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soranis-sunshadow · 4 years

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Why Hordak and all of his brothers are cult victims suffering from Religious Trauma Syndrome

A detailed (and very, very, veeeeryy long) explanation on why I take issue with dismissing Hordak’s trauma as “daddy issues” that is frequently done as a way to hand wave his background and the context for his actions all while attributing said cultic abuse and indoctrination narrative to a character that, though has a tragic, abuse-laden past has never actually been part of a cult. *cough* Catra *cough*

Lets see how deep the rabit hole goes shall we?

First off: The Galactic Horde is based on a suicide cult, with Horde Prime as its leader.

That is irrefutable fact. It has been stated by the show runner and there are plenty of in-show examples of religious speak, religious themes pertaining to Horde Prime and his acolytes and even the interior design of Horde Prime’s ship is that of a grandiose Cathedral.

The source of this is an article by Polygon where the show runner breaks down what went into creating Horde Prime. (link in the notes)

Onto The Etherian Horde – though totalitarian in nature, it is not a religious institution – merely a military operation. Though the argument could be made that propaganda is used to instill an anti-princess agenda, no horde members are ever seen spouting doctrine or discrimination against their very own Princess in the ranks – Scorpia. Not only is she not discriminated against, she holds the rank of Force Captain. She also has the respect of her peers.

The only person that seemed to have taken it seriously is Adora, who - due to Shadow Weaver’s personal attention – has been raised with the specific mindset of a self-sacrificing martyr. After learning of the fact that Shadow Weaver has always known about the Heart of Etheria, it is not a huge leap to assume that in her bid for more power, her plan had always been to have Adora unleash the planet’s magic, possibly sacrificing herself in the process. Shadow Weaver had groomed her for this specific purpose. (It’s one of the reasons for which the subject of Adora’s martyrdom hurts Catra so deeply –she had been witness to the manipulation taking place but was powerless to do anything about it for most of her life)

The other cadets are more well-adjusted and don’t seem to care much about the horde’s ideology or goals, not even Catra who has suffered the brunt of Shadow Weaver’s psychological and physical abuse and has been subjected to her manipulation too.

The above exchange proves that even if there had been any indoctrination in The Etherian Horde, it has failed in affecting Catra’s judgment. I am legitimately surprised on how little credit her own fans give her and on how her perceptiveness and intellect is dismissed to have her fit into this “brainwashed victim“ agenda for more “sympathy points”.

With that having been said I’ll start this off with a bit of a definition: Religious Trauma Syndrome is a common experience shared among many who have escaped cults, fundamentalist religious groups, abusive religious settings, or other painful experiences with religion.

The symptoms of Religious Trauma Syndrome are comparable to the symptoms of complex PTSD. The symptoms are as follows.

(link in the notes)

I will discuss all of the symptoms and causes by turn and expand upon them.

1) Cognitive: Confusion, poor critical thinking ability, difficulty with decision-making,

negative beliefs about self-ability & self-worth, black & white thinking, perfectionism,

Hordak’s whole misguided crusade on Etheria is an act of confusion. What on green Earth had ever convinced him that it would work in proving his worth to Prime? Hordak had been confused on the reason of his rejection, self-delusional even. Hear me out:

Despite what Hordak himself believes, he wasn’t excommunicated because he was useless, he was abandoned for being born defective, aka for existing as he was created.

His inborn defect, by nature of being an unchangeable fact was not something that he could overcome in order to earn back the acceptance of his Maker. To a certain degree, he was aware of this but had refused to acknowledge it and as such, he has framed it to himself as “his defect makes him worthless”.

By overcoming uselessness and proving his competence in furthering Prime’s goals, he had convinced himself that he would be welcome back into his brother’s flock.

He had convinced himself that by proving his usefulness, it would erase his defect. He had given himself a reason for rejection that, unlike an inborn one, could be overcome - worthlessness. His logic being that Worthless=Defective, if he were useful, he wouldn’t be defective anymore.

He has framed his accidental stranding on Etheria as a trial of faith, not a chance at freedom or bid for power and self-actualization.

In his confused reasoning, he had not realized that by attempting to prove his worth to Horde Prime, he would be in essence, proving that Prime had been mistaken about his deficiency. This was anathema to Horde Prime’s own doctrine – that Prime is all knowing, all powerful and Horde Prime is Never Wrong. His attempts were always destined to fail from the start, the premise was flawed at the core but Hordak’s own wishful thinking prevented him from seeing the fault in his mission.

This is how Hordak sees himself:

This defect => useless => worthless mentality can be observed when he projects onto Catra. I swear, everyone projects onto everyone else in this series.

This is an example of him emulating the only leadership he’s ever known - that of Horde Prime and exerting Prime’s judgment over a supplicant or Prime – In this case Catra (what Prime would have done to him in the same situation). He imitates Prime’s way of speaking and even his facial expression during Prime’s “speeches” (look at position of his ears in this scene and that little dimple damnit!!!)

(yes, *sigh* I did a spacebat ear position diagram)

Horde Prime has that ear position even when possessing his little brothers to give his grandiose speeches:

Hordak’s and other little brother’s “default” ear position:

It’s worth adding that perfectionism is not only part of a symptom of his cult trauma but also a tenant of Prime’s doctrine making it a double whammy.

2). Emotional: Depression, anxiety, anger, grief, loneliness, difficulty with pleasure, loss of meaning

As they say, a picture says a thousand words…

To call Hordak depressed is like calling the ocean mildly humid.

He is alone, on a planet of primitive aliens (from his perspective) surrounded by potential enemies and in an incredibly vulnerable position due to his illness with no clear end to any of it in sight. He feels nothing for this world other than irritation at his inability to leave it. His only meaning and purpose is returning to his congregation, a purpose he is no closer to fulfilling than he was when he had started a few decades ago. The only open displays of emotion he manifests are that of anger, self-loathing., frustration, fear – in the blanket scene before he comes to his senses completely and starts masking the fear with anger… at the blanket… there was nothing else in the room to be angry at… ridiculous spacebat.

After Catra deceives him about Entrapta, he openly manifests grief and apathy as well.

3). Social: Loss of social network, family rupture, social awkwardness, behind schedule on developmental tasks, sexual difficulty (no snu snu for religiously repressed spacebats... yet *wink wink*)

This one is self-explanatory. He is in essence an exile on Etheria, away from all he has ever known. He is the only one of his kind on the planet, even Imp - his attempt at replication is not a proper replacement for the community provided by the Hive mind.

From a social perspective- he is a recluse and is not seen interacting with anyone in anything but a “professional “ manner. The only exception to this is Entrapta’s interaction to him. Due to her indifference to his posturing, she is immune to his attempts at self-isolation. “Get out!” and vague threats of reprimands don’t work on her. Their shared interest in science allows Entrapta to force the interaction on him. (At least in the beginning of their collaboration)

Later, after having become accustomed to Entrapta’s companionship and having that ripped away, he tries to form a connection – at least of commiseration – with Catra:

Even after she did this to him:

he still tried to form a connection through their shared need to prove their own worth.

Did you catch that little detail? : “Victory is ours” not “mine”.

4.) Cultural: Unfamiliarity with secular world; “fish out of water” feelings, difficulty belonging, information gaps (e.g. evolution, modern art, music)

…

Do I really need to expand on this one? *Sigh* … he is literally an alien to this world, “fish out of water” would be an understatement.

As we have established, he fits the bill of Religious Trauma Syndrome to a T. He presents all of the symptoms.

Now let’s move onto the causes of it:

1). Suppression of normal child development – cognitive, social, emotional, moral stages are arrested

This one is self-explanatory. The horde clones and by extension Hordak are severely stunted in their psychological development and that is by design. They are deliberately kept from developing an adult mentality so as to never become a threat to Horde Prime or ever be able to break away from his control. Prime keeps them in a child-like dependency on him as a way to exert his power over them. Should they ever develop even a budding sense of self, their indoctrination compels them to submit to correction and erasure ensuring that they never surpass this state of learned helplessness. Horde Prime encourages this self-flagellating behavior, deeming it a mercy, even a favor to be granted – to suffer in His Name.

Hordak shows almost no emotional coping mechanisms and manifests child-like tantrums of frustration as an only outlet for his emotions throughout the show. He attempts to hide any other attempt at emotion, with differing degrees of success.

Wrong Hordak is emotionally unstable and is prone to fits of crying. (However, due to the comedic fashion in which his arc is written, I suppose that this could be taken with a grain of salt)

The clones are not only prevented from growing and maturing mentally, they are also robbed of childhoods –having been born in adult bodies and with the necessary knowledge to serve Prime literally programmed into them so as to make them able to serve efficiently from their first breath. As such, they are robbed of their formative years where one individual grows and develops naturally. Those precious experiences are replaced by Horde Prime’s literal programming through the hardware they have installed in their bodies to facilitate Horde Prime’s control over them (without their consent). In essence, they are a people born pre-”chipped”

Regardless of their actual age, and despite the fact that they are intelligent, capable and responsible individuals, I see the clones as having the emotional maturity of toddlers.

They never had the chance to develop any emotional coping skills, they were never allowed to have emotions to begin with.

2). Damage to normal thinking and feeling abilities -information is limited and controlled; dysfunctional beliefs taught; independent thinking condemned; feelings condemned

This is The Galactic Horde’s core belief:

Along with:

Incidentally, Hordak does his version of this speech trying to puff himself up in front of his soldiers… buuut Catra pushes the Failure button and that snaps him out of his little Prime impersonation moment.

More dysfunctional beliefs:

Condemnation of independent thinking:

Results in this:

No further explanations are necessary…

3). External locus of control – knowledge is revealed, not discovered; hierarchy of authority enforced; self not a reliable or good source

Prime exerts his dominance throughout S5 by force,

and coercion:

He is even petty and vindictive enough to force himself into Hordak immediately after his speech and to kill Entrapta with Hordak’s own body.

As for the self not being a reliable narrator… Hordak believed this about his former position.

He is not prone to exaggeration or deception being woefully incompetent in the latter – both perpetrating and spotting it. We have to assume that this is the way he saw his position in the Galactic Horde.

Season 5 revealed that all of the clones are equally disposable and interchangeable, there are no ranks. They are all equal tools whose sole purpose is furthering Horde Prime’s agenda. Horde Prime has no need for generals or delegating since he is able to inhabit his little brothers and be in more than one place at the same time. Hordak’s job in S5 was that of hall monitor and planetary acquisitions guy…

@cruelfeline goes into detail about the dissonance between what Hordak believes and what is actually his position in The Galactic Horde. A link to it is in the notes because Tumblr is being fussy.

4.) Physical and sexual abuse – patriarchal power; unhealthy sexual views; punishment used as for discipline

Some people have seen this, ugh… form of penetration… ugh again… as rape allegory.

Not a hard thing to do since Prime himself is rape personified and he consistently forces himself onto and into his little brothers, Catra and later, the chipped Etherians. Prime does nothing but "bad touch" people all of S5 and is particularly enjoying his disciplining of his "wayward little brother", the most unworthy and unlovable amongst his brothers. (According to the extended scene)

Here’s some more of Prime’s touching with rape subtext:

Here’s more of Prime forcing himself into his little brothers – they all seem to fight it and find it painful to some degree despite the fact that they have been conditioned to accept it and welcome it. Prime’s touch is a good thing, even when it hurts them.

Ironically, the one who fights this violation the least is Hordak himself. (this could be either because he’s extra repentant and wished not to further draw Prime’s ire or that his condition of chronic illness has raised his pain threshold)

The process of possession is not seamless and some of the clones appear to be unsettled by it after prime retreats from their bodies.

As much as this Utter Disaster of a clone wanted to finish his little speech about dirt and as much as he was gleefully enjoying it, after Prime was done with him… he just wanted his task over with…

The very nature of their indoctrination makes them unable to escape what has been done to them nor change their whole world view without outside intervention – which is exactly the help that Wrong Hordak received immediately after being abducted from the collective by people who slowly de-indoctrinated him and offered him a supportive environment for all of that growth and healing to happen.

When the Best Friend Squad kidnapped him, he was ardent about his service to Prime and he only followed them because they deceived him in believing they were servants of Horde Prime.

By providing clear irrefutable evidence of Prime’s fallibility, deceit and the squad’s (mostly Entrapta and Glimmer) moral support throughout this moral crisis, they (just Entrapta here *coughs* ) were able to wean him off of his programmed behavior and offer him an informed choice.

This is information none of the other clones, not even Hordak were privy to.

Even with this information, Wrong Hordak is still in emotional turmoil (though the show plays it for laughs – yuck)

The closest Hordak ever gets to walking away from Prime’s doctrine is this moment:

He was considering indefinitely putting it off to stay here, with her, and her worldview that he could be worth something, imperfect as he is. He is offered her emotional support and guidance.

Unfortunately... Catra nipped that in the bud before it could lead anywhere.

After convincing Hordak that Entrapta betrayed him, her message of inherent worth was rendered null, to him - her unconditional affection and the notion that he could to live apart from Prime were a manipulation. This further radicalized him in his faith and need to prove his worthiness.

Not only did Catra remove Entrapta’s influence over him, she goaded him even further with this cursed little speech and her whole “yass queen moment!”. you know the one...

“Get.Over.IT! You don’t need Entrapta. You never did. You don’t need a Princess in your life telling you what to do. Look at what you’ve done without her. You’ve build an army. An empire! You and me, we don’t need anyone. Forget them all. No one matters, nothing matters but this mission. You want to prove yourself, prove your worth? Then do it! You and I are going to conquer Etheria. And then, they’ll all see!”

Both of them were in clear downfall in S4 and they amplified each other’s most negative tendencies. I will not hold this against her.

The last thing I want to mention is that for cult victims, it is incredibly hard, if not, almost impossible to leave their cults by themselves. The first step for leaving a cult in the real world is looking for outside assistance.

It takes enormous amounts of strength – an almost imaginable degree of resolve – to leave a cult, particularly when you may have been born into one and have no friends or connections on the outside world. Cult survivors are often ostracized by everyone they have ever known who remain within the organization. To a cultist, the world outside the cult is a hostile, sinful and dangerous place. The assistance of someone from the outside is crucial.

Only with the assistance of a “friendly outsider” or a support group can the former cultist change the world view with which they had been indoctrinated with (sometime since early childhood).

A cult and set of beliefs warps your whole world view to the point of delusion. Faith in the cultic creeds is more important than factual evidence. As a matter of fact, the evidence in itself is evil, a contradiction to the creeds of faith and successfully denying it is an act of faith fulfilled. This mentality is encouraged in cults.

Many people in this fandom have claimed that Hordak, once pulled through the portal was free to do as he pleases. (he didn’t chose to come to Etheria – his arrival on the planet was accidental)

This is not really the case. Hordak never decided to leave the cult. He was still part of the cult when he was sent to his death on the battlefield for his defect and he was still a believer when the portal delivered him to Etheria.

In essence, Hordak didn’t leave his cult so much as he was forced apart from it, physically. In spirit, he still believed in Horde Prime’s dogma. His experience is the equivalent of a religious man getting stranded on an island in the middle of the ocean. He is apart from his church, but his faith is still with him. Hordak’s faith hadn’t waned in the decades of separation. His purpose had always been returning to Horde Prime –hence the focus on building a portal and not on levelling towns with an arm laser cannons. He has proven in S4 that, had his main mission actually been conquest, he could have done it with not much difficulty – He wasn’t half bad at it actually. Instead, he delegated the conquest to his underlings and focused most of his attention on attempts at reuniting with Horde Prime via investigating rogue portals and trying to build one of his own.

Due to the nature of his “upbringing”, Hordak’s whole world view is warped. He has not had the benefits of a “moral” education from a human’s standpoint. Why would training cadets to become soldiers in your army be morally reprehensible when you, yourself, had been bred for war and have served your God with your first breath?

This was Hordak’s idea of a “normal” childhood:

What could he possibly know about the healthy raising of children?

Why would conquering a planet be a morally reprehensible thing when his God did this to places?

And this:

Before one ascribes evil motivation, for the sake of evil – one should bear in mind that these creeds were literally programmed into him. This is not a life he has chosen for himself– this is something he was born into, literally manufactured for, this is something that was done to him.

And for those that would have wanted him to regret his actions on screen, keep in mind that it will likely take a lot of therapy and reeducation before he even comprehends the nature and magnitude of his crimes on Etheria.

(besides the fact that he had spent 99% of season 5 in an amnesiac daze doesn’t help with the whole remembering his crimes bit either)

The show runner has declared in one of her post show interview that he will make reparations for the damage he’s caused.

What more do people want from a person born and flung into an impossible situation besides his head on a plate?

Phew!

Long post was long

#hordak #horde prime #catra #spop discourse #spop meta #cultic indoctrination #religious trauma #will you stop calling them daddy issues now?

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materializingthedisembodied · 7 years

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Lessons From 1982

Text by Passport To Dreams Old And New:

“In our memories, EPCOT Center often seems to be a greater accomplishment than maybe it was. As I hope I've demonstrated here by going through every aspect of it's message content piece by piece, in terms of actively looking towards the future, the park presented ideas which ranged from fantastical (Horizons) to retrograde (Universe of Energy) to incoherent (Travelport?). Despite this, in my opinion EPCOT Center was the highest, furthest, most effective summit the entire category of themed design has ever scaled since the opening of Disneyland. Despite its questionable corporates messaging and nonsensical product plugging, EPCOT Center was no less scattershot than it is today, yet something for those first twelve years held the center together in a way it does not now. And here at last we will try to pinpoint it. I. Embrace Warmth and Human Scale EPCOT Center was massive and monumental. The size of the walk around World Showcase is still enough to make adults cry. The architectural statements of each Future World pavilion were huge and impressive, but never leaned towards brutalism - instead falling into the Henchman abstraction that I like to call "theme architecture". Yet these gigantic blocks were dropped with symmetrical precision into a landscape which perhaps more than anything suggested a bucolic college campus - with ponds, fountains, rolling lawns and spreading trees.

But inside each pavilion, everything suddenly became warm and intimate. CommuniCore offered its visitors handmade art objects like the Population Counter and Fountain of Information, simply there to be enjoyed. Natural daylight, terraced seating areas, varnished wood and wall carpet offered a pleasing sense of tranquility. Subdued lighting and peaceful music complemented the uncluttered, enticing atmosphere. Everything about EPCOT Center's gathering spaces - The Land interior, Communicore, the Fountain of Nations, the Imagination lobby, the World Showcase courtyards - contrasted textures, tactile pleasures, and colors to create environments which invited you to linger. Through the 90s, the scale of these interiors, once criss crossed with walls, plants and natural dividers, ballooned until most of EPCOT today resembles a cross between an industrial trade show and a Wal-Mart Super Center. Tarps, canopies, and unrelated nonsense clutter the sightlines of those monumental pavilions. Carts, pop-up stands, and pin carts dot every walkway. Of all of the parks, Epcot's aesthetics respond the least well to these sorts of theme park mainstays, and they really should be elimiated. You need to give people a reason to get inside and sit down, to get away from the crowded tarmac. EPCOT Center's walkways may have been stark and simple, but once you actually got into each pavilion, you could spend an hour or more in air-conditioned comfort without ever stepping outside. To me this comes down to respecting your audience as well as having respect for the human scale. Disney needs to accept what tens of thousands of locals and fans already know: Epcot is the ultimate hang out park. Each pavilion should be honeycombed with small exhibits, fun diversions, little places to relax and maybe get a drink, in a classy, clean atmosphere. If you give people places they like to be, you'll be surprised what they'll reward you with. II. Maintain the Ecosystem of Aesthetics This is a big one, and it's a place where Future World needs to entirely start from scratch. As these articles have pointed out, EPCOT was a hive of competing ideas, companies, and ideologies, yet it seemed to speak with a single voice. That single voice is so strong that today is still reverberates in the public mind, twenty years long gone. How many still know it as EPCOT Center, and how many still associate it with some kind of learning experience? That's power. That's power than usually only public figures usually attain, never mind a dorky theme park peddling corporate messages and sentimental songs in equal measure. And one reason the voice of EPCOT Center still speaks through time to us is because its message was scrupulously, carefully aesthetically organized and unified. This is something that got stripped out of EPCOT piece by piece in such a way that it was gone without anybody really noticing it was leaving yet. The demise of Horizons and Journey Into Imagination was only the final piece that fell into place, but just as important to reducing the overall impression of a unified whole was touches like replacing the original wooden railings and carpeted walls in The Land with metal railings and painted walls. Yes, the current look of The Land is, on a micro scale, more modern, but it's less human on a macro scale. The paving of Communicore Central and the removal of all of Hench's softening trees, bushes and ponds is another. Bit by bit, piece by piece, Epcot of today is a far bleaker, harsher place than it was even 15 years ago. All of this is a result of different design agendas within the company. EPCOT Center was unified in 1985 because it was all built at the same time. The Epcot of today is the result of hundreds of different design teams with different project leaders, budgets, expectations and goals. While an organic environment like Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom presents areas where one design tough or another is unambiguously out of place or not, there's no generally agreed upon single system barometer for what EPCOT should look like. It's really easy to, say, replace one railing in one place and bump that single pavilion out of line with the rest. This is how you end up with signs that look like they come from the cover of Dreamcast games or random wavy descending walls, a sure sign of a lost and bored designer.

Disney needs to write this barometer, then. Every sign in Future World must have specific size, color, and font approved choices. Every pavilion must have a dedicated color palette, approved patterns, approved typefaces, and so on. This is why the Future World pavilion icons worked so well as an organizing principle: pictures require no language translation, and sleek icons are even better. There should be no need for flashing LED billboards to help guests find their way to attractions if there's a streamlined, iconographic wayfinding system.

Writing such a manual will inevitably limit the creative freedom of the individual designers creating facilities for Future World, but I cannot see how this would in any way be worse than the garish mishmash we ended up with. The way forward on Future World can be as simple as a start with a strict design standards document, and spread through the rest of the park. III. Don't Let Them Off the Hook Disney is really good at talking down to their audience, and their audience really loves it. There will always be a contingent of Disney fans who love toothless pablum like Wishes, but in Future World and EPCOT in general are going to ever coalesce into what it is in the minds of the public, Disney really needs to commit to taking Epcot, and the Epcot audience, seriously. Taking an audience seriously does not per se mean being humorless or dry. The 1982 version of Spaceship Earth was exactly that, which is why it was reworked to more closely resemble Horizons only a few short years after it opened. Horizons was, despite its eye popping visuals and reassuring message, astonishingly hokey, H.G. Wells by way of Father Knows Best. World of Motion was very funny, Kitchen Kabaret was weird. These attractions offered hopeful apology for their sloganeering, a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. Symbiosis, The American Adventure, Spaceship Earth '94 and to a lesser extent The Living Seas all put it to their audience to be ready to make the world a better place - they didn't let them off the hook. And despite all of that, EPCOT Center did have a profound effect on a generation of a certain age. Yes, it was kids who dreamed of piloting the Enterprise instead of kids who fantasized about having tea with Belle, but isn't that still an accomplishment? Even the lightweight Journey Into Imagination packed an ideological punch. For this five year old child, who didn't much care for science and technology trappings, I walked away floored by that attraction's insistence that I could and should use my creativity to "start making new things". Returning to my ranch house in Connecticut, I scrawled out the lyrics to the Sherman Brothers' Imagination song in black crayon on a piece of construction paper and stared at it for days. That attraction instilled in me at age five the awareness that only I was responsible for getting the ideas in my head out into the real world, and on that wave of inspiration I began drawing volumes. The blog you read now is a direct result of that experience. I may be a castle park kind of person, but Journey Into Imagination changed my life for the better.

Thing is, I am in no way alone. You can't swing a cat in the Disney online community without hitting somebody of a certain age who will readily and loudly tell you that EPCOT Center rewired something inside them. This more than anything is the proof in the pudding that Michael Eisner was dead wrong, that EPCOT Center was relevant, and did matter. These two articles have been intentionally limited in their scope - I haven't attempted to re-concieve what Future World should be for 2020 audiences from scratch, for example, but then again that never was the point. The point was to become clearer and reach conclusions on what Future World was really saying, and how it said them. And the conclusion I've reached is that EPCOT Center came pre-packed with a sort of aesthetic toolkit, and it's a toolkit that nobody has used since the 80s. But those tools still work. They can still make muddled messages sing and send the next generation home with the sort of elevating experience I had. Kids need to see a place that doesn't just tell, but show them that science and technology make our lives better - they needed it in the 80s, and they need it today. It's never going to be perfect, but the next generation deserves a demonstration of mankind's better nature. "If you can dream it, you can do it" may not have been said by Walt Disney, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth saying.“ (x)

#Walt Disney World #EPCOT Center #EPCOT #WDW

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thehungrykat1 · 8 years

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Hamaru はまる Yakitori & Sushi: The Newest Japanese Hangout Up North

Japanese food has undoubtedly been my favorite ever since my taste buds were awaked to this unique type of cuisine. While there are many Japanese restaurants around the metro that feature popular Japanese items like katsu and ramen, I usually have to head all the way to Makati or Bonifacio Global City if I want to taste authentic sushi, sashimi, and yakitori. Since I live in Quezon City, and given the monstrous Metro Manila traffic, it takes a lot of effort to drive 1-2 hours to my favorite Japanese hangouts in Little Tokyo. But now, there’s a new modern Japanese Izakaya in Quezon City that is sure to be a hit with the foodies, serving awesome food and drinks that everyone will definitely “go crazy over.”

Hamaru はまる Yakitori & Sushi is a new foodie destination in the heart of Quezon City, offering Japanese grilled sticks, fusion cuisine sushi rolls, and specialty drinks that are sure to be the talk of the town. It stays true to its name which means “go crazy over” because I was really quite impressed and surprised with what I found at Hamaru. It is located inside the foodie enclave called The Food Hive along 80 Visayas Avenue which has become a very popular dining spot for those looking for tasty but affordable gourmet dishes in this busy area.

The Food Hive is the newest open-air food park to hit Quezon City, but this is not just your ordinary food court. The Food Hive delivers a bold, new approach to classic comfort food, with carefully crafted creations from some of the most talented celebrity chefs in the country like Chef Ed Bugia, Chef Rosebud Benitez, Chef Luigi Muhlach and others. The ambiance is also more modern and catchy, with colorful stalls and designs that will pique your curiosity. It also features the country’s first Bulgarian restaurant Yordanovi, a modern “kambingan” called Goatcha, a grilled meat and cheese nacho called Nachos ala Bomba, and many more creative gourmet masterpieces at very affordable prices. Parking may be a bit limited, so it’s better if you arrive in groups to enjoy this new modern barkada hangout.

I was so interested to try all the other stalls at The Food Hive, but our destination that afternoon was actually the showcase restaurant of the food park, Hamaru Yakitori & Sushi. This restaurant is the only fully air-conditioned and full-service area at The Food Hive, so that alone makes it truly special, especially for a Sun-averse Lupus warrior like me. But it turns out that their Japanese food and drinks are even more note-worthy than their cool temperature.

Hamaru is open from 11:30am to 12:00mn daily except Mondays. It’s never too early for sake so guests can start drinking their Japanese whiskey and cocktails from lunch all the way until the evening. The interiors at Hamaru are a reflection of modern day urban Japan with a sexy industrial feel.

Japanese whiskey and sake are proudly displayed on the shelves. Hamaru はまる Yakitori & Sushi is not just a restaurant or a bar. It’s a modern Izakaya where office workers and students can relax after a tiring day and hang out inside its cozy corners while enjoying their favorite food and drinks.

My friends and I took our seats on the second floor where casual conversations can be livelier without hopefully disturbing the other diners. The restaurant itself is not that big, with a seating capacity of around 50 guests including at the bar.

The celebrity chef behind the kitchen at Hamaru is none other than Chef Niño Laus of Ninyo Fusion and Wine Cuisine, Alamat Filipino Pub & Deli, and Merkanto. I fondly remember having a couple of romantic dinner dates at Ninyo Fusion Cuisine a few years back (read my blog about it here) so it was great to finally meet the chef responsible for those lovely evenings. Hamaru owners Tadeo Chua and Therese Larroza have entrusted their menu to Chef Niño who has crafted a unique and very interesting lineup of traditional and modern Japanese dishes.

We started our tasting menu with Chef Niño’s Salmon Aburi Philly Roll (P285). This is a torched salmon roll filled with delectable cream cheese inside. It really tastes as mouthwatering as it looks. The tender salmon slices go so well with the creamy cheese and I couldn’t stop getting a few more tasty bites for myself.

Next was their upgraded California Roll that has mango and salmon roe topped with crab sticks and filled with crab fat aligue mayo. These babies are a mouthful but it gives such a refreshing and delightful taste.

Chef Niño Laus has been serving the popular Nori Tacos at Ninyo Fusion Cuisine so he also brought this here at Hamaru. The Nori Taco (P230) is a fusion of Japanese and Mexican influences with its salmon plus nori cooked in wasabi tempura batter. These crunchy and flavorful tacos are a must try especially for those who like to try something different.

Another favorite at Hamaru is the Spicy Tuna Roll (P270) which really looks so regal and menacing. This pumped up tuna roll comes with arugula and salmon roe plus a crown of spicy tuna on top. I’m not that big on spicy food but all my friends loved this. Hamaru’s sushi and rolls are large and eating just a few pieces will already be quite filling

Here’s one giant item that should be good enough for a few diners. The Uni + Tuna Inari Gunkan (P220) is a huge maki sushi filled with uni and tuna slices enveloped by a thin sheet of tofu. It’s actually supposed to be for just one diner, but with how big this serving is, I think it is safe to share.

Hamaru also has the traditional tuna and salmon sashimi on their menu, but I suggest you go for the New Style Salmom Sashimi (P300) which was popularized by the international celebrity Chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa at his Nobu Restaurant. I was able to try this during my Omakase Dinner at Nobu Manila (read about it here) but you don’t have to pay such a big amount because Chef Niño also does it so well. The salmon sashimi slices are slightly cooked in olive oil and sauces giving it more highlights and flavors. Those who don’t like eating raw fish now have an alternative with this new style sashimi.

The Oyster Motoyaki (P195) is also a crowd favorite at Hamaru. Motoyaki is a type of cooking where baked items are topped with sauces and served in oyster shells. Here Chef Niño uses Gochujang, a spicy Korean miso paste with cauliflower puree to top off this very interesting dish. Go and try it for yourself because it is really something else.

Who wouldn’t like to pop these Chicken Poppers (P155) in their mouth? These crunchy fried chicken thighs are doused in a sweet sauce then topped with bonito flakes. I would love to have these at home when watching a movie or a series on television.

The main attractions at Hamuri are their Yakitori and Kushiyaki, or skewered meat and vegetables. Yakitori is a popular street food in Japan consisting of skewered chicken parts grilled over charcoal with sweet and salty sauces. You can find all sorts of Yakitori at Hamaru from chicken wings, chicken thighs, chicken tails, gizzard, liver, heart and chicken skin starting from P60 per stick.

These yakitori are just so good and very affordable. Order a few hearty sticks with some beverages and you are good for the night. You can taste the smoky flavors with each bite and there are so many items to choose from.

Aside from chicken, they also have other grilled items like the US Beef Intestine (P115). I’m sure many of us have tried eating chicken intestines (isaw) on the streets, but I did not know that beef intestines were also this good. They are bigger and chunkier with a more meaty flavor.

Other Kushiyaki on the menu are the Salmon Belly (P180) which is actually more to my liking. These are tender and fatty, just the way I like them. Or you can try the Butabata or Pork Belly (P90) which also has a generous amount of juicy fat to go with its delicious pork meat.

If you really want to make it a complete meal, then pair your yakitori with a cup of their Gyu Chahan (P170) or Japanese beef fried rice cooked with wagyu beef. If you are more into seafood, then have the Salmon Chahan (P150) instead for a lighter flavor. Yakitori with fried rice, now that’s the Filipino way of eating.

Now what’s an Izakaya without beverages? For those who want something simple and sweet, try the Hamaru Iced Tea (P90) which is quite different from all the other iced teas in the city.

If you want to spike up your dining experience, go for Hamaru’s exquisite Japanese whiskey selection and other specialty drinks like Sake, Highball, and Chuhi. The Matcha Nigori (P180) is a cocktail combining green tea and sake into one wild drink. On the other hand, the Classic Suntory Kakubin Highball (P240) combines the classic whiskey with sparkling water, one of the most popular drinks in Japan up to today.

But my favorite beverage that afternoon was the Gekkeikan Kirei Peach Sake (P900/bottle). I could not believe how fruity and sweet this sake was. I loved it so much that I asked to have a few more shots for myself. For those who are really into sake, go ask for the Tanka - Sake Flight (P650) which gives you shots of five different sake all with varying tastes and alcohol content. They also offer a Whiskey Flight and so many other bubbly options.

If you really want to maximize your drinking power, head to Hamaru during their happy hour called Drunken Salary Men Nights from 3pm to 7pm daily where you can enjoy Buy 1 Take 1 on selected Japanese beers and cocktails. I now have a new Japanese dining destination that is so much closer to home. Hamaru はまる Yakitori & Sushi has truly impressed me with its modern and authentic Japanese cuisine that is also easy on the pockets. I’m definitely coming back here soon.

Hamaru はまる - Yakitori & Sushi

The Food Hive, 80 Visayas Ave., Quezon City

www.facebook.com/HamaruPH

www.instagram.com/hamaruph

#HamaruPH #HamaruLetsGo #Japanese #Sushi #Yakitori #Whiskey #Sake #VisayasAvenue #TheFoodHive #Quezon City #Restaurant

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watchilove · 5 years

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Creativity doused with intensity and passion. American artist James McNabb uses his extraordinary artistic skills and limitless imagination to morph wood into imaginary urban landscapes. At the M.A.D.Gallery in Geneva, we are thrilled to present URBIS, a collection of six abstract cityscape sculptures by James that are downright cool.

“I’m an intense person. Everything I do, I do with all my energy. I’m also cautiously curious and very sensitive,” expresses James. “I want to capture my passion within the work, charge the objects with my energy and emotions, so observers can feel my experiences when viewing the work.”

Looking from the outside in, it is easy to get lost in the details of these abstract fantasy cities and contrive imaginative stories of a futuristic life along the streets of each vertical urban environment.

URBIS

The URBIS collection reveals intricate architectural structures imagined by James, from towering skyscrapers and office buildings to high-rise apartment buildings. Behind these intricate cityscapes is a tremendous amount of time and talent. Each towering wooden skyscraper is skilfully carved out with a bandsaw and then carefully assembled piece by piece to create impressive urban landscapes.

James McNabb City Square

In the City Square sculpture, James visually transforms a skyline into an urban block by inverting each tower in such a manner that the antennas are practically touching in the centre while the outer edges are squared off. The composition compromises 102 unique structures in American Black Walnut, each laboriously sanded and varnished to an exquisite finish to complete the look. This contemporary piece measures 66 x 66 x 6 cm.

James McNabb ACK CTY WHL

ACK CTY WHL is a work of art that bends a modern metropolis into a sophisticated sphere due to the precise placement of each elongated wooden tower. The gentle rondure and simplicity of the perimeter contrast with more than one hundred highly ornate superstructures arranged inside. One can visualize the bustling momentum of city life happening within this circular world. The negative space creates a glowing sun that adds to the complexity and depth of this architectural wonder. This eye-catching work of 91 cm in diameter incorporates a variety of wood types, including cherry, oak, mahogany and maple.

James McNabb URB CTY WHL

In a similar design, URB CTY WHL maintains the round construction of ACK CTY WHL though the interior is modern with clean structures crafted from American Black Walnut. The streamlined design of this rolling metropolis eases thoughts and draws on a simpler way of life.

James McNabb Disposition

Disposition is a sculpture balancing a bustling city filled with distinctive architecture at varied elevations. The sleek skyscrapers are composed in American Black Walnut and assembled to create a 46 x 46 x 51 cm modern metropolis. One has a bird’s-eye view into the streets of this city on the edge, and it’s easy to imagine an uphill climb or sliding down – or perhaps just hanging on.

James McNabb Composure

Each unique piece is signed by James McNabb and comes with an accompanying quality certificate.

James McNabb Hive

Download the price list of the exhibition.

Creation Process

Working similarly to the fast pace of city life, when an idea strikes, the creative process begins and James hits the road running. The initial notion is realized in a quick sketch followed by a more detailed drawing that is then digitized. If the concept passes the necessary tests, a production plan is developed and a stack of locally sourced raw lumber quickly arrives at the Pennsylvania-based workshop. And construction begins.

James McNabb Studio

Hours upon hours are logged to process the material with steps that include milling and dimensioning. Applying his unique skillset, James builds out the joinery for the structure and personally overviews each step in the assembly.

The primary tool used to create his works of art is the bandsaw. This piece of machinery provides the ability to manipulate wood and make a variety of cuts and mark makings. “To me, it’s a very expressive machine, responsive to its user in a very sensitive way,” explains James. “I’m sensitive to how the material behaves with the machine, and how my behaviour impacts the resulting forms. If we (maker, material, machine) can dance together, the results are often beautiful.”

James McNabb Studio

James designs each tower in his mind’s eye and uses his hands to freely guide the lumber, cutting out every detail of the structure with the bandsaw. “I like to spend most of my time cutting the wood pieces on the bandsaw. It requires patience and focus as each piece is cut one at a time by me,” he explains. Once all the architectural structures are finished, James assembles each individual component, piece by piece. The entire sculpture is then sanded to an impeccably smooth texture and finished with varnish to enhance the wood grain.

Due to the large number of individual components transformed from raw lumber to finished pieces, these works of art require about 10-12 weeks to complete.

About the Artist

At the young age of 16, James McNabb found his creative niche during a high-school woodworking class, which guided his path to becoming an artist. In 2008 James graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology’s School for American Crafts, where he learned the fundamentals of woodworking and furniture design. It was during these years he developed a passion for the craft. Simultaneously, James became fascinated by nature, trees, and wood as a material for making objects. Over time his objects began to evolve, becoming less utilitarian and more expressive – he found himself crossing over to the land of an artist. In 2012, he went on to earn a master’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he developed his signature body of work called “The City Series,” a collection of wood sculptures that explore the limitless possibilities of the urban landscape and our relationship to it.

James McNabb

Today James McNabb is best known for his one-of-a-kind skyline-inspired wood sculptures. His work combines traditional woodworking with experimental art to create new visions of the urban landscape.

Based in Philadelphia, his studio is adaptive to his needs and filled with both finished pieces and projects in the works. “I can see my new ideas come to life with old ideas in the background, and together they can inspire future ideas,” shares James. “It’s always a dynamic space, often moving and rearranging to make more room for a new project.”

Making art is an extremely effective method for coping with the ups and downs of life for James, and it brings him a sense of peace. Art has affected his life in both positive and negative ways. “When life is moving in chaotic ways, I revert back to my place of peace. It gives me a sense of purpose when I’m feeling lost,” he says.

James McNabb URB CTY WHL

James McNabb City Square

James McNabb ACK CTY WHL

James McNabb Hive

James McNabb Composure

James McNabb Disposition

James McNabb Studio

James McNabb

Impressive City Skylines Built from Wood by American Artist James McNabb Exhibiting at the M.A.D.Gallery Creativity doused with intensity and passion. American artist James McNabb uses his extraordinary artistic skills and limitless imagination to morph wood into imaginary urban landscapes.

#art #gallery #James McNabb #James McNabb Urban #lifestyle #M.A.D.Gallery #news #Press release #Urban #wood art

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michaelfallcon · 6 years

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Build-Outs Of Summer: Four Monkeys Coffee In Kutztown, PA

We see a lot of shops opening in small towns around the world during the Build-Outs of Summer, but this newest entry may just be the smallest. With a population just over 5,000, Kutztown, Pennsylvania is a nano-town that is home of nano-roaster Four Monkeys Coffee. Having started as a passion projects for owners Christopher Eugster and Colleen Underwood, Four Monkeys soon developed into a roasting company.

And now they can add a cafe to their resume. Focusing primarily on pour-over, Four Monkeys is using their new space to have complete control over the product served to the customer, from green coffee to brew. So if you ever find yourself in Kutztown, look for the former vape and cigar shop with the “latte” colored walls. There, you’ll find Four Monkeys Coffee.

As told to Sprudge by Christopher Eugster and Colleen Underwood.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

Four Monkeys journey started about seven years ago in Baltimore. I lived in a neighborhood where I just couldn’t find a cup of coffee that excited me. I started roasting on the rooftop, and it quickly became an obsession. Soon after, I moved to Kutztown to be with my future wife. We built our own five-pound roaster in the garage labeled our coffee as Four Monkeys and started roasting for friends, family, and occasional sales. Our combined love of coffee and now years of experience led us to formally start the business in 2017. We are fortunate to live in a community that supports small business and have grown our business through retailing at farmer’s markets and festivals and wholesaling to farm stands, general stores, cafes, and specialty shops.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

We started out in a warehouse space that sits behind our current shop. After painstakingly renovating that space and getting our roasting business off the ground, our neighbor, a cigar and vape shop, vacated their space. We had no intention of starting a coffee shop so soon but loved the building and didn’t want to miss an opportunity. The building is a Quonset hut addition that serviced a farm implements business that had operated in the main building since 1918. After several transitions, it became the cigar shop. When we took over, the shop was ripe with cigar and cigarette smoke smell and even had a sign discouraging women from hanging out. Our biggest challenge was purging the cigar and cigarette smoke.

We renovated the custom humidor that was left behind into the roasting room, and repurposed cedar shelves from the humidor into our coffee bar, with the help of a live edge coffee table purchased from our other neighbor’s midcentury modern antique collection. We maintained a bit of the “Casablanca” feel, which was an easy design transition from cigars to coffee. I think the paint previously used was actually called “Latte.”

What’s your approach to coffee?

Our approach to crafting great coffee starts with our roasting process. We use a fluid bed roaster, which requires a great deal of manual interaction during the roast. This enables us to craft coffees with distinct profiles. Brewing Four Monkeys coffee for our customers allows us to put our vision in their cup. We also source only certified organic beans, our packaging—including labels and all of our to-go items—are 100% industrial compostable.

We love sharing the joys of coffee with our customers and have met so many amazing people from those who have spent time on working coffee farms to those who are just trying their first cup of specialty coffee!

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

We mainly do pour-over, using Kalita Wave and Hario V60 brewers. We have a ’92 Nuova Simonelli MAC Digit that performs flawlessly and hope to one day upgrade that to a Slayer Steam. We also have a BUNN ICB we programmed to get the most out of our beans for the few occasions we batch brew.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

As we transition from roaster to shop, we are currently just open to the public for limited hours but hope to open full time in the near future.

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

We’re pretty big on DIY, so we did most of the work ourselves, however we couldn’t do it alone and would like to thank: Eric Dejesus and Beth Duby of easysubcult for helping us with the interior, Jodi Whalen and Phil Merrick from August First in Burlington, VT for their assistance with our layout and workflow, Röbi Eugster for muscle and answering 1,000 construction questions, and Robyn Jasko and Paul David of The Hive Cafe for giving us the push to get our business started.

Thank you!

Thank you for considering us!

Four Monkeys Coffee is located at 100 North Constitution Blvd, Kutztown. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.

The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Four Monkeys Coffee In Kutztown, PA appeared first on Sprudge.

Build-Outs Of Summer: Four Monkeys Coffee In Kutztown, PA published first on https://medium.com/@LinLinCoffee

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mrwilliamcharley · 6 years

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Build-Outs Of Summer: Four Monkeys Coffee In Kutztown, PA

As told to Sprudge by Christopher Eugster and Colleen Underwood.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

What’s your approach to coffee?

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

As we transition from roaster to shop, we are currently just open to the public for limited hours but hope to open full time in the near future.

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

Thank you!

Thank you for considering us!

Four Monkeys Coffee is located at 100 North Constitution Blvd, Kutztown. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.

The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Four Monkeys Coffee In Kutztown, PA appeared first on Sprudge.

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