The ending of an Affair

I began my love affair with the TV show "The Affair" in Hong Kong in 2015. I was vacationing there for a few weeks. My sister went to work and I tinkered with the saved shows on her telly and came across the above mentioned show. I was hooked from the very first episode of Season 1 about a married teacher and budding novelist Noah Solloway (Dominic West) who has an affair with a married waitress named Alison Lockhart (Ruth Wilson). Their encounter set in Montauk, where the Solloway family vacation annually. 

I liked that the episodes unfold from the viewpoint of each character. It is interesting to note just how different each character recalls the same incident. From the difference in the clothes, to the behavior of the characters they interact with in the exact same scene even to the hairstyle. Now 5 seasons and 53 episodes later, its finale episode was aired last November 03, 2019 in the US which was Monday morning here in this neck of the woods.

Noah started as an obnoxious, remorseless and arrogant personality. A conceited teacher who went through a lot - an affair, a divorce, fame as a novelist, jail time, short flings, losing his house to the California forest fires to a tarnished reputation as accusations of sexual harassment flew in. He was not well liked, yet it was a bit surprising and refreshing too how he was able to completely redeem himself in the eyes of the people who actually and always mattered to him - his ex wife Helen and his four kids (Martin, Whitney, Trevor and Stacy) as well as to Joanie.

Helen was always beleaguered. By her wealthy parents, who spoiled her but were also highly critical of her. By her husband Noah, who she thought was happy in their married life but suddenly has a passionate affair during one of their annual vacations. By her children, who found her weak for not completely condemning the affair. By her partners Dr. Vik Ullah, who got cancer but completely gave up any forms of treatment, and the actor Sasha Mann, who was only using her so he could be an effective "Noah" in the film adaptation of Noah's novel, Descent. Yet I really admired Helen, she was a complex character who was more capable than any of them gave her credit for. She exemplified strength, courage, tenacity and many more nouns to describe a powerful female character.

Alison was a flawed person. Grief stricken by the death of her young son, she grew distant from her husband Cole. Finding solace instead in a torrid affair with Noah, someone who wasn't her equal but understood her pain. I like how she too was able to rise above her sorrow, her affair and was well on her way to being a better person. But unfortunately she was murdered after arguing with Ben, another lost soul who wasn't too forthcoming about his marital status. I read that Ruth Wilson who portrays Alison demanded higher pay upon learning that Dominic West earned much more than her. The powers that be did not agree so she left the show. In that regard, I only read about that after Alison was 'killed' off. Yet, I believe they treated the ending of her character, well. A person such as Alison could never escape her misery, it would haunt her till her last breath. It was a little too late for her change. It is heartbreaking, extremely sad but true.

Joanie is the product of Alison and Cole while they were with other partners. Alison was still with Noah while Cole was with Luisa. Yes it was complicated, to say the least. A grown up Joanie is first introduced in the last season as a new character. Her scenes just sneaking in the last few minutes of each episode. When it was finally revealed she was Joanie, I was stunned! They personified her as a stoic, sarcastic person so I wasn't drawn to her, at all. Anna Paquin's strange facial expressions didn't help. The writers devoted an entire episode on Joanie so we got to understand the significance of her behavior, her angst against her mother, Alison, her misinterpretation of her dad, Cole. With the help of EJ (another twist I didn't see coming, at all), she learns more about her mother's death. Her confrontation scene with an old Ben was creepy, scary and terrifying. In another scene, an old Noah now the owner of the Lobster Roll narates the answers to Joanie's countless questions as he clarifies all her misconceptions of her dad, her mom and her own self. This revelation made Joanie realize her true purpose in life.

Lastly, Whitney is Noah and Helen's eldest daughter. She was just a little girl when the series started. She only blossomed in perhaps the 3rd or 4th season. Coming into her own person, she did give her parents some trouble when she hooked up with a much older guy. An eccentric artist named Furkat who showed his strange, abstract paintings in numerous galleries. She left him when he hit her during one of his exhibits in Paris. Whitney showed up again at Dr. Ullah's funeral, apparently engaged to some Irish dude named Colin. Early on, we are told that she is marrying him so he can have acquire citizenship. For the longest time, Whitney didn't see eye to eye with her father. Long periods of not communicating because of his infidelity and being embroiled in sexual harassment lawsuits. Yet the "new" much improved Noah practically bent backwards and arranged everything for her wedding. From hiring the caterers, helping her find a suitable dress to choreographing a surprise flash mob. Yet she still didn't want him at her wedding. Towards the last few episodes, Whitney also changes for the good, she became more mature and responsible. The final episode featured her wedding to Colin. That exact moment, she realized she missed her father at her wedding, plus the next scene just proves the Solloways will always be a family and they will be okay because they have each other. 

The cast composed of believable actors (Dominic West and Maura Tierney) did a good job in drawing out their intricate characters. Seeing an old Noah dancing on top of a picturesque cliff made me smile. It was a fitting emotional end to all the drama, the heart aches, the highs and lows of each character. It still ended on a positive note without any loose ends for us to ponder over, giving us sleepless nights. Heh! I will miss this show but there are still other series that continue to entertain me.

Orlina Museum, Tagaytay City

Ramon Orlina is famous for his glass sculptures. Also an architect, he hails from Taal, Batangas and decided to turn his vacation house in Tagaytay into a museum featuring his masterpieces as well as artists like National Artist Benedicto Cabrera (Bencab), Lor Calma, Ann Pamintuan among others. 

The museum also houses an amphitheater (a sculpture garden, nestled outdoors with the fresh air of Tagaytay) where poetry readings and plays are sometimes staged. To reach the museum, you need to take a steep turn down from the main road. There is no specific parking so just park on the small road in front of the museum. 

The 4 story building has many galleries with each level named after his children. It has an elevator for senior citizens, and air conditioning so you can explore his pieces in a cool atmosphere. Some of his works feature the nude female form in various colors, glimmering in exquisite glass sculptures, so be warned. Besides, this is art and we are all adults here. LOL

Notice the baby inside the womb

"Quattromondial" to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the University
of Santo Tomas, his alma mater. This 10 meter high sculpture combining
cast bronze with carved green glass was completed in 2011.

The Taal lake and volcano luking in the background

View of the museum from the garden 

Amphitheater/ Sculpture garden

Bencab handpainted this Volkwagen Beetle entitled
"Sabel sa Beetle" Sabel is Bencab's main inspiration in most of
his paintings. She was inspired by Sabel, a scavenger who was
searching for garbage near his home in Tondo, Manila

Orlina handpainted this Volvo entitled "Homage to Mondrian"

Piet Mondrian (one of Orlina's favorite artists) is a Dutch painter,
regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century

Museo Orlina

Hollywood Subd. Road

Hollywood Subdivision,

Tagaytay City

Entrance fee: 130 pesos

Opening hours: 10 A.M - 6 P.M

Tuesdays to Saturdays

One whole day @ Tagaytay

The second summer destination, Tagaytay in the province of Cavite is a popular place to visit. It is merely about a 2 hour drive from Manila. Well, it depends on how fast you drive. The hubby, who I believe is a frustrated formula one driver can make it in about one hour and 40 minutes. Heh 

By the way, the first summer destination is Baguio, up in the northern part of our beloved country. But that is like 5-6 hours by land which consists of zigzag roads winding around mountains, so I prefer to take the bus to reach the city of pines.

My parents, me and my sister who was driving left around 06:30 A.M on a warm March day. Our first destination was the Adoration Chapel of Divine Mercy or also known as the Pink Sisters Convent. It was our first time to set foot in this very serene place, that has a small chapel where the cloistered Pink Sisters can pray for your requests. It is tucked in a small enclave surrounded with tall pine trees which add to the tranquility and solemnity of the sacred place.

Then we had breakfast at Bag of Beans in Twin Lakes. This is like a strip mall with restaurants and there is also a hotel with an amazing view of Taal Volcano. 

We then headed to Orlina Museum which houses his numerous glass sculptures but this deserves a separate post so stay tuned. After admiring Orlina's magnificent pieces, we had a late lunch at our usual place (RSM Lutong Bahay) to feast on bulalo, crispy tawilis and grilled liempo.

Another pit stop for us in Tagaytay is the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. A lovely church to pray and express our gratitude for our blessings and ask Her protection for our trip back home. Besides this church is located near one of our favorite places to buy banana bread - Carmela's. Another good place to buy pasalubongs is the Bahay Pastulan or the Good Shepherd Sisters which is famous for their ube jam.

Envy: One of the seven deadly sins

I am still editing my numerous pictures so let me take a break from it.

The other day, an item on the news said that there are a lot more young people who are now suffering from depression. The number is a staggering 1 million people. But there are only about 100,000 psychologists in the Philippines so some of them don't get the necessary help. While others choose to deal with it on their own and worse some don't want to admit they are having mental problems due to the unwanted stigma.

Then a young woman was interviewed and she said that envy or being jealous of other people's lives is one of her causes for feeling sad. 

I agree with her because on the various social media platforms - most if not all, would post pictures taken during their vacations, local or abroad or they tend to display through pictures their physical assets. By physical in this sense, I mean their prized possessions like branded hand bags, expensive clothes, jewelries, cars etc.

For someone who does post a lot of pictures of both my domestic and overseas travel and also the places where we dine out, I have this to say:

I don't do it to boast, nor be arrogant. I like to share it with whoever will see it. I also wan't to keep a 'public' record of my travels to serve as a reminder of the memories I made through those experiences. 

On the other hand, I also follow some celebrities on Instagram. Mostly for ogling purposes and also for the gossip, yes I admit tsismosa ako. But, never ever have I  been jealous of their success. I know they are celebrities so they earn much more.

Okay then let me go to seeing travel pictures of my own friends (both in real life as well as the ones on social media), I never ever get jealous! In fact, I am very happy for them. They enrich themselves by adding pleasant experiences to their memory warehouse. 

Alright so my point is yes envy is a sin. But we are only human so we are most certainly vulnerable to getting jealous. It is how we handle this dreadful feeling that defines who we are, as a person.

Don't get me wrong. I also understand that depression or being depressed is very difficult. You feel trapped. Your soul hurts. Nothing works. It is very scary. 

Me, I turn to prayers. I talk to God. Sometimes, I cry. A lot. I believe it has not gotten too severe that I need to seek medical help. But I am assured that there are many people out there who can help. Both medically and personally.

I also hope that people who are depressed, who feel like they cannot take it anymore. That they know they are not alone and help is just a phone call or text message away. 

I am done rambling. Just wanted to get my view about this very sensitive subject matter, out there.