Whang Od's trademark

My portrait

In Buscalan, Kalinga province, 98 year old Whang-od Oggay or simply "Whang Od" lives and thrives with her art called "pambabatok" or traditional tattooing. She is the oldest and the last of her generation of Kalinga mambabatoks. 

Whang Od is highly regarded for her work in the preservation of their tribal identity since World War II. It is no secret, however, that due to old age, cultural advocates are anxious about the influx of tourists in Kalinga who want to see 'the,' and be tattooed by, Whang Od, herself.

Critics dismiss this trend as anything from exploiting the rich Kalinga art form, to immersing in pop culture (where people are more into the 'pop' aspect of the visit than in knowing their 'culture'), to subjecting the almost centenarian to intensive labor than her frail body and eyesight can manage.

I won't deny my aspiration of meeting Whang Od in person because to me, she's a living museum. I think it would be a memorable opportunity to sit with her and ask her about the art form, her reasons for keeping it alive, and the inevitable day when she has to wash down the ink and clean her container for good.

Plenty of videos have previously surfaced on the net about these topics but until I hear from her, then I can gauge whether I will get a tattoo or just witness her leave her mark on someone else's body—turning it into enviable historical artifact while I settle on being a reliable witness.

For me, there are three obvious courses of action when one meets Whang Od:

1) The Fan. Greet, smile, and ask for a picture with the 'living legend.' Tell her where you're from and what brings you to their remote village. Post on Instagram with #blessed. If you can afford to bring a Polaroid camera, ask her for a signature and perhaps request for the same ink that she uses when tattooing. When Whang Od's relatives ask if you will get a tattoo, say you'll think about it or you'll get permission from your parents, first. 

2) The Culture Vulture. Come early morning in the village and approach her assistant so you can get in line first. Bring a draft of your preferred tattoo design and ask help from translators so Whang Od can get your rationale. If applicable, show her your other tattoos to prove that you're legit and you're not just there for the 'likes.' Make sure you can get through the pain of the 'pambabatok' process because as you know, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As a true cultural advocate and a tattoo aficionado, you know that having a Whang Od tattoo over your dead body equates to bringing another portrait to decorate heaven with.

3) Journalist/Blogger. Yes, you go through days of travelling the Cordillera highlands to finally see Whang Od in action. You document her every move and imply deeper meaning to her simplest nuance like, maybe moving her eyes, taking deep sighs, stretching her worn out arms, and washing her tattoo equipment. You narrate how she reacts alone and within the community, and how her tribesmen and neighbors respond to her celebrity. You end your journey with a question if Whang Od is indeed a national living cultural treasure or if the government and our people take her for granted just like other tourist attractions.

To fit in any of these categories is not at all unfortunate. Whang Od's legacy has been primed once locals and foreign nationals realize that she could be gone soon. She has been doing this since the post-World War but we only see her now. Whang Od's body and eye sight may be frail but we are the ones trying to catch up with her and her trademark.

Think about it, we have invented the emojis, hashtags, memes, and chat acronyms to decorate our communication and self expression but we are also the ones willing to travel for days and line up for hours to get that painful, long-lasting ink in our bodies. We are so busy making a mark as a generation and in order to do that, we seek the help from older ones like Whang Od. We cannot erase that fact; it's like our collective tattoo.

Watercolor Workshop for Kids

Last Sunday I volunteered for the Watercolor Workshop for Kids at Ayala Museum by GooglyGooeys artist and founder Ms. Tippy. She was joined by her supportive husband, Pong.

GooglyGooeys is a watercolor art folio that features gooey designs appealing mostly to kids. 

I learned a lot from my experience that day. Best of all, I appreciated how watercolor is such a flexible art medium. But let's not go into that, instead, I want to share some photo highlights from the 4-12 year old participants.

Kids played with watercolor techniques like flat wash, gradient, wet in wet, dry brush, splatter (my favorite), lifting, and glazing.

The second session taught kids how to doodle (sketch) based on facial outlines. 

I am the lone volunteer that day so Ms. Tippy drew me when she needed a male model. Yes, I can say that GooglyGooeys drew me. Yey! Note: I volunteered to see an artist in action and learn from her; to be drawn by her is just a great bonus! 

The kids also directed Ms. Tippy as they invented FlappyButt, a boy-rocker-vampire who dons a spiky hair and loves bears and cats.

With my five hour volunteer experience, I observed that kids have varying visions of art (obviously!) as some of them see it as a dark experience. One kid captioned her character, (not in exact words) "Sometimes I just sit and stare and wonder what am I doing here?" Pretty dark, eh?

When Ms. Tippy asked kids to observe their hands and count their fingers, the same kid answered, "I'm pretty sure we all know that." This kid clearly has issues, though I have to say that she is one of the advanced students.

Participants pose with their certificates

Wish parents could see their kids' folios so they can gauge how they feel or think as of the moment.

"Borrowed Time"

Pixar brought us some of the most remarkable animated films like Inside Out, Wall-E, Finding Nemo (then Dory), Brave, and The Toy Story and Cars franchises, which made us yearning to be kids again! 

Unbeknown to many, behind the entertaining characters, fanciful production value, and mostly lighthearted storylines, are cartoonists who believe that animation is a genre not exclusive for, and defined, by kids.

Take the case of Lou Hamou-Lhadj and Andrew Coats, co-writers and co-directors of the award winning animated short film, "Borrowed Time." They have been generating a lot of attention recently for their story about "a weathered Sheriff who returns to the remains of an accident he has spent a lifetime trying to forget. With each step forward, the memories come flooding back. Faced with his mistake once again, he must find the strength to carry on."

This aptly titled six-minute film (which you can watch HERE) echoes the time tested principle that our time on earth is limited. So short that we need not spend it sulking over the past (i.e. things we could have done the other way; mistakes we could have avoided; and choices we wish we made).

To live with grief, remorse, and sorrow, is part of the 'moving on' process but if they consume you for the rest of your finite life, expect to become worse than your former self. 

Let us learn from the Sheriff who unintentionally faced his demon--his uninvited ghost--after all these years. He proved to us that no matter how hard the challenge was, how long it has been, and how old you've become, "you can turn things around.*" He also showed us that forgiveness is a generous gift that we can offer ourselves.

The best part about the short film is knowing that Lou and Andrew developed the story in a span of five years, collaborating between their breaks at Pixar to do something compelling and meaningful out of their 'borrowed time.' :)

If you want to learn more about the creators' motivation behind making the story, watch their interview on Vimeo, here.

*Part of the emotional speech of Joan Rivers when she won a Daytime Emmy for her morning show in 1990, few years after her lowest point inHollywood--following the cancellation of her Late Night show and the suicide of her husband. You can watch it HERE.

Pens and Faces

Late last year I discovered a new hobby: drawing. It turned out that my father's artistic influence is still alive despite my denial that I can draw (and that I have the patience to turn sketches into someone recognizable). 

I chose to draw portraits as a way of paying tribute to the people who have inspired me in one way or another. In few cases though, I drew people for mockery (as in the case of Manny Pacquiao and Taylor Swift). 

Here are some of my portraits using colored pens (Note: I am an amateur. I don't have any professional training).

From Hollywood:

From first row, L-R: Versatile actor Johnny Depp, Award-winning daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, Talented actress and TV star Viola Davis, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter John Mayer, Bankable British actor Jude Law, Bankable German-Irish actor Michael Fassbender, Two-time Academy Award-winning Australian actress Cate Blanchett, Academy Award-winning actor and legendary comic Robin Williams, and another Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse

I also have some local personalities:

(From left, counterclockwise) Model and versatile actress Angel Aquino, International boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach

Recently, I dabbled into a new technique: the classic black and white.

(From left, counterclockwise) Legendary British stage and screen actor Patrick Stewart (some say Steve Jobs), Pop royalty Taylor Swift, 'Hamilton' creator and Broadway star Lin Manuel-Miranda, and 'Cookie' of hit TV series 'Empire,' Taraji P. Henson

I still have a lot of room to grow but so far, I think I'm on the right path because drawing makes me cope up with boredom, enhances my creativity, and espouses focus and discipline.

You can see more of my attempts at @rossmanicad in Instagram.

Ali

Last Wednesay, my churchmates and I went to Tahanan ng Pagmamahal (Home of Love) to serve as art instructors to almost 30 kids.

I observed and helped some kids while they were drawing 'the thing that makes them happy' but one kid stood out for me. His name is John Ali. 

Ali had a rough time starting his drawing. He couldn't identify a tangible thing that makes him happy so he just made a lettering of his name. This was his first work:

I told him to use the oslo paper and crayons we provided to enhance the quality of his work but he didn't follow. Later, I made a Sans Serif lettering of his name so he could somehow copy the pattern but he wasn't eager either. 

Ali was having a hard time between doing the task and wanting to do it beautifully at first try.

He stopped. I pushed him to try again.

Then he grabbed an oslo paper and made another lettering, this time with just his second name.

This was his second attempt:

He wrote A-L-I and made a free style border intuitively. I was impressed so I asked him to darken the outlines of A-L-I and the border for bolder impact, and he did.

Next thing I knew he was coloring the letters with red, orange, and yellow for a fiery look. He didn't want to finish the letter "I" but I insisted and this was the result:

It was way better than his first attempt. I was so glad for his humble accomplishment!

Ali helped me affirm what "try again" really means. Seeing his progress within only two hours was really worth that volunteer time we rendered.