just let him. Then Jason takes her hand gently and brings it to his nose to smell it. As if making sure her hand was not tainted by the awful smell of the cigarette she held earlier. He smiles as if to say, it’s clean.

***

“What are you and Martin?” Noelle was hoping to sound innocent but it sounded more like she was snooping. “What is going on between the two of you?”

“Are you my mother?” Kara snaps but was still in a good mood. She just came in the room from class and she was not ready for this. What has gotten into her? Is my angel roommate turning into a devlin, she asks herself.

“No, seriously. I am just concerned because from what I gather, he is engaged.” Noelle was really pushing the topic.

“What you gathered is correct.” Kara hoped she would just shut up. Where did she get that? Oh Frances, who else. Or Jason. Martin and Jason are colleagues.

“Then why are you going out with him? I don’t understand.”

Ah, the nerve of this girl! And so she retaliates, “why are you flirting with Jason? Have you forgotten you have David waiting for you in Manila?”

“I’m not!” Noelle could not believe Kara said that. Never in her life has she been accused of being a flirt. That remark did not quite sit well with her.

“Yes, you are!”Revenge is sweet, Kara was thinking. She can see Noelle was fuming mad but was trying to mask it.

As Frances enters the room, she caught a drift of their exchange and sensed the tension in the air. ”Girls, girls. No need to fight. For all you know, David is just unfaithful and maybe even dating in Manila.”

Noelle just stares at Frances. She could not believe she could say such a mean thing. Kara saw how pitiful she looked and she sides with her roommate.

“Don’t listen to her. She’s just messing with you.”

“Relax, Mother Teresa. I’m just teasing her.” Frances snickers.

“If you have nothing good to say…” Noelle was close to tears. What if it was true, that David is dating his intern.

She cuts her short, “look at the two of you. Earlier you looked like you were going to pounce on each other. Now, you’re bonded like glue against me.”

She moves inside her friends’ room as if she belongs there. She sees Noelle’s laptop and sees the funny pictures of Noelle and David on slideshow, points at it and starts to chuckle. Her laughter is so contagious, soon the three of them are laughing.

When they have settled, Frances says, “I think he’s a player.”

“Who?” Noelle asks. Is she referring to David? Can she sense it? Can she read faces?

Frances adds, “he courts every girl around him and whoever responds favorably, he dates.”

“You think?” Kara asks.

Noelle could not take it,“hey, who are we talking about?”

“Jason,” the two spoke in unison with a tone showing bit of irritation because she is too dense to follow their conversation.

But the Jason that she knows is such a gentleman. They are probably just… jealous? Listen to yourself, Noelle. Are you falling for him? We are just friends, she tells herself.

My First Novel: Noelle

David or Jason?

*reprint from Mod Magazine, 2011

published on Mod magazine, Jan-Feb 2011 issue

Chapter 1
David or Jason?

Noelle sits by her bed alone hugging her pillow, staring at her laptop, a slideshow of her pic with David is running. After a month in Singapore, she misses her boyfriend of 2 years who is in Manila. She longs to hear his voice, caress his face and mess his hair. If he was only across the hall, across the street or right in this city, she would have marched right now. But he is far away, across the ocean, thousand miles away.

Why did I put myself thru this? She asks herself. She remembers the day she told David about her receiving a scholarship at Nanyang Technological University. He was in total shock. Why wouldn't he, she only told him when she was just about a month away from leaving. She had her reasons she said which all the more fired him up.

"I don’t understand," was all David could say. He kept shaking his head in frustration. He repeats himself and looks at her in disbelief.

"It’s just two years. I will be home on Christmas and summer breaks. You can visit me any weekend you are free. David, please let me do this."

"It ‘s not that I don’t want you to grow and…. You know I want what’s best for you. I don’t understand why go behind my back?"

"Honestly, I never thought I would pass and be chosen… Can you not be happy for me? Why are you so selfish?"

"Now, I’m selfish?"

"I’m sorry. Let’s not talk. This is getting nowhere." Noelle was feeling so lonely that time. She was so near him and yet he seemed so far away. She wanted to give David a hug but she couldn’t.

“Is it because I started talking about getting married and having kids lately?” he asked.

“No!” Noelle was quick to reply. She thought to herself, liar! She looks at David’s handsome face again and she is beginning to hate herself for putting him through this hurt.

She applied at NTU as prompted by her older sister Denise. She said, "it’s best to do this now while you’re still single. Besides, if you miss us, we are just a 3-hour plane ride away," and that got her moving.

Just then her phone buzzed and she remembered she is in Sing. It was a text message from her roommate Kara reminding her of their movie date with their friends in Sing. She gets up and gets ready.

She is quite happy she got assigned to Kara for a roommate. Noelle is in her mid 20’s while Kara is in her early 30’s but they get along fine. She can tell Kara likes her a lot. She even calls her her “angel.” During their free time, she tours her around, where best to eat, where to shop, which restaurants to avoid. She has been in the Land of Merlion for a year now. She knows the ins and outs of the city. Kara is taking up her Master in Business Administration (MBA) too like Noelle.

“Noelle, here.” She turns to find her chums. Kara was waving at her, smiling. There was Frances Mendoza, features editor for a women’s magazine, her chef husband, Anton. Martin, the Singaporean businessman is right beside Kara. But the face that she was looking for is not there. She was not meaning to ask, but the words just came out, ”where is Jason?”

“I don’t even know if he is coming, though this afternoon, he said he will. He is not answering his phone right now.”

As soon as Anton finishes his sentence, Jason, the dashing debonair that he is appears. He flashes his smile and Noelle’s face lit up.

“There you are!”Anton shouts at him and they high five.

“Am I late?” he asks the group and walks beside Noelle as the group starts walking shaking their heads as if to say, you are late again as always. He gives Noelle a side hug and tells her she looks pretty tonight. She sure hopes he did not see her blush. He was too close, she could smell his manly scent.

Noelle was telling herself, one minute you were missing David, another minute you are flirting with Jason? It is nothing but silly attraction, nothing to it, she assures herself. Or is it really?

5 Things You Need Before You Die

Do you feel confused sometimes? Not knowing how to go about life? Maybe because you lost someone or something and you feel like you just can’t move forward any further? Maybe you thought to yourself, it would be nice if you had a little manual on how to run your life? Just the basic stuff, the really important things that you need to do so you could be happy and fulfilled in this existence. But maybe, you also want it in a language that you perfectly understand, not needing any interpretation. And, maybe interspersed with an amusing anecdote or inspiring true-to-life story, so it doesn’t bore you and you’ll actually finish it from cover to cover.

Friends, if this is what you’ve been hoping for, wish no more. You just got your book, I mean, your wish! And yes, it’s a book. No less than the bestselling author Bro. Bo Sanchez just came out with his latest, “5 Things You Need to Do Before You Die.” And who could tell us better how to live a charmed life than this lovable preacher himself who seems to be already living a charmed life? Aren’t you itching to know what these 5 essential things are? Could you even wait another day to get started on a path to living a life in abundance? But why wait if you can do it now? Nobody is stopping you so go and get your copy now. And follow your bliss and live a life of no regrets, which by the way, is the subtitle of the book. ;p

And the Newest Beauty Queen Is…

printed on Ambassadors' Dispatch

Ladies, forget your expensive Botox injection, forget your fancy night creams and day moisturizers. Or at least, before you put those on, you might want to consider beautifying yourself from within.

Let Rissa Singson-Kawpeng, national bestselling author of Confessions of an Impatient Bride, tell you how. Yes, she’s back with another winner, Discover Your Inner Beauty Queen, Godly Secrets to True Beauty, now available at your favorite bookstores.

Poring through this paperback is a breeze. It’s like having a private conversation with your favorite friend who unabashedly shares intimate details of her childhood, teen life, all of her life -- whether you like it or not -- in a tone that’s light and easy. Even when she gets straightforward and tells you to get your act together, she sounds concerned rather than offensive. Plus, she speaks with credibility, as she, herself, is one stunner, who seems to have found the fountain of youth. In the end, you’ll feel like you’d want to be her best friend and confide to her your worries and fears as well.

Rissa’s latest volume is a must-read for all women who want to be charming and lovely in and out. Yes, even on the outside, because that’s what happens when you renew yourself on the inside. Imagine, all the beauty secrets a woman will ever need in one book! If you follow her simple regimen dutifully, you will also have a deeper relationship with God in the process. What a steal! So, why wait to be gorgeous? Grab a copy now.

Men, pick up one for your mom, your sister, your girlfriend, your niece, your lady colleague, your favorite lady guard, your laundrywoman, your neighbor even if she’s nosy, your mother-in-law. And see them transform into real beauty queens they ought to be, minus the attitude. Never mind, if it burns a hole in your pocket. With all the copies you'll purchase, they’ll thank you, they’ll love you. And you'll score brownie points in Heaven.

p.s. congratulations to our ms. philippines, shamcey supsup. you are ms. universe 2011 in every filipino's heart!