COMING UP: Art Gallery in Parian, Cebu!

BUZZ: Watch out for the opening of an Art Gallery in conjunction with the Cebu Art Association in the Dona Filomena Building in Cebu City, on time for the 2012 Sinulog! More later on...

The Dona Filomena Building is located on Zulueta Street, near Logarta, and near the Historic landmarks of Cebu (Jesuit House, Heritage Monument, Yap-Sandiego Museum, Casa Gorordo, and the Cathedral Museum)

CHECK OUT "THE CEBU HERITAGE WALK"

I stumbled on this website "The Cebu Heritage Walk" - check it out, . It has incredible pictures, a lively discussion of Cebu's architecture, history, movies, Carcar, churches, etc. etc. Arnold Carl seems to be moderating this group. There's a series of pictures of historic buildings in Carcar that's absolutely breathtaking.

My Russian dentist spoke of her ambivalence about visiting Russia. She lives somewhere between Moscow and Siberia, up in the Euro mountains, where she says people drink a lot. She talked of how small the place was and how the students bonded while in school. When she returns to visit, she is always surprised at "what has happened" to them - how did they get old, fat, or whatever. She said she saw a male classmate in the street, and she was happy to see him, but he didn't remember her, had shaky hands, and asked for some money from her. She also talked about the boy who was her seat partner, how big he was, but he was a C student. She on the other hand was small, but an A-student. So, she said, she was well-protected by this boy, and she did his homework for him. But she says that when she goes to Russia, she uses her American passport because she has more protection this way. All I can add is that when we were in St. Petersburg for a couple of days while on a Princess Cruise, the Russian immigration officers were univerally mean to all those who got off the boat to tour St. Petersburg - dour, and mean, and bureaucratic, nary a "Welcome, to St. Petersburg!"

I'm back, I'm back in Santa Monica, and wading through all my stuff. I also start my online class tomorrow, and that's new to me. I'm looking forward to this. I have 15 students and already they've started to introduce themselves and discuss their work space.

CEBU CITY BOOK LAUNCH AND OUTINGS

Saturday, June 30 - Karina Bolasco, publishing manager of Anvil, arrives Cebu from Manila, 9:10 a.m. I go to Mactan Aiport to meet her. At 1 p.m. Erma Cuizon picks up Susan Evangelista at the Mactan Airport; she's flown in from Palawan. We lunch, then Karina runs off to meet with a librarian. There is a heavy downpour at around 3:30, and we are slightly worried because the book launch of Ala Carte: Food and Fiction is at 5 p.m. The rain stops at around 4:30, but roads are wet, traffic bad. When we get to the Aboitiz Center for the launch, the guests have not arrived. WILA, who is the cosponsor of the event, decides to let the guests eat merienda first, which initially puzzles some of us, but it turns out to be a wise decision, becuase it gives people time to arrive. The program starts at around 6 p.m. Gingging Dumdum is the emcee; Ester Tapia speaks on behalf of WILA, and Karina Bolasco speaks on behalf of Anvil publishing. Then the reading begins, and we have: Carlos Cortes, Erma Cuizon, Susan Evangelista, Karina Bolasco, and Cecilia Brainard (me). Brief words by me, closing by Gingging, and then book signing. Around 50 people braved the wet roads and awful traffic, but they are a fantastic audience and were also generous in buying books. Seen among the crowd: Lucy Franco Garcia; Helen Franco Misa; Inday Blanco; Louie Nacorda; Linda Alburo, Jun Dumdum, Juliet Basa, Gavin Bagares, Andy, Tina, Angel Manguerra; Jojo, Tanya, and Inez Manguerra, and many more.

After the launch, Erma, Susan, Karina, Jun and Gingging Dumdum, and I came to my place for snacks, wine, some unwinding, and literary talk.



Sunday, July 1 - Karina, Susan, Erma, and I go to Plantation Bay for brunch; Karina leaves noonish back to Manila. The remaining three of us spend the rest of the day lounging in front of sparkling blue sea and watching a man raking the white beach clean. Later, a trip to Marco Polo so Susan to give Susan a bird eye's view of Cebu; then dinner at Ocean Seafood off of Gorordo.

Monday, July 2 - Susan, Erma, Gavin Bagares, and I do a tour of Southern Cebu, visiting Boljoon, Argao, and Carcar - great countryside, and old churches! Dinner in a lovely Thai restaurant in Talamban.

Ahhhhh - no rain on Saturday and Sunday!!!!



Photo above,l-r: Erma Cuizon, Susan Evangelista, Cecilia Brainard, in Boljoon
Photo in middle show Susan and Cecilia kicking back in Plantation Bay
Photo in bottom shows backside of someone