la nana @ espana manila

i found a new resto-carenderia (eatery) in espana manila. just few walks away from UST (like 4 stores away from ministop espana-noval), the eatery is so small (compared to others) you won't even notice it unless you pass by it and be lured by the 'wifi' notice posted. yes, it's a wifi-zone, 2-floor eatery with a heart!

the manager told me (in a wonderful visayan dialect) that they wanted to offer a relatively cheap (38 pesos, about $0.85, for a value meal that includes iced tea) but delicious meal to students and employees/workers alike, at the same time give them the service that almost everyone would want to have (aside from an extra-clean dining area is a wireless internet connection whichever is more important to you) for free and without ever having to go to expensive coffeeshops and/or malls.

the place gave me a familiar feeling of home, with viands (veggies, seafood, fish & meat dishes, soup & noodles among others) that doesn't look and taste like commercial foodstuff (partly attributed to the cook's training in a chinese restaurant) and the color scheme of the walls oddly makes me  feel relaxed. and the name la nana sounds like lola (granny) and nanay (mother) so whenever i feel like i don't wanna cook (sometimes i feel sad cooking just for one), i feel like i'd just have to go to la nana 'coz it's like going my nanay's place to satisfy my tummy :)

my SALT in resortsworld manila

THE LOCATION: Resorts World Manila (a luxury casino resort) located in newport city, across NAIA3 in pasay city, ph. the resort have hotels, a casino, a shopping mall and cinemas too!

THE EVENT:  launching of cinema 2 (a conventional theater among 3 others, one of which included an 80-seater-almost-exclusive-butler-ready space) and special screening of angelina jolie's intense action film - SALT for media people, bloggers and resortworld's guests and representatives.

THE MOVIE: plot centers on a CIA officer (jolie) who is fingered as a russian sleeper spy. she tried eluding capture by superiors who are convinced she is out to assassinate the president. while trying to reunite with her spider-scientist-husband, she literally fought hard to prove someone else is the traitor. . . full-packed action with beautiful insertions of flashbacks and emotional struggle, this movie (as i have been telling everybody since october of last year) is a must-see!

OVERALL IMPRESSION: like the usual malls, specialty shops abound and cinemas are in the 4th floor but unlike the usual malls, the hotel staff (how do i call them - mall staff? customer service reps?) are well-dressed and so hospitable. what i loved most is the lounge at the 2nd floor that resembles that of a park, complete with fountain and bushes in a box (yeah right, it's a wooden plant box behind each wooden bench)...and oh, that beautiful clear canopy that made me wanna imagine how it is like enjoying my night coffee under the stars, not worrying a bit if it rains.

THE POSTSCRIPT:  i get the chance to meet bloggers wanderlust (http://sugarsmile.blogspot.com/ whom i owe the better pictures shown here), abet ( http://manila-life.blogspot.com/ who made me feel welcome all the time), jeff (http://boy-kuripot.blogspot.com/ whom i owe the unwet journey from venue to ayala) , jonel (http://nomnomclub.com/ who's been very accomodating with my extra-kulit sms) and FPJ (one pleasantly silent and i have yet to bump on again). hence, despite the downpour after the screening, the night was still a blast! thanks mucho too to az (http://azraelsmerryland.blogspot.com/)  for always sharing the invits to events such as this.

birth anniversaries need not be expensive

it's been a month since my boyman wowa turned 8. we weren't able to celebrate it with the usual kid's party with balloons, clown and games, overflowing food (and visitors too) coz 1. we can't afford it this time (it's never good to get a loan just to have a birthday party) and...
 2. we realized (noticed) that during parties it's the parents that have lots of visitors and the kid doesn't enjoy the party that much 'coz he has to smile, bless (a gesture of respect) and do other things (like pose, dance, sing, recite a poem et.cet) that visitors and parents would request. oftentimes, the day (or night) ends so tiring you forget the essence of it all...

flashback: since i (his mama) won't be around during his birth anniversary, we planned to have a sort-of-bday-party days ahead. we bought cookies, chips, nuts and chocolates, made grape juice, deep-fried (meat-looking) tuna crazy cuts and invited his favorite playmates for a pica-pica...

he called each of them by saying 'lika pica-pica party tayo'...and his friends arrived (one by one that beautiful morning)... while having the pica-pica, they played bowling (you know, one of those plastic bowling toys), computer games (the one that needs a one-peso coin for a few minutes of game) nearby, watched re-runs of diego (and dora), played bingo-chess and did an attempt to play scrabble.

my my! they had fun!!! those laughters and giggling (and unguarded munching) were priceless! no need to bring gifts (that's the down side though hehehe). no need to dress up in weird (sweatshirt-like) costumes and all--- just be there to have fun and enjoy the blessing of another year.

my nanay wants a blogspot

and she can't help it anymore.
she asked for help.
what else should a good (ssshhh)
daughter do?

here's her page...
http://nanayishere.blogspot.com/

oh no! we would be reading from her...
tsk tsk tsk...maybe first rule i'd tell her
is that - it's a no-no to blog about daughters?

joey velasco joined his usual subject at 43

'heartist' painter joey velasco passed away at 43.

he had been battling kidney problems for years.

he started painting to deal with the depression caused by his illness.

he is famous for depicting Jesus in everyday Filipino life.his works immortalized the enduring faith that saw him to the end.

finally, he came face to face with our maker, his art inspiration.

the other night, one can see and feel the overflowing love of people, families and friends and even fans (like me) as they joined a mass celebrated for him.
he lived a full life.
fare thee well great joey.


[pictures shown here are my favorite portions of joey velasco's paintings exhibited during his wake]

did you know CORITHA???

that's my intro-question for my friends upon knowing that coritha is still very much alive and that she will perform as part of the LEGENDS SERIES of conspiracy cafe (07/22/10. 10pm). answers varied from 'what's that?' to 'what is she famous for?" (all those other types in between). as for me, she's one those few beautiful pinay voices that have molded my 'musical being' when i was a very little girl. hearing her 'sierra madre' still gives me that ever-familiar feeling of sadness and longing for some place to call 'home'.

here are some of the 'internet-generation's little known facts' that might answer all (or some) of my friends' questions about coritha (thank you http://www.coritha.com/) : did you know ---

1. that coritha is the Philippines' foremost singer-songwriter-performer, recording artist and pioneering OPM advocate? known as the PEOPLE'S SINGER, coritha's songs have stood the test of time and have touched, inspired and entertained audience in countless ways.

2. that as the world sang and partied to Al Gore's Live Earth 24-hour musical extravaganza (to combat global warming), several patriotic-earth-loving Pinoys made sure the Filipinos would not be left behind? led by her, the Filipinos' presence was felt via a music video entitled "One Earth".

3.that the song "Lolo Jose" was first submitted as an entry in a Metro Pop (that famous songwriting contest) but never made it? however, in 1982, it won two Cecil awards: 1) "Best Folk-Pop Song", 2) "Best Folk-Pop Vocal Performance."

4. that she wrote and sung her super-dooper-mega-over hit song "Sierra Madre" as her tribute to the Sierra Madre Mountains, the largest and longest mountain range in the Philippines?

5. that she was the first (musical) artist in the history of pop-pinoy music to experiment with Philippine native instruments in her music? rondalla instruments such as the Banduria, Octavina and Laud were used in the songs "Awit Kay Leandro," "Bilanggo" and one of her biggest hit songs "Oras Na".

6. that she was the first singer-performer and recording artist to work alongside blind musicians with their talents as banduria players for her live performances and recordings during the early part of her career?

7. that despite the low turn-out (of audience) of her show with the rock 70s band last night, she was ever dynamic and ever strong in her rendition of parokya ni edgar's harana, a playful mix of pinoy pop-rock bongga ka day, jeprox and beep-beep (rock 70s rocked the night with horse with no name, and smooth) and the soulful interpretation of her timeless songs- kaibigan, sierra madre, lolo jose and oras na. i was seated just few inches away from the pinay pop-rock legend and i never regretted a single moment of it.

PS. special thanks to dear friend roy llenos for footing the bill and being my as-usual 'fairy god-driver'. my!!! was i one lucky fan!

[coritha's b&w pic above is from
http://www.singerpictures.com/coritha-pictures.html]

a life in seven words

the following words and quotes are all from the book (of the same title) by carlos g. valles sj. i must have loved reading the book so much that i took time in noting these words in my diary --- my diary of more than a decade ago, which i surprisingly found in between piles of magazines i'm supposed to throw away last night...there must be reasons why i found it...and maybe this (sharing to you some) is one of them.

WORDS ... words are lovely seductress with their feminine charm and lexical elegance. they are irresitable temptress of subtle ways and hidden harmonious.

TRANSPARENCY... may it fill the air with its sound while it fills my soul  with its meaning. there is health and life and spirit and innocence in it...to be clearly and plainly what i am. without disguise, masks or cosmetics. it seems so simple. and it is so hard.

CREDIBILITY... credibility does not mean that people should believe what i say, but that they must see i believe in what i say...not to convince...but to let them see i am convinced of what i say..

CREATIVITY... that is the salt of life and the breath of the spirit. the divine touch that brings light out of darkness and order out of chaos...creativity is the divine spark in the midst of human heart.

INTIMACY... what matters in life is friendship, and the human soul rests ultimately in love...the most delicate lesson in living...is the one we are less taught.

WONDER... it is the virtue of the child. the innocence of life. the ability to see and learn, to be. the open face...the unspoilt memory...everything is new...everything is marvelous...everything is seen for the first time.

EARTH... i was an ecologist before i knew it...love of nature, neighborliness with the environment, devotion to water and caresses to rocks, reverence to mountains and contemplation of the sea were all parts of myself ever since i have known myself. mother earth. salute to the sun. friendship with the stars...citizens of the universe.

YES!... it is music on your life, it is a burst of life, it is generous and joyful expression of all that you are and want us all to be with the courageous openness and that spontaneous originality that are your own life and your gift to us all. it is a swift syllable, a sharp note, a shooting spark. it is an act of faith.

mother earth: 8 months ago i bugged you, what now my dears?

NGOfficers, students and other members of the academe gathered on November 18 and 19 at TARC Auditorium, UST, Manila to hear presentations of different resource speakers regarding Climate Change. more than 500 participants have attended the two-morning symposia, which is among the highlights of the week-long University Research Week.

lecturers (Ms. Menchie Flores-Obanil of Focus on the Global South; Mr. Larry Lohman of The Corner House; Ms. Flaviana D. Hilario Ph. D. of  PAGASA; and Lt. Gen. Ernesto G. Carolina AFP (Ret), Department of National Defense and Administration Undersecretary) shared information for the participants to learn, adopt and/or to be inspired.

that was about 8 months ago. the symposia aimed to provide information to faculty, research practitioners and students from higher education institutions on climate change and disaster preparedness and mitigation. sounds good, right?

have those 500+ participants learned something and shared it around at the least? have they adopted anything from the lectures? were they inspired? what's next? i could just imagine mother earth asking me: what now my dear? uh-oh ...

wishing he'd say goodbye to swimming... (at least for now)

it seems like just yesterday when i was home for a vacation and is lazily accompanying my boyman wowa to his swimming training. there's this 7-foot pool for pros and reserved for members of the torpedo club (gensan) and advanced swimmers that we go to almost every day. it took wowa several months to advance (others said he advanced faster than usual) and by merely watching him, you can tell he is loving the sport. his papa even spent quite a lot (membership and coaching fee, swim wear, goggles, fins, kickboard among others) of hard-earned money to support this almost-daily routine.

when i went back to manila, i was informed by wowa's doctor (bless doc sheena for being ever-so-caring) that she just checked on wowa who has been complaining of pain in the ear and that she found out that wowa had a case of ear infection. i was worried 'coz she also said she gave him antibiotics (he had just finished his round of meds for severe cough). she explained i need not worry 'coz the stronger antibiotics will do the job. in three days at most, pain will be gone but the antibiotics will be taken for a week plus a strict instruction : no swimming yet.

that was a sad news for both the father and the son. they have been trying to fix their skeds to squeeze in the beloved routine, and my my my if you could see those kids swimming, you would really feel proud and envious of their skills. they're learning discipline, they're breathing well - less asthma attacks, they're meeting new friends and they're having fun! but i myself, knowing ear infections and a worrier, had it in me (to wish)for them to say goodbye to swimming for good. ouch! was i that cruel? i guess not.

the alternative? biking! the first bike he had was when he was about three years old, and when he had to have a couple of stitches on the forehead after a minor accident, i wished then that he'd stop biking... now i'm wishing he'd return to biking (he had been saving for it, only needs few more hundreds to buy a good bike) and stop swimming. i'm one confused mama!!!

now, he has a new bike (haven't seen it yet) - his papa filled in the lacking-hundreds and bought it as a birthday gift (he turned 8, whew!).  i heard he has been biking ... few minutes in the morning  and an hour or two at sundown. both he (wowa) and his papa (jovit) doesn't say anything about going back to swimming lately--- maybe they were too sad to bring it up or... (fingerscrossed) perhaps they're weighing it against biking. ahhm lemme help, (if recreational swimming won't do 'coz it's always exciting to dive and swim real fast- haay) ---with proper protective gears, biking is a good exercise...less expensive too! now there goes my vote for now. oh, if only he would not dare go too far..haaaayyy :)

my first taste of eiga sai : GLASSES

japan foundation, shangri-la plaza and UP film institute
present this year's japanese film festival - eiga sai 2010 (in celebration of the philippine-japan friendship month). as always, my newfound movie buddy - irene sy never hesitated to inform and update and ask me to see at least one of the many japanese films to be shown from july 1st to the 11th in shangri-la cinema 4. so i did. and GLASSES (megane) there was.

'the title is a whimsical touch on a whimsical film' so i quote from the flyers given. it was only when i finished watching that i realized why 'glasses' was its english title. all the major characters (taeko: kobayashi satomi, yuji: mitsuishi ken, haruna: ichikawa mikako, yomogi: kase ryo and sakura: motai masako) wear prominent eyeglasses... they looked at the place (a small island in the south of Japan, where there's no cellphone reception) and did their 'twilighting' through it (their eyeglasses).

the story is about a stressed-out career woman who leaves her city life for an island vacation. she brought with her a suitcase of books to be read but she ended up knitting... she expected to be left alone but she ended up lovingly disturbed by the kindness, country-style warmth of the people in the beach hotel - the fresh food eaten by guests and hosts altogether, the famous shaved-ice as a pre-requisite to really being good at 'twilighting' (imho, this is their nickname for daydreaming or reflecting or meditating or just being nothing but one with the sea), the 'merci-exercise' (intriguingly funny and worth trying), and more.

while some of the audience felt the movie was boring, i enjoyed every scene. perhaps it is because i easily have placed myself as one of the characters and already imagined being there--- seeing the sea, tasting the shaved ice (with slow-cooked kidney beans beneath and sugar syrup on top), chatting with them and feeling the the peace and the mystery of it all. i'd keep sakura's words to my heart forever, remember: "it is important not to rush"...the movie was neither heavy nor light (a minimalist even) ...and should i decide to see it again, i'm sure there will still be questions that will be left unanswered in the end.

glasses (megane - japanese title) was nominated for the grand jury prize at the sundance film festival and won the manfred salzgeber award at the berlin international film festival in 2008. as for me, i'm giving the movie-glasses my 3 out of 3 shares of frozen yogurt for a score (or in case, shaved ice *winks*).

(picture from www.asianmediawiki.com and www.baf-bcn.org)