Livin La Vida Imelda

Do you want to know more about Imelda Marcos? Do you ever wonder what goes on inside her beautiful coiffed head? Have you at one time or another said, "I would love to have a cup of coffee with her and ask her, were you able to wear all 1500 shoes that you had?"

I wasn't able to do that but for one night, I was intimate with Imelda Marcos. Yes, you read that right. Former First Lady, Iron Butterfly, and lover of shoes ... Imelda Romualdes Marcos and I were intimate.  This was made possible by Carlos Celdran.

If you want to experience the same kind of intimacy that I did, let Carlos Celdran tour you into the beautiful world of Imelda, aptly called, Livin' La Vida Imelda; for to live her life, you need to be just a tad bit loca to survive.

I was more than excited when Carlos himself told me that there was a bloggers barter happening on the 7th of February for the preview night of his show. I immediately juggled my entire schedule to ensure that at 8pm, February 7, I would be at Silverlens Lab Gallery in Pasong Tamo Extension, seated and waiting for the show.

I was too excited. I arrived 6pm. Lucky for me, there was another crazier soul than I was and we chatted the hours away. 30 minutes before the show started, I was able to catch Carlos and hand over to him my barter for the show. He said he loved it. I hope he wears it.

I was more than happy when he actually recognized me and thanked me for being able to make time for it. He didn't know that this was a dream come true and a check on my bucket list. After some chatter, he told me that I could already go inside and pick a spot to sit on. I was more than happy to oblige. I was also very thankful that Carlos Celdran wasn't uppity or a snob. This made him my #2 celebrity crush. Mo Twister will always be first.

The set was very simple. It was a studio but what blew me away was the electric tape used to depict CCP, PICC, Manila Film Center, and the like. GENIUS! Sheer genius and much creativity. Bravo I say.

I kept wondering how he would tour us to the different structures Imelda had done and this answered my question. It proved that when there is a will, there is a way. Thank God for creative geniuses.

the actor who plays Imelda ... yes, it is man for only a MAN can fill Imelda's shoes :)

the coconut palace ... voila!

the Cultural Center of the Philippines

I honestly did not move the entire first part of the show. The strain on my back and neck during intermission proved it. I was hanging on to his every word. He is a engaging when he talks. He draws you in, allows you to have a glimpse of the world he is talking about and the fascination is truly contagious. If I could have 1/2 of his skill, I would die a happy woman. 

The show was a success. It was a standing room but no one was complaining because it was oh so worth it. It lasted almost 2 hours but I did not even feel it was that long because I was just waiting for more ... and more ... and more. When he finished, I felt like saying "why?!?!?!"

This was truly another night to remember and words are not enough to describe how I felt about it. Awesome, wonderful, and fantastic are not enough. It was truly IMELDIFIC!

I got a hug! I got a hug! I got a hug!

SOUVENIRS! I have both!

see? I look cute diba?

There will be 15 show dates, these are scheduled on Thursday to Saturday nights

February 7, 8, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24. March 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10. Regular tickets sell for P800 while student tickets sell for P400

All shows start promptly at 8 pm and will be held at Silverlens SLab gallery located at the 2/F YMC Building II, 2320 Don Chino Roces Extension (formerly Pasong Tamo Extension), Makati City.. The performance runs one hour and forty minutes long with a 15-minute intermission.

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT SILVERLENS: 2320 PASONG TAMO EXT., MAKATI CITY,

PLEASE CALL KAT LUCIANO AT 816-0044 (OFFICE HOURS) OR TEXT 0917-587-4011 (ANYTIME).

a night to remember at Barbara's Restaurant

Soft breezy winds, overcast skies, flutter of a fan, and the swish of the saya as it passes by tells me that I have traveled back in time. Flickering candles, intricate needlework, and framed mirrors and photos tell stories of people who lived in the past. The walls whisper their stories, the food tells of their legacy.

I am at Barbara's ... it is circa 2012 but I feel like I've been transported back to circa 1898. 

Barbara's is one of Intramuros well kept secret. In fact, it was only through word of mouth that I heard of this place. It was a very soft whisper. If you ask people about it, they would tell you its a wedding reception place but no one would think to dine here on their own, with a family, or on a date.

It's time to change that. Barbara's is actually a family owned restaurant that aims to allow people to attend a salo salo straight out of Noli Me Tangere while showcasing cultural dances that promises to elicit a gasp and thunderous applause. The cultural show is such a crowd pleaser that you'd have to have extremely poor taste or lacking the cultural bone in your body to not appreciate it.

The cultural show was the main highlight of the entire dinner but lets not forget the food. Some of the viands that stood out for me were the following:

chicken and potatoes

lumpiang puso ng saging

banana fritters

coffee jelly

These are the food that I would eat again and again at Barbara's. It was delicious and not overpowering. The chicken was soft and chewy, the lumpia was bursting with flavors, and the desserts were to die for. While the show was a feast for the eyes, the food was a feast for the palette.

And the thing that I love most about the place was that it was a picture waiting to tell a thousand stories. Here are my photos that have stories waiting to be told.

KC: Goddess (Rogue January - February 2012)

I rarely post about celebrities and the like but these photos INSPIRED me. From the sad looking thing we saw on TV crying because she broke up with Piolo Pascual, KC Concepcion is now oozing.

Boys, eat your heart out!

Photo # 2, 5, and 8 are my favorites. Darn! Hotness indeed!

31 Things Project: Date # 5

B was on money mode. It seems that a lot of his classmate had allowances even though they were only 5 and 6 and he felt envious. I consulted another parent I trusted because he seems to have raised his children well and he agreed that B was too young to have an allowance and he suggested that I just talk to B about it.

I couldn't think of a proper time at home and so I decided to take him out on a date and use this as time for just the two of us and to discuss with him the value of baon vs allowance.

We ended up at Sen Lek Thai Noodles.I've been wanting to try this place and finally, I had a good excuse and the best date with me.

We ordered the pad thai, all mix thai noodle, and milk tea. Our total bill was Php190.

While we were eating, this was the time that I gently reminded him of the value of money, savings, and eating healthy. He talked to me about how he felt when his classmates would spend and I explained to him that they have allowances because they don't have baon and he does. An alternative I did was to also bring him to the groceries and let him choose (with approval) what he wanted as his baon. I'm glad that he chose breads, muffins, and the like.

resident shot

This date was a bit different though. It was the first time he asked to do everything by himself. My little baby is really turning into a small boy. =(

He's really growing fast. I need to savor these moments.

Love you B!

Sa Kanto

It was my first Eats a Date event held by OpenRice. I've read about these kind of events before but only had the chance to attend one today. It was a good thing that the featured resto was a place I've never eaten at. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you'd know that my weakness is trying out new places.

I wanted to be sure that I wouldn't be late hence I ended up being at the venue 15 minutes before it started. I was so early that I got there even before the organizers. It was a blessing since I was able to take photos of the place before people started pouring in.

Once you enter Sa Kanto, the initial feeling you get is that you're at the entrance of a 3 star hotel. The huge vase and gigantic mirror on the wall, coupled with fancy magazines give off that atmosphere. The chairs and tables however manage to give off a cozy vibe which offsets the high end feel of the entrance.

I found this deer on the wall decor a little bit off though. I think they were going for country feel but it just seemed a little awkward. However, it does make Sa Kanto distinct so it helps in recall for them. If you google the place, images similar to the one below pops out.

Once everyone settled in, they served us our starter and salad. The Gambas Chorizo did not make much of an impression on me but the Ensaladang Ampalaya was really good. It wasn't bitter and it was done just right. I could have eaten the entire plate if there weren't any other food that was being served.

Ensaladang Ampalaya P145

After the starters, they served us Dynamite, Karekare, Crispy Tadyang, Pork Binagoongan, Adobong Hito, Kanto Style Fried Chicken, Spicy Eggplant, Fishball, and Chicken Isaw.

chicken isaw

The chicken isaw is actually not part yet of their menu. It's on their planning stage and we were the lucky guinea pigs. It was actually pretty good save for the fact that the calamansi overpowered everything else. If they could lessen the taste of the calamansi, this would be perfect.

Dynamite P250

This one is called Dynamite and what a blast it was. I normally won't be caught dead eating what is obviously a large chili but I gave this one a shot and I was blown away. It was so good that I actually finished the entire thing ... as well as the Kanto Style Iced Tea because I kept drinking it while I was munching on this. Talk about good partnership.

pork binagoongan P325

 We had a bite and we all went "ooohhh!" Yes, it was that good. I've been trying to cut down on rice and was actually pretty happy about the small cups of rice that they served but this Pork Binagoongan almost had me ordering another plate of rice. The shrimp paste was just right and the pork was soft and succulent. If I wasn't experiencing a moment of decency, I would have asked for an entire order to take home to Momma. It was THAT good.

crispy tadyang P445

The tagline for this is that "its so tender, it may fall off the bone" and boy with this one, they truly delivered. I can honestly say that this is the most tender crispy tadyang I have ever tasted. I have no idea how they did it but they need to be consistent because this is something that people would keep coming back for.

To see the other viands we had, please go here.

We had desserts afterwards and the langka sauce was tasty but it was the leche flan that was the runaway winner. It was heavy and the sweetness was just right. I could have eaten 5 of it.

Leche Flan P150

Turon with Langka Sauce P120

We were lucky to also have the owners and general manager with us. They told us throughout the 3 hour lunch we had how Sa Kanto came about and what they were aiming for. They said that they wanted to have a place where people could hang out and chill. If the target market is Class A and B, then they hit the nail right on the head.

moi with the 3 handsome owners

The only thing that I think could use some improvement would be the service. The attendants were not that attentive because we had more than 5 instances where we had to repeatedly call their attention. If the aim of Sa Kanto is to be the hang out place of choice, then the people who go there need feel taken cared of and attended to. The place wasn't that full so we were expecting them to be more prompt. However, when you do manage to get their attention, they are quite friendly and helpful. You just need to snag their eye first.

Overall, I would say that this dining experience was truly a pleasure. Food was great, ambiance was cozy and the owners made us feel welcome.  Best part? I was with blogger friends.

Thank you Open Rice and thank you, Sa Kanto by Ponticello, for a wonderful lunch.

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* I was invited to review the food. I did not pay for my meal. However, the free meal did not in any way sway my opinion and everything you read here is MY PERSONAL OPINION. 

date wish list ...

I was listening to a radio station today and one of the questions asked was "If you could have a wish list for a date, what would it be?" The catch? It has to be something that is not ordinary which means malling and movies or dinner dates are out.

It got me thinking and here are my answers:

1. date at National Museum to see the Spolarium 
2. Intramuros photowalk 
3. book shopping Spree (sorry, the bookworm in me couldn't resist)
4. isaw date at UP 
5. go to Quiapo and survive a day with only P500 to spend for the date 
6. milk tea rampage (try at least 5 different ones in a day) 
7. Antonio's and Bawai in Tagaytay (breakfast then lunch; its not dinner =) )
8. oh, and a date where I'd get flowers, balloons, and cotton candy on a picnic 

There. I think its pretty simple and the only slightly costly one would be # 3 and # 7 but a girl can dream right?