The paintings of Confucius

Sorry, I’m not talking about the philosopher but the institute...

Students of the Ateneo Confucius Institute of Chinese Paintings exhibited their artworks at the Grand Atrium of the Shangri-La Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong City.

My dear friend Vicky Zubiri was one of the students who exhibited her works so I made sure to check them out. Not only the students of the institute exhibited their works but also those of the Chan Lim family, including the professor for Chinese paintings, Alex Chan Lim. Landscapes, flowers, plants and birds were the major subjects of the paintings done on paper and beautifully framed or mounted on scrolls. The paintings were mostly traditional type Chinese paintings with more modern subjects. I even saw a painting of dolphins done in black and white! The exhibit has a very short run and will end today so try to catch it if you can!

Fashionable rags for a cause

InterContinental Manila partnered with Rags2Riches (R2R), a social business enterprise committed to establishing a scalable and sustainable business that would empower communities from marginalized sectors thus enabling them to improve their lives and secure their family’s future. R2R works hand in hand with the women of Payatas who have been weaving rugs made of scrap cloth scavenged from the garbage dumped into their community. R2R provided the women with the necessary training and guidance to make bags and other items out of fabric remnants. The finished products are then marketed by the company and the women’s share of the profits is channeled to a cooperative benefiting the community.

To further raise money for Payatas community projects, the hotel hosted a cocktail reception at its Bahia function room where guests were encouraged to take part in a special auction of one-of-a-kind bags designed by National Artist Benedicto Cabrera, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, Rajo Laurel, Jenni Epperson and Raymund Isaac. Tessa Prieto-Valdes took on the role of host and auctioneer. The Bencab bag fetched the highest bid at P360,000.

The R2R Collection by Rajo Laurel is sold at the InterContinental lobby shop as part of the hotel’s corporate social responsibility program.

The Peninsula’s New Year’s Ball

Guests obviously had fun at the New Year’s Eve Ball of The Peninsula Manila. They flocked to The Pen to party and welcome the brand new year with ladies in their gowns and gentlemen in black tie filling the Lobby and the restaurants.

Guests continued to party after the anticipated balloon drop which filled the hotel’s famous lobby with colorful balloons!

Incorporated in 1866 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited’s hotel portfolio include The Peninsula Hong Kong, The Peninsula New York, The Peninsula Chicago, The Peninsula Beverly Hills, The Peninsula Tokyo, The Peninsula Bangkok, The Peninsula Beijing, The Peninsula Manila, The Peninsula Shanghai (opening this year) and Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club in Carmel, California. The Peninsula Manila was the first Peninsula built outside Hong Kong!

The New Year’s Eve party at the hotel is indeed a unique experience at The Peninsula Manila.