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May Kwento Ako #55 : Meeting Nobu Chef Matsuhisa

I have to thank friends for pointing me to this direction. First, I asked where to go for Sunday Mass. There was one Roman Catholic Church literally outside the window where I was staying in but I would not be able to understand most of the Sunday Service.

Hence, I went to a nice chapel frequented by Pinoys living in the city in the 8th Arr. And it felt good to me. Basta. The Service went very well. : )

Using the borrowed wifi that I brought with me, I walked towards this place which I only knew by name and nothing else. It was not a modern hotel but I am glad it was not. But it had a lot of good visual treats which I thought was always perfect for a walk around town.

Candidly, I asked the two young ladies at the desk if the restaurant was open and I could take a long around. They said that it would be opened soon but I could not dine without a reservation. Playing it cool, I simply said “Ok, thank you.” Until the maitre d’ walked in and asked what. They said I wanted to walk in and look around but did not have reservations as the evening was fully booked. The maitre d’ who was about my age asked me “Alone ?” I said, Yes. He asked “Would you want to dine ?” I said “Yes but no table according to the young ladies”. Then, he said … “I can give you a table if 1.5 hours was enough for me.” So, I said, “1.5 hours is plenty”. And it was a nice, nice evening. And he dropped by my table every now and then for a chat. And once I told him, “My 1.5 hours is almost over but I am just a little over half way with my dinner”. Then, he winked. So, we both had a good brief chuckle! Message sent, message received. Hahaha. Hay naku, Ginoo!

Learned that the interiors were done not too long ago by Philippe Starck.

The extra treat of the evening was meeting Chef Matsuhisa, a nice, young man who spoke good English, of course. He asked me if I had dined in the Nobu in Manila. I was a bit embarrassed not to have had the pleasure. He proudly claimed in a very pleasant way that he had spent 2 weeks during the opening of the Nobu-Manila which one day, I hope to have the pleasure of dining in.

But not during these times of quarantine, unfortunately. In due time.

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May Kwento Ako #45 : Lipat Bahay ( Moving homes ), in France

In more modern cities where there are high rise buildings, modern conveniences like service elevators or lifts are common. But how about in centuries old cities like Paris where elevators are uncommon and often a luxury in homes. Oftentimes, only two people can fit into the elevator; suitcases excluded. Would they bring up the goods by the winding staircases ?

The thought of how people brought up their beds, sofas, dining tables in centuries old apartments in France has crossed my mind. But I parked the thought until one day, someone mentioned to me how it was done. And luckily, I witnessed an actual move shortly after.

There is an automated ladder that hauls up the goods in crates and someone up there receives it, presumably to unload and unpack.

I was amazed and glad it is now automated, probably only in recent years.

I took a video but I don’t know how to post the video of the actual crate going up the ladder – yet. Someday, hopefully.

Classic apartment building in France. So nice, isn’t it ?
I took a video but I don’t know how to post it. Items are brought up through
this automated ladder!
Yeah, the ladder goes over the pedestrians heads.
That truck below left contains all the furniture and personal effects that will be
brought up into the apartment.

May Kwento Ako #75 : The Awesome Trains and Train Stations of China

This article is meant for all those who are fascinated with trains. I know I have a new young friend who is fascinated with trains and this article is for you in appreciation.

My first train ride to/from Naga was back in the 1960s as a young boy with the family. The train would depart for the 400 kilometer distance at around 8:00PM and we’d get to Manila still sleepy at 5:00AM. There were air-conditioned coaches with two and two seating combination. There were also, the sleeper coaches and also, the non-air conditioned coaches and as I recall there were around 10 to 12 coaches so when the train would run a curve, I recall looking a what seemed like a fish tail on a full moon night. And, when there were bad weather conditions, the 9 hour train ride would extend to as long as 18 to 24 hours. And the toilets were bad.

This article documents that the speed at which trains and subways are now able to travel at affordable cost of about RMB7 or about Philippine Peso 56 or about US dollar 1, one way for 45 kilometers from say the Shanghai Pudong International Airport to the Bund. Incredible at 300 KPH.

I cannot imagine that in my lifetime, I will get to travel home to Naga from Manila in under 2 hours. which as of today, takes 15 to 16 hours by car to travel the 350 to 400 kilometers. Hopefully, the Milleneals or Gen Zs will.

With major cities’ train stations in China already the size of our international airport terminal in many parts of the world to me is a thrill. I grew up going to the Paco Station for our train ride to Naga.

May Kwento Ako No. 74 : The Ladies of The East China wear Hanfu Tradition Dress

Sans Photoshop, I am very thankful to these two lasses for gamely posing for me using my iPhone. Many thanks. Xie Xie.

So admirable for many young people to have this surge interest to connect with their rich history. And ever the entrepreneurs, there are shops nearby that sell this fine clothing nearby. A good way for these young ladies to make their dates with their friends and family more fun and interesting. Kudos to you all.

I must go hunt for the The Travels of Marco Polo in the local bookstore and see his accounts on Suzhou and the rest of the Silk Road routes that he traveled through and fro for 24 years only to become a Prisoner of War upon his return to Venice.

May Kwento Ako #73 Ni Hao

Learning about life, its struggles and the joy that is a part of it is an everyday process. I am often busy with work but my topic for this post is Chinese Food some from the mid section and the southern regions of China. We all have had Chinese food but back home,, we often order the same dishes. My cousin, Manny often orders Sweet & Sour Pork and will haunt for the best version for the past 40 some years. Another cousin prefers Yangchow Friend Rice. Another cousin prefers Lumpia or spring rolls.

For 2 weeks, I ate Chinese food. Seriously. And, I did not repeat most of the dishes I had. Admittedly, a meal shared with at least one person is more pleasant because at times, the portions are not small and more stories can be shared. Let me just say that I enjoyed every bit and every bite of it.

Have you had any of these yourself ? I am not good in food photography but here are some of my best food shots.

I am enjoying this short life of mine one bite at a time.

May Kwento Ako #72 : Tropical Blooms

I am not quite a plantito but I appreciate a good plant and a nice tropical garden. In very recent years, I found myself traveling home in Naga in Bicol more often. Before I knew it, with the help of a dear friend, we started to work on the garden. We had many finds but one of them is what we sourced in Los Baños, Laguna, arguably a haven of some of the best tropical plants suitable for the our tropical weather.

Let these photos speak for themselves. Allow me to introduce the Bridal Bouquet which smells surprisingly sweet in the early morning like the famous Dama de Noche and as pretty as our Sampaguita.

Some of our plants were sourced from Andy Alar and he’s available in Facebook Messenger.

Bridal Bouquet blooms