LOOKIN' AHEAD

As far as I'm concerned, 2013 will be annus horribilis for me.

Not considering the fact that we've had a slew of beauty contestant winners and runners-up, 2013 will be remembered as a year of scandals, disasters and political turmoil. This is the reason why I refuse to do a 2013 retrospective. It's much too painful to look back on.

I decided to look ahead instead to get rid of all that negativity. 2014 looks to be a great year so far. It's gonna be a galloping year for me. Aside from the fact that it will offer me the prospect of a new love, it will be exciting to see who I come across in the love department. I hope it's someone mature, gorgeous and with a totally uncomplicated status to boot!

For the first quarter of 2014, I will be busy with projects. If the stars align, I will be doing a lot of writing, lecturing and designing for different arts and travel companies. I'll write more about these projects when I'm actually in the thick of these activities. Let's see how it works.

It would also be nice to join my dear friends to re-visit and see how Coron has progressed after typhoon Yolanda. Six glorious days of sun, sand and sea and lots of photo opps. Coron was the last area where the super typhoon made land fall. Some landmarks were destroyed. Other areas badly hit in the Visayas are also a must see. So May will probably be the best time to visit Baybay, Leyte as I wasn't able to visit it this December.

Meantime, I found the Christmas season as meaningful and as magical like it has always been. I think a large part of that is a positive attitude, a lot of love, a childlike sense of wonder and an unwavering faith that God handles our lives with His perfect plan for us. I completed the Misa de Gallo (9 days of novena Masses) and the Misa de Aguinaldo (Christmas eve Mass) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. That was a blast!

Enjoy the little time left of 2013, folks! And stay away from those nasty firecrackers...

Aba Ginoong Maria!

It's 5 days to Christmas and a lot of things are going on in Malls and Public places. Everything is either decked, samped, decorated, gilded and adorned in all their Christmas finery.

But to kick off the season, a 164 year old tradition takes place in Intramuros, Manila on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. This is the Grand Marian Procession participated in by religious organizations, private collectors and parishes. This year was no different. Instead of the 8th of December, the feast was celebrated on the 9th to give deference to the second week of advent which fell on a Sunday. The event took place on a rainy afternoon. It didn't stop the crowds from going, though...

Over a hundred images of the Blessed Virgin were paraded in the streets of Intramuros dressed in full regalia to honor the  Mother of our  savior. Truly, it was a spectacular display of pomp and pageantry as one caroza tried to outdo the other. And why not? The Blessed Virgin could have said no to Angel Gabriel's announcement that she was chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. Instead, she humbly acceeded by saying " be it done unto me according to your word" thereby starting the whole process of Man's salvation.

For this event, the Blessed Virgin is represented in all her different incarnations. The liveliest and longest of which was the Nstra. Sra. de las Dolores de Turumba. But all the other images were spared no expense. Most of the images were all blinged out. Flowers were not enough to present Her in her finest, it seemed.

The event was made even more special this year with the participation of the Our Lady of Chzechstokowa. Otherwise known as the Black Madonna, the image is particularly different in the fact that it is not a three dimensional image but a huge frame on which the Lady and Jesus are done in wood and a matting heavily encrusted in precious stones. Incidentally, the image comes from Poland, of which Warsaw was the most destroyed city during World War II. Manila came a close second.

As the countdown comes closer to Christmas, the Confradia de la Immaculada Concepcion with its Hermanas and Hermanos of Manila's glitterati looks ahead at another year where they can present the Virgin in her most important role as the Mother of God. Hopefully, the next year won't be rocked by political scandals and natural calamities...

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!!!

Baaaahhh, Humbug!

Butch Esperanza alternates with Nonoy Froilan as Ebenezer Scrooge

I've been remiss with my blog lately. I know, I know! I should be more responsible with it. However, in my defense I can truly say that I have been unwell lately... for the first two weeks of November I had a bout with an infection. Then when that was treated, I had another bacterial infection that had me coughing and wheezing. So I do have an excuse... or two...

BP artists as urban poor

Not long after, the earthquake in Bohol and Cebu happened and before you know it, it was typhoon "Yolanda" that wreaked havoc in eastern Visayas. And so with all these maladies bugging me and with all the calamities hounding the country ad with my guiding duties to boot my blog had been unattended to.

Marvin Arizo as the Ghost of Christmas Past

And so with this "annus horribilis" nearly drawing to a close, I figured I'd better get to posting an entry before my blog gets shut down. After all, despite all the tragedy and suffering brought about by these natural disasters life must go on. One way to dispel the sadness would be to watch Ballet Philippines' christmas offering of "A Christmas Carol".

Macel Dofitas as the Ghost of Christmas Present

Trust Edna Vida to transpose a classic christmas tale into a full-length ballet. It's not easy, but she does so with such panache, everyone catches in  on the fun. Why... she even got her life-time premier danseur Nonoy Froilan to get out of his retirement to essay the lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge. Another BP former artist, Butch Esperanza alternates with Nonoy on select performances.

Kitkit Trofeo and EJ Arisola in a pas de deux

I watched the stage rehearsals with Butch Esperanza doing the lead role. The good thing with Ballet Philippines' productions is that you never know what to expect. I am constantly amazed at how versatile the artists are flitting from dances en pointe to hip hop dancing at the drop of a hat. And the young dancers all have fun in the process.

The future of Philippine dance

I especially liked the participation of the kids who are all taking dance classes at the CCP Dance School (BP's training school). There is a section in the ballet where the kids get to dance in an actual performance. Not just a recital, mind you... an actual performance! A series of performances, really! So this will be an added incentive to the dance students to hone their skills and become even better at what they do.

Monica Gana and Edana Labitoria in full coquetry

BTW, while I'm writing this, the CCP Dance School will be holding their December Evaluation Program on the weekend of December 7 and 8. It's an opportunity for some of the dance students to get upgraded in their level of training at the school. There's a lot of good cheer going around in the CCP Complex this time of the year. No reason to say "Baaaahhh, Humbug!"

BP's corps de ballet in a kitschy number

CHASING GOOD EATS

Rosemary Chicken  from Agno street food stall

I've been busy lately and most of my schedule is taken up with guiding guests all around town. Normally, I would go home and get some sleep after a tour. Lately I've been bingeing.  As you can probably tell by this article's title, I do follow a couple of episodes of some TV chefs: Jett Tila and Alton Brown, etc. And so the title is my take on Chasing the Yum and Good Eats.

BACSILOG at Agno Street food stall

So back to my story, I may not always have the budget for expensive meals. But since I know I'm a pretty good cook, I know what's tasty and right for my budget. I've been hanging around the DLSU area since I live right next door. Student meals are always great and priced for the De La Salle community. That means, good food, generous portions at student allowance-affordable cost!

Dodalgi Sonagi at Cafe de Seoul

One favorite haunt is Cafe de Seoul, which I blogged about earlier on. The place is a fave among the DLSU students. It's wi-fi friendly (some tables installed with Samsung tablets), cheerfully decorated, brightly lit. Why wouldn't they want to hang out to study there? I was treated to a BACSILOG (bacon, sinangag at itlog) by a friend who got it in one of the stalls in Agno Street. He got himself a rosemary chicken and both meals were served in a paper bowl. Both meals cost P65.00 each. To accompany it, he got me a Dodalgi Sonagi ( a strawberry, kiwi and mint slush at P120.00) while he got a Green Tea Latte for himself (much the same price). I was hungry so I wolfed down the bacsilog which was slathered with a heavy cheesy cream. Ooohhh,,, so yummy. It was cheesecake (P120.00) for dessert. Great balance of sweetness. Not crumbly and the cherries on top was the perfect foil as it provided some amount of tartness to the white chocolate smiley garnish on top.

Cheesecake at Cafe de Seoul

Zark's burger is right across DLSU's Henry Sy building (yes, what was once a football field!) This is a simple restaurant that serves the humble burger... in all it's decadent, tasty, greasy splendor! You deserve to PIG OUT once in a while. And yeah, we did! We decided to order an item called The Ultimate Burger (P145.00) It was huge! We were so full we didn't get to try the Tombstone (P320.00) which is a 3-tiered burger patty on a bun strewn with all the fries and sidings you would want... and more! Any diner can take up the management's challenge to finish a Tombstone in 5 minutes. The winner of a clean plate gets bragging rights, a free t-shirt and his photo up on the resto's wall...

Ultimate burger from Zarks*

On another occasion, I managed to have lunch at WILDFLOUR at the corner of 4th and 36th at Bonifacio Global City. My friend and I lunched al-fresco at a little corner table. They serve a complementary appetizer of baguette and a pot of butter for each diner. There's salt on the side too. For days, Jerome's been dying to try the Croque Madam (P450.00) so he ordered it

Croque Madam at Wildflour

 while I had a Smoked Salmon on a croissant and a side salad of greens and citrus dressing (P410.00). 

Smoked Salmon from Wildflour

The Chai Tea he drank was P120.00 and my coke was P70.00. To cap off lunch the Choco Pot de Creme was a delightful dessert at P205.00 a pot. It tasted so good so I resolved to make my own version of it - and soon!

Choco Pot de Creme at Wildflour

* photo from Cafemobility.blogspot.com

Guiding for Mercy Relief

In all my years of guiding 'm fortunate to come across some people (or groups of people) who make my work a whole lot of fun. Just this week, Mabuhay Guides Jeff Velasco, Ronnie Gador and myself had a fun tour with MERCY RELIEF. 

In the midst of the hearings on the pork barrel scandal involving government officials and NGOs and with the recent death and destruction brought about by tropical storms in Subic, Zambales, it is refreshing to have guests who have come to Manila not just to act as pampered guests (although, we welcome that too,) but to VOLUNTEER their time, talent and services to depressed communities in Baseco Compound in Tondo Manila.

For those of you who've had enough of the pork barrel scandal, you will be pleased to note that this agency that brought these young professionals to Manila is as legitimate as it gets. Mercy Relief is the NGO's name. Mercifully (pardon the pun), the organization is based in Singapore and is run by yuppies who have optimized the use of their time in helping under-privileged depressed areas in the ASEAN region.

There were 34 volunteers who have come to Manila for the first time to live in the Baseco Compound and have a first hand experience on the plight of the urban poor here. The average age of the volunteers range from 20 - 25 years. Apparently, their stay will last for around 2 weeks and within that short span of time they would have rendered healthcare and devised a urban plan to make the area self- sufficient and income generating.

It didn't help that by the time they arrived in Manila, the weather had turned sour. Typhoon Odette had lingered on the east side and when it finally moved diagonally to the west, it still sucked up most of the rain brought the the southwesterly winds (habagat).

I was in constant touch with the Philippine coordinator of the project, Ms. Laarni Salanga until the morning of the tour. We were favored with milder weather and some sunshine for most of the day last Tuesday, 24 September, 2013. I didn't know if they had planned to push through or cancel at the last minute. Fortune smiled on everyone of us that day. 

All the ASEAN member nations were ably represented: Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand. After three days of being holed up in the evacuation center at BASECO  due to the storm, the volunteers were glad to be out in the sunshine and have a glimpse of Manila's glorious past. They were toured around Intramuros at the usual sites of Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church and Museum and Casa Manila. and by the time the three groups finished the tour in Casa Manila, they were headed back for another series of lectures at BASECO. They asked the most intelligent questions on the Muslim situation in Zamboanga (a large part of the group is Muslim) and the influence of the Catholic religion on the citizens. WE didn't have enough time to entertain all the questions so we promised to keep in tour through Facebook. They had fun, and us... we gained young friends and a lot of inspiration from them!

Penafrancia at Market! Market!

Every third Saturday and Sunday of September a grand celebration honoring the Nstra. Sra. Virgen de Penafrancia takes place in Naga City in the Bicol region. Arguably the most attended Marian event in the country, it is attended by approximately 5 million devotees a year.

The Virgin of Penafrancia traces its history to San Martin Castanar, Spain where Simon Vela was directed by the Lady to go to Pena de Francia. Simon traveled far and wide and found the place after a journey of many long years. His search finally led him to the spot where the Lady appeared to him and was instructed to dig in the very same spot and there he will find treasure more important than the inherited wealth which he donated to the church as a young orphan boy.

In the Philippines, the veneration started when Miguel Robles de Covarrubias, a seminarian and son of a a Spanish official from Penafrancia, Spain fell ill and was miraculously cured after the family sought the intercession of Our Lady of Penafrancia whose picture he clutched in his heart. As a gesture of praise and thanks, he vowed that he will build a church by the Pasig river as her sanctuary. He was ordained priest in Nueva Caceres ( now Naga) and built a church there. This devotion grew and many years later the traslacion (transfer) of the holy image is celebrated yearly with a fluvial parade.

Matrket!Market! at the Bonifacio Global City had their own event to bring the revelry to Manila. 21 and 22 September was a red-letter day to celebrate the Penafrancia. No matter the rains, people came to witness the event and enjoyed the various activities that was peppered with entertainment numbers, a cooking demo of Bicol's famous LAING (taro leaves in a spicy coconut cream sauce), a culinary contest of Bicolano dishes (or the chef's own take on it), Filipino parlor games, a singing contest, and Filipino dances and a drum and bugle corps complete with flag twirlers.

The fun started at two in the afternoon and went on till dusk. Needless to say, the religious fervor of the Filipino was fully highlighted when people from all walks of life would intermittently come up to the image of the Virgin and touch her mantle with a fervent prayer in their hearts.

Thanks to C-squared (events oirganizer) led by Agnes Calumpong for inviting me to judge in the cooking contest of tasty dishes. Third Prize went to a spicy coconut cream based dish of Laing by a pretty young cook.

The Second Prize went to a male chef who made a relleno of the traditional Laing by stuffing the tarro leaves with minced meat and chorizo.

The Grand Prize went to a sweet home maker who concocted a dish of prawns in spicy coconut cream sauce. Yumm-o!

LOVELACE: A Review

Image from filmoriaco.uk

If you're a child of the seventies, chances are you may have heard of Linda Lovelace... Those of us who were growing up in that decade and who were deeply cocconed in a Catholic school upbringing have varied notions of who she is... the boys naturally, are not as pristine... Chances are, some of the "inquisitive boys" of the day were able to secure copies of her immortal film - DEEPTHROAT.

image from collider.com

Yes, forever immortalized for being able to accommodate the male genitalia orally, her one and only movie belies the pain and horror she faced as a battered wife and sex object for sale. That aspect of her persona was deftly hidden from a viewing public that was at once mystified by her talents and at the same time morally critical of her rise to notoriety. LOVELACE is a film that de-mystifies and de-glamorizes the Linda that viewers thought they knew.

Image from bitchmagazine.com

Now her story is immortalized in film and those who were quick to point an accusing finger at her and called her immoral will be pretty surprised at her descent into a private hell that was gilded by the trappings of seventies pornography. To her credit, Linda Lovelace "set the standards" for upgrading the quality of smut during her time. Her oral technique by then had become legendary, no thanks to a husband who beats her up for every infraction she incurs. But deep inside, she was a tormented soul...

Image from collider.com

Peter Saarsgard as Chuck Traynor was quite successful as the abusive husband and manager of Linda Lovelace. He was charmingly proper in front of her parents, caressingly romantic at the start of their relationship and then he turns brutal and insecure with her new-found success. He can't live without her despite the fact that he beats her up. He is convincing when he sells her off for tricks but at the same time, a little part of him dies when he sees her objectified. And yet he doesn't seem to flinch when six men gang-rape her after a done-deal.

Image from nydailynews.com

Amanda Seyfried in the title role was quite daring, to say the least. It would have been unimaginable to have been a stand-in for her role. Originally, it was offered to Lindsay Lohan who was perfunctorily replaced owing to her drug-related troubles and "unreasonable" delays on the set. I admired Seyfried on Mama Mia and adored her singing voice in Les Miz. This time, she goes beyond her comfort zone what with multiple breast exposures. Mercifully, they knew when to stop! The focus was not on nudity but on her deplorable situation. This was especially evident when she runs back to Momma for help and she is callously turned away by a mother who was so detached, the audience could feel the ice forming on her clenched jaw.

Image from dcfilmgirl.com

The film isn't outstanding... but it isn't half as bad as some US critics think. The production design was consistent and the dialogue had some seventies buzzwords/cliches that made it sound authentic. You dig it? Even the soundtrack was relatably 70's what with Gladys Knight and the Pips and some BeeGees thrown in.  The support cast was garbed in lots of jersey with Pucci prints. The actors in the supporting roles contributed much to the story's unfolding. Debbie Mazar as Marilyn Chambers looked every inch the aging porn diva who has to relinquish her light to a budding porn queen. Despite the mixed reviews, Amanda Seyfried, is gaining the buzz at winning the Oscar's best actress plum. Her eventual awakening into women's lib activist and happy mother and wife and her  reconnecting with her family towards the end of the movie was thouroughly acted even her ice-queen of a mother allows as much as a hug for a move to reconciliation. 

It was a nice movie... now if only it will play for more than a week... =)

Kadayawan: Makati Version (Part 2)

The second day of the Kadayawan festival at Market! Market! was allotted for another series of cooking competitons. This time the main ingredient for the contest was TUNA. Unlike the previous day's challenge, this one has a milder flavor and a more substantial protein content.

As opposed to durian, tuna seems rather bland... its flavor profile depends on the herbs and spices that the chef  includes in the mix. For the tuna culinary competition, there were eight contestants who took on the task of giving tuna dishes their own unique twist.

There were promising dishes that were creatively presented. Apart from the usual grilling and frying techniques, the panel of judges was looking into an unorthodox way of giving tuna a "new" taste. There is a right way and a wrong way of cooking tuna. The longer you cook it, the tougher it gets. On the other hand, if it is under-cooked then it has a fishy and slimy after-taste that lingers in the mouth.

Seared tuna with radish and sweet potatoes

Most of the contestants fried their dishes. Ergo, we, the judges had our work cut out for us. It was all a matter of technique in frying. The pan has to be really hot and the oil has to reach its smoking point. You'll know when the tuna is cooked. It's easier to turn it over in the pan when that happens. So a cook doesn't flip a tuna steak until one side has turned golden brown.

Tuna with spicy mango salsa

Searing it on the other hand takes only a few minutes. It doesn't even require cooking oil if one is using a wrought iron skillet. The proper way to sear is to make sure that the outer layer is thoroughly cooked and the inner flesh retains its pink color. Like a steak, it onget an even sly takes only five to seven minutes to sear  on each side.

Sweet and sour Tuna

The puzzling thing for us judges was that, most contestants picked up some wrong information from cooking shows that proliferate the local airwaves. One contestant when informed that her tuna did not absorb the flavors of the sweet and sour sauce was defensive when given a tip by Chef Lorraine to infuse some of the flavors of the sauce while the tuna was being prepared prior to cooking. She averred that  what she learned from a cooking show she watched was to drench the tuna steak in the sauce after the cooking. Her sweet and sour tuna ended up tasting like two different dishes: a sweet and sour sauce and a bland tuna steak! Needless to say she didn't win the top prize.

Tuna steak with coconut milk

Another contestant made a tuna dish in coconut milk. Her idea would have been perfect. Except that she didn't cook the coconut milk well enough so that the curdled coconut milk ended up a soggy, sour sauce that didn't meld with the leeks she put into it. Hers could have been the "different" stand-out dish.

The winning dish: Tuna fingers with durian aioli

The winning chef came up with a breaded tuna with a durian aioli sauce. Initially, the judges thought breading the tuna would make it chewy. However, he fried the tuna fillets until they were the perfect golden brown and the meat retained its moisture and freshness.