nyko maca

Nyko Maca is musician, one of the pioneers of Capoeira in the Philippines, and a passionate traveler. I visited her home last year, and we ended up talking for a good 3 to 4 hours about life, beliefs, and dreams. I love that she has a ton of maps pinned to her wall --- places she's been to. Goes to show how much she's a citizen of the world. She has a hammock inside her crib too, how cool is that?! :)
 

Nyko Maca

(Makati City, Philippines)

Occupation: Creative artist, capoeira and language instructor

Website: Nyko Maca official on FB

Favorite toy as a child: A doll whose hair stood up like french fries.

Favorite toy now: Open space! And a mic.

Turn-ons: Good food! Good conversation and honesty.

Turn-offs: Plastic and White lights

What are 5 things that inspire you right now?

Music 

Capoeira

Good people

Elements (sun and sea)

Travel

Who are your influences?

My mother and my father

Fela kuti

Theo Dombrowski

Rumi

Paulo Coelho

Ella Fitzgerald

Top 5 movies:

The Usual Suspects

Kung Fu Panda

A Very Long Engagement

Black Cat White Cat

Star Wars (entire series)

Top 5 books:

The Book of 5 Rings (Musashi)

The Essential Rumi

The Velveteen Rabbit

The Alchemist

Lord Of The Rings (series)

Music you listen to: wow. everything! right now, frank ocean and a lotta french rap, plus kizomba

5 Favorite websites:

http://www.maya-portal.net/tzolkin
http://www.ebcphilippines.com/
http://www.youtube.com/
http://www.tatame.com/
http://www.soundcloud.com/

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time?

sleep. i love to sleep. it's the best happy medicine.

clean. a clean house is fun to sleep in.

eat and hang out with friends --- essential to well-being!

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be? 

criminologist

If you can have any super power, what would it be?

to FLY combined with APPARITION and COOK GOURMET MEALS MAGICALLY

What is the biggest problem of the world right now?

negative influences that create negative thoughts = lack, poverty, thus fighting

What do you think is the solution?

abundant thinking for one and for all

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far?

to love fully and have the courage of your convictions

Most inspiring statement/moment(heard/said/read):

pois a vitoria de um homem as vezes se esconde num gesto forte que so ele pode ver. "The victory of a man is sometimes hidden in a powerful gesture that only he can see." Falcao (o rappa) 

and: "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."

I'm back!

Wow, I just realized that my last post was November 2012. A few months more and it'll be a year... 0_o

I unintentionally took a sabbatical from Anik-Anik Love to focus more on work and personal growth. It's been a hectic roller coaster ride of a year, but I'm back and ready to snoop around the spaces of creative people once again! Hehe. ;)

buensalido architects

I wanted to be an architect and build houses as a child, but math and I weren't meant to be together. So I was really psyched when Jason and Nikki Buensalido of Buensalido Architects agreed to have their creative space photographed. They are the awesome husband and wife team who designed Kenji Tei Ramen House in Greenbelt 5, DMCI's Sofia Townhouse in Taguig, and broadcast journalist Ces Drilon's condo. A peek inside their edgy pink office and one would instantly grasp how innovative and dynamic their creative energy is. :)

Jason and Nikki's own home is also a reflection of the duo's very modern mindset. Check out a feature of their house here www.online.wsj.com.

Jason and Nikki Buensalido of Buensalido Architects

(Makati City, Philippines)

Occupation: Architects

Website: www.buensalidoarchitects.com

Favorite toy as a child:

Jason: Scaled models of airplanes, aircraft carriers, tanks, etc.

Nikki: Jackstones and crayons!

Favorite toy now:

J: MacBook pro

N: MacBook pro, sketchbook, cellphone, colored pencils and colored pens

Turn-ons:

J: A creative mind

N: Nice eyes and a cute smile

Turn-offs:

J: Dark elbows and stinky armpits

N: People who think they own the world

What are 5 things that inspire you right now?

J: Nikki Boncan-Buensalido, my wife

My travels

My new house

My family

Every project with an opportunity to influence people's lives through design

N: Jason, colorful things, creative tidbits, creative processes, things that make the mind work, arts and crafts, modern architecture, and out of the box thinking with avant garde ideas and solutions

Who are you influences?

J: My parents, Ayn Rand

N: My family

For work - Joey Yupangco, Rem Koolhaas, Bjarke Ingel's group (a relatively young architectural firm in Denmark)

Modern designs and ideas 

Top 5 movies:

J: Last of the Mohicans

Lord of the Rings

Spiderman

Star Wars

The Fountainhead

N: A Walk to Remember

The Lake House

One More Chance

Notting Hill

50 First Dates

Top 5 books:

J: Lord of the Rings

Fountainhead

Alchemy

A Walk to Remember

Steve Jobs biography

N: The Bible

Design Yourself by Karim Rashid

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Star Girl

Tipping Point

Music you listen to:

J: Alternative rock

N: Alternative and Manila sound

5 Favorite websites:

J: Buensalidoarchitects.com

Archdaily.com

Coffee with an architect

Fastco.com

Dezeen.com

N: Buensalidoarchitects.com

Youtube

Facebook

Yahoo

Archdaily

Dezeen Architecture

Thecoolhunter

When you're not busy with work, what do you do in your free time?

J: Spend quality time with my wife and family, fix up our new house, travel, wakeboard, and think of work

N: I just got married, so my husband and I are busy fixing up the house. I want to go back to painting and arts & crafts. That's my next project!

If you were to choose a different job, what would it be?

J: Advertising or sculpture

N: I would probably be in real estate or in the jewelry business

If you can have any super power, what would it be?

J: To be able to rebuild poorly planned cities with a flick of a finger

N: I would love to fly and to be able to stop time

What is the biggest problem of the world right now?

J: Selfishness, self-centeredness, and lack of care towards each other and the environment. Apathy.

N: People are so used to technology that they're dependent on it and they forget about the environment

What do you think is the solution: 

J: Is for everyone to feel how it is to suffer, even for just a while, so that they will realize the importance of things

N: Awareness and practice of conserving the environment in small ways

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far?

J: Don't trust anyone else except yourself and your family. If you want something to happen, insist for it to occur with a combination of will power, luck, and faith. Before you know it, the universe will conspire for it to happen.

N: Make the most out of every moment in life. Faith and prayer will bring you as far as you will it to. Trust that God is in control of your life and you will not have to worry about anything else.

Most inspiring statement/moment (heard/said/read):

J: When she said "Yes" :)

N: If you are truly passionate and enjoy what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life.