amiel roldan blog

12 18 2009 Am in big for 2010. A lot of my plans are realizing and have been swamped with details. I have plans to travel abroad to Belgium and France (hmmm do I need a visa?), have been swamped with pre-employment details with JPMC-- it's a bank -- 2x hmmm?..., have been encouraged to work with several galleries with their exhibitions -- working to get there, been invited to a few for my solo exhibitions --just verbal invites. My own works and studies are great for 2010 -- in my head. LOL! My plans for solo exhibitions are moving forward. Gaining dust fast! Lastly, my studio plans in my residence is still up! Literally in the air! He he he he! I can’t ask for more. I am happy that these opportunities are happening lately and quite pleased with my hiatus. I am in Manila now for good. I wished though that more of my friends were here with me. A toast to Bobi Valenzuela and Sid Hildawa! I will always remember you guys! A merry year for us all and a second or two to think of friends

11252009 The Philippines is Stronger Today! Presidential aspirant Gibo to Pres. Arroyo: Look beyond political alliances in solving Ampatuan massacre in Maguindanao. I would have liked to stay away from politics in my blogs but the message is important for Filipinos and the actions much more. When faced with tragedy and emergency simple people makes heroic decisions. I believe that each of us have those qualities and could act accordingly. It is these individuals that shine forth amidst trials, conformists and pressures. When we act on our ideas we might cause greatness and we also might cause autocracies. We must choose what is right for the Philippines and for our fellows. In these tragic times we seek the best in ourselves, the best in others, a faith in justice, support for the government, respect for law and order, respect for our president and the greatness of our nationhood. We call for a decisive action for the Ampatuan massacre in Maguindanao. Strike swift and hold accountable

11 15 2009 Today is the big fight of Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. The streets again would be empty and the lowest crime rate day would again be here. I hope it goes true for Puerto Rico too. We Filipinos would again be joined as brothers and sisters in celebrating greatness and courage. Many people would join us in our celebration of indomitable spirit of these fighters. Regardless of the outcome we will be happy for Manny Pacquiao and happy to be Filipinos. Patriotism is in the air mostly this days. How I wish that everyday we are proud in being a Filipino. The past few days I have been again going around the galleries for exhibitions and quite satisfied that there are enough activities to merit setting up some documentations and some articles. I am able to work in some new painting to par. I am also getting my mojos back. Ha ha ha ha. I am just happy that I found the upcoming competition for art foremost to mind – quite predictable really. Every artist would want to win the lotto

11 05 2009 I am in for a shock really. What is happening to this world? I have been chatting on ym and described myself as 140 lbs to a chat mate and am accused of being chubby... Sigh. I even slashed a few pounds off the total. Still... Am not really vain but I have to eat humble pie with this revelation. I never felt this discomfited before but am not really angry. I am just amused. Lost for words. I do have to groom myself, be more happy and take care of my health better. My room stinks and I have not really been eating healthy. That goes with being single all these thirty something years. I better get a wife quick or not. I really have nothing to do at home aside from my " plans to do". I should take up sports again in a moderate way. Maybe I could be preoccupied then. Maybe some jogging or basketball. I used to take taekwondo and muay thai but I don't know if I still have the disposition to continue them. I might not have the right incentives to follow through. Bori

10 15 2009 I was watching a witch hunt today on a local channel in the Philippines. Quite funny to watch this old newscaster turn red and blue with indignation. She was fumbling with papers and grand gesturing as if it would be a finality. She even doodled with a non working pen as if it meant a thousand words. Let the people in charge do their work. She was trying to pin the blame and I sure no one would accept the blame for these calamities. No one would dare be out of job and responsible for the flooding in all of Luzon. If we could link any government name to the Luzon catastrophe, I am sure we would have done so. It just adds ratings for rambling about theoretically right? As we all know and have experienced in these trying weeks the onslaught of two typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, landslides, flooding, and deaths to hundreds of Filipinos trapped around Luzon and the Capital region. The calamity doesn't stop there as we come to realize that these conditions will be happening again

10 12 2009 I am one of those people who can never accept a complement without squirming uncomfortably in fright. Of course for self preservation one could hardly tell. Antagonize me and it just might give me a harder backbone. Maybe through the years I may have controlled my reflexes to a point that I might display an almost poker face and air some disdain. But those where times that I might be steering the topic away from me in the next breath by pointing to anyone else. Maybe giving me a complement would really shut me up if one gets fed up with me talking. Ha ha ha ha. Complements reminds me I am more human and really contrary to it. It is not that I am ashamed about the situation -- far from it though. I thrive on it. Humility is a lifelong learning lesson that I promise that I would learn. Anyone would be preening inside if the complement was true and I guess I am just ordinary and an 'anyone' to believe it. It is just that I knew myself through the years and never wanted

10 02 2009 Filipinos love misery. Perhaps because of the teachings of the Church on suffering in this life to achieve a better afterlife that we wallow in depressive atmosphere. Perhaps we yearn for more drama in life. Perhaps that is why we are passionate about Massacre films, Mexican and Korean telenovelas, Reality shows and lately Korean telenovelas spoofs. We hold our protagonists so elevated that we revere in them godliness. We want the protagonist to win and all the other characters to suffer in their greed. We have the fixation that only the actor or actress should succeed and become unreachable and the other cast members to be dumbfounded in the end and suffer hell. We rarely have a happy ending for all. We make the grandest gestures to ensure futility and depression in most. We only give it to the very few and condemn the lot. Prolonging tragic emotions to ensure the highest ratings has always served its purpose that heaven is always like a camel passing through a needle's

09272009 Filipinos are willing to help but we also like to point fingers so there is never anything done but always someone to blame. We are always suspicious of the person beside us or the one in the position we helped out. They call us the smiling people but in our hearts we never always meant it. The nearest scapegoat for every ail is the next person beside us. Now we are faced with the onslaught of typhoon Ondoy. What we normally see every few years happening in and around the country might be occurring every rainy season because of our neglect as individuals. For a change we can't point all fingers at the government for this calamity. Ever heard of catch basins? Same thing happens to Boracay now every rainy season-- natural formation of water traps (small dams) on irregular terrains equals gradual floods or in this case flashfloods once they are removed... When we develop too much for subdivisions these are leveled or filled up. Add to it deforestations of mountains and hills,

09252009 Alvin Villaruel opens a momentous solo exhibit of paintings with “Field Activities” today, September 25, 2009 at 6:30 pm at the SM Megamall Art Center sponsored by the West Gallery. Alvin Villaruel is perhaps one of the most understated contemporary artists in the Philippines today. He has for more than a decade now been exhibiting consistently photorealistic images on canvasses. His images were gathered unconsciously and rendered painterly on large formatted canvasses. His bodies of works are outstanding for a younger artist in his thirties. An ingenious play of light and perspective are always standard in his works. Even amongst the progression of photorealism in the Philippines with the likes of Nona Garcia, Geraldine Javier, Yasmin Sison, Keiye Miranda, Wire Tuazon and lately painter Eric Sausa, artist Alvin Villaruel has stood strong in works and concepts and have complemented the rich diasporas of Philippine arts in realism. He has enjoyed painting and reveling in the di

09 24 2009 Perhaps the week could still end the tops for me. I really enjoyed a family gathering last week and all its preparations. I do not know that it could ever be surpassed. My youngest sister just got married in an almost intimate church wedding with a party reception afterward. It allowed for all close family members to witness this newest nuptial celebration. My other sister just tied the knot last February and it was quite unexpected in a pleasant way to have another too soon. Since this is the last of the four weddings I would attend for my sisters it was officially a momentous one for all of us. Until of course my own one. Looking for the right partner could be quite easy but building a lifetime of friendship is quite hard. I guess that I wanted still a person I could talk and be with for the rest of my life without being bored to death. Going back to the event. It was a culmination of six years of friendship turned mush... Ha ha ha ha... I am a bit sentimental and allowed

08 16 2009 It was drizzling this Sunday afternoon and I was again an hour late. I thought that they could have also started late. Ha ha ha ha. When I arrived, there were a lot of interesting people. This is a great time. Pity Eileen wasn't in attendance. On second thoughts. I wondered why? I caught a glimpse of other artists and some people at the end that I didn't know and sat put on the nearest vacant chair. I missed the opening last night again for the many times now. It still was a good idea to come today though. There was an informal talk happening and wanted to catch some ideas and maybe get a broader sense of the atmosphere right now in the Philippine Art Scene. I am sure there were a lot of going ons and plans that I am quite curious about. Hmmmm. Earlier, I heard that the space beside Finale Gallery would soon be a collection museum cum gallery for Charlie C. This is exciting. This person has been collecting the pieces I had seen at most of the better exhibits for almo

08 10 2009 The day started clear as the blue sky. It was time go on the routine rounds and start writing again. Everything seems to come out with a new lease in life. I appreciated that I am alive, healthy and physically able. It was something basic that I could share hopefully with others. I just came from Erik Sausa's 2nd solo exhibit at Blanc Gallery Makati titled "Pretty Vacant." This was the first art exhibit I have been to after almost three weeks of resting – idleness is a state of mind and body that I am being adept at nowadays. I enjoyed the respite and the new perspective from the eventful months of July and early August 2009. The last SONA of the President, the stable state of the Philippines despite the continuing recession in America, flooding and typhoon “Kiko affecting thousands,” the death of President Corazon Aquino and another hint of conspiracy theory of “hidden wealth” were all in the headlines. Sigh… Some are really predictable especially nearing the