The May Elections are drawing near.

Soon our streets will be littered with posters, flyers, cards and other campaign materials. Prime time shows will have campaign ads in place of product advertisements. And there will be mall tours around the country ala concerts, as if big stars will be doing shows. Oh wait, there will be actors/ actresses/ people from the entertainment industry in the campaign shows. Either they will be the ones endorsing or actually running for office.
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Inside the maze of toy and clothes stores on the 3rd level of Shoppesville Arcade one can find several food kiosks. My favorite food place is a home-style eatery the tenants fondly call Manang’s. That is not the store’s actual name but almost everyone has christened it Manang’s.

Manang’s is a family-run business. Manong, the head of the family, cooks the dishes at home. His two eldest children, both young men, help him prepare the day’s menu. They cook a wide variety of viands for that day’s feast. Manang is not a cook but does make a great fruit salad and helps in packaging the food. They usually arrive at their food kiosk at 12 noon. It’s fun seeing them arrive! It’s a family production number. The sons come in carrying huge cauldrons of soup, a bag full of individually-packed viands and rice, then the parents Manang and Manong come after. They immediately set out plates, utensils and napkins for their eager customers.
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All this month get a chance to see works from Juan Luna, lithographs by Justiniano Asuncion, paintings by Fernando Amorsolo and other selections from Ayala Museum’s permanent collection, including long-term loans from the BPI and Rina Ortiz Collections plus new acquisitions by Ayala Corporation only at the Ayala Museum.

The Ayala Museum is open from Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 AM-6:00 PM and Saturday to Sunday from 10:00 AM-7:00 PM. The regular Entrance Fee is P350 and discounts are available for Students and Senior Citizens.
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Formed in 2006, Banned Movies Pilipinas offers alternative venues for the country’s indie film and music and on January 20, four alternative films – “Tawid Gutom,” “Salat,” “Kung Paano Kita Liligawan Nang ‘Di Kumakapit sa ‘Yo?” and “Gabi Noong Sinabi ng Ama Kong May Anak Siya sa Labas (Night When Father Told Me He Had a Child Outside)” will be shown at the Freedom Bar along Anonas St in Quezon City.

The films start showing around 7 pm and bands like HUH!, Final Vow, Exile, and the Bored of Trustees will be performing throughout the event. Brownbeat All Stars will also be giving a special performance.
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The Metropolitan Museum of Manila will be showcasing works from National Artist Arturo Luz who is celebrating his 80th birthday! Luz was the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila from 1976 to 1986 and this exhibit will feature how he presented works of art during his time.

The Museum is open Mondays to Saturdays, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and entrance is P50 with discounts for Students and Senior Citizens. The exhibit “Luz: A Light in the Museum” will be showcased until the end of January.
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This shot of the Luneta Hotel from the Flickr Group is from marboysayno (husayno). I simply love the framing of this art-deco hotel which is one of the few remaining structures of it’s kind in Manila.

I’m sure each of us has our share of memories with the old Virra Mall and Shoppesville area in Greenhills. While a new Virra Mall has been erected, ye olde Shoppesville still stands. This arcade is known for its bargain buys and its variety of stores. You can shop for toys, clothes, accessories, shoes, household items, books, and of course, eat!

My favorite Shoppesville haunts are:

Regina’s. This gift shop is full of knick knacks! They sell a variety of magazines, sweets, toys, accessories, art supplies, stationery, bags, belts, kids’ clothes and more, more, more. It’s a trinket addict’s haven. This is where I rediscovered White Rabbit and Big Boy bubblegum! Yup, they have it there! It’s difficult to get out of this little gift shop empty-handed. My most recent buys were a Finger-Painting Kit for my 3-year-old niece and a bag of candies (YanYan, Haw Flakes, Tarzan… do those sweets ring a bell?).
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Our favorite Pinoy superhero is back! Carlo Vergara’s Zsa Zaturnnah Ze Musical is being re-staged this January. Yes!! This calls for a celebration. I saw the play last year and it was hilarious! My friends and I had a great time with this faaaaabulous play. For those who’ve been living under a rock, ZsaZsa Zaturnnah is about a parlorista turned superhero. It is a fantastic comedy with twists on love and even horror.

Eula Valdez plays ZsaZsa, yes!! She is THE ZsaZsa Zaturnnah at wala ng iba. While I did see the movie version of this play during the Metro Manila Film Festival, the play still had much more charm and humor. Schedules are: Jan 20: 3pm and 8pm, Jan 26: 8pm, Jan 27: 3pm and 8pm. Venue is at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute, CCP. Click on the poster for details. Let’s support the local theater industry and our local talents.

Zaturnnaaaah!

Peter Pan has flown into Manila and will be casting his magic all this month at the CCP. The acclaimed musical is on it’s Pan Asian Tour of Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. Showing at the Main Theatre of CCP every Friday through Sunday from January 12 to February 4 and tickets range from P500 to P2900 but there are discounts for Globe Subscribers, seniors and students. Why not check the play out before Peter flies off to another country?
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“E X P L O R A T I O N S”
Manix Genabe’s 3rd painting exhibit
19 jan – 19 feb 2007

opening reception on
friday 19 jan 2007
at
PABLO GALLERY
space 7 marikina shoe expo
araneta center, cubao, quezon city
+63 2 4408807

(the map of the gallery and online invitation can be found after the jump…)
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