The Little Prince Movie Trailer

Here is the much awaited trailer for The Little Prince movie. It's in French but will be waiting for the English trailer soon.

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Hin Bus Depot, Penang, Malaysia

There are certain places that I have been before which makes me always say that I will have to come back. Usually when I say that, it's either an expression of your love for the place or I would possibly come back maybe in 3 or 5 years time as there are many other wonderful places to visit in the world. I don't call myself a "serial traveler" but if I have the chance, I would always try to visit a new place.

In October of 2013, I had the chance to visit Penang (see previous posts here) and I was mesmerized with the history, culture and its sumptuous food. I was really surprised about the place and I enjoyed it because there were not many tourists and you get to meet fellow travelers and talk to them, give each other some tips and a place to find good food.

One year later, I decided to come back to this place and this time not as a solo traveler but with two other friends. I showed them the place, the street arts, the food and the simplicity of the town despite its recent accolade of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But comparing it one year later gave me a bit of disappointment and these are:

1. The clan jetty area, which was a peaceful, less crowded and "walkable" area to hang out is now filled with souvenir shops and wandering Chinese tourists. It was not the same as last year. I think the government's campaign of promoting the town itself after being hailed as a UNESCO site made the place a terrible tourist-infested area. It does not have that feeling of solitary anymore when you go there. I would say I was a tourist there last year but this year the place has changed. Blame it on UNESCO for ruining the place.

2. Many shop houses, which were one of the core area of why UNESCO granted them the heritage list, were turning out to be a commercial area for selling souvenirs. There are few which are still worth-visiting especially if it is about the arts and culture but there are just some that is becoming an eye-sore. Personally, I think the whole town will suffer due to the emerging commercialization of the place.

3. This one is another personal note. Last year, I stayed at Ryokan Chic Hostel, which is located at Jalan Muntri. I liked it so much as the place was well-maintained, clean and quiet. But when I came back this year, it's like exactly how it looked when I left it last year. And now the toilets are broken, the "other" receptionist is not as nice as the other one and the hallway carpets have turned smelly (I think they never cleaned it since last year). Only the rooms have stayed the same and their free breakfast. I guess when I return there I would have to stay in another place.

But the highlight of my return to Penang is Hin Bus Depot. It's a new gallery dedicated to foreign and local artists who capitalize on the use of mixed media to show their crafts. I have been following them and I was so glad that they open the newest gallery featuring Urban Exchange on the day we arrived. I brought the girls there and they were in awe just as I am. Thanks to Ernest Zacharevic and RONE, my newly found favorite artist, and the other artists who helped put up this truly extraordinary works of art.

Hin Bus Depot

Urban Exchange, Hin Bus Depot

Rone, Hin Bus Depot

Jakarta Transportation Sketches

Here are the different transportation you will see in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. These are just some of the vehicles which causes traffic gridlock especially during rush hours.

City Sketches - Jakarta

Here is another set of sketches I did for the past month. I have been quite busy and I only have the chance now to upload these photos.

For your viewing pleasure.

Artworks were done on 8.5 x 11.5 inches sketch pad, water color and ink.

Museum Sejerah Jakarta, Kota Tua

Jeepney Art: Sketches

Jeepneys are one of the most evident contributions of America to the Philippines. The jeepneys that we have now were custom-built to meet the demand for public transport all over the Philippines. Although it maybe one of the major reasons for congested traffic in Metro Manila, I still find them fascinating and useful for the public.

I started this "Jeepney Art Sketches" just last month and here are the recent sketches I just finished.

Philippine Jeepney Art and Sketches: This represents the overcrowded passengers as part of their daily lives taking public transport.

Elephant Sketches

A newly finished series of sketches of elephants. I decided to make these sketches in my effort to spread awareness of the condition of the elephant named Mali that is still in the center of battle between PETA and the Manila City government running the Manila Zoo. For full story about Mali, please click on this link http://www.freemali.com/ and you can also visit their Facebook page at : https://www.facebook.com/FreeMali

Elephant Sketches

Semarang Contemporary Art Gallery

Semarang Contemporary Art Gallery is situated in Semarang's Old Town. Housed in an old dutch building renovated for this art gallery, it is probably one of the best places in Semarang to see some homegrown artists with their art works. The art collection they have is great and very modern with its subjects despite being located in the heart of the old town of Semarang. The exhibition changes from time to time so you may check their website before visiting.

Semarang Contemporary Art Gallery

Bandung Indonesia

Here is a new photostreaming I did for my trip to Bandung last month. Enjoy...

Bandung Day Trip by Slidely Photo Gallery

Semarang and it's old charm.

Last weekend, I spent three days in Semarang, located in Central Java, Indonesia, and of course the best way to do in a trip to an old city is to do some sketching.

Some facts about Semarang:

1. It's the capital of Central Java, Indonesia.

2. Predominantly Muslim but the presence of Dutch colony was very evident in the city's old town.

3. Travelers often overlook this city because online polls says it does not have the charm that Yogyakarta and Solo has to offer. But they are wrong. It is probably one of the best preserved old towns in Indonesia. 

4. Food is great for a Filipino like me because in general, they are not that spicy and most of the food are sweet and a bit salty.

5. The city is quite clean and has wider roads which gives you less traffic.

6. The famous Borobudur Temples can also be accessed from here although with a much longer travel time compared to Yogyakarta.

7. It's the gate to other must-visit places like Candi Gedong Songo, a hindu temple on the mountainside and the town of Ambarawa, where the largest collection of steam engine trains in Asia are stored and displayed in a museum.

8. Lawang Sewu, literally translated as Thousand Doors, is one of the most magnificent old Dutch building ever built in Indonesia and has been restored for the public to see.

9. The old town is just simply mesmerizing and has different churches within it.

10. Vintage collectors will have a fiesta in several antique stores and sometimes at the flea markets in the old town.

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jigo

07.17.2014

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Reviving Escolta: The Queen Street of Manila

This weekend gave Filipino heritage lovers and alike a blast from the past as the once posh street of Manila has been revived for The Manila Street Heritage Festival. Dubbed as #SelfiEscolta event, it was organized by a group of heritage enthusiasts with a theme called "Rescue, Revive and Relive Escolta".

Escolta is Manila's luxury and fashion district in the olden days. You may compare it to what is Greenbelt, Makati or BGC, Taguig today but with the sense of neo-classical designs and art deco architecture of the collections of buildings that managed to withstand the test of time. Although some of these buildings are being touted for demolition like the El Hogar Building. Some still serves purpose for banks and other local businesses.

Paper Quilling: Elephant In A Boa Constrictor

Here is a project I forgot to post that was finished January of this year. This is a paper quilling project. Using regular craft paper (thin and soft), cut it into strips of about 2 cms., and roll and glue the edges to make equal-sized paper rolls. Rolled papers were glued together to form the elephant in a boa constrictor project.

Materials needed for this craft:

Craft papers (thin and soft sheets)
Glue
Scissors and ruler
Patterns (self-made)

I made pattern just by using PowerPoint. You can just make an estimation to see how it will look like.

Paper Quilling: Elephant in a Boa Constrictor, The Little Prince

Nepal Sketches

This sketch was done recently although the trip to Nepal was last December 2013. I took this shot and now I sketched it on watercolor and ink.

Patan Durbar Square, Nepal

Will upload more of sketches of my Nepal trip when I find the time.

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6.24.2014
jigomesiter

Manila Sketches

Here are some of my previous sketch work of Intramuros in Manila, Philippines I have done. Sketches were done using watercolor and ink.

San Agustin Church, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines

Urban Sketching Series - Kota (Old Town), Jakarta

Here you go. Another urban sketches and artworks I have done for travelling in Jakarta, Indonesia. Kota is an old town of Jakarta and it boasts of several museums and the best on my list to visit are Museum Wayang and Museum Mandiri. I have been there on my first visit here in Jakarta in 2011. But now, I only went to Kota just for sketching and try out Cafe Batavia.

Museum Sejarah Jakarta

The Little Prince Book - Sketch

Here is a new impromptu sketch project I did for The Little Prince. Finished this in 2 1/2 hours. Paper Size 279 mm x 420 mm using pigment ink drawing pen.

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jigomeister
06.11.2014

Urban Sketches - Various

Here are latest additions to my sketches and watercolor projects.

Cavenagh Bridge, Singapore

Card Making using Watercolor

Now making personalized cards. Well this is just for those times when you want to mix colors and do something that I do not have to buy anymore. Trying to be inventive.

Ernest Zacharevic

I have visited Penang last year to specifically look at the street art. George Town in Penang is the most artsy place you can go in Malaysia and the most interesting street arts were done by Ernest Zacharevic. He is just such a genius with his works all over George Town. Luckily, I manage to buy the book and postcards showing his works. I myself is a sort of an artist and trying urban sketching and watercolor painting. So i tried on making one by using one of the most famous works of Ernest in George Town. 

George Town Street Art in Watercolor

This is just a beginners work for me and I hope I did a great job on urban sketching and watercolor painting.

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05.16.2014

Watercolor Painting Series

These are some of the recent works I have done. Watercolor and Pencil Sketching. Some, like I mentioned on my previous post, were inspired on paintings I have seen on Pinterest. 

Waiting For My Flight. An original concept I had using water color on canvass paper.

Giraffe Skins - Watercolor Paintings

I have been a fan of imaginative arts, a term I am not sure exists in the modern art, but I always try to create something whatever crosses my mind. I am not entirely creative because it is really hard for me to make things without something to look on to. I try to be original as much as possible but I always get inspiration from works of other people.

Here is the Giraffe series I did using water color and water color paper.

Sketches: Jakarta Busway

It is my first time trying this out. Watercolor sketches and hopefully I did not do a terrible job. I tried my best. I only searched for pictures online about busways in Jakarta as I could not find the time to actually go there and do an on the spot sketching. I am not really an expert on on-the-spot sketching but hopefully I can do it too soon.

Why did I choose the busway for my first try? Well this is one of the most interesting parts of life in Jakarta. It represents the daily life of the locals on a day-to-day basis. Busway is one of Jakarta's major transportation facilities and it is actually an interesting scenario whenever you take a ride on this.

So here are the sketches. I only did four for today.

About to take the bus.

Ubud, Bali: Kopi Bali House Review

Indonesia is generally known for its coffee and there are different kinds of coffee to choose from. Despite the rise of the multinational coffee shops from all over the world here in Indonesia, there are still locally owned coffee shops that serves great tasting coffee made from home-grown coffee beans.

Bali, an island best known for its wavy beaches, temples and the surviving culture heritage of the Balinese people, coffee is one of their best produce and export. And one of these best tasting coffee can be found in Kopi Bali House. I visited their cafe located in Jalan Monkey Forest in Ubud. It was my first seeing and visiting this cafe and I told myself, why is it only now that I found out about this cafe since I have been coming to Bali for the last 4 years.

We tried the following on their menu fr our breakfast:

1. Kopi Bali

Bali High

Ubud, a highland town in the central part of Bali, is one of the most mesmerizing places in Bali which makes me keep coming back. It boasts with local artist and some foreign residents who opened up craft shop, boutiques, restaurants and different kind of places to stay. The entire village has so many different hotels, villas and homestays that will cater to different demographics. There is also an array of spas and massage villas to choose from for you to relax.

In my many occasions of visiting Ubud, I have come to visit and revisit shops that truly produces so many things that values the heritage of Balinese, be it inspired by the natural products that are home grown in Bali or by the ingenuity of the modern Balinese art and crafts.

Here are some of the best shops to find in Ubud.

When The Boa Constrictor Swallowed Something Else

What if instead of an elephant, the boa constrictor swallowed something else? Most readers of The Little Prince are fascinated with how the boa constrictor swallowed an elephant have been illustrated in the book. And also the question whether it is a hat or not. But we all think it really depends on who is looking at the picture and how one person looks at it. For me, that picture is really one of the most interesting part of the book.

Here is my funny take on the boa constrictor swallowing something else instead of an elephant.

Pencils Of Promise: Dear Adam Braun

The Promise Of A Pencil

Dear Adam Braun,

I just become your greatest fan. And I call myself a fan because you are quite a rock star. I am saying this because for teachers like me, people like you are considered real rock stars. Although I am in a different setting compared to what and where the Pencils Of Promise built schools, I found myself relating to your stories from the time you began to realize that you are going to build your first school.

Your book is an admiring accomplishment of how really an ordinary person, no matter who you are, can make a big difference to the world. Every detail of every mantra in the book shows the profound drive of an ordinary individual that gives us all a definition, a path to understand and to follow in order to make a big change in the place we live in.

As I read through each chapter of your book, from your life altering journey at SAS, your riveting experiences in Guatemala, your visits to different organizations in South East Asia and up to building your very first school for the heart-warming people of Laos, I cannot help myself but stop on some of the parts and examine myself as it struck me. These are not the mantras but rather those phrases you said that made me recall how my life has been until now.

The Promise Of A Pencil

Train Ride Story - 1

Wednesday night. Boarded a train in City Hall interchange bound home. I sat next to an Aussie family. They looked tired from a day trip and I wasn't tired considering I had a city tour by myself too. I was sitting next to the dad holding on to his son on his lap. I began to fidget on my things and became busy checking my phones. At this time I had to carry 3 phones. I checked it one by one to see if I have any messages and then suddenly the dad next to me asked "Do you have enough funds?” Surprised to be asked that way and I sort of thought he needed help on something so I said I'm sorry and I wanted to clarify what he meant. Then he said again "Do you have enough funds because I see you have 3 phones in your hand" and I was astonished of what he thought of me in that instant. I answered that I am actually a tourist as well so I had to carry extra phone for emergencies. This made me feel bad although the dad was probably just asking innocently and wondering why I'm carrying 3 phones.

Well just to give myself some credit. I never bought any of the phones I was carrying. One was borrowed (temporarily for this trip). One was from my dad (who happens to pick up that phone from somewhere and could not find the owner). And one was the one I picked up and looked for the owner, contacted the owner but never got any replies (so I considered it my own prized possession). I never bought any of these phones. I just had to use three during this time in order to save money by using prepaid cards to get in touch with my family and friends, and like I said, for emergencies as I’m travelling alone.

Postcards

When travelling, I try to send postcards to my family and friends to share with them the places I have visited. Postcards have long been disregarded by many people especially with the increase of the use of social media but there are still tourist, like me, who prefer sending postcards to let others know about their travel instead of just posting it in their social media accounts.

Here are some of picture I have taken in my travels that I believe are worth-printing on postcards. these pictures are combination of the grandeur of the entire place and some are focused on things that travelers sometimes neglect to look at. In these postcards series, the text included says a little trivia I learned about the place.

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Literary Breaks | Rough Guides

Rough Guides

I just have to archive this article on Rough Guides to be a part of my soon-to-be-done journeys hopefully in the next ten years. It is just an amazing article I could not refuse on sharing it. There are certain books here that really make me want to visit these places which have served as backdrops of this literary works. I particularly want to do see the places mentioned in Holden Caufield's New York in Catcher in the Rye as well as the New York Plaza Hotel for The Great Gatsby. A journey in the Nile River on a steamboat is also a promising thing to do for the book Death in the Nile plus a visit to Florence Italy for the book A Room With A View is also on my list.

I have read some of the books mentioned here but I will definitely try and search the other books and imagine about the places which served as the settings of these great stories.

Check out this literary breaks for bookworms which is a great article you can find on Rough Guides.

Literary Breaks | Rough Guides

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04.06.2014

Jalan Besar and Around

Jalan Besar

Following up to my Tiong Bahru Heritage Walking Tour article, much has been said whether Jalan Besar is a hipper place than Tiong Bahru. To compare these two places on which one is better than the other, you have to look at two important points, first is if the old historic vibe of the place is still present and second is the number of cafes that has been opening in the area. I can say that Tiong Bahru has the advantage on both. There is a distinct difference on the housing settlement in Tiong Bahru and they have maintained its old vibe and managed to introduce the hip charm while Jalan Besar is a bit chaotic because of so many constructions, commercial establishments, hostels and literally an array of hardware shops in one street.

Review: The Tiramisu Hero

The Tiramisu Hero

Do you like Tiramisu? Well if you do then head on to The Tiramisu Hero at Tyrwhitt Road in Jalan Basar area. Situated in one of the quaint shop houses near Jalan Besar Stadium, this cafe has transformed the old vibe of a shop house into a modernized trendy cafe in this less chaotic neighborhood. When you reach this place, you will be welcomed with an eye-catching fake green lawn. Yes it is fake but still they managed to make it look like a cool veranda for their customers who prefer to be seated outside.

The Tiramisu Hero

Review: Windowsill In The Woods

Windowsill In The Woods

Pies. Pies. Pies. What else is better than having a lot of dessert pies on your table with different and twisted flavors. That is what you are gonna get when you visit this quaint pie cafe along Horne Road in Jalan Besar area. Windowsill In The Woods is known for their different flavored sweet pies and tarts. They have three best-selling pies but I only managed to try one. And that is the Banana Almond Brittle. It is a combination of sweet banana, salted caramel and crunchy nuts. It is such a great combination that you will be asking for more.

Banana Almond Brittle

Tiong Bahru Heritage Walking Tour

HDB Flats at Kim Pong Road

Tiong Bahru. Considered to be one of the oldest housing estates in Singapore, it has also been garnering accolades from locals, foreigners and tourists for a combination of old, hip and trendy atmosphere. With its heritage buildings and the number of cafes popping out in every corner of this historic area, Tiong Bahru, has become a place for wining and dining if you want to get out of the over-crowding central business district. It’s particularly getting a lot of attention from the so-called “hippies” but it’s not just a place for them, literally anyone can visit this area and have a look on what is going on. First of all, if you are into old buildings and historic sites, then this area is definitely for you. Otherwise, it may be difficult for the “uncultured” to appreciate what is there to see. And if you are willing to shell out an amount that is triple of what you would usually pay in a regular hawker centre, then you should try the ranges of café that you will see here.

The National Heritage Board of Singapore released the TiongBahru Heritage Trail. There are 10 spots that you may choose to look at if you are really keen but if you just want to walk around the place and see what is going on, I made a map that will direct you on walking from the Tiong Bahru MRT Station all the way to Tiong Bahru Estate and its surrounding vicinity.