World Youth Day 2011

An amusing episode of the Pope’s lunch with twelve young people during the World Youth Day 2011 came with the dessert. Pope Benedict XVI feigned playing the keyboard of a chocolate piano cake. More than just a frivolous display of bridging the gap with his young guests, the Pope is an accomplished pianist. He relaxes by playing the piano for a half hour each evening and listening to Mozart and Bach usually daily. 

From what the young people said, Pope Benedict XVI was attentive throughout the meal and was genuinely interested in what they had to say. He also surprised his young guests by his relaxed and playful sense of humor, as well as his ability to relate to them in a fatherly and deeply caring way.

Claire Brown, who also took part in the World Youth Day 2008 at Sidney says it was “an amazing experience” to have lunch with the Pope. The 22 year old teacher came to Madrid with 4000 Australians, so far the biggest contingent from that country in any World Youth Day. 

The Pope made them feel at ease according Olivier Richard and Michelle Hatfield,  from France and the United States respectively. Juan Carlos Piedra from Ecuador  says “The Pope laughed with all of us .  That is a side of him that I wish more people would know, because it is not well known.”

Eva Janosikova, of Slovakia and Ya-Chen Chuang of Taiwan sat on either side of the Pope. Sylvie Kambau Mujinga and Martin Thomas Leung-Wai invited the Pope to visit their respective countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo and New Zealand. Aurora Maria Almagro, of host country Spain says "We didn't eat meat today because it's Friday."

Aloys Sibomana a Rwandan deacon, 28, said he was "struck by the simplicity and the closeness of the pope. "The message he gave to us that we must deepen our faith."

Paris Hilton in Manila

Paris Hilton is in town to promote the handbags and other products that carry her name.  The Philippines has four Paris Hilton Stores located at Robinson Place Manila, Newport City Mall, Abreeza Mall in Davao City, and the newly-opened branch at SM Megamall.

Celebutante (that portmanteau word coined by Walter Winchell for young Brenda Frazier in 1939) may be too pejorative a label for someone who runs a fashion design empire with 17 product lines under her own brand.  Her itinerary is not limited to promoting Paris Hilton handbags and accessories.

She is meeting the creative and design team of Century Properties, developers of Azure Urban Resort Residences.  The central amenity of Azure is a Beach Club which Paris has been asked to design.

“We chose Paris Hilton because of her exposure to travel and her predisposition to many aspects of design—from fashion, beauty, lifestyle to world-class service,” says Robie Antonio, Managing Director of Century Prperties. “Deciding to work with her was the logical choice as we found no other personality more suited to embody the upscale fashionable beach-goer.”

On the lighter side, Paris is a friend of Manny Pacquiao who was refused membership at the Manila Polo Club, despite having acquired a well-appointed mansion worth P388 million at the Forbes Park. Paris reportedly had a 6-course dinner hosted by the Pacquioas at a Makati hotel where the couple "introduced me to all their lovely friends."  Is it true that club membership is off limits to the noveau riche?

On her blog, Paris wrote "We all had so much fun talking and laughing . The people in the Philippines are so warm, welcoming, genuine and sweet. The Pacquiao's are such a beautiful and amazing couple! Manny is such an incredible boxer and great friend."

Paris herself is a maverick who lives her own life. Prince Harry reportedly ignored Paris Hilton when the two ended up at the same London club.  Manila’s elite may likewise be snooty, but Paris is a pedigree: grand-daughter of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotels Chain.  Oh well, the rich and the famous…

PHOTO:  Paris Hilton joins Manny and Jinkee Pacquiao after the Pacquiao-Mosley fight at Las Vegas.

Garbage Bag

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,” a cliché misattributed to Voltaire, may well be the only saving grace to the brouhaha that stirred up the “Kulo” art exhibit at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. 

Mideo Cruz, one of the featured artists explains:  “I never go out of my way to offend; but I do like to provoke debates and critical thinking. Art is a way of expressing one’s views about the world, culture and history, and this is what I do in my work.” 

And provoke, Mideo Cruz did.  What, with crucifixes and rosaries muddled up with wooden phalluses, what else did he expect?

Imelda Marcos, founder of CCP says, “After seeing the exhibit I was really shocked because it was not only ugly, it was not true, it was not at all beautiful because there were statues and pictures of saints and Christ with horns and with his penis up and it was really a desecration of a spiritual symbol for Catholics.”

Minyong Ordoñez asks “Do artists ask themselves whether showing filth, porn, or sacrilege is art? Is human degradation artistic or abominable? Is communicating tabloid fodder the artist’s task? Or is it an artist’s masochist delight?”

There is a divide between the common man and the privileged art community of what constitutes art.  “Art often needs authentic art critics to guide viewers with their musings on the thematic subtleties and symbolisms in arts,” says Ordoñez.  “Poleteismo doesn’t need one. Any self-respecting Christian will see in Penis Christ and Penis Crucifix blatant sacrilege, and psychotic iconoclasm against his faith. Poleteismo is an obvious and odious attack, not only at the image but also of the reality of the gospel.”

 “Thanks again to the ‘liberals’ at the CCP,” says Cito Beltran, “Catholics, Christians and even Muslims have become more sensitive and aware of the current practice among a handful of writers, artists, and film makers who attack God, insult and assault religion to fast track their way to notoriety and profit.”

More sympathetic is Conrado de Quiros who sees in Cruz “an artist and social satirist of no mean talent. I particularly like his works that show a man dressed to the nines, surrounded by the trappings of gentility, about to feast on a table of trash.” 

He starts with the premise that “one should be respectful of other people’s religious beliefs. One should be appreciative of, or sensitive to, the passions they generate. At the very least that is so because of the catastrophic consequences of not doing so.”

“Arguably, Cruz’s works are nothing as subtle or tame,” says de Quiros. “They are in-your-face, which is by no means metaphorical, the most derided installation piece being the face of Christ with a phallus for a nose. That is guaranteed to provoke a violent reaction among believers.”

Cruz admits that “Poleteismo” is actually the product of house cleaning.  He has been collecting various scraps of paper and whatnot with the general intention of some day putting them to use.  Perhaps he would have been wiser to have kept  all that trash where it belongs: a garbage bag.

San Juanico Bridge

The longest bridge in the Philippines may be named after San Juanico Strait but pray tell, where did the strait get its name? Who is San Juanico?   A check among the roster of Catholic Saints came up with negative results.   Of course, San Juanico must be a variant of San Juan.  But which of the many San Juans? Is it John of the Cross, the national personification of Filipinos as “Juan de la Cruz”? Or Saint John Lateran after the little ship “San Juan de Letran” of the Villalobos expedition of 1543-1545?  My guess is St. John the Baptist as a little boy; Juanico as well as the more popular Juanito are Spanish derivatives of Juan, just as the English Johnnie is really Little John.  

San Juanico Strait is a narrow channel separating Samar from Leyte, reputed to be the narrowest in the world.   The San Juanico Bridge has a total length of 2.16 kilometers and has 43 spans and allowing medium size boats to pass.  One foot of the bridge is at Santa Rita and the other at Tacloban, Samar.  San Juanico Bridge was built in 1969 and completed in 1973.  Folks from both sides of the strait, claim of a legendary mermaid that rules the strait and has threatened to use her powers to protest construction of the bridge.    As construction progressed, it was rumored that the mermaid allowed the activity to go on after receiving blood sacrifices.  Padugo is a traditional spilling of some animal blood by construction workers.  During mobilization of a project, some animal is slaughtered and the blood is sprinkled on the equipment on the belief that that would prevent any ghost.  

Still, rumors persist that some children that mysteriously disappeared have been offered to the mermaid as a ransom for the construction to be finished.  This legend has raised some hesitation for people to cross the bridge on foot, but it has not deterred many a visitor to experience crossing the bridge on foot. My friend Susan Jacobs walked that bridge when she last visited the Philippines and many like Susan profess the joy and satisfaction of crossing the bridge.  I say, let’s cross the bridge when we reach it.