This is a site of my childhood memories of the Japanese-American War in the Philippines, 1941-1945. The photo is General McArthur landing in Leyte fulfilling his promise of "I shall return", liberating the Philippines from the Japanese invaders. Some of the photos and videos in this site, I do not own. However, I have no intention in infringing your copyrights.
Pictire Window after Christmas Decorations Are Dismantled. Happy Three Kings to All Of You!
I woke up this morning with the news ( below) flashing in my TV. I look at my picture window( see photo above) and it does not look that bad. However, It has been continuously raining here since last night and the winds are gusty, but so far no major flooding has occurred.
The photo above also showed my picture window after I dismantled all the Christmas decorations since the Feast of the Three Kings is now almost over. My orchids, cyclamen and poinsettia are in bloom. Outside is cold and windy but no freezing rain, thanks God!
The following is the Flood Warning issued by the National Weather Service. It comprised of all the Counties in North Central California which included our County-Sacramento
Flood Warning in North Central California: Active for next 2 days, National Weather Service, Alert area: Amador; Butte; Glenn; Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties
The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued a Flood Warning for Urban Areas and Small Streams in... Colusa County in central California... Yolo County in central California... Sutter County in central California... Solano County in central California... Southwestern Placer County in central California... Central Shasta County in northern California... Southwestern Amador County in northern California... Sacramento County in central California... Lake County in central California... Stanislaus County in central California... San Joaquin County in central California... Southwestern Calaveras County in northern California... Western Tehama County in northern California... Southwestern Butte County in northern California... Glenn County in central California... Southwestern Yuba County in central California...
Recommended actions: Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. A Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring. All interested parties should take necessary precautions immediately.
The heavy rains and snow ( in the Sierras) are expected to continue in the next two days. Stay warm and do not drive unless it is necessary. Happy Three Kings and again may 2017 bring you Prosperity and Happiness.
The other day, I posted ten of my favorite coffee table books in my collection. One of the books is the Paintings of Amorsolo by Alfredo R. Roces and published by the Filipinas Foundation, Inc. I was curious on the accomplishments of Amorsolo. Here's what I found in Wikipedia.
Fernando Cueto Amorsolo was born on May 30, 1892 and died on April 24, 1972. He was one of the most important artists in the history of painting in the Philippines. Amorsolo was a portraitist and painter of rural Philippine landscapes. He is popularly known for his craftsmanship and mastery in the use of light.
Amorsolo is best known for his illuminated landscapes, which often portrayed traditional Filipino customs, culture, fiestas and occupations. His pastoral works presented "an imagined sense of nationhood in counterpoint to American colonial rule" and were important to the formation of Filipino national identity. He was educated in the classical tradition and aimed "to achieve his Philippine version of the Greek ideal for the human form." In his paintings of Filipina women, Amorsolo rejected Western ideals of beauty in favor of Filipino ideals and was fond of basing the faces of his subjects on members of his family.
Amorsolo used natural light in his paintings and developed the backlighting technique Chiaroscuro, which became his artistic trademark and his greatest contribution to Philippine painting. In a typical Amorsolo painting, figures are outlined against a characteristic glow, and intense light on one part of the canvas highlights nearby details. Philippine sunlight was a constant feature of Amorsolo's work; he is believed to have painted only one rainy-day scene.
Amorsolo was an incessant sketch artist, often drawing sketches at his home, at Luneta Park, and in the countryside. He drew the people he saw around him, from farmers to city-dwellers coping with the Japanese occupation. Amorsolo's impressionistic tendencies, which may be seen in his paintings as well, were at their height in his sketches. His figures were not completely finished but were mere "suggestions" of the image.
Amorsolo also painted a series of historical paintings on pre-Colonial and Spanish Colonization events. Amorsolo's Making of the Philippine Flag, in particular, was widely reproduced. His The First Baptism in the Philippines required numerous detailed sketches and colored studies of its elements. These diverse elements were meticulously and carefully set by the artist before being transferred to the final canvas. For his pre-colonial and 16th-century depiction of the Philippines, Amorsolo referred to the written accounts of Antonio Pigafetta, other available reading materials, and visual sources He consulted with the Philippine scholars of the time, H. Pardo de Tavera and Epifanio de los Santos.
I hope you enjoy the above paintings as much as I do! Here's a video of some of his well known paintings for your enjoyment.
The last couple of months I have posted articles on my ties and caps/hats collection. Today I will discuss some of my favorite Coffee Table Books in my collection. I have more than 70 Coffee books in my collection. The photo above is just part of my collection. Two dozens more of my coffee books are under the coffee table that is not pictured in this blog. Topics of my collection are in art, sculptures and painting, Gardening and Landscaping, Food and Nutrition, Travel, erotic art and photography. My ten favorite coffee books are:
1. Robert Mapplethorpe by Richard Howard and Ingrid Sischy, Bulfinch Press, 1988 ( 210 pages)
2. Erotic Art compiled by Phyllis and Eberhard Kronhausen, Bell Publishing Company, 1968 ( 250 pages)
3. Amorsolo ( Paintings) published by Filipinas Foundation, Inc, First Printing, 1975 ( 315 pages)
4. Japanese Eroticism, Text by Bernard Soulle, Crescent Books, N.Y., 1981 (320 pages)
5. 20th Century Masters of Erotic Art by Bradley Smith, Crown Publisher, 1980 ( 380 pages)
6. Augustin Pajou, Royal Sculpture, by James David Draper, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, 1998 ( 430 pages)
Marinduque from the Air
7. Marinduque, Heart of the Philippines by Dindo Asuncion, Published by the Provincial Government, 2004 ( 220 pages)
8. The Great Book of French Impressionism by Diane Kelder, Harrison House, NY, 1979 (450 pages)
9. The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker, Foreword by David Remnick and Edited by Robert Mankoff, Leventhal Publishers, 2004 (520 pages).
10. American Painting, Introduction by Robert Rosenblum and Text by Donald Goddard, Beaux Arts Edition, NY 1990 ( 530 pages)
I should rotate this photo, but I will not so it is easier to read the titles of the books.
Note: I have two coffee table books authored and published by Macrine's first cousin, Bing Nieva Carrion Buck. I have more than 600 hard books and novels and more than a thousand pocket books. I have donated almost all of my pocket books to Goodwill and Salvation Army. I have more than 50 albums of photographs and 90% of my photos are in the web.
A note about coffee table books: A coffee table book is an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and from which it can serve to inspire conversation. Subject matter is predominantly non-fiction and pictorial (a photo-book).
Pages consist mainly of photographs and illustrations, accompanied by captions and small blocks of text, as opposed to long prose. Since they are aimed at anyone who might pick up the book for a light read, the analysis inside is often more basic and with less jargon than other books on the subject. Because of this, the term "coffee table book" can be used pejoratively to indicate a superficial approach to the subject.
The late Dr. Teyet Pascual and his Collections of Paintings in his Condo in Makati, Manila
In 2005, I had an opportunity to purchase a coffee Table book of some of Juan Luna paintings collected by my former chemistry classmate, the late Dr. Eleuterio (Teyet) Pascual, Ph.D.( http://www.pressreader.com/philippines/philippine-daily-inquirer/20151101/282127815344995).
At that time he was selling it during our Chemistry Alumni Reunion and 50th Anniversary Party for P5,000. I thought it was expensive so I did not buy the coffee table book( it was about $125 at that time based on the pesos to dollars exchange rate). I am now regretting that I did not purchase the Juan Luna Paintings Coffee Table book. (http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/231631/fabulous-works-by-luna-and-19th-century-masters-repatriated/).
Anyway, here's a short video on the Juan Luna paintings that has never shown to the public.
One of the many well-known paintings of Luna is the La Bulaquena ( the Woman from Bulacan). Below is description of the painting from Wikipedia for your information if you are not Filipino and not familiar with Philippine culture and traditions.
La Bulaqueña, literally "the woman from Bulacan" or "the Bulacan woman", also sometimes referred to as Una Bulaqueña ("a woman from Bulacan"). This is the Spanish title of an 1895 painting by Filipino painter and hero Juan Novicio Luna. Bulacan is a province in the Philippines in Luzon island and its residents are called Bulaqueños, also spelled as Bulakenyos (Bulakenyo for men and Bulakenya for women) in the Filipino language.
This is a "serene portrait", of a Filipino woman wearing a Maria Clara gown, a traditional Filipino dress that is composed of four pieces, namely the camisa, the saya (long skirt), the panuelo (neck cover), and the tapis (knee-length overskirt). The name of the dress is an eponym to Maria Clara, the mestiza heroine of Filipino hero José Rizal's novel Noli Me Tangere. The woman's clothing in the painting is the reason why the masterpiece is alternately referred to as Maria Clara. It is one of the few canvases done by Luna illustrating Filipino culture. The painting is displayed at the National Museum of Fine Arts.
Jonathan Badon is the Philippines' prince of operatic-pop. He is an Aliw Awardee for 2004 Best Male Classical Performer (Philippine version of Tony Awards). He just had a series of performances in Texas, California, and Southeast Asia. Badon is a Bachelor of Music in Voice graduate at the University of the Philippines College of Music as a scholar of the Music Promotion Foundation - Cultural Center of the Philippines.
He has performed lead roles in various operas, oratorios, sarzuelas musicales and has done numerous solo concerts in the Philippines as well as in the United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Brunei Darrusalam. He also has represented the Philippines to different music and cultural festivals in Wales, Scotland, Indonesia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Korea, China, Japan and the United States.
A versatile performer, Jonathan is one of the most sought-after stage and music personalities in the Philippines today. Also known as the Josh Groban of the Philippines, he is the ultimate cross-over artist in his effortless transition from classical to pop singing. It is no wonder that he is the favorite featured performer in Concert at the Park, Paco Park Presents, CCP-Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts, Teatrino Concerts and Hard Rock Cafe to name just a few.
He is an award winning composer and arranger as well, winning the grand prize in the AFP National Songwriting Contest for “Dugong Pilipino.” His artistry is also revealed in the visual arts. He favors realistic sketches of architectural and historical landmarks of places he has visited. Quite aptly, his extra ordinary talents in music and art featured in a CD which was released in 2002 titled “Sketches and Melodies.” Jonathan had a very successful solo US concert tour last 2005.
Macrine and I first meet Jonathan in 2000 at our former residence in Silver Spring, MD. Since that time I have no contact or heard anything about him and his music until three years ago when we become "friends" in FaceBook(FB). Yong Nieva( Macrine's first cousin) and Alvin Fortuna are two of our mutual friends in FB, that I am aware of.
The other side( athletics and love of nature/travel)of the Prince of Pop-Opera of the Philippines
Jonathan had been to our former residence in Silver Spring, Maryland for a welcome dinner on November 16, 2000 along with several other Philippine opera singers with the Fides Santos-Cuyugan Asensio's group-"On Wing of Songs".
The other Filipino opera singers in the group are: Lorna Llames ( soprano), Bituin Domicel ( soprano), Nova Ramirez ( mezzo soprano), Marvin Gayramon ( baritone) and Reuel Tica (bass). I am wondering what had happened to the other singers besides Jonathan! I would like to hear news of the other singers besides Jonathan particularly Nova Ramirez and Lorna Llames. Nova and Lorna stayed with us during the "On Wings of Song" concert tour in Washington, DC that year( 2000).
Me and My younger brother Erico( RIP), Jaro, Iloilo, Philippines, 1937
Just recently, I started feeling a continuous tingling pain on my knee and other muscles on my left leg. The pain is tolerable most of the time that I do not have to take aspirin or another analgesic. Lately, however when the cold temperature gets below freezing or near freezing the pain has bothered me more. So is this arthritis? I do attribute this to part of the aging process, that is the stage I will call the winter of my life.
Because of this I remember my childhood years. I was told by my parents I had polio when I was two years old. I was paralyzed for a year but recovered when I was three and a half years old. The polio resulted so that my right leg is shorter than my left leg, but not short enough to show A LIMP, BUT STILL affected my physical ability to run as a child. As a child I was frail and not athletic at all. I grew up feeling physically inferior and frail that resulted to some bullying in my teenage years. I compensated my being not athletic by developing my mind by reading a lot. My parents told me I was a precocious child that I was reading at the age of three, books and magazine for adults. I did indeed excelled in math and science and graduated top of my class( Valedictorian) in high school.
Here's a paragraph from Wikipedia about polio explaining the title of my post above. Note at the bold and last sentence in the paragraph.
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. In about 0.5% of cases there is muscle weakness resulting in an inability to move. This can occur over a few hours to few days. The weakness most often involves the legs but may less commonly involve the muscles of the head, neck and diaphragm. Many but not all people fully recover. In those with muscle weakness about 2% to 5% of children and 15% to 30% of adults die. Another 25% of people have minor symptoms such as fever and a sore throat and up to 5% have headache, neck stiffness and pains in the arms and legs. These people are usually back to normal within one or two weeks. In up to 70% of infections there are no symptoms. Years after recovery post-polio syndrome may occur, with a slow development of muscle weakness similar to that which the person had during the initial infection
Here's a short video and poem about the Winter of Our Lives-Macrine and I are in the Winter of Our Lives. The sea scenes remind me of the Amoingon Coast, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines where our beach house and retirement home-Chateau Du Mer is located. Typhoon Nina hit and slammed directly Marindique on Christmas Day. Damage of the typhoon had been published in my blogs the last couple of days.
Here's also is Chapter 1 of My Autobiography in case you have not read it: http://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2011/12/chapter-1-childhood-memories-of.html
