Be Part of The 30 Postcards Project

This is one of the four postcards sent to Kevin Richberg who is the one behind the travel and tourism project, The 30 Postcards Project. Kevin is inviting everyone to write ANYTHING they want about their city, country, favorite travel spot or just something worthy to be shared. It could something strange, unique, interesting, special, intellectual, odd, fascinating, crazy, controversial, weird, amazing, silly or one of a kind. Something you love, something you hate, something you can't resist, something you can't live with, something you can't live without or something you just have to tell the World!

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By the way, this postcard features the Cave Porn in Sagada, Philippines. According to The 30 Postcards Project website, the cave’s official name is the Sumaging Cave found in Luzon. Lonely Planet featured the cave as a top Adventure Tourist destination, but not because of the “unique” formations. The cave is a living cave (it has water with dissolved minerals that grow the cave flowing through it) and it offers spelunking, swimming, waterfalls, and taking your photograph next to formations that can appear “naughty” from the right perspective.

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Kevin will be coming to Manila in September to film personally the places sent by the postcards and be included in The 30 Postcards Project. Anyone interested to send postcards, this is his mailing address :

Kevin Richberg

P.O. Box 83

Memphis, NY 13112 USA

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Anyone who wants to participate in any way or works in the tourism or travel business and want to support the project this is his email address: thirtypostcards@gmail.com

Uncovering Controversial Facts about Jose Rizal

“Rizal’s first reason when he entered UST is to study for priesthood.” says Dr. Paul Domol, a playwright and history professor at the University of Asia and the Pacific. Rizal took Metaphysics as a first year student which is a prerequisite course for anyone wanting to be a priest at University of Santo Tomas at that time. But when his mother’s eyesight starts to fail, he shifted to Medicine on his second year to cure hers. And when he went to Spain, he continued to study Medicine and at the same time Humanities, so basically Rizal at the start seems like he does not know where his heart is.

The Beginnings of Rizal’s Anti-Friar Sentiments                                               As early as he is a first year student, Rizal really wanted to be known as a writer and the only way he can be is to learn and write through Spanish language. The very first time Rizal is known to viciously attack the friars is through his exchange of letters to his brother Paciano, whom the latter informing Fr. Leoncio Lopez the Parish Priest of Calamba at that time just died. Ambeth Ocampo, another historian shared a similar revelation about Fr. Lopez, is actually the biological father of Antonino Lopez, the husband of one of Rizal’s sisters, Saturnina. Antonino used to be introduced as a nephew of the priest in public.

Rizal the Apostate                                                                                                                         In 1883 Rizal while in Madrid, he received a letter from his mother asking him if the rumors that she heard is true that he has stopped attending mass, receiving sacraments and stuff. Rizal replied as though he is lecturing his mother. He said that technically he is not a Catholic anymore, does not believe in Bible and the God that the Catholics believe. The God that he believes is the God that his human mind can reach.

Rizal the Party Pooper                                                                                                             There was an incident during New Year’s Eve that each one in the celebration is asked what food to share but when he was told what specifically he can bring, he took off his hat, and approached everyone like a beggar extending his hand and asks them to drop a coin inside his hat. In another party, Rizal also scolded Filipinos in Madrid who spend more time womanizing, gambling etc. instead of studying and making something worthy to their country.

Visited the house replica of Rizal in Dapitan where he lived and met Josephine Bracken. Click here for details

The untitled last Chapter of El Filibusterismo                                                         All throughout the chapters of Fili are all about against the Spanish government and friars but the last chapter is the opposite. Not only it is untitled but it tells something against the Filipinos themselves. He said Filipinos should not be given freedom until they’re worthy of it.

Rizal as a Playboy                                                                                                                            He is not, but it is true that he loved a lot of women. In one of his letters, he shows his brotherly care to one of his sisters whom he heard always going away with his boyfriend and reminding her to be careful.

Rizal as Hero                                                                                                                                    There was no 'hero'  word nor a meaning of it ever existed during his time. It was through him that he defined his word which is giving one's life to a bunch of people whom most of them he does not know. The term 'hero' only started to exist in the early 1900's.

Photowalk with my brother in Rizal Park and Intramuros, please click here for full story

Rizal and his Retraction to Anti-Catholic ideas                                               Yes, he retracted and went back to his faith. When he wrote his retraction, he signed a Catholic prayer book, recited Catholic prayers,  and a few eyewitness saw him kiss the crucifix before his execution.

Rizal's Relevance Today                                                                                                      While in Dapitan, he opened a school and gave free education to 18 boys. He also setup a free clinic for those with eyesight problems. He made a lighting system, water system using bamboos, adding benches and made a map of Mindanao.

Taken from Dr. Paul Domol's lecture "Controversial Facts About Rizal: Notes Towards a New Rizal Biography" at the Yuchengco Museum September 17, 2011 (Saturday) 3pm. Dr. Domol is also best known for his play "Ang Paglilitis ni Mang Serapio" as his best if not one his bet literary masterpieces. Part of RIZALizing the Future, in celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Jose Rizal and the 100th anniversary of the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC).

Photo source:  davidderrick.wordpress.com

Travelife's Sri Lanka FREE Public Performance

Watch Sri Lanka's top performers including their famous songstress free in Travelife's Sri Lanka Free Public Performance on September 24 (Saturday), 4PM  at The Picar Place Showroom. Organized by Travelife Magazine together with the Embassy of Sri Lanka, this is surely a night of cultural event that should not be missed!

 For inquiries and reservations, please call 813-8400 / 892-2620 or see information below:

Bernice Qua
Marketing Coordinator
Travelife Magazine
Tridem Asia Publishing Inc.
Alexander House 2F, 132 Amorsolo St.
Legazpi Village, Makati City
1229 Metro Manila, Philippines

Tel. no: (+63 2) 813-8400, (+63 2) 892-2620
Fax: (+63 2) 893-7539


VISIT: www.travelife.biz
READ: www.travelifemagazine.com
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TWITTER: twitter.com/TravelifeMag

Cine Europa 14 at Shangri-la Plaza Mall FREE

Nineteen films from 17 European countries will be shown for free and uncensored in Cine Europa 14  from September 9 – 18 while  in Cebu from September 30 – 02 October. 

Ever wonder why uncensored? You may read GMA News Cine Europa 14 to showcase uncensored films.   

To check the list of movie schedule, you may click here.

Seats are on a first come, first-served basis.

Sole Sisters' From Glampackers To Poorpackers Travel & Photo Exhibit

Gone are the days for that Filipino mentality that only the rich can travel. The Sole Sisters presents  "From Glampacker to Poorpacker", a travel photography exhibit that will showcase their six-month backpacking trip in India and across Southeast Asia. The Sole Sisters will also introduce another side of travel:  'poorpacking' which is defined as independent, budget and adventure kind of.

So for those who are planning to backpack either local or abroad, this one is a good way to have more idea of. For more information how to join the event you may check the Facebook event they created. Please click here

Who wants to live in a Buddha temple in Bacolod for 3 months FREE?

Fifteen people will be given a chance to live in a temple stay and study program who want to learn a new way of life, to take a break from the world, and to cultivate spiritually, whatever religious background they are from. The project is called FGS Philippines Humanistic Academy of Life and Arts. This will happen from September 15 – December 15, 2011.

This 3-month spiritual program will live in Yuan Thong Temple, Bacolod City with free accomodation and free food. All applicants shall be screened and interviewed by the organizer.

Fo Guang Shan International Buddhist Order behind this practices the fundamental concepts of Humanistic Buddhism headquartered in Taiwan and founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. For more information please click here

The Parisian Life Painting of Juan Luna

"The Parisian Life" painting is also known as Interior d’Un Café or "Inside a Café", even titled in some books as "The Maid" and "Un Coquette" or literally someone who is one step lower than prostitute painted by Juan Luna. He is known to use prostitutes as models in his painting sessions for a very obvious reason - they're paid cheap. In 1904 at the World Fair’s Saint Louis Exposition in the United States, this  painting won Silver Medal.

Forty-six million pesos! While we see homeless families living under bridges and beggars everywhere, how could the GSIS able to bear buying a painting which in any moment could be in a foreign hand and could never be given back to us through an auction so expensive like this? "The Parisian Life" painting is one of Juan Luna’s obra maestras done in Paris, France year 1892. This is not Juan Luna’s most popular painting – it is the “Spoliarium” but the story behind it is very unusual. This painting is showing a lady wearing a flamboyant hat, in a French dress with long sleeves, ruffled ends and length reaching beyond her ankles. Not so far from her back are three men who look like making gossips about her.

The three men in "The Parisian Life" painting are actually heroes in Philippine History: Jose Rizal, Ariston Bautista Lin and Luna himself. A "Kwentong Barbero" version of this painting explains the story behind which is about these men in a coffee shop exchanging glances over a prostitute: two of them planning who will be the first to hook her up tonight and the other one sharing he just actually gone to bed with this same girl a night ago. What a story all worth of a historical value and international award! But if one has an eye that can see beyond this painting made in oil, this lady actually has a "geographical likeness" to the mirror-image or the map of the archipelago of the Philippines. You put a map of the Philippines over her and it seems she is really the Philippines at that time. Her knees (we kneel when we pray) matched to Cebu in the map where Roman Catholicism started and on her navel (means birth) is the Kawit, Cavite map where our First Independence was declared and a lot more coincidences! Her left arm a bit detached in a downward slant signifies the Palawan islands! She appears to be strangled too as there is a line on top of her head because that time Philippines is under colony.

One very interesting fact about Luna is he is a man of temper and known about his jealousy over his wife's alleged infidelity. After killing his wife, mother-in-law and wounded his brother-in-law by gunshots he was never jailed for long in France because the Queen Regent of Spain helped her as she is regarded as a "National Treasure" at that time because of his paintings. In fact, he remains to be until today. Our previous administrations tried to ask his “La Batalla de Lepanto" painting displayed in Senate Hall of Spain to be given back to us until now but Spain insisted the painting should remain to them because it was done when Philippines is still under colony of Spain.

“The Parisian Life” painting according to GSIS Pres. Winston Garcia was brought back home for P46 million through an auction bid. This painting if divided to the 1.3 GSIS million members would only cost P36 each. Currently, the painting is now valued at P200 million or $8,000. Not bad at all for a purchasing a painting in the name of heritage. But wait there is a rumor circulating someone or a group of ready to buy this in its current amount. Should we or should we let go of this painting? We can feed so many people in this amount.

This talk The Parisian Life painting of Juan Luna was delivered by Michael Charles "Xiao " Chua,  historian at GSIS Museum last Aug. 6th, 2011. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Wohow! After four years, I have finally seen the Parisian Life Painting again in National Museum. It is now the permanent home for Juan Luna's masterpieces including the Spoliarium. It is located at the 3rd level, of National Museum's National Art Gallery. Entrance fee is Php 150 for regular visitors, less Php30 to senior citizens. The National Museum of the Philippines or Museum of the Filipino People Manila is located along Taft Ave, Ermita, Manila, 1000 Metro Manila. You can click here my blog review of Juan Luna's Parisian Life 2016.