on films, books, food, restaurants, favorite haunts in Metro Manila (and now, Philadelphia)...
|
|
| rants and raves on films, books, food, restaurants, favorite haunts in Metro Manila (and now, Philadelphia)... |
|
|
Monday, May 31, 2004 Had a bit of a semi-food trip over the weekend in Tagaytay: 1 Breakfast at Antonio's Still good, still pleasant, portions still oversized. And I still think it's relatively reasonably priced. 2 Leslie's Someone was obsessed about eating Bulalo (you know who you are) because "it's nice to have warm soup when it's cold" so we ended up in Leslie's, supposedly famous and alongside the strip of commercialised establishments popping up in Tagaytay (Starbucks, Dencio's, Cafe Lupe, Hen Lin). Regular Pinoy fare, although someone *really* enjoyed their Bulalo. Slow service, but when you're in Tagaytay no one's in a real hurry anyway. 3 Bag of Beans Known for their pies and coffee, this restaurant looks interesting enough when you pass it on the road. And pies are cheap, PHP50+ for a 6-inch diameter pie. Filling was good enough, my only complaint is that the dough is so thick that it ends up being total carbo overload. There were also free pesky roaming cats to go with the meal. Overall okay -- I don't feel ripped off about the visit, but not really worth recommending or returning for a second visit. posted by wys | 9:09 PM 0 comments Wednesday, May 26, 2004 There's a French Film Festival in Greenbelt 3 next week. Full schedule can be found here. Also available online is a complete schedule of events for French Spring in Manila. There's the usual Fete de la Musique, this year it'll be in Eastwood. Not the best of venues, but a lot bigger than last year's El Pueblo. Anyway a complete schedule of the French Film Fest follows. The schedule online is pretty much a text unfriendly mess so I reformated it for purposes of this blog. If you're going to copy this and post it on your own blog/email/whatever be sure to link me, that means you Gabriel. June 04, 2004 - Fridayposted by wys | 10:41 PM 0 comments Tuesday, May 25, 2004 My family got a dog recently! It's been something we've been talking about for the longest time but never really got around to doing until now. Great Dane, golden-ish whatever color. I've always been allergic to animal hair/fur but I've pretty much outgrown my allergies so we decided to make a go for it and get a real live pet. Fishes in the aquarium and bunnies that wouldn't make it past the weekend don't count. Naming the dog was a whole complicated affair in itself. My dad decided to employ this really strange electoral system in the family (around the same time as the recent Presidential Elections, so you can imagine how into things some people were). First was the nomination phase where each member of the family could nominate two names of their choice (secret ballots of course) so we ended up with strange names like Voldemort, Scooby, Maximus, Rocko, Boomer. There was phase 2 where each member of the family was supposed to pick two names from the long list of "finalist" names. Phase 3 was supposed to be another vote, based on the top 5 (or 3?) names that came out of phase 2. It was this complicated hoot, but we never really got anywhere (although my youngest brother did put up "Vote Boomer" posters around the house) because my dad decided to overrule everything with his own personal choice. Democratic dictatorship. posted by wys | 12:33 AM 0 comments I was watching Bend It Like Beckham the other day with friends (thoroughly enjoyable movie, by the way) and saw Trey Farley! I remember him from my senior high school days when I was totally slacking off in school and doing nothing but watching 5 hours of television a day and sometimes even taking random days off school just because I felt like it. Well one of those 5 hours of TV a day were dedicated to watching this request show on Channel V with Trey Farley ... can't remember what it was called. In Demand? And he had this puppet, Muriel I think was his name. Some friends and I were obsessed with Trey Trey Trey. Those were the days. Now I think he has a show or two on the National Geographic Channel. Oh and he played some asshole (British Indian?) in Bend It Like Beckham. posted by wys | 12:29 AM 0 comments Sunday, May 23, 2004 The new E.T.C. channel (channel 20 on Sky Cable) seems pretty good but they don't have any schedules floating around so you'll either have to know when your favorite shows are on or just check every once in a while and hope something good is on. This weekend I caught a few episodes of Conan O'Brien (love him!), Saturday Night Live and The O.C. Now The O.C. seems to be a semi new and interesting "it" show locally, it's already been featured in the Inquirer so I know I must be behind on the times. Anyway I caught an episode this evening and it's intriguing enough to keep me watching it. It plays like a more intelligent Beverly Hills 90210 (rich kids with rich kid problems) featuring characters that you can actually grow to care about. It airs every Sunday at 7.00pm and Tuesday at 9.00pm. They're on episode 3, so we haven't missed too much of the season yet. posted by wys | 8:41 PM 0 comments Thursday, May 20, 2004 I need to find something to make with a million (or what seems like a million) avocados. I don't know if my mum went crazy in the grocery or if someone just decided to give us three dozen pieces for the sake of it. Guacamole? Burritos? Avocado Ice Cream? Avocado Soup? Grilled Tuna with Black Bean Chili, Avocados, and Fried Tortillas? Avocado Corn Relish? Roast Turkey, Avocado and Bacon Sandwich? Avocado Stuffed with Chicken Salad? posted by wys | 9:53 PM 0 comments Monday, May 17, 2004 I had the most gloriously dull and uneventful weekend in Boracay. Weather was lovely for the first two days (Friday and Saturday) but quickly turned rubbish by end Sunday and early Monday when I was scheduled to fly back to Manila. My parents rented this house over in the middle of nowhere (past Fridays) that was so far off it took too much effort for me to troop to civilization. So it was a few Jonah’s shakes here and there, some longga-burgers, crepes … and home cooked food the rest of my dull dreary days. I knew I had to go to work on Monday and I knew that drinking myself into a tizzy over the weekend wouldn’t help any … how many times have I come home from a weekend vacation only to find myself sleeping for 16 hours straight trying to regain a few hours of lost sleep? posted by wys | 9:26 PM 0 comments Monday, May 10, 2004 Finally got to treat my family out for dinner last night in Prince Albert Rotisserie (is that the full name? I’m not too sure). I planned a week ahead to have dinner on Sunday night, May 9th. When I called in the middle of the week to make a reservation, turns out it was Mother’s Day on Sunday. Good thing I invited my grandmother as well. So in addition to a 15% Mother’s Day discount, the two mothers in our party each received a free pomelo drink, white teddy bears, lettuce (?), basil plants (??) and some door prizes they picked out of a fish bowl: a kitchen set and a bath set. To think I was planning to pick one of the restaurants in the Peninsula or the Shangri-la Hotels because I would have gotten a 10% discount with my credit cards there. Great dinner overall, Prince Albert has always been consistently excellent. And my family enjoyed the opportunity to dress up. posted by wys | 9:52 PM 0 comments Details for SPIT (Silly People’s Improv Theater): Every Thursday 9.30 pm onwards (Pinoy time) Azzurro, 104 Aguirre Street, Legaspi Village 884 2239 PHP 380 consumable charge They have a website here, but not much there. Outdated performance details and all. I had a bit of trouble finding the address and phone number of Azzurro and had Mau not told me where SPIT was performing, I doubt I would have been able to find them at all. Anyway GO, it's a lot of good fun. posted by wys | 9:45 PM 0 comments I'm currently reading "Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation." I bought it on a whim when I was in A Different Bookstore (Eastwood) last weekend. Of course I know that everything there is at least 5 to 10% more expensive than in Power Books but what the hey, I was already there. And I like their selection so much I don't mind paying a little premium every once and a while. 
The back cover had an interesting blurb: panda walked into a cafe. He ordered a sandwich, ate it, then pulled out a gun and shot the waiter. 'Why?' groaned the injured man. The panda shrugged, tossed him a badly punctuated wildlife manual and walked out. And sure enough, when the waiter consulted the book, he found an explanation. 'Panda,' ran the entry for his assailant. 'Large black and white mammal native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.'posted by wys | 4:32 PM 0 comments Wednesday, May 05, 2004 More weird news ... is this true? See some articles on Google News. From the San Francisco Chronicle: "Matrix" moviemaker Larry Wachowski is reportedly planning a sex change operation, so he can start a new life as Linda. The 37-year-old's secret life was revealed when his wife of nine years, Thea Bloom, divorced him last year, claiming he is a transvestite who had an affair with a dominatrix porn star called Karin Winslow.posted by wys | 11:33 PM 0 comments Hilarious news bit! Read the following from the Chicago Sun Times: AUSTIN, Texas -- A double-decker party barge capsized when dozens of passengers moved to one side of the boat as it approached Texas' only nude beach.posted by wys | 7:25 PM 0 comments Sunday, May 02, 2004 An updated schedule of Carlos Celdran's Manila Walking Tours this May: REGULAR TOUR RATE SHEET Tour fees: Php350.00 for adults Php100.00 for students Public school students and government employees go free. Note: Museum fees not included. For all reservations, directions, or inquiries: Email: celdrantours@hotmail.com Text: 0 926 2597506 to reserve Phone: 671-7726 SPECIAL PRIVATE TOUR RATES: Php2500.00 for a group of five minimum. Php350.00 per additional person. ROCKING AVENIDA RIZAL Walking Tour of Rizal Avenue to Quiapo Rizal Avenue was Manila's middle class shopping district until the construction of the LRT (the elevated train system) killed off its businesses. It is now part of Manila Mayor Atienza's Urban Renewal Program and has been rehabilitated as a pedestrian promenade. Some of its historic charm remains and its still the cheapest place in Manila to buy shoes, hardware, and electronics. It will be coupled with a side tour of Quiapo Church, the Bahay Nakpil, the Handicraft Center under the Quezon Bridge, the Quiapo Mosque and the San Sebastian Church - a hundred year old all steel church completely imported from Belgium. Its a walking tour heavy on the walking part. Dress lightly and wear practical shoes. Meet at Plaza Lacson (Formerly Plaza Goiti )at the foot of MacArthur (formerly Santa Cruz Bridge) in Manila at 3:30PM Dates: May 4, 2004, Tuesday 330 PM May 9 2004, Sunday, 3:30 PM Starting point: Santa Cruz Church End point: San Sebastian Church IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK! Walking Tour of Historic Intramuros On its third year, its the most popular tour in the selection and a definite must for beginners in Philippine History. Take a leisurely afternoon walk along the 400 year old walls and take in a humorous analysis of Philippine art, culture, and society during the Spanish period. Ironically irreverent yet informative. Meet in front of Manila Cathedral at 3:30PM. Please prepare entrance fees to the Casa Manila Museum. Php 40.00 for adults Php 15.00 for students. Dates: EXTRA TOUR: May 2, 2004, Sunday 10 AM May 8, 2004,Saturday, 3:30PM Starting Point: Manila Cathedral End Point: San Agustin Church MARTIAL ARTS! Walking Tour of the Historic Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex Its a tour all about the Philippines in the 1970's and the tumultous era of Martial Law, 18 inch bell-bottoms, and Miss Universe. Its a little bit disco, a little bit New Society, and completely Imeldific. So come take a trippy trip through National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsins finest buildings as we analyze one of the most exciting periods in Philippine history. Meet at the Figaro Coffee Shop at the parking lot of the Cultural Center of the Philippines at 3:30PM. Please prepare entrance fee to the PICC. Php30.00 Dates: May 15, 2004, Saturday, 3:30PM Starting Point: Figaro Coffee Shop beside the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Roxas Blvd. Ending Point: The Philippine International Convention Center posted by wys | 6:26 PM 0 comments Saturday, May 01, 2004 I just read about this eventin the Weekender of Business World yesterday and it sounds interesting, but the lack of hype surrounding the event may be telling ... I like sniffing around for hype. Fiesta Mundo -- The Urban Fiestaposted by wys | 9:19 AM 0 comments |
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
 
|
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
