dancing for peace with my bestfriend of the 80s [tb092010]

manila began the celebration (in asia) for earthdance 2010- a global peace festival celebrated in over 500 locations in 80 countries. sept.18th, sun-down to sun-up, Earthdance Manila broadcasted to the world (live via EarthdanceTV) the hours of non-stop dance, music and live art. there were wellness and dance workshops, an eco-bazaar, showcase of indigenous rituals and healing ceremonies too. the event culminated with the Global Synchronized Prayer for Peace at 7am Manila   (4pm California - 8pm Sao Paulo - 12 midnight London - 9am Sydney)...[the whole world (of every race, and religion) prayed at the same time, that's good!]. bantayog ng mga bayani memorial center was the chosen venue (somehow to rekindle the fire of a nation united in its desire for peace, justice and democracy). themed “Embracing All Traditions,” artists of various genres from world music to techno, electronica, jazz, and hiphop fused their styles in jamming...

that night, i was reunited too with my bestfriend in elementary school- marlyn (she went there with her 15-year old son)...the three of us enjoyed the company and the beat as we ate our all-time favorite 'chippy' and as we danced along with the fire dancers, the participants from all over, the pangalay artists circle, and other traditional and ethnic dancers. it's a delightful collision of cultures, faiths, art forms, music and dance! kadangayan, nyko maca with DJ robby sanchez of peace pilipinas, and joey ayala head the stellar line up of performers (including tapati) and sponsor representatives like epi quizon for the dolphy aid. the event has become a convergence of advocacies too... SEARICE promoted their No2GMO with a free feast of eggplant dishes from all over the country; hare krishna demonstrated labor of love in its truest as they (pray and) chant while cooking vegetarian dishes to fire up the artists’ energy for the whole event, and, bagong lumad foundation, partners up for the ISAling Lahi Project- books and audio books of the various tribes and indigenous communities documenting their culture rooted in a deep connection with the environment through songs, stories, and values.  these, and many others were also made more fun-filled with free informal workshops in pangalay, poi dancing, belly dancing, and tribal drumming.

we went home just before midnight (cinderellas-in-the-making), bringing with us memories of the once-in-a-blue-moon event: the friendship reunion in a dance-for-peace drama. whew!

another tiring-yet-fun class-work [tb031210]

sunday, march 7th, we went to candaba pampanga. my professor, my classmates and I were excited to see what's in store. it was a fieldwork cum culinary tour in the making :).

the journey from manila to the site was great, seeing both rural and urban setting of the north side of the country. pampanga is not only famous for the bird sanctuary but also for the culinary expertise of the local folks.

we wasted not a moment of that one-day event. birds were fun to look at, so is the lake full of beautiful lotus flowers and lilies. snack was wow(bibingka, espasol, chicharon, buko drink). tilapia-fishing and duck-watching is an old-yet-ever-new-experience.

we were (I am) noisy as we rode the carabao cart at high noon, for 33 minutes. lunch- awesome (chicken souped in green mangoes, steamed veggies, grilled fish and lotsa fruits).

we learned a lot from our talks with the folks in the area: their living a simple life, their agricultural concerns, their trying to help each other via cooperative and their hopes of preserving their way of life but coping with the growth of the economy.

we went on our way back to manila but we had a freak-accident in baliuag area (that would be another story) so we stayed for a bit in one of my classmate's brother's house (very nice house). they were hospitable (served us icecream-yummy!). one stop-over in the best hotel-resort there is on bulacan (8waves) then to bed, exhausted yet smiling of the memories of our (mis)adventures.