Life
bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife
culture and media
@mStandardLife friday, december 7, 2018
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Baguio City: Cool and creative cREATIVE cITY. Baguio City recently staged its first Creative Festival which highlighted its unique crafts and folk arts through various presentations and activities, such as this art installation by Kidlat Tahimik, a Baguio native, at the Dominican Hill Heritage Site.
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HERE are plenty of reasons to visit Baguio. The Summer Capital of the Philippines is a premier destination to heal and reconnect with culture and nature. It offers a place where weary travelers can relax and artists and art enthusiasts can showcase and discover Filipinos' creativity.
The recently concluded Creative Festival, organized by the Tourism Promotions Board and Department of TourismCordillera administrative Region, highlighted Baguio's unique crafts and folk arts. The week-long event on Nov. 10-18, held for the first time in the first-ever UNESCO Creative City in the Philippines, was mounted to support and promote Baguio City not only as a destination for leisure but also a city rich in artistry and creativity. Hailed one of the 64 cities from 44 countries worldwide to join the reputable UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2017, Baguio City holds the responsibility of promoting creative industries and integrating culture into sustainable urban development policies, hence, the Creative Festival. The festival, dubbed as “ENTacool,” was packed with activities including creative tour, cultural presentations, gallery exhibits, art discussions, and demos and workshops by master artists and artisans. “ENTacool” is coined from the words “entaku” which is a Cordillera indigenous term for “let’s go,” and “cool” which is commonly used to describe Baguio. ENTacool kicked off with a grand opening ceremony at the renowned Dominican Heritage Hill Site followed by a series of creative activities. also highlighting the festival was the opening of the firstever Forest Bathing Trail in Camp John Hay and the launch of a photo exhibit at the Bell House featuring Baguio’s history, heritage, and rich culture through the years. Through this event, TPB repositions Baguio City as a premier destination to improve one’s health and wellness and to find inspiration for creative ideas. It also promotes local communities and emphasizes Filipinos’ innate skills and talents for the arts.
Clockwise: Kulay ng Siglo visual arts workshop, Tourism Promotions Board chief operating officer Marie Venus Tan, Narda's Handwoven Arts & Crafts keeps traditional weaving alive, Maela Jose with her tinatik artwork.
A glimpse of Turkish culture at the mall
The first Forest Bathing Trail in the Camp John Hay is now open for those who want to try this nature therapy.
book club
Mall-goers at SM Mall of asia recently had the rare opportunity to get a glimpse of Turkish culture with traditional music and dance performances by the State Folk Dance Ensemble at the MOa Central atrium. a partnership between the Turkish Embassy in Manila and SM Mall of asia, the event showcased Turkey’s rich culture just in time for its National Day. Turkish National Day, or Cumhuriyet Bayramı, is an annual celebration of the anniversary of the proclamation of the Turkish Republic by Mustafa Kemal atatürk in 1923. It was also on this day that ankara was declared as the nation’s capital. During the event, musicians played Dancers Ismail Eraslan and Didem Roduplu songs on the clarinet and traditional perform traditional Turkish dance. Twisted Travels by Jessica Zafra Second secretary Ali Erbas and counsellor Melek Dilşen Seymenoğlu of the Turkish Embassy in Manila.
Turkish musicians perform at the SM Mall of Asia. Murat Omurtağ, Kanun player; Ali Başbuğ, Kemençe player; Salim Kabaci, clarinet player; Ramazan Konak, Ritim player.
Turkish instruments such as the Kanun, Kemençe, and Ritim. Dancers clad in colorful outfits performed the aegean Zeybek (which shows bravery, heroism, and self-confidence), the Trabzon (which resembles the flopping of a fish out of water), and Silif ke (which is danced to the rhythm of wooden spoons in the performers’ hands). Counsellor Melek Dilşen Seymenoğlu and second secretary Ali Erbas graced the event.
lost in central Europe with Zafra In this age of Waze and Google Maps, writer Jessica Zafra recommends getting lost as the best way to explore a foreign city. In her new book, Twisted Travels: Rambles in Central Europe, she gets drunk in Prague, wanders through haunted castles in Cesky Krumlov, browses through books in Budapest, and relives the complicated histories of Warsaw and Krakow. along the way she visits the Vienna Opera, loses her luggage in
Rome, imagines an alternate life in Venice, and becomes embroiled in a Parisian petty crime drama. Twisted Travels: Rambles in Central Europe is published by Visprint in cooperation with Discover Central Europe and the embassies of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland in Manila. It is now available at Fully Booked branches, shopee.ph, lazada.com.ph, and National Bookstores.