Bits and Ends

• As it turns out, our "mother hen" the indefatigable Susan Calo-Medina will be out of the country for a spell to attend her grand daughter's first Communion. So that means we'll be "orphaned" for a while. So as a sort of send-off, we met at Cibo in PowerPlant Mall last Sunday for merienda. In attendance were the remaining Mabuhay Guides: Yael Fernandez, Candie Cobiao, Chito Tayag, Jeff Velasco, Ronnie Gador. Lovely Reynoso and Ms Goya weren't able to attend the meeting.

• Some confluence in the stars must have occurred when I did a tour of Intramuros with the president of Brooklyn Academy of the Arts, Ms Karen Brooks Hopkins. BAM as the institution is more popularly known in NYC is one of the oldest and most prestigious art institutions in the USA. Ms Hopkins has had an extensive experience in arts management for over 30 years. She was in Manila recently to conduct a seminar on arts management at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

• Gaita Fores, culinary expert for the Mabuhay Guides will be featured chef for a Philippine food festival in Italy this June. This is the first time that a Filipino chef will be featured in a Filipino food fest in Italy. The idea was broached by Italian ambassador to the Philippines, Luca Fornari whose aim is to foster Italian-Philippine friendship through food.

• The Baao Children's Choir won first prize in Spanish Choral festival. Out of forty groups, only eight went into the finals. The Camarines based choir ended on top of the heap. No mean feat considering it was their first time to join any international competition. Kudos to the kids and conductor Virgilio Briones for putting the country's choral tradition back on the map.