Pinoy Short Film “Balai” Competes in Australia, Nepal

Wazzup Pilipinas!

An outstanding capstone project from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde will vie for awards at the Melbourne Short Film Festival and Nepal International Film Festival next month.

“Balai” (Home), a thesis film by DLS-CSB Digital Filmmaking alumna Klarisse Purugganan and Selene Almeron, is nominated for Best Experimental Short at the 2020 MSFF in Melbourne, Australia on February 10. It is also one of 80 entries from 40 countries selected to contend at the NFF in Kathmandu, Nepal from February 13 to 17.

The short film, which bagged the grand jury prize at the 67th Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards last year, tells the story of an orphan boy, plagued with alienation and loneliness, who finds inspiration in a sick roommate as they find a real home.

The young filmmakers got the idea for their short film from an unborn child. “He was supposed to be named Karlo. A woman I know had a miscarriage several years ago. She had a dream of Karlo playing along with her other children. Their connection was bonded in a subconscious thought,” Purugganan, who wrote and directed the short film, revealed.

Purugganan added that throughout the entire filmmaking process, the understanding of spirituality has always been in their minds. “People always say what you see is what you get, but only because we live in this physical world where material things matter. We still don’t know what’s beyond this lifetime and not all people are going to believe in it. But it has opened the possibilities of unexplained spiritual connection to human beings and how it guided us along our film’s journey,” she said.

Meanwhile, Almeron, the film’s producer and director of photography, is delighted that “Balai” got selected in the two film festivals. “We were just celebrating how a year ago, we presented and defended our film as our thesis in Benilde. And now these blessings have suddenly appeared.”

“We are honored to be a part of such a wonderful and diverse collection of films to be shown at both film festivals. We are and will forever be grateful for them that they chose our film and to be a part of it all,” Almeron shared.

Almeron and Purugganan dedicate “Balai” to Karlo, “who did not get the chance to be known in this world, and to other children who are too young to be taken away from this physical world.”

“They may not be present in this lifetime, but they may be alive and well in a world beyond our lifetime,” Purugganan concluded.

MSFF, which aims to promote and provide exposure to independent short films from around the world and organize a fun and culturally diverse night of indie cinema for filmmakers and cinephiles alike, is run in association with Close:Up, a collection of international film festivals supporting indie filmmaking.

NIFF, on the other hand, was initiated to conduct exchanges in film and culture between Nepal and the rest of the world, and to create a conscious, responsible and appreciative film culture and atmosphere in the country.

Exploring China’s Ancient Tea Horse Road The LUX Resorts Way

Wazzup Pilipinas!

One of a growing number of LUX Resorts properties along the historic Tea Horse Road in China’s Yunnan Province, LUX Tea Horse Road Benzilan promises authentic experiences that get to the heart of what makes this region of southwestern China truly unique. This luxury boutique hotel located in the mountain town of Shangrila is the perfect base for exploring the many glaciers nearby or venturing off the beaten path to hidden mountain trails. LUX* Tea Horse Road Benzilan’s ‘curated experiences’ are the perfect way to discover the surrounding areas. These are guided excursions tailor-made for the adventurous and culturally curious. Whether it is a temple tour and tea talk with a monk or a sumptuous picnic alongside a stunningly beautiful mountain lake, these bespoke experiences promise to create enduring memories.



A Day Trek to Niding Village

Niding is one of several charming Tibetan villages in the area surrounding LUX* Tea Horse Road Benzilan, and it’s the perfect destination for a half-day outing. With the help of a local guide, guests can go on a hike through some of the most beautiful natural scenery in Western China. The hike passes through pristine Tibetan forests and along cool, clear snowmelt fed creeks.

Guests will learn about the wide variety of flora and fauna that they will encounter along the trail. Once in Niding, a delicious lunch spread of local produce are prepared by the team in an authentic wooden hut. and getting to know the local villagers. They will share their unique way of life with all of its rich traditions and customs. Traditional attire is also available for guests to try on for unique photo opportunities. Guests may even hear a few fascinating stories about the days when the tea caravans passed through, carrying tea and other goods along this once vital trade route.



Picnic Lunch at Napa Lake

Napa Lake is another stunning example of the dynamic and breathtaking scenery of Shangri-La. In the summer months, the snow from the surrounding mountains melts and fills the basin, forming a vast lake. In September, the area becomes a haven for migratory birds, such as bar-headed geese, several species of wild ducks, and the black-necked crane, which is one of the 12 rarest bird species in the world. In the dry season, Napa Lake becomes a sprawling meadow known as the Yila Prairie and is an ideal grazing spot for yaks, sheep, and horses.

Regardless of the season, it’s a gorgeous backdrop for a picnic, and LUX* can take care of all the essentials, packing a delicious meal and providing comfortable transport to the lake. All guests have to do is enjoy the fresh air, the amazing wildlife and the picturesque scenery. Guests can explore the ruins of Gunyin Temple, believed to have been built during the Yuan Dynasty. The area is also home to several small Tibetan villages.



Tour and Tea Session at Songtsam Monastery

Buddhism is an enduring institution along the Tea Horse Road. Its cultural influence runs far and wide in the region and is manifested in the customs, artwork and architecture. LUX Tea Horse Road Benzilan is situated near one of its most spectacular temples, Songtsam Monastery. It is the largest temple in Yunnan Province and is often referred to as the “Little Potala Palace” in reference to the famed monastery in Lhasa, Tibet.

LUX offers a unique way to experience Songtsam Monastery, driving guests directly to the site, circumventing the long stair climb (the monastery is perched at a high elevation of 3200m) and the queues. Once there, guests will get to learn about the temple’s colorful history and marvel at its striking architectural flourishes on a private guided tour. After that, they will have an opportunity to chat with a resident monk over a piping hot cup of yak butter tea and learn about the true nature of existence.

These are just a few of the many unforgettable experiences that LUX* Tea Horse Road can curate for its guests. The opportunities for exploration and discovery in Benzilan and the surrounding areas are endless.

The enchanting scenery of Napa Lake

The distinctive Tibetan architectural flourishes of Songtsam Monastery

Lunch is served in Niding Village

 

Reasons Men Date Trans Women

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Why do men date trans women? For people who are not attracted to trans women, this can be a mystery.

Cis men often face a lot of stigma against dating trans women. In fact, in some cases, the cis men get more criticism than the trans women they date. Some people think these men are sexual deviants who fetishize trans women. 

Others even go as far as to say that cis men who date trans women are gay because trans women will always be men. This stigma persists because of a lack of insight into why men want to date trans women.

Below are a few reasons men choose to date trans women. Hopefully, these reasons will help people understand both the men and the trans women they’re dating.

They don’t care about the stigma.

Ideally, when a man and a trans woman are attracted to each other and form a loving relationship, that’s all that matters. However, there’s more to a healthy relationship than just genuinely loving each other. 

Outside of the two of them, other people will also be involved. The men know all too well that his friends and family might not be as accepting of their girlfriend as he is.

However, thankfully, there are men who simply don’t care. They know who they love and they are willing to defend her. They don’t care what other people think as long as they know that their love is real and that they’re not hurting anyone.

Dating a trans person comes with quite a lot of downsides. But trans women can find men who will accept and love them through all the challenges they’ll face.

They fetishize trans women.

We all have our little kinks and fetishes. Usually, it’s something relatively vanilla like spanking or bondage. However, there are some men who seek out transgender women simply to experience a different type of sexual encounter. They see trans women not as women but as sex objects that they can enjoy. They want to know what it’s like to sleep with a trans woman, so they enter into a relationship for the purpose of finding out what it’s like.

This behavior is disgusting and dehumanizing to trans women. Thankfully, a lot of trans women are aware of this and they know which men to avoid. 

However, young or naïve trans women can’t tell the difference between a man who’s attracted to them as a person or a man who’s only in it for the “experience.” One big glaring sign that a man is looking to fetishize a trans woman is when he doesn’t engage with them as people—it’s always just about sex.

They date trans women as a trophy.

On the opposite side of the argument are men who see trans women as some sort of “badge of pride.” They are attracted to trans women, but when they date trans women, they do so to show off. 

These men want to showcase the fact that they are progressive and open-minded. So what better way to show how accepting they are than by having a trophy trans girlfriend?

These men (often called “trans amorous”)are not genuinely attracted to the trans woman they’re dating. Instead, they’re attracted to the prestige of dating their token trans woman. They want compliments about how progressive they are and how strong they are to date trans women when they know all about the stigma associated with it.

However, some trans women prefer to date an open-minded man as opposed to one who sees them as a sexual fetish. They believe that it’s better than being hidden away and kept as a “dirty secret.”

They are attracted to a specific trans woman.

You can’t help who you love, as they say. In many cases, men simply meet a trans woman they find attractive. They get to know her and realize that they can create a wonderful relationship. So the logical thing to do would be to date.

For these men, they don’t focus too much about the fact that they are with a trans woman. They still identify as straight and they see their girlfriend as a woman. To them, this is all that matters—that two people are into one another and being transgender is just one small part of the picture.