Ambos Mundos' Pot-Bellied Pig

It was seven in the morning but I was already roaming around Sta. Cruz area. Stores were closed yet and it’s kind of hard for me to find a place to hang-out to waste some couple of minutes as I wait for a Chinese drugstore to open along a street in Binondo. My dad asked me to buy some of his herbal meds—the reason why I was here.

I am the type of person who hates waiting and becoming more impatient when being stuck so I decided to just walk around maybe to do some photowalk. Good thing I always have my camera with me.

I passed by Arranque Market and eventually I saw this restaurant again—Ambos Mundos. What interest me more about this restaurant is not really the menu or the location. It’s about these two cuddly huge pigs in front of the resto:

One of the two pigs here

I stayed here for few minutes to take some photos of these pigs. I am not a huge fan of pigs but upon seeing these mini-buffalo-like creatures, I started to wonder why they are there. They move very slowly because they’re overweight and that makes them so cute. Unlike some common pig breeds her in the Philippines, these pigs can easily differentiated with their dark skin color and big sagging belly that almost touch the ground when they walk. They have shorter legs than other pigs have too!

From the past days, I posted on of their pictures on Facebook to gather some superficial information about what is the reason this pig is in front of this resto. I explained, I knew that Chinese people are living with their rituals and traditions that is maybe the reason; but I guess I needed to verify its significance.

After few minutes of having this picture circulated on Facebook. I received interesting replies. A good Chinese friend, Jeff, just answered me quickly: “That is a Pot-Bellied Pig and it’s for good luck”.

This is my first time to see a Pot-Bellied Pig. From its name, there’s no need to further explain how it looks like. It may appear as a lucky charm for Chinese culture but for some others, this pig who can grow up to 200 pounds can be as cuddly as a pet too! Pigs are known for their pork after being slaughtered, but did you know that pigs are second to dogs’ intelligence level? No wonder why Babe (from the movie) can play lots of tricks and is very well-trained also.

When I was a kid, I grew up growing some pigs in our backyard. I was never fond of them. What I could just remember is the mess when they were being fed and could also remember the time when I was teary-eyed as we deliver them to the slaughter abattoir when they are market-ready after few months.

But upon seeing these Pot-bellied Pigs here, the pig loving-kindness in me again lives on. They might not be just a lucky charm I guess, but could be a good alternative pet aside from dogs too.

Suiseki: More than Just Ordinary Stones

I wanted to call these beautiful crafts as nature's gift to man. 

Naturally, Suiseki  stone (pronounced suu-ee-seck-ee) are crafted not by any human intervention but by nature's strong but delicate forces like wind and flowing water. Termed as "Scholar's Rocks" in China, these stones are simply the representation of nature's powerful capacity to shape a stone perfectly in a way that it already creates a line joining man and nature together. Merely looking at this miniature paradise, it makes you see hundreds of life forms in just one piece of stone and that makes this piece of art spectacular. 

To make it simple to understand, let me show you some of the highlights here at the amazing Bonsai Exhibit and Convention held at Eastwood City. Since Suiseki mainly focus on stone appreciation, this live diorama  would be a great chance for everyone to see this magnificent, luxurious nature-given gift.

Hope you enjoy this mini-gallery!

The next time you see stones, don't think they are just ordinary. Think Suiseki. 

Bonsai: A Growing Piece of Art

It was long ago when I only considered music, paintings, photography and culture as form of art until I encountered these beautiful God-made but human-cultured creations called Bonsai.

Bonsai has been a form of art originating centuries ago and can be traced back from the remains recovered from Tang Dynasty  (618 - 907 A.D.) in China. Literally means "tray planting" since this art form has two main elements: a miniature tree and its tray, the cultivation of Bonsai didn't only become apparent in China but its overwhelming beauty was also refined in Japan, which is now more known to be the master of bonsai art.

To appreciate bonsai even better, I took time to visit this magnificent and amazing Bonsai Exhibit and Convention held at Eastwood City. Being supported by the Philippine Bonsai Society Inc., this exhibit features over 350 Philippine bonsai and suiseki. Since this is not just an exhibit alone but a competition as well, the best bonsai will be picked according to categories by the rumored Japanese judges who'll come here. Other highlights also includes lectures and demonstrations on how to take care and cultivate a bonsai.

The exhibit will run from May 29 to June 5, which I think a good opportunity for everyone to see and be amazed with these small but grand creations.

Bonsai is not just a common tree that you grow in your backyard that just needs the sun and rain to survive. Bonsai somehow is a miniature masterpiece of great scenery that you are growing in a tray or pot. Since this is more about landscaping and paying more attention to its details, one should devote more time, patience and effort in maintaining its breathtaking beauty.

Cutting, grafting, leaf trimming, wiring and clamping are some of the steps on how to cultivate a bonsai. Daily “feeding” (use of fertilizers) and watering are also essential in maintaining them.

When I saw these bonsai here, I realized how huge the effort that was put by the artist's loving hands to make this ancient art a spectacular living masterpiece.

"Not in the Philippines?"

With Andrew today

Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City, Philippines

Ordinary photos as might these look like, but these have become a subject of our discussion with my good friend, Andrew.

He started by saying, "Dude, post it on my Facebook wall and let's see how everybody will react to this."

"Yeah, one might think that this was taken in Singapore or Malaysia." I answered back.

Did I say it right? I just realized one thing. It always happens that we disassociate the Philippines from these tall-modern infrastructures and commonly we think of some other countries that are far better than ours. Sometimes if we see photos on the internet of a sunny, clean, and a modern Asian city, we would think of Malaysia or Singapore before realizing that the photos were just taken along Ayala Avenue or Eastwood City in Libis.

I couldn't blame myself or some other people for feeling and thinking this way. It happens everytime when  we hear the word Manila or the Philippines, we initially and unconsciously think of the negative side before we think of the good part.

It is my dream that soon--in a few years to come, all the cities here in my country would be more progressive and well-developed. But I always end up knocking my head! However, when it comes to cities, I still believe that ours would still not the worst.