In his hands, wood yields until it fulfills its destiny.

A Benji Reyes chair isn’t just a chair. It’s a work of art. An heirloom piece. A triumph of imagination’s persistence.

Benji Reyes calls himself a carpenter. “Because that’s what I am. I make chairs and tables and beds and doors,” he told us when we visited him in his house in Antipolo a few months back.  Yes, he welcomed us into the home he built with his own hands.

I received one of Benji’s most recognizable pieces, the Rajah, from a friend. Fit for royalty, it is a high-backed chair made of a mix of Ipil, Dao and Kamagong, I believe. But despite being made of hard wood, the chair follows my movement whenever I lean back. That’s because, according to Benji, the chair was inspired by the principle of the bow. The chair’s back flexes so it moves with you. A curious thing for wood to do.

But that’s the genius of Benji Reyes. He looks at a piece of wood and instinctively knows what it can become.

Poised to showcase his works in a much-awaited exhibit, Benji showed us pieces he was working on. One furniture piece we saw stunned me. Two pieces of wood coming together like soulmates, embracing each other, no nail, no glue, just the skillful putting together of wood to become a table. How it was done defied comprehension. And yet, it was utterly beautiful.

He said he works according to the natural contour of the wood. I believe him. Because I’ve seen massive doors turned into brilliant sculptural pieces. One whole piece of wood sculpted to create a door, the handlebars and all the design elements never a separate piece.

But Benji says an artist always knows when to stop. “Design is common sense. ‘Pag sobra, nagiging baduy, dapat sakto lang,” he shared. The element of surprise in his work is tempered by simplicity.

Benji Reyes took up Architecture in UST then went to the University of the Philippines to take up Fine Arts. He intimated stories of how, as a student, he used to beg for materials from the university custodian to create his pieces. He started working with Palo China because it was the cheapest wood. Then he started picking up, literally picking up, tree parts that others used to throw away. “Alam mo ‘yung tinatapon na nilang part ng puno, ‘yun ang ginagamit ko noon.” He reminisced about a time people threw away Narra Burl or Amboyna Burl which is now highly-prized. He said, “Noong nagkaroon ng demand, alam na nila ang value.”

Benji builds with his own hands. It’s daunting work for lesser men. “Bago ako magsimula, nililiha ko muna ang kahoy. Tapos bago ikabit, nililiha ulit. Kapag buo na, nililiha ko ulit.” That’s why each Benji piece is smooth. He actually dared me to run my hands against the wood in his house- the chairs, the stairs, the edges of every table. My hand glided so softly on every surface.

The photo that best captures his hard work is one that shows him holding down a piece of wood with his own feet. A photo he captioned, “The Best Clamps In The World.” Indeed!

We visited his home because I wanted to get another chair to pair with the Rajah. My husband’s late parents had a pair of Narra botaka chairs and I still have this image of them sweetly spending afternoons together sitting in those chairs. So I wanted a pair of Benji chairs for my husband and me for when we grow older. Benji asked me to sit down and try out the different chairs to find the one that’s a perfect fit. I guess, it’s the same for finding works of art. You have to choose which one speaks to you. Or, perhaps, it is in chairs as it is in love. You just know.

Then I found it. The Pedro. The moment I sat on it, the chair touched my lumbar area as if trying to say everything will be okay. It was uncanny because I had lumbar spinal surgery just a few months back and that part of me was aching for comfort or reassurance or, yes, a little loving. And, maybe, the chair was an ode to my humble childhood. Simple Pedro.

When I asked Benji when I could have the chair if I chose to order one, he said I could have it in January next year. He needed time to make it. It’s a testament to the passion he devotes to his craft and art. Every single piece is built, polished and finished to perfection before it gets stamped with his name.

And here’s the amazing thing about a Benji piece. Each one is made of recycled wood. He waits until a tree is fallen. Or until an old house gets torn apart. Or until somebody decides a piece of wood is useless. That’s when he rescues it and reincarnates it into a piece of functional art.

“Walang namatay na puno sa paggawa ko ng bahay.” When he said it, I knew exactly what sets him apart as an artist. It’s his respect for the very thing that allows him to do what he loves best.

xoxo

Welcome to Benji Reyes’ Tahanan.

The door is amazingly one piece of wood.

A three-seater Salumpuwet.

Not a chair but a masterpiece.

Maria Makiling by Benji Reyes

Save the date. Nov. 20-22, 2012, Eastwood Mall.

Thank you, Benji Reyes, for the inspiration.

Wait, there's more!

Somebody once said that we shouldn’t go out there and find ourselves. We should go out there and create ourselves.

So, maybe, I’m not trying to find myself. I’m trying to create my ideal self if it exists at all. And it’s proving to be such a wonderful, meaningful journey.

Part of it is discovering what matters and what matters more.

So, this is just to let you know that I’m still alive. And I hope to share my journey with you when I’m ready.

But, for now, here’s sending you happy thoughts. May life surprise you each and every single day.

Love. Laughter. A life well lived.

Wait, there's more!

When I was in grade school, my teacher would take us hiking. He’d litter the trails with twigs and branches and leaves that meant something – stop, turn right, look up- so that we’d find our way. He trained us really well that we’d see a twig and know what it meant. And we always found our way.

I wish it were that easy in real life.

But it’s not.

I haven’t been blogging because I’ve been trying to find my way.

And I realized that this blog is more than bits and pieces of writing but my own journey.

I trust that I will find my way, eventually.

xoxo

Wait, there's more!

Good question.

No, we’re not. But just as we received blessings from monks by going through the rituals in a Buddhist Temple, we opened our arms to receive all the Dragon Year blessings by celebrating Chinese New Year in the grandest of ways with the Chinese community.

Our culture is a vibrant mix of the different cultures and there is no better gift I can give my sons than an enthusiasm to embrace each one and find beauty in our diversity. In fact, it’s my dream for them to explore all the nuances of each culture so that they’ll find out that different beliefs are different doors that lead to the same God.

But, truth to be told, I just want all the luck this new year will bring.

So, we packed our bags and booked ourselves in Mandarin Oriental for what they said was “the biggest Chinese New Year celebration outside of Binondo.”

The kids loved the Club Room and even more loved the Club Floor Lounge’s free food that went with the free cocktails.

Two Pinoys. One Japanese. Chinese New Year Celebration!

Celebration Preparations

Makati Avenue was closed off for the grand celebration. Though Mandarin Oriental reserved the front of the stage for hotel guests, it welcomed the Makati residents to join in the celebration.

The New Year Revelers

The ritual was presided by no less than Feng Shui Master Joseph Chau and he went around sprinkling everyone with blessed water.

Master Joseph Chau

Tessa Prieto Valdez and Tim Yap hosted the event. The countdown hit a snag when, just as we were about to count 3-2-1, Tim Yap decided that we should count in Chinese. The momentum was lost and we decided to simply follow Master Chau and the Dragon Dancers instead of finishing the countdown.

The woman who personally introduced me to Master Chau and Princess, Mother Riza G., was seated in front of us. I guess, luck brings friends together.

The tiger’s and lion’s eyes were dotted by no other than Vice President Jejomar Binay with Mandarin Oriental Manila GM Mark Bradforda and Master Joseph Chau.

The dotting of the lion’s eyes by Vice President Jejomar Binay.

The fireworks worked up the crowd!

Fireworks!

It was my first time to watch a dragon dance up close. Awesomeness!!!

Dragon Dance

Dragon Fire!

Kung Hei Fat Choi! Let this be the year we live the life of our dreams!

Wait, there's more!

But for now, let me remember the best vacation my family ever had. We did our own laundry, cooked our meals, went out of the house in a chilly  night because we ran out of milk but we had the time of our lives!

We brought home bags and bags of freebies from the Tribeca Family Day!

We skipped museum payments by going there at 5PM.

We explored every nook and alley of Manhattan ’till our feet gave up and our body fats melted.

2012, Happy NY!!!

Wait, there's more!

What if it’s really our last year on earth?

The Filipino sense of humor will get us through it, believe me.

Thank you, Direk Mike Alcazaren, for the survival planner.

Happy New Year!!!

Wait, there's more!

If the world will end in December 21, 2012, then let’s live the life of our dreams now!

Scholarly debates aside, why not live 2012 as if it’s your last?

Why not do the one thing you thought you never had time for?

I’ve always wanted to attend a proper creative writing course, a beginner’s course, and meet a teacher who’d tell me how to do it right like I’m writing for the first time. Then I’d like to attend a formal course on literature and get to know our great writers from a teacher’s perspective. I know I can read about them but I’d like the point-of-view of someone who has read them all.

Why not do the one thing that scares you?

I’ve always been afraid of the water but I’ve always wanted to see a whale shark. There. One for the bucket list.

Why not do a repeat performance of the best time in your life?

My family always goes back to the memory of us in New York City. Love doesn’t do justice to how we feel about the city that never sleeps. Boys, I’m working on it!

Why not build something?

If the world is ending in 2012, it won’t matter if it becomes big or not. The only thing that will matter is that you built it. I will be CEO of my own company, WriteFromTheBeach, and I will buy shares in my son’s own business.

See, it changes everything, right? It changes how you think. Suddenly, you’re reminded of the things that matter to you.

And if, for a second, you thought my mind hovers up there with the clouds, I’d like to cut that thought short and tell you that my feet are firmly planted on the ground. I will still keep on working, yes, even on weekends. But, instead of hunching over my computer during my lunch break, mindlessly wolfing anything that passes off as lunch, I vow to get up and make wise use of that time. Because that’s my own time.

And, instead of thinking that working weekends are such a sacrifice, I will consider them weekend deposits for when I get off for a vacation of a lifetime. And when I withdraw those weekend deposits, the idea is to withdraw completely. There is a time for work. There is a time for play. Enough said.

We all work and that’s our reality. But it doesn’t have to be our entire life. In fact, it really isn’t. And the life that we live outside of work is the very thing that sustains it. Don’t ever forget that.

See, it is possible.

There is a new beginning just as the world is ending.

xoxo

Wait, there's more!

Here’s to an amazing 2012!!!

The year that was turned out to be a dizzying drive, taking us to a lot of crossroads and detours. At a certain point, it seemed like we were on the edge of the precipice. But there were no dead ends. My sons summed it up nicely around midnight of 2011- everything had a happy ending.

And so we give thanks to a blessed 2011 where the human spirit triumphed over trials and God’s hand was in every single little detail.

And after welcoming 2012 with fireworks and firecrackers that the boys already claimed to be their “own” tradition, each of us sat down to talk about our New Year resolutions.

We each gave one resolution. Then we gave one resolution FOR each other that we entered 2012 with 5 resolutions each.

It was a beautiful way of telling each other how each of us can better ourselves. And it occurred to me that that’s the thing only your family can do for you- be utterly honest about you. Only they can brutally tell you what you need to improve on, what you need to work on in the same manner that only they can tell you with full honesty the one beautiful thing about you. And you can count on the fact that everything they tell you is borne out of love.

So, cheers to family! Cheers to love! Cheers to 2012 that’s going to be full of everything that matters in life.

And here’s introducing to you my comrades-in-arms, my shopping entourage, my midnight snack partners, my Oprah, my Joan Rivers, my DVD sources, my cheerleaders, my holding-hand partners in Our Father and in every hospital shot, and the ones who will go with me to the Avril Lavigne concert out of the goodness of their own hearts.

From our family to yours, Happy New Year!!!!!

Wait, there's more!

I haven’t updated my blog in a while. I got messages and passed-on messages, mostly from college girls, who bought the books I mentioned in my blog or took what I wrote to heart and while those messages warmed my heart, they also scared me to death that I stopped writing.  You see, when young girls take you seriously, it’s a lot of responsibility. I wanted to write about shallow things- and I have been neck-deep in shallowness and material lust these past few days that I have been on vacation- and I didn’t want to take my young readers with me as I dove deeper into the quagmire of mindless online shopping and lusting after silly things that never really mean anything in life.

But, hey, a brand new year is just around the corner and before I slip into slumber, let me share the things I learned this year.

1. Things work out.

I got sick then I got well. My husband’s car was hit head on by a truck in a quiet neighborhood intersection and all his tests, including his head CT Scan, came out okay. My son found himself in a crossroad in school and he made his own decision and it turned out right. I made an unintentional mistake, apologized, and was forgiven. I don’t know if Someone Up There just loves us but things always turn out right in the end.

2. There’s a place for who you are.

When I walked out on my network job, my best friend told me I was never “showbiz” – that I was built for the corporate world. She has known me for years and told me flat-out that I wasn’t the be-nice-to-the-right-person-play-politics personality but rather the task-deliver-perform type of person. She was right. Now, I’m exactly where my talents are being put to good use, not where performance is based on who your “friends” are and who decide to be nice to you. Besides, in that kind of environment, there’s not a chance you can find a true friend, or a real person for that matter.

3. The best revenge is to live well.

I would be lying if I tell you I didn’t care that people hurt me or tried to destroy me behind my back. I did. I cried so hard, really, really hard. Then I decided the best way to get back at them was to live a life so spectacular it would blow their mind. And I did. And I’m still at it. And, guess what, I’ve been having such a good time I forgot about the people who tried to bring me down. They failed the first time. And they fail each time something spectacular happens in my life.

4. Move on.

During the Christmas Midnight Mass, the gift that was handed to me was forgiveness.  I don’t know how or why or if I was imagining it but I suddenly forgave everyone who hurt me in the past. It just happened. I’m just writing it down now so that I can purge it before the New Year comes. Okay, after this entry, I’m done.

5. Pick yourself up, dust yourself, get your groove back.

My older son recently asked me what was the one beautiful thing that happened to me this year. I told him 2011 was my comeback year. I went back to what I love doing the most and was given one of the, if not the, biggest and the most challenging account ever, and my team and I made it fun, pushed things to the edge, and made people look up and think twice. That’s the highlight of my year and I thank the people I work with for that. I complained a lot but worked a lot, too. I guess the latter made up for the former.

6. The world is round.

Our CEO and my former president once told me to be kind to everyone, whether he’s the managing director or the trainee brand assistant. You’ll never know. I took it to heart and it’s paying off. It’s a different story, though, for those who weren’t kind to us but that’s their story and they’re the ones living it, so it’s none of my business.

7. Someone Up There looks after us.

He sits beside my first-born as he negotiates the roads in the wee hours of the morning. He steadied my dad’s hand as he punched my number when his blood pressure shot up. He placed sunshine through my window while I battled that nasty flu. And he sent my former Promo Manager to sit with me as I waited for CT Scan test results in a lonely hospital corridor.

My 2011 was an action-packed year! I would have loved to have had more time to go off or more time to spend with my family. But I believe there’s a reason for everything. I just think of it this way- 2011 was the year I went to boot camp. Now that I finished the course, throw me anything, there’s nothing I can’t handle.

So, 2012, I’m so ready for you. There is no reason for you not to be spectacular!

Happy New Year!

Wait, there's more!

The Christmas Village has remained the same Christmas after Christmas.

Christmas came barging in without warning. I was hunched over work and when I looked up, it was there staring at me. I would have wanted to write about the gifts my heart ached for so badly. But that was not to be. Perhaps, it’s because I have all the gifts I ever wanted- family, friends, love.

Aside from my family who has always loved me and friends who never leave my side and love that embraced me throughout the year, this year’s biggest gift is this blog. The biggest wonder in this life and the biggest testament that there is a higher being that guides us is man’s ability to create something out of nothing. And so I am grateful to have this.

So, from www.womanbeing.com.ph, a blessed Christmas to all of you!

My love to you.

From a thrift shop in San Francisco, they were adopted by a home in this tropical country.

Wait, there's more!