lexbonife

On SM Malls and Secularization

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:49:00 +0000

Maybe the SM Supermall is a primary agent of secularization in the Philippines. Before the 80's an area is defined by its church or the Catholic school within its jurisdiction.

But now, a geographical area is defined by its nearest SM Mall.

So, is commercialization a necessary ingredient in secularization?

Genesis is Mythology

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:00:00 +0000

"Because God created man and woman". Excuse me, in this age of cloning, Genesis is now a mythology. It now belongs to the same principle that the sun and moon revolve around the earth.

Being Good Without God

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:46:00 +0000

At the heart of atheism is the belief that we human beings are in charge of humanity and the world around us.

Hence, being good is necessary if we intend to survive.

On Love and Independence

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:44:00 +0000

When two people do not need each other yet they still choose to be together that I think is love, perhaps, genuine love.

Miss Universe, anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:04:00 +0000

The admission of a transgender contestant in the Miss Universe contestant is also an admission that the beauty pageant is nothing but a showcase of beautiful faces, curves and cleavage. That means anyone with a symmetrical face, big bra cup, tiny waist line and a palpable vagina is free to join the contest.

Because in reality, do we really want to measure the real worth of a woman based solely on her physical characteristics and her ability to eloquently answer some nice-sounding generic questions?

I certainly don't. Because a woman is a lot more than that.

Good Friday?

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:18:00 +0000

If today is "Good Friday", when is the "Better Friday"?

A Mother's Sacrifice?

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:59:00 +0000

I used to write for ABS-CBN "The Filipino Channel". And part of my work was to read some of the thousands of emails from working Filipinos worldwide.

Many of the letters I read came from Filipino mothers who left their children in PH to work abroad just so they can afford a private school education for their young ones. Because I was writing for television, the medium had a duty to comfort its audience and it make it feel better. In my script, I will write nothing but praises for the hard working sacrificing mothers who chose to leave their children in PH.

But deep inside of me, I disagreed with the whole setup.

Because for me, a Filipino child studying in a lowly, decrepit public school whose loving mother was always there for him is in a much better position than someone in a private school who never grew up with a mother.

Empty Slate

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:46:00 +0000

I enjoy looking at this blog. No pageviews. No followers.

It feels like an empty space. a space where one could sing, dance and burst into freedom.

No fans. No readers. No expectations.

Just me. And maybe some other soul who will discover this.

To Blog Again

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:28:00 +0000

After four years, I will revive this blog.

I will write again about the things that I enjoy, the things that matter to me and all those that are worth sharing in my life.

After I left home in 2008, things were a lot harder for me. I lost my car. I had to pay for my bills. And make sure there's food on the table.

Writing for myself became a luxury.

And I will reclaim that luxury once again.

Brainy Surprises

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:41:00 +0000

The human brain is one of the most fascinating things in the universe. And this is held true by the book "Phantoms of the Brain" by neurologist V.S. Ramachandran. In this brilliant account of different cases on neurology, Ramachandran gives us a peek into the inner workings of the human mind -- how we deceive ourselves, how we perceive our world, why we laugh, why we are depressed, why we could unconsciously be in denial of many unnacceptable things in our body and in our life and why we believe God.

Many of the featured cases here are bizarre. His experiments are simple. But his deductions about brain function would just jump through you and will make you look at life yourself in a different way.

It's a witty and insightful book about many things we never knew about ourselves. And this is just one of those books that I would always remember for the rest of my life.

My Tiramisu Love Affair

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:37:00 +0000

The first time I fell in love with this popular Italian dessert is at Petra's restaurant (Connecticut st., Greenhills) owned by Paolo Bustamante several years ago. And from then on, I have always craved for a tiramisu experience. I must say that many of the tiramisu cakes are quite bad even among popular Italian restos.

Here's a list of some of my best tiramisu around Metro Manila

* Bread Talk (right serving, consistently rich taste)

* Chocolat at North Edsa & Mall of Asia

* Edsa Shangri-la Cafe (soft, jelly type)

If you know of any place in Metro Manila with a must try tiramisu, please leave a comment :)

My First Year Teaching Yoga

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0000

It has been a year since I attended my Yoga Teacher Training. And looking back, my life has dramatically changed.

First, I now teach seven days a week. I grow with my students and they inspire me to have a deeper yoga practice.

Teaching 15 classes a week, have made me let go of several television and film projects. But It is a decision I would never regret.Because teaching yoga does not require me to go on late nights with killer script deadlines, kiss ass with entertainment executives and deal with tantrums from "wannabe stars".

Teaching yoga simply requires to be myself - adventurous, appreciative and nurturing. It does not require me to wear nice fitting signature pants,expensive watches and other fashion statements shouting "look at me, I'm a creative person". Everyday, I simply wear my most comfortable shorts andsneakers geared to face the harsh urban Manila.

And because I can simply leave my fashoin in my closet, I can now afford not to drive my car. With the onset of exorbitant gasoline prices, I'm just glad that most of the studios I teach in has a direct access to a train station. Now, I can pay for the food that I crave for without thinking of my gasoline and parking expenses for the next day.

For the most part of the week, I only teach in the evenings. For this reason, I have gained enough free time to write about things closest to my heart: yoga, my queer advocacies and the philosophies that I stand for. I have written scripts for films which have earned praises from critics and have grown three blogswith hundreds of readers a day. And for the first time in my life, I am publicly recognized as a writer.

Aside from the great wonders of a lifestyle change as a yoga teacher, my practice has deepened. I am now entering the realm of backbends, something for me was impossible for the past three years of my yoga practice. My meditation has become deep enough for me to have an overmhelming appreciation of my life and the world around me. Having attended the Asian Yoga Conference in Hongkong has taught me that there's a huge world of yoga outside of Manila. And there's a limitless direction into how I want to grow my practice.

Let me end this note with my most important lesson so far -- I have learned that our lives are anchored on our mind and our body. The lifestyle of yoga leads us to a better body and a better mind. Hence, as I grow in yoga as a teacher and as a practitioner, I live a better life and so do my students.

Lessons From My Yoga Practice

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:10:00 +0000

One of the most important things I have learned in my three yoga personal yoga practice is to respect and honor my body. Before becoming committed to my practice, I always pushed my body to its limit -- work hard, sleep late at night, and allow stress to settle in.

But through yoga, I have learned to appreciate the complexity of my body. And that is not just an instrument for work and to make money. It is the vessel of my life, my only vessel in this world.

Yoga Conference in HK

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:00:00 +0000

I am looking forward to attend my very first yoga conference. It will be held at the Hongkong Convention Center next week. Some of the best teachers in the world are giving out classes in this 4 day event. I am also very excited to buy new yoga CD's for my class music as well as other accessories for my practice.

I have enlisted my name in the classes of world renowned yoga teachers: Ana Forrest, Ellen Heed and Andrey Lappa.

You can check out more information on Evolution: Asia Yoga Conference at

http://www.asiayogaconference.com/2008_new/

The Yoga Bible

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:03:00 +0000

Christina Brown's "The Yoga Bible" is my very first book in yoga. I remember saving money just to purchase this handy and colorful guide to asanas or yoga poses. I bought it in Fully Booked (The Block at SM North Edsa) for a little more than one thousand pesos. And after half a year, I saw the same copy at National Bestsellers (Robinsons Galleria) for about Php500. It really pays to scout around first for this type of books.

The instructions here are very clear. Poses are plentiful especially for a beginner in yoga. And every pose is captured in a progressive sequence of movement.

For me this is the best book that I have seen for every beginner's who would like to study yoga poses.

Urbiztondo, La Union

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 12:49:00 +0000

The beach at Urbiztondo, La Union (Philippines) is popular among surfers. It is just about six hour drive north of Manila. But before I tried surfing, I made sure to do my yoga asanas first.

a variation of vasisthasana

bakasana
atavakrasana

Currimao is Actually Beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Mon, 26 May 2008 04:04:00 +0000

The name of the town Currimao (Ilocos Norte, Philippines) to me sounded like a name of a folklore monster. According to my research, its name was derived from what the locals used to call pirates who frequently came by during the Spanish regime.

And unlike its name, Currimao is a actually beautiful and scenic place. It's worth a side trip on your way to the church of Paoay and to Laoag should you plan to visit Northern Luzon soon.

Loving Lea

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Sun, 25 May 2008 11:42:00 +0000

Last night I saw the Lea Salonga Concert "Lea, My Life On Stage". I have never missed any concert of Lea Salonga in Manila for the past seven years. And I must say this one is really memorable for a Lea Salonga fan like me.

This show is a tribute to her 30 years in show business. And here, she was candid enough to admit some of the biggest failures in her life: her not being a Filipino pop star and the two month stint of Flower Drum Song in New York. Lea admitting to these failures, is inspiring especially for someone who always saw her as the benchmark of success for a Filipino artist.

Some songs moved me to tears as they were beautifully re-created by Gerard Salonga and Filharmonika: "Two Words" and "I Still Believe in Love". Some numbers were heart pounding: Miss Saigon segment and Les Miserables Encore number. Some numbers were quite personal and would require genuine interest on Lea's personality for one to appreciate.

All in all, the night encapsulated all the best of Lea Salonga's unparalleled career. And it was such a treat to a fan like me.

The Majesty of Paoay Church

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:02:00 +0000

The Paoay Church (Ilocos Norte, Philippines) has an imposing beauty on anyone who sees it for the first time. Built by the Augustinian friars in the 19th century, this structure is a unique combination of Gothic, Baroque and Oriental design. Don't forget to try the native delicacies right in front of the church!

Silent Boracay

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Sat, 17 May 2008 15:52:00 +0000

If one craves for silence in Boracay, Fairways and Blue Waters is the perfect place in this island. An exclusive and gated community, it is complete with a golf course, lovely pool and for me the most important, a beach sanctuary, where one could enjoy the fine white sand and clear water without the crowd -- A perfect setting for a yoga practice.

The Kiltepan Trek

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:31:00 +0000

The Kiltepan Point is one of the highlights in a Sagada trip. It's about an hour and a half trek from the town hall. The kiltepan peak offers an awesome view of rice terraces. Unfortunately, I only have a point and shoot camera, so my camera could barely capture the wonderful details of this view. I'm sharing some of the views on my way up.

The Lighthouse at Punta Malabrigo

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:54:00 +0000

This lighthouse in Punta Malabrigo is located in Lobo, Batangas (Philippines), a 20 kilometer rough road travel from the city of Batangas. One thing that struck me as I first visited this place is the silence amidst the vast land and sea that borders this area. This is the first lighthouse that I have ever visited, and I was amazed how time and history have been painted slowly all throughout this structure. Just a warning though, you would need an SUV to get to this place. (Photography by Jay Altarejos)

The Lights of Julia Vargas

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:46:00 +0000

Before the renovation of Megamall (Ortigas, Philippines), I enjoyed sitting at the Sugarhouse overlooking Julia Vargas st. while eating my favorite cake. The silent movement of the cars below me was a very relaxing sight. I captured this "juxtaposition" of light through the glass beside me. And the result was quite interesting.

Vigan in the Evening

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:38:00 +0000

Max's Restaurant was the only place in Vigan (Ilocos Sur, Philippines) that had wi-fi. It was way past ten, the place had to close and there was barely anything that we can do. So before we went to our inn, I snapped this photo of the famous Crisologo street as the street lights gently illuminate our way.

Sagada Sanctuary

noreply@blogger.com (Lex Bonife) — Wed, 14 May 2008 07:12:00 +0000

Sagada (Mountain Province, Philippines) is a place one would love to call home. The climate is cool. The sceneries are splendid. People are warm. The food (especially, vegetables) are fantastic. I have never tried vegetables this good in my whole life. And the living expenses are quite cheap.

It is one of the best getaways from the urban stress of Manila.