Manilako

NU 107.5 FM

This is the official radio station of rock music in the Philippines. And today, it’s officially off the air. 

What happened?

You, probably like me, only knew about this a week ago or few days ago because we were all too busy downloading music to put into our slick pods and mp3s. It felt like the doctor told you a loved one is about to die and you couldn’t grasp the fact you failed to notice that you’ve been failing to notice that lovey one all this time. It’s one of those thinking, “I’ll give you time after I’m done with this”. We suck man. But life is just like that. Sometimes, we just suck.

I’m saying this because I feel guilty and a bit responsible for its demise. I was an N.U. kid. I grew up listening to N.U. every single day. After school and while doing homework and then while finishing my plates for painting classes. I would even call the station sometimes to play for my favorite songs and be amazed talking to the DJ (N.U. DJ’s were like rockstars then too) and then I’d hear “Zaaac & Joooey, i-in daa, mo-o-o-o-o-o-oorning!”, then I would know — oops, times up! Pasok na! Shit, cramming. Those were the days when rockenrol was in the air. It felt like we were all effin rockstars!

Then, something happened — Texting happened. (Ok, now you can text the radio jocks for requests and stuff). Then, Internet happened. (Ok, now N.U has a website, cool!). Then mp3s happened. Ipod happened. Limewire, Youtube, I-tunes happened and the next thing you know, you’re watching Mark Abaya and Rico Blanco back-to-back on telenovelas (o-la-la chicos!)

Life happened. Changed happened.

I wouldn’t even count the people who really enjoy grooving to their “pom-pom-poms and yo-yo-yo’s music”. I’m talking about us who loves the idea of branding ourselves as rock geeks or music fanatics and band groupies. We failed N.U. (in a way, unintentionally and inevitably).

And as much as we would like to think this is an injustice; why do they have to close and how did it come to this, we have to accept the fact that yes, we must have done something wrong or we could give an excuse to think that this may be one of those end of an era thing, but this thing is the N.U era kind of thing.

I changed, you changed, all listeners changed. Not just changed stations but changed in focus and interests. Nobody noticed that we started tuning out and we just plugged-in our headsets and earphones to listen to foreign Indie bands and just think we’re so cool knowing these kids can rock. We rock by knowing that. We think. Okay, maybe we do. But still, we left a good ol’ lover in the dark corner of our hearts.

It’s sad but one must think that this was bound to happen. When we started to listen to the Spice Girls and for a time thought Nick Carter was cute and we now turned ourselves into Gleeks, it’s destiny calling. We did this somehow. But that doesn’t mean rock music is dead. N.U. ending maybe the best thing that ever happened to me eversince I heard Nirvana’s Lithium and E-Head’s Ligaya. I am myself again. It awakened me, made me angry and scared. And it feels good in a weird way. This made me remember how it feels to crave for something so bad and how to want something so good.

Music will always live whether you like it or not. It’s just evolving. It’s mutating actually and people, like what I said, are growing up, growing old and moving on. And to be positive about these changes and adjustments, we have to accept that so that music can continue to run in our veins with a different password or hit button. We have to learn from this so that kids can still listen to good shit and raise their middle finger to the world as they choose to walk the unknown path and open new doors for new breeds. Music will always be a powerful weapon for an effective revolution. The medium may change but the message remains the same.

Maybe N.U had to end to give way to another era. Maybe someone from that NU booth or someone tuned in while driving, listening at home or wired into USTREAM will not say “This is it!” (a-la MJ’s farewell). Someone will find a solution to make NU rock this iPod generation. Someone who thinks that NU’s legacy doesn’t deserve to be just a part of our music history will find a way to make some noise again, some day…

NU 107.5. Maraming Salamat! Rakenrol!

*(No Manila Post for today, today is for NU 107, Manila’s badass radio station)

Life after Life

One day, I will die. Like everyone else.
Like you.

And I’d be lucky enough to know where it’s best to go or kill time (double meaning, yey!) or to spend my eternity, aside from heaven.

I can always go to Manila Bay.
It’s the perfect spot in the world. (plus, I know it by heart, so, there’s no chance I’d get lost whatsoever. I don’t wanna be a lost soul. =)

It’s right smack in the city, but it feels quiet and calm when you’re sitting near the shore.

It’s somewhere you can feel you’re a part of something big, yet you are alone.

It feels crowded, but you have your privacy.

Anyone can look at you, but no one will notice you.

Because the main attraction is the bay and it’s beautiful sunset.

Sitting here, you’d feel like how Manila feels.
Alone in a crowd. Quiet amidst the noise.
You’re just there, but not everyone can see you.
Like a perfect beautiful ghost.

Spoookie, spooookie! =)

It’s just a nice thought, noh?

Love you guys.

(that’s my brother on the pic. And he’s the most alive guy i know. ye boi!)

All Soul’s Day in Manila

Manila may be many things but dull.
Even on All Soul’s Day, it can still manage to present itself in the most interesting, intriguing and enchanting manner, in a very rough and gritty way.

Would you even think that this photo is just a chip of the scene one can find upon entering the Manila North Cemetery?

Spongebob & Dora Balloons, toys, flowers, candles and street food.
Manila can’t rest in peace.

Goodnight. mwah!

The world's not so scary with Tim Burton (click here)

I would love to have this and share it with my kids in the future. So they would see and enjoy Halloween (related-stuff) through Tim Burton’s eyes

It’s officially November 1, and though it is in actuality All Saint’s Day, this is is the day we (Filipinos) chose to visit our dearly departed in their respective graves.

Now, as we continue the tradition of making this day our official grand family reunion in cemeteries and make the tombs a happy picnic venue, I get to think of another kind of death — Is Manila dead? Dying or just catching her breath with her eyes closed?

I may not be a witness of its glory days and I only hear stories of how beautiful it was. But I don’t need to see her past to know her present condition.

When was the last time you were able to ride a calesa in Binondo / Recto? We used to do that when I was little, after eating Chinese food or watching a movie in Escolta, we would ride a calesa to go home. Now, you’d be lucky if you find one and you’d have to fight the heat, the smoke belchers and the intense traffic and your conscience for realizing how this truly looks like animal cruelty. If you’re in pain, then what about the horse, right?

When was the last time you admired a good architecture / structure while driving in Manila? There’s a lot of historical sites here, you just have to see them way beyond the garbage piles and informal settlers and the black fog of metro-air-pollution.

Tsk.

I’m not saying this because I hate Manila. I love Manila. And I will always do.

I just feel the need to light a candle for her today, for she has died a million times already. For all the neglect and discrimination. For all the raised eyebrows we get whenever we tell other people “I’m from Manila”. Like it’s a forgotten city, far from the CBD’s we know and far from something we want to be proud of.

I will light a candle for abusing her and leaving her behind as we find other cities more endearing, useful and fitting for our needs. I will light a candle today, for the death of Manila’s beauty, history and glory but I light it with a hope that she will rise and shine once more.

Manila. R.I.P. (Restore It Please)

That’s Manila. Beyutipul noh?

I miss having an obsession. That intense feeling that makes you wanna shout your love for that object of affection.

I remember being 12 years old and I heard Nirvana’s “Lithium” being performed in our high school auditorium and it felt magic. From then on I decided to pick up a guitar and play all Nirvana songs there is to play. Then followed by Greenday, Live, Lisa Loeb and Eraserheads (local Filipino awesome band). I also decided to play the bass and drums after and formed an all-girl-rockn’roll wannabee band. I was so obsessed with music back in high school.

College came and I was taking up fine arts. While everyone was trying to step into photoshop, comics and anime art, I was simply obsessed with van gogh, edgar degas and renoir. I love how they use light and colors in their paintings. I had to join all the painting competitions for students and even made some good dough out of it. It was the time I became an obsessed painter.

Graduation came and I was just starting to fall in love with photography, fashion photography to be exact. I was introduced to the works of Irvine and Meisel (the rockstars of vogue magazine). I thought I was gonna take this path, I even interviewed our very own Xander Angeles for my thesis and he was very helpful. But slr was on its way out and dslr came into the picture. And it was hard to apprentice as a girl. I was devastated.

Now, I wonder why it’s so difficult to have one obsession. Maybe the internet is to be blamed. With all the access to world’s hip new discoveries and stuff you can go gaga on, it’s just difficult to keep an eye on something for more than 30 seconds (especially if you work in advertising).

I wish I can obsess again. At least as a writer. You think this blog will do? I wanna obsess about you, Manilako.* Or maybe writing is all about having different lives in one lifetime.

*I tried to bring it back to the Manila topic eh — See the effort? =) adieu!

It’s my first post (ever, in my entire existence on earth). Now, that everyone’s just into blogging and simply knows how to make their lives, cool and interesting in blogs, I am on a quest to prove to the world (my little world) that art is everywhere (in Manila, to be precise). Not just to be ranked as a cool blogger but to amuse myself and feel that I am doing something nice for this page.

So, with this humble blog, I would be able to post cute, artsy-fartsy, bits and pieces of arts that we fail to see everyday/everywhere (in Manila, again, to be precise).

It’s my own battle-cry, to prove to myself (first) that contrary to popular belief, art is not expensive, taste is.

We can’t change Manila, but hopefully, we can change the way we view Manila, one blog at a time.

If you have a nice art that you have there in your house, street, school or office; from giant wooden spoon & forks to old school wall gardens (via Victorian-inspired gates), feel free to email them to me and we will try our best to celebrate its glory.

Would you believe, at this day and age of photoshop and digital banners, these are all hand-painted? Move over art directors! (art found at Sta. Ana area)