What's so good about Fridays?

IT was a good Friday for me not only because it was Good Friday; I had a beautiful and quiet one. And I'd say I could walk forever...

I'm walking, walking on the moon...

Busy streets no more...

....but churches were.

Things I bought along the streets...

They asked for money, I gave them the biggest ripe mango I got. They smiled for me in return...

I love the sight of logs but I wondered how many trees they have to cut down to religiously satisfy our Pugon-demanding taste buds... 

Finally my "found object..." The first time I heard the term from an artist, I instantly loved the feeling it inspires even if I honestly didn't know what it truly means to a visual artist that I am not. And I just Googled it now and Wiki says... A found object, in an artistic sense, indicates the use of an object which has not been designed for an artistic purpose, but which exists for another purpose already. Found objects may exist either as utilitarian, manufactured items, or things which occur in nature. In both cases the objects are discovered by the artist or musician to be capable of being employed in an artistic way, and are designated as 'found' to distinguished them from purposely created items used in the art forms."   ...A bit of a trivia for me and for a moment I thought of bringing home this lovely wooden chair for another artistic purpose, maybe to make beadwords accessories out of it...  

I just love taking snapshots as I love writing captions. I think my next goal could be grabbing a nice cam for myself to pursue another passion.

Happy Holy Trotting

SINCE I didn't have plans for the Holy Week, I devoted most of my time wandering not so very far but a stroll away from home to catch up with interesting subjects I might bump into along the road. I just decided to do what I feel like doing and to find something I'd love about with whatever choice I make in life. I think that works best at times when I don't have the drive at all to do what I have to do. So I challenge myself to find something interesting and productive about the things I'm committed to do to keep me going. 

And the past few days when others chose to stay committed to their faith (while most picked Bora or Galera for their planned rituals), I relished in my commitment-free weekend just doing nothing for something....

Here's something to satisfy my meat-free craving...

On Holy Thursday, I passed by Sto. Domingo Church on my way to Cubao for some errands. When I reached the almost deserted Araneta Center, I ended up indulging a bit in this spinach-stuffed pizza oozing with mozzarella goodness. I know it's Holy Week but it's meat-free so please forgive my veggie pizza craving. And it's a real treat at P499 (12 inches) with two tall glasses of bottomless iced tea or lemonade.

It's thin crust by the way but you're not deprived with every crunch-bite of generous spinach and different Italian cheeses. As they say, it melts in your mouth and the spinach can get stuck between your teeth but who cares?   

More than the superb food, the place has so much to offer with its cozy-artsy interior and quick tour through Italian heritage as richly displayed on its lovely walls...  

So here it is... the place is called VA PENSIERO. In English, it translates to "Fly Thoughts..."- words from a chorus by famous Italian composer Guiseppe Verdi. The song was inspired by Psalm 127 which in essence recollects the story of Jewish exiles from Babylon after the loss of the first temple in Jerusalem. A very patriotic song for Italian people, it has also been recognized as an important Jewish' work of art by Verdi. Yes, all these are  written on the menu's inside back cover.

By the way, they have a very interesting menu not only because of all of the mouthwatering treats to choose from but also because of the fascinating images of Italian heritage competing attention with the dishes. Looking at these beautiful structures, I imagine their food being seasoned with a rich history and culture as well.  

Ending the pizza feast with a sweet finish is a hefty sampling of this not-so-sweet panna cotta with blueberries on top, an enjoyable desert and another "melts in your mouth" delight.   

Now, forget about how good the food is and think about what this little indulging can do to help enrich lives. What's really encouraging about dining at VA PENSIERO is doing their part to support the children of Puso sa Puso Edukasyon, Inc. And you're doing your part too just by indulging a little or big time.

Soul Print

A bottleful of ideas, a wine glass of hanging memories...

WORDS are my beads which I string together to tell a story. I miss writing the real stuff when my hours have been filled working mostly on beading projects as of late.  Then I thought of starting this blog to rekindle an old flame,  to relive the thrill of writing for print and coming up with stories churned out of  "soulful analysis" which has been my process of letting the soul of the subject speak to produce a compelling piece.

I guess it goes for any work of art crafted out of sheer love, commitment and loyalty to your passion. Everything you create is a piece of your soul. For now I'm keeping the rest of my thoughts in a bottle, with more bead concepts in mind and with Janis Joplin giving me a dose of kozmic blues...    

My personally designed bookmark trinket with bag charm and braided bracelet.  And there goes Janis wailing and smiling at the background ('The Essential Janis Joplin' album).

  

I keep pushing so hard a dream.

I keep trying to make it right.

There's a fire inside of everyone of us...