A rainy day isn’t the best time to visit the place, but if you’ve never heard of Dangwa -the flower market in Sampaloc- you cannot yet consider yourself a real “Manilenyo”. It is home to over fifty flower vendors and a haven to the diverse daily crowd of visitors looking for the cheapest blooms that’ll fit the occasion.

I’d be foolish to suppose myself a connoisseur in floral affairs, but when the organizer of last year’s Ad Congress declares that the weekday night wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the brightest spot in Dos Castillas, I’d be happy to oblige. I’d be happy to come along and learn. And you should, too.
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One of the world’ most watched acrobatics art group will be at the Ayala Malls. Here’s the schedule:

August 25, 2006 5 to 7PM
August 26 and 27, 2006 11AM, 3PM, and 6PM

Here’s what you have to do to watch it. There’s no required minimum amount of purchase to get tickets. Just line up at the concierge booth a day before the date you want to watch the show. They’ll only give one ticket per person. You may also meet and greet the team. Ask for a meet and greet stub as well when you get your ticket. You can call 752.7272 for inquiries.

Driving along Alabang-Zapote Road in Muntinlupa, one cannot help but notice two gargantuan Wilcon Home Depot buildings just a couple of kilometres apart from each other. Not to mention a smaller Wilcon Builders Supply store just beside the Shell station in Almanza, Las Piñas. So what’s with the Wilcons in the area?

Right, a number of residential communities are now being developed in the south. Along Daanghari Road in Alabang alone, I could count at least four subdivisions being developed. (I could be wrong… there could be more.) Then there’s also the Alabang Home Depot to compete with the Wilcons. Wow, home-building supply stores are surely making money in the south.

Driving along Alabang-Zapote Road, right past by Alabang Home Depot

I just hope that in the future, when the population in the area grows, they could also do something about the traffic.

To a reading aficionado, a bookstore has to be more than a place that sells books. It is a truly sensorial experience. The right lighting, lots of space, an organized shelf, staff that leave you to your browsing pleasure but are instantly available when you need to ask a question, soft brown colors that hint of a library, a wide selection of books, soothing music… ah, this is the stuff good bookstores are made of. A good bookstore should tickle the senses of the book aficionado.

The sense of sight. Is the lighting conducive to reading? Do the store colors put us in a browsing mood? Is the store layout making you dizzy? Are the books laid out like a feast?
The sense of smell. Mmmmm, I love the smell of new books, don’t you?
The sense of sound. What music is playing? Is there any music at all? Are there too many people chattering?
The sense of touch. Do the books feel clean beneath your fingers? Are they crisp to the touch? Can you hold the book in your hands comfortably? Don’t look at me that way, buddy. I told you I’m a lover of books.
The sense of taste. Is there a coffee shop nearby? A place where you can devour your new purchases? You know how Pinoys love to eat!
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If you are fascinated with the mystery of Mary Magdalene generated by Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code, this visual art exhibit by photographer Niccolo Cosme might interest you. It opens on 08 September 2006 and runs until the end of September. Check out the poster for the details.

The cold rainy weather makes one long for a hot steaming pizza straight from the oven. Here in south Metro, two local favourites have been gaining popularity amongst residents and visitors alike. Located opposite each other along Presidents Avenue in Parañaque, Brooklyn Pizza and Big Apple Pizza are now competing against each other to be the best pizzeria in town. The best, at least, in my taste.

Brooklyn Pizza has been around for three years already, and now has three branches (two in Parañaque and one in Makati). It serves 18-inch pizzas and individual slices, and has currently 10 flavours available. My personal favourite is the vegetarian pizza. My co-workers love the anchovy and garlic pizza.

Big Apple Pizza just opened this year. It also serves 18-inch pizzas and individual slices, but it currently has fewer flavours available than Brooklyn. And unlike Brooklyn, it also serves pasta. My favourite pizza is the chicken pesto pizza. My boyfriend loves the taco pizza.

If you’d like to give them a try, you may call Brooklyn at 775-7575 (Parañaque) or 896-9696 (Makati), and Big Apple at 850-0-850. They deliver within the area in 45 minutes.

I visited my alma mater with friends a few weekends ago. We excitedly walked to our old college tambayan and were surprised to see this sign. We wondered how messy eaters the students have become for the school administration to put this up. It’s not your usual “Please throw your trash in the proper bins.” I’m guessing the sign worked because the place was spotless. Then again I don’t remember making a mess with food and gum when my friends and I sat by those steps.

i was on my work today when a jeepney caught my attention along makati ave, between landmark and greenbelt. and i was quite suprised to see a department of tourism campaign painted on a jeep. i think this move of ace durano is a very good one. makati is full of expats and diplomats and tourists, so i guess the campaign reaches its actual target market. although, there might be a little problem because the language used is filipino and i think it could have been better if it was in english. maybe…the actual target market are the local tourists. who knows? calling ace durano…

(by the way, forgive me for all my posts, i am not a writer and i really don’t write well –> sorry!)

There’s a wonderful spot I recently discovered two blocks away from my Tomas Morato office, and which I decided will be my personal sanctuary for the next few months. Libreria, the inconspicuous and extremely cozy bookstore is called, and it’s a place where peace, quiet, good coffee and marked-down titles are served.

photo from Manila Times Internet Edition.
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Today is Ninoy’s Death Anniversary and here’s to hoping his legacy lives on.