The days following my Banaue trip felt like a dream. I felt as if it was difficult to exist after such a beautiful trip, so I pushed myself to go to my usual venues for inspo.
My first stop was Cinema Centenario to watch Ang Nawawala. It was a film that spoke to me, because a) my close friend from high school passed away a decade ago, b) I am currently adulting yet still living my dream of having a handmade, local-love, art-loving lifestyle, and c) the soundtrack featured the best of OPM rock from my growing-up years.
Also, it was my first time to have a cinema all to myself. The experience was surreal (it was unplanned and it just so happened I was the only viewer for that showing).
I personally adore how the microcinema displays film props within the premises. These suitcases were prominently featured in the film.
The next day, I visited the Vargas Museum at UP Diliman for a walk-through of their Beyond Myself: Filipino Migrants’ Investments in Philippine Futures exhibition.
There was a postcard table which lets visitors write to OFW participants in Hong Kong and London.
This installation is entitled Padala. It features typical items which OFW’s send back to their relatives in the Philippines.
This frame featured a bookshelf which an OFW has proudly saved up for. Books make her happy, and I imagine that it makes her job bearable. The Danielle Steel novel is mine and I just had to place it on the frame.
Our walk-through was a poignant reminder that Filipino migrant workers are not robots. They have their own lives abroad. They are capable of fighting for their rights, creating art, thriving in social circles, and bringing joy into their lives.
There was a clever part of the exhibit which resembles a videoke. It was playing the Ama Namin or the Our Father, as OFW’s make time for Sunday Mass. Some churches abroad have Filipino priests and masses, and this is a strong reminder of home.
Here, the paintings done by some OFW artists were featured.
This wall cleverly shows a typical apartment row where OFW’s are employed. It is a stark reminder of their existence and ingenuity to thrive in such an environment.
We had a short talk from a visiting professor from Singapore.
After the insightful tour and talk, I wrote a postcard for an OFW.
I then moved on to the Living Architecture exhibition at the ground floor of the museum.
After my museum tour, I went to a nearby mall for some bread, coffee, and a showing of The Post.
Those days back in the city taught me that there are meaningful experiences nearby, and I can make them part of my narrative. I enjoy going to museums and watching movies because they show me a different perspective of the world. I just need to let life take me further and by trusting the process, I am learning more about myself.