2 WFH Sisters and 1 Dog Sharing Our Travels in Bicol and Manila

What does Rizal’s Astrological Birth Chart Reading Says About Him?

"That he's never gonna get married and that's he's gonna die young. Rizal knew these would happen to him." says Filipino astrologer Resti Santiago, who talks about Rizal's life in accordance to certain planetary movements that may have affected him when he was alive. "Don't send him to school in Manila anymore. He knows enough and if he knows more, he will be killed." His clairvoyant mother even said one time to his father when he was 16 years old. Astrology is one of the oldest sciences and astrologers are also history-lovers. Honorio Lopez, the Father of Philippine Astrology even studied Rizal's life at some point in time he said.

Looking back at Rizal's Astrological Chart which is the map of the heavens when an event takes place, there are 12 people considered with insurmountable roles in his life. His parents, friends, critics, some family members, his first love Leonor Rivera and wife Josephine Bracken are classified according to what order of house they belonged under. These houses are called specifically like First House is Aries, Second House is Taurus up to Twelth House is Pisces.  There is a free downloadable software the Morinus 3.9 that could help anyone know his Astrological Chart and reading. Interesting! Yeah will download that soon.

Based on the the 3 Daughters of Fate and astrological technique he was predicted to die at age 33. Well, he died at 35. But what really happened when he was 33? Leonor died and at age 34 he said through a letter to Blumentritt 09/22/1891 "I am going to meet my destiny." At this age he felt that his vitality is waning already. Another letter to Blumentritt 10/09/1891 he said"It seems that I shall never marry." In a letter to the Women of Malolos, he might have accepted that he's never going to marry Leonor his first cousin as he mentioned there "not to marry a cousin." Rizal's love planet, Venus is not meant for him to be married. Fate is something that played so much in his life that after the merry times he spent in Europe and going back to Philippines he said he's got this feeling that the opposite will happen. He knew his life's pattern that "what follows after extreme happines is sadness". He  even believed in the theory of luck that he is known to have bought lottery tickets too.

Rizal is Pisces and Piscean people are natural artists, well-traveled and martyrs. Very few people knew he can sketch too, he traveled so much and who else does not know he is martyr? He knew his life is going to end early and he accepted it well that in Noli Me Tangere, Elias one of the character said "Next time don't tempt God too far." He knew he has weak body that he played fencing and swimming. "How about the many women in Rizal's life, what was their more significant role if there was?" asks one of the audience. "Balance. These women kept Rizal who is a superb intellectual to remain human... prone to emotions." Another one from the audience answers.  [Photo courtesy of Wikipedia]

Resti Santiago led this talk  as part of  Rizalizing the Future events  in celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Jose Rizal organized by Yuchengco Museum.


Cafe Scientifique Invites you to the Science of Moods Talk

Cafe Scientifique is a gathering of science-enthusiasts who meet in a particular time to discuss, share or debate about science-related concerns usually done in cafes, bars,  restaurants and even theaters. There are 42 cities around the it was formed in 1998 regularly participate in this event world since composed mostly of scientists to empower non-scientists to understand the technicalities in a more approachable way. Cafe Scientifique Manila was born only in November 2006 led by only known Pinay science writer Maria Isabel Garcia, also one of the curators of the first ever world-class science museum called "The Mind Museum".



Travelife India Night Brought the Whole Crowd to India!

1223 Epifanio de los Santos Ave, Makati, 1223 Metro Manila, Philippines
yoga in manila"Yoga, meditation, Indian mysticism and herbal treatments are some of the reasons why Filipinos keep on going back and forth to India." says Prateek Kumar, Ambassador to India in the Philippines.  "Manila's origin of word as mentioned by historian Ambeth Ocampo has sanskritik link related to the the one in India. These two countries have undeniable millenia-old cultural and civilization links that they continuing to share to each other." he adds.

travelife philippines

"Maharadiya Lawana in Mindanao is the Maranao version of Hinduism in the Philippines, the Biag ni Lam-ang among Ilocanos epic and Tagalog Baybayin the script before the current Hispanic form of alphabet are from Palava-Kawi and based from Saka calendar. " he also said. India's multi-awarded Ranjana Gauhar and Odissi dancers amazed the crowd through Odissi - a classical dance style especially its signature pose - 'tribanghi' or the 'triple bend' pose that combines  the bends at the neck, the waist and the knee. Ranjana's one of the many awards she received is the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2007 for her contribution to the field of Odissi dance,  by the President of India H.E Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil. [First photo is Ranjana Gauhar, second are the Odissi dancers and last is Ambassador Prateek Kumar.]


history of yoga in india


Maharadiya Lawana in Mindanao




Maharadiya Lawana in Mindanao


embassy of india in philippines



India and Philippines history



Travelife India Night happened at Dusit Thani Manila last July 16th, 2011 and is brought in reality by TRAVELIFE MAGAZINE which is the Philippines' leading travel & lifestyle magazine according to its official Facebook Fan Page. This page provides travel information & tips, advance notice on travel sales, and entertaining travel stories and updates.

Watch "Amigo", a movie about Philippine-American History



Amigo is reportedly the first film ever made about the little-known Philippine-American War. But it is not quite a war masterpiece like Platoon, Apocalypse Now, or Saving Private Ryan because of its below-average production budget—$1.2 million, according to the Internet Movie Database. Amigo is created by the writer-editor-director John Sayles who is  acknowledged as one of the godfathers of independent cinema according to Spot.ph.

The fictional story  happened in the year 1900 when US  just bought the Philippines from Spain. Filipino rebels are everywhere the archipelago ready to sacrifice their lives for independence. Rafael Dacanay (Joel Torre), is the town’s Kapitan del Barrio  who is torn between helping the US aides  trying to establish a garrison in his town and his brother who is a rebel not going to let another invader of his homeland happen again.

Amigo will be shown in US theaters August 19th, 2011. It is currently showing in five theaters - Glorietta4, TriNoma, Robinson's Ermita/Galleria and SM Bacoor.  To read the complete movie review by Spot.ph please click here.

To visit Amigo's Facebook Fan Page, please click here.

Eiga Sai 2011 at Shangri-La Plaza Edsa



"Eiga Sai,” which means "film festival" is now on its 13th year is organized by the Japan Foundation, Manil, a Embassy of Japan, The Shangri-La Plaza Corporation, UP Film Institute."Departures" is their cream of the crop movie for the year,   winner of the 81st Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009.

All films have English subtitles. Admission is free. Screening venues are at the

Shang Cineplex Cinema 4 (July 1 - 10)             Gaisano Grand Citimall, Davao (July 22 - 24)   Ayala Center Cinema 4, Cebu (August 2 to 7) UP Film Institute (August 17 to 20)

For more information you may visit Japan Foundation, Manila, you may click here or call  +632) 811-6155 to 58.

A Token of Our Friendship: Philippine Photos of Male Affection book byJohn Silva

"Is just the man who never met the right woman." That's what most would think what gays are, says John L. Silva who is a collector of old Philippine photos for 30 years. He recalls in 1985 when the New York Times publication forbids to mention the word 'gay' to any of its post but look at now when New York joins the states that legalizes same-sex marriage.

John worked as a  teacher for Fil-Am kids in USA in the 1970's. During his free time he visits  photo stands and studios to collect Philippine old photos that might have been unpaid or might got stuck somewhere never returned to the owner or to the one whom it is intended to be sent to. Of the thousands of old, black & white photos what caught his attention are those males posed in a very "sensual" way not the usual stiff and "macho" image.  He explains how a Filipino before in USA who works in a factory sweating all day would go to a photo booth have a picture taken of himself wearing a 3-piece suit and sends it  back to home just to show he is doing "oookay" when in fact it's not because he's sending almost his money to help his family.



His book  - A Token of Our Friendship, Philippine Photos of Male Affection, First Half of the 20th Century was greatly influenced by other writers like Wald Whitman - one of the most influential American poets and has colorful share of his sexual identity, Marguerite Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian - the woman who wrote about an emperor who is so in love with a man, she later was found out that she is also living with another woman, Thomas Mann's Death in Venice - a man who falls in love with a young boy and E.M. Forster's A Great Unrecorded History who had diaries of his experiences of being homosexual.

The photos and postcards  have also dedication at the back that are as cheesy or mushy as an ordinary two people who have had great times together.  One dedication starts like this "Jose, Maliit at dahop na alay datapwat buhay at sariwa na kailanman..." and another one in pure heavy Spanish dedicating his picture to look at every time his lover would "play" himself since he is far.




Translation: For "Palaspas" (hand palm, suggesting the receiver masturbates) you are sexy and smooth, and a sweet talker, this is proof of my admiration.

The name of the sender is Fernando Flores. Written in Dec. 22, 1912. In a photo studio named  T. Kapulong. Back when we still call our homeland             Manila, I.F.  as in Islas Filipinas.


The Author signing books



These people came all the way from Calamba, Laguna just to attend the talk.
To view more photos you may click here. The book can be purchased currently at Silverlens Gallery, Makati. You may visit their Facebook Fan Page here

FREE: TRAVELIFE INDIA Night Dance Performance at Dusit Thani Manila


TRAVELIFE India Night is a free performance featuring world-class traditional Indian performers who are among the top kathak dancers in India today. TRAVELIFE India Night Public Performance is on July 16 (Free) and at the TRAVELIFE India Night Gala Dinner on July 18 (PhP 1499 per person).

To reserve a limited seat at either event, please call Rachel or Bernice at 813-8400/ 892-2620 or email travelife@travelife.biz.

For more information on the Travelife India Night Gala Dinner on July 18 that features the gala show and the Indian degustation meal, please visit their Facebook Fan Page here