Nikki's Nurturance: Museums

Showing posts with label Museums. Show all posts

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Kid-Friendly Places: Ayala Museum on a Sunday Morning

The Ayala Museum

One may think the Ayala Museum is too formal a place for young children. Cameras are strictly prohibited. The Gold Exhibit on the fourth floor has deterring gates with prison-like steel bars. Most of the rare items on display are encased in glass and cannot be touched. There are guards at every turn. The dignified ambience commands a respectful decorum. Parents with very young children may deem it inappropriate to bring their tiny tots to the Ayala Museum - but we did just that on a lazy Sunday morning, and we had a great time. While it is not a children's museum, and isn't designed specifically for a young audience the way Museo Pambata is, there are a number of ways in which Ayala Museum is kid-friendly.

To begin with, kids below 3 get in for free. Then there's the Annual Family Membership Pass that allows unlimited access to the museum for parents and all their children under 18 years old for an annual fee of 2,000 pesos - this is a good idea for large families with school-age kids. Oliver and I decided to go for individual membership since our kids are below 3 years old and can still get in for free. Adults only need to pay a very reasonable 500 pesos, while students pay only 300 for a year's worth of museum visits per person. Membership perks include invitations to exhibit openings; curator-led tours; discounts for workshops, lectures, symposia, and family activities organized by the museum; and discounts at the Museum Cafe.

My pre-museum energy booster: coffee at M Cafe.

Before going to the museum, we started out with breakfast at M Cafe. Oliver and I read the newspaper and had coffee while our kids took a stroll with their Yaya Ruby at the garden nearby. There are koi ponds, and sculptures, and wide open spaces and many shady spots for the kids to enjoy. We decided to dine al fresco. While smokers usually sit outdoors, one can sit strategically to avoid smoke. The outdoor seating area is located on a "wind tunnel" of some sort, and wind blows in one direction, so we had our kids seated in a smoke free corner. We ordered M Cafe's breakfast with all of Oliver's faves in one plate: tapa, bangus, longganiza, eggs, with garlic rice. I like taking our kids here on a lazy Sunday morning when there aren't too many people. It's all so pleasant. The breeze, the foliage, and ample space for strolling and running around. After our leisurely satisfying breakfast, we headed off to the museum.

M Cafe's Breakfast plate with all the faves.

It was our great fortune that the current exhibit on the first floor of the museum showcases the works of member artists of INK (Ilustrador Ng Kabataan or Illustrators for Children's Books) in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the organization. On the walls were framed fanciful illustrations. There were whimsical scale models of scenes from children's stories, some were displayed on pedestals, others "floated" in surreal fashion, suspended from the ceiling with near-invisible strings. I felt as fascinated and in awe as my 2 year old Narra, and 4 month old Guijo. We were all staring dreamily at the colorful images contained artfully in the vast, white exhibit space.

From the first floor, we proceeded to the 4th floor to see the Gold exhibit. Our strollers were comfortably accommodated in the elevator, and throughout the museum, there was ample space for maneuvering and parking them. A short movie clip on the importance of gold in pre-hispanic Philippine society is shown on a huge concave screen to introduce the collection of rare gold artifacts. We were impressed with the innovative glass displays on the floor! Emphasizing how gold comes from the earth, and how the archaeological finds were dug from the ground. Having them displayed under our feet was a delightfully disorienting experience. It also meant it was easy for Narra to view them - she squatted on the ground to look at various pieces of gold.

On the 3rd floor were paintings. The official website of the Ayala Museum has a section giving advise to parents on how to discuss art with children. I'll have to wait until my kids are older before I discuss art with them, but for now, I will encourage certain habits of viewing and touring - I hope to expose them to the "choreography" of museum-going - to imprint on their young minds the postures of walking, watching, looking, and pondering in a museum-ish pace and rhythm. I dream of taking them to more museums all over the world. The Ayala Museum, with its compact size, is a manageable place to start. Imagine when it's time to take them to the Smithsonian! The Louvre! Museo del Prado! or even to view endless walls depicting ancient history at the many temples of Angkor Wat! I wish by then, they've developed enough physical and mental fortitude to do justice to such grand cultural institutions.

With Guijo just outside the Museum entrance.

Finally, on the 2nd floor, is the perennial favorite, the dioramas! I've seen this exhibit many times since my childhood, but I never tire of it. Narra found it very fascinating - which proves how appealing the dioramas are. If only the museum built kid-friendly ledges to accommodate child-height patrons. I had to lift Narra each time she wanted to take a closer look, and that hurt my back! We took our yaya Ruby with us, and I asked her what she thought of the exhibits, and she told me "Totoo pala yung sa Amaya!" referring to the costumes seen on a daily period drama entitled Amaya set in pre-Hispanic times. Yaya Ruby is an avid fan of the show, and by extension, so is my daughter Narra. When she saw the exhibit on gold and it's importance in displaying stature in a hierarchical society, and saw the battle scenes in the dioramas, she whispered to my daughter "Narra, parang sa Amaya!".

Narra choosing her Filipino publications for children.
She doesn't read yet, she's just choosing based on illustrations.

After our trip to the museum, we took a short walk to Powerbooks nearby. We saw exhibits of INK both at Museo Pambata and at Ayala Museum and we promised ourselves we'd buy Narra more Filipino publications for children. We made good on our promise and bought her several books. How affordable they were! Most titles were priced at 70 pesos, and had text both in Filipino and English.

Oliver and I want to expose our children to Philippine history, art, and culture, and taking them to museums is also good for us as a couple. It intensifies our pride in our country, and nurtures our spirit, allowing us to take a step back from our everyday lives so we can indulge in loftier thoughts. Even before we were married, Oliver and I would go on dates to museums, and I love the good conversations that follow. We want to share a lot of moments like these with Narra and Guijo. With our Ayala Museum Membership, we'll surely have more museum visits for the rest of 2012.

Ayala Museum Website:

http://www.ayalamuseum.org/

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Museo Pambata's Bahay Kubo & Getting Narra to Eat Vegetables

The new bahay kubo of the Kalikasan exhibit.

In a world of brilliant branding, the humble sitaw and kalabasa will have a hard time competing with nuggets and fries in winning the affection of picky young eaters. But with documentaries like "Supersize Me" instilling awareness of the dangers of fast food among parents, there is a strong desire to raise kids right and teach them healthy habits like eating fresh fruits and vegetables. Every bit of reinforcement helps, and I am so happy to find helpful exhibits in Museo Pambata that can make it easier for me to introduce Narra to a variety of local produce.

Match the veggies. Note: the last museum-goers who played
this matching game got some of the veggies wrong. The luya,
bawang, linga, and sibuyas are misplaced in this photo.
I should have fixed it before taking the picture!

One of their new exhibits which opened just two weeks ago, displays a nipa hut or bahay kubo with a matching game featuring various vegetables from the classic folk song entitled Bahay Kubo. The names of the vegetables enumerated in the folk song are listed on child height boards with hooks, and children and parents have to guess which vegetables correspond with which names. We were singing the song as we explored the exhibit, and I took a photo so I could continue to point out to Narra the different veggies even at home. I plan to cross out the things we eat until we complete the whole picture. This way, we can have a goal of trying out different local veggies and meal time can be an adventure.

The Fruit and Vegetable Store. Narra's favorite.

Narra also spent a lot of time on what seems to me to be her favorite exhibit, the Fruit and Vegetable Store. On our last visit, she loved playing with the weighing scale, and she wanted to return to the same spot to do the same things. I picked out an eggplant and asked her what it was, and she said "it's a purple banana". Ok, ok, I found that funny. It's good to know she's not color blind. But it seems I still have a lot to teach her. We'll have more many more trips to this museum until she knows all her fruits and veggies, and many other things besides. I also want her to understand that food does not appear by magic, so she can respect the process behind cultivation, and ultimately respect nature as our source of food. I thought this was something children would naturally, intuitively know! But apparently, it is something that needs to be taught and explained, especially in an age of processed and packaged food where the golden arches of McDonalds is an "organic" part of their urban landscape.

The bamboo cart by the bahay kubo. 2nd floor.

I feel a little sad for urban kids today, whose everyday lives seem to be so disengaged from nature. I want Narra to appreciate how plants grow on soil, how farmers sow seeds, and harvest vegetables in carts, out on the field. I want her to understand how much work goes into what she eats so she learns to value every grain of rice. As Narra sat on a bamboo cart, I pointed to the murals on the walls and made her imagine fields full of crops under the heat of the sun, singing the folk song "Magtanim ay di biro" (roughly translated: planting is no joke).

The newly opened Herb Garden.

Museo Pambata also just opened an Herb Garden, which is inviting physically and conceptually. While some of the museum's exhibits refer to nature on a grand scale - with topics like rain forests, mangrove forests, rice fields and oceans - the herb garden reminds us that nature is everywhere, even in a pot sitting on your porch. If only all homes became greener, not just in conserving energy and disposing of waste responsibly, but also in greening the metropolis through homegrown plants. I am inspired to act!

Narra putting veggies on her plate.

After our museum visit, I bought Bahay Kubo veggies: Kalabasa, Sitaw, and Sigarillas. Our cook Chie added her Bicolana touch to the veggies and cooked them in coconut cream, or gata. Before lunch, I showed Narra the Bahay Kubo photo from the museum, and told her what we were going to eat. At lunch, I asked her to pick out which one was the kalabasa, and the sitaw and so on...yes, it's my devious way of getting her to put veggies on her plate all by herself, without resorting to coercion or rewards. She liked the kalabasa and the sigarillas, but she spit out the sitaw. 2 out of 3 - not bad! I have plans of taking this a step further in the future, imagine if we can grow our own vegetables in our garden! Imagine if she can pick or harvest her own food! I am excited at the prospect!

I find going to Museo Pambata an interactive experience even long after the museum visit. It stirs my mind as a mother and stimulates my kids. I want Narra and Guijo to grow up reflecting on their lives as they live it. To me, that's what my visits to this particular museum will be for. It's a way to allow us, as a Filipino family in Manila, to make sense of who we are and how we live - a lesson manifested even in the simple act of teaching our kids what to eat.

Narra's Star on Museo Pambata's Christmas Tree

http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/narras-star-on-museo-pambatas-christmas.html

Museo Pambata Part 1: Introducing Kids to Philippine Architecture
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-1-introducing-kids.html

Museo Pambata Part 2: Encouraging Kids to be Writers and Artists
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-encouraging-kids-to-be.html

Museo Pambata Part 3: Introducing Kids to Theater, Dance, and Music
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-3-introducing-kids.html

Museo Pambata Part 4: Exposing Kids to Entrepreneurship
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-4-exposing-kids-to.html

Museo Pambata Part 5: Instilling Environmental Awareness Early On

http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-5-instilling.html

Monday, November 14, 2011

Museo Pambata Part 1: Introducing Kids to Philippine Architecture

We want Narra to grow up rooted in her country's culture. Manila's Museo Pambata (Museum for Children) will help us achieve that goal. We visited it last Saturday and I have plans to keep coming back. I was so impressed that writing a single blog post won't do the trick, so I'm going to write a series of posts.

Oliver and I are fortunate to have in our employ our driver Michael, who is married to our housekeeper Chie. Together with their 5-year old son Basti, they've stayed with us for the last few years, first in our very secluded house in Lipa, Batangas, and our second house in congested Metro Manila. While in Lipa, our two families used to go to outings together - to have dinner out, to watch movies, or to do a little sightseeing in Tagaytay. Since moving to Manila, we haven't had the chance to go out and tour like we used to. So last weekend, we decided to head to nearby Museo Pambata. It was originally meant as an exposure trip for the kids, but it ended up being entertaining and enlightening even for us adults!

On the ground floor of Museo Pambata is an exhibit on the Spanish period. Kids are introduced to colonial architecture through a recreation of some design features of a typical 19th century, 2-storey illustrado home. Narra and Basti enjoyed looking through the window grills done in the buntis (pregnant) style, and peeking through the windows on the second floor. There were also small-scale antique furniture inside the house, which the kids absolutely loved to sit on.

There's a small-scale version of a typical Spanish colonial-era church which museum-goers can actually enter (adults and kids alike). It's pretty fascinating to stand inside the structure feeling like a giant! At the altar, Narra inspected the figures of Jesus and some of the other saints, while Basti had fun pretending to be a priest.

There was also a sample from the American colonial period, a scale model of a 1930's home inside a glass case. The former Elks Club Building which houses the children's museum is, in itself, a historic architectural treasure. I loved climbing its wide staircases, and walking on its old tiled floors.

On the second floor, there were more interactive exhibits to explore. In particular, Narra enjoyed the kid-size bahay kubo. It was a bit of a challenge for her to climb the bamboo ladder to enter the hut, but we didn't assist her, since it was low anyway and posed no threat to her safety. She clambered up rather clumsily but I enjoyed watching her figure out how to make her way up on her own. Once inside the hut, Oliver and I could only supervise her from the windows, but she was pretty much on her own. She enjoyed playing with the clay stove with the kawali on top, and spent a good many minutes pretending to cook.

"Ay ganyan ho sa amin" (oh that's how it is in our home) said Chie who hails from Bicol, and whose parents make a living as farmers in a remote part of the province. She was excited to see the carabao-drawn cart on display and demonstrated to her son, and to my daughter Narra, how her father would use it. I realized how the Museo Pambata plays an important role in bridging generations. It is a means for Chie to introduce her Manila-born and Manila-raised son Basti, to the rural livelihood of his own grandfather. Oliver's own family hails from Malolos where they have an old ancestral house with beautiful touches of colonial architecture. I hope Narra can learn to appreciate that when we next visit Malolos.

While we were at the second floor of the museum we happened to look out the window to see a traditional Ifugao house being re-furbished on the grounds below. I'm waiting for that exhibit to be completed so I can take Narra back there again to explore traditional architecture from the North.