omg-summerclouds-blog

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Kalan-banga

Halina’t dumayo sa lugar ng kapanganakan ng ating pambansang bayani. Kung saan matatagpuan ang pinakamataas na monumento ni Rizal, at ang dambuhalang banga. Ating sabay-sabay na tuklasin ang mga pinapamalas ng Calamba.

Ang pangalang “Calamba” ay pinaniniwalaan na nagmula noong may dalawang Kastila na naligaw, mayroon silang nakasalubong na babae na may dalang kalan at banga. Inakala ng babae na tinatanong ng mga Kastila kung ano ang kanyang mga binibitbit, kaya sinambit niya ang mga salitang “kalan” at banga”. Magmula noon ay naging simbolo na ito ng Calamba, kaya naman may matatagpuang malaking banga na may 12-metro ang taas malapit sa bahay ni Rizal. Sinasabi rin na paggawa ng palayok ang naging pangunahing kabuhayan ng mga residente dito. Naaalala ko pa noon na may tindahan sa tapat ng bahay ni Rizal na nag bebenta ng mga maliliit na palayok, na siya kong ginagamit sa paglalaro ng luto-lutoan. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali ay mayroon ding tinitinda na pulang kabayo na laruan na gawa sa papel, o sa Ingles ay paper mache.

Kapag nabanggit ang “Calamba” tiyak na hindi ito bago sa pandinig ng mga Filipino, sapagkat pinag-aaralan ito sa kasaysayansa kadahilanang ito ang lugar ng kapanganakan ng ating pambansang bayani na si Dr. Jose Rizal. Magpahanggang sa ngayon ay maaaring bisitahin ang kanilang bahay, ito ay libre sa publiko, kaya naman ito ay tanyag na pasyalan sa tuwing may mga lakbay-aral. Kung magagawi ka roon ay may pailan-ilan ka pang makikita na nga lumang bahay, kung saan ang mga bintana ay gawa pa sa capiz. Tuwing sasapit naman ang buwan ng Hunyo ay nagkakaroon ng malaking pagdiriwang — Ang Buhayani Festival. Mag mula ika-16 ng Hunyo hanggang ika-19 ng Hunyo noong ipinagdiwang ito ng nakaraang taon. Ilang taon na ang nakalipas noong ginawa ang pinakamataas na monumento ni Rizal, na may taas na 22-feet, sa likod naman nito ay matatagpuan ang ginagawang coliseum.

Isa rin naman sa pinagmamalaki ng mga Calambeño ay ang Okoy, na sinasabing dinarayo pa ng mega star na si Sharon Cuneta. Malapit ang tindahan ng okoy na ito sa may lumang palengke, sa tapat ng mercury drug, at sinasabing talagang pinipilahan ito. Isa pa sa mga pinipilahan ng mga Calambeño ay ang mahal na senior tuwing Biyernes. Naaalala ko pa noon na bago pumunta sa pinakaloob ay bibili muna kami ng Yakult, mga kandila, at minsan ay pati na rin ng langis ng niyog.

Sa may bandang parian naman, doon malapit sa riles ng tren, ay mayroong kapistahan na tulad ng sa San Juan, kung saan lahat ng dadalo ay tiyak na mababasa. Isa ako sa mga nakaranas nito, kung saan nakasakay ako ng jeep nang bigla akong buhusan ng tubig. Kinailangan kong sumakay ng tricycle, at maglakad noon pauwi nang basa ang aking likuran dahil sa nangyari.

Marami pa ang handang ihain ng bayan ng Calamba, pagdating sa pagkain, atraksyon, at mga kapistahan. Kaya naman nararapat na minsan sa buhay natin ay bisitahin ang bayan ng Kalan-banga.

Pagtanggi: Ang mga litrato ay hindi ko pagmamay-ari.

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A Journey in Seven Months

Mayen V. Amores

The last time I was here in Tumblr, I posted my blog about my hobby entitled “habitual artist”. I discussed there how I was able to grow as an artist, well actually a self-proclaimed one. I posted that blog on the 4th day of March as a requirement for a subject, and here I am again, exactly 7 months after that post, to update you about my progress. A lot might actually think that I wouldn’t be able to achieve a lot of works, or progress that well in just seven months, well I am here to convince that you actually got that wrong.

I spent a lot of my time just sitting inside our house, specifically my room last summer, well that’s how I got really bored.  During that time, there was a trend about vector arts, and must I say that I really wasn’t fond of them. I really didn’t like how others are trying to just cope with the trend, and how my social media accounts were full of them. Then I saw a post, with a vector art on the side, it was actually really good! That’s when I told myself that I want to learn how to make that art. I immediately downloaded the application called “sketchbook” and I’m not actually that proud of what I’ve accomplished. After that, I decided to accept the fact that I can only draw on paper, or other canvas but I can’t really work on something that will satisfy me in terms of digital arts. I stopped doing vector arts, but still I didn’t uninstall the application.

After scrolling through my Facebook account, I saw yet another post, it was about watercolor arts and the likes, and I found those aesthetically pleasing, it was like speaking to my soul, asking me to create another artwork using that watercolor brand. I was very sappy by the time, and an idea came up into my mind. I wanted to draw a silhouette of a girl and a boy dancing under the dark sky, but all of those are just inside the figure of a man. I wanted to tell the story of how a boy loved a girl with all his heart, that he will foolishly dance with her even without music, because he’d go to that extent just to make her happy. I wanted to tell the story of how he loved the rain exceptionally, how mesmerized he gets when he’s watching the rain drops, but nothing and no one can be more exceptional and mesmerizing than the girl standing right in front of her, that he forgot his surroundings, she’s all he cares about. I wanted the viewers to see that picture when they look at that artwork. With that idea in my mind, I bought a watercolor in the SM bookstore, and I started working on that project. I really invested my time in doing that and I actually practiced on how to paint the dark sky first, because I want the artwork to be something that I’d be proud of. Sadly, until now, that artwork isn’t still finished, I still haven’t painted it because I’ve been busy with school works, and like what I’ve said, I don’t want to rush that one. That being said, when I’m able to get the time and inspiration again, I will be continuing that artwork.

Like what I’ve mentioned in my earlier blog, being artsy also comes in handy at school, well here’s the exact reason why. In my purposive communication course, we were tasked to do five multi-modal texts, and I presented myself to do a digital comic strip. I know that it will be hard, but it will be a challenge to myself, and also something I’d be very proud of when I finish it. Immediately after starting that task, I hated myself for volunteering, I am only going to draw on my iPhone, I mean it would’ve been a lot easier if I have a computer drawing pad, but I don’t so it was clear that I’ve only doomed myself. What I did was get some pictures in google, then I mimicked them. It still wasn’t that easy, it requires a lot of patience but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. Not only that, but also, I was able to finish it in just a short matter of time.

My journey in practicing digital arts didn’t end at those multi-modal texts, after a week or two I joined a convention planning competition. At first I thought that I will only be focusing on the content that we’ll have, and will be defending it, but boy I was so wrong. Instead of focusing on content of the proposal, like the venue, speakers, topics, participants, and the likes, I focused on making a logo. I didn’t know that the proposal will require us to work on digital arts. I wasn’t originally assigned to do the logo, but my tribemate gave me that task because he said he already has a lot more to do, so I accepted it also because it was for our group. After all the things I’ve done, I realized that all things if you really want it, can be achieve if you have perseverance and if you spend time on practicing them. Seven months ago, I didn’t know that I’ll be able to draw such things just in my iPhone. A lot noticed my potential in making digital arts, and some of them actually asks why I don’t use computer drawing pad. I will flash them an exasperated smile, and say, “it’s because I don’t have one” then they’ll be telling me to buy one, but I still don’t see the reason why I should. 

I want this blog to not just be something that I wrote because I need to for one of my courses. That’s why I made an infographic that may actually help those who are only finding their own way in discovering their talents in art. I included here my playlist that I listen to whenever I’m working on my artworks or even just studying. I really think that music helps me to pour out more of my emotions in my artwork, making me feel connected to it, and I guess it enables me to really paint the story that I want to show.

Well, that will be all for this blog, expect that I’ll be posting another blog anytime soon. See you in your dreamland artists!

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Habitual Artist

My hobby when I was still a child was drawing cartoons, mostly power puff girls. I got this talent from my mom, when she was in high school she told me that she also used to draw realistic drawings. I remember back when I was on second grade, I used to draw power puff girls very often since my aunt taught me how to do so. I really admire her drawing skills since she draw anime very well. I was already known to be good in arts by my classmates way back then, but there are others who have greater drawing skills than me. As time passes by, I learned to accept that there will always be a person that’s more talented than me when it comes to drawing. Even though that’s a fact, I still didn’t give up on my talent; you can always find drawings on the back page of my notebooks, and scratch papers. Through the years, my skills have improved, though my drawing is somehow awkwardly in the middle of a realistic drawing and cartoonist drawing since I practice both of them.  I also love buying coloring materials and buying stuffs that makes me feel artistic. I am and always will be thankful with my talent, since it has helped me a lot especially with school, you always get to draw stuffs and being artsy comes in handy. I am often placed on props team since they know that I’m good when it comes to arts, and I’m not complaining since I enjoy doing those stuffs. Last year’s bulletin board competition, we won with my help. It was a really good experience though I have experienced a lot of stress; I can say that it was really worth every effort after winning the competition. Even though there are lots of people who have greater skills than me, I will never neglect this God-given talent, it helped me a lot, it even helped me to get through hard times, I express my feelings with arts, that’s why I will never give up on this talent. This is my hobby, and I often do this when I’m bored or inspired by something. There are hard times when it seems that I don’t have any inspiration and I can’t draw anything, that’s normal for every artist since producing an art shouldn’t be forced nor should it be done quickly when you don’t have the inspiration in doing so. That’s what everyone should keep in mind, there will always be someone greater than you, you can either accept it and learn from it or let it be a burden and think that you will never be as great as them.