The 2 R’s according to Ben Chan: Reading and Retailing

Ben Chan is one businessman who has always loved being involved in anything creative – and it doesn’t necessarily mean a profitable creative venture. In fact, if there is one thing that sets him apart as a retailer, it’s probably that as a young man in school he didn’t care much for crunching numbers. That didn’t excite him the way the world of design excited him tremendously. Ben took up interior design in San Francisco and then studied at PSID. As he puts it, he didn’t need to study business because he grew up with it. As for creativity, the retail giant who put up Bench, HerBench, Human, PCX and Bench Fix Salon was born with it.

As a design maven, on the other hand, you wouldn’t find a more voracious reader. Ben has been known to finish piles of magazines on design and architecture in one sitting. He also collects books on art, fashion, retailing industry, advertising design, interiors and architecture.

But there is another side of Ben Chan. The side of him that reads all genres – not about business but about people: reading about their vulnerability and their infinite capacity for role playing is an amazing experience for him. Look at the way Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin fascinates him. Can you imagine Oscar best actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Hilary Swank as James Dean and Raquel Welch respectively? The author, a master makeup artist, did.

Ben has also taken another role. This time as publisher. He recently published the book Pinoy Pop Culture, written by Gilda Cordero-Fernando and Manuel Chaves, as his way of "giving back to the community, especially the young people who have made my business thrive." There is that side of him that celebrates his being Filipino – he’s in love with Nick Joaquin’s Manila, My Manila, and pines for yesteryear when Manila was a capital worthy of comparison with the best cities in the world – and a side of him that likes to sit back and relax with espionage books by John Le Carre.

For Ben, reading is another creative pursuit. Books exhibit the human side of people – whether they’re fictional or make-believe, whether they’re fighting for the Maoist movement or simply trying to explain what makes a burgis the way he is.

That’s Ben Chan the reader. Like Pinoy pop culture, as a reader he’s halo-halo, maski-paps, but true-blue, genuine, garantisado, 100 percent book lover nevertheless.

Ben Chan’s Book Lists

1. Red China Blues by Jan Wong – A true story of a woman of privilege, born to Chinese and Canadian parents, becoming a believer in the Maoist movement. Reason: For its audacity in relating a bumpy journey leading to disillusionment; for its lively and shrewd narrative of memories; and for the love of China that I share with Wong, and her youthful enthusiasm.

2. The Tailor Of Panama by John Le Carre – So far, this is the easiest to read among all the books written by the master of espionage genre. Reason: I love it for its subtlety. Le Carre always comes very close to the truth. This novel is different from the rest of his work. And as with any good fiction, imagined events lead to real repercussions.

3. The Tale Of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu– This is one of the oldest books written in Japan during the 11th century and considered a masterpiece. The version I read is a translation by Edward G. Seidensticker which I find very elegant with masterful details such as in the wonderful passages when the almost ritualistic way of wearing a kimono is narrated in musical prose.

4. Ethics For The New Millennium by His Holiness the Dalai Lama – Reason: For obvious philosophical and spiritual reasons. In narrating his early years when he lost his country to China at the age of 16 and becoming a refugee at 24, he has fused a vision of marriage between the spiritual and the modern world. Without being complicated, he has reformulated and founded a new modern ethics ranging from personal restraint through compassion and finally to the role of religion in our modern society.

5. London by Gerald Hoberman – One of the most beautiful books I’ve seen about a city close to my heart. As Samuel Johnson once quipped, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." I shall never grow tired of London nor shall I tire of savoring Hoberman’s photographs which make me want to pack my bags and fly back – terrorists threats notwithstanding.

6. Manila, My Manila by Nick Joaquin – It is hard to imagine that the Manila of today – with its squalor, filth, decaying buildings, smog and traffic – was once prized as "the Pearl of the Orient" and a world capital worthy of New York, London and Paris. Nick Joaquin, a Manileño born and bred, gives a lovingly rendered account of his favorite city which at the same time makes me pine for the beautiful Manila of old and challenges present-day Manileños to rebuild Manila and restore it to its former glory.

7. The History Of The Burgis by Mariel N. Francisco and Fe Maria O. Arriola – A lively, entertaining account of the Filipino burgis from the days of the Spanish conquistadors to the early days of Cory Aquino’s presidency. A scrapbook, a history book, a comic book and a joke book, it makes the Pinoy burgis examine himself, laugh at his own foibles and idiosyncrasies, and rethink his pivotal role in Philippine society. Published in 1987, this is a book worthy of an update.

8. Daring Do’s Of Mary Frasco – Having of late ventured into the hair and beauty business via Bench Fix Salon, I am amazed of how through the centuries, man has treated hair with almost fetishist devotion and creativity. Hair (or the loss of it) is, was, and will always be every man’s concern. And undoubtedly hair is, was and will always be big business.

9. Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin – Gwyneth Paltrow as James Dean? Hilary Swank as Raquel Welch? Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis? Gena Rowlands as Ava Gardner? Who else could think of such far-fetched transformations but the master makeup magician of the moment Kevyn Aucoin. An extreme illustration of his magic is his transformation of his 66-year-old mother as a modern incarnation of the great Marlene Dietrich. Amazing.

10. Homage by Jaime Zobel – Jaime Zobel’s Homage is the master-photographer’s paean to nature. Page upon page of magnificent photographs depicting the sea, leaves, flowers and rocks celebrate nature in all her ravishing glory. Photographs so vivid you can almost hear the sea crashing against rocks and smell flowers in their first bloom. Nature through Mr. Zobel’s lenses inspires sheer awe. A much-acclaimed work and a must-have for photography buffs and nature trippers.

11. The End Of Fashion by Teri Agins – A stylish and classy insider’s guide and insight on how the fashion business has evolved during the last 50 years from the time of Chanel, St. Laurent, Donna Karan, Lauren to more democratic brands like Banana Republic, Gap and Old Navy. It dissects and reveals the changing definition of fashion to people. A must-read for the new millennium not only for fashionistas but for those who are interested in how this industry moves. A witty and entertaining story of triumphant marketing.

12. Pinoy Pop Culture by Gilda Cordero Fernando and M.G. Chaves – One of the few books to document Filipino pop culture in its many guises. Not a few scholars have derided the Pinoy for not having a distinct culture which perhaps explains the fact that the Pinoy has always been in search of his identity and of his place in this world. As manifested in this book, Pinoy pop culture is a distillation of the Pinoy psyche – halo-halo, gaya-gaya, maski-paps, but true-blue, genuine, garantisado, 100 percent Pinoy nevertheless. A seminal work and a guidebook for Pinoys about Pinoys and what makes the Pinoy truly Pinoy.

* * *

Reading Club recommends Book of the Week: Dare To Fail by Billi P.S. Lim. A book that discusses failure and how it ultimately leads to success. Available at National Book Store and Powerbooks.

Reading Club recommends Magazine of the Week: Martha Stewart’s Living. Great to have for the coming holidays. Learn to be "handicrafty." Available through Emerald Headway Distributors.

* * *

Your suggestions and comments are always welcome at readclub@aol.com.