Monthly Archives: April 2014

Revisiting Tagaytay: Sky Ranch

Tagaytay, local summer destination, travel, destination

Isn’t it just crazy hot these days? The sweltering summer heat just made me wish we were back in Tagaytay and reveling in the cold, Christmas-y weather. By the way, I didn’t think I was able to write about our experience at Tagaytay’s Sky Ranch late last year so allow me to relive the fun and enjoyable moments I had with my loves when we went to Tagaytay for a well-deserved break.

Sky Ranch is one of the newest attractions this side of town and a lot of tourists and travelers would make it a point to stop by this lovely place whenever they find themselves in Tagaytay for a quick weekend getaway or for a 3-day holiday with the family. The park is open daily between 8am to 10 pm, and between 10am-10pm during weekends and holidays.

Tagaytay, local summer destination, travel, destination

Admission to Sky Ranch is at Php50 {Php80 during weekends and holidays} per head and you can pay for the different rides separately once you are in. Most rides look familiar and you might have encountered them when you visited other theme parks in the country, including the very cool Super Viking {which my little man insist on riding, by the way} and a host of other kid-friendly rides, like the Nessi Copter, the Carousel and the Express Train. We only decided to try one ride, the Sky Eye {Ferris Wheel} since it is the best one that caught our fancy, plus it will be quite an experience to see the rest of Tagaytay from above. The Sky Eye ride costs Php150 per head, by the way. We absolutely enjoyed the ride and took photos while we are up in the sky. It was rather cloudy, and was even drizzling at the time, but we did manage to have a perfect view of the lake and the volcano, as well as of the many people milling about below.

Tagaytay, local summer destination, travel, destination

We noticed that there are parts of the park which are still under construction at the time, including a couple of rides and a number of shops. Otherwise, there are just about enough shops where you can buy something to munch on, in case you or your brood gets hungry from too much riding and roaming around.

Tagaytay, local summer destination, travel, destination

I guess what sets this theme park apart from other local theme parks I’ve been, apart from the lovely weather, of course, and a generous supply of fresh air and the perfect view of the Tagaytay attraction, is the presence of horses that people can also ride around for a wonderful horseback riding experience. I was planning to let the little man ride, but he was already a bit cranky and sleepy, so I decided against it.

Apart from the enjoyable rides, there are also booths where you can take photos and purchase souvenirs. All in all, I do enjoy our Sky Ranch experience. I just wish there are more new rides for kids and kids-at-heart to enjoy. Will I visit the place again? I most definitely would and would really love to give the Sky Eye another go! 🙂

In case you are planning to visit Sky Ranch to escape this cruel summer heat, check out their rates in this photo I got from their Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/SkyRanchTagaytay. And while you are at it, do not forget to check out buypromosonline.com for promo hand sanitizer, something you should always stash in your duffels and backpacks, especially when traveling. 😉

Sky Ranch Tagaytay
Admin Office ~ {02} 857-0100 loc 1450

The Apocalypse Project Opens This April At The Mind Museum

travel, event, educational places for children to visit, museums, exhibits

The Mind Museum opens a special exhibition that will make you ponder about your relationship with the planet on April 25, Friday.

The Apocalypse Project: Imagined Futures is a speculative design exhibition that explores possible lifestyles as climate change continues to affect the planet. Contrary to the common end-of-the-world connotation, an apocalypse, originally translates from the Greek word meaning “a disclosure of knowledge.” This exhibit aims to not only inspire the public’s imagination on what can be creatively done to adequately prepare for the future, but also to empower the public to embrace climate change as a personal challenge through the following exhibit areas:

  • T.E.M.P.S (The Ephemeral Marvels Perfume Store) presents: The Smell Bar of Vanishing Scents
  • Climate Change Couture: Volume 2, Manila
  • The Fadelist: Tracks of Endangered Sounds
  • The Climatoscope: Futurescapes of Planet Earth
  • The Planetary Poetry Board
travel, event, educational places for children to visit, museums, exhibits

Catherine Sarah Young, the brilliant mind behind The Apocalypse Project

First launched in 2013 at ArtScience Museum in Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, The Apocalypse Project is a the brainchild of Catherine Sarah Young, an artist, scientist, designer, writer and explorer whose work combines the arts and the sciences to create stories, objects and experiences that facilitate wonder and human connection, thus allowing these 5 exhibit stations to bring out emotional connections with what we are losing and gaining in the context of climate change. Catherine has a degree in molecular biology and biotechnology from Mania, as well as a fine art education from Barcelona and was a Fulbright scholar from the School of Visual Arts in New York. She was a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer for six years, and is currently participating in an Art Science Residency Programme in partnership with ArtScience Museum, Tembusu College National University of Singapore and the Singapore-ETH Centre’s Future Cities Laboratory, working on the theme Climate Change and Environment Futures.

travel, event, educational places for children to visit, museums, exhibits

The exhibition, which allows exploration through the senses such as smell and sound, clothing, and habitat that can be investigate through objects, interactive exhibits and participatory art, will be located in the Technology Gallery of The Mind Museum beginning 25 April, 2014.

The Apocalypse Project, along with a bevy of other equally interesting exhibits, is one perfect way to bond with your children this summer. Not only will you be allowing them to learn, but the experience will also teach them about loving Mother Nature more as we face and help combat climate change.

To know more about The Apocalypse Exhibit and the other exhibits and summer activities at The Mind Museum, you may refer to my post here or you can always visit The Mind Museum website, www.themindmuseum.org. You may also visit The Apocalypse website, www.apocalypse.cc.

The Totus Tuus Tour

I chanced upon the Totus Tuus Tour while doing some online works the other night. I have a soft spot in my heart for Pope John Paul II, as am sure most Filipinos have. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to see him during his previous Philippine visits when he was still alive, the last of which was the World Youth Day in 1995, where I volunteered as an usherette in my school where local and foreign delegates in Bulacan were to stay during the duration of the event. So I thought I wouldn’t miss the exposition and veneration of his relics. This is rather timely for the Lenten Season, too.
This tour is in celebration of our beloved Pope’s canonization slated on 27 April of this year. This is organized by the Office of the Vice Postulator for the Cause for Canonization of Bl. Ivan Merz.

I had the chance to see the exhibit over the weekend while I was in Manila to attend an event. The Totus Tuus Tour has a number of exhibitions around the city and in nearby provinces, with the most accessible one found at the Activity Area of Gateway Mall in Cubao.

On display are first class relics, including hair strands and cloth imbued with blood,  and important memorabilia of Pope John Paul II, including a piece of his bed sheet  he used at the time of his death in April 2005, a missal he used during the beatification of San Lorenzo Ruiz in 1981, a purificator he once used, and a piece of a chasuble he used during his 1971 visit. 

Apart from the exhibition, faithfuls and other visitors can also recite prayers at the mini altar, as well as write their prayers and intentions and donate, too.

The exhibit at the Gateway Mall will be up until 24 April. Meanwhile, you may also check out the other venues and dates for the Totus Tuus Tour here: http://jp2relics.blogspot.com/

Check here for more photos I took of the exhibit.

Deprivation and Meditation: Sudden Flight Series at the Picasso Abstract Painter Chiqui Rodriguez

event, art exhibits, announcement, press release, exhibits

Filipino abstract painter, Chiqui Rodriguez announces her major new series entitled SUDDEN FLIGHT, her solo show to be held in Zurich by late summer will have its preview opening in a two-man show at the Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences, hosted by Altromondo Gallery on 29 May 2014 and continuing through 18 July 2014.

The 15 selected paintings from a total of over 100 works that comprise the SUDDEN FLIGHT series, awash in vibrant color, are sure to dazzle visitors to the Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences. Chiqui’s unique approach to blending acrylic pigments on canvas creates gem-like surfaces. Peering through the surface to what is depicted below, the viewer realizes that all is not as glowing as it first appears. Chiqui is noted for her deep abstraction of complex realism.

Chiqui also explores a complex subject; her work calls attention to our culture’s thought of hardwork. Much of Chiqui’s artwork is influenced by her experience in the corporate world. Through this new body of work, she connects hardwork to social class as a form of meditation.

Says Chiqui of her SUDDEN FLIGHT series, “I was inspired by my short trip to Brussels after a show held in Berlin in 2013. I arrived with the intent of finding an artist who would be willing to collaborate with me in my upcoming projects, so I started to look around. Instead of finding an artist, I found some Filipinos who work around the city. My interaction with them in a different environment led to varied conversations about how challenging life is to be away from their love ones but nevertheless find solace knowing that their families benefit from their sacrifice. I started on my e-sketchpad and started to express my thoughts after this encounter. The title ‘Sudden Flight’ refers to several layers of meaning: sudden burst of happiness, excitement as reaching out lives of far-flung Filipinos extending compassion, a moment of bliss.”

The show plans to bring forward awareness on the inner thoughts of Overseas Filipino Workers.

About the Artist:

event, art exhibits, announcement, press release, exhibits

Chiqui Rodriguez enjoys telling people how she started as an artist. It kicked-off one morning discussing the paintings she had been working on back in 2003 while having coffee with her long-time confidante.

Fearful that she did not finish a BFA degree, she was nevertheless encouraged to share her work publicly because painting has been her hobby since she was six. Through her renewed confidence and the opportunity entrusted in her, she learned that she can do anything to cultivate her art. With this experience, she believed that she can also inspire others that everything is possible if you put your heart into it. Chiqui went on to develop her signature painting style since then. The politically motivated environment of the Philippines and her adventures while traveling between Asia Pacific and Europe molded her ideals of optimism, hope and internal happiness. The first of five series from her upcoming exhibition “Sudden Flight” is now viewable through chiquirodriguez.com and Saatchi Art. While the Manila preview of the fourth series is on 22 May 2014 at the Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences hosted by Altromondo Gallery (www.altromondo.ph/artist-profiles/chiqui-rodriguez/).

Chiqui continues to research on cultural entrepreneurship in developing countries like the Philippines and remains active in various social causes.

For more information and high-resolution images contact:

Chiqui Rodriguez
chiqui@chiquirodriguez.com
http://chiquirodriguez.com

Press Release