Lifestyle

SAN PEDRO CUTUD, Philippines (AP) — Several Roman Catholic devotees were nailed to wooden crosses in a gory Good Friday ritual in the Philippines, and others flogged themselves or took part in religious plays to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering.

by Robbie Pangilinan

Eighteen years ago, he had no idea how to tattoo. Today, he inks celebrities and famous personalities and owns his own tattoo studio.

by Robbie Pangilinan

Eighteen years ago, he had no idea how to tattoo. Today, he inks celebrities and famous personalities and owns his own tattoo studio.

“I was even confused how tattooing works. When my friend taught me how to do henna tattoo, I started to get interested,” says Ryan Dante F. Dayandante, founder and owner of Bloodlines Tattoo Studio in Marikina City. Established in 2004, Bloodlines has welcomes popular people yearning to get inked.

Armed with the conviction that tattoos are part of the Filipino culture, 38-year-old Ryan recalls that his very first tattoo design was tribal. He then studied the macabre design as well as oriental, but says that in his 18 years of experience in the industry, he learned that you can never claim to be an expert of a particular design.

“Every tattoo is different, unique. As an artist, I need to study all the different cultures and designs, and I don’t want to stick to one or a few designs only,” adds Ryan.

The humble artist (he says that humility is necessary to become a good tattoo artist) says he still feels empty and he is always hungry to learn more.

“I think I need to improve in all aspects of how a real tattoo artist works, becouse until now I feel empty, I wanna know more,” he says, adding that he finds all designs challenging because every client has a different type of skin and personality.

“That is primarily my work. To know the skin of the client, and to know which suits him/her best. The design is secondary,” says Ryan who is always in the process of studying new designs in search for his dream tattoo.

The environmental situation in Medina, a fishing town in Misamis Oriental province, has been experiencing a 180-degree turn since the municipal government embarked on a comprehensive marine protection and conservation program last year.

Everyone is looking for ways to beat the sweltering heat this summer, and indulging in Pinoys’ favorite dessert, the famous halo-halo, is one of the easiest and best ways to cool off.  

Kuya J’s halo-halo tops the list of many diners. 

Kim Kardashian West is not here for the haters.

The 38-year-old reality star took to Instagram on Monday to open up about studying to become a lawyer. The new post comes just days after she shared her surprising new venture in the May issue of Vogue, revealing that she plans to take the bar exam in 2022.

"Last year I registered with the California State Bar to study law," Kim wrote alongside a pic of her dressed down in grey sweats while studying with two women. "For the next 4 years, a minimum of 18 hours a week is required, I will take written and multiple choice tests monthly. As my first year is almost coming to an end I am preparing for the baby bar, a mini version of the bar, which is required when studying law this way."

"I’ve seen some comments from people who are saying it’s my privilege or my money that got me here, but that’s not the case," she continued. "One person actually said I should 'stay in my lane.' I want people to understand that there is nothing that should limit your pursuit of your dreams, and the accomplishment of new goals. You can create your own lanes, just as I am. The state bar doesn’t care who you are."

Kim, who's been praised for convincing President Donald Trump to grant clemency for Alice Marie Johnson, continued her lengthy post by revealing how she's able to study to become a lawyer without having graduated from college, which is largely possible thanks to her two mentors.

"This option is available to anyone who’s [sic] state allows it," she wrote. "It’s true I did not finish college. You need 60 college credits (I had 75) to take part in 'reading the law,' which is an in office law school being apprenticed by lawyers. For anyone assuming this is the easy way out, it’s not."

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star also wrote about how her new ambition has impacted both herself and her family.

"My weekends are spent away from my kids while I read and study. I work all day, put my kids to bed and spend my nights studying," she wrote. "There are times I feel overwhelmed and when I feel like I can’t do it but I get the pep talks I need from the people around me supporting me."

"I changed my number last year and disconnected from everyone because I have made this strict commitment to follow a dream of mine - It’s never too late to follow your dreams," she continued. "I want to thank Van Jones for believing in me and introducing me to Jessica Jackson. Jessica along with Erin Haney have taken on the role of my mentors and I am forever grateful to them both putting in so much time with me, believing in me and supporting me through this journey."

"This week I have a big torts essay due on negligence," she added of her current assignment. "Wish me luck.

Many of Kim's famous friends supported the reality star in the comments of her post, with both Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian showing support for their sister.

"I couldn't be more proud of you, sister," Kourtney gushed.

"I am so proud of you Keeks," Khloe agreed.

Jonathan Cheeban said she was the "hardest worker person in the game," while Chance the Rapper deemed the post "amazing, and really inspiring." Likewise, Ashley Graham urged Kim to "create your lane" and James Charles urged her not to "listen to people who have nothing better to do with their day than leave nasty comments."

Meanwhile, Maria Menounos left a lengthier encouraging note.

"Kim as I always tell you -you blow me away. So many haters so little time," Menounos wrote. "I’ve seen how hands on you are with your kids and you work harder than anyone I have ever met with a smile always. Adding this to your plate is hard for me to fathom-but you are doing it and will accomplish it and make an even bigger difference than you already have. So proud to call you my friend and always so inspired."

In her Vogue interview, Kim revealed that she decided to become a lawyer after The White House invited her to advise on how to help change the clemency system.

"I'm sitting in the Roosevelt Room with, like, a judge who had sentenced criminals and a lot of really powerful people and I just sat there, like, 'Oh, s**t. I need to know more,'" she recalled. "I would say what I had to say, about the human side and why this is so unfair. But I had attorneys with me who could back that up with all the facts of the case. It’s never one person who gets things done; it’s always a collective of people, and I've always known my role, but I just felt like I wanted to be able to fight for people who have paid their dues to society. I just felt like the system could be so different, and I wanted to fight to fix it, and if I knew more, I could do more."