"Utsav": UP Asian Center's Festival of India 2015

- Nov. 10, 2015, Tuesday.

- Two years after the UP Diliman Asian Center's first ever "Festival of India" (click here to see,) a second "Festival of India" showers the Asian Center center with mesmerizing colors and age-old cultures. While the first "Festival of India" is in line with India's Ratha Yatra festival (divine chariot pulling,) the "Festival of India" this 2015 is entitled "Utsav" (one of the Hindi words for "celebration") and is in line with this year's Diwali festival. Diwali is the festival of lights, and some Hindus consider it as the new year. (Click here to see this year's Diwali Mela held in SM Mall of Asia, to have a better idea on Diwali.)

Event poster.

- This year, I was not able to attend the whole-day event since I had classes to teach in the afternoon. I was also wondering why they held the event on a Tuesday, instead of a weekend, when more people are surely more available. Despite this, a good number of students and other visitors attended the event.

- Right before the event, I was seated behind incumbent UP chancellor, Dr. Michael Tan, and the ambassador of India to the Philippines, H.E. Lalduhthlana Ralte. While both of them were talking, the ambassador suddenly faced me and introduced me to Dr. Michael Tan. I found that funny and ironic, since I am a UP graduate, and with that thought it would be more sensible for the chancellor to introduce me to the ambassador - however, the reverse took place. I was not too sure what they were talking about, but I was pleasantly surprised when it happened. It was an honor to know that the ambassador recognizes me, and that he knew and understood my passion and enthusiasm towards his country.

- The festival started with a ceremonial lighting of the oil lamps, and the remarks by Dr. Michael Tan,  H.E. L.D. Ralte, and Dr. Joefe Santartia, current dean of the UP Asian Center, and my MA adviser. Afterwards, a short opening bhajan (devotional song) and a Carnatic song (South-Indian style,) both facilitated by Ms. Mythili Balasubramanium.

Ceremonial lighting.

H.E. L.D. Ralte.

Dr. Joefe Santarita.

Carnatic music.

- The highlight of the morning session was the Bharatanatyam by Ms. Priya from Natya Mandala. Natya Mandala is the Philippines' first Bharatanatyam dance group, headed and usually choreographed by Ms. Shanti Sreedhar; I was fortunate to have attended one of their previous performances, during Swami Vivekananda's birthday (click here to see,) As for Bharatanatyam, it is an Indian dance originally from the southern state of Tamil Nadu, but is widely practiced even by non-Tamils in India and abroad.

Ms. Priya from Natya Mandala.

Bharatanatyam has a lot of stomping.

A quick "Nataraja" pose. I was a split-second late.

End of dance.

- Before the cultural workshops started the ambassador became an "instant celebrity," with people lining up to talk to him and take photos with him. In my case, I just did a quick small talk with him, and handed him my new professional calling card before leaving the event to go to work.

With H.E. Lalduhthlana Ralte. It's an honor to have spoken to you, and a bigger honor to know that you remember me.

With Ms. Priya and Ms. Mythili. My Indian costume fits in!!

- I know I missed a lot after I left, like the yoga session, music performances, the Bollywood dance workshop, and the screening of one of the most well-loved internationally-targeted Bollywood films - "Three Idiots." I also missed the free vegetarian lunch (boo.)

- India truly is incredible, and despite its flaws (and any country has its own,) I cannot describe the whole of India with any other word. It is one of the countries to have successfully preserved its cultures and traditions locally and through its overseas communities, while continuing to develop, modernize, and compete well in different fields and sectors. I do hope that more people will learn about and understand India, and UP Asian Center's "Festival of India" is one of the ways that India's wonder is brought to the Filipinos.

Light Up the World!!: Diwali Mela 2015 in SM Mall of Asia

- Nov. 7, 2015, Saturday.

- Time flies faster than one can imagine, and it didn't occur to me that Diwali has arrived once again. Diwali is the pan-Indian festival of lights, and is celebrated in 5 days. Each day has its own name, significance, and set of rituals. However, the main focus on this post, is the annual public "Diwali Mela" (roughly translated as "Diwali Feast/Fiesta,") organized by various associations of the Metro Manila Indian community, and SM Mall of Asia. (See the Diwali Mela of 2012 here, and 2014 here; wasn't able to go in 2013.)

It's Diwali!!

Lakshmi.

Plenty of Indians.

Krishna and Radha from the ISKCON stall.

Pani puri - one of the most interesting Indians snacks. 

Event poster.

- At first, this year's Diwali Mela seemed to resemble every Diwali Mela in the past - a lot of stalls selling Indian food, and some stalls selling Indian trinkets, snacks, and travel services. The Mela started with the ambassador and the other VIPs offering flowers and candles to the goddess Lakshmi, who happens to be one of the most important deities in Diwali; she is the goddess of wealth, purity, and prosperity. Lakshmi is said to visit and bless those who have lit diyas (clay lamps,) fireworks, firecrackers, and sparklers.

The ambassador and other VIPs.

Doing a puja (offering) for Lakshmi.

- As the performances started, I got to meet my Indian friend Hitesh, and later on, my friend Krissa with her sister. Hitesh had to meet his other Indian friends, so I mainly stayed with Krissa and her sister, and gave them a short "lecture" on Diwali, the Indian culture, and the Metro-Manila Indian community.

Bharatanatyam, one of India's classical dances.

Some kids from the Indian community.

Desi Boyz, one of the mainstays of Indian events in Metro Manila.

With Krissa and her sister.

- Krissa and her sister had to leave after some lighter numbers, but it was then when things started to become more interesting. For one, the Punjabi wonder kid Rahmat (I hope the spelling is correct) was asked to do his solo bhangra number as before. He's a really talented kid, and he always credits his slightly-older sister as his dance instructor.

The Punjabi boy wonder.

He's a real superstar trust me.

The Punjabis can't resist.

Rahmat's sister and cousin; they're superstars too!!

- My favorite part of the night was when the hosts announced that the Indian community organized a multicultural dance, supposedly with dances from 14 states. Towards the last part of this grand performance, however, the last dancer who represented Northeast India was not given a chance to dance; I knew there was a situation going on, but I was not able to find out what happened exactly. Still, the dances from Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Sindh (though it's actually in Pakistan now; but a significant population of the Indians in Manila is Sindhi.) This is the first time that I've seen a grand ensemble of Indian dances being done in Manila, and I do hope to see (and for the Filipinos to see) the different aspects of "Indian" culture beyond what everyone sees in Bollywood films.

Kashmiri dance.

Punjabi bhangra dance.

Rajasthani dance.

Gujarati dance.

Marathi dance (from Maharashtra.)

Goan dance; it has Portuguese influences.

Uttar Pradeshi dance.

Madhya Pradeshi dance.

Kerala's Kathakali.

Sindhi dance.

Tamil Nadu's Bharatanatyam.

Andhra PRadeshi dance.

Bengali dance.

- To end the night, the Punjabi bhangra group that everyone was waiting for came out, and everyone just went wild and danced (bhangra-ed?) the night away. This is partying Punjabi style. After the bhangra group finished dancing their actual number, everyone started to leave, though the bhangra group remained to dance and entertain some of those who wished to "party more."

Bhangra-ing the night away!!

A couple version of bhangra. 

Everyone just can't get enough of them.

- As everyone was leaving, I finally got the chance to talk to the current Indian ambassador to the Philippines, H.E. Lalduhthlana Ralte. I cannot believe that he still remembers me, and asked how my classes were; I told him I had just graduated and received my MA degree a few months ago, and am currently teaching in Ateneo de Manila University. What surprised me even more was that his whole family also remembered me. I think I had made an impression when I was the only non-Indian (apart from the embassy staff who were Filipinos) to attend the flag-hoisting ceremony at the ambassador's house (aka "India House") during Republic Day; I was invited to go since I won a contest which was organized by the Indian Embassy (click here to see.)

H.E. L.D. Ralte.

A close-up of Lakshmi. 

Everyone's still going crazy.

- The ambassador soon left, and I did as well, leaving the happy party people with the bhangra dancers. It was quite a hot evening, and the event was done in the non-airconditioned area of MOA. However, I had a lot of fun celebrating Diwali with the Indians "the Indian way." I do hope that the Diwali Mela next year can top this year's Diwali Mela, and I hope that more Filipinos can enjoy Indian things as much as I do.  

The Star-Spangled Sojourn (Part 7): A Last Look of Washington D.C., and a Last Look of USA (For Now)

- Oct. 22-23, 2015, Thursday-Friday.

- After two more days of maximizing my time in D.C. (read Part 6 here,) which meant overworking my legs, it was finally my last full day in Washington D.C. My Thursday had a very "loose" itinerary since Dorenett and I have finished most of the must-sees in Washington D.C., but apparently I still had places left to explore.

- That morning we first went to the other end of the National Mall, where the US Capitol is located. The dome of the US Capitol, together with other places around D.C., is being renovated, so I was not able to see the dome too well.

Boo renovations.

- We later went to the Supreme Court, which was established in 1789. Unlike what I read earlier, the Supreme Court allowed people to go in and see the small exhibit that the have on the judiciary branch of the US government. Those who are interested may attend a short lecture about the Supreme Court in the main courtroom at the second floor. Since Dorenett and I wanted to save time, we decided not to attend the hour-long lecture, and go some place else.

Greece? No!! It's the US Supreme Court!!

Welcome.

Lady Justice.

Former Chief Justice.

Spiral staircase.

Golden elevator.

Wacky shot while no one's looking!!

A peek at the courtroom; photography is not allowed inside, but photography from outside is allowed (according to the security guard.) 

Ceiling.

Black robes used by the chief justices.

- After a short visit to the Supreme Court, was visited the Library of Congress, which was established in 1800. The library is the second largest by collection size, and is also well-known for having a nice architecture, and having a fountain outside the library that reminds people of Italy's Trevi Fountain. Also, there are some halls inside the library that are open to the public as mini exhibit halls. The design and the sculptures inside the library are no less magnificent.

Library of Congress.

Nice fountain in front.

This statue though.

Inside the library.

The name says it all. 

Dorenett is also too fascinated.

Empty hall.

The main hall.

Statues that represent the different fields. For music, it's Beethoven.

Herodotus for history.

For literature, Shakespeare.

At the second floor.

One of the halls showed Latin American artifacts.

Just like Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Incense holder, if I remember correctly.

This "cloth" is hundreds of years old, and is made from parrot feathers.

From this kind of parrot.

Dorenett said I look like him.

The statue of Nike behind me.

- We were supposed to have lunch inside the Capitol Building, since there was supposed to be a cafeteria there, but the US Capitol visitor center was closed for the day because of a VIP guest. The guard didn't tell us which VIP guest was going, probably to prevent anyone else from sticking around. Too bad, the visitor center seems nice in the photos and videos, and with nice big paintings too.

Another look at the US Capitol.

Too bad it was closed because of the VIP.

- After lunch we went back to the Smithsonian Museums, and started the afternoon with the Hirshhorn Museum. The Hirshhorn Museum is home to contemporary and modern art. Some of the pieces were quite impressive and creative, but maybe because Dor and I aren't art specialists, some of the other pieces of art just puzzled us despite the explanation by the artist.

Hirshhorn Museum.

We felt that this rock looked like a panda.

Find the panda rock in this pile of art.

Made from African textiles.

An easter-themed Christmas tree.

National Museum of Natural History, from the Hirshhorn Museum.

Inside Hirshhorn.

The lights at the back at the artwork. It's just that.

We tried to take advantage of the nice lights.

- We finished the small museum in an hour or less, and there was "nothing" left for us to do. We were supposed to go to D.C.'s Chinatown, but it was farther up north. I realized that there was one more museum left in the National Mall - the National Gallery of Art (which is not really a Smithsonian Museum, though it's located within the cluster of Smithsonian buildings in the National Mall.) The National Gallery of Art, opened in 1937, has two buildings - the west (main building) and the east building. The west building contained paintings and sculptures from the medieval period until the 19th century, while the east building contained paintings and artwork from the contemporary and modern period.

The National Gallery of Art.

It has such a big dome.

Byzantine art.

By Leonardo da Vinci.

Awesome art on plates and other items.

Floor art from Tunisia.

Look at the watermelon; it's how melons looked like before GMO.

Napoleon!!

- Dorenett and I did not have enough time to visit the east building because the museum was closing just as we finished the west building. I was still contented since I personally prefer medieval art compared to contemporary and modern art. However, not being able to visit the east building, at least, gives me one of the many reasons to go back to D.C. in the future.

- We went back to Dorenett's place after our museum visit, and I didn't realize how tired I was until I realized that I had fallen asleep in our Uber car on the way back. We rested a bit in Dorenett's house before meeting John, and having dinner in a Thai restaurant (where all the employees are Thai.) This time, I remembered to take a photo of the three of us - John, Dorenett, and me. It was my last dinner, and my last day in Washington D.C., and I can't believe how much I've done in the past few days that I was there.

Thank you John and Dorenett for adopting me the past few days.

- The next morning Dorenett accompanied me to Virginia early in the morning (reachable through a short subway ride from D.C.; and yes, a part of Virginia is connected to the D.C. subway since both states are right beside each other.) I rode the airport express bus ($5 one way) from the Wiehle-Reston train station (silver line.) I said my goodbyes to Dorenett, and rode all the way to Virginia's Dulles International Airport; most international airlines going to Washington D.C. stop at Dulles International Airport, although a few international airlines go to the Ronald Reagan International Airport instead.

- I was not sad about leaving D.C., and the USA, because I made good memories in the US - from my time alone in New York City, to my time with UP friends in Poughkeepsie, and my stay with Dorenett in Washing ton D.C.. Also, I was looking forward to going back to my normal life (now without my stubborn cough,) even though my 2 weeks in the USA was definitely a grand experience, and big eye-opener (as with any travel experience I have or any destination I go to.)

- I took my 1:30pm plane, and flew for 15 hours from D.C. to Incheon, South Korea. The air travel itself was a magnificent experience. First, we took the unconventional route: instead of flying eastward, we flew NORTH. In short, we had to pass by the glaciers of the North Pole; I tried to look for Santa Claus's house, but it was probably hidden beneath the snow. Also, our plane seemed to chase the sun, so I did not see the night for almost a day.

North Pole!!

Cracked glaciers.

Above the North Pole.

This is a rare sight.

Not sure if it's a crack or a frozen river.

Cracked glaciers with water underneath.

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes.

Not sure if mountains, or cracked glaciers above the sea.

Cracked glaciers and clouds.

- Hours later, our plane passed by North Asia, or the Asian part of Russia. I saw snow-capped mountains that reminded me of my short Buddha Air plane ride to see the tallest peaks of the world, including Mt. Everest, during my trip to Nepal in 2011 (click here to see.) I haven't been to Russia before, and I haven't had an airplane that passed by Russia, so it was my first actual time seeing Russia (at least from above.)

Sweet mother Russia.

These majestic mountains took my breath away.

Frozen river.

Oh goodness. A frozen river between frozen mountains. 

As far as the eyes can see. By the way, did you know that the land area of Russia is larger than Pluto's?? Cool right??

Looking at the view.

- My plane later flew above China, and I saw the nicely-"combed" fields of China. My view also turned from snow-white, to brown, to lush green. Later on, I saw a lot of buildings, which meant the plane was nearing Incheon.

China!!

"Combed" fields.

- The evening came shortly, and I took another (significantly shorter) ride from Incheon to Manila. I was as tired as hell, and even though my sleeping patterns are more or less normal since I strategized my sleeping time in the airplane, the (residue?) fatigue I failed to feel in the past two weeks took its toll on me, leaving me extremely tired the week after. Still, no regrets. Since the embassy gave me a 10-year multiple entry visa, I will make sure that I will see the US again - I must. (Please do check parts 1 here, 2 here, 3 here, 4 here, 5 here, and 6 here.)