I first found out about the School of Design and Arts' Museum of Contemporary Art and Design when I…read moregot lost while looking for the bathroom. I opened the wrong door and - voila! - there's a naked dude pretending to be a statue (not naked naked, he had a sort of a tea cozy on his equipment because this was still a Catholic school), among other exhibitions. I learned that day that the College of Saint Benilde had its own museum, and that the exhibits were mostly occupied by the students of the School of Design and Arts, as well as the occassional famous person. I thought it was really cool, and I ended up getting a selfie with the naked dude statue because why the hell not.

MCAD is a really beautiful space for art. I'm not sure the students at Benilde, La Salle, and St…read more Scho know how lucky they are to be in such close proximity to a gallery that, though still pretty young, manages to hold beautiful, interesting exhibits of artists from all over. The last show I've seen was the one-man exhibit of Paul Pfeiffer, entitled Vitruvian Figure, and there has not been a better use of MCAD's hugeness in a while. Recreations of the Philippine arena, a moving image of a sunrise/sunset, and a dark theater screening of a spoken word choir performance echoing the video installations outside really drove the point home of how greatly the museum space elevates the art housed within it. What's great too is that they involve the CSB student body by giving some the opportunity to be mediators and engage visitors by speaking about the works and answering questions about them. It's a pretty cool thing, as it allows people to have a more personal exchange with the works there. I'm glad they've gotten their own entrance along one of the side roads now. Though I fear for the open shelving they have as their bag deposit, it does open the museum a little more to the public. MCAD brims with so much possibility and I look forward to my next visit.

Having experienced living in BF for a couple of years, what I really love about this village is…read morethat it has a little bit of everything from outside its own bubble that it leaves you with very little excuse to venture out into the world (except for, you know, going to work/school). Even if it's a bit of arts and culture you're craving, BF's got you covered, too. Artists Haven Gallery and Cafe is along Aguirre Avenue, the subdivisions' main road known also as a foodie destination in itself. From the outside it does seem really small, like what might be just another gallery.. perhaps a room and some paintings. Little did I know that it's truly like a "haven" for artists--spacious and beautifully designed interiors, a well-curated collection of paintings and sculptures, and they have a cafe too! It's a place that anyone would really be inspired to create in, or if you'd simply want to forget that you're in BF for a while, this is the place to go to "rejuvenate" your soul... or something. They also offer art workshops for kids and adults, too! If you're not much into the arts, don't walk away, they have a charming cafe for you. The dishes are named after painters! Though for vegetarians/vegans, there are only a few veggie options: just soups and salads, for which you'd have to still request to remove ingredients X, Y and Z from, just ask). I tried one of their best sellers, Crispy Suman con Tsokolate (you can request for dairy to be omitted), which is a good choice for a light merienda. I was able to chat with the owner of a place, and news is that they're coming up with regular events that involve live music and wine!

We all dream of studying at Hogwarts, but do you know there are some of us who get lucky? Every…read moreyear, the Philippine High School for the Arts, the so-called "Hogwarts of the Philippines", opens its doors to around 40 students who are gifted in the arts (that's like saying "imbued with magical powers", right?) Those who are chosen via the school's Annual Nationwide Search for Young Arts Scholars will get to study in a boarding school up Mount Makiling (home of the goddess Maria, yes) on a full government scholarship! Students there take up a double curricula that combines regular high school subjects like English, Math, Filipino, and Science; with advanced training in their art field of choice: dance (folk dance and ballet), theater arts, music (voice and instrument), visual arts, and creative writing. But much like the students of Hogwarts, it's not all work for the school's scholars. They get to have fun, too! (I should know. My sister and I both graduated from there.) The nationwide search usually begins in September and end in December. Head to the school's website for more information.

Man, I wish I could study here. Not for anything, I don't think I will survive a semester here. I…read morecan't draw, doodling is a challenge and basically, I know that I am better off sticking to words. But for those looking for a course on furniture or accessories design then this is the right school for you. It's located in the heart of Makati, a stone's throw away from the Peninsula and one flyover away from BGC. I have a friend that teaches here and the other day she made me sit-in on one of her classes. All her students were made up of men and women who looked like they carefully curated their outfits right before class. I was in jeans and a plain shirt so you can imagine just how much I stuck out. In that relatively short time I learned a few things about fabric and pattern-making and for awhile there I had fantasies of changing careers and going into fashion. (for a whopping 5 minutes)

I got so hyped about Wing Chun when I watched the movies Ip Man & Ip Man 2. It revolved around the…read morelife of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art "Wing Chun". The focus of this martial is simultaneous defense and offense. It accomplishes this by redirecting an opponent's attack and at the same time a quick blow that will end the figh quickly. I found the Wing Chun class on Google and I just started from their. A few days later, I found myself talking to the instructor, Mr. Jack Gallardo. I started by learning the forms and then doing it again and again. The logic to this is to perfect the movement and stance. Mr. Gallardo describes the forms as some sort of letters in the alphabet. When the forms are mastered, they can then be applied to form different sentences. Every session is tiring. We start with warm up exercises and the forms. We then move on to learning the basic stances and techniques. Sometimes, we have Chi Sao drills that are supposed to improve our sense of movement and response. The progress is slow because the disciplines need to be mastered before moving on to higher stages. The base needs to be firm my classmates would always say. After every session we have a burnout exercise that helps keep us fit and strong. After two months of Wing Chun classes, I still have a long way to go but I feel more alert and equipped whenever I'm in some potentially dangerous situations. Wing Chun is perfect for those who are looking for a self defense or those looking to expand their knowledge in different martial arts. It requires a lot of patience though, but it will all be worth it.

This art studio is located just in front of my building, so it was one of the first places I…read morevisited after moving to Manila. I was pregnant the first time I went there, so unfortunately most of their classes were prohibited for me, even with a doctor's statement - I understand them, though! The one I wanted to try was aerial silk...come on! Back to reality, please! After delivery, I've had a Stretch and Firm Fitness trial class and I really enjoyed it. I'm just trying to decide if I'll shift to another modality, like Contemporary Dance or Jazz. The teachers are enthusiastic and the place is nice. Actually, what I like about Jollijam - besides reminding me of Jollibee! - is that it's always full of kids and teens. I know, some people may hate it just because of this aspect. But it think it gives life to the place. It's funny to see little kids having ukulele classes or voice classes, anyway! Oh, there's also the Kung Fu group! That's the spirit. Jollijam mixes art, music, dance, fitness, martial arts...and FUN!

Camera Cart Studio is located in the famous Maginhawa Street in Quezon City. They offer photography…read moreworkshops, photography merchandise, studio rentals and photography equipment rentals. We reserved the studio for a photo shoot and we were all surprised to see how cool Maginhawa Street was. It was my first time there and I must admit that I found the place really cool. We rented the place for four (4) hours with a rate of 600 php per hour. We didn't find this rate too high because it includes the ff. along with the studio space: 3x 400W - Rimelight Fame E-4 1x Octabox (150 cm) 1x Large Softbox (36" x 48") 1x Small Softbox (10" x 20") 1x Strip Light Softbox 2x Sets 2-in-1 48" Umbrella (Reflective and Shoot Through) 1x Beauty Dish 1x Barn Door 1x Snoot 1x Honeycomb Grid 20 degrees 1x Honeycomb Grid 30 degrees 1x Barndoor with Color Gels 1x Wall - White 1x Background Canvass - Dark Gray 1x Background Canvass - Sky Blue 1x Background Canvass - Black 1x Background Canvass - Green 1x Background Canvass - Pink 3x Large Light stands 2x Medium Light stands 2x Bowl Reflector 1x Snoot 1x 5-in-1 Reflector 1x Benro Tripod with ballhead 1x Radio Trigger 1x Red Colored Gel 1x Blue Colored Gel 1x Yellow Colored Gel 1x Ladder The size of the whole studio is 20ft x 20ft. Wifi was free and it was really fast. The place also has a toilet room, dressing room, and free drinking water. It is also fully air-conditioned. The studio was just the right size for everyone to move around. The wide space was really good and both the model and photographer were comfortable with the set. We didn't have problems with anything and the whole shoot went by smoothly. I recommend Camera Cart to anyone looking for a good place to have a photo shoot. It's the perfect place!

I've always loved doodling and when I was in high school, it came to the point that my trigonometry…read moreteacher flunked me in one quarter because I kept doodling during her class. In an effort to holistic happiness, I decided I will take classes and exert effort in advancing my innate skills and passions, with one of them being writing. Like, physical writing. It was with this decision that I took the plunge and finally signed-up for basic calligraphy classes with Alessa Lanot of the arts, crafts, and lifestyle blog LifeAfterBreakfast. Her teaching approach was simple, straightforward and quite easy to understand. After going through the basics, she had us all take a whip at it and went around to fine-tune our form and give us pointers individually. She answered our questions, guided us, changed our hands' positions, and was very accommodating throughout the class. I believe natural talent and practice has a lot to do with being successful at something, and I'm grateful I have started getting commissions for calligraphy work. But I must say that I don't think I would have been able to accomplish this much in a short span of time if I hadn't been taught the basics well by no other than Alessa Lanot.

Being a lover of art, I am inspired by everyday mundane things, too. If only I had enough talent…read moreand prowess to draw and make quick sketches of people and things that inspire me, I'd probably fill my handful of notebooks in no time. This is what amazes me most about Robert Alejandro. Known as the Sketching Backpacker, he is a published author and award-winning artist, that has created artwork for places such as Glico's (90s kids unite!) and has painted the walls of HSBC building at Bonifacio Global City. He sketches random people he sees from wherever, whenever, going about their everyday life. This inspired me to have a commissioned piece made. He was so accommodating and just asked for me to send a few options for reference. I was so glad for the ease in our transaction and he even sent the artwork through courier, packed neatly and safe from possible harm to the artwork. This care extends to his work as illustrator and designer for Papemelroti and in the fund-raising projects he regularly does with and through art.

Education is all about starting early. Once you get started and get to know the basics, then the…read moreworld is your oyster. It doesn't have to be boring too, because if you enjoy what you're doing, you won't stop. How do you find that delicate balance though, especially in this digital age where kids are constantly glued to the screens of their tablets or phones? One of the best alternatives for alternative education is First Robotics in San Juan. With a keen emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, kids are pried away from their gadgets and are instead given a first-hand experience on the intricacies of robotics. They have programs for all ages, from basic courses on how things move and simple machines, to intermediate ones focusing making models come to life using a mix of mechanical parts and software, to advanced courses where they would need a deeper understanding of scientific concepts in order to make their robots move. How I wish I had these when I was a kid!