Knock, knock

CEBU, Philippines - Isn’t it selfish that we only ask you to open your gates for us?

Today, for our first issue, we invite you to take a glimpse of The Freeman Lifestyle team.

Where we sleep, dine, and dress for the night.

And oh yes, that one, too—how we battle cold, lonely nights.

This is the beginning of our companionship.

Who knows?

We could be sharing the same interests.

“I had a house help before who used to work for an ambassador. She told me: ‘Ma’am, you should have different places for different occasions.’ So I have an area where I take my lunch and another for my dinner. And it’s true—I got a different view each time.

“I must say we were so lucky to live in a 3,300 square meter lot. You can hardly get that these days. We didn’t consider Feng Shui as I don’t want to live by any rules in decorations. But the house is L-shaped, and they say that a water element in the middle is good, which means where we built our pool is a good location. That’s too much water, though.

“My decorating technique used to follow a one-theme policy, but I’ve decided to experiment. When my son was five years old, he complained about my all-gold Christmas tree and that it was too boring. He wanted a colorful tree. So the experience taught me to experiment on ideas, and of course, my trip abroad has also influenced me.

“I do not own a brown dress in my closet, but most of my furniture is brown. I like the feel of wood and natural light coming through the windows. When we bought this house 25 years ago, it was so dark and had a lot of divisions. I broke them down and made bigger windows.

“You see my house has a lot of influences. I have Spanish tiles on the wall; I have Capiz doors and windows. I love to travel, collecting beautiful home decors.”

Marlinda Angbetic Tan

Executive Editor

I came across this poem of Emily Dickenson that resonates so well with my current state –

Alone, I cannot be –

For Hosts – do visit me –

Recordless Company –

Who baffle Key –

They have no Robes, nor Names –

No Almanacs – nor Climes –

But general Homes

Like Gnomes –

Their Coming, may be known

By Couriers within –

Their going – is not –

For they’re never gone –

Living alone equates to complete independence of existence – no one to hurry back home at mealtimes, nor worry about when I am traveling or out late.  I have always looked at my home as a quiet bower of privacy where I can do the things I want to do – write, draw, read, watch TV, confer with my cook on the menu for the week, check on the goldfishes in the aquarium, and breathe in the verdant vibes of the lush garden I inherited from my green thumb of a mother.

My pianos are my treasures – intended to be given to my grandchildren one day.  The Mercedes my dearest Papa Celing (Jose Miranda Angbetic) bought when I was seven years old.  My mother (Lecita Roa Angbetic) observed that I was pretending to play the piano on our dining table. She felt I was ready for piano lessons. I now read notes for my right hand (melody) and chords for my left hand. The Mercedes is as good as new after a general repair.

The Yamaha Upright was my birthday gift from my husband Danny in the 1980s when my poor “old Mercedes piano” was used in the original Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, and later in Tuxedo Junction.

I de-stress by playing the piano at any time, night or day.  Good thing, we don’t have any next door neighbors, so I don’t have any second thoughts when playing at way past midnight.  These days, I have not touched the piano keys for months.  My granddaughter Meg (seven yrs old) has piano lessons, and my grandson Noah (five years old) is starting his lessons. They asked for it. One must never force a child to learn a musical instrument. It will eventually be futile.

The wooden swing on my porch was purchased by my elder son Irvie, intended for their future home.  Meantime, I enjoy my time there…with a book or telling stories to my grandchildren: of fairies dangling from the tendrils of the creeper on moonlit nights.  Of elves dancing in the dew-drenched lawn along with the fairies with their twinkling wings.

My home is also a cozy place where I share food and drinks with good friends, peppered with lots of laughter and bracing conversations that lift the spirit.  No negatives! Only shared things one can learn, expanding one’s mind and spirit.  I used to have sit-down dinners, with waiters from Tuxedo Junction serving the dishes and pouring the wines.

My two daughters-in-law (Tess Mutia and Jinjin Toledo) supervised the full renovation of my house in 2007.  They even chose the furniture in the music room, the over-all minimalist ambiance and the roomier feel of the living room and dining area.  I am happy with their taste and choices.

Archt. Artemio Alcoseba was asked by my father to design our house in 1973. He was one of the teachers of my husband in USC College of Architecture. When I got married in 1975, my mother’s garden was already showing its verdant promise and the archway of jasmine plants from our porch down to the gate, was where I passed in my wedding gown on the way to church.  Now, the jasmine plants are not predominant anymore in this archway.

P.S.

I have a deep respect for old things as they can never be replaced and they evoke a different time that may be forgotten if not for the extant items we generally call “antiques.” I try to gather them: jars, lamps, crocheted heirlooms (my mother did a lot of these in her time), jewelry and some furniture.  Some of the porcelain jars and old clocks are from my paternal grandmother, also the Spanish prayer book w/an ivory cover and a metal lock.

Clint Holton Potestas

Contributing Editor

“When my late father Amelayne bought a 1910 house in his hometown Sibonga, he wrecked it and used all the tugas wood to renovate our existing residence.

We didn’t hire a decorator since he knew I was a frustrated fashion and interior designer. I decorated our house according to the specifications of the 1910 house and the Victorian manor of the Halliwell sisters in my favorite TV show, Charmed: wood frames, glass windows, and intricate carvings. Since stained glasses are too expensive, I opted for the Filipino Sampaguita glass to achieve an old world mood.

I designed my room to resemble a sun parlor. I know it’s not applicable in a tropical country, but my eyes dwell first—the sunlight gleaming through my window always delights me as much as the rain water gliding on the panes.

But at night, since our house is surrounded by mountains in Minglanilla, the temperature drops. Since I moved back here three months ago, after a year of living in the city, I feel the need to redecorate. The quickest way is to drape a chiffon fabric on the bay view. No need to mount frames or sew curtains: Ah, to be single and childless.

EDITOR’S NOTE

A Cozy Bower

When one thinks of home, one conjures the warmth of affection in shared laughter and tears; the savory smell of bubbling pots in the kitchen; the welcome sounds of children's shrieks and patter; even the enveloping quiet of evenings at the porch.

A little clutter here and there makes the house a home. A worn wooden baluster assumes the dignity of ancestry, along with its dark patina. And when there is space for a garden, either out front or at the back, one's home takes on the image of a haven where one looks forward to be, at the end of the day.

Hence, we are opening a new page in our Lifestyle Section today and we focus our attention on transforming a house into a home.  Making life worth living! Because we truly believe that the quotidian of existence does not a living make; rather, it is the significance of a humane life in the beauty of a cozy ambiance called home, that spells Living.

Welcome into our intimate space....

Marlinda Angbetic Tan

Lifestyle Executive Editor