Happy new year

It’s time to put up a new calendar on the wall. The general sentiment going around these days is how time has flown, and a year has gone by again. In three days we close the chapter of 2014 – a good year in many ways, but with its share of challenges and troubles. Whatever we went through in the past year, there is always reason for thanksgiving, to look up in praise to the Creator of all things and to the One who holds time in His hand.

The STAR family’s recent Christmas party had the theme heroes and villains, and we were all encouraged to come in costume, or at least come dressed with a hint of some hero or villain. The girls of STARweek took the easy way out and wore t-shirts a la Superman, Robin and Wonder Woman. 

But our artist would have none of the short cuts. He took the challenge very seriously, and for two weeks before the party worked on his über costume – as super villain Doc Ock, Spiderman’s arch enemy. I have to share with you the amazing result of his artistry (see photo below).

In between doing our layouts, he painstakingly cut out of styrofoam each of the 22 segments of each tentacle. The four tentacles were in turn made from the orange PVC casing for wires, at the ends of which he attached claws, also made of styrofoam. The tentacles, each a little less than two meters long, were painted, then attached to a board, which he wore like a harness. The finishing touch was the head of Spiderman (made of paper on a wire frame), clutched in one of the claws, a bit of artistic license, I guess, since I don’t recall such a scene in any Spiderman movie.

After completing his obra maestra, he – believe it or not – rode his motorbike in full costume from his home in Pasig to the party venue at the Sofitel hotel in the CCP Complex. It must have been quite a sight as Doc Ock on wheels cruised along Edsa. Good thing he wasn’t pulled over for obstruction of traffic.

Aside from winning best costume, he was, not surprisingly, the most photographed at the party. Some people even wanted to buy his costume. Now expectations are really high on what he will do next year.

* * *

On the cover: The Pinoy New Year is not complete without some form of fireworks, as this image by STAR chief photographer Val Rodriguez, taken at the intersection of Abad Santos and Solis streets in downtown Manila, shows. But please, if you must, be careful and keep the firecrackers to a minimum – be kind to the environment and to your lungs.