manila

[Published as a "Pop Goes the World" column in Manila Standard-Today on 17 February 2011]

“A doll,” says Wikipedia, “is a model of a human being.” Going with that definition, this three-foot figure of world-famous boxer and Philippine congressman Manny Pacquiao is indeed a doll. Now how many Philippine celebrities have dolls made in their likeness – or international celebrities, for that matter?

Dolls have been around since the early days of human civilization, made of whatever material was at hand – bone, cloth, wood, stone, wax, ivory, porcelain, and an array of other materials. They are a “candidate for the earliest known toy, having been found in Egyptian tombs from 2000 BCE,” laid with great care beside the dead person’s body, signifying that the doll was a precious possession to them in life.

In the modern period, most of us are familiar with dolls as traditional toys for girls, such as the indomitable Barbie. Most dolls are female and can serve to socialize young girls in gender-based behaviors in terms of dress, hair, makeup, perhaps serving as “practice” tools. Male dolls made for female play are after-thoughts or accessories, like Barbie’s Ken.

Boys play with figures that are military-themed or that in general have links to traditionally masculine roles. (Can you say “GI Joe” or “Transformers”?) However, to distinguish between male and female toys, and to dissociate from the feminine connotation of the word “doll”, toys for boys are called “action figures”.

Nowadays, with doll-making technology advanced enough to copy the likeness of an actual person, dolls are being made that look like celebrities. What could this mean?

The root word of “doll” is the Greek eidolon, meaning “image, idol, apparation, phantom, ghost,” which could also be linked to the word “idol” – “an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed; or, any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion.”

Gods and goddesses are super versions of the human, with human characteristics blown up to exaggerated proportions – beauty (Venus), martial prowess (Mars), wisdom (Athena), and so on. As their physical representations, idols and religious images can be considered a kind of doll, being models of (super)human beings, with the aspirational and admired attributes greatly emphasized.

Celebrities are the modern-day idols, the focus of awe and worship of adoring fans. In fact the actual terminology and practice of fandom verges on the religious – favorite actors/performers are called “idols”; the word itself has crept into Filipino usage, the way we say “Idol ko si Derek Ramsay.” Their pictures are taped to bedroom walls while pocket-size photos, sold for ten or twenty pesos each,  are carried around in wallets, the way posters or calendars of “Mama Mary”, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, or the Holy Family used to be tacked to walls and stampitas with the gilded halos around the heads of saints were tucked into wallets and books.

Dolls of celebrities are a socially acceptable way of creating images of showbiz idols that one can bring home and gaze at adoringly, without fear of social sanction or other repercussion stemming from a bending or skirting-around of a norm.

What does it mean that a doll is made in the likeness of Manny Pacquiao?

The likeness, though a caricature, strove to be as faithful to the real thing as possible, even down to the tattoos.

The cult of Pacquiao has reached idolatrous proportions as exemplified by this tribute to his fame and prowess. Even while still alive, Pacquiao, a present-day gladiator, has already been deified, by this means accorded immortality of a sort. This plastic doll made in his image, down to the tattoos, may now be purchased by admirers who can adore him at their leisure and convenience, much like displaying a santo on the family mesa altar or attending Sunday Mass at their chosen time and church.

As a doll he can be worshipped in an intimate way not possible with a flat, two-dimensional photograph. One may imagine seeing Pacquiao in the round, from all angles, in this instance with the well-developed muscles and facial hair signifying strength, masculinity, and determination – the attributes of Hercules – and honored as such.

This particular doll is a caricature, a version of the real thing that exaggerates the idolized attributes. For idols, patterning after the real thing is not possible or even not desired, because the good characteristics are inflated while the bad are minimized or deliberately omitted. Just as the Venus of Willendorf and other mother goddess figurines from prehistory have no faces but disproportionately large breasts and vulvas signifying fertility, so the Pacquiao dolls need not be accurate and faithful to the original, as long the idea of Pacquiao-ness is conveyed.

A friend has one of these dolls, displayed in a prominent place in his home that he has outfitted like a shrine to his idol. The cult of Pacquiao is growing; remember that the word “cult” is embedded in the word “culture”, and Pacquiao and his greatness as being worthy of elevated levels of admiration have evolved into a meme replicated in Philippine culture.

In this cult, Pacquiao is the new god – he shall redeem Filipinos from international disgrace as a failed nation with his victories in prizefights, he shall deliver us from our idiocies and trespasses with his common sense, and he will save the country from itself through the sheer force of his good intentions.

Bonus shot: empty pizza boxes. As a collector’s item, the question arises – what for? Well, no one ever claimed idolatry is practical.

All definitions quoted from Wikipedia. Photos taken at Powerplant Mall, Rockwell Drive, Makati City, on 16 January 2011. Shot with a Nikon Coolpix L-21.

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Ohhhmigawd ohmigawd OHMIGAWD.

The other day, when we came back from lunch, there was this GUY at our office, and people were having their pictures taken with him, right? So we walk past him, because, like, it’s none of our business, but one of my officemates snags my daughter and MAKES her join the photo op, and I’m right by the door going, whaatt?

Because, like, who’s this guy, right? And my friends told me he’s an ACTOR, he won the Century Tuna Superbod contest, and he acts on TV and stuff, and I’m like, really? what’s his name? and they go, Derek RAMsay, and I’m like, never heard of him, and they’re like, you’ve never heard of DErek RAMsay, I hate you, because he’ s just like the cutest guy ever? So I’m like, sorry, whatever, right?

But as you can see from the picture, he’s a really nice guy, he doesn’t mind having his picture taken with strangers he doesn’t know, and he’s very patient with all the photo requests? And he’s good-looking, and BUFF, so it’s no surprise if he wins all those beach body contests? And he’s cool because he wears those jeans with holes in them like he doesn’t care how he’s dressed but then when you’re that handsome you don’t even need clothes, right?

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L’Occitane (pron. “loxeetan”) is a skin care and cosmetics shop inspired by “the Mediterranean art de vivre.” Founded by visionary Olivier Baussan in Provence in 1976, the company has stayed true to its aim to create high-quality plant-based products that are effective and of “sensorial” appeal.

I first tried their products in 2001, during a stay in California. I developed winter itch, which never happens to me in the Philippines. A cousin who’s a nurse took me to L’Occitane in Los Angeles to get 100% Shea Butter and hand cream that she promised me would soothe my rashes. And they did.

A few years ago, L’Occitane finally came to Manila.

The store at Powerplant Mall.

I swear by the Shea Butter for all-over body moisturizing. In the photo below is my tin from 2001, the one that looks like a shoe polish can with a key. A little goes a long way here in Manila – the year-round warmth and humidity are kinder to skin than the harsh winters abroad. Beside the Shea Butter is Ultra Rich Hair Cream in the newer kind of tin. To use both creams – rub a little into the skin (or hair) when still damp and in the shower. Massage well, then rinse with warm water.

I can’t be without the Dry Skin Hand Cream! It’s non-greasy, fast-absorbing, and smells like a garden of flowers. The big tube lasts me a couple of years. It’s their most popular product.

Hand cream and travel-size products.

One of my favorite L’Occitane scents is verbena. It’s fresh and happy.

Last Christmas the store came out with these travel pouches, perfect for my collection of mini-products.

The Extra-Gentle Soap in Milk with shea butter is mild enough for daily use. It doesn’t dry out my skin. And it’s great value – 1/4 kilo of pure soap in a gigantic bar that I can barely hold with one hand. It’s great for babies and children and those with sensitive skin.

Life is short. Indulge in whatever makes you happy and beautiful!

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From my bookshelves: Filipino Style (Archipelago Press, Singapore: 2007). With photographs by Luca Invernizzi Tettoni and Tara Sosrowardoyo; text by Rene Javellana, Fernando Nakpil Zialcita, and Elizabeth V. Reyes.

The book cover shows Philippine-style Art Nouveau decorations and furniture in the ancestral Bautista- de los Santos house in Malolos, Bulacan, “built in 1812, painted in tendrils and foliage in 1877, and re-conceived in Art Nouveau terms at the turn of the century.”  Art Nouveau, which was popular from the end of the 1800s until the 1930s, enjoyed a longer run here than in Europe. The style gave way to Art Deco in the 1930s.

First published in 1997, this book gives brief overviews of Filipino architectural and interior design style. Beautiful photographs make the articles come alive. Most notable are the spreads on bahay-na-bato of the 19th century, perhaps the architectural style most suited to the tropical climate. Such homes are characterized by certain elements: a stone or cement first floor, where horses were stabled and carriages kept; and a wooden second floor, the living area. Wide windows were covered by capiz-and-wood shutters; more windows below the sill, called ventanillas, ensured that practically the entire living area could be opened up to cooling breezes.

From the first floor, a polished and gleaming wooden staircase swept up to the open-plan second floor, designed that way to allow the free flow of air. Areas such as the drawing room (sala) and dining room were marked off by carpets and by arrangements of furniture. Wooden floors bounced light off their shiny surfaces, creating the illusion of  wide spaces. A mesa altar for religious images was prominently displayed. Bedrooms featured four-poster beds and elaborately-carved aparadors, almarios (pillow racks), and dressers. Walls often had filigreed transoms to allow the passage of air (and light and sound) through all the rooms of the house. Furniture was of carved wood, the styles imitated from Europe, but the seats, rather than being stuffed with horsehair and covered with dark fabric as in Victorian England, were covered with solihiya (woven cane), making them cooler, lighter, and airier.

From the chapter “Traditional Houses”, by Fernando Nakpil Zialcita:

Another aspect of Filipino style has yet to be recognized. This is what I call “a fondness for the translucent”. Filipino creations love to half-reveal and half-conceal forms and colors. Capiz windows pretend to block off the outside world but actually reveal aspects of it. Capiz catches the shadow of a branch swaying outside. The moods the shell panels create change as the sun passes; at one moment, they are quiet and still; at another they shimmer like the sea at noon. The oily smoothness of the wooden floors, often uncarpeted, reflect changes in the light and give the visitor a sense of walking on water.

Similarly the cloth favored for the upper garments of the national dress for men and women is made of translucent, rather than opaque, materials: sinamay is made from loosely-woven abaca, jusi is made from Chinese silk and pineapple, piña from pineapple gauze. The barong Tagalog delicately reveals the torso, while at the same time concealing it. Hre, as in the wood-and-stone house, the Filipino fondness for open tracery, called calado, adds elegance while daring the eye to explore the field.

The facade of Casa Manila in Intramuros. This is a bahay-na-bato turned into a museum and is a must-see.

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After a wait of many months, there’s finally a schedule set for the launch of the novel Patriots on the Street.

The book serves as a platform for the thoughts of property developer Rex Drilon II and was written by Manila Standard-Today opinion editor and columnist Adelle Chua.

Patriots on the Street explores the issues of nationalism and poverty and offers Drilon’s solutions to the economic and political challenges facing the country.  It is a gentle and wry commentary of social ills and a search for social justice and change that should, at the very least, incite critical thinking and propel a revolution in the way one perceives Filipino politics and culture.

The book launch is set for January 20 at Bestsellers bookstore, The Podium, Ortigas Center.

From the book, on the true state of Philippines politics:

The truth is, they – administration or opposition – are all the same. Political parties? They don’t mean a thing in terms of policy positions. Politicians identify themselves with parties so they can take advantage of resources during elections. But at the first instance of disagreement, somebody can easily bolt a party, join another, or establish one of his own.

Furthermore, the country’s political elite, both on the national and local levels, flaunts the wrong values. They feel entitled to deferential treatment. They assert their influence in big and little things alike. Most of them believe they have the monopoly on good intentions and treat political office as a family enterprise – and nobody from outside can challenge their starring roles.

As a result, the governed feel both disgusted and powerless. They become resigned to their fate so they do just what is necessary to survive from day to day. They don’t see any value in participating in the building of the community, much less the nation. Why bother?

The book will be available at Bestsellers and National Bookstore branches.

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A penfriend posted as his Facebook status the other day a paean to Army-Navy Burrito + Burger. He said the food was great.

Being always on the lookout for interesting nommeries, the Offspring and I visited the branch at Harbour Square, a group of eateries inside the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex beside Manila Bay.

Army-Navy Burger turned out to be on the second floor above Yellow Cab Pizza. It is built of corrugated metal and has a military theme going on.

The food is American meets Tex-mex – burgers, fries, and milkshakes with burritos, quesadillas, and soft tacos.

Ik got the classic burger, a single quarter-pound beef patty with guacamole for tortilla chips. Army-Navy also has two-patty and three-patty (Bully Boy Burger) variations.

The onion rings were crisp and crunchy as they should be.

Alex got the cheese quesadillas, which are very good indeed.

All sorts of people go to Army-Navy, like this well-dressed and fully-made up woman in a gown. She must have come from or was going to a formal occasion, and decided to stop by for some eats. Seeing her and her companions, men in barong Tagalog and women also in gowns, seated on wooden benches beside tin-topped tables was such an interesting contrast.

Come for the food and the interesting setting. It’ll be a novel – and filling -experience.

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Booksale. One of the greatest inventions of man (or woman). The place sells used and unsold books from the US, making literature and textbooks affordable. One could build a decent library from books purchased here.

They also carry a wide selection of magazines. How wide? They have my sister’s favorite title.

It can’t get any better than seeing these two magazines on the same rack. Parody in action! Awesome.

Literature – and fun – is where you find it!

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This half-page ad for the Wayfinder GPS system appeared in the 7 January 2011 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Whatever ad agency wrote this sexist copy should be slapped upside the head, and the client too, for having approved it. There are all kinds of wrong here.

This copy is sexist. It reinforces negative male-female stereotypes and the double standard. It sets back women’s rights in the Philippines. It is galactically stupid.

This copy makes women sound so dumb that they can’t read a map or follow instructions.  Let me tell you, my eldest daughter was born with a GPS system in her head. She never gets lost. She can take one look at a map and have it memorized. Bring her to any place just once, like a mall, and she can find her way around it the next time and direct you to any store there. She is so good, men ask her for directions.

A resounding boo to the ad agency that wrote this and the client that approved it.

I am a woman and I will not buy this brand of GPS. There’s always Garmin, which has dealers in the Philippines.

As consumers we need to be more discerning. Any company that maintains discriminatory and prejudiced attitudes like this should be avoided by people who believe that human skills, like navigation, are shared in general and are not a monopoly of one sex.

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…with its “unlimited rice”.

Yes, the Mang Inasal quick service restaurant that offers as its specialty grilled chicken Negrense inasal style serves unlimited rice to its patrons.  Much like what you’d get in the average home – you know, this much ulam that you have to share with everyone else in the family, but there’s more sinaing in the rice cooker or caldero on the stove if you’re still hungry.

It’s this relaxed, home-style eating theme that this restaurant’s savvy owner and managers have parlayed into commercial success – fortune, fame, and a buy-out by food megagiant Jollibee Corporation.

Inasal is made by marinating chicken in vinegar with minced garlic and tanglad, and grilling. Anatto oil, brushed on during cooking, gives the chicken its distinct orange color. A simple recipe, but flavorful. Don’t forget that at Mang Inasal, it comes with unlimited rice.

How to eat at Mang Inasal:

Step 1. Queue at the counter. Choose items from the lighted menu on the wall. Menu items are no-brainers like chicken (60% of the menu), pork barbeque, bangus, and sisig. These protein-based entrees come free with a cup of sinigang broth and, don’t forget, unlimited rice.

Step 2. Pay the cashier.

Step 3.  The food will be served, so take your number-on-a-stick to your table, insert one end into the carved wooden number stick-holder expressly designed for holding number sticks, and wait.

Step 4. When your food arrives, eat! Galit-galit muna.

Step 5. Drizzle “chicken” (anatto) oil (the sauce bottle on your table not filled with toyo or suka) on your rice for more fat and calories, er, flavor.

Step 6. Ask one of the waitstaff roaming around with what looks like an ice bucket for more rice; he or she will gladly scoop a cup of the hot fluffy steamed onto your plate, as much of it as you want.

Step 7 (optional). Have dessert – save room for halo-halo or sorbetes.

Step 8. Repeat Steps 1 to 7 as often as desired.

I personally know a 20-year old man (I’m talking to you, JM) who ate seven cups of rice at one meal with his order of chicken. And he could have had more, because at Mang Inasal, you get unlimited rice.

Now that’s the way to solve world hunger.

Photos taken with a Nokia C3 2-mp mobile phone cam.

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