Good friend AJ treated us to a pleasantly surprising dinner at Nino, a relatively new resto beside Johnny Rockets along Thalia Street hereabouts. One of our servers (a good-looking chap from India) said it opened during last year’s Ramadan yet, but thanks to AJ, we were able to try out the resto last night. AJ, in turn, admitted that Nino was introduced to him by colleagues at work.
Last night was another cooooold night – the kind of a cold night that kills – but dinner at Nino was so full of warmth and mirth that we didn’t mind the cold, at least for an hour or so.
The resto serves Italian and Japanese cuisines so we opted for maki and pasta washed down by truly innovative mocktails. The food and drinks (I opted for hot green tea-papaya tea that was so fragrant) were fab, the service was quick, solicitous but unobtrusive and the ambience very modern (there was a lot stainless steel, including at the toilets). The prices certainly won’t break your bank, except that it must have dented AJ’s card, he he.
Nino is so worth going back to.
Here are the shots taken last night -
- After the sandstorm, we thought the weather was going to turn warmer. But it turned even colder. Brrr.
- The little boy with the big voice downstairs, who’s quite close to Dennis, is celebrating his birthday today. He has always been so affectionate with Dennis but since last night, he was extra so.
Dennis told me later that the little boy asked him: Tito Dennis, do you have a gift for me? So I asked Dennis if he asked the boy what he wanted as a gift. Dennis said he was unable to.
Today though, the little boy approached him again to finally tell him what he wanted for his birthday.
- GMA hereabouts has been showing clips about a show called “Biyaheng Totoo”. It features ten of the most-depressed areas in the Philippines. I find the show such an eye-opener even as it makes me sad to realize how certain places have remained poor despite the teeming possibilities for these places to prosper. Imagine Siargao - world-renowned for its world-class surf but its people still have to sell their kidneys to survive. Another location has had no electric power ever since!
- It’s the time of the year when telecom companies are agog over global industry events. In a company such as where Dennis works, it’s the time to prepare for customers visiting the company’s stand in a global telecom event. And what a ton of paper work it entails! I should know because I once managed the same process too. One of the things that we always sorely need is a profile of the customer/executive being invited. It’s a source of wonder for me how come major and truly huge companies do not have such things as executive briefs/profiles readily available. You have to go through the proverbial red tape to get ahold of a copy, and that is when you are lucky. Otherwise, you are left to your own devices to build/draft your own version of that executive’s brief/profile. Sometimes, the Internet is a big help.
I have always admired people who have a way with words. They are those who string these individual words and come up with a sentence that makes you wonder how come you can’t do the same. Or a turn of phrase that clearly identifies them as a wordsmith.
From my family, I could think of my nephew James who has this unique ability.
From a previous life, ehem, I could think of Jetty.
From the blogosphere, or at least those blogs I frequently read, I could cite Mark (The Vegan Prince), Ian (The Spy In The Sandwich), McVie (The McVie Show) and Gibbs Cadiz (of his eponymous blog).
What I realize is that indeed, most anyone can write, but not everyone can write magically and well.
TEMPERATURE is going up hereabouts. There was a strong sandstorm (sandstrong to my malaprop friends) early this morning that dirtied up my fresh laundry which I hang outside last night. I would have to re-wash since to wear jeans that got exposed to sandtrong guarantees for an itchy ride.
I would somehow miss the cold weather, if only because I would miss being bundled up.
BOXED IN AT THE PARKING LOT Wouldn’t you be angry too if your vehicle gets boxed in on four sides by other vehicles, simply because the owners of these vehicles don’t care if they inconvenience other people? We had to wait for a long time for who turned out to be fellow Filipinos, to come and get their vehicles which boxed in ours. Such inconsiderate mammals some of our kababayan are! Meron pang temerity to tell us na “huwag daw sila sisigawan!” Natawag tuloy silang tanga!
REALITY SHOWS Now that AI is on with its 9th season, all the more we feel left out since we never did complete watching the remaining episodes of SYTYCD and X-Factor. Must beg our friends for their downloaded cache.
MASSEUR Ever since our reliable massage therapist went on exit, we’ve been finding it quite difficult to find a replacement. Ang mahal kaya ng therapies sa hotels.
FEBRUARY It’s a very significant month for Dennis and I. And it’s not because it celebrates Valentine’s Day. It’s our anniversary month – we’re going on 17th after the 11th. I pray the journey lasts!
SIGNSPOTTING I’ve been itching to take snapshots of several signs I see in Riyadh. They are guaranteed to make you laugh. They’re not unlike spotted signs in China – grammar and spelling lapses and all – that do the rounds of emails.
A few days back, an email circulated that Philippine Air Lines are resuming its flights to and from Riyadh early this year. While some may have taken it as welcome news, I didn’t. Actually, I couldn’t care less.
Ever since I first came to Riyadh in the early 1990s, I had been a PAL passenger. In fact, even on our side trips to other parts of the world, Dennis and I made sure we flew PAL. But then they upped and left about four years ago. I never did read any explanation in the papers; neither do I know if they even offered one.
It must be admitted that their departure seemed to have caused a lack of seats for OFWs but I can’t really be sure. It seems nobody really did a study. It was more like we felt it since it became even more dfficult to get seats.
When they left, we found airline substitutes in Cathay Pacific and in Singapore Airlines – whose services Dennis and I find truly world-class. We know of some friends who turned to Kuwait Airways or to Etihad Airways. Even to GulfAir. And of course to the old reliable, Saudi Arabian Airlines.
But for me and Dennis, we hope to continue to fly either CX or SG in the months/years to come! Never mind that they have stops in HongKong (and in Manama) and in Singapore (and in Dubai), respectively – their airports are two of the best in the world anyway.
Below is a copy of the article passed around in emails:
16 January 2010
PAL returns to Saudi March 28
MANILA – Philippine Airlines resumes a long-awaited service to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 28, 2010, heeding the clamor of the large Filipino community in the Middle East and marking a return to the region after an absence of four years.
The non-stop service will operate four times weekly, with flight PR 658 departing Manila every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 6:20 p.m. It arrives in the Saudi capital at 11:00 p.m. (Riyadh time)
The return service, PR 659, departs Riyadh at 12:30 a.m. every Wednesday, Friday, Sunday and Monday, and arrives back in Manila at 3:00 p.m. (Manila time)
Boeing 747-400 aircraft, which seat 50 passengers in Mabuhay Class (business) and 383 in Fiesta Class (economy), will be deployed on the service.
PAL last served Riyadh, its final destination in the Middle East, on March 2, 2006. The service was suspended for commercial reasons.
The flag carrier’s return to the region has been welcomed by Filipino expatriates, who number about 2 million – one of the largest foreign communities working there.
PAL has been traditionally favored by Filipinos in the Middle East because its direct service to Manila means that they get home faster compared to other carriers, whose flights can involve up to two stops in intermediate cities before proceeding to Manila.
PAL first flew to Riyadh on March 1, 1987 and over the decades the Saudi capital became one of its most important points.
From March 28, with the addition of Riyadh, the PAL network will count 25 international destinations as well as 29 points in the Philippines.
For booking requirements, passengers are advised to visit www.philippineairlines.com or call (02) 855-8888.
1. I enjoyed the weather last December 2009 and January 2010 in Laguna. It rained just for a bit/a few days. The rest of the days/nights were cool.
2. We finally were able to go to the Saturday market at Salcedo village. Indeed, the produce and the food and the offerings are unique. We had an almost gourmet lunch at the common tables where we were almost elbow-to-elbow with local celebrities. We had our share of terrific-tasting exotic nuts and a couple of sets of bath linens made of bamboo! Too bad we were not able to visit again before we left.
3. SLEX has greatly improved but portions (such as the Alabang viaduct) are still prone to traffic. I also dread the time the Skyway is finished. It’s going to make for a darker highway for the roads underneath. But Dennis and I had a lot of fun whenever we would include gold-covered chocolate coins in our toll payments. The girls, and some boys, manning the toll gates would always make a huge grin whenever they get one. It was a simple gesture that paid off big time.
4. Developments around our village continue to flourish, you’d think there’s no crisis.
5. My sister Doris introduced us to the Ace Water Resort and Spa. It was a unique take on the concept of resorts in that all of the water features, apart from the usual swimming pool, are supposed to be therapeutic. At first we were aghast at the insistence of staff for us to wear proper attire. For men, it meant really tight swimming trunks – boardshorts won’t do. We weren’t even allowed to wear undies. But later, I saw the point. It was indeed more comfortable to be wearing something that won’t bloat or balloon. I thoroughly enjoyed all those high-pressure water features that seem to massage my muscles and joints. One I particularly like was the high-pressure shower – you lie on your stomach on a slab of concrete and let the rain-like shower (albeit of the strong kind) soak you.
I lost my camera somewhere in the locker room but one of the guests who found it turned it over to management. It was such a relief to have been told that management had it when I inquired the next day. I described the camera perfectly When I picked it up, I showed them photos of myself that were stored in the camera’s memory.
Kodus to the guests and staff of Ace!
6. Patriotic shirts continue to be en vogue. People can’t seem to have enough. I myself bought quite a “collection”. The shirts at Collezione were out of stock while Bench’s Pinoy Lab churned out aplenty. I must say though that the latter’s quality does not quite compare with that of Collezione, which has greatly improved in terms of design and fabric.
To be continued….
Some more photos -
We went to Greenbelt 5 and saw this remarkable graphic; my shadow on some pavement.
We were at Serendra a few times and snapped these – a profusion of pointsettias, me by a giant tree and Dennis by a lighted coconut tree trunk.
Kris treated us to a hearty dinner at Antonio’s Grill (in Tagaytay): it’s not our best shot but it’s the only one that Dennis and I had together; Kris the celebrator; Dennis’ relief that he’s not a driver is palpable.
Conti’s famous Mango Bravo before and after the deluge of sweeth-toothed hungry mouths.
Sage’s first birthday was at a Jollibee. Dennis and I joined in on the fun, even if Jollibee didn’t smell so good.
Snapshots around Merrill Court: a bunch of date-like fruits, an old tree with new shoots, our reliable CRV and new, albeit expensive sheets.
Dennis, my sisters and I flew to the city of Legazpi the second week of December 2009. We visited an older brother and his family who are the only ones among the clan that remained in Daraga all these years.
We took a Cebu Pacific flight. On our way back, Dennis won one of the in-flight games. They asked passengers to volunteer to sing Christmas carols. It was a no-brainer for Dennis.
Mt. Mayon was reported to have started to spew ash the day after we left Daraga.
Dennis with my sisters Flor and Doris at the Cebu Pacific check-in counters; Dennis at the garden of my brother’s house; the visitors with the couple we visited.
The visitors with the family we visited; Dennis at the tarmac on our departure from the Legazpi city airport (Note Mt. Mayon and Lignon Hill at the background).
We made sure we visited the newest development by the port of Legazpi. It’s called the Embarcadero. It’s actually a mall with a lighthouse as the centerpiece. It looks promising enough although the development was not complete yet when we were there. Still, a lot of people were already enjoying the al fresco dining ambience and a live band at the promenade.
Dennis and I infront of Embarcadero’s lighthouse.
We visited the church of my youth, the Church of Our Lady of the Gate. Its baroque architecture is fading and the interiors were not the same ones I remember enjoying as a child. Gone were the Sistine Chapel-like ceilings.
My sisters Doris and Flor, Dennis and myself infront of the magnificent albeit decaying church facade.
A trek to the ruins of the Cagsaua Church was also on our agenda. A kindly volunteer guide took trick shots of us and provided us with a running commentary while we went around the ruins.
Dennis in a trick shot; the belfry of the Cagsaua church and me atop a boulder that was supposedly from one of the many eruptions of the famed volcano.
Dennis and myself, and with my siblings at a unique spot for photographs among the ruins.
Another trick shot with Dennis; the National Historical Institute’s plaque about the ruins.
We happened by a restaurant with an old-world atmosphere on one of our walks around the neighborhood. The resto is called Cena Una, which I surmise is a play on the Tagalog word sinauna (meaning “of old”) . It could also be a play on the words that mean “food first.”
In any case, the Spanish-era house lent a lot charm to the resto. When we first visited, we had coffee and cakes. On our second visit, we had lunch served buffet-style. The food was delicious and the wait staff quite friendly and efficient without being obtrusive.
One of the cakes we enjoyed at Cena Una; Doris enjoying her coffee and Dennis trying his hand at “sungka.”
Flor and her sweet smile; the Sto. Nino at the resto’s staircase landing and my brother and his missus.
Doris and Flor flashing their best smiles and I and my loving sisters.
Cena Una from afar and its unique signage.
Despite a cloudy day, we still went to a beach to eat home-cooked lunch picnic style. I did not take a lot of photos but I took these couple of shots:
Dennis and I spent the Islamic Haj holidays and all of December 2009 and a few days of January 2010, in the Philippines. We didn’t go away except for a brief stay in Albay (Bicol), even if we planned earlier on to return to HongKong (with a fresh batch of pamangkin sana) and possibly do a side trip to Macau.
I will fondly and/or vividly remember Homecoming 2009 for these reasons:
1. One of Dennis’ brothers has been undergoing dialysis; it was a constant source of emotional, physical and financial strain on Dennis (and to his family). But ever the loving brother that he is, he struggled mightily to keep the strain from showing. The support of his sisters, and indeed of his family, made everything bearable.
2. Close friend Baby’s father died. If there was anything good that came out of it, it brought Dennis and Babes (and some of her close family) even closer. It was also an opportunity to meet more of Baby’s other friends who took to Dennis like the proverbial duck to water. Two of them were like long-lost amiga even before the first meeting at the wake ended.
3. We went on a trip to Albay to visit a brother and his family. It was a most heart-warming bonding opportunity for us. One of my sisters hadn’t been back to Albay for more than 30 years. It was good that she was able to join her high school classmates for dinner at Legazpi’s Embarcadero. I’m sure it was an enjoyable reunion for her. It was nice to see the beautiful Mt. Mayon again and to visit the ruins of Cagsawa and the old church atop the hill. We also went about our old haunts and found some to be very different now. We discovered this old-ambience resto that had enviable architecture and interiors. Best of all, they also served us tasty food!
4. My sister Tess also spent the Haj holidays in the Philippines. Despite certain problems, we had a lot of bonding moments with her and her daughter.
5. My sister Doris introduced us to a water spa in Quezon City and enjoyed the experience immensely.
6. The usual homecoming dinners and get-togethers never do go stale. Plus there were birthdays (Sage, Kris) and anniversaries (the Bismontes) we celebrated. Nanay Cora’s bopis is in a class of its own. The Hidalgo’s post-Christmas spread is the best-ever. This year’s piece de resistance was the grilled (or was it baked) ribs! Antonio’s Grill in Tagaytay is a refreshing change from Josephine’s. Abe’s, both at TriNoMa and Serendra, are worth the trip. Indeed, it’s always worth it with family.
7. We had spur-of-the-moment excursions further south of Laguna, including Tagaytay. Our Nuvali sojourns almost always end up with eating something or buying something Conti’s. It’s Mango Bravo is to die for. Paseo continues to expand – we look forward to the day when we’ll have our own cinemas! To Makati’s direction, we finally made it to a Salcedo Saturday market where we got a pair of towel sets (his and his, he he) made of bamboo!
8. We watched “Avatar” and a slew of other foreign films, courtesy of the Corteses. Avatar is tremendous – too bad we weren’t able to watch it on 3D/IMAX. On Christmas Day, we watched “Mano Po 6″ and “Ang Panday”. The drama flick was ok but the fantasy film was weird even if it boasted of seamless effects. Sadly, we never got the chance to watch “I Love You Goodbye” and missed Derek’s butt, he he.
9. Mini-reunions with friends both from Manila and abroad. Sadly, we missed some terribly. Hi Ati Jo-ey! Hi Dale! We did bond with Dex and his friends and family. Dexter also joined us one time. Apart from Baby’s amiga, we also became friends with certain Greenfield people. Ditto with Kris’ and Tin’s friends.
10. Our usual Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day rituals.
11. It’s always nice to be back home and to feel loved by family and friends. That they also showered us with gifts made it all the more memorable.
I had been sick in Manila, and before I enplaned to Riyadh via Singapore. That’s been almost a week ago. I’m still sick. Every time I think my phlegm has loosened up and I feel better, it somehow gets refreshed and I go through another night of heaving coughs and burning from high body temperature. I finished all the meds I had; I already bought a refresher bottle of Robitussin and Codilar. They relieve me but not heal me.
The only upside is that a lot of people tell me that I look like I never went on a break – I’m slimmer than before.
Yikes.
Should I be vain or should I be healthy?
