Things To Know When Visiting Manila

Taft Poster in Black Frame

Whether you are from another country or from provinces and other cities of the Philippines, Manila is surely a place worth going to. You may have heard the song, “Manila”, which topped the chart in the 80s. Surely, there are tons to see and experience in the city during those days, as well as today. So what is so special about the city that made it so popular with foreign and local tourists? Here are the things you need to know if visiting Manila is on your bucket list.

No need to fill your pockets with cash

In contrast with other tourist destinations in the country, you do not need to break your bank when going around the city. There are a lot of affordable places to visit and still enjoy the experience. Different landmarks, parks, museums, and other places do not cost that much. In fact, some of them are even free of charge. Take Rizal Park or Luneta for example. This is a historic place where the national hero, Jose Rizal, was executed during the Spanish regime. This event sparked the hearts of many Filipinos in fighting for their freedom. 

Shopping for essentials and souvenirs is likewise affordable. You can find your favorite brands in typical malls, but the highlight of the city is thrift shopping. Try going to Divisoria or Carriedo and feast your eyes on numerous stalls and shops that offer items at much lower prices as compared to those sold in famous malls. You just have to prepare yourself for the crowd, especially during the holiday season.

If you love food, then Manila is known for restaurants and food stalls that offer sumptuous and affordable dishes. Binondo, for example, has restaurants that offer authentic Chinese dishes and you will be surprised with the little amount that you will spend. Want to be adventurous? Visit some sidestreets and more likely than not, you will find food stalls that sell exotic Filipino street foods. Ever tried balut, isaw (IUD), samalamig, grilled chicken feet (adidas), or chicken blood (betamax)? These are something worth trying. 

Adventure with the public transportation

Jeepney is the main mode of transportation in  Manila. Of course, there are also the LRT, tricycles, pedicabs, and taxis. But your stay in Manila is never complete without riding these king of the roads. For many Pinoys, riding the jeepney and going to various destinations is common. Some would even say that this is like experiencing an extreme sport. Imagine those colorful rides, with ear-splitting sound systems, and roller coaster riding adventures. Fare is likewise affordable, even though the global oil price hike has affected the minimum fare of jeepneys.

Tricycles and pedicabs are also not to miss, especially if you are going to the outskirts and several streets of the city. The fare, though is quite higher than the jeepneys, they will definitely take you to places. However, if you do not feel these modes of transportation, you can always get a taxi cab or book a Grab.

Enjoy the tropical climate

Yes. Manila is not like Boracay or El Nido, but you still experience the warm weather of the country. Sometimes a bit too warm than what was announced in the news. When traveling the city, you should complete your gear, like umbrella, caps, handkerchief, and other means to battle the heat. Depending on the months of visit, you might also experience some rainy days that might progress to flooding. 

Prepare for Filipino hospitality

Filipinos are known for their caring and hospitable attitude. Try visiting a friend’s place and you are up for some surprise. You will immediately be offered drinks, and snacks, and might even be asked to stay for dinner. Prepare to meet the family as well as friends and even though you do not remember their names, you will be greeted with a smile. Many of them enjoy a little chit-chat, whether in your personal experience of the city or your personal life. Admit it, we Filipinos enjoy hearing stories and gossip from time to time. 

Also do remember that many people are helpful. Whether you are asking for directions or just any inquiry. Many Manilenos will try their best to answer your questions. 

Now that you have enough knowledge about Manila, then you are prepared to have the adventure of your life. Kudos!

Personalizing your Walls with a Blast

Arts in Green Art Wall

Blank walls may be considered to be a sign of emptiness and loneliness. Though some people may disagree with this, it is an eyesore having to see rooms with blank walls and it may leave a bad impression on your visitors. These days, wall art is becoming a necessity in every home. Many designers would often agree that a wall without nice and personalized wall art is like an artist without creativity. 

Valuable wall art makes any wall look fun and exciting. Say goodbye to boredom as every home with personalized wall art will have a vibrant and dynamic room atmosphere. Styling your wall with paint is a thing of the past. With carefully selected pieces, you will have the interior appearance of your dreams. Though sometimes choosing the right pieces may be quite a challenge since they need to blend well with the overall style of your home. Read on to know about the advantages of having good personalized wall art. 

Create a focal point in your room

Every room requires a focal point that captures the attention of your family and guests. A fine and valuable wall art reflects everything of who and what you are. Take for instance a framed poster of a landscape or seascape. Scenes like these can boost the appearance of the room and can be called your very own. 

Making the walls vibrant

If you get the chance to visit classrooms these days, you will notice that the walls are covered with posters. This is so that students may not feel lazy or sleepy. They will have something to look at and can somehow stimulate their mind and interests. The right wall art can set the mood in the room where you can relax, dream, and imagine. Wall art also helps in transforming any depressing environment into a lively place. 

Wall art reflects who and what you are

The wall arts on your walls are all about your interests. For instance, your interests are in sports or any outdoor escapades. The wall art that you create somehow tells your story uniquely and interestingly. As such, you must choose the pieces carefully and according to your preferences. 

Create conversation starters

Tired of the routine and boring conversations? Experts believe that if you share the same interest with someone, you will be able to initiate a conversation that may last long. As such, it should be fun and engaging. Personalized wall art is a great conversation starter. 

Pick the perfect color palette

Wall art decorations help you to pick the colors of the paint to complete the beauty of your place. With wall art, you will now have a complete picture of what colors to add to your room. With the wall art in place, the process of choosing the right color palette will be easier than usual. With the use of framed personalized art, the color palette of your room can be chosen according to the colors that are seen in the art. For instance, art that has cool colors mean that the palette may be in blue, green, or any other cool hues. The bedroom for instance can be dominated by cool colors for a more relaxing and comfortable ambiance. 

Lantern Festival Poster

Lantern Festival Poster in Black Frame

In China, the Lantern Festival is one of the romantic festivals and marks the end of the Spring Festival and is celebrated with colorful lanterns. This celebration comes with several activities making the event more memorable.

Tasty Macaron Poster

Tasty Macaron Poster in Black Frame

Macaron is one of the popular French desserts. It is a sweet meringue-based confection made with egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond meal, and food coloring.

Vibrant Night Tokyo Poster

Vibrant Night Tokyo Poster

See and witness the nightlife in Tokyo. The vibrant lights, colorful billboards, and happy individuals. Get the vibe to your space with this fantastic poster.

Maintaining Mental Health with Art

Taft Poster in Black Frame

For more than two years, the planet has been suffering from COVID 19 pandemic. Many have been isolated in their homes. As a result, many have sought creative outlets or opportunities for expression. These activities have helped our brains that will help in boosting the mood and making us feel good. 

Records have shown that mental health has affected about half of the population around the globe by age 40. That was before the pandemic. With the recent challenges of the pandemic and for maintaining mental wellness, and managing fears, and uncertainty, it is time to be creative in how we stimulate our minds. 

Art therapy for managing the well-being

The relationship between art and mental well-being has been clearly established in the field of art therapy. It has been used as an intervention for mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Art is also used in a non-therapy context to promote mental health. You will observe that schools offer subjects in art. These are not to make the kids become artists, but to maintain a sense of wellness.

What is neuroesthetics?

Neuroesthetics uses brain imaging, brain wave technology, and biofeedback to gather scientific evidence of how we respond to the arts. As a result, it has been observed that arts have engaged the mind in interesting ways, tapped our emotions, and helped us maintain a healthy state of mind. 

Be creative

Art encourages us to express ourselves in creative ways. This means that you have an outlet to use your imagination. It also includes expressing feelings and emotions. Tapping the right side of the brain has resulted in many positive outputs. You might be wondering how some inventions have been created? Well, those are products of the creativity of many individuals. You too can help society with your creativity. 

Stress relief

One of the reasons for having an outlet is to relieve and cope with distress. Stress includes but is not limited to depression and anxiety disorders. Art is used as a tool for understanding feelings and emotions. Try to visit art galleries and museums and stare at some of them. Some may ask you to interpret the meaning of the art and the emotion that the artist has while creating it. Though this is hard to do, especially if you are not an art expert, it will still stimulate your mind and encourage you to be creative. 

Art is fun

Art is fun and a wholesome hobby to do. Once you start something, it is difficult not to finish it. Take for example, clay molding in creating a diorama. You have a set of colored clays and plan to create a diorama for display. You start working on the scenario and it is just hard not to finish it. Finishing it gives a sense of accomplishment and triumph. It likewise boosts confidence that you can accomplish anything.

Green Design – Beauty and Function

Limestone and Crystal Seas poster in interior

Green design is a revolution when it comes to art and design. It is a method and approach to creating and designing with minimal effects on health and the environment. With what is happening to our surroundings these days. It is the responsibility of the designers to look for ways of protecting the environment with the use of eco-friendly materials and methods. 

The advantage of using a green design

It is obvious these days that the environment is suffering a lot due to different human activities. Humans have created products and have done a lot of activities that can be harmful to health and the environment. These activities have led to the accumulation of unwanted materials, especially pollutants. 

If these abuses of the environment continue, the planet would be inhabitable. As part of the ecosystem, humans need to think of sustainable ways to preserve the environment. As such, environmental-friendly materials and methodologies have been made to create a more sustainable environment for generations to come. 

Designing for the future is one of the goals of green design. It is of utmost importance for the design that space may have multiple functions and can still be used in the future. Also part of the design is to consider how space can be converted without replacing the existing materials as well as minimizing the impact on the environment.

What is a green design?

With proper planning and creativity, green design can be achieved successfully. The design has been the trend for some time now around the globe as many designers and homeowners saw its benefits. Below are some of the important traits of a building that employs green design:

  • Efficient use of energy, water, and other resources
  • Minimal waste production
  • Health protection of the occupants of the space

Just like any other design, green design has its benefits that must be considered:

  • Protection of health and environment
  • Improve the quality of air and water
  • Less waste production and emission
  • Conservation of natural resources
  • Cost-efficient
  • Improve the quality of life
  • Increase productivity of the occupants

Decorating with greens

Giving a touch of nature to your home is one of the ways to bring the environment to your room. The addition of elements of nature has been known to give numerous benefits. One great example is the Japanese-styled interior. Adding elements of nature like water, earth, and plants evoke beauty as well as a calm and relaxing room atmosphere. 

Adding greens to your home is not that difficult. There are different kinds of plants that you can add as well as decorative elements to achieve a compelling design. The display of art is one of the fastest and easiest ways to create a room that is comfortable and cozy. 

Posters are cost-efficient and evoke a mood that can also be observed from other elements of nature. In addition to these, nature-themed posters can serve as an inspiration and probably a reminder for all of us to be proper stewards of the environment.

Nilalang Kan-Laon Poster

Nilalang Kan-Laon Poster in Black Frame

Kan-Laon is an ancient deity from the pre-Hispanic period. Feel her power and add a mystical vibe to your home. In fantastic colors, Glen Hare has captured the true essence of our country’s culture and tradition.

Melancholy Woman Poster

Melancholy Woman Poster in Black Frame

Feel the mood of the woman in a melancholic state. In the color blue with a black background, your wall will have the blast of your life. This is one of the extraordinary creations of Glen Hare.

Her Poster

Her Poster in Black Frame

Created with monochromatic colors, your room will have that classic appeal that your family will love. An extraordinary creation by Glen Hare.