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Golf Fest 2007, Part 4 (Touring)

                                                An important part of Golf Fest 2007 was touring. Most of our group were natives but this was my first time in the Philippines so I was anxious to see the sights, just as any other tourist. Touring is fun and educational and I always look forward to it (so long as it doesn't interfere too badly with the golf). I had read two books about the Philippines before I left and felt reasonably well-prepared but there's something about actually seeing the sights that transcends anything in my reading.

                                                            The Philippines are an important part of American history. Like any other schoolboy, I had learned stories about Admiral Dewey and Manila Bay. Being there brought back those stories and reminded me of stories about the Spanish-American war but I knew little of the Philippine-American war that ensued. I hadn't realized that the war, including guerilla actions, lasted for almost fourteen years. I knew something of the Philippines' experience in World War II but had almost no knowledge of later history or current events. My ignorance was brought home to me most directly at the Ayala Museum in Makati. A series of wonderful dioramas alerted me to the richness of Filipino culture and the outlines of an interesting history.

                                                            Dioramas are 3-dimensional representations of a scene. The dioramas in the Ayala Museum are beautifully carved and painted. There are 60 dioramas, covering Philippine history from pre-historical times to the EDSA revolution of 1986. In addition to the dioramas, the Ayala Museum is a tribute to Filipino art and is set in one of the most beautiful settings I've ever seen.

                                                            Along the same lines, I was taken with an exhibit by local craftsmen participating in a teapot competition in the lobby of our hotel. Entitled "ArTEAculation", this was the first tea set competition and exhibition in the Philippines. I'm not a tea drinker and hadn't thought much about teapots but I learned that teapots are particularly difficult to craft. The teapots were all beautiful in their own way and some of them would be prized objects in any home.

                                                            Admitting our ignorance is a first step in our education. Be ready to learn wherever you go and, eventually, you'll be ready to teach. I'll have more to say about our touring in the next column.

3-5-07