Paint My Love

We all know what are colors for - to make everything livelier. But what do these colors really mean? Here are the answers:

RED

Since Philippines is dominated mostly by Chinese people, the color read means "fortune" in our country. In other countries, this color means VITALITY. The red ray furnishes sustenance for the physical body. It brings about:

• energy
• enthusiasm
• interest and passion
• security

ORANGE

In the Philippines, orange means "isolation", which is why most prisoners wear orange clothes. Generally speaking, orange means CREATIVE ENERGY.

Orange combines red and yellow. It contains the fiery energy of red with the wisdom and control of yellow. Orange is a dynamic energy like red but more thoughtful and controlled. Orange brings about:

• creativity
• playfulness
• exploration on a practical level
• relief from boredom
• equilibrium

YELLOW

In the Philippines, yellow represents "poverty". Other countries consider yellow as WISDOM. It is naturally associated with the sun itself, and so with its life giving and sustaining energy. This color enriches, lightens and activates many of the systems of the body. It's bright sunny energy brings about:

• clarity of thought
• orderliness
• memory improvement
• better decision making skills
• alleviates confusion

GREEN

In the Philippines and other countries, green represents LIFE, BALANCE, and NATURE. According to some studies, the human eye is able to recognize more variation in the color green than in any other color. Its energy contains:

• harmony
• sympathy
• health
• abundance
• balance
• growth and expansion

BLUE

In the Philippines, blue means "strength", as it is believed to be the color for masculinity, In other countries, though, blue symbolizes SPIRITUALITY. Blue is the color of distance - oceans, skies, the heavens. The energy of blue helps us to look beyond the immediate environment, expanding our perceptions towards the unknown. It is also the color of Divinity. It brings:

• Peace and understanding
• Enhances the easy flow of communication with yourself or others
• Calms and relaxes

INDIGO

To the Filipinos, indigo represents "knowledge". In other countries, indigo is the color of INFINITY. Indigo amplifies the energy of blue in a profound way. At a physical level, while blue is calming, indigo is sedating. It deepens and turns blue energy inward. The indigo ray symbolizes the bridge between the finite and the infinite and opens the door to the mystical borderland. While blue energy is fast, Indigo energy is more often lightening fast.

• opens the subconscious
• spiritual attainment
• self-mastery
• wisdom
• sudden awareness
• intuition
• psychic abilities
  

VIOLET

Most Filipinos think violet as a color of "royalty". While in other countries, it is considered as the HIGHEST ELEMENT OF SPIRITUAL MASTERY. It is also the highest and most subtle specialization of light, being at the opposite end of the color spectrum to red. It should be viewed as both a completion as well as a beginning of the energy vibration beyond the visible color spectrum. Violet is a combination of both red and blue and this is key to understanding this color. It brings a stabilizing energy to the franticness of red. It lends practicality to the undirected spaciousness of blue.

• darker tones are associated with sorrow
• deep purple signifies high spiritual attainment
• pale lilac brings love for humanity
• bluish purple brings idealism
• sparks the imagination and inspiration
• integrates other energies for healing purposes

References:

http://www.sfheart.com/color.html
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/color/a/symbolism.htm
http://www.crystal-cure.com/

Urduja Movie Review

When I first watched the trailer of Urduja together with the movie "Horton Hears A Who", I really found it hard to believe that Filipinos can actually go this far. I was amazed by the two-dimensional graphics. If only the characters didn't speak in the trailer, I would actually thought it was another Disney flick. I really wanted to watch the movie, because despite of my age, I am still an animation lover. When the movie first came out, I asked my parents and brother if we can watch it. Sadly, my parents are not fond of animated films and my brother hates Tagalog movies. I also don't want to watch a movie alone, and I'm ashamed to invite my friends to watch it because they might think I'm baduy. But then, I was lucky enough that we were given an assignment to make a reaction paper regarding the movie. Because of that, I was able to convince my mother to accompany me to watch it.

What I loved most about the movie was the scenery of the setting. It really gives you a feel of how our ancestors lived during their time, and how they survived without the use of technology. It makes you feel as if you're really one of them.

The movie, though, has more negative sides. The girl Urduja looks like a rip-off from Mulan with her costume designs stolen from Pocahontas and Anastasia. The scene where she sang that song after her father requested her to marry the man she despises reminded me of the scenes where Mulan (voiced by Lea Salonga) sings "Reflection". Everything else looks so Disney. Colonial mentality is working in the veins of the Filipino artists as usual. There are also some very cheesy parts that I have to laugh sarcastically. Two of the characters even mentioned the words "H.H.W.W." (which means, "holding hands while walking") and "ewww!". I mean, those words were not recognized during that time. It would be better if they just made the dialog realistic.

Despite these flaws, I am happy that the Filipino animators are speeding up. They just need to make some improvements and I can see there will be Disney-like companies and productions in the Philippines in the near future.