Of all modalities of valuation, chromatic theories pose the most varied and subjective platform. It deals with the distillation of a group of attributes to a value that is both visual-centric and has a flexible representation. The very poetry of this methodology lies in its apparent simplicity of summarizing causation and result in a manner of inabsolute vividness. From spatial quality analysis, cognitive and behavioral modification to environmental perception, color has been a succinct tool whose varied permutations reveal information on a deceptively autocratic sense. It is this very characteristic of chroma that has led me to choose such a platform to facilitate my search for elucidation.

From hereon, my drafts and drivels, allusions and assertions may be loosely categorized on these various, but in no way exclusive, chromatic families as outlined below. These are forms of the color red, whose essential spectra of connotations I have abridged into genres of chromatic qualities, and thus must I define these permutations and their general representations.





RED - The base color. It is the source of all the hues. It deals with issues pertaining to my greater being. A higher consciousness seeking reason and purpose.
BURGUNDY - The color of the Learned. A deep tone of royal precedence whose purpose seeks the truth in existence. The introspective.
MAROON - The academic. His path lies on the learning gained. The moral compass.
CRIMSON - The warmth of blood, whose passion embrace and engulf one in its mad totality. It is somewhat irrational and impulsive, assertive and prideful.
PINK - The soft beating of a romantic repose.
FUCHSIA - The proud brandishing of sexuality and sensuality.
RUBY - Exquisite and refined, it seeks the superficiality of the tactile over those of the intangible.
RUST - The degradation of the core. The slow death whose lucid hands encroach upon the proudest of metals. It is foreboding and secretive.



These colors are facets of my ongoing search for self. An unending cycle of permutations leading to an eventual regaining of what was lost and that which has been newly found. It is my heuristic compass whose varied tones deal my life cards in a kaleidoscope of monochromes. It is all of me, and none of me. It is proud and reserved, meditatively impulsive, complexly self-apparent. It is the spectrum whose shimmer is a foil to my psyche, yet is as counter-intuitive.

These are which approximately defines my existence, yet in no capacity contain the full breadth of it. It is my color and I will own it. Schizophrenic as it may seem, we are but consolidations of our own multitude of beings, a cacophony of chroma cast amidst the carefree chasms of life.

27 May 2009
7:30 in the evening

Against my better judgment, and in revolt to my typically workaholic ways I left the office at a time I would normally be just warming up for creative calisthenics. And as fate would have it, its sordid comedy played out in chapters as I led myself blind to an event and a venue I know little of. Feigning a courage I once mustered and mastered during my frivolous phases, it was a decision laid on the grounds of a possible social interaction I have missed for a while, and the validation of an existence that cannot be gratified by my professional acuity. I needed a breather, and seeking solace and gaiety amidst a faceless crowd would've been an opportune time to extract relaxation. And there, in the ghost town that was once Katipunan Extension, along its dark avenue of tree-lined intimacy I found myself at a bar tucked along its hurried streets. As fate would have it, despite objectives I have set forth for the evening, a pleasant surprise was its ironic retort.

From the prodding of a friend, the invitation was set for an event that is equal parts memorable and landmark for a social retard as myself. The abscence of a social life was detrimental to my decision to actually attend the event. The hussle defined as my professional existence, amidst the gargantuan responsibilities fed bucketfulls to my revolting psyche have led me to lose the capacity to maintain the semblances of normalcy. In this hurried existence of work-house-work spirals, music have always been my solitary salve. Listening to the radio or sound-tripping during my daily exodus to and from the south, I can only seek solace in my lowly cellphone's basic music functionalities. So I was pleasantly delighted to attend with the promise of a new music player, whose functions and features would greatly improve my aural experience. Besides the lure of a free gadget, the invitation of experiencing sociopetal interactions alluded to the piquant desert I have longed for to taste.

So there I was, in the pouring rain, with nay an acquaintance and friend in sight and risking being hit by the indiscretion of cars that impale Katipunan, I arrived at Route 196. I was welcomed by the organizers with the warmth of an old friend, the acceptance of an established colleague, and the respect of a seasoned writer (which I undeniably am not). Leading me into the bar, amidst its emo-chic environs I was duly introduced to the other bloggers present, as well as the succeeding bloggers that arrived. Surprisingly, the informality of the situation allowed me to loosen inhibitions, interact and identify with a group that gravitated towards the sofa-end of the ante-room. And soon, I was partaking in a gustatory and alcoholic feast amongst a crowd that had the elation of friends long known. I felt at home and accepted, and to the guys who allowed me to encroach in their small get-together despite being a newcomer with no previous relations with them, words will always fall short to express my gratitude.

Vidyut Kaul, the consumer marketing manager for Philips Consumer Lifestyle, was also present at the event to explain in detail the price points and advantages of using Philips' new Go Gear line. Its sleek minimal looks gave little clue to the plethora of functionalities the line offered. Besides the capacity to approximately achieve the sound quality and clarity lost during the transfer between analog and digital formats, the Go Gear line also has sound isolation, allowing musicphiles to feed their affinities despite being in the epicenter of noise we lovingly call as the urban wastelands. In addition, he also spoke about the Philips' Bandwidth Virtual Battle of the Bands, an online competition seeking to discover the unsigned and untapped talents of our fellowmen. It was equal parts uplifting and inspiring to learn that such a consumer-driven company be interested in supporting the innate Filipino musicality. This I believe is a sign of good things to come both for our struggling local artists and Philips' presence in the country.

I personally prefer the Go Gear Luxe line, with its bluetooth capability of tapping to your cellphone during phone calls, but as fate would have it, we were given the 4GB Go Gear Spark, Philips Go Gear line's entry level model with the FullSound and Sound Isolation features. Not meaning to sound an ingrate, surprisingly it had a lot of the features I have long desired in a holistic music player: good ergonomics, discrete elegance, sound brilliance, radio and recorder functionality, ease of navigation and updating, and the list goes on. Now, I can't leave the house without it, and its minimalist aesthetics becoming a foil to my mod style. I have warmed up to it, and will very unlikely lend it to any of my brothers any time soon. Apple's Ipod Shuffle, with its easily-compromised clip, basic mp3 music rendering, lack of a navigation screen, spare player functionality, and higher price, falls way short in comparison to the Go Gear Spark's understated and effortless elegance.

With upcoming and popular local bands Paraluman, Duster, Ernville and Pedicab, whose brand of music resonates this generation's passionate sentiments, the night was capped as a visual and auditory smorgasbord only a brand dedicated to true musical experience can achieve. Thanks to Philips for giving us a taste of the future of the digital music experience.

As the night progressed, from the bottles emptied, and the friendships established, of social issues discussed and mundanities expressed, I found what I have been seeking for quite a while: a group that despite the differences in backgrounds and preferences are joined in their passion for music and life, and an understanding wisdom that being different is not necessarily a negative. That life is what we make of it. As I trudge tonight the slippery avenues to the south, with only a Go Gear Spark craddling my ears, I relish that evening whose realizations and experience engulfed me with such willingness, to the people of Philips for a music unparalleled, the organizers of the event whose patience is amazing, and the no-longer faceless crowd whose acceptance unplifted.