An Art Exhibit and a Long Overdue Reunion


This blog post was supposed to be filed under What Made My November but the endeavor of returning back to the workforce after almost three years occupied  a lot of my time and kept me busy the past month so I only had the chance to create this post just now – when we only have a few more weeks left before December ends. While it’s enticing to report about how my life is doing lately career-wise, that one deserves a separate post and I am saving it for a more suitable day. For now, this post will have to be all about art and an exciting reunion.

Despite being from the Art Capital of the Philippines, I confess I am not really an art enthusiast. But lately, going to a few art exhibits to check out art works has been a routine that I’ve been doing. If you are a reader who also follows me on Instagram, you will see a few art-related posts there of various exhibits. When one of my longtime friends, Elizabeth Castillo sent me a heads up and invited me to an exhibit in the nearby town of Cainta, I didn’t hesitate and immediately said yes.

Now, I know that's an awkward pose! But next to seeing her work in the said exhibit, I also took that as a chance to be reunited with Beth. We were colleagues in two of our previous jobs as freelance writers and ESL teachers, and the last time we saw each other was around 11 years ago. Of course, attending the exhibit is also my way of supporting her with her newfound love of the visual arts.

The exhibit was participated by the artists of ARTipolo and was held at Daburu Ramen which is located inside Village East Executive Homes in Cainta. Last month's trip to Cainta was my first time to visit Village East again after my ESL teaching stint for an English academy ended sometime in 2009. Next to the ramen that Daburu is known for, what I loved about the place is the interior design with all the artworks that adorned the venue. Literally a feast for your senses!





Next to seeing various artworks, it was nice to have left my neck of woods for a few hours for this weekend adventure. The occasion paved the way for me to meet new people (such as those folks who I only see on tarpaulins during election season) and listen to their two cents worth of advice and wisdom. In this case, it was the words of one of the guests, Professor Bienvenido Araw which I found to be resounding, I had it saved on the notes section of my phone.

Art is a snapshot of your experience.

I can’t help but agree. Such apply not only to those engaged in visual arts but for those in other art forms – and especially true to those who dabbled in literature as some writers use their own experience as part of their works.

But the highlight of this meetup was to be reunited with Beth who I haven’t seen in ages! What was originally a reunion scheduled for September during the opening of  Pakig-Angay 2.0 at Blanco Art Gallery materialized two months later. And it was a reunion that was worth the wait because aside from discussing Beth’s art-related engagements, we had the chance to catch up with our personal whatabouts as well!  

Next to an art-filled adventure, Beth surprised me with a belated birthday present which is now a prized gem that sits in a spot within my bedroom and mini-office library: a painting called Moonlight Sonata which she painted herself!


Funny but after catching up with Beth, I was left with the thought that 2022 seemed to be my "reunion year" because I've observed that every month, I've been having catch up sessions with people and friends that I haven't seen for years! Well, there's still days left before December and the year 2022 ends, and I just hope that the Universe will save the best for last. If you're looking for a place worth visiting during the holiday break, Artipolo's exhibit will run until Jan. 14, 2023 at Daburu Ramen located at #4 Champ Street Village Easty Cainta, Rizal.

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