I Will Never Know

I was in the Greenbelt area of Makati
Killing time
Doing some "scientific" research
People watching
Well ...
Ok, ok - it was more of female watching

But it was science ....
Harmless
Studying anatomy
Appreciating gaits and sways
Analysing hip to waist ratios
Calculating mathematical relationships between chest size and smile frequency
Memorizing leg contours
Focusing on geometric pelvic angles
Assigning margins of error to the refractory effect of soft textile hugging undulating curves

Just basic scientific work
Not the kind of work that excites me ...

But it did make me hungry
Suddenly - I was thinking about luscious, mouthwatering oysters
I have no idea at all why
But I just was ...

Luckily- Greenbelt is home to Mr. Rockefeller
Another showcase of Chef Melissa Sison (whose successes include Salumeria and MYLK),
Mr. Rockefeller is an upgraded version of the more mainstream Oyster Boy chain (with whom Chef Melissa is apparently "partnered")

This quaint but somehow sophisticated resto is an oyster-lovers destination.
Surrounded by bleached and distressed wood, paired with oyster shell decor - one is immediately calmed into the mood of easy, casual, relaxed dining






























I started with their star appetizer, Five Layer Nachos - corn kernel nachos with a wonderful multi-ingredient salsa based dip
"A glass of wine please ..."

Their oyster menu is formidable
Fresh, grilled, steamed ...
Oysters Rockefeller, Oysters Tempura, Oysters Pesto
French Onion Oyster, Oysters Pizza Ole, Oysters Quatrro Formaggio
Oyster Ceviche, Oyster di Parma, Oysters Aioli
Oyster Bleu, Swiss Miss (Gruyere) Oysters and more
"Another glass of wine pleaaaaaase"

I chose Oysters topped with a mango salsa and caviar
And paired this with a yummy Mrs. Rockefeller's Pasta a la Oglio ("sauted in garlic, capers and black olives")
Mmmmmmmmmm
"Can you just leave the bottle of wine here pleaaaaaaaaaase ..."











































I took it all in
Slow and easy
Savoring every flavor
Remembering every joyous bite
As the juices moistened my hungry lips ...


Afterwards, as I was leaving the resto - the very amiable co-owner "Yong" reminded me that both the oysters and the caviar I had just had were considered aphrodisiacs.
Hahaha - why did he feel that he had to remind me of that?

Could it be because my eyes popped out and my jaw dropped everytime the curvaceous lady server poured my wine?
Or was it the way my head bobbed as a top-heavy female floated by my table?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
I guess I will never know ............

All I know is that I clearly enjoyed the meal
Light, tasty and interesting
Portions - just right
In a cozy, romantically lit place

Try it
Bring a date
Don't waste the oysters




Mr. Rockefeller
2/F Greenbelt 3
Ayala Center, Makati
Tel - (63-2) 757-4802

Little Boys

Remember the Vendo machine?
Drop a coin, press a button and out comes your choice of a soda, chocolate bar, sandwich or whatever
... (and if it didn't, just kick the damn machine in the hope that it might)

Well - that wonderful self-serve for the masses concept has come to the high end world of wine, in a very high tech and much more reliable way ...
Yes my dear - wine vending machines !!!
The pioneer of the concept in Manila, is a high end resto/bistro that has been put up at the Fort's Bonifacio High Street

Aptly named CAV to reflect its focus on wines - this new place is currently in "training mode" ... really a soft opening of sorts
At the helm is Chef Marcus Gfeller - fondly remembered for starting the fine-dining scramble in Metro Manila a decade ago by his involvement in Grassis and then in Soleil - both highly successful fine dining ventures

This time , he has partnered to put up a wine bar-restaurant with the characteristically sophisticated and contemporary food offering in a wonderfully designed dining destination, that is expected of him.











































The food is gourmet delicious and I will post about it at some other time.
Presently, I bring attention to CAV's added value, novelty, or niche, which is in its offering the ability to wine-taste through automated vending.

How does it work?
Well - you would be issued a VIP "card" with an embedded chip
The chip would be programmed to reflect your prepaid or predetermined credit limit
Then you would go to the machine
Insert your card
Press the corresponding tasting portion, half serving or full serving buttons for a choice of bottled-displayed wine
And voila, out comes your wine portion straight into a wine glass that you would be holding in the proper place
Your card would then be debited the proper amount
All automatically
Simple and really "kewl" ...































Wine lovers will love this "toy" which allows one to sample several varieties in different portions without necessarily being tied down to having to buy one bottle. The machine keeps the wines at perfect temperature, and sucks out the oxygen (to avoid oxidation which spoils the wine in open bottles ), and replaces it with an inert gas for preservative purposes.

It also encourages wine education - as one would have to learn a little about wines to make better choices. It does not of course replace the wine list for those who may want to order wine traditionally or to explore CAVs on-site walk-in wine room.

But boys will be boys ... and this wine-vending gizmo is one of the best toys to get that little boy hiding in a big boys body, out to the bar ... to taste wine, to educate themselves and of course to impress the ladies















This is as sophisticatedly cultured, a jungleman like me can get.
Tarzan have VIP card - me pick wine
Jane impressed ??

I'll drink to that



CAV
@Bonifacio High Street
Taguig,Metro Manila

Juicy

My insomnia continues ...
I had hoped that the New Year would find me having solved this sleepless dilemma
But noooooooo - 2 a.m - still awake
And hungry

I was reading a book that said that the nocturnal hunt for food by the insomniac is a search for satisfaction that would signal the end of the day
Huh ?
I thought that was ... sex
But then again, I look over to my side ... see my wife ... asleep like a zombie in a B movie
(she goes to sleep in one position and wakes up in the same spot, same position - an immovable, petrified statue) ...
And I realize that I would really rather have the food

So where did tonights search bring me?
To the corner of Makati Avenue and Jupiter St.
There lies a new 24 hour spot ...
MANG INASAL - "home of real pinoy style barbeque"
One in a chain of franchise locations , this is where I have lately gotten that late night, fast, affordable gastronomic kick that I look for
































According to the foodvine, Mang Inasal (the resto) started in Iloilo and is now up to "42 branches nationwide and growing".
"Inasal" is generally thought of as an Ilonggo food specialty.
It is visually marked by a mouthwatering reddish tint (apparently due to the use of achuete or anatto seeds somewhere in the recipe) ...
And the characteristic charcoal "blackening"
Plus a smell that attracts like a Pied Piper and presages a pulutan type of jumping into the fray

This is a fun dish.
Choose your chicken part -pecho (chicken breast), paa (drumstick), atay (liver), iwi (chicken bottom), and baticulun (gizzard)
It is served with chicken-oil flavored rice wrapped in banana leaf
Challenge your taste buds with patis, suka or toyo (with or without kalamansi)
Very unpretentious
Just purely pinoy food that is eaten with the informality and camaraderie that is the stuff of pinoy barkada eating
Yummmmmmmmmm

Just right - for those late night enders
In a location that makes for interesting people-watching (being that it is a stones throw away from Makati's redlight strip)
Juicy chicken ...
And juicy "chicks" ....
Saraaaaaaaaaap















Mang Inasal
cor. Makati Avenue and Jupiter St.
City of Makati
www.manginasal.com

Happeeeee New Year

Checking in folks ....

I took a Christmas break ...
Actually I ate, I partied and then I slept
Yup -slept for most of the Christmas break
I slept so much that I got sick as soon as the New Year hit
Flu season -I guess
Fever, cough, colds and the body aches of an old man
What a way to start the year

Anyhoooooooooo
It was a fun New Years eve despite ...
Ate dinner at one of my fave places
Had an arroz caldo "media noche" ...
Playfully dodged firework debris as the skies lit up
Then drove to my sister-in-laws house for a party that lasted till the morning

My 1st profound thought of the year came from the manufacturers of the party poppers that we used as part of the evenings celebrations
"Party poppers" are cylindrical hand held devices that spray multi-colored confetti into the air when you turn the knob at the bottom of the cylinder
It is a wonderfully playful party effect
Imagine confetti - popping or spraying from a cylinder ....
















Popping or spraying from a cylinder ...
Uhmmmmm - if I had a Freudian mind - I would say that that is almost pornographic
But we are better than that - right?
More educated
Not so intellectually lewd
Right?

Well -the manufacturers of the party popper played safe
They put a warning as part of the instructions - just in case your mind and thoughts might meander down the green green path of pleasure
Ladies - pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase - be careful
















"DO NOT FIT THE SPRAYER PRIVATELY"
Hahahahaha - happeeeeeee new year
Wooohoooooooooooooooooooooo

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas 2007
Just arrived from a midnight candlelight service
Remembering the One Light in our lives
Christmas carols sung by a melodic choir
The cool evening breeze somehow warming our hearts
Melting into the arms of loved ones
Thankful for the mercy and the grace that has seen us through another year...

May the spirit of of the season be with you all as well.
MERRY CHRISTMAS

Moment of Peace

It's Saturday evening.
2 days before Christmas.
Metro Manila is in the midst of the chaos of endless parties and last minute shopping.
Before we lose ourselves in the frenzy of tiangges, bazaars, lechon, leche flan, traffic gridlock, haggling, malls, brand names, bibingka, puto bumbong, fireworks, caroling, San Migs, blarin'music, ferris wheels, carnivals, christmas lights and the like ...
Allow me pass this prayer by you ...

A Christmas Prayer
by Robert Louis Stevenson

Loving Father, Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake.

Amen

Find a moment of peace
And remember that it is all about Jesus Christ.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

Hot Stuff

I had a couple more than I could handle,
Needed to slow down
Recover my senses
I was saying much too much
Revealing too many things ...

I was with friends
At the end of a very long day
Just hanging out
Just talking about anything under the sun
(or perhaps it was under the moon)

I was in BRAVA (again...) - my watering hole of the moment
Classy little place
Lounge music in the background
High tables and high chairs on the ground floor
Romantic seating for twos and fours at the mezzanine

Sumptuous "cichetto" -( small snacks )
Spicy octupus
Tasty gamberi
Juicy tenderloin strips
Or choose from their "pizzeria" fare

Drown in bellinis, martinis, cosmopolitans, mojitos, caipirinhas - all flavored with self made naturally flavored alcoholic "infusion" bases.

Thinking tough?
There is the new Absolut LEVEL high end vodka
Or your pick of the smoothest single malts available
Chug-a-lug

And then to cap the evening (you've gotta' try this) - order a "Flaming Lamborghini"
It starts with Grenadine+Blue Curacao+Bailey's+Gallano in a stemmed cocktail glass on the table ,
Then the bartender sifts some Sambuca in another glass and ignites it to form a blue flame
He then pours the blue flame down in a vertical stream towards the bottom glass
When the flaming Sambuca mixes with the Grenadine et al - you are asked to suck the mix up with a straw
Bottoms up ...
Down the hatch ...
Whewwwwwww

Thaaaaaaat is hot stuff
A flaming mix of flavors with an alcoholic kick
It's a knockout
If only for this- you really have to try the place out

Good food
Good wine
Good music ....
Now all I need is a baaaaaaaaaaaaaad girl































BRAVA @ Serendra Piazza
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig

Vegetable

Sidney is a sometime visitor to my blog.
He runs a photoblog - My Sari Sari Store

Sidney's blog is a wonderful photographic commentary on different aspects of Philippine culture, Philippine life, and Filipino people.

His excellently composed photos tell a story at all times.

And more often than not -they will stimulate thought, concern or interest in the aspects of human nature that are so creatively displayed through his photographs

I highly recommend that you add his blog to your regular netsurfing habits

Sidney follows my Daguldol food trips, and occasionally he comments on them with genuine interest despite the fact that he is transitioning himself into a self-confessed vegetarian, while I am and always will be a true, blue carnivore ...

Reciprocally, I have decided to look into the vegetarian diet if only to understand it better.

What is "vegetarian" all about ?

Wiki says that - "Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes all animal flesh, including poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea, and slaughter by-products."

It is essentially a plant-based diet ...

Ohhhhhhhh my gulay

No steak?

No hamburger?

No tocino and longganisa ?

No corned beef?

No SPAM?

Not even bangus and tuyo?

Anak ng kamatis namaaaaaaaan

People may choose to be vegetarians because of moral, cultural, ethical, religious, environmental, social, political, economic, aesthetic, taste or perhaps most often for health reasons.

It is both a statement and a lifestyle.

Whatever it is - it clearly takes a lot of will power.

Society is increasingly recognizing, respecting and accommodating such a choice.

In Metro Manila, many restos now carry "healthy menus" - some even straightforwardly labeling them as "Vegan Choices"

There is no better way to learn than to try.

So off I was to CHIMARA Neo-Vegan Cafe

This veggie nook has apparently been around for a couple of years

It is experiencing increasing patronage particularly from new vegetarians, and even, from non-vegetarians who simply enjoy the taste of their food anyway

CHIMARA is coined from the Greek word "chimera" meaning "an impossible dream"

They propose that each of us dreams to lead a healthy life but do not take the initiative to live it.

They point to a Mahatma Gandhi gem of a quote - " We must be the change we wish to see in the world"

And CHIMARA walks the walk not only by serving purely vegetarian dishes but also by using recyclable and reusable products, as well as avoiding MSG, genetically -modified products and artificial additives.

They even contribute a part of their proceeds to a charitable foundation that provides education to less fortunate children.

Wow ...

But the food - what about the food?

I tried their Meatless Taco Salad - crisp lettuce, diced tomatoes, onions, mango, topped with soy beans, corn, cottage cheese and mock beef sprinkled with your choice of dressing of which they recommended mango vinaigrette.

Guess what ?

I actually liked it

I took my time slowly savoring what I knew was the healthiest meal that I had had in a very long time.
The "mock" beef was a beef look-alike which I understand is soy-based.

It was light and curiously tasty.

Not bad at all ...

(the Chimara menu can be reviewed at their website)

For at least those few minutes at the cafe - I felt really healthy

I guess its true - the journey to good health starts in our mind
I went home with a "take-out" of popcorn "popped" in olive oil

So there

Sidney -you may be on to something

I might still end up being a surprise "veggie" convert someday

Uhhhhhhmmmmmmmm

It's just that I keep remembering what my mother used to say to me - "Remember my son - you are what you eat"

And so - I don't really eat vegetables BECAUSE - I don't ever want to be a "vegetable" ...

:-)

CHIMARA Neo-Vegan Cafe

4F, Greenbelt 3

Ayala Center, Makati

(63-2) 7575652

http://www.tatersgroup.com/chimara.htm

Purely Social

I was scanning a well circulated paper the other night and I just happened to notice this ad.
Screaming into my face,
Penetrating my mind .
Heyyyyyy ... a "purely social date"
What could be more harmless than that?

I could just walk out of the house one evening
And when wifey asks .... " excuse me - and where do you think you are going?"
I could say ... "uhmmmmmmmm - I will just be doing some social work."
And with a smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eyes she would say ... "oh that is great -I am so proud of you "
And off I would go ...
No big deal - just a "purely social date"

Right?
Not ....


Anyway- if I really were on a date
(With none other of course than my housemate and "escort" of many years) ,
I would be wanting to spend part of the evening just chilling out in a small, quiet, elegant, cozy bar serving the best drinks in town ...
A place with the warmth to ignite conversation
And the character to enhance the evening.

Such a place is BRAVA
Open for just about a week now,
This little nook in the Serendra Piazza of Fort Bonifacio is a wonderful new find
Dark wood, bricks and glass come together to create an elegance that is immediately attractive
Muted ceiling lighting allows accenting of the uplit bar which is lined by the liquor basics

The bartender is a friendly and engaging pro
He explains the concept of "infusing" the basic alcoholic base like vodka with different flavors to create unique and totally interesting signature drinks

We tried their version of a Peach Bellini
Then became adventurous with a Tartuofo martini and a spicy Choco-chili martini
One could spend an evening just taste-testing their concoctions
Light bar chow is available to complete the experience

Operated by the highly reputed L'Opera restaurant group,
BRAVA positions itself as a pre and post dinner bar
Its seating in the mezzanine against a lighted wine holder rack, however, is conducive enough to want to order a full dinner from the co-owned Balducci Italian restaurant just next door
(They do allow this -by the way)

So if you are in the area,
Join me for a drink
You just might catch me "socializing"
I'll be the jerk in the corner seat with a silly smile on his face
And a "classy Brazilian beauty" on his lap ...











































BRAVA
Serendra
Bonifacio Global City
Taguig 1634
(63-2) 856-3723

Omigudnesss

Thursday - November 29, 2007
In the early morning, I was in a queue at Manila's NAIA 2 airport for another necessary trip to Hong Kong.
The flight was expectedly late to depart - and arrived in HK just before lunch.
As I checked into a modest hotel room with wonderful goose down pillows, I started to link-up to the world by broadband ...

BREAKING NEWS ...
Omigoshhhhh - a military "rebellion" was taking place in Manila
The Peninsula Manila Hotel - whose lobby was one of my fave hang-outs , was under siege
Police and soldiers had the hotel surrounded
An ultimatum to a break-away "oppositionist" group led by a Senator, a 1-star general, and a former vice-president had been sent
This is the stuff of which Philippine political "tele-nobelas" are made

A few hours later the deadline had been breached
And ...
Wait, wait, wait - omigudnesss goshhhhhhhh
An armored personnel carrier (a tank to many of us) - started firing endless rounds into the lobby
Tear gas was fired in as well
And the "tank" started ramming into the doors and into the front wall of this pristine 5-star refuge in the middle of Metro Manila's financial district

Surreal ...
Within minutes, the rebels who had warned that they would die for their cause if need be, started complaining that the tear gas was hurting their eyes (huh??)
Then the "never surrender" heroes promptly surrendered ...
The tele-nobela was over - as quickly as it had started

And my favorite hotel?
It survived - but its wonderful lobby which had been converted into a war zone was ruined
The hotel was evacuated and closed for 3 days

By Monday it was ready to re-open
I arrived from HK the night before
As soon as I wrapped up the days work - I hied off to the Peninsula
In part for curiosity
In part to support my fave hotel's "re-opening"

I invited a few friends to the now "historic" lobby for a couple of drinks
The lobby had been restored with its 30+ foot Christmas tree as center piece
The glass doors were replaced temporarily by wooden board ups
Without the glass - there was an eerie feeling of confinement
Like walking into a giant cabinet and having the doors close behind you ...

Having overdosed on Chinese cuisine these past few weeks, I was hungry for anything Filipino
So it was good old "arroz caldo" for me ...
Hmmmmmmmm - arroz caldo, white wine and friends
In the lap of what was a firing range just a couple of days ago
In a historic hotel that once again made history !

Only in the Philippines .....












































The Peninsula Manila Hotel
corner Ayala and Makati Avenues
City of Makati
Philippines 1200
(63-2) 887-2888

Mickey

Jupiter Street in Makati has been in the commercial "intensive care unit" for several years now.
Once a center of crowd filled exuberance, it had slowly lost its luster.
It was slowly dying a natural death -suffering from the intense competition of areas like Greenbelt, Rockwell and Taguig's Global City.
Even as I write this, the city is wracking its brains to come up with a strategy to lure entrepreneurs back to the area.

And maybe something is working ...
It was a pleasant surprise to see new enterprises open along the strip
Wonderful retail niche stores
Avant garde health and wellness units
And refreshing food concepts ...

Among them is Mickey's
Mickey's positions itself as a delicatessen
In it's original European essence, the "delikatessen" is a source of top quality "fine foods" without the take -out (fast)food component that has evolved in the American version of the "deli".
Mickey's is an interesting mix of both versions

One enters with a full view of a delicatessen display counter
As well as a flamed grilling kiosk
Mouthwatering cuts of sausages, hams,meats, cold cuts, cheese, and other products pleasantly greets the eyes
Servers in dainty uniforms smile and answer inquiries readily
Prices appear reasonable

Perhaps while waiting - you might want to sample some of the resto fare as we did
Tasty Hungarian Goulash got the ball rolling
Then a Sausage Platter to really get the juices going
Crunchy delicious stuff ...

The driving force behind this project is Michael Beck - former chef/butcher of Manila Hotel
That explains the quality and professonalism that prevails
If you are in the area
And are in a sausage mood ...
Try it out









































































Mickey's Delicatessen
4 Jupiter St.
Makati
(632) 8996923

Act Now

More on China.

China is an amazing country
Full of culture and heritage
The strength of their past is the foundation of their future
That plus the fact that there are over 1 BILLION of them to push their country forward

The cities are full of dynamism
You can feel change as it occurs
The vibrance of progress is tangible
The power of commerce is explosive
Truly - China will be a major part of the world's future

Whenever I travel in China, I have illusions of being able to find one product or perhaps one store that might "click" in the Philippines
I kid myself that I will find this product or store - and bring it to Manila where it will be a resounding success
So successful that I will be able to retire in peace on some quiet white sand beach - away from the cruelties of urban life ...
Surrounded only by the basics in life like airconditioning , a large format plasma screen with 5.1 surround sound, an ipod, a MacBook, satellite TV and DSL.
The SUV outside will of course always be on the ready to whisk me off to another part of the island to play the compulsory game on the neatly manicured international play level Tiger Woods designed golf course.
All this under the watchful caring eyes of my designated sex slave of the day ...

Nothing much - just a simple life
A Lear jet's ride away from the craziness of Manila

And on this last trip of mine to China , I think I may have found the store - or at least, the brand.

The product I might sell has been historically successful throughout the ages
The interest is overwhelming
The market is endless
The demand is insatiable

Wish me luck
There is much development to be done on the product
But I really think it will sell ...
You might want to place an advance order ...
Act now - before the best ones are taken

Hard Enough

Miss me ????

Well - I was in China
And as I found out to my disappointment, China has blocked the "BLOGGER" or "BLOGSPOT" site.
(Heyyyyyy - they have even blocked Wikipedia)

Arrrrrghhhhhhhhh - no blogging for me
I felt decapitated
It is at times like this that I realize how much the freedom of the Internet has become such a part of me ....
And when it is taken away
It is really weird
Scary actually ...

Anyway - I was in China on mission for my office
I had to visit a factory which was about one and a half hours away from a major Chinese city center
A very dark and dreary industrial zone

My hosts were beside themselves in trying to please me
They conferred upon me the status of "honored guest"
Accordingly they fed me like a king ...
Only the best for me
And the "best" in their eyes included such honorific cuisine as pigeon, duck, snake, rabbit and turtle ...
Not exactly my cup of tea

But -uhhhmmmmmmm - I was an honored guest
I really had no choice except to just bear it and grin
Not only that, I had to finish everything on my plate - lest I inadvertently insult their sensitivities

And so it was that for the first time in my life I had not just turtle soup but turtle meat
The whole idea of eating a "turtle" just boggled my mind
I tried to block off mental pictures of cutie little "pet turtles" ...
And having done that, I had to contend with the concept itself, of having to swallow "turtle" as food

I know it is considered a "delicacy"
And the intent of my hosts were noble
But I just really had difficulty with the idea

Nonetheless ...
I slowly chomped through the rubbery meat
And chewed on the slimy gelatinous film that had formed on the shell as it was cooked
Then - I slurped my way through the oily soup down to the bottom of the bowl
Yummmmmmmmmm
Not ....

Perhaps as some consolation - I was told that eating turtle was not only beneficial to the immune system and health in general but that it was also an aphrodisiac ...
Ohhhhhhhhh great - an aphrodisiac
Only problem was that I was traveling alone ...
And uhmmmmm
It is hard enough to be alone ...
But it is even harder to be "hard"... alone !

Toinnngggggggggggggggggg

Kewl

The latest Ayala Land addition to its upscale shopping complex in Makati is the Greenbelt 5 mall

It is slowly taking shape and will clearly be up and running by Christmas.
There is a frenzy of activity as stores are finishing the necessary construction work to outdo each other in this high end mall
Even now some food and retail outlets have “soft opened” to lead the pack …

Among the early birds is an uber cool Japanese restaurant called John and Yoko
Clearly a take-off from the iconic Beatle John Lennon and his beloved Yoko Ono, the name also implies a mix of East and West as reflected in fusion dishes that are strangely familiar but new

The restaurant is immediately attractive even from a distance as its neon inspired colors beckon
An innovative mix of stainless steel and warehouse drab completes a look that is Japanese in a very modern anime way …
Young very today music airs in the background
And the lighting will keep you mesmerized

Among its owners is Marvin Agustin – a showbiz personality who is wisely investing his hard-earned money in restaurant ventures (this being his third)…
The celebrity ownership adds to John and Yoko’s allure
It is, as early as now, being touted as a “must go” or at the very least a “must try”

The food offering is not surprisingly similar to another Marvin Agustin resto, Sumo Sam…
The menu offers both traditional Japanese fare, and interesting neoNippon concoctions
Endless rockin’ sashimi and rollin’ sushi choices
Times passes by rather quickly as one chomps through one dish to the next

Foodwise - this is probably not the best of Japanese restos in town
But it may be the “coolest” …
Really “kewl”
“Kewl” enough for me to want to go back … preferably with a big group of buddies who can share the bill

Seeya

"Sakatatawananigaska neh" !!!

John and Yoko
Greenbelt Mall 5
Makati

The Hard Facts

The start of November was marked by a 4-day long weekend.
I slept
And then … I slept even more.
Note the lack of blog posts

But – I am back
Ready to write again
Okay
Let’s see …


On my last trip to the United States, I was innocently browsing through the intellectual material in the condom section of the friendly Walgreens Drug Store down the street from my hotel.
Wala lang – just browsing

I was reading labels
Educating myself with the differences between “ribbed” and “ultra-thin”
Enlightening myself with the concept of “pleasure dots”
Researching the antibacterial properties of “non-oxynol”
Contemplating the joys of “vibration rings”
Toying with the art of “neon colors”
And asking for a taste test of “fruity flavors” … (a request that the attendant promptly refused to agree to)

Then something struck me
There were sizes !
S, M, L, XL (I guessed that was small, medium, large and “Xcessively long” ?)

In Asia – condoms are pretty much one size fits all.
No confusion
No choices
No need to return to the drug store to change sizes coz’ it didn’t fit
One size – simple

So this concept of choosing sizes was new to me – a cultural shock
I stood there stumped
Looking down at my crotch and painting a visual picture
The labels carried no clue as to what dimensions constituted S, M , L and XL
I had hit an intellectual blank wall
If I chose the wrong size – I was concerned about “slippage”
On the other hand I was equally afraid of “gangrene”

So I took a leap of faith
I recalled all the sweet whisperings in my ear by the sweet little things with whom I had had a sexual encounter in my lifetime ( yup … all two of them)
Then I assessed the norms of dimension that I had presumed after going cross-eyed while inadvertently glancing at my neighbors in men’s room urinals
I multiplied that against the square root of the median of male to female population ratios
Inputted the racial genetic index of Asia
And subtracted the possibility of error as defined in Einstein’s theory of relativity

And finally –I made a choice
Whewwww
Americans make life so complicated
Choices, choices, choices …
I was homesick for my simple Asian life

But then … all is well that ends well
Despite the necessary mental calisthenics – I had chosen the right size
The fit was perfect
I had confronted my doubts
I had faced my fears
I had reviewed the "hard" facts

Travel is full of education and experience
On this trip- I had learned a valuable lesson
Size matters .....

:-)

A Sense of Solemnity

November 1
All Saints Day
It's been a year and four months since my Dad passed away
I still feel him around me
I laugh with him
I talk to him

His earthly remains are in a place of his own choice
Resting peacefully under the powerful arms of a centuries old tree
Covered with a wonderful carpet of grass
Showered by sunlight
Occasionally bathed by the gentle drops of rain

I visited as the sun was setting
Day slowly losing its radiance to the calmness of night
The heat dissipating into the coolness of the evening

An orderly line of candles started flickering in the darkness
Conferring a sense of solemnity to the moment
I stopped to pray
I knew in my heart that Dad was listening
I could see his smile
I could feel his pulse
I could hear his voice

Yes ...
My Dad passed away
But he will always be around ...

"Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean"
David Searles