Renovations and preservations of ancestral home into a cultural hub (ft. Savage Mind Bookshop and Tugawe Cove Cafe 2.0)
As ancestral homes slowly diminish its traces in the city of Naga along with time’s passing and modernization flourishing, little did we know that one ancestral home located at Peninsula street of Naga City would become a cultural hub that will bring life again to this little old home.
I have blogged about this house especially the two businesses settling a space here several times, but there are always something new to write about it. I am still amazed with the fact of the efforts made to preserve the house. For one thing, this house has undergone several renovations and this time, a new business opened: Tugawe Cove Cafe.
TUGAWE COVE CAFE
Tugawe Cove Cafe was once located at the ground floor of Robinsons Place Naga before they moved here in this ancestral home. Before they moved this little space here, this was once the Peninsvla Cafe and Resto which I also blogged sometime in 2019.
With Tugawe Cove Cafe's collaboration with Savage Minds Book Shop which is situated downstairs, it became more lively now as it also became the place where books published and authored by local writers as well as artworks by local artists can be marketed and promoted as they are displayed on every shelf and corner of the cafe. Anyway, it is nice to see the renovations made and how this house was preserved and became the newest trending hangout in the city of Naga. There is always a space for history, culture, art and literature appreciation here.
The food is also delicious. With it’s homey and relaxing ambiance, this is also an ideal space to be inspired to work.
SAVAGE MIND: ARTS, BOOKS, CINEMA
I noticed that a lot of things also changed since I last went here. The set up, the amount of books available, the vintage stuff displayed, then remembering the memories of friends I made here during my previous visits and the lecture series I attended here. Since its opening, Savage Minds kept on upgrading its shop to be more than just as an independent bookstore but as a cultural hub that values creative minds, welcomes intellectual conversations and serves as the home of books published by local and independent authors as well as artworks of local artists. Savage Minds created a mark in the city of Naga by proving and reminding us that we have a place where history, culture, arts, films and literature collide to raise awareness and appreciation. Gesamtkunstwerk.
Every time I would visit bookstores especially independent ones, I would tell myself, "Sana dumating rin ang araw na makita ko rin dito yung mga isinulat kong nobela."Since college after writing three novels then publishing them online through Wattpad, I have dreamed of getting them all published in print too. It is more satisfying having a physical book and feels more real because it is a tangible proof of hard work as well as ideas weaved to inspire and tell a story. But I just realized now that getting your works published and printed is not as easy as I thought it would be when I was younger. Although, those didn't stop me from being a writer or work for it to have them published on print someday. I know it is hard to tie with publishers too. Self publishing also needs money which I still cannot afford as of the moment. Believe me, if I have sufficient funds, I was able to print something already. I was only able to invest in an editor for the meantime. I did the book cover which still needs to be modified for printing. There are a lot of things to be done and I am not there yet. It is frustrating to have slow progress. This year, I think that the only progress I had was becoming a registered author at NBDB and low key launched my ebooks on Amazon, Kindle Store and Beebly (for 2022). I will start there. Maybe if I can collect enough money, I could have a printed copy being sold here too. Until then, I will try my best to keep the dream alive. I feel pressured to achieve so much at this age as a writer because I can see the younger generation achieving in it too. Perhaps my season hasn't come yet some would say but I will never stop fighting to achieve my dream. Sana sa 2022, published author na tayo. Published author cutie.
Ps. I didn't see Innova, the cat-in-residence. I was hoping I would. Maybe on my next visit?
