After seeing Jon throw some clay for us, seeing the kilns, and having an overload of ideas in Ceramics, we are all ready to have some good lunch! Clay Ave students have brought food for the trip. Some prepared ahead of time and made sure, the ingredients, are still fresh when we arrive in Pansol, Laguna. Nothing tastes as good as home-cooked meals in The Philippines.
The beauty of Pottery is its function after it has been created. The Potter knows what it is going to be. After seeing some raw clay in action between Jon’s hands, we are all excited to eat with The Pettyjohn’s handmade plates, bowls, tumblers, pitchers, etc.
Since we all got very hungry, no one had any spare time, to take photos during lunch time : )
Here’s what we had for lunch:
Binakol Soup with coconut meat and chicken
Chicken ensaymada
Onigiri with salmon
Umani (stewed root crops with chicken)
Salad with miso dressing
Fried chicken
Kulawo with eggplant and banana heart
Sinaing na Tulingan sa palayok
Papaya achara
Rice
Dessert:
Donuts
Baked banana with red wine, dalandan, sugar
Most of the meals were prepared at home. I definitely learned how to make some simple and healthy recipes like the Binakol soup that Tessy made for the group. Before having the heaviest part of the meal, tasting the soup with coconut meat was surely refreshing after sweating from the studio tour. The Kulawo made by Vicky and Francis complemented the Sinaing na Tulungan sa palayok. Mrs. Kitami surprised us with her handmade Onigiri. Now I know why she likes pinching pots a lot! The Papaya achara balanced all the flavors in the mouth. After tasting a bit of everything, Tessy’s baked banana with red wine, dalandan and sugar – awakened us once again! She is not only creative in forming clay between her hands. She also loves trying out simple and available ingredients that will surely make one ask her, “How did you do it?”
After lunch, most of us went back to the showroom.
The way the students see the pots now is definitely different from how they saw them when we arrived at 8:30 in the morning.
They get the bowls from the shelves and holds them between their hands gently. I can see in their eyes that they are starting to value handmade Ceramics. It is good to value one’s own work, but it is as delicate and fragile as carrying other people’s pieces.
Some of the students went to the living room area and read some of Jon’s book collection in Ceramics. Understanding each process even more, they turn each page with more curiosity.
Just when we thought we were done with our pottery field trip, Jon asked us, “Who wants to see a nice viewfrom Los Banos?” All of us were ready for anything that day. With nothing else planned out for the rest of the afternoon, we asked Jon to lead us the way.
To be continued…
CREATE. PLAY. TRANSFORM. 