Reviving the Cashew Industry: Palawan Cashew Company's Story

As we celebrate our country's independence, it brings me great joy to celebrate our cashew treasures from Coron! Believe it or not, most cashews available here are imported from Vietnam, known for its large-scale production and lower prices. That's why I am happy to discover the Palawan Cashew Company, the first and sole semi-automated cashew processing facility in the Philippines.

Raw cahsew for sun drying

This pioneering company is dedicated to crafting high-quality, all-natural cashew products that proudly bear the "Made in Coron, Palawan" label. What sets them apart is their commitment to sourcing cashews directly from Coron's wild forest, where locals hand-picked them. This approach not only ensures the highest quality but also helps revive the cashew industry in the country while bolstering local livelihoods.

Gone with the Wynns interview with the founder, Raul Bulaong on May 12, 2024

If you love cashews like I do, I highly recommend trying Palawan Cashew Company's products. Under the brand name Pedro, they offer whole cashew kernels and a range of bottled cashew butter products. These products are available at Real Food Rockwell and will soon be at Healthy Options.

The Palawan Cashew Company'sbottled cashew butter products under the brand name "Pedro"

By choosing the Palawan Cashew Company, you not only savor a delectable and sustainable treat but also support a homegrown business that is fostering positive change within the community. Happy Independence Day! 

Taman Beji Griya Waterfall, A Unique and Special Place for Purification in Bali

I have had the privelege of experiencing several Melukat ceremonies in Bali and so far, Taman Beji Griya Waterfall, outside Ubud, stands out as the most unique and special. 

The place is located within the Sangeh forest jungle with lots of hidden caves, cascading waterfalls and carved stone walls. It's about 31 minutes from Ubud center.

One of the remarkable aspects of Taman Beji Griya Waterfall is its offering of various healing modalities. In addition to the Melukat ceremony, they also provide shamanic practices such as palm reading, past life regression, aura cleansing, as well as other packages.

We decided chose the Melukat purification ceremony, which was priced at IDR 300,000 per person. This package included a sarong, bell, offering, towel, two young coconuts, locker, an English-speaking guide, a priest, and a complimentary jamu drink.

The purification ritual began with the reverent act of offering prayers and lighting incense to the deities. 

The process involved five stages of purification. The first stage was in the shower in a hidden canyon in the cave to balance out health and call on fertility. 

The second was in the well to cleanse our aura and attract wealth and luck. The stage was to release emotions in two waterfalls- screaming to release negativity and laughing to release joy and happiness. 

The fourth stage was performing a pengelukatan in the shower in the pool. And last purification was receiving a sacred blessing with young green and yellow coconut water by the priestess.

Taman Beji Griya Waterfall is not just a breathtaking natural wonder, but a sanctuary for healing and relaxation. If you are seeking a unique and transformative experience, I highly recommend visiting Taman Beji Griya Waterfall. It offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in the wonders of nature while embarking on a journey of purification and healing.

Word Art anyone?

I've never expected to see so much Word Art in Paris+ Art Basel! 

The first time I came across using words as a form of art was in the painting of American pop artist Robert Indiana. In 1965 he used four letters L-O-V-E against a backdrop of blue and green color.

I actually googled and found out that Word Art has been used since the 1950s by artists classified as postmodern. 

The definition of Word Art  is "text-based imagery featuring words and phrases in a variety of media including painting, sculpture,  lithography, screen printing, applied art, and projection mapping. Jasper Johns started inserting text in his artworks as early as 1957, followed by Roy Lichenstein and Andy Warhol. 

Elena Martinque described it as, "Thoughtfully utilizing text as a primary vehicle of communication in their artistic expression, these artists created works that pushed boundaries, shocked and seduced.

Several expressions of Word Art were displayed at the art fair. I was intrigued by the work of Tony Coke's lightbox. It featured Kanye West's comments: "I am the number one human being in music.... I am Warhol. I am the No. 1 most impactful artist of our generation" on 9 x 7 solid blue and red tiles. Apologies that I wasn't able to note the name of the artist, title and gallery of the last three artworks below:

Tony Coke's Face Value (Kanye West), 2011, edition 3, lightbox with duratran print, Greene Naftali Gallery

Lawrence Weiner's In & Our of Place Carried by Its Own Weight, 2011 l, Mai 36 Galerie

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled, 1983, Van de Weghe Fine Art

Joël Andrianomearisoa, J'embrasse l'air du soir, 2020

Maria Pask, My Vagina is not Ugly, 2020, Gouache and Pencil on Chinese paper, Ellen de Bruijne Projects

I asked one of the galleries representing a Word Art artist for a stand-alone text priced at 10,000 euros. He said that the artwork's owner could use it in a billboard, for instance, for as long as the integrity of the text's font and spacing are retained. Not bad. it's like purchasing a copyright. 

Gai, Ricky and I at the end of the Grand Palais Éphémère 

The Paris+ par Art Basel, the new Modern and contemporary art fair, opened its doors at the Grand Palais Éphémère from October 20 to 23 with 156 galleries participating from 30 countries 

Edvard Munch at the Museee d'Orsay

Since college, I’ve always been fascinated by Edvard Munch’s The Scream (1893). It’s a painting of someone desperate, screaming, and haunted by external forces. 

Artsper describes it as “a panic-stricken creature, simultaneously corpselike and reminiscent of a sperm or fetus, whose contours are echoed in the swirling lines of the blood-red sky.”

Nick Mafi wrote, “When he painted The Scream in 1893, Munch was inspired by “a gust of melancholy,” as he declared in his diary. It’s because of this, coupled with the artist’s personal life trauma, that the painting takes on a feeling of alienation, of the abnormal.”

I’m glad I went to see the exhibition in the Musee d’Orsay depicting the 60 years of his life from 1863 to1944. Over 150 pieces of his work are presented, including about sixty paintings, drawings, engravings, photographs, etchings, drypoints, lithographs, and woodcuts.

The exhibit is not organized chronologically. The curator focused more on the cycle of life, death and rebirth. 

Self Portrait with Burning Cigarette (1895) is the first painting on display

The Sick Child (1885-86), 15-year old bedridden sister Sophie who died from tuberculosis at 11

The Kiss (1897)

Vampire (1893), initially titled Love and Pain

The Girls on the Bridge (1899)

Evening on Karl Johan Street (1892(

Metabolism, Life and Death (1898)

Death of Marat (1907)

one of the paintings of his sister with his mother, who passed away earlier, standing

Self portrait

Study of Metabolism

Woodcut of Madonna (1894-95)

The Sun (1912), one of 11 paintings commissioned for Oslo University's ceremonial assembly hall

The show ended with Starry Night where he was alluded to Van Gogh in the birth of expressionism

Note, though, if you’re expecting to see The Scream, it’s not hanging. There are studies of it in this show:

If you’re in Paris and interested in modern expressionism, don’t miss this show, “Edvard Munch. A poem of life, love, and death,” which will run until January 22, 2023, at the Musee d’Orsay.