I remember the days when I would visit our *bahay-na-bato* ancestral house in Zavalla Street, Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Those were truly the halcyon days of my youth. The place was lined with old mansions with windows made of *capiz*, and the nearby church bells would announce the important hours of the day. I would play games with my older cousins in the street—there was no danger of cars running us over; indeed, cars were a rare thing back then. *Patintero, Taya, Langit Lupa,* those were the games of our youth. We would play until night, where the moon provides most of the light. Those happy memories came back to me, when seeing the latest exhibit at ARTablado.
Sipa by Jet Bernal (Photo courtesy of ARTablado)
According to the exhibition statement, “Taym Pers!” is all about looking back, taking a breather, reevaluating what we hold dear—amid the chaos and the maddening state of our modern life. “‘Taym pers!’ is the colloquial phrase used by kids that translates to ‘Time first!’ — which means to stop, pause, or take a break while in the middle of a game. Our theme was inspired by the concept of rest and taking a break in the middle of our chaotic and busy lives which we can learn from children’s play. A happy child is the perfect epitome of innocence and pure joy. Children reflect pure hearts and minds that have not yet been hardened by the world’s madness," said the organizers of the exhibit.
Maya't-Maya by Lawrence Borsoto (Photo courtesy of ARTablado)
Thus, the members of art group "Alpas" reminds us to reminisce about those old Pinoy games and our innate sense of play in their exhibition called “Taym Pers!,” on view until March 31 at Robinsons Land ARTablado in Robinsons Antipolo.
Kariling by Len Makiramdam (Photo courtesy of ARTablado)
The members of Alpas remember how valuable it was to take part in these communal activities. “Playing games is not only about having fun, developing social skills, problem-solving, and being competitive. It teaches us to increase our creativity and imagination, promote camaraderie, maintain customs, values, and traditions, foster a sense of belongingness, develop patience in taking turns—but most of all, to learn how to follow rules, play fair, accept defeat, and thrive in order to win.” According to Alpas: “Life is but a big game-field where we have battles to fight. Whatever challenges we may encounter in our daily lives, always remember that in order to win, we must learn how to pause and say, ‘Taym pers!’ and then thrive again.”