Category Archives: Arts

State Library Victoria (Melbourne, Australia)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

State Library Victoria

On our fifth day in Melbourne, the first item in our city tour itinerary was the nearby State Library Victoria, the state‘s premier reference and research library, a gateway to the world’s information and a Melbourne landmark and cultural icon.

The library, located in the northern center of the central business district, comprises 23 individual buildings ((including the magnificent, 19th century building) and occupies an entire city block bounded by Swanston, La Trobe, Russell, and Little Lonsdale streets.

The Classic colonnade completed in 1870. In front is the statue of Sir Redmond Barry

During our visit, the grassy lawn, in front of the library’s grand entrance along Swanston Street, was filled the city’s workers and students from the adjacent RMIT University.  Originally, the lawn was enclosed by a picket fence and, in the 1870s, by a wrought iron fence and gates.  In 1939, with the removal of the fence and the creation of diagonal paths, the space was opened up and is now a popular lunch-spot.

Here are some interesting trivia regarding this library:

  • It is Australia’s oldest public library
  • The Melbourne Public Library, as it was then known, was one of the first free libraries in the world,, open to anyone over 14 years of age, so long as they had clean hands.
  • It also houses some of the original armor of Ned Kelly.
  • As a result of the 1990 to 2004 redevelopment, the State Library Victoria can now be considered one of the largest exhibiting libraries in the world.
  • On completion, the dome of the Domed Reading Room was the largest in the world.
  • The library forecourt, a popular location for protest meetings and a rallying point for marches, is also the site of a speakers’ forum where orators, on Sundays, between 2:30 PM and 5:30 PM, take turns in speaking on various subjects.
  • The exterior of the library is prominently featured at the conclusion of the post-World War III movie On the Beach.

The Library’s vast collection includes more than five million items, reflecting the culture of Victoria over the past 150 years. There are over two million books and more than a million photographs; journals and magazines; manuscripts; maps; hundreds of thousands of newspapers, with a special focus on material from Victoria, including the diaries of the city’s founders, John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner, and the folios of Captain James Cook.

They also house audio, video and digital material.  The complex of buildings that now houses the Library were built in numerous stages, housing various library spaces, art galleries and museum displays.

Many of the library’s electronic databases, including the full Encyclopædia Britannica; Oxford Reference dictionaries and encyclopedias; multi-subject magazine and journal article databases; newspaper archives of most major Australian and international papers from 2000 onwards; and specialist subject databases, are available from home to any Victorian registered as a State Library User.

Sir Redmond Barry (John Botterill, 1875)

The library’s collection includes 70,000 photographs in 2,000 rolls of film containing photographs of Melbourne and country Victoria from the early 1970s that are in the process of being digitized and made available to the public.

Charles La Trobe (Sir Francis Grant)

Here is the historical timeline of the library:

  • In 1853, at the instigation of Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe and  Justice Redmond Barry, Q.C. (Sir Redmond from 1860), the decision to build a combined library, museum and gallery was made. A competition was held, won by the recently arrived architect Joseph Reed, whose firm and its successors went on to design most of the later extensions, as well as numerous 19th-century landmarks such as the Melbourne Town Hall, and the Royal Exhibition Building.
  • On July 3, 1854, the recently inaugurated Governor Sir Charles Hotham laid the foundation stone of both the new library complex and the University of Melbourne.
  • On February 11, 1856, the library’s first stage (the central part of the Swanston Street wing) was opened with a collection of 3,800 books chosen by Mr. Justice Barry, the President of Trustees.
  • On May 1856, Augustus H. Tulk, the first librarian, was appointed.
  • In 1860, Joseph Reed designed a grand complex for the whole block including a domed section facing Russell Street to house the Museum and Gallery.
  • In 1859, the south part of the front wing, including the elaborate first floor Queen’s Reading Room (now Queen’s Hall), was opened.
  • In 1864, the northern part, added by Abraham Linacre, was completed.
  • In 1866, a number of halls, just behind the front wing and meant to be temporary, were built for the Intercolonial Exhibition of Australasia. They remained in use until 1909.
  • In 1870, the classical portico was completed.
  • In 1886, Barry Hall, along Little Lonsdale Street, was completed.
  • In 1887, a memorial statue of Mr Justice Sir Redmond Barry, C., by James Gilbert and built by Percival Ball, was installed on the central landing of the main stairs.
  • In 1889, the National Museum of Victoria moved to library site.
  • In 1889, the statue of Saint George and the Dragon (flanking the entrance plaza), by the English sculptor Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, was installed.
  • In 1892,the McCoy Hall, now the Redmond Barry Reading Room, was completed
  • In 1907, the statue of Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc), a replica of the statue by French sculptor Emmanuel Frémiet, was installed.
  • In 1909, work began on the library’s famed Domed Reading Room
  • In 1909, the Baldwin Spencer Hall, facing Russell Street, was completed.
  • In 1913, the Domed Reading Room was opened
  • In 1932, the McAllan Gallery, along the LaTrobe Street side, was completed.
  • In 1937, due to deterioration, a pair of bronze lions flanking the entry from the 1860s, were removed.
  • In 1959, due to water leakage, the dome’s skylights were covered in copper sheets, creating the dim atmosphere that characterized the Library for decades.
  • In 1968, the National Gallery of Victoria moved to its new purpose built home in St Kilda Road
  • In 1971, the Lending Library closed.
  • From 1990 to 2004, the library underwent an approximately A$200 million major refurbishment designed by architects Ancher Mortlock & Woolley. It included the creation of a number of exhibition spaces, some of which are used to house permanent exhibitions – “The Mirror of the World: Books and Ideas,” “The Changing Face of Victoria” and the “Pictures Collection” (Cowen Gallery).
  • In 1992, the library finally filled the entire block
  • In 1998, the World War I commemorative statues “Wipers” and “The Driver,” at the center points of the 1939 diagonal paths, were relocated to the ground of the Shrine of Remembrance.
  • From 1999-2002, during renovations of its buildings, National Galley of Victoria returned to its original library home briefly, occupying the Russell Street halls.
  • In 1999, the reading room closed to allow for renovation, when the skylights were reinstated.
  • In 2003, the renamed La Trobe Reading Room was reopened.
  • In February 2010, the southern wing of the library, along Little Lonsdale Street, was reopened as the Wheeler Centre, part of Melbourne’s city of literature
  • In 2006, a statue of Charles La Trobe, by Australian sculptor Peter Corlett, was installed in the north east corner of the lawn.
  • In 2015, better meet the changing needs of the community, the Library embarked on a five-year, $88.1 million redevelopment project (Vision 2020), designed by Danish architectural firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects and Australian architecture and design studio Architectus, to transform its public spaces, programs and facilities.
  • On April 29, 2015, Martin Foley (Minister for Creative Industries) announced that the 2015–16 State Budget would provide $55.4 million towards the redevelopment of State Library Victoria, including the restoration of the Queen’s Hall, the creation of a rooftop garden terrace, a dedicated children’s and youth space, and the opening up 40% more of the building to the public.
  • In late 2017, the library’s contribution of $27 million from donations was eventually raised.
  • In September 2018, the main Swanston Street entrance was temporarily closed and replaced by the newly refurbished Russell Street and La Trobe Street entrances.

Check out “Shrine of Remembrance” and “Royal Exhibition Building“

Grace exploring Victoria Gallery

Upon entry, the first area we visited was the newly refurbished Victoria Gallery.  The interactive Velvet, Iron, Ashes exhibition, opened on October 24, 2019, was ongoing (until July 12, 2020).

Centenary of Victoria Costume

Its showcases more than 200 items from the Library’s own collection plus additions from other major institutions and private collections. The exhibition was open to all ages and free to attend.

Ned Kelly’s Armor

Here, we learned some illustrious stories about Ned Kelly, the Ashes Urn (exclusively loaned from Marylebone Cricket Club in London and displayed from November 2019 until February 2020), Yallourn Power Station and even Nappie Wash, how fairy floss is linked to fancy dress, how the Freddo the Frog is tied to one of the greatest air races in history, and what the Ashes Urn and Ned Kelly’s armor have in common.

Map-O-Matic device in the foreground

A retro-style Map-o-Matic device, which allows visitors to print out a map, opened up a world of storytelling to a new generation of Victorians.

North Rotunda

At the North Rotunda are exhibits (September 2, 2019-September 2, 2020) of a selection of the Library’s 21st-century paintings, by living Australian artists, of Melbourne cityscapes.

Across the city, Rick Amor’s work, shows distant views of the city from remote hills, the Yarra River and docklands, and across rooftops. Abstracted views of urban sites and landmarks, which provoke reflection on our interaction with the built environment, are presented by Tony Lloyd’s Skystone, William Mackinnon’s Exit and Louise Forthun’s Toffee and Ice.

Exit (William Mackinnon)

Toffee and Ice (Louise Forthun)

There are also depictions of Melbourne’s hallowed sporting grounds – Josie Kunoth Petyarre’s view of the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, the home of Australian Rules Football, Shane Jones’s Flemington Racecourse (showing the birthplace of the internationally renowned Melbourne Cup horse race), etc..

Cowen Gallery

The Cowen Gallery, refreshed In 2018, features a permanent display of more than 40 works of art from the State Library’s 2003–18 Cowen Gallery exhibition, which included colonial and modern portraits, paintings of Victorian landscapes, iconic Melbourne landmarks and artists’ impressions of events from Victoria’s history.

Black Thursday (William Strutt)

The rehung exhibition includes a greater representation of 20th-century artists such as Eric Thake, Arthur Boyd, Fred Williams and Juan Davila. The northern end of the room is framed by William Strutt’s Black Thursday  February 6th, 1851 (1864) and Juan Davila’s Churchill National Park  (2009) while the southern end of the room features Reinhold Hofmann’s Melbourne 1836  (c. 1886) and Jan Senbergs’  Melbourne 1998-99 which explores the city and urbanization. 

Churchill National Park (Juan Davila)

The adjacent Blue and Red Rotundas house portraits and busts of Victorians. 

Redmond Barry Reading Room

The Redmond Barry Reading Room, at the eastern end of the Library, is easily the busiest room during pre-exam period in Victoria. It houses a contemporary collection of books, magazines, and periodicals. The center of the room has internet-enabled computers and shared desks while the mezzanine has folio-size books and more independent study desks. The ceiling has glass panels.

The Heritage Collections Reading Room (HCRR), though it does not hold any collections (save for map bags consisting of copies of maps of Metropolitan Melbourne, between the 1800s to 1900s), is a place to view heritage collection materials. Entry here is by appointment (however, no appointment is required to see the maps). It has 14 historical pendant lamps hanging off the ceiling plus a detailed ceramic embossed wall and ceiling.

The Heritage Collections Reading Room

The Arts Collection Reading Room, built in a courtyard (hence the angular shape of the room), maintains an extensive, world-class collection of books, periodicals, recordings and other materials pertaining to art, music and the performing arts.  The main room, housing computer workstations (which provide access to the Library’s catalog, databases and the web), reading tables, laser printer, photocopier and a microfiche reader, also has an audio visual room and listening posts.

The Herald and Weekly Times Newspaper Reading Room

The Genealogy Reading Room, located in one of the courtyards, has an extensive collection of microfilms and microfiche, printed references, databases, and biographies. There are many facilities available such as computers and a laser printer.

The Herald and Weekly Times Newspaper Reading Room

The Newspaper Reading Room, located in one of the courtyards, keeps three months’ worth of physical copies of Victorian newspapers; holds microfilm of Victorian, interstate, and some international newspapers; and has modern microfilm and scanner readers (enabling patrons to save images of newspapers to USB memory stick) and facilities to help with research.

La Trobe Reading Room

Our visit to the library was highlighted by the landmark La Trobe Reading Room (formerly the Domed Reading Room). Designed by Norman G. Peebles of Bates Smart, it houses the Library’s Australiana collection, previously in the 1965 La Trobe Building annex.

The dome and its oculus

Its octagonal space, designed to hold over a million books and up to 600 readers, is 34.75 m. in both diameter and height, and its oculus is nearly 5 m. wide. The balconies overlooking the beautiful La Trobe Reading Room have now been transformed into exhibition areas.

Jandy and Grace at The Changing Face of Victoria exhibit

At the Changing Face of Victoria, in the Dome Galleries, Level 5, we explored the state’s history, discovering the people, places and events that have shaped Victoria.

Here, we encountered explorers, gain insights into life on the goldfields, and explore life in Victoria in the 20th and 21st centuries from Bells Beach to Black Saturday. Twice yearly, new items and stories are added to this exhibition, revealing different aspects of the Library’s historic collection.

Death Mask of Ned Kelly

Just one level below is the World of the Book, Australia’s largest exhibition dedicated to books that celebrates the unique place books have in our hearts and minds.  This one-of-a-kind exhibition showcased the history of book design, production and illustration, from the Middle Ages to today.

World of the Book

Here, we saw rare medieval manuscripts and sacred texts, magnificent natural history and botanical illustration, stunning modern artist books and fine press editions, as well as pioneering Australian classics, children’s books, graphic novels and comics.

Australian Gothic – Picnic at Hanging Rock

The Books and Ideas section exhibits medieval manuscripts and early printed books; sacred texts from around the world and from different religious traditions;, key works of astronomy, and a special display exploring the historical “restricted books” section of the State Library Victoria.

Religions of the Book

The Books and imagination section displays famous works from the literary canon, including the Second Folio of William Shakespeare’s plays (1632); modernist masterpieces by Virginia Woolf, countercultural classics from the New Journalism group of American writers; the writings of Australian author Gerald Murnane, and 1960s Western pulp fiction.

Pulp Fiction

The Exploring the World section features atlases, maps and travel journals from European voyages of discovery, from the 16th century onwards, with a special focus on mythical animals and costumes of the world; and richly illustrated works of natural history, including a special display called “The Mystery of the Missing Beetles,” a detective story uniting the collections of this library and Museums Victoria.

Recording Nature

The Art and Nature section displays botanical art and landscape design from the 16th century to today, with a special focus on the work of female Australian botanical artists.

The John Emmerson Collection

The Artist and Books section includes fine bindings from the John Emmerson Collection, Japanese woodblock printed books about textiles, glamorous Art Deco graphic design, contemporary Australian photo books, and archival material from the Wayzgoose Press Archive, an Australian fine press.

The Art of the Book in Japan

The South Rotunda (formerly Blue Rotunda), built in 1928, is an intimate gallery space that was formerly part of the McArthur Gallery (now the Newspapers and Family History Reading Rooms), linking to the Cowen Gallery.  It hosts small exhibitions and provides access to both the Heritage Collections Reading Room and the Newspapers and Family History Reading Rooms.

South Rotunda

The current exhibition during our visit was Peter Wille: Out Driving, a photographic survey of Melbourne’s modernist architecture from the 1950s and ’60s.  Wille amassed a collection of more than 6,000 color photographs of Melbourne’s architectural wonders throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

The exhibition includes works by groundbreaking architects Robin Boyd, Peter McIntyre, Kevin Borland, and John and Phillis Murphy. The exhibit runs from December 1, 2018 –  April 30, 2020.

State Library Victoria: 328 Swanton St., Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia. Tel: 8664 7000.  E-mail: inquiries@slv.vic.gov.au. Website: www.slv.vic.gov.au.  Open Mondays to Thursdays, 10 AM – 9 PM, and Fridays to Sundays, 10 AM – 6 PM. Closed Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Parliament Garden Reserve (Melbourne, Australia)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Parliament Garden Reserve

This small triangular park, beside Parliament House and Spring and Albert Streets, is a pleasant respite at the Spring Street end of town, with views of the Royal Parliamentary House, the Old Synagogue, Eastern Hill and St Patrick’s Cathedral. This grassed reserve, originally part of the Parliament House grounds, is enclosed by a wrought iron fence and surrounded by majestic palm trees and lush foliage.  Here, it’s very easy to forget that you’re literally in the city center.

Check out “Royal Parliamentary House“

Garden entrance

One of the garden’s main features is a life-size memorial in bronze, created by Louis Laumen, to Pastor Sir Douglas Nicholls (the pastor of Australia’s first Aboriginal Church of Christ, he is the first aboriginal person to be knighted in 1972) and Lady Gladys Nicholls (Australia Aboriginal activist). Two of Australia’s most prominent indigenous leaders and traditional owners, it reminds visitors of their contribution to aboriginal welfare.

Pastor Sir Douglas and Lady Gladys Nicholls Memorial

Memorial plaque

The unusual Coles Fountain, a gift from the G.J. Coles Co., Ltd., a retailing company, was opened on November 27, 1981 by premier of Victoria L.H.S. Thomson.  A pleasant experience on a hot Melbourne day, you can walk inside the curtains of cascading water, cool off in the spray and not get soaked (not unless you want to anyway).

Bryan, Cheska and Kyle at The Coles Fountain

Made of stainless steel on bluestone paving, this series of cascading fountains resemble water balloons in full blast. In 2011, it was refurbished to use recycled water (in the past, it drew water from the city’s mains), an initiative of Melbourne’s Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle.

Parliament Garden Reserve: 489-531 Albert Street, East Melbourne Victoria 3002.

Melbourne Museum (Australia)

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

Jandy at Melbourne Museum

The Melbourne Museum, a natural and cultural history museum axially aligned with the adjacent Italianate Royal Exhibition Building (and referencing it, along with the skyscrapers of Melbourne’s central business district, with its monumental scale and protruding vertical facets), provides a place for education, history, culture and society to engage with each other in a contemporary setting.

Check out “Royal Exhibition Building“

The museum complex

A project of the Government of Victoria (on behalf of Museums Victoria who administrates the venue), it is a rich response to Melbourne’s urban condition and is now an important part of Melbourne’s soft infrastructure.

The is located on the site of the former Melbourne Exhibition Speedway (which operated from November 5, 1928 until March 7, 1936).

Here are some interesting trivia regarding the museum:

  • It is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere
  • The museum is also one of Victoria’s top 10 destinations for travelers
  • The museum is consistently ranked as one of the most popular museums and tourist attractions in Australia, winning ‘Best Tourist Attraction’ at the Australian Tourism Awards in 2011
  • Since 2016, it housed the world’s largest IMAXTheatre screen.
  • Melbourne Museum was one of the venues of Festival Melbourne 2006, a citywide art festival held in conjunction of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, which was held in Melbourne.
  • During the years 2010–2011, it received 1,428,238 visitors and, for that, received the RACV Award for major tourist attraction.
  • During 2010–2011, Melbourne Museum’s Science and Life gallery was honored with the Large Permanent Exhibition Award due to its outstanding design and flow.

Jandy and Kyle

The Melbourne Museum, a Post-Modernist building, was designed by Denton Corker Marshall Architects, who specializes in city planning and urban design, mainly concerns their practice with responding to social desires. One of Denton Corker Marshall’s award-winning projects, the sticks and blades that make up the Melbourne Museum are hallmarks of Denton Corker Marshall’s architecture.

Its construction was managed by Baulderstone Hornibrook.   Officially opened on October 21, 2000 by the Hon. Steve Bracks, the Premier of Victoria at the time, it was completed in 2001.

The museum building, arranged in an individual layout (referencing Melbourne’s iconic Hoddle Grid, which allows the importance of each component of the buildings historical, cultural and social significance to be read in loosely equal hierarchy and individuality), features a grid-like order that embraces eccentric metal clad forms extruding out and creating an irregular sculptural composition with moments of abstract color throughout the building.

The building, dissected into different spaces (so an individual can navigate through and around the building in an orthogonal manner), was designed as both a single building and a network of individual buildings integrated into the landscape of the Carlton Gardens, a large public park.

Check out “Carlton Gardens“

The two very long and very high, sloping canopies (or blades), each acting to guide visitors from the street into the museum, are the most prominent element of the building, rising up from the centrally placed entrance opposite the north door of the Royal Exhibition Building. Another larger blade-like roof, on the northern side of the building, rises up from the center to the north, a landmark of similar scale to the central Florentine dome of the Royal Exhibition building.

Beside the main entrance is a prototype, constructed in 1947, of a CAC (Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation) delivery van.

A florist delivery van called the CAC Deliverette

A 3.86 m. high statue of Mercury, modeled by sculptor and painter C. Douglas Richardson, was inspired by Giambologna‘s bronze statue, made in Florence in 1580. Made of 20 pieces of beaten copper which were riveted together and cast by W.H. Rooke of Melbourne, circa 1899, it was donated to the museum by David Syme & Co. Ltd. On April 14, 1997.

Bronze statue of Mercury

Suspended over the entrance foyer is the full scale replica of John Duigan‘s 1910 biplane (the first Australia-built airplane to fly), built by Ronald Lloyd Lewis between 1984 and 1995, and donated to the museum in 1999.

Duigan Biplane Replica

Outside the main galleries are various displays relating to Victoria’s and Australia’s history, including CSIRAC (an early computer built in Australia) and a large, articulated skeleton of a pygmy blue whale at the Main Foyer.

Skeleton of Pygmy Blue Whale

At the Upper Level Balcony are some wind turbine models. A wind turbine model, commissioned by Pacific Hydro Limited, Melbourne, circa 2001, and was made in Denmark.

Wind Tubine Model

This model, based on contemporary wind turbines that were installed in Victoria during the early 2000s, is 5.5 m. high, has a rotor diameter of 4 m. and  is powered by a small electric motor.  Its white pole supports 3 white slimline blades.

Another windmill model, modeled on the Baker Run-in-Oil type (“Oilbath” is painted on the vane) steel windmill (first made in 1923), was made by William McCook, 1970-1990, and was constructed from metal with a rotating wheel and vane.

Federation Tapestry. L-R: “Making Do”(2001) and “Now Exploration & Settlement Underway” (2001)

The almost 41 m. long Federation Tapestry, created by 22 artist-weavers who spent an estimated 20,000 hours at their looms) from the internationally acclaimed Victorian Tapestry Workshop (renamed the Australian Tapestry Workshop in 2010), South Melbourne, was commissioned to mark the centenary of Australia’s Federation.

L-R: “Alone in the Bush”” (Reg Mombassa, 2001) and “Ngak Ngak in Limmen Bight Country” (2001)

The images, in 10 panels, range from Aboriginal dream time legends to a solitary shepherd in the bush with his sheep and dog, from the clamor and rejoicing that marked Federation in 1901 to the enigmatic ‘Sorry’ etched across the sky above the sails of the Sydney Opera House in the year 2000.

Federation Handbells

The beautifully crafted Federation Handbells, originally commissioned by Arts Victoria for the 2001 Centenary of Federation, are the world’s first true harmonic bells. Cast in silicon bronze, each set of bells have a unique design and pitch, covering two chromatic piano octaves (from E to E). Played by striking them with a mallet, the bells can be played in the style of a xylophone by a single musician controlling a set of bells, or each musician can play one bell. Ranging in size from 120 to 180 mm. high, they have an average weight of 1kg. each.

Dinosaur Walk

The 384 sq. m. Science and Life Gallery, at the west end, showcases six exhibitions – Bugs Alive, Marine Life, Dinosaur Walk, Wild: Amazing Animals in a Changing World, 600 Million Years and Dynamic Earth

Tarbosaurus bataar

The Dinosaur Walk, one of the highlights, houses a skeleton of a Diprotodon (a giant wombat-like creature) and skeletons of  10 dinosaurs such as the Tarbosaurus (Giant meat eater, Tyrannosauridae), Mamenchisaurus (Giant sauropod), Tsintaosaurus, Hadrosaurid, Pteranodon, Gallimimus and Hypsilophodon, 3 pterosaurs, one mammal-like reptile and Australian megafauna.

Wild – Amazing Animals in a Changing World

Wild: Amazing Animals in a Changing World, a permanent exhibit, presents the fragile state of Australian biodiversity, environment, and climate through the display of more than 750 animal specimens, in a spectacular vertical array, from around the world from a natural history collection, arranged in a striking theatrical style, interactive and can be viewed from many angles. It also examines how they are affected by climate change and human activity, and what we can do to help them.

Amazing Animals of Eurasia and North America

Here, we saw the wildlife (birds, reptiles, mammals and amphibians) of Victoria’s unique environments displayed by biogeographic regions. On the panoramic navigators, we looked up each animal and saw which animals are thriving and which are merely surviving and learn what you can do to help them. We also learned about the migration of shorebirds over thousands of kilometers as they move between their feeding and nesting grounds

Sam the Koala

On permanent display in Wild are a Malleefowl nest, the Murray Cod (the Murray river’s biggest resident) and the taxidermied mount of Sam the Koala, a a female koala from the forests of Mirboo North and symbol of the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.

Marine Life- Exploring Our Seas

The Marine Life: Exploring our Seas Exhibit shows the wonderful life of marine Victoria and covers how Victoria’s marine creatures use camouflage, speed, poisons and spines to evade predators. Here, we investigate underwater ecosystems, inspect animal adaptations, explore marine habitats such as stunning sponge gardens and vibrant seagrass beds, and examine sharks jaws and a giant 10 m. long squid.

10 meter long squid

The 600 Million Years: Victoria Evolves Exhibit, opened in 2010, depicts the origins of Life in Victoria through fossils, models, animatronics (such as an animatronic Qantassaurus, a small dinosaur that lived in Victoria some 120 million years ago) and animations (shows how these animals moved, ate and battled to survive). Things that can be touched include the teeth of a giant shark, the skeleton of Archaeopteryx, and a sea floor that ended up high in the Grampian Mountains.

600 Million Years – Victoria Evolves

Starting with the explosion of life in the sea, you’ll see multicellular life, extraordinary body forms that have no living ancestors today, and early forms of ancient groups like crinoids, bryozoans and cephalopods. Next, we follow the evolution of life as it moved from sea to land and then diversified into the mammals, reptiles, birds and plants we know today.  We also learn about the geological processes that moved landmasses, built mountains and transformed rocks.

Deserts and Ice

Rocks and fossils show how the climate of Victoria has changed, from glacial to tropical and everything between, and the effects of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 65.5 million years ago.

Sandstone (Grampian Ranges – Silurian)

Fossils and specimens from the museum’s collections include irreplaceable skulls of giant megafauna, early whales and marsuipials long-gone from Australia’s mainland and some more prehistoric animals such as the Muttaburrasaurus, Tiktaalik and Anomalocaris.

Bugs Alive

The Bugs Alive! Exhibition, created in 2004, showcases the roles and life-cycles of the the invertebrates, a critically important animal group.  It features 50 living displays with an even greater number of species.

The Melbourne Gallery, at the east end, exhibits the mounted hide of Phar Lap, a beautiful chestnut gelding and race horse that won 37 races from 51 starts in 3 years, including the Melbourne Cup, during the depression era.

Phar Lap

The Melbourne Story explores the history of Melbourne and Victoria from the time of earliest contact between white settlers and local Indigenous people during early 19th century through to present day.

Little Lon, a predominantly working class area, was characterised by a series of laneways, with small properties packed together creating crowded and unsanitary conditions.

The museum is also custodian of artifacts excavated from ‘Little Lon’ is an inner-city block in Melbourne bordered by Lonsdale, Exhibition, Little Lonsdale and Spring Streets. The city’s “Red Light District,” Little Lon was also home to the city’s poorest residents and recently arrived immigrants from Ireland, Italy, China and Syria.

Model of the SS Orcades, an ocean liner serving primarily the UK – Australia – New Zealand route

The Mind and Body Gallery, a gallery regarding the human body, is the world’s first exhibition about the mind. The “Mind: Enter the Labyrinth,” a permanent exhibition, explores how the mind works and offers ways to understand such illnesses as bipolar disorder and depression.

The Ames room is a neat illusion because it can be instantiated in real space, as has been done in numerous science museums

“Empathy booths” show videos of actors performing real-life stories prepared by SANE, a mental-health advocacy group. Among its 300 exhibits are artworks, on loan from the Cunningham Dax psychiatric art collection, which include paintings by a 16-year-old girl, completed just before she committed suicide.

Mind and Body Gallery

The Evolution Gallery, at the upper level, features the exhibition “Darwin to DNA” which shows the roles of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in developing the theory of evolution. Displayed in historical showcases are actual animal specimens, that they collected, which helped them interpret evolutionary processes and patterns. The photos and specimens also illustrate conditions necessary for evolution, making youl consider how evolution acts upon genetic mutations.

Cunningham Dax psychiatric art collection

DNA evidence, which challenges previous notions of the uniqueness of humans and the concept of race and helps us examine the relationships between species, is also highlighted by this exhibition.

Forest Gallery

The Forest Gallery, the centerpiece of the museum building, is a living temperate Victorian forest environment, complete with hundreds of living plants and live animals such as birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates and other fauna.

This massive living and breathing exhibition, offering a window into the tall forests of eastern Victoria, is home to the ongoing Forest Secrets exhibition which examines the agents of change within the forests.

Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre

The Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, planned in collaboration with many Aboriginal people, including the traditional owners of Melbourne (the Boonwurrung and the Woi wurrung), includes galleries with exhibitions by and about the Koorie people and other Aboriginal peoples of Victoria.

Bunjilaka Welcome Rug

At the foyer/reception area is the amazing Bunjilaka Welcome Rug designed by artist Vicki Couzens to provide a focus and gathering point for welcoming visitors to Bunjilaka. The design symbolizes the pathway that people take to gather for a ceremony, dance or song.

Wurreka (Judy Watson)

Spanning the north wall of Birrarung Gallery and surrounding the entry to First Peoples is Wurreka, a zinc wall of 74 etched panels, each reflecting imagery from Aboriginal cultural heritage and landscapes of Victoria, designed by Waanyi artist Judy Watson from Queensland.

Te Pasifika Gallery

From the First Peoples gallery is the light filled Te Pasifika Gallery, a bright soaring space. This exhibition, which highlights the history and finely carved water crafts of Pacific island nations including Fiji, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Solomon Islands and Aotearoa (New Zealand), was developed in collaboration with the Pacific Island Advisory Group and community members in 1997 and was opened in 2001.

Here, we gaze up at the life-size crab claw sails, containing motifs of Melanesia in the north east, Micronesia in the North and Polynesia in the South East, created by the Victorian Pacific Island Council and community, and walk underneath exquisite canoes from Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Niue and the Marquesas Islands.

Te Pasifika Gallery

The Pauline Gandel Children’s Gallery, housings exhibitions aimed at 3 to 8 year olds, combines hands-on exploration and discovery, open-ended play-based learning, extraordinary immersive environments and unique museum collection objects.

Te Pasifika Gallery

The Touring Hall, where international touring exhibitions are displayed, has, in the past, exhibited “A Day In Pompeii” (June 26 to October 25, 2009, Melbourne Museum’s most popular temporary exhibition), “Hatching the Past: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies’ (May 30, 2008 to August 24, 2008), “The Great Wall of China: Dynasties, Dragons and Warriors” (March 23, 2007 to July 22, 2007), “Spirit of the Games: The Opening Ceremony Revealed” (March 18 to July 23, 2006) and “Dinosaurs from China” (2005).

Museum Market Cafe

In addition to its galleries, the museum also features the free Discovery Centre, a cafe (Museum Market Cafe), a souvenir shop (Museum Shop) and an IMAX Theatre screen showing movies and documentary films in large-screen 3-D format.

Museum Shop

Melbourne Museum: 11 Nicholson St., Carlton Gardens, 3053 Melbourne, Australia. Open daily, 10 AM – 5 PM (closed Good Friday and Christmas Day).

 

Fushan Temple (Jiufen, Taipei, Taiwan)

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

Fushan Temple

While walking up the main road during my joint exploration of Jiufen with Joyce Ventura, we reached the top of the hill  where the road split. I  decided to try the right (the left road, I learned later, goes to Jinguashi) and, after a nearly 1 km. hike, we espied the gaudy Fushan Temple.

The temple’s gray and deep, dark green facade

The 200-year-old Fushan Temple in Jiufen is one of several temples (the others are at Shuinandong and Jinguashi) that worship Tudigong (The God of Neighborhood or the Earth God, one of the least important gods in the Taoist religion). During the Japanese Colonial Era, Jiufen’s Fushan Temple was the biggest Tudigong Temple in Taiwan.

Check out “Jiufen Old Street“

The temple’s brightly colored  interior

At the time of the gold rush, residents and mine workers prayed in this temple for safety and good fortune as they go in search of gold. Even today, locals believe that the gods here still guard them with things other than gold.

The main altar

An interesting blend of Japanese, Chinese and European decorative motifs, this “temple within a temple” initially just worshiped Tudigong but, in 1935, Weng, Shan-Ying (the director of the Jiufen department of Taiyang Mining Company) initiated the renovation of this temple, building 2 halls beside the temple so that people can also worship Avalokiteshvara and the Goddess of Child-giving.

An intricately carved column

At the exterior are two old stone lamps while the interior sports a beautiful arched post-and-beam structure (made without nails and rarely seen in Taiwan), intricately carved stone pillars, and panels, including one over the main altar with several nude Western-style angels. Its stone sculptures were made with local sandstone.

An equally intricately carved panel

At the temple atrium is a wishing well. The temple is surrounded by a Japanese style garden.Visitors and photographers can enjoy the cherry blossoms in March and April.

Fushan Temple: 1 Lunding Road (on the east side of 102 County Road and Lunding Road intersection), Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 224. Open daily, 6 AM – 6 PM.

Eagle Tours: +886-910-130-180 (Mr. Vincent Chen) and +886-932-013-880 (Ms. Joyce Chen). 

How to Get There:  There is a bus station here and bus service between RuiFang and Fushan Temple.

Balesin Island Club (Polillo, Quezon)

Posted on by — 6 Comments ↓

Balesin Island seen from the air. In the foreground is Toscana Village

I’ve already heard about Balesin Island, off the eastern coast of Luzon, since way back in high school from my classmate Anthony Tordesillas whose father, the late Board of Investment head Edgardo Tordesillas, owned the island.  A chance encounter with Anthony after high school elicited an invitation to visit the island with him but, for reasons I can’t recall, wasn’t able to join him.  After Anthony’s passing in 2012, I thought the opportunity to visit this now members-only, private leisure getaway, now called Balesin Island Club, has finally passed me by.

Map of the island

That is, until lately when my wife Grace and her boss Engr. Loy Ganzon (Chairman of the Board of E. Ganzon, Inc.) were invited to a wedding there as godparents.  Jandy, Cheska, Bryan, Kyle and I gladly joined them.

One of the island’s banyan (balete) trees

The island’s name is a combination of two Filipino words – balete (local name for a banyan tree) and asin (local word for “salt”). Now Alphaland Corporation’s flagship project, Balesin Island Club is a 500-hectare, 5 km. long tropical island paradise with 7.3 kms. of pristine white-sand beaches. Around 10% of the island has been developed to create this award-winning luxury resort.

One of the island’s white sand beaches

The island was titled as a single property in 1926 (although the name of the original owner is unknown).  Immediately before and after World War II, the island was owned by the Pelejo and Jugueta families. In 1958, these families sold the island to the San Pablo Oil Company (now making Minola Cooking Oil) owned by 63 year old German expatriate and naturalized Filipino citizen Werner P. Schetelig.  After Schetelig died in 1962, Felipe “Baby” Ysmael (of Ysmael Steel) then bought the island from San Pablo Oil Company.

In 1967, Edgardo Tordesillas, business executive and amateur pilot, acquired the island from Felipe and set about building tourism facilities on the island, first building cottages (to house his family and guests) and, later, a nipa-roofed clubhouse, swimming pool, tennis courts and a 9-hole golf course. He also planted thousands of trees as well as many kinds of ornamental plants.  In 2011, Roberto V. Ongpin, Chairman of Alphaland Corporation (founded in 2007) acquired the island from the Tordedeillas family (Edgardo died in 2005) and developed Balesin Island Club.

Two offshore islands

Balesin, master-planned by EcoPlan of Miami, Florida, USA to optimize ecological sustainability, was meticulously designed to be in perfect harmony with its natural surroundings.  With the enhancement of everything in its environment uppermost in their mind without scrimping on luxurious, top-notch facilities, Alphaland adapted the “Three Pillar Innovation” – People, Planet and Profit.

Water reservoir

They reduced the amount of waste and ensured sustainable development via the island-wide rain water harvesting (runoff from the 1.5-km. airport runway provides over 100 million liters of water annually), 80% water recycling (for landscaping during the summer), a reverse osmosis plant, on-site eco-friendly transportation, organic farming, and alternative sources of energy.

Organic vegetable farm

The island’s coral reefs were also managed for diving and sustainable fishing. During the 14th United Nations World Tourism Organization Awards, the resort nabbed second-place for Innovation and Excellence in Tourism — the first in the history of the Philippines.

Alphaland Aviation Lounge

Our early morning journey to Balesin began at their cool, quiet and comfortable private terminal lounge at Alphaland Aviation Lounge in Manila, arriving there by 5 AM.

Our 68-seater ATR 72-100 at the hangar

After checking in our luggage and relaxing at the lounge while waiting for our flight, we boarded our 68-seater ATR 72-100 and were soon on our way.

On board and on our way….  L-R: Jandy, Engr. Loy Ganzon (Chairman of the Board of E. Ganzon, Inc.), Ms. Mamel Yap (E.G.I.), Bryan and Kyle

Alphaland operates two of these jets plus one 19-seater British Aerospace Jetstream 32 and two 9-seater Cessna 208B Grand Caravans) and took off for the island just before 8 AM.

Landfall at E.L. Tordesillas Airport

We arrived at the island’s aptly named E.L. Tordesillas Airport by 8:20 AM.  At the Welcome Center, we were briefed by the staff on the island’s facilities and, after picking up our luggage, were brought to our respective villas via airconditioned vans.  We stayed 2 nights at Phuket Village and another night at Costa del Sol. After checking in, we had a late breakfast at Balesin Sala in Balesin Village.

Check out “Resort Review: Balesin Island Club – Phuket Village” and “Resort Review: Balesin Island Club – Costa del Sol”

Welcome Center

The beauty of the island was a world completely unto itself, with seven theme villages patterned and inspired from the most alluring, world-class luxury beach destinations where everything, from the architecture, interior design, landscaping and food, is authentically recreated – Balinese for Bali Village, Greek for Mykonos Village, French (Riviera) for St. Tropez Village, Spanish for Costa del Sol, Filipino at Balesin Village, Italian (Tuscany) at Toscana Village and Thai for Phuket Village.

Check out “Balesin Island Club – Bali Village,” “Balesin Island Club – Costa del Sol,” “Balesin Island Club – Mykonos Village,” “Balesin Island Club – St. Tropez Village,” “Balesin Island Club – Balesin Village” and “Balesin Island Club – Toscana Village”

The Clubhouse

The Clubhouse has a reception area, a cigar lounge where you can light up a fine cigar (Tabacalera Cigar Divan),  gaming room (billiards, table tennis, a Wii console), a 600 sq.m. function area, a fully equipped conference room (for large gatherings and private meetings), seven 2-bedroom unit Clubhouse Suites, KTV rooms (Mike’s and Rannie’s), souvenir shop, music lounge, view deck, veranda, library, mahjong and poker room, internet gaming/business center, salon and barber shop, children’s indoor playroom, screening room, locker rooms, boutique and medical clinic.

The Clubhouse Lounge

It also has a number of bars (Lobby Bar, Coral Bar) and restaurants – Sakura Japanese Restaurant  (for sushi and teppanyaki dishes), the Dining Room, Balesin Dining Room and Han Gang Restaurant plus private dining rooms (Michelle’s and Anna’s).

Reception Area at Clubhouse

Outside are exquisitely designed swimming pools  (adult and kiddie) and 3 whirlpools, bars and private beach cabanas.    The Aquatic Sports Center offers waterskiing, kayaking, windsurfing, snorkeling, wakeboarding, scuba diving, stand-up paddle boarding, boat rentals, deep sea fishing, Hobie Cat sailing, Frisbees, volleyball and paraw sailing.

The clubhouse’s swimming pool

Docked offshore for sunset cruises is Balesin’s new super yacht, the M/Y Obsessions, a sleek, 130-foot, aluminum-hull  vessel built by Heesen Yachts in the Netherlands.  Its decadent interiors were designed by Ann Van Der Kamp and Diaship, using sumptuous materials from Gianni Versace’s luxury Italian label.

The M/Y Obsessions

On our second day, after breakfast Jandy and I made a tour around the island. Aside from the airconditioned vans, jeepneys and buses, the resort also uses electric golf carts to go around the island to reduce its carbon footprints.

One of the jeepneys that transports guest around the island

We visited the Ifugao Village where an entire community of Ifugao woodcarvers lived.  The furniture on the island, both modern and traditional, was made by them and they also produce art pieces, sculpture as well as souvenir items for sale to visitors.

Jandy in front of the Ifugao Camp

We also visited the Sports Center with its fully-equipped gym, badminton courts, basketball court, tennis courts, martial arts studio, airsoft target shooting range, soccer field, running track, rock climbing wall, table tennis and refreshment bars.

Sports Center

A fenced part of the jungle houses tactical formations for paintball and war games, a stable for Segways, and Knockerballs. There’s also horse riding stables, an archery range, golf driving range and putting green.

Soccer Field

The island is also home to the Aegle Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art integrative health & wellness center nominated as Medi-Spa of the Year in the 2017 Asia Spa Awards.  It is the only place in the Philippines, and among the few in Asia, that offers thalassotherapy, a medical treatment for weight loss and detoxification that makes use of the components of seawater.

Pony Paddock

On our third day, scheduled afternoon tour, this time via an airconditioned bus, took us around the island, visiting each of the aforementioned 7 themed villages.

The Greek-themed Mykonos Village

Toscana Village

The French Riviera-inspired St. Tropez

Balesin Village

We also visited the Family Picnic Grove and Organic Farm where seafood and organic produce, for the restaurants, are cultivated at specially made fish pens and greenhouses, respectively.

Family Picnic Grove and Organic Farms

Bryan, Kyle and Cheska at the Family Picnic Grove and Organic Farms

At the Aviary (a joint undertaking of Balesin Island Club and the Tobiano family), we had intimate encounters with some exotic birds.

The Aviary

These include blue and gold macaw (Ara ararauna), African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus), Victoria crown pigeon (Goura victoria), scarlet macao (Ara macao), Indian blue peacock (Pavo cristatus), among others.

The author with a pigeon

It is also home to a pair of African spurred tortoises (Centrochelys sulcata) and rabbits.

The open-air chapel

The open-aired Chapel across the latter, with amphitheater-like seating and wooden altar, was where the wedding took place.  We also heard mass here.

The rustic chapel interior

The wedding reception was held at The Salon, the elegant function hall which accommodates up to 350 guests for sit-down banquets, at the majestic Balesin Royal Villa, facing Lamon Bay and its gorgeous sunset.  It also has an a bar facility, a 10-person elevator for easy access to the upper and lower floors from

Balesin Royal Villa

The Salon, state-of-the-art karaoke room as well as billiard and foosball tables.  The ten 120 sq.m. Royal suites located on the ground floor, each have a terrace providing direct access to the 2 swimming pools (with jet bubblers and 4 sunning decks) and private, white-sand beach.

Entrance to Balesin Royal Villas

The four 317 sq.m. Maharlika suites, on the upper level, have their own living area, terrace, and outdoor jacuzzi. All Balesin Royal Villa suites have magnificent views of the sea, and accommodate up to 4 people each.

Fish Fun

As we just stayed on the island for three days, we didn’t get to experience all the different cuisine the island had to offer but we did get to try breakfast at Balesin Sala (Balesin Village) and the Main Clubhouse (the centerpiece of the resort together with the state-of-the-art wellness facility), Spanish cuisine for lunch at Casa Grande (Costa del Sol) and, for dinner, Thai cuisine at Sawadee (Phuket Village) and Japanese cuisine at Sakura (Main Clubhouse).

Balesin Sports Bar

Bryan playing billiards at the Sports Bar

Sakura, the club’s most popular restaurant, is located inside the main clubhouse.  Led by chef Edo-san, it houses a teppanyaki counter and sushi bar, and serves everything from soba to tempura to prime steak.  Favorites include the much sought-after popped rice starter with its poetic presentation, the Edo-san maki of eel, cream cheese, avocado, tobiko and topped with baked crab, the spider roll, sea bass with miso, beef usuyaki, and the beef and seafood teppanyaki with fried rice.

Balesin Island Club: Brgy. Balesin, Polillo 4339, Quezon.

Metro Manila Corporate Office: Alphaland Corporation, Alphaland Makati Place, 7232 Ayala Ave. Extn., 1209 Makati City, Metro Manila.  Tel: +63.2.5337.2031 and +63.2.5337.2055 loc 271 to 274 (Reservations). Fax: +63.2.5338.1231,  E-mail: info@alphaland.com.ph. Website: www.balesin.com.

Caleruega Retreat Center (Nasugbu, Batangas)

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

Dominicum (Caleruega Retreat Center)

After a filling lunch at Josephine’s Restaurant in Tagaytay City, Mark, Jandy, Vicky, Marc, Bryan and I opted to go on a sightseeing trip.  Back on Mark’s Starex van, we traveled a further 15.7 kms. (25 mins.) to the town of Nasugbu, in the adjoining province of Batangas, where we were to visit the much hyped up retreat center and wedding venue called Caleruega. Designed by Arch. Yolanda D. Reyes (Dean of UST’s College of Architecture) and built in 1995, Caleruega was set up as a venue for retreats and seminars of the Dominican institutions.

Mark (center) and Vicky (right) exploring the grounds

 

The much-publicized wedding of Christopher de Leon and Sandy Andolong gave Caleruega its early exposure and, today, it is a lovely setting for an out of town wedding for brides and grooms.  Even movies and television ads producers have taken notice.

United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) 1996 Design Award in Architecture

From the highway, we turned into of a long, rough, bumpy and isolated road, at the end of which is the sprawling, 8-hectare property owned by the Dominican Fathers. We parked our van just outside.  Past brick-paved rotunda and fountain is the Dominicum (which we mistook to be a chapel), the receiving hall for visitors and those having their retreats at the place.

Perched atop an elevation with a 21 steps leading up to it, its two level Moorish and Spanish-style facade has a segmental arched main entrance flanked by square pilasters and niches with statues of Thomas Aquinas and Catherine of Sienna, both doctors of the church, at the ground level.

Stairway leading up to the Dominicum

The main entrance is topped, at the second level, by a semicircular arched window with the stained glass image of St. Dominic, founder of the Dominican order.  This window is flanked by smaller semicircular arched windows with stained glass images of his father’s coat-of-arms on the left and his mother’s coat-of-arms on the right.

Stained glass window depicting St. Dominic

The four square pilasters (two reaching up to the pediment) are topped by pineapple (probably hinting at its proximity to Tagaytay)-shaped finials.  The undulating pediment has a bell-gable (espadana) at the center.

Grand stairway

Inside is a grand, elegantly curving staircase (unfortunately, off limits to visitors), a gift house (where one can buy souvenir shirts, trinkets and religious items) on the left, a mess hall on the right and a corridor that leads to the gardens.

Mess hall

From the Dominicum, pathways, following the natural curves and slope of the hill, lead us into a garden bursting with color and life. It was easy to fall in love with the serenity and beauty of this gorgeous retreat sanctuary with its abundant and colorful varieties of flowers, lush plants and trees and walking paths.

In the comforting company of nature, one can sit on solitary park benches, found in niches, and gaze at the 180-degree view of cobalt-blue skies,  the rolling, verdant hills and mountains and the plains. Caleruega’s tag line, “Closer to Nature, Closer to God,” is a fitting description of this nourishing sanctuary.

Lining the pathway are functional dormitories, cottages and overnight guests plus an interesting gazekubo, a conference hall that mixes the elements of a gazebo and a bahay kubo, with adobe stone walls roof made with once brown pawid (now green with small plant growth).

Gazekubo

The many signs and symbols of the Dominicans were abundantly integrated into the architecture.  The motif of the Dominican star (Joanna of Aza, St. Dominic’s mother, saw a star on her son’s forehead, a sign that he would eventually spread light to the world), as well as the sun, can be consistently seen in the refreshing fountain on the driveway, capiz windows, grilles and even inside cottages in the retreat center.

There were also viewing decks where one can witness the stunning show and the magical moment of the sun setting between the two rugged peaks of Batulao (incidentally, the name Batulao is derived from the words bato, meaning “stone,” and “ilaw or “light”), creating the perfect mood for love. St. Dominic’s Point, another beautiful vantage point, has a statue of St. Dominic, his feet lined with a star formation of fuchsia plants.  Rosary Lane, framed by the rolling hills of Mt. Batulao, has a statue of the Mother and Child sitting in prayer, each clutching a rosary.

At the peak was the famed, stunning and quaint Transfiguration Chapel with its Moorish-style facade done in red brick and painted concrete. When we arrived, a wedding was ongoing inside the chapel.  Patterned after the original Caleruega Chapel in Spain, it can fit only 150 people.  Its door has a brass sculpture of seven grapevines (symbolizing the Seven Sacraments).

Transfiguration Chapel

The chapel’s interior, finished with varnished wood and painted concrete, has a lectern with Biblical images of the mustard seed while the tabernacle has a burning bush design.  The altar, made from a carved tree trunk, signifies the Stem of Jesse in the Book of Isaiah. The birds, at the communion table, symbolize God’s providence.

The chapel interior with its centerpiece stained glass window featuring the Transfiguration – Moses on the left, Jesus at center and the prophet Elijah at the right

The stained glass windows of the chapel, giving a very soft and warm glow to the interior (an atmosphere conducive for prayers and reflections), were impressive. On the facade is the seal of the Dominican Province of the Philippines. Inside is the centerpiece of the church floor to ceiling stained glass of the figures of Transfiguration (Jesus, Moses and Elijah).

The author at the Transfiguration Chapel

In front of the chapel is “Thy Will Be Done,” a metal sculpture with arms outstretched done by Baguio City artist Benhur Villanueva. Surrounding the chapel are carefully selected plants and trees (the planted pine trees even mimic the Mediterranean setting where St. Dominic was born in 1170 in Caleruega in Old Castile).

Thy Will Be Done (Benhur Villanueva)

Caleruega is a lovely, quiet and soothing addition to the 39 Catholic houses (retreat houses, formation houses, seminaries and contemplative groups) tucked along Tagaytay Ridge as well as over a dozen Christian lay communities and prayer houses.

Caleruega Retreat Center: Bgry. Kaylaway, Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas.  Mobile number: (0921) 270-9890 and (0921) 830-4226.  E-mail: caleruega_philippines@yahoo.com. Open daily, 8 AM – 12 noon and 1 – 5 PM. A mass is held every Sunday at 11 AM.

How to Get There:
Coming from Tagaytay City, board a Nasugbu bound bus and ask the driver to drop you off at Evercrest where there’s a tricycle station.  Here, you can hire a tricycle for a two-way trip to Caleruega.

Hong Kong Cultural Centre (Hong Kong)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Hong Kong Cultural Center

The Hong Kong Cultural Centre (Chinese: 香港文化中心), a multipurpose performance facility, is one of the most iconic cultural buildings in the city.  Together with the adjacent historic historic Clock Tower,  they are tourist favorites for grabbing photos of Victoria Harbor.

The center is located on the southwestern tip of Tsim Sha Tsui, on the former location of the Kowloon Station of the Kowloon-Canton Railway. Adjacent to the centre on the west is the Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier of the Star Ferry, while to the east are the Hong Kong Space Museum and Hong Kong Museum of Art.

Check out “Hong Kong Space Museum“

Built and operated by the former Urban Council , its construction was started in 1986 and the venue was officially opened on November 8, 1989, in a ceremony officiated by Charles, Prince of Wales and Princess Diana who unveiled a commemorative plaque.

Auditoria Building

The center opened with the International Celebration of the Arts, a special program that ran from November 5 to December 6.  The program showcased Hong Kong musicians, Kunju opera, Cantonese music and performances by a range of international artists including the Cologne Opera, the Alban Berg Quartett, Sadao Watanabe, and the first Hong Kong appearance of guitarist John Williams.

Studio Theatre

Since 2000, it has been administered by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government.  Today, this curved and concave shaped building is the go-to venue for a wide variety of cultural performances such as international touring theatre shows, world-class concerts, opera and performances. The trademark beige bricks of the building also make it a popular background for wedding photo shoots.

The 2,019-seat Concert Hall, the home of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, is an oval two-tiered auditorium.  The acoustics in the Concert Hall are often praised for elevating any musical performances thanks to its high quality oak panels and ceiling.

It includes an adjustable acoustic canopy and curtains and houses an 8,000-pipe, 93-stop pipe organ, the largest mechanical tracker action organ in Asia.  Built by Austrian firm Rieger Orgelbau at the cost of $10 million, it was installed from August to November in 1989.  It has been recorded by Christopher Herrick on Organ Fireworks VIII.

The Grand Theatre, designed for large scale opera, ballet, and musicals, has 1,734 seats in three tiers. The annual Hong Kong Film Award presentation ceremony also takes place there. The Studio Theatre, with 300 to 496 seats (depending upon the set-up), can accommodate smaller-scale theatre and performance works.  The center also has an Exhibition Gallery, 4 foyer exhibition areas and 11 rehearsal and practice rooms.

Hong Kong Cultural Centre: L5, Auditoria Building, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2734 2009. Website: www.lcsd.gov.hk.

How to Get There: The centre is adjacent to the Star Ferry Pier (you can also take the Star Ferry from Central or Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui and walk to the centre) and the Star Ferry bus terminus served by Kowloon Motor Bus. It is also within walking distance to Tsim Sha Tsui Station (Exit E) and East Tsim Sha Tsui Station (Exit L6 or J), which serve the Tsuen Wan Line and West Rail Line respectively.

 

Heritage of Cebu Monument (Cebu City, Cebu)

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

Heritage of Cebu Monument

The Heritage of Cebu Monument, a visually and contextually interesting tableau of concrete, bronze, brass and steel sculptures in the historic Parian District, shows scenes of significant and symbolic events in the history of Cebu back from the time of Rajah Humabon to the recent beatification of the Cebuano martyr, Pedro Calungsod.

Battle of Mactan

It was built on the site of the St. John the Baptist Church which was demolished in 1875 by the diocese of Cebu.  This work of art stands on a traffic circle, with narrow streets flanking the sides. Across the street is the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House.

Check out “Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House”

Galleon Trade

The late, multi-awarded Cebuano sculptor Eduardo Castrillo designed and conceptualized the monument and, with the late Senator Marcelo Fernan, together with donations from other private individuals and organizations, funded the construction of the monument.

Plaque

Construction began in July 1997 and, after three years, the monument was inaugurated on December 8, 2000.

Magellan’s Cross

The structures carved into the huge monolith are the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, the St. John the Baptist Church, the Magellan’s Cross, and a Spanish Galleon while scenes depicted are the baptism of Rajah Humabon and his followers to Christianity, the local revolution against the Spanish rule, a procession of the Santo Niño, a Roman Catholic mass, and the April 21, 1521 Battle of Mactan between Lapu-Lapu and Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. The persons depicted in the monument include the late president Sergio Osmena Sr. and St. Pedro Calungsod.

Spanish Galleon

Heritage of Cebu Monument: Sikatuna St., Plaza Parian, Cebu City, Cebu.

How to Get There: Jeepneys along Colon Street, with the signboard showing “SM” and “Pier,” pass by the monument. You may also take a taxicab as most drivers are familiar with the place. From Ayala Center or SM, it is a 15-20 min. taxi ride.

“Faith, Tradition and Place: Bangsamoro Art from the National Ethnographic Collection” Exhibit (Manila)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

The “Faith, Tradition and Place: Bangsamoro Art from the National Ethnographic Collection” Exhibit, opened last October 2014 in collaboration with the Magbassa Kita Foundation Inc., as part of the Eid’l Adha celebration, is a permanent exhibition on the rich material cultural heritage of the Islamic cultures in Mindanao, Southern Philippines.

Check out “National Museum of Anthropology”

A feast for my eyes, this region known for their ornate decorations and embellishments that are not only manifested in objects regarded meaningful or significant within various social, economic, political, or ritual contexts, but are also remarkably evident in the mundane and utilitarian.

The museum’s fourth permanent exhibit, on view at this exhibit are 251 objects, from the museum’s National Ethnographic Collection, whose particular technological and artistic elements not only express indigenous traditions but also manifest cultural connections and influences among these ethnically diverse groups especially in relation to the Islamic and Southeast Asian cultural traditions.

The sarimanok is an example of the carving tradition called okir/ukkil, which refers to a particular curvilinear design pattern predominantly and distinctly used by the Muslim groups in southern Philippines. This pattern specifically consists of a combination of stylized scrolls, plant-like design such as leaves, vines and ferns, bird-like designs, naga (serpent/dragon) designs and various geometric shapes.

These objects are emphasized as part of feasts, playing valuable and varied roles among Bangsamoro culture, including creating and keeping social identities and memories, as well as developing, consolidating and negotiating political power.

Sundok (grave marker)

Through the visual exploration of the material culture of the region, this exhibition examines the cultural interactions of the Bangsamoro cultures which, though bound together by their common adherence to the Islamic faith, still maintain their distinct ethnic cultures and identities.

Panolong with naga motif

Exchange systems, such as gifts, barter and trade are, moreover, meant to be articulated by the exhibition. Also featured here are complex relationships accentuated by the festivals, accomplishing work, developing prestige technologies, fostering artistic traditions and providing connections to the supernatural as well as to the ancestral world.

The tabo (drum) is a signaling instrument horizontally suspended in front of mosques. A standard rhythm calls people to prayer on Fridays, while a more intricate tempo is played during Ramadan

The star of the exhibit is the Koran of Bayang, a copy of the Koran supposedly handwritten in the mid-19th century. Said to have been originally owned by the Bayang family of Lanao del Sur, it was was copied by Saidna, a hajj from Lake Lanao while on a respite in Palembang, Sumatra, after his pilgrimage to Mecca. In 1902, US soldiers allegedly seized the copy and brought it to America where it was turned over to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

Koran of Bayang

The copy was stored in the Department of Archives until 1966. In 1979, it was returned to the Philippines and was supposed to be delivered to the Mindanao State University in Marawi City a year later, but a typhoon forced a change of plans. Meanwhile, then First Lady Imelda Marcos reportedly took an interest in the copy and it was transferred to Malacañang. The book was “feared lost” after the 1986 Edsa uprising but Barns said the Presidential Museum eventually “made it available for public display.”

Rarub-a-kulong (armor) and kulong sa ulo (helmet)

Also on display are a rarub-a-kulong (armor) and kulong sa ulo (helmet) of brass and carabao horn used by ancient Maranao warriors; a wall ornament depicting the heroic mythical character Prince Indarapatra; a wooden winged horse (on loan from the Henry W. Fernandez collection) which boasts of ornate and curvy engraved details; swords (kris) and a  kinupud, a canopy of silk and cotton used by Maranao royalty to cover their beds.

The elaborately decorated kinupud are used for beds of members of royal families

A  boraq, a winged creature with hair and fur details made of abaca, was carved by Maranao craftsmen from Lanao del Sur.

A Maranao borak/buraq made of carved wood or a combination of wood and ivory, embellished with multi-colored paint, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, or decorated with brass plates/sheets, bells and hair. As told in the Islam miʿrāj or the ascension of the Prophet Muhammad into heaven, the winged borak, half-human and half-horse, carried him in his journey from the sacred place of worship Mecca to Jerusalem then to heaven which explains how he completed travelling between the cities in a single night. The borak is also described as a white animal, half-mule or half-donkey, with wings on its sides which replaced the ladder as Muhammad’s means of access into heaven. While there is no reference as to the sex and human qualities of the borak in hadith or record of traditions or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, the Maranao sometimes portrays it with a face of a woman.

A colorful, wood and metal Maranao kokora could be mistaken for a four-legged creature or a life-size action figure. Note that the creature looks up to a contraption attached to its head that is actually a coconut grater. Those who grate coconuts have to literally ride the kokora to do the job.

Maranao kokora

A sataran, a Maranao chess set of wood and silver, is bordered by an intricate design carved from mother-of-pearl, while an elaborately-carved, throne-like wooden korsi, where a kulintang (8 gongs laid horizontally on a stand) player sits while entertaining royalty, has a sarimanok at front and center. A tabo, a signaling instrument, is horizontally suspended in front of mosques.

Korsi

“Faith, Tradition and Place: Bangsamoro Art from the National Ethnographic Collection” Exhibit: 3/F, National Museum of Anthropology, Agrifina Circle (or Teodoro  Valencia Circle, adjacent to the National Museum of Fine Arts building),Padre Burgos Drive, Rizal Park, Ermita, Manila. Tel: (02) 8528-4912 (02) 8527-1232 (Ethnology Division) and (02) 8527-0278. E-mail: nationalmuseumph@gmail.com and nationalmuseumph.anthropology@gmail.com.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 AM – 5 PM. Admission is free.

Church of the Holy Trinity (Loay, Bohol)

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

Church of the Holy Trinity

Upon arrival in Loay, our van entered the  church complex via the short bend from the road to Loboc. This old and charming church, built on top of a plateau overlooking the sea, near the mouth of the Loboc River, is also reached by short flight of stairs from the main highway.

The church after the October 15, 2013 earthquake (photo: Wikipedia)

Built with cut coral stone, it is cruciform in plan, with a low quadrangular pyramid atop the crossing, and was probably finished in 1822. The church was recently declared as a National Cultural Treasure and National Historical Landmark in 2003.

The restored portico facade

The church has two facades: an inner (1822), decorated with low relief (atop the inner doorway is inscribed the year 1822, indicating its presumed date of completion), and an outer three-level Neo-Classical portico-façade (apparently completed in the 20th century as its upper register is in reinforced concrete).

NHI Plaque.  It states that a certain Fr. Leon Inchausti was once assigned to this parish, that he was subsequently martyred during the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War and that he was canonized in 1999 and is now a saint

It has a semicircular arched main entrance (which formerly had a Latin inscription “Deus Trinus et Unus” above it, alluding to the parish’s dedication to the Holy Trinity) at the first level, rectangular windows on the second level and a low triangular pediment topped by allegorical figures of Faith, Hope and Charity. The sides of the church are reinforced by huge buttresses.

The ceiling murals obscured by a maze of scaffolding

During the October 15, 2013 earthquake, the church’s portico-facade fell down but, during our visit, it had already been restored. Inside, there were still a lot of scaffolding with repair work still ongoing.  The painted trompe o’eil ceiling is filled with murals of Biblical scenes finished by Ray Francia on June 15, 1927.

The colonnaded main altar has a Neo-Classic retablo with images of the Holy Trinity (with God the Father seated on the right, God the Son on the left, and God the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove above them) topped by a baldaquin.

There’s also a massive pipe organ installed in 1841 and a pulpit topped by a torravoz with Neo-Gothic dome and fringed by a “lacework” of metal and wood.

Stairs leading to the choir loft

The separate, three-storey octagonal bell tower, topped by a domed roof, was built by Fr. Carlos Ubeda (1859 to 1865).  The stone and wood convent now houses the Holy Trinity Academy, founded in 1947.

The separate, 3-storey bell tower

Church of the Holy Trinity: Tel: (038) 538-9158 and (038) 501-1145. Feast of the Holy Trinity: Trinity Sunday (May).

How to Get There: Loay is located 22.1 kms. (a 30-min. drive) east of Tagbilaran City.

Bohol Tourism Office: Governor’s Mansion Compound, C.P.G. Ave. North, Tagbilaran City, 6300 Bohol.  Tel: +63 38 501-9186.  E-mail: inquire@boholtourismph.com.

Panglao Bluewater Resort: Bluewater Rd., Sitio Daurong, Brgy. Danao, Panglao, 6340 Bohol.  Tel: (038) 416-0702 and (038) 416-0695 to 96. Fax: (038) 416-0697.  Email: panglao@bluewater.com.ph. Website: www.bluewaterpanglao.com.ph.  Manila sales office: Rm. 704, Cityland Herrera Tower, Rufino cor. Valera Sts., Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 817-5751 and (632) 887-1348.  Fax: (632) 893-5391.