Solidaridad Bookshop Don’t Want Your Business

I just had the unfortunate opportunity to walk into Solidaridad book store, a book shop owned by F. Sionil Jose. I was walking along Padre Faura St. with a friend and we decided to just take a look at what the books were on sale. As we entered, we were immediately told to leave our bags somewhere, not exactly shown where but we have to leave our bags.

I was carrying my 3ds, a huge wallet, a few valuables, cell phones, and other gadgets that I had to carry a backpack to carry all of them and the idea that I had to carry all of them by hand so I could look at what books they are selling, so I could pull out a book from the shelf with my mouth wasn’t an appealing prospect.

I told one of the staff that I’m carrying a lot of gadgets, hence why I carried a bag in the first place.

There was an old gay man sitting by the door who said we have to leave our bags and he said it like this. “It is the store’s policy to leave your bags if you want to go in. Those are the rules. Just take your things with you.” To which I replied “So you would rather inconvenience your customers?” I was carrying a lot of valuables and carrying them to leave an empty bag, was a stupid idea for me. I wasn’t dying to enter but I asked anyway. I asked if they would take responsibility if my things were to be damaged or lost, they didn’t answer my question but just said “It is not an inconvenience, it is the policy of the store.” That answer my question and didn't make me comfortable leaving my belongings, ah but who cares about customer comfort??

I suppose they wouldn’t give a damn whether my stuff were damaged as long as I leave it there and they wouldn’t have to think about someone shoplifting a book, because who cares if a customer’s valuables were stolen or damaged as long as they are keeping their store from book thieves? How horrible is the idea of someone stealing a book, they might actually get rid of their ignorance from reading, oh the horrors.

I didn’t really feel like going in anymore because the way the old gay man was saying the store rules sounded like they didn’t want customers. I wouldn’t mind my bag to be checked before entering and checked before leaving but these guys have some serious customer trust issues. The old gay man then said “If you don’t want to leave your bags then WE DON’T WANT YOUR BUSINESS!!” he said it raising his voice in a way, he should have just said “GO AWAY” and I just said “Okay” because at the end of the day, it wasn’t our loss. My friend was checking out a book and told me to wait a second. I told her “You still have your bag and they don’t want your business.” So we went on ahead. They didn’t even bother to welcome us into the bookstore anyway in the first place and immediately imposed the bag policy. I wasn’t able to read the sign if there were any, about it.

I’d hate to break it to the half-bald gay man by the door if he is the definition of security in the store, but brick and mortar book shops like that NEED customers and shooing them away is not going to help the book shop at all. If they want security, they can hire a security guard or install CCTV cameras. Would they drop dead and compromise between the staff and customer were to happen?

I hope they would treat their customers better in the future if they want establishments that carry a good selection of Philippine Lit to survive long enough and not just appear on some hipster blog saying how awesome it is.

They don’t need to intimidate customers like they did with us and such treatment is not deserved by any customer. That was the rudest and most offensive experience I’ve had in a book shop. It’s not like they are the only book store in Manila or that the books there can’t be seen anywhere else. I’ve taken to just buying books from Amazon because they are cheaper and the million selections available is amazing. Online book buying in the Philippines is also improving, people are trading, selling, and buying books online from fellow book enthusiasts. Who would want to traverse horrific Philippine Traffic and torturous for a book nowadays?

At the age of Kindle and ebook reading, book enthusiasts have found very convenient ways to get the books they want without ever having to leave their houses. Also, the Philippines have a very small crowd of readers. A population of 100 million only has a tiny percent of readers that if a writer here has sold 1000 copies, it is considered a best-seller and would appear in papers already.

That the bestselling Filipino book isn’t something that F. Sionil Jose has written, it was a pocket book titled Kristine by Martha Cecilia, which is the block buster hit of Philippine literature that managed to put a lot of books to shame by selling hundred thousands of copies and probably passing the million mark today.

I love Philippine literature and have read a few of F. Sionil Jose’s saga and novels. Reality is, not a lot of Filipinos care much about Philippine literature. It’s a sad reality in our country where only handfuls are avid readers, and very few are avid readers of Filipino written books exist.

So today, I will be selling all my F. Sionil Jose books at a friendly price online. It is high time to clean out the library at home anyway. It doesn't have to be hard to get his books.

And now, F. Sionil Jose would be writing his endless essays on why Filipinos don't read and don't buy Filipino literature... this is one of the reasons.

Tongue Exchange

Hellishly tired and would really like to sleep but here I am typing away on my netbook. I know I haven't kept this blog alive for quite some time and now I'm being active again.

I celebrated CNY last night at our temple in Manila and was taken by my friends on a road trip to nowhere right after. Slept in a car and I was glad I brought a tooth brush and some change of undergarments. It was only in the afternoon when I finally got back home. I'm happy about getting to spend some quality time with my friends and it was a blast, but it really does take its toll on the body.

Last year, I have decided to commit myself in learning Japanese. To really improve my skill from where I left it a few years ago and a Japanese friend recommended a teacher. I happily organized a small class out of my friends to learn it once a week but I found that it wasn't something that I wanted so I searched for another option, of course there are many ways to skin a cat, I decided to look for ads online of people willing to practice their language with someone. So I found someone in Sta Rosa who was a Japanese and was interested in learning Filipino.

It was something that I never really expect would bear any sort of fruit and it was just a try whether it would work out or not. It took a few days to get a response and just when I thought my message didn't push through, she replied and we immediately set a date to meet in my hometown, a rather convenient place for me and for her.

This is my first experience with utilizing online language exchange sites. I've read about it when I was in Taiwan, how foreign men would not only get a language partner learning Chinese but also a partner in bed... of course it is a mutual kind of relationship.

It gave me a few laughs back then because it was something I had no idea about. Back then I didn't need a language partner to practice my Chinese on, we had classes and was most of the time with people who speak Chinese and were willing to correct my sentences when I braved the atmosphere to say something.
I was finally getting the hang of it and memorizing characters wasn't a bad thing but I questioned my ability with languages and if there's a new language I would like to add to my arsenal of fluently spoken languages, Japanese won out. I had to turn my back on Mandarin.

"I think you're an Otaku" Shino said, my language partner gauged.

"Really? You think so? What are Otakus anyway?" I replied, though I had an idea of what an otaku is, a person who is probably a geek who is interested in geeky stuff. Honestly, she wasn't too far off...

"Otaku is a person who looks forward for the weekend to watch animes or play videogames. They just spend their money on their hobbies like that until they're middle aged. But it is alright, we Japanese are proud of our Otakus." Shino answered.

I simply agreed and continued our studies together, but being labeled as an Otaku was a bit unsettling but I  was fine with it. I know in a few days, I must really become an adult, must make commitments and prepare for a lot of things. I am not always an otaku, or will be...

I meet Shino once a week. At the same time and at the same place. It's been going on for months now. I can say that she's enjoying herself because she asked me to have dinner with her on our second meet, I guess I'm good company. I find that she is an agreeable and pleasant person to be with. Shino is not an Otaku, she prefers to go out into the wild and explore things on foot. Her interest in culture and art is rather insatiable and she has traveled half of the globe to satisfy her free spirit.
I consider myself very lucky to have met her. I'm giving myself three years to master Japanese.

Hand Made Monster Hunter Icons

I really love the Monster Hunter series. So I decided that I would make a wooden carved key-chain out of the icons from the game.

Great Sword Icon

I know it's not much but I wanted to see how the icons would look like on wood because of their simple and recognizable design. I'm a bow user so I decided to make one from the bow icon and I found that the Great Sword icon is rather simple enough to give it a try. 

I've been playing Monster Hunter for years now and it started back when I still owned a PSP, was thinking of buying a PS Vita if they had an MH game but sadly the PS Vita didn't, so I decided to buy a Nintedo 3DS instead. 

Currenlty playing MHX today and I'm quite happy about it even though it is only a Japanese release and we don't have news yet if it's coming to the West. I still have a few projects on wood carving so I'm a bit busy with these projects and I also have an upcoming project that is currently in the works.

I'm rather sad about not having the time to play games but I have to take it like an adult. I'm not ashamed that I love playing games and it is perfectly a wonderful source of entertainment and abnegation. 

I will make more of these and see where I can go from here, as long as I have extra materials and time to work on trinkets like these again. In the mean time, projects and commissions come first and I would be happy to show some of the projects that I have been working on some time soon.

Traversing Lairs

Over the past couple of months I've managed to toss myself here and there, to different places where some of my friends live and most of these friends are lesbians that I've met in the past.
I usually just have a few friends that I keep close but I'm also open to getting to know other people better.

I like having lesbian friends but then I get so tired of hearing them wanting to be in a relationship when they just got out from one. Lesbians can really talk about it for days on end. I think I'm the only person I know who don't really care much about these things. But I do understand why people are like that. It's because most people are afraid to be alone. So afraid of being alone that they would cling to anyone so soon. But I think this is also one of the great reasons why relationships fail, because most of them are motivated by fear and have accumulated enough anxieties to sabotage their relationships. Although I am put off by this kind of weakness, as a friend I will always be there to comfort them, even if I have to cross the oceans.
I'm pretty much content and happy with myself and I would never lower my standards just because I would like to settle down with someone.

I'm planning to go back to Taiwan because it's so much fun there and I'd also like to see friends. Though I just got back from Singapore a month ago, visiting a friend who just got out of a relationship and wanted someone to talk to. It was a nice trip and I was able to catch up with friends while being able to do a lot of things.

I used to always stay at a friend's condo in Boni, we would just hang out in her place have roast chicken for dinner(we were both vegetarian) and just talk or watch a movie for the rest of the night. We would sleep in a single bed that is too small for the both of us. Her room was so small you can only take 4 steps of walking space while the rest is occupied by the bed, table, and a small chest of drawers for clothes. She was one of those writer friends whom I enjoy talking about life and other things that most people couldn't even dream of thinking about. She was a pothead so she was always stoned and because I'm not exactly a person who likes going out for the sake of going out, we always just stayed in and have a mellow evening.
Well, she lives in Swiss now and we only get to hangout in Skype. I am also staying at different places with other people now since I always have to stay in Manila for many reasons.

I guess I've always been that transient visitor who is only passing through...

Use Your DS as a Japanese Learning Gadget!

I'm studying Japanese again, on my own. I should have known that I will be needing this sort of skill and I would have probably enrolled myself to several classes right after my solo show, unfortunately it wasn't a priority back then. :(

Things have changed ever since the news for Monster Hunter X will be coming this year for the 3DS. I suddenly wanted to study the language again and hopefully be better at it.
I bought a DS console not too long ago and I'm pretty happy with it, the price was a steal and I love going back to the old games I missed.

The great thing about the DS is that there have been several games that teaches players to learn a language, some art skill, and even some guide to the Louvre. Nintendo wanted a console that not only play games for entertainment but also make education fun and entertaining to the user. That's why they always publish educational titles or accept them from third party developers.

I've recently been involved with game translations and the game that I'm translating is a very popular game franchise that is yet to be released in the West. Not gonna drop names but it is a very popular turn based strategy rpg game. I'm having difficulty translating the game therefore, I must study some more. The group that I'm with the translations, is very strict.

The DS game library has a lot to offer and I know that DS games can also be played with the 3DS.
But I had to separate them for organizational purposes.

Here are the games that are worth playing if you wish to learn Japanese in a fun and entertaining way:

My Japanese Coach

It is a simple game that provides decent knowledge in Japanese. There are trivial and geographical information of Japan. It does get difficult in the long run but it is a game that I have in my library that I currently play. So far it's very helpful in teaching vocabularies and grammar. A must have for learners.

Anpanman Franchise

Rainbows, UFOs, super heroes, and learning Japanese? Count me in!
This game is considered for kids but is still fun to play and learn with. Players should at least memorize the hiragana and katakana characters before proceeding. Anpanman is a famous anime/manga that started back in the 70s. He's popular and I guess he's still being sold to children up to now. There are many Anpanman games on the DS and they're all educational, some of them have been remade as well for the newer console.

Kanken DS Training

That funny trailer should explain very well what Kanken DS is about. Learning Kanji is a difficult thing and it's really nice to have applications like this to help out. This is for more advanced learners. Some people don't bother with Kanji much and just hone their skills in speaking, however, it is not going to be helpful when playing games because it requires a lot of reading.

End:

There are more games available for the DS to help out on your Japanese studies, all you have to do is search a bit. What I love about the DS is that it is a portable thing that is not very heavy like a book and learning is interactive. It's not boring and is actually very fun.

Attack on Titan and the World Hungry for Flesh

If there's anything that I haven't done in a long time, it is to enjoy a pretty good manga and anime. Not because anime or manga is for kids and that I have outlived that kind of enjoyment at this age but Attack on Titan is definitely not for kids. It has a higher character death rate than Game of Thrones where any character can practically just get squished like a bug, ripped to shreds, and get eaten.

The thing that attracted me to the anime is because I have the game on my 3DS and the plot twist that humans are nothing more than caged livestock just waiting to be devoured by gigantic humanoids known as Titans. This anime provides a perspective on what it's like to have the tables turned, when man is no longer on the top of the food chain.

After watching the anime, I proceeded to consume the manga up to the latest chapters. It's interesting to note that in this world within the walls, people are not meat eaters and mostly have a vegetarian diet. Eating meat is considered a luxury.

If our world haven't realized it, eating meat is one of the biggest things that is wrong in our world. As long as we continue eating meat, murdering animals for "sustenance" when we can live without the meat diet then we can never be rid of war, suffering, women exploitation, and violence. I could write a book to elaborate on those things how they are connected but I'm hoping someone had already written one or I'm waiting for someone to do so.

So in attack on titan, because humans are the ones being eaten, and being gifted with intelligence, and determination to cling to life, humans have devised ways on how to fight the Titans back despite knowing that chances are rather small. In order to really defend themselves against the titans, they must fight fire with fire.

"Sadness over a bird killed. No sadness over a fish killed. Lucky are those with voices."

-Saito Ryokuu

AoT also has a number of strong female characters such as Mikasa Ackerman, who seem to have awakened powers and is generally has the mental state prepared for their current situation unlike the protagonist Eren who always seem weak and helpless until he discovered his latent gifts and powers but despite his abilities to be strong, I find it strange that he doesn't seem to have the mental capacities to adapt quickly in the given circumstances. He's still shocked whenever someone gets killed and needs to calm his tits every 5 minutes. He's whiney and I find him really annoying, that perhaps his redeeming quality is that he was given a gift he can use to save mankind and is determined to help humanity selflessly.

Their comic relief was Sasha Braus, who is also known as the potato girl, and pretty much needs to stuff her face with anything at any time. She reminded me of myself when I was living in the temple when I was always hungry. Some argued that she's always hungry because her stomach was used to eating meat because she came from a hunting village where hunting game and eating meat is their pride and glory. She's one of my favorite characters but not much spotlight is given to her, I think she will be one of the characters that you get attached to that the series will probably kill off in the end for a higher impact. Hopefully she doesn't die...

When it comes to love stories and developments the only pair worth noting is Ymir and Christa. Ymir is a strong female character as well that is as well rounded as Mikasa. A blunt girl who always follow Christa around and later in the story was explained deeply why and how feelings over time developed. Their pairing is canon and the creator confirmed it. So they are officially the couple in the series and some of the pairings are still rather vague like Eren and Mikasa where people argue that it's sibling love and that Eren is really paired with Annie. So up to now, no other love story development aside from Ymir and Christa have been confirmed. Their pairing is mostly known as YumiKuri, this ship sails itself.

The video provides a rather apt reaction when the yumikuri was declared canon. I would go ape shit if one of them dies. I will be glad to attend their wedding. <3

Well just because there are many badass female protagonists and that the creator didn't really bother much about gender and sexuality, sexism still exists in this world. It's still a pretty good development that anyone can love anyone here without homophobic judgments.

It's a beautiful anime that I feel will revolutionize future stories. In parallel, their fictional world and ours aren't any different. There is something going on in the bigger picture but humans still prefer to squabble over petty things, are still greedy, and twisted, and that the shining ray of hope lies in someone who is also just as dark and twisted. It is a portrayal of the human condition in a circumstance that might as well have resembled the real life crisis that people are going through.
No one is perfect, no one is good or evil, it is always a play of something in between and that people have done some good and bad things in their lives. It implores the audience to let go of the notion that there are people who purely good or bad but depicts humans as flawed broken people. Only their motivation to be whole differs.

Paper Trail: Contemporary Art Philippines Feature

PAPER TRAIL

Book Artist Veronica Laurel incorporates the traditional crafts of wood carving, carpentry, and bookbinding into her contemporary art practice.

Inside Artinformal's Big Room exhibit space is a modest collection of curious pieces made of paper and found objects encased in glass and carved wood. Veronica Laurel's first solo exhibition, Beautifully Damned, presents her latest book art creations. Utilizing her skills in wood carving, carpentry, and book binding, Laurel turns old books and paper into art objects. Right off the bat, one can appreciate the meticulous process that went into creating these handmade pieces.

Laurel is currently based in Laguna. She describes herself a collector of things, who likes to gather materials for her pieces. Her interest in woodworking started at a young age because of her family's wood furniture business. She learned wood carving in Paete, Laguna and studied book binding on her own. Of her learning process, she says, "I wanted to keep doing it until I got it right. It doesn't matter if my first tries were terrible. What matters is that I'm willing to try. Same goes for carpentry and carving."

Laurel's use of found objects correlates with the Buddhist view of making use of what is available. The wood she used in her pieces is sourced from old demolished houses. Buddhist beliefs are actually something that Laurel had the opportunity to explore when she lived in a Buddhist temple in Taiwan for three months prior to her show. "The preparation to get ready was long; the execution was short," she adds. Laurel was also influenced by Masaki Kobayashi's Human Condition film trilogy, as well as literature on Western and Buddhist psychology. In Beautifully Damned, she shares the culmination of her spiritual exploration, merging it with her artistic practice into a harmonious whole.

"Beautifully Damned" was the title of a poem she wrote a few years earlier. It was about living in a world where people choose to numb themselves, thus becoming the beautifully damned ones. "The truth is, damnation is just damnation. I added the word "beautifully" because people don't to believe that we are all just damned. The romantic are optimistic enough to call it beautiful, a sweet a suffering, a vulnerable state of mind," Laurel explains.


Prior to her first solo exhibition, Laurel's early works were included in Ayala Museum's group exhibits and, most recently, at the Met Open 2014 in the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

(End of First Half)

(For the complete article, look for Art+ Contemporary Art Philippines Magazine Issue no. 35)

I Got in the First Tier. The Backlash of My Secret Life

I was included in an article about 10 New Filipino artists that deserve recognition.

The article is here by Spot.

Now, I've been living a quiet life recently and didn't know that this came out not until a friend sent me a message.

Still preferring a life of solitude right now. See you.

To Become the Black Horse

So I'm watching an online auction of an item that I want for the coming holidays. There are already 9 bidders, which I think is quite high so in order to win the bid - the plan is to snipe the bid. It is a technique that a marginalized group of bidders use to win auctions. Bidding at the last minute in order to get the lowest possible price yet higher than the other bidder's max bid.
Hopefully it works, since I've gotten a few options to fall back on in case I lose the bid.

This would be the start of my coming back to earth. :)

Substitute for Meditation

I didn't feel like talking to people in a while and have decided to stay in my cave. I wanted to rest and just be alone, a lot of people who doesn't know how to appreciate solitude often go bonkers. If I wouldn't spend time with just myself, I would have probably gone insane.

So to keep my sanity in check, I had separate myself from the trappings of the corporeal world and look at it from the outside.

After my solo show, I received encouragements and praise, got interviewed for a popular art magazine in the country and had gotten the attention of a few collectors.I got new offers for solo shows and other shows aside from opportunities of enriching my career. It's all good.

I am by no means obligated to follow them. At least that is how I feel, because I really have nothing to prove.

I earned enough from my show that I could take a vacation for a long time. But I still need to work to survive, eventually.

It will be frugal but comfortable.

I realized that though I have high aspirations as an artist, I am not as romantically chained to them as other artists think they should be.

It is more important for me to take a break and take it easy. :)

Great things are ahead. Soon, I will be making my descend back to earth. Or maybe I'll stay here awhile.

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Hey there! Finally keeping a mailing list to keep people updated with my artworks and exhibits. I have added a subscribe page on my website so that people can easily sign up with their emails.

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Planting the Seed of Bookarts in the Philippines

This is a good beginning for bookarts in the Philippines where there are now a few practitioners with the craft surfacing. I know aside from me, there are a few others from the North and South of Luzon. 

I am very much looking forward to meeting a few of them as well.

Here's news from inewswire about my solo show this coming September 25 at the Big Room of Art informal.

A Bold New Genre: First Bookarts Solo Show Opens in the Philippines

Aside from my solo show, I was also included at the Met Open where there were 200 artworks exhibited for the benefit of the Met's art program. 5 curators were the one who chose the artworks submitted and what I liked about the application process was that they don't need your resume or cv, they just need to see your work. The reception is on the 20th but will open to the public on the 21st. I have submitted a bookart piece enclosed in wood and glass, protecting 3 hanging bound books and one at the bottom for a total of 4 bound books within. Sadly, I do not have a photo of the artwork but I will surely take a photo of it when it is at the Met Museum, the lighting will definitely give it a different feel.

And I also joined an art fair on the 25th at the National Art Fair in the Megamall Megatrade Halls. It seems that this month is truly a busy and spectacular month. I'm hoping to keep this up but working as a full time artist can take its toll since the financial income is not stable. The only way I could get by is to be very frugal and really spend on things that are necessary, I am not capable of appeasing my luxuries very much but I know I must tighten my belt.
I am happy for the support that I get from family and friends as I tread this path.

Audaces Fortuna Iuvat

Veronica Laurel with Kasibulan at the National Art Fair

Ornamental Study 2
6.5x4.5x1.25"
Hand bound book with carved wooden cover
2014

Ornamental Study 2 in Tanguili
6.5x4.5x1.25"
Hand bound book with carved wooden cover
2014

Endless Knot
6.5x4.5x1.25"
Hand bound book with carved wooden cover
2014

Mahogany Blank
6.5x4.5x1.25"
Hand bound book with carved wooden cover
2014

Mahogany Blank
6.5x4.5x1.25"
Hand bound book with carved wooden cover
2014

Mahogany Blank
6.5x4.5x1.25"
Hand bound book with carved wooden cover
2014

Veronica Laurel's blank book collection with carved wooden covers is one of the unique works among hundreds of artworks available at the National Art Fair held at the SM Megamall Megatrade halls 1 & 2 on September 26 to 28.
Her  wooden carved book collection for this event has eclectic designs that were created during the period of her stay in Buddhist temples in the Philippines and Taiwan. Other designs include the portrait of a serene Buddha on the cover and lotus flowers. The paper she used is very smooth and has  a velvety surface that is also friendly with fountain pens.

Her works can be found in the Kasibulan Booth, a group of women's artists that also has different artworks on sale such as paintings, sculpture, literary works like books, and others.
Kasibulan will also be relaunching Baidy Mendoza's book "Labrador" at the center stage on the 27th of September, hosted by writer Bebang Sy.

A Bold New Genre: First Book Arts Solo Exhibition Opens in the Philippines

Mandaluyong City - Book artist Veronica Laurel opens her debut solo exhibition titled "Beautifully Damned" on September 25 at the Big Room in Art Informal Gallery. An exhibition depicting the fragile human condition through a fusion of book arts and wooden sculptures.

Veronica Laurel presents bookarts as a new genre in the Philippine Contemporary Art with her show. Her first exhibition is a brave introduction and promising beginning for bookarts as a vital genre in the Philippine art scene.

Laurel's work delves into the complicated state of the human condition in its chaotic frustrations and fragile undertakings. Under the discipline of bookarts, it opens up new possibilities in the local contemporary art scene as it is a new and an exciting genre that has flourished in North America and Europe.

Beautifully Damned as a solo show is a portraiture of human emotions and conditions through sculptural bookart forms, the raw and genuine spirit covered up by society's demanded pretensions.

In her artworks are the three main elements that play a huge role in its construction such as paper, wood, and glass. She uses book arts to carry out the essence of the artwork then wood and glass as the vessel, similar to have a body and a soul. The Philippine art industry has many talented artists often falling under traditional disciplines. Veronica Laurel as an artist dares to add a new genre in Philippine contemporary art that can compete internationally.

Book arts has been a growing movement globally with more and more practitioners each year and a wide audience but has yet to be grasped in South East Asia.

Veronica Laurel is a book artist based in Sta Rosa city. She studied book binding on her own and learned wood carving in Paete, Laguna. Growing up in a family of carpenters, she developed skills in working with wood.
She has exhibited across manila in group exhibitions at venues such as the Ayala Museum, The Tower Club, Blot Art Studio, among others.

Find out more about her in her website: www.veronicalaurel.com

Address to Art Informal
277 Connecticut St. Mandaluyong City. Near Greenhills.
Click here for the Map

New Veronica Laurel Website Up!

Finally took my site out of Wix.com, I found a better and easier way of getting an artist site that is simple and fast, that also has a functional mobile site.

www.veronicalaurel.com

I'm still yet to update the Solo Exhibition page because I don't have the official invite photo from the gallery and I'm a bit lazy to come up of my own. Though I am pretty excited about the show.

Happy to be updating the new site in an easier and faster way than the old one. Goodbye Flash and goodbye wix!

I Don't See Dead People

There is certain difficulty in organizing oneself to see another person at a specific location nowadays. 

Recently, friends I haven't seen in years, let alone heard from suddenly dropped lines and dared to say hello. Though the friendship is not dead, it just didn't occur to me to message them about anything. Life for each of us have separated, leading to different places.

These people have asked to meet or see each other over tea or  alcohol. I obliged, like the good friend I was. The thing is, these people would set the date and initiative to meet yet cancel on the day itself or the day before. Some ask to meet for some reason but would never really set the time to. How come friends don't even know how to keep their words anymore. Maybe that's why I don't see them anymore.

There was a friend of mine who contacted me out of the blue to borrow  money. She said that bills are piling up and that their electricity will get the cut, that they got short of cash because their grandma was taken to the hospital. 

This is a person who live with her girlfriend and both have work. I on the other hand, is an artist living as frugal as possible but I'm not squandering to get money to pay my bills. I have to thank our ancestral house for that. 

I have long decided to carefully select the friends to see. I realized I don't need a lot of friends but a few good quality ones are enough. 

I have also been picky with messages to respond to. I think I am too articulate that I couldn't find the words to respond to "Hey" or "Howdy". I think responding with how my week went is an overwhelming response. I decided to just leave messages like that alone and lonely. 

Also because these one word messages come from people who would respond to "Hello" after four days of sending the message. Maybe after a year we would have conversed a full sentence. It just defeats the convenience of instant messengers when responses aren't instant. Words become food left out to rot.

These people have died to me, they die when I no longer hear their voices or see even their shadows. And I too perhaps die to them. I should be summoned with a Ouija board if they wish to communicate.

I'm glad to have friends who are easy to talk to. Who fulfill their words, or calls to cancel a meeting. I'm glad to have those few friends who have kept their common decency. I love those friends who are never too busy to see me, or let me crash in their place. Who make time to just hang out despite busy schedules.

How to Register as an Artist with BIR

Artists who are serious and are climbing up their careers need to provide receipts for every artwork that is sold or services provided. Those who are no longer "Just Dabbling" in art and is taking a more professional approach should register. Here are instructions on how to register yourself and become a legitimate artist in the RP. I'm cutting the sweet talk on why you need this as an artist, these are the things that an artist should know already. Yes, if we earn through our art, we need to pay taxes as good citizens. Otherwise if we become famous, the BIR will be on our asses.

What you need:
* A registered tin number. If you don't have one, click the link.
* P500 Registration fee. (To be quick, don't wait til you're at your BIR branch to pay. See below)
* Copy of Birth Certificate (NSO)
* BIR 1901 Form (2 Copies, Fill them up.) Download them here Part I and Part II.
* 605 Payment Form (Bring the original (1) and photo copy them, twice (2)) Download here.
* Proof of address (Ex: Meralco Bill, Internet Bill, etc.)
* Photocopy of a valid ID with signature and date of birth. (Ex: SSS card, Postal ID, Driver's License,            Passport)
*** Printer's I906 form (Application for Authority to Print Receipts and Invoices)
       Provided by your printer. See below for more info on this one.
       * Sample Receipt ( Just one is enough )
* 2 Columnar Books, 1 Ledger, 1 Linear Journal (Depends on your RDO, but at least buy one                 Columnar book in school supply stores upon coming to the BIR office, they normally sell them there but buying before hand saves you time.) I was only required the Columnar book, nothing more.

* If married (Marriage Certificate copy and birth certificates of dependents if any)

X No need for DTI. If they asked then tell them you are registering as an individual, self-employed, professional.


***The 1906 form is nothing to worry about, but it should be something you already have before heading out to the BIR office. If you submit everything above, then it's possible to finish registering within the day in one sitting with the BIR officer. This is how you save time and seize the day, and perhaps have the good part of the afternoon to celebrate with a snack.
By that, I mean before scheduling to go to the BIR office in your area, you should have downloaded the 1901 form, filled them up and visited a printer's office or shop. They would need your 1901 form so it's important you already have it by then.

Sample Receipt
If you have a logo, it would be best to bring it and give the file to the printer. Since you are already there at the Printer's office, ask whether you need Vat or Non-Vat, OR or SI. Explain your situation clearly.
There are templates and sizes of receipts to choose from and an option to place your logo wherever on the receipt. Make it look cool.

Going to a printer before hand saves you time and money because if you fail to go to one and went ahead to the office, they will refer a printer that will charge you twice the amount you'd have paid for. Printers are called IMPRENTA for locals.

Once everything is settled, the printer will give you the 1906 form with your 1901 attached and of course, the Sample receipt. Printing for the receipts will depend on how many you want to be printed. Mine was 10 books and it took three days from date of registration. I gave a down payment but it's not necessary. I was just allocating my budget that way. The printer owner was also a good friend of my dad, they were childhood friends so I got a huge discount.

PAYING FOR THE REGISTRATION FEE
Can be done on the same day you visited the printer, before or afterwards. Either way is your choice.

BANK
It's very simple and hassle free when paying with banks. That's the easiest right now. I paid with Land Bank but there are other banks where you can also pay for your P500 registration fee. Ask the bank to be sure.
When paying, don't forget to bring the 605 Payment Form you downloaded and printed. It is a requirement when paying with banks.

GCASH
GCASH is also available, I used it to pay for my DTI before but you should have a GCASH account. I chose the bank payment instead even if I have a GCASH account simply because I would have to go to a GCASH center to deposit P500 then send a text message to pay. It's pretty much the same as paying in the bank and the bank was nearer my house. Here's the link to GCASH payments.

BIR eFPS or Electronic Filing Payment System
Here's the link. I found it slow and painful. Never got past the enrollment process but worth a try because you can also pay taxes through here.

After this, you will get your payment receipt. Don't lose it. It's good to be organized with all these papers.
You are pretty much good to go to your BIR office.

At the BIR Office
You will be paying for the following in the office:
Document Stamp P15 (For the COR)
Columnar Book, Ledger, Linear Journal. From P45 to P150. Depends on what will be required to be purchased but the Columnar Book is a good bet.

*You may also apply for a Tin Card which is free. It takes three days to be completed, I've applied but haven't retrieved it.

Arrive early, as early as 8:30am or at least before 9am when the office opens. Being at the beginning of the line helps. Get a number if necessary and wait for your turn, if you think it's going to take a while, bring a book, comic, sketch pad, and kill time until your turn.

While waiting, you can go ahead and pay for the document stamp which is P15. The officer will require you to buy the books, normally it's them selling it so you don't have to go anywhere.

Registering as an individual, means you are a self-employed professional and they have categories for that, for artists, the category would be under ART GALLERIES or something similar to it. You will be asked by the officer and will lead you to a closer and appropriate category depending on what kind of artist you are. Don't be afraid to ask and explain your situation.

Pretty much, that's it. Just wait for the whole process to end and you will be given your COR (Certificate of Registration Whoohoo!!) and you will be lead to the boss where he or she has to sign the released COR. That's it.

It's not that hard now is it?
Don't let intimidation get ahead of you. It's not intimidating. It's very simple and only exerts a little bit of effort. Don't waste time. I just did it on my own and I think it took me about 3-4 hours, because I made a mistake with the receipt and had to take another sample back from the printer.
If there are seminars about tax filing at the BIR, take it, it's free. It's like workshop on tax paying.

Congratulations you are now legit! Go put your COR in a frame and hang it in your studio!
Now that you have a COR then having your own website is next.
You can check out my website at www.veronicalaurel.com
It is a simple and easy to update site which I will be posting up instructions very soon. So subscribe if you want to learn more about it. Click here to subscribe to my mailing list.

After registering, one should also know about income tax and how to file them.
Here's a useful link.
I found out how to register through this link. Very helpful indeed. I'm grateful for resources online like these.

Furling Chaos in the Eye of the Storm by Veronica Laurel

Furling Chaos in the Eye of the Storm 2012

Veronica Laurel's work back in 2012 titled Furling Chaos in the Eye of the Storm, which displayed elaborately a fusion of literature and visual arts. Poetry and stories hang loose from the delicately suspended book in a wooden glass case.

Art as Manifestation of a Struggle

Art has garnered so many definitions in the past and each artist has his or her own meaning which is in most cases, the very definition to live by. In my short years of living as an artist, transitioning from a full time writer to a full time artist, I have seen and met different types of artists along the way and I have realized that the most comfortable artist in life can’t create an artwork to save his or her life when it calls for it.

When an artist has tasted hunger that cannot be satiated there is a struggle that blooms within that artist and in that bloom is also the birth of creativity. Hunger and struggle are the key factors that transcend the comfortable and the mediocre.

SPOLARIVM by JUAN LUNA
Won the gold medal in Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes held in
Madrid back in the 1884

Juan Luna may be an Illustrado, a Filipino aristocrat, but his struggle surpasses the material kind. He, among others like Jose Rizal, struggled and sacrificed their lives for a country that is not united in identity and wished that the suffering of the common Filipino will be lifted. That others may be treated with respect and equality, provided with education and human rights.

I was just in Paete almost a month ago and I went to a gallery there. The gallery that was owned by a cousin of my maestro, he spoke to me of the local art and how the San Cristobal painting in their church was mutilated by a person I shall not name, not for now. At that time, they were holding a painting workshop and a child was painting in a corner. A woman exclaimed that the child will be a great painter one day because his parents have everything, that money is everything.

I disagreed and told her most artists that have succeeded greatly were poor. She held her ground that money will make an artist great.

Thinking that money is everything is poison to the mind. We have been lied to by society to think that money will bring us success, greatness, and happiness. It is a lie so terrible that now it eats at the core of the people and is in fact the mentality that is destroying the planet and igniting war.

Drying out the wood oil in the sun

The owner of the gallery asked me to make them a guestbook and in a few days now I shall be delivering it. This is just part of my struggle, to make ends meet as I sell books and accept commissions. I have relinquished accepting wood projects even though they pay well because I have to choose if I just want to work as a person who does wood or try to live off my artworks. Despite not earning a lot, I contented that I am comfortable in this kind of lifestyle, although I may not be able to do a lot of things that requires money, I don't feel like I'm missing out.

Brené Brown said that vulnerability is the birthplace of creativity, that artists are often those who have laid down the armor and embraced the struggle and vulnerability that humans are always visited with. That artists can empathize through their works of art. It is the response to vulnerability, its manifestation.

My mentor, Jose Tence Ruiz mentioned to me once "It's easy to be a good artist, but you'll never be great if you don't become a part of a struggle in the social consciousness."

What does this say to the artists of today? Who are hungry, who toiled and struggled, and those who lived in the comfortable home never visited by famine?

Should there be a battle, the hungrier, always wins.

The Pitfalls of Volunteer Work

Just a few months before my debut solo show and I have decided to give a few of my precious days to volunteer work. Something that an artist myself who should be focusing on her artworks bothered to do for the goodness of mankind, of my people, Buddhism, and my country. If only in very little amount.

Volunteer work is of course, not for everyone. Especially in a country where working in itself is such great labor that having a job that is stable is nothing short of a blessing. I, on the other hand after living in a temple thought that I could do some good deeds by providing my talents.

Volunteer work makes a lot of people happy, because if you are not going to be paid for it, your mind better be strong enough to handle every setback, and still feel this sort of contentment and satisfaction at the end of the day.

Currently, I am volunteering for a temple that has the ambition to provide free education for everyone, which is of course a great thing. Now that it’s going to begin the college this month of June, there are a lot of things that hasn’t been straightened out first.

A lot of things are slow and now that I’m inside it, I finally see why. It is not because they are shorthanded and or there are not enough volunteers. I could see that there are little things that can be done by the already available people in it to work on and yet no one acts on it.

I help out when I can. They have a nice and spacious gallery and yet, Manila doesn’t know it exists and they are not really doing much about it as long as they reach a handful, it is enough. The potential of having a higher reach is not achieved because maybe they are content of the people who are coming in. I was invited by the one managing the gallery to provide a few of my artworks and sell it during an on-going exhibit. So I made works that are related to the gallery’s theme, like the face of the Buddha and an abstract representation of a lotus. Apparently, what was demanded of me after submitting the artwork was common and recognizable images of the lotus flower. Not only was it demanded of me, but when I gave my price for the artworks, I was also told that it would not sell because the price is high.

In all honesty, the price is 50% off since it is a non-profit institution and does not add any commission and what is left is nothing but my plain artist price, the lowest I could provide without tarnishing my reputation and hopefully not offending those who bought my works at its normal prices, which includes gallery commissions. I should be insulted because it was really quite a hassle to provide the artworks when I could have spent those lost days working on my solo show collection, then be told it will not sell. I simply explained that I couldn’t change the price because I have a standard price that I follow that is equivalent to my reputation as an artist, that it is okay that it won’t sell but didn’t really say that I already know it won’t because there is no real market or collectors visiting the gallery.

I just got my pieces back and I’m happy I got it back because I could sell it in other places. I merely waited for the time to pass and look at the events as mere flows and drama that I shouldn’t get too attached to. That the reality of the world outside and inside the temple may provide different meanings to my career as an artist but are both essentially empty and illusory in Buddhist views.

For the next ten days, I am giving my time to the temple but the problem is that the people in the temple don’t know how to manage time and the volunteer’s time. Yesterday, I have spent the whole day waiting for the task and since none came, I just decided to catch up on 80s and 90s movies like “Say Anything” and “Clueless”.

I designed the cover for the student handbook and I was told the layout of the content as well. I waited for the content that I will layout and none came. It wasn’t quite a productive day for me though I had fun watching movies but I just feel that I could really help and that are not tapping the time available I am providing them because I won’t be there all the time. Today, I decided to just go and buy materials for my artworks and stay at a friend’s house to bake some cookies and cook lovely vegetarian burgers.

I have left word that should there be any work to be done, to email me and I shall do it and submit at the end of the day.

I do believe that there is quite a language barrier to some and to make matters worse, there is also a lack of communication among volunteers.

I talked to one of the volunteers on how I think that people working in the are content with mediocrity and that they are not pushing for the full potential when the temple and its resources can actually reach so much. The volunteer answered by saying that it may not be mediocrity, it may be incapacity on their end to provide better results and not the satisfaction for mediocrity.

I saw how unorganized the system is and is quite a struggle to provide great work in. There was also a minor thing that irked me at the beginning because volunteers we’re provided a quarter to stay in but there was a lack in electric fans and we were not provided with any. The evenings were hot and it is quite hard to get some sleep and I bugged almost everyone about the fan where one of the volunteer’s said let the temple worry about it and that I shouldn’t worry about it.

So I decided to follow the volunteer’s advice, but nothing happened. There was still no electric fan, I tried not to complain and get some sleep but couldn’t.

When the volunteer who told me not to worry about it came to the quarters, she couldn’t care for a bit whether I could get some shut eye or not. I had to borrow a fan from the outside in order to get some comfort. I wonder how these people look at volunteers, like slaves?

That being a volunteer one should prepare to give time and money in the process. Maybe I still haven’t understood this Bodhisattva thing and I am only here willing to help what I could and I wonder if it’s too much to ask for a comfortable sleep at night for payment. Am I wrong to think that people should help the help that they receive, because this is a give and take situation. I thought that we all volunteer and help one another for a common goal, that we would like to achieve full potential that can provide and strong foundation for free education in the Philippines. Yet, the reality of how things were, are not that ideal because not all of us believe the same.

In the world of volunteer work, when everyone is there for the intention of goodness and sacrificing one’s time, the skill available of these people aren’t always excellent in levels. Often it falls under mediocrity and certain incapacities. People think what they are doing is good enough because an excellent work doesn’t equal a greater individual reward, they forget that great effort exerted will result not in high-payment or recognition but actually the goodness and welfare of the many that needs it. People are still trapped in this egoistic shell that prevents them from doing a better work than they are currently offering. It seemed that some of them are merely doing those things haphazardly because they were placed in that position without the talent to account for.

It was more on circumstance than the will, ability, and spirit.

People also working in such an environment have no recourse but patience and tolerance.