I finally had the opportunity to see The Gateway, Cubao's new grand mall right by the Araneta Center. Bright and clean, with lots of new-to-me restaurants, the mall's architecture is quite impressive, at least from the outside.
Surely, Cubao will get back the glorty it enjoyed in the 1970's. In my analysis, the usual foot traffic will be there. Added to that, the coño, alta de sociedads will also come out of curiosity, and disappointed they won't be. At least there is a bright underground parking for their BMWs.
So it seemed like tinsel town at night and I really had the impression The Gateway can be likened to Glorietta and Greenbelt. I got a reality check, however, when, as I exited the parking lot and inquired of my parking fee, I got a blunt reply: "Bente!"
April 15, 2005
March 27, 2005
Dancing with myself
I worked on my birthday at the Cable Convention 2005 in Cebu, enduring three meetings with new channels wanting to enter the Philippine market. Worse, nobody in Cebu greeted me save for one of the Account Managers in my department and the sweet ladies of HBO Asia.
I did have the grandest party because HBO, as usual, held its party on the first night of the convention.
Wearing a red shirt, I danced the whole night without a care in the world!
I did have the grandest party because HBO, as usual, held its party on the first night of the convention.
Wearing a red shirt, I danced the whole night without a care in the world!
orinocO FloW
Contributing to the OFW Guardian, an advocacy weekly tabloid circulated in Europe, the Americas, Middle East and Asia, has its perks. I spent the eve of Palm Sunday at the Cebu Beach Club on Mactan Island, Cebu; then moved to Bohol Beach Club on Panglao Island, Bohol until Holy Wednesday - for free!
I will be writing several advertorials for the Tambuli Beach Resorts, which also include Tambuli Beach Club East and West Wings in Cebu and Blue Sky Sea Resort in Bohol.
The tambuli, or the conch, is an interesting shell. One can often be found washed ashore after the mollusk that lived in it has expired. Until then, the shell provides hard protection to an otherwise spineless animal. Its sometimes-elongated extensions give it even a predatory mask that frightens away other sea creatures threatening its resident.
But as a tambuli, it assumes a different identity. Its conchoidal shape of expanding helix makes it easily adored for ornament. When you place it close to your ear, you can hear the waves that splash from the ocean it came from. More interestingly, the tambuli is used as a horn, beckoning the attention of those who hear it.
Staying at either Tambuli Beach Club East Wing or West Wing or at the Cebu Beach Club gives guests access to all three resorts.
I found the East Wing very institutional; a standard class-AA resort reminiscent of how Puerto Azul used to be. Anos Fonacier, one of the pillars of Philippine tourism, built the East Wing 26 years ago and the resort grew from then.
The West Wing is definitely for the romantic. Japanese bridges interlink three swimming pools, and an outdoor Jacuzzi in a gazebo of plants is raised at the right at middle.
Cebu Beach Club appeals very well to families with its long shady pools and large room accommodations, each with its own veranda facing the sprawling gardens. My sisters will appreciate that palm trees to block the sun surround the two lagoon-shaped swimming pools embedded with flat stones.
The tennis court and firing range were a disappointment but why bother with those when the beach, with its natural sand bed of beige corals ground smoothly by the waves, is 1.5 kilometers long!
There were lots of aqua sports but my “Zen” biases make me shy away from noisy, motorized activities.
I wanted to try an intro dive session but didn’t want to spend (I guess not everything can be free). Instead, the resort let me try the Seawalker, the only underwater adventure of its kind in the Philippines. Donning a 36 kilogram bubble head gear (it gets light submerged) attached to a surface air pump, I strolled around the 20-foot deep seabed and, armed with a fish feeder, was swarmed by maybe hundreds of fish. Safely across the railing, I saw the deep ridge that is said to go down even 300 meters!
On Palm Sunday, I took the jet ferry – a two-hour ride to Tagbilaran City. Bohol is not as cosmopolitan as Cebu but being the tenth largest island-group in the Philippines, it is both provincial as it is progressive. Like Mactan is to Cebu, Panglao is a sub-island of Bohol.
At Bohol Beach Club, I learned the resort was awarded in 2004 as Bohol’s Most Environment-Friendly Resort. It also received a Healthy Award for its cleanliness and safety.
Bohol Beach Club has two lovely swimming pools but the powder-fine white sand, naturally, is the main attraction. I would rise at 6 o’clock to lay on any one of the hammocks strung between coconut trees and watch the small boats and their reflection on the water, still calm that early in the morning.
Jetskis and wave runners are not allowed 200 meters from the beach, because the area is considered a fish sanctuary, but you may go snorkeling and kayaking – my kind of stuff. I took a ride on the glass-bottom boat and watched the seabed and found an abundance of bright blue starfish at the time.
Due to limited resources again, I passed on whale- and dolphin-watching at Panglao and farther islands Balicasag and Pamilacan, which are also favorite dive spots.
A stay at Bohol will not be complete without a tour of the countryside. I took one, which started with a visit to the blood compact site, where Rajah Sikatuna and Spaniard Miguel Lopez de Legaspi declared alliance on my birthdate, March 16, 1565. (Magellan’s Philippine landing was the same date in 1521.)
Other highlights of my tour include a visit to local industries of bolo making for men and nipa weaving for women, the oldest church in Bohol – the Baclayon Church built in 1596, and the Mahogany trees at the Bilar man-made forest planted in 1958.
I managed to do only half of Bohol but I couldn’t miss going to Carmen to view the awesome Chocolate Hills that were once corals under the see. I also saw the pristine Loboc River where Boholano Cesar Montano filmed his award-winning Panaghoy sa Sugba. Along Loboc is a DENR-approved viewing station of Philippine Tarsiers, the world’s smallest mammals. While they are nocturnal creatures, these captive Tarsiers have gotten used to visitors that they are awake in the day.
Catch the Tambuli Resorts advertorials as they appear starting April 8 on OFW Guardian available in the Philippines and abroad.
Meanwhile, I’m saving up to return to Bohol Beach Club with Pia. The conch beckons!
I will be writing several advertorials for the Tambuli Beach Resorts, which also include Tambuli Beach Club East and West Wings in Cebu and Blue Sky Sea Resort in Bohol.
The tambuli, or the conch, is an interesting shell. One can often be found washed ashore after the mollusk that lived in it has expired. Until then, the shell provides hard protection to an otherwise spineless animal. Its sometimes-elongated extensions give it even a predatory mask that frightens away other sea creatures threatening its resident.
But as a tambuli, it assumes a different identity. Its conchoidal shape of expanding helix makes it easily adored for ornament. When you place it close to your ear, you can hear the waves that splash from the ocean it came from. More interestingly, the tambuli is used as a horn, beckoning the attention of those who hear it.
Staying at either Tambuli Beach Club East Wing or West Wing or at the Cebu Beach Club gives guests access to all three resorts.
I found the East Wing very institutional; a standard class-AA resort reminiscent of how Puerto Azul used to be. Anos Fonacier, one of the pillars of Philippine tourism, built the East Wing 26 years ago and the resort grew from then.
The West Wing is definitely for the romantic. Japanese bridges interlink three swimming pools, and an outdoor Jacuzzi in a gazebo of plants is raised at the right at middle.
Cebu Beach Club appeals very well to families with its long shady pools and large room accommodations, each with its own veranda facing the sprawling gardens. My sisters will appreciate that palm trees to block the sun surround the two lagoon-shaped swimming pools embedded with flat stones.
The tennis court and firing range were a disappointment but why bother with those when the beach, with its natural sand bed of beige corals ground smoothly by the waves, is 1.5 kilometers long!
There were lots of aqua sports but my “Zen” biases make me shy away from noisy, motorized activities.
I wanted to try an intro dive session but didn’t want to spend (I guess not everything can be free). Instead, the resort let me try the Seawalker, the only underwater adventure of its kind in the Philippines. Donning a 36 kilogram bubble head gear (it gets light submerged) attached to a surface air pump, I strolled around the 20-foot deep seabed and, armed with a fish feeder, was swarmed by maybe hundreds of fish. Safely across the railing, I saw the deep ridge that is said to go down even 300 meters!
On Palm Sunday, I took the jet ferry – a two-hour ride to Tagbilaran City. Bohol is not as cosmopolitan as Cebu but being the tenth largest island-group in the Philippines, it is both provincial as it is progressive. Like Mactan is to Cebu, Panglao is a sub-island of Bohol.
At Bohol Beach Club, I learned the resort was awarded in 2004 as Bohol’s Most Environment-Friendly Resort. It also received a Healthy Award for its cleanliness and safety.
Bohol Beach Club has two lovely swimming pools but the powder-fine white sand, naturally, is the main attraction. I would rise at 6 o’clock to lay on any one of the hammocks strung between coconut trees and watch the small boats and their reflection on the water, still calm that early in the morning.
Jetskis and wave runners are not allowed 200 meters from the beach, because the area is considered a fish sanctuary, but you may go snorkeling and kayaking – my kind of stuff. I took a ride on the glass-bottom boat and watched the seabed and found an abundance of bright blue starfish at the time.
Due to limited resources again, I passed on whale- and dolphin-watching at Panglao and farther islands Balicasag and Pamilacan, which are also favorite dive spots.
A stay at Bohol will not be complete without a tour of the countryside. I took one, which started with a visit to the blood compact site, where Rajah Sikatuna and Spaniard Miguel Lopez de Legaspi declared alliance on my birthdate, March 16, 1565. (Magellan’s Philippine landing was the same date in 1521.)
Other highlights of my tour include a visit to local industries of bolo making for men and nipa weaving for women, the oldest church in Bohol – the Baclayon Church built in 1596, and the Mahogany trees at the Bilar man-made forest planted in 1958.
I managed to do only half of Bohol but I couldn’t miss going to Carmen to view the awesome Chocolate Hills that were once corals under the see. I also saw the pristine Loboc River where Boholano Cesar Montano filmed his award-winning Panaghoy sa Sugba. Along Loboc is a DENR-approved viewing station of Philippine Tarsiers, the world’s smallest mammals. While they are nocturnal creatures, these captive Tarsiers have gotten used to visitors that they are awake in the day.
Catch the Tambuli Resorts advertorials as they appear starting April 8 on OFW Guardian available in the Philippines and abroad.
Meanwhile, I’m saving up to return to Bohol Beach Club with Pia. The conch beckons!
March 09, 2005
girl, iika-ikakasal ka nga ba?
Sa mga nagkakandangitngit na sa akin dahil hindi maayos-ayos ang kanilang mga plano ukol sa pagbiyahe sa katapusan ng taon, heto na ang balitang inaasam-asam ninyo. Ngunit bago iyon, isa munang pagpapaliwanag.
Alam naman natin na ang pinaka-importanteng tao sa kahit na kaninong kasalan ay hindi ang mga ikinakasal kundi ang ina ng babaeng ikinakasal Kung kaya nga't ang petsa ng kasalan ay nausog ng ilang beses, mula Hunyo 12, na naging Agosto 14, at Disyembre 30 - upang malaman din namin na di rin pala pwede. Atin-atin lang: siya ang sinisisi namin, pero hindi niya alam iyon.
Sa pagnanais naming huwag nang makadismaya ng marami naming kamag-anak, hindi ko muna ipinahayag na nakatala na ang Enero 7, 2006 para sa kasalan. Sa katawa-tawang pangyayari, ang aking best man ay nagtakda na mismong araw na iyon rin gawin ang kanyang kasal at ginawa rin akong best man!
Ang unang tugon ko sana ay: sabay na lang, sa magkahiwalay na lugar - bahala na kung sino ang pupunta kung kanino, pero di pala pwedeng mawala ang best man. I-proxy na lang kaya ang ikakasal?
Ngayon, upang mabigyang pagkakataon na makakain sa dalawang handaan ang mga miyembro ng angkan ng tatay ko, napagkasunduan namin ng aking magiging biyenan na gawin ang aming kasalan sa... drrdrrdrrdrrdrrdrrdrrdrrdrrdrr... Enero 21, 2006!
Ang Enero 21 ay anibersaryo ng aming pagiging magkasintahan noong 1999; eksaktong pitong taon sa araw ng kasalan kaya may kahalagahan ang petsang iyon.
Para sa mga magbi-biyahe mula sa ibang bansa, nawa ay mura na ang pamasahe matapos ang petsang iyon para makatipid ng kaunti. Anumang matitipid ninyo ay tatanggapin namin ng bukal sa aming loob kung ibibgay ninyong donasyon para sa gastusin sa kasal. Para hindi na mihirapan sa pagpili ng mga regalo (mahirap magbitbit sa eroplano ng 65-inch plasma TV mula sa Japan), maaaring ibigay na lang ang salapi - makadadagdag din iyon sa pambayad sa gastusin sa kasal. Mwehehehe!
Sa kasalukuyan, kaming ikakasal ay tumatanggap ng pre-marital sex, este!, counseling pala. Ito ay programa sa aming simbahan at tinatalakay ang ilang mahahalagang isyu ng buhay mag-asawa. Sa katapusan ng programa, nawa ay ipaglinaw sa amin ng Panginoon kung dapat kaming tumuloy na magpakasal.
Ayan po. Enero 21, 2006, alas singko y medya ng umaga. Wala nang lipatan, walang usugan. Ang tanong na lang: matutuloy kaya? Abangan...
Alam naman natin na ang pinaka-importanteng tao sa kahit na kaninong kasalan ay hindi ang mga ikinakasal kundi ang ina ng babaeng ikinakasal Kung kaya nga't ang petsa ng kasalan ay nausog ng ilang beses, mula Hunyo 12, na naging Agosto 14, at Disyembre 30 - upang malaman din namin na di rin pala pwede. Atin-atin lang: siya ang sinisisi namin, pero hindi niya alam iyon.
Sa pagnanais naming huwag nang makadismaya ng marami naming kamag-anak, hindi ko muna ipinahayag na nakatala na ang Enero 7, 2006 para sa kasalan. Sa katawa-tawang pangyayari, ang aking best man ay nagtakda na mismong araw na iyon rin gawin ang kanyang kasal at ginawa rin akong best man!
Ang unang tugon ko sana ay: sabay na lang, sa magkahiwalay na lugar - bahala na kung sino ang pupunta kung kanino, pero di pala pwedeng mawala ang best man. I-proxy na lang kaya ang ikakasal?
Ngayon, upang mabigyang pagkakataon na makakain sa dalawang handaan ang mga miyembro ng angkan ng tatay ko, napagkasunduan namin ng aking magiging biyenan na gawin ang aming kasalan sa... drrdrrdrrdrrdrrdrrdrrdrrdrrdrr... Enero 21, 2006!
Ang Enero 21 ay anibersaryo ng aming pagiging magkasintahan noong 1999; eksaktong pitong taon sa araw ng kasalan kaya may kahalagahan ang petsang iyon.
Para sa mga magbi-biyahe mula sa ibang bansa, nawa ay mura na ang pamasahe matapos ang petsang iyon para makatipid ng kaunti. Anumang matitipid ninyo ay tatanggapin namin ng bukal sa aming loob kung ibibgay ninyong donasyon para sa gastusin sa kasal. Para hindi na mihirapan sa pagpili ng mga regalo (mahirap magbitbit sa eroplano ng 65-inch plasma TV mula sa Japan), maaaring ibigay na lang ang salapi - makadadagdag din iyon sa pambayad sa gastusin sa kasal. Mwehehehe!
Sa kasalukuyan, kaming ikakasal ay tumatanggap ng pre-marital sex, este!, counseling pala. Ito ay programa sa aming simbahan at tinatalakay ang ilang mahahalagang isyu ng buhay mag-asawa. Sa katapusan ng programa, nawa ay ipaglinaw sa amin ng Panginoon kung dapat kaming tumuloy na magpakasal.
Ayan po. Enero 21, 2006, alas singko y medya ng umaga. Wala nang lipatan, walang usugan. Ang tanong na lang: matutuloy kaya? Abangan...
February 25, 2005
New York! New York! It's a wonderful town
An article I wrote appears today on the OFW Guardian (circulation: hopefully where there are OFWs). The editor used the detailed version but, personally, I prefer the concise one:
Shopping so big they had to name it twice.
Metro Market! Market! differentiates itself with customer service and so much more.
At the northeastern corner of the Fort Bonifacio Global City stands Metro Market! Market! It is the newest Department Store and Supermarket but, already, hordes and hordes of people arrive everyday for the shopping experience. Accessible to shoppers coming from Pasig, Taguig, Makati and even Mandaluyong and Ortigas, Market! Market! attracts folks from various social classes – and each is sure to be satisfied.
Market! Market boasts to have one of the largest supermarkets. It offers a wide variety of products without the intimidating stacks and displays one would find in a warehouse. The layout considers the comfort of shoppers so that the aisles are wide and the shelves are not high.
The Supermarket carries international products from Asia, Europe and the Americas. One may select, for example, from 45 brands of cereal. Quite naturally, also, the Gaisano-owned Supermarket showcases delights from Cebu, not just products but the friendly, smiling staff. (Note: no tips accepted for bringing your grocery to your car, even if you try.)
The jewelry section of the Department Store has a unique offering: lay-away plans of up to ten months! The selection includes branded watches; and even remata or repossessed jewelry. However, if one has enough cash (or credit), one can likely get a good discount for an outright purchase.
To match the exquisite jewelry, and moving to the textile section, one can find Chinese, Japanese and Italian cloth, including very intricate Jacquard lace and fabrics. But more interesting is the apparel section where Cebu’s finest clothes designers bring their work together. Currently, Jun Esario shows velvety, sparkling dresses while Philip Rodriguez has bright, geometric prints reminiscent of the sixties. Arcy Gayatin uses thin fabrics with lots of frills that underscore a delicate touch. The designers make sure that they showcase their latest designs at the Market! Market! where they stay for about two months before bringing them to other stores.
Climbing up the home and furniture sections one would note them to be interspersed, allowing the shopper to step from one section to the other almost unconsciously and find a variety of the inexpensive to the more sophisticated furniture from China, Malaysia and Italy; home appliances; do-it-yourself tools and material; and sports and hobby equipment. The layout philosophy is adopted from new frameworks developed in the United States, and aims to heighten the experience. Again, staff are readily on standby to assist every concern.
Truly Market! Market! has got all that a shopper needs and wants: variety of products at the best prices in a convenient location and layout; and friendly people that reflect the warmth of Gaisano and Cebu.
Shop shop!
Shopping so big they had to name it twice.
Metro Market! Market! differentiates itself with customer service and so much more.
At the northeastern corner of the Fort Bonifacio Global City stands Metro Market! Market! It is the newest Department Store and Supermarket but, already, hordes and hordes of people arrive everyday for the shopping experience. Accessible to shoppers coming from Pasig, Taguig, Makati and even Mandaluyong and Ortigas, Market! Market! attracts folks from various social classes – and each is sure to be satisfied.
Market! Market boasts to have one of the largest supermarkets. It offers a wide variety of products without the intimidating stacks and displays one would find in a warehouse. The layout considers the comfort of shoppers so that the aisles are wide and the shelves are not high.
The Supermarket carries international products from Asia, Europe and the Americas. One may select, for example, from 45 brands of cereal. Quite naturally, also, the Gaisano-owned Supermarket showcases delights from Cebu, not just products but the friendly, smiling staff. (Note: no tips accepted for bringing your grocery to your car, even if you try.)
The jewelry section of the Department Store has a unique offering: lay-away plans of up to ten months! The selection includes branded watches; and even remata or repossessed jewelry. However, if one has enough cash (or credit), one can likely get a good discount for an outright purchase.
To match the exquisite jewelry, and moving to the textile section, one can find Chinese, Japanese and Italian cloth, including very intricate Jacquard lace and fabrics. But more interesting is the apparel section where Cebu’s finest clothes designers bring their work together. Currently, Jun Esario shows velvety, sparkling dresses while Philip Rodriguez has bright, geometric prints reminiscent of the sixties. Arcy Gayatin uses thin fabrics with lots of frills that underscore a delicate touch. The designers make sure that they showcase their latest designs at the Market! Market! where they stay for about two months before bringing them to other stores.
Climbing up the home and furniture sections one would note them to be interspersed, allowing the shopper to step from one section to the other almost unconsciously and find a variety of the inexpensive to the more sophisticated furniture from China, Malaysia and Italy; home appliances; do-it-yourself tools and material; and sports and hobby equipment. The layout philosophy is adopted from new frameworks developed in the United States, and aims to heighten the experience. Again, staff are readily on standby to assist every concern.
Truly Market! Market! has got all that a shopper needs and wants: variety of products at the best prices in a convenient location and layout; and friendly people that reflect the warmth of Gaisano and Cebu.
Shop shop!
January 05, 2005
Strawberry Fields for New Year
I went up to Baguio December 29 to welcome 2005, with my sisters Jing and Myke, my fiancé Pia, and our friend, Dingdong. As always with my sisters, the trip deferred from being ‘usual’.
To kick off, we stayed at the Brent Campus, which had a lot of ground for strolling; and since it was vacation time, we had it all to ourselves. Then, armed with a map, we conquered the City – SM included.
Dingdong Henrico’s: It was Dingdong’s birthday when we got there so dinner was at the original Don Henrico’s at Session Road, complete with the ice cream and candle fanfare.
Sweet Strawberry: It’s ironic to be eating ice cream in Baguio but it went on, the day after, at La Trinidad, where we had strawberry ice cream and cold strawberry taho (with whole strawberries!). While we bought strawberries from the store, Dingdong got to buy Malaysian mum plants off the field.
Forest-fire Fears From Fireworks: SM City featured fireworks on the 30th, which got me questioning its safety: I can imagine pine trees are easily enflamed, and it was dry and cold the past two days! (Anyway, we had a great view from Gerry’s Grill at the top floor of the mall. Most of the restaurants on the deck probably had good business. The customers were turning over fast: eat your food quicker than it gets cold.)
A Tale of Two Bens: Celebrated artist Ben Cabrera owns Cafe By The Ruins as well as Tam-Awan Village. Tam-Awan not only exhibits a gallery of artwork but is also famous for 'paintings' made by focusing the sun's rays with a magnifying glass.
Tam-Awan is also famous as a relocation site of several indigenous huts where guests can actually stay. We noticed that a 'Do Not Disturb' sign hung outside the fertility hut.
Across the street from the village is Arko Ni Apo, residence of Ben-Hur Villanueva, who does a lot of beautiful metal sculpture. Ben-Hur used to teach at Ateneo Grade School and we had a lenghty discussion of his teaching methods.
Auld Lang Syne: Here's a touching story. On New Year's Eve, we went looking for a place to have dinner and possibly watch fireworks. Top suggestion was the native restaurant where the Higantes were. Unfortunately, as with most other establishments, they had closed early.
We ended up in Rose Bowl at Burnham Park. It was quite late but they let us in and served us. We noticed however that they were busy setting the other tables that we thought they were rushing to go on home. Then we heard the manager say: "Pagbutihin nyo naman ang ayos ng kutsilyo kahit tayo-tayo lang." It turns out that the staff on duty won't make it home so instead they had their own party, with steak and all the treats. We were offered to stay.
It had been a long day so we went back to Brent, slept the last hour, woke to notice the fireworks and that it was a minute to midnight, Pia jumped several times, and we all went back to sleep.
Happy New Year!
To kick off, we stayed at the Brent Campus, which had a lot of ground for strolling; and since it was vacation time, we had it all to ourselves. Then, armed with a map, we conquered the City – SM included.
Dingdong Henrico’s: It was Dingdong’s birthday when we got there so dinner was at the original Don Henrico’s at Session Road, complete with the ice cream and candle fanfare.
Sweet Strawberry: It’s ironic to be eating ice cream in Baguio but it went on, the day after, at La Trinidad, where we had strawberry ice cream and cold strawberry taho (with whole strawberries!). While we bought strawberries from the store, Dingdong got to buy Malaysian mum plants off the field.
Forest-fire Fears From Fireworks: SM City featured fireworks on the 30th, which got me questioning its safety: I can imagine pine trees are easily enflamed, and it was dry and cold the past two days! (Anyway, we had a great view from Gerry’s Grill at the top floor of the mall. Most of the restaurants on the deck probably had good business. The customers were turning over fast: eat your food quicker than it gets cold.)
A Tale of Two Bens: Celebrated artist Ben Cabrera owns Cafe By The Ruins as well as Tam-Awan Village. Tam-Awan not only exhibits a gallery of artwork but is also famous for 'paintings' made by focusing the sun's rays with a magnifying glass.
Tam-Awan is also famous as a relocation site of several indigenous huts where guests can actually stay. We noticed that a 'Do Not Disturb' sign hung outside the fertility hut.
Across the street from the village is Arko Ni Apo, residence of Ben-Hur Villanueva, who does a lot of beautiful metal sculpture. Ben-Hur used to teach at Ateneo Grade School and we had a lenghty discussion of his teaching methods.
Auld Lang Syne: Here's a touching story. On New Year's Eve, we went looking for a place to have dinner and possibly watch fireworks. Top suggestion was the native restaurant where the Higantes were. Unfortunately, as with most other establishments, they had closed early.
We ended up in Rose Bowl at Burnham Park. It was quite late but they let us in and served us. We noticed however that they were busy setting the other tables that we thought they were rushing to go on home. Then we heard the manager say: "Pagbutihin nyo naman ang ayos ng kutsilyo kahit tayo-tayo lang." It turns out that the staff on duty won't make it home so instead they had their own party, with steak and all the treats. We were offered to stay.
It had been a long day so we went back to Brent, slept the last hour, woke to notice the fireworks and that it was a minute to midnight, Pia jumped several times, and we all went back to sleep.
Happy New Year!
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