[Note: This article came out in the Flavors Section in The Philippine Star in the middle of March 2008. This is the raw, un-editored version.]
Finals are supposed to be no fun at all. It’s supposed to be stressful, gut -wrenching and very, very unpleasant. However, this is not the atmosphere that I felt when I entered Global Culinary and HospitalityAcademy last January. The place was vibrant and full of energy like an oven is about to explode. Luckily, none of that happened and I had a wonderful night. I arrived late for the event, I did not know what to expect and I did not know what the event was about. After walking for about a kilometer to the Academy from the MRT station, all I was really thinking was “I hope they have free food in this place”. I was sweaty and tired and when I entered I realized that I was so underdressed in my sweaty shirt and jeans. However, the people who welcomed me made me feel right at home with their warm enthusiastic smile and polite demeanor. I almost felt like I arrived in a limo and wearing an Armani suit. Looking around, one cannot help but notice the quaint setup of the Academy. On one side is the classroom which could probably sit around 40 people and adjacent to it is the kitchen which is not unlike the kitchens you see in Top Chef or Jamie’s Kitchen. The two rooms flank the main restaurant-type area which has the feel of an authentic fine dining restaurant.
Thrust
According to Chef Edward Bugia, one of the Academy’s faculty members, their thrust is not just to teach the students in culinary arts but also educate them on how to provide the customer a completely pleasurable dining experience. This is probably what differentiates Global from other culinary schools. Whereas other schools confine themselves within the heated walls of the kitchen, Rob Pengson’s Global steps out of the kitchen and into your air-conditioned dining room. The food that was prepared was both expected and unexpected at the same time. What I mean is it is exactly the type of food that people expect out of similar high end restaurants but upon tasting it, they’re quite different from what one might originally imagine.
Dinner Time
There were several dishes that caught me pleasantly by surprise, from the texture to the aftertaste, there was always something that you would take note of afterwards. My personal favorite would have to be the shrimp soup which all the people in me table finished in about thirty seconds flat. Quite a barbaric act actually, considering the elegant nature of the place we were in. This is not to say that the evening went without a hiccup. There were several indeed, like the two pieces of beef that somehow failed to agree as to what temperature they’d be arriving at my table and a couple of dishes that were fashionably late. I decided to take that opportunity to converse with the students and the chefs and find out more about them and the academy. I entered the kitchen and half expected to see Remy commanding the students(there! I got off a Ratatouille joke finally) but instead found Chef Victor Sanchez conducting the orchestra.
New Kids on the Block
I asked some of the students how old they were and I was surprised to find out that a lot of them were quite young and barely out of their teens. Most of them have dreams of traveling overseas and honing their craft in restaurants far from people who cook adobo. Others are simply enthusiastic about cooking in general with no specific dreams or goals in mind. Chef Edi told me that the students are under a lot of pressure, this being their finals and culmination of several months worth of training. I also learned that it doesn’t end that night since for the next several days they will cook other dishes as well such as Moroccan and Asian. I was also able to talk to the other guests such as Chef Ingrid Mediarito of Ingrid’s Sweet Haven who shared some of my views about that event prompting me to think that I can be a chef as well. I went back to my table and treated myself to the rest of the dishes which ended with a dark chocolate tart that put an exclamation point to the evening. It was a wonderful evening all in all and wile I really wanted to come back for the next few days, sadly that was my last. Perhaps I will get invited again *EHEM* and enjoy the experience a second time and I’m quite positive that by that time, they would have fixed most, if not all, of the minor problems. While not yet at par with the real thing, it wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to think that they’re well on their way to being so.
[Note:All my complaints, big, small, absurd, understandable, incoherent, logical, illogical, twice blended will be posted under this heading.]
Effective March 26, 2008, the UP Administrators lost their marbles.
On that date, the UP Academic Oval traffic scheme was made into a one-way traffic route similar to Quezon City Circle. This is clearly a case of over management.
Apparently, the administrators decided that they can do so much more than planting and replanting sunflowers along University Avenue and decided to do this. Approaching from Philcoa, you can no longer turn left upon coming face to face with Fernando Poe Sr.'s rock hard... physique.
The explanation of course is to increase traffic flow. In this, the UP Administrators are simply illogical.
Granted, increased traffic flow is almost always welcome, this however does not apply in a crowded campus. In fact, inside a campus like UP, the slower the cars are, the better. This prevents possible accidents caused by speeding student-driven cars whose drivers are intent on getting to Mang Jimmy's as fast as possible lest they run out of rice (not gonna happen).
Secondly, I have never been caught in a traffic jam inside the Academic Oval. Everybody knows that the only traffic jam in UP occurs in the registration line during Reg Week and the line for the free screening of an art(read:X-rated) film.
Lastly, I love driving on that road at night with all the lined up trees and yellow light from the lampposts.
Actually, I love driving along that road all the time. It's relaxing, serene and carefree. Exactly what UP should be.
Now they ruined it. Now the corners leading to it are filled with metal barriers, forcing drivers to go one way only. It killed the stress-free environment inside the campus. It killed the relaxing vibe that it had going for it.
Note: This article appeared today April 6, 2008 in the Philippine Star Flavors Section. This is the original version with my original pictures attached.
10 Ways to Keep Cool This Summer!
The summer heat is back with a vengeance. After weeks of cool breezy weather in February, it’s back to the oven for all of us as we burn to a crisp and steam gets forced out of us like an espresso machine. During these times, you begin to think of ways to keep cool and luckily for you, we have a list that does just that.
1) Café Mondial- Hip yet elegant places with exquisite food are hard to find unless you’re willing to bust your entire paycheck in one night. This scarcity of good places to go to is the problem that has been directly addressed by Café Mondial. The summer heat makes people crave to be transported to far off places with great ambience in the company of beautiful people. Located at Silver City along Julia Vargas avenue in Pasig City, Café Mondial or Global Café in English this uber-trendy café offers exactly that and perhaps much, much more as it delivers the finest truly international set of delectable dishes from different countries across the globe. What makes this place different from other restaurants that pretend to be international is that the food does not taste like a mere version of the food from that locale. Café Mondial offers the real deal. What’s more, during the weekends, Café Mondial transforms into the hippest, coolest bar in town complete with world class DJs that complement their world class food selection.
2) Del Monte Fit ‘n Right- Keeping trim this summer is a definite priority for a lot of people. If you’re thinking of bringing a beverage to the beach, remember that your choice of drink will speak volumes of who you are to the opposite sex. Your best bet: Del Monte Fit ‘n Right. Carrying this baby around alone tells others that you’re smart when it comes to choices. Just think about it. While burning your fat from the outside through the sun’s rays, you’re also burning it from the inside! But don’t sweat the burn. Coming in 3 different flavors, this refreshing drink not only quenches your thirst but it also satisfies some of the cravings for something sweet or fruity allowing you to easily take a pass on other sweet dishes that could’ve added calories to your body.
3) Freska’s Beer Balloon- Summertime is the best time for barkada nights out. One way of beating out the night heat is by hanging out with your closest friends at a watering hole and during these hot summer nights, nothing tastes better than ice cold beer. Freska,offers the Beer Balloon for all your barkada gatherings. Reminscent to the MVP trophy of the NBA, this ten bottle strong beer container is the newest offering from the country’s premiere seafood grill. It’s a unique centerpiece that looks a bit like a crystal ball and after a few of these, no doubt, a few secrets will be revealed. And at the practically bargain price of 325 pesos, you’ll surely have a lot of cash left for their wide selection of delicious pulutan. Freska and its Beer Balloon can be found in Katipunan, Pasig and at the Promenade, Greenhills.
4)Nestle Ice Cream Pops- If you want a quick ice cream fix that’s not too heavy, look no further than Nestle Ice Cream Pops. These chocolate covered vanilla ice cream are about the size of Hershey’s Kisses and are fun to eat and one small pack that costs 25 Pesos can be shared with a few of your friends as well. Quick technique: Pop one in and just let it melt in your mouth.
5)Homemade Milkshake
There are many restaurants and cafés out there that offer milkshake in their selection of drinks and beverages. While a lot of them are indeed very good like the comebacking McDonald’s milkshake, most of the time you are left to choose between 2 or 3 flavors only. (Unless you’re in Davao, where there is always “Durian flavor” in any food item) Milkshake is actually very easy to make and you can make them right in your very home. Milkshake has two basic ingredients: Ice cream and milk. This means that the number of flavors that you can make depends on the number of ice cream flavors as well as milk flavors in the supermarket. Here’s a simple Milkshake recipe that you can enjoy while holing up in your crib.
One Pint Vanilla Ice cream
1/3 cup of milk
1 sachet of Nescafe Sweet and Creamy coffee
Mix it all in a blender and… Voila! Wala nang init sa katawan mo!
6)Picnic- Unbeknownst to many, there are many places in Metro Manila where one can go on a pinic. The best would probably be the La Mesa Eco Park in the heart of Fairview Quezon City. This sprawling nature haven is like an oasis in the middle of the humid and scorching Quezon City environment. You can bring your own food or even try to catch a fish while your kids play around in the soft, green, grassy plains of the park. It’s a family friendly environment but a lot of young lovers like our friends Abet and Diane also go there for some shenani.. err G-rated relaxing leisure time with each other. You can also go on a night picnic for which Marikina Riverpark in Riverbanks is the best place to go to. It’s safe accessible and has no closing time. Grab your banig, a few sandwiches and a bottle of your favorite softdrinks and you’re good to go.
7)Fiesta San Miguel- Hanging out in hotels isn’t really popular unless your name is Antonio Trillanes. However, once you get a taste of Fiesta San Miguel inside the luxurious Dusit Hotel in Makati, you just might gather your troops and invade this princely restaurant/ bar. Having been open since October of 2003, Fiesta San Miguel offers freshly brewed San Miguel Beer both Pale Pilsen and Light variations that are, quite honestly, the zenith when it comes to taste that even non beer drinkers would fall in love with. Here, beer is not tasted but experienced. As an additional treat, each night there’s a different live band playing which makes the experience all the more exciting. Quick Tip: avail of their Happy Hour rate till 9 pm.
8)Zagu- In the early part of this century, just about everyone went crazy with the pearl shake. The number of pearl-shake drinkers was only outnumbered by the number of pearl shake stores in the market. It was so prevalent that one could not determine whether it was a phenomenon or a plague. In a matter of months practically 99% of them folded and to this day very few of them are still in business. Luckily, the pioneer remains and every summer, when people feel like burning up in the city heat, Zagu is there to give us our pearl-shake fix.
9)Iron Chef America- In the 1990s Mark Dacascos established himself as a rising action martial arts actor. Who would have known that it would take only a few years before he would be known as The Chairman? Dacascos plays the nephew of the chairman in the original Iron Chef series in Japan who goes to the US to create his own Iron Chef battleground. Iron Chef America is an absolutely engaging show as it pits world renowned Chefs against non-celebrity chefs and sometimes against each other. The best part of the show of course is watching the renowned chefs from the Food Network such as Wolfgang Puck, Mario Batali and Bobby Flay shed their fun loving persona from their shows and become ultra-serious and competitive. In one episode Bobby Flay and Masaharu Morimoto got into an argument that left me wishing that the Chairman would hand them a kitchen knife each. Where’s Yan of Wok with Yan when you need him?
10)Ka-Toque- For those of us who love local cooking shows, one would realize how far these types have gone over the years. Originally aimed towards housewives, cooking shows are now aimed towards a much younger demographic. The most exciting and fun show right now is “Ka-toque” which airs on Q-TV 11 every Saturday from 11 am to 12 noon. Ka-toque stars youthful chefs led by the dashing Chef Nino Logarta and features celebrity guests who come in and participate as well as judge which dish is the best. With the help of their liveband “Ska-beche” the show is a lively alternative to other standard shows that are just about as exciting as reading a cookbook. Simply put, this is one cool cooking show that you do not want to miss.
Written and directed by Adam McKay (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, The Landlord, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy) -- another must see!
It took the combined forces of Team Ibuyan and Team Liboro to finally get them over the hump. Team Liboro capped an undefeated season with a 64-49 victory over Team Faura to bring home the championship after 3 heartbreaking losses in previous finals appearances.
Despite beating Team Faura in the elimination round, Team Liboro knew they shouldn't take them lightly as the previous encounter was close up until the final minute. And it looked as though they were headed for a 4th heartbreaking finals loss early on as Team Faura raced to an early 9 point lead in the opening minutes of the 1st quarter. If not for the hot shooting of division MVP "Daddy" Ben Ibuyan, Team Liboro could have been in a much deeper hole. They were able to cut into the lead and keep the game close throughout the first half with contributions from Miko "B Diddy" Borra, King "White Asoro" Dy, and Carlo "Jamario" Buan.
In the 3rd quarter, the game went back and forth with neither team leading by more than 3 points. However, an injury to Mythical Five member Cyrill "Black Superman" Del Rosario seemed to fire up the team as they were able to extend the lead to 9 on consecutive 3-point baskets by Rene "Rini" Liboro and Alwin "Mr. Covered Courts" San Jose to end the quarter.
From then on, Team Liboro played like a team on a mission as its stifling defense, led by Jerry "Braveheart" Bernas, Tonton "Papi" Gonzales, and Pagli "Pacman" Paglinawan, translated into easy fasbreak points. A clutch mid-range jumper by Carlo "Big Z" Arceo proved to be the dagger as the lead went up to 10 with a little over a minute to play. As the final buzzer sounded, Team Liboro was finally able to celebrate its 1st ABL Championship. "Sa wakas di na tayo bridesmaid!" yelled Cyrill after the game. After 5 long years, Team Liboro can finally call themselves brides.
Written by Rene Liboro ("file photo" on the left) for the ABL website
Rejoice cam whores! Adobe just launched Photoshop Express beta!
The service is free, with 2 gigabytes of memory for all your cam whoring needs. Install Flash Player 9 and start uploading right away!
Now we can do quick photo touch-ups a la Photoshop anytime, anywhere (check out all the editing tools on the left panel of the screen capture). Then we can share our private-soon-to-be-public moments with our very own "cover flow"-ish galleries! Sweetnesss!
We all know that Google is the best damn search engine out there (sorry Yahoo! -- or should I say -- Boohoo!). Here's a useful tip to make Googling a whole lot easier:
just type site: together with any search *site address is from the site's second-domain name and up (i.e: wikipedia.org, youtube.com, inq7.net)
The Google results page will only show results from the specific site. Now all your searching will be done within Google. Let's face it, not all sites have good search tools. If you have an idea on which sites you want to get info from use this shortcut. It will save you a lot of time and will keep you away from "optimized" pages!
It's an improv movie where actors play characters in a poker tournament. They said the tournament was played for real. The story goes as the tournament progresses.
The actual script is reportedly just 29 pages! Some of the players include Woody Harrelson, David Cross, Mike Epps, Jason Alexander, Hank Azaria, and Chris Parnell.
This coming Sunday, Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines will once again meet Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico to settle their controversial draw a few years ago.
Pacquiao in 8.
That's my prediction. Or possibly shorter.
It has always been said that JMM is the better boxer and headier ring technician of the two. Their fight a few years ago was said to be a boxing clinic conducted by Marquez from rounds 2 onwards. Pro-Marquez people would exclaim that if you take away the first round, Marquez dominated the fight all the way. This may be true, but why would you take away the first round?
Even if Marquez is the smarter fighter, which I doubt now, ring generalship and strategy starts after the third round. From rounds 1-3, nobody is softening up the guy with body shots.
The difference between now and then is that Pacquiao improved as a boxer since their last fight. In fact, I highly doubt that anyone could beat him if he were to show up in his Erik Morales III form. In that fight, Pacquiao weighed a reported 148 lbs. at fight time and looked a lot bigger than Morales. He still had his speed and more importantly, he knew how to counterpunch (See first KD)
Marquez on the other hand, has not learned his lessons. In the first fight, Pacquiao relied on his left straight all too much that Marquez avoided it the rest of the fight. However, does this mean that Marquez has learned to keep away from the devastating left? The answer is no. In the pictures below you will see a few of pictures of Marquez that were taken after his fights after he first fought Pacquiao.
Marquez fought Terdsak Jandaeng of Thailand in 2005. I personally watched the fight and saw a Marquez who could not defend the right side of his face, the part which is most susceptible to a hard left straight.Jandaeng is a reselient fighter. He fights as if the match was a Muay Thai match. He has some speed but lacked style and strategy to set up punches. Yet, he was able to hit Marquez repeatedly in the face and cause a cut. Notice Marquez' deep cut on his right cheek.
Then Marquez fought Filipino Jimrex Jaca. Jaca, a strong fighter if not well conditioned fought valiantly and repeatedly hit Marquez on the right side of the face as well. According to BoxingTimes, "The southpaw Jaca (123 �) battled back and stung the champion with a straight left cross to the chin with 1:19 remaining in the opening stanza."
Jaca does not have the speed that Pacquiao has. In fact, Jaca can be a little slow in his delivery of a punch and relies too much on having power.
Clearly the right side of the face of Marquez is still like Goodah (Open 25 Hours).
In his fight against the talented Rocky Juarez, Marquez was again hit repeatedly on his right eye socket creating a swelling afterwards.
In his fight against Marco Antonio Barrera, JMM was rocked
several times by Barrera's left and was even cut. The fight was a close one despite the scorecards saying otherwise and MAB even knocked him down even though Referee Jay Nady dropped the ball in failing to call it a legitimate knockdown.
All these fighters, while talented, are not at par with Pacquiao.
For all this talk of Pacquiao's "Up and coming Right" "Manila Ice" It would be his left that would still get Marquez. Marquez hasn't learned his lessons and he will still be susceptible to a left straight to his face.
Marquez does not have the same power as Barrera and therefore Pacquiao will come forward as much as possible to try to engage Marquez in a phone booth brawl. In the last Barrera fight, Pacquiao did not press the fight as much as he could after the seventh round knowing that he was leading and there was still a possibility that Barrera could hit him with a powerful punch.
Not in the case of Marquez. For all the talent that Marquez has, he fights like an amateur fighter trying to pile up points instead of knocking ut an opponent. The real reason why experts see him as a ring technician with a superior counter-punching style is because unlike Morales and Barrera, Marquez does not have the ability to eliminate opponents with power punches. His being a ring technician is more of a necessity than an actual choice.
In every fight after his loss to Morales, we always hear talk of Pacquiao's right hand. How much it has developed and that now it is almost as strong as his left. I believe this talk about his right is like the girl in the red dress in The Matrix. It's a distraction. Marquez will be waiting for that right, forgetting about Pac's left. This Manila Ice talk is being made so that Marquez would forget about Pacquio's GenSan Hammer.
Maybe I'm revealing too much here but then again it's not like Marquez doesn't know about his left. And as I repeat, Marquez still doesn't know how to protect himself from a left straight other than run away from it. If lesser fighters like Jaca and especially Jandaeng could hit him with lefts easily, how more Pacquiao whose left is faster and stronger than anyone in the business?
I wouldn't be surprised if this ends within three rounds. But with due respect to Marquez, I'm giving him till the Eighth.
A week ago, I was counting the coins I had in my pocket when I felt something peculiar about a couple of them. They were a little bit rougher and heavier than usual and they were shiny as well. Upon further inspection, I saw that the 1 peso coins were dated either 2003 or 2004 which made me wonder why it looked so shiny after all these years. Immediately I thought, “These are fake.” Recalling a news tidbit that I saw last year, I got a magnet from our fridge and the two coins immediately attached themselves to the magnet. I was right, they were fake.
I kept the coins and immediately showed it to anyone who would listen to my story. I did not use them because I thought it was a collector’s item and I wanted to show them to my grandchildren in thirty years.
A few days later, I was in Petron Treats Katipunan and after I bought a cup of coffee, the change that were given to me were again fake coins. I recalled that this was the place where I got the first two fake coins that I had. I told the cashier that the coins were fake and explained why they were so. The cashier did not know what to say and I did not push for them to replace it with genuine ones. Instead, right after I told them that they were fake, I bought cookies… using the fake coins, which they accepted without question.
By the end of the week, I had twenty pesos worth of fake 1 peso coins and eight pieces of fake 25 cent coins. So much for “collector’s item”. The fake coins are found everywhere these days and I urge all of you to be aware of this fact. If you find one, just keep it in order to take it out of circulation. I am not sure if the Bangko Sentral will replace them but unless you have a bag full of them, the loss of these few pesos in your finances should be ok.
Here are some tips on how to spot fake coins.
A few clues on how to spot these fake coins:
The fake coins are dated either 2001 or 2002 for 10 peso coins and 2003 or 2004 for 1 peso coins. Regardless, if the coins seem to be too shiny for the year they were minted, they are quite possibly fake.
Fake coins stick to magnets. While the genuine coins are made up of an alloy of aluminum, copper, nickel, and zinc, the counterfeit ones are made of steel.
The fake coins tend to rust, real ones don't.
The fake coins are heavier for 1 peso coins. Some say that for ten peso coins, they are lighter.
A few days ago, I learned that my beloved alma-mater, the Ateneo de Manila Univesity, will be engaging in an exhibition match with our archrivals, DLSU. According to reports, all proceeds will go to the Sanctuary Fund for NBN Star witness Jun Lozada. For the uninitiated, the Sanctuary Fund was to replace the so-called Patriotic Fund that Lozada needed in order to testify. It was supposed to protect his family for the impact of losing his job because of his testifying against the President.
In all my life, i have never seen a more appalling idea than the Sanctuary Fund for Jun Lozada. Regardless of whether or not what he is saying in Senate is true, the idea of collecting money for this man really turns my stomach. Mr. Lozada is a corrupt government official and he admitted to this fact himself. He even admitted to several shady deals wherein he was either the in betweener or the proponent thereof.Unless he is an inept corrupt official, surely he must have earned a hefty sum each time. So for many years, this person stole from our pockets and now he needs money to survive? Are we supposed to believe that Mr. Lozada no longer has any money less than a year separated from his last corrupt practice? What happened? No savings at all? Did he lose it all in a pyramid scheme late last year?
It is interesting to note that people are giving money to Lozada thinking that Lozada needs them. Students with barely enough money for tuition and blue collar workers who work two jobs just to have a meal on their tables are being fooled by this idea. This person has more money than most people will see in their entire lives! These Ateneans should realize this as bastions of truth and wisdom.
Mr. Lozada asked for forgiveness, and I will forgive him. The first step is admitting to his fault which he commendably did. The second part is reparation. I’ll drop my money into that Sanctuary Fund as soon as Mr. Lozada returns what he has taken.
The Finger Of Shame is pointed squarely on the proponents of the Sanctuary Fund.
This Taxi wanted me to pay an extra 100 pesos if he were to accept me as a passenger. I said no of course, even though I was late for an interview. I want to keep my principles. And my 100 pesos.
A few months ago, I went back to our home province for All Souls Day Weekend. We went to the beach( after going to the cemetery) and I took this picture of my cousins. Truly a beautiful place!
I was on my way to Gateway Mall yesterday to avail of their free Wi-Fi. As I was walking towards the mall, I heard someone read out loud the name of the bookstore to our left.
He said, "Na-tio-nal Book-store" in a manner not different from any grade 1 student's. Annoyed that I am, he continued, "The Bookstore of Nationals, Haha"
"Haha," her companion responds. Apparently the imbecile has a girlfriend who was happily playing along. I slowed down so that I could have a good look at this guy as I believed that I was in the presence of Corny Royalty. They went ahead and I reached behind my pants only to find out that I didn't bring my Walther PPK with me that day. As I was contemplating about how I missed a golden opportunity to make this world a better place, I heard him continue with his discourse.
"Kung ako magpapagawa ng bookstore, ang ipapangalan ko "World Bookstore" para lahat ng nations kasali!, Haha!"
"Ows? Haha," his girlfriend says. I could not comprehend how she could listen to this guy. I guess Love is Deaf.
I tried to look for a piece of rock but there weren't any, and still he continued on.
"O di kaya, ilalagay ko lahat ng pangalang ng lahat ng nations sa mundo tapos ilalagay sa dulo "Bookstore! Haha!", he said, while doing hand gestures with his right hand as if he was actually writing something in the air.
"What a dork." I thought. "Who is this guy?"
And then I saw his bag with a pin on it. You can see it in the picture I took of him where he happily turned around to face the camera immortalize the Kodak moment. You can't read it but what it says explains everything.
This Taxi wanted me to pay an extra 100 pesos if he were to accept me as a passenger. I said no of course, even though I was late for an interview. I want to keep my principles. And my 100 pesos.
