Meetups @Greenbelt: Lunch With Humans, Coffee With Apes

According to scientists, marine turtles go back to the same beach where they were born to lay their eggs. Although I am not a marine turtle, I recently crossed the sea to go back to the same playground, not to lay eggs, but to play some more! Ha-ha-ha!

All those years of working in Makati City, my friends and I turned the commercial area into our playground of sorts, just play, not lay eggs! Ha-ha-ha! Although I don't miss the stress, I miss all the fun! And of course, my friends, too!

So, on my short stopover in Makati before I flew back to the Seoul, I had to squeeze in a brunch at my favorite restaurant in the Greenbelt area, Cafe Mary Grace, where I chatted with friends Cielo and Marlu in preparation for their next trip to Korea. This time, just like the UN Forces during the Korean War, the Korea Drama Queens plan to start from the Busan Perimeter and work their way up to Seoul. 

At Cafe Mary Grace, I just had to enjoy again their brunch of Vigan longganisa, which was the kind of taste I needed to savor before I left the country. It would have been nice if Mary Grace herself was there at her cafe; I could thank her again for the box of soft cheese rolls she brought for me in Seoul last spring.

And to walk off our brunch, Marlu accompanied me around Greenbelt as I looked for some footwear to bring back to Korea. (Some shoe brands are actually cheaper in Manila than in Seoul; that's why I get my formal footwear here). Ironically, Marlu ended up looking for shoes herself due to a footwear malfunction. And as we were moving from one shoe store to another, we bumped into Marlu's friend, Jessica Zafra, whose hospital stint went viral a few weeks back. Jessica told us she was already well; she was her witty self again during the chat.

Later that afternoon, over pizza, I met up with Amy and Jenelyn, who were my very helpful assistants when I used to live in Tambo, Paranaque. And while still full, I made sure I had a ticket to any interesting movie there was to watch at the Greenbelt Cinemas. 

                                    (My movie ticket)

                 (For a change, Starbucks not from Korea)

And before heading to the theater later that night, I grabbed a cup of coffee jelly frappuccino from that Starbucks at Legaspi St. (I'm not sure if this coffee jelly frappuccino is even part of the menu here in Korea). Since it was Saturday night, it was almost full at Dawn of the Planet of the Apes movie, where Caesar, a chimpanzee and the leader of the apes in the film, seemed smarter and had more integrity than the current brood of Philippine senators, congressmen and government officials. Ha-ha-ha!  

I was glad I watched that movie. For 130 minutes (and while I was sipping my frappuccino), the apes made me realize that, while we humans walk upright and don't have to swing between branches, we're not exactly better than other animals. The biggest threat to our own existence is, ironically, ourselves.  

And while wandering around the commercial area made me felt at home once again, I never expected to bump into a couple of college classmates, who were also based overseas. I guess they were in the area to also meet up with friends. Human friends. Ha-ha-ha! But unlike me, they said they didn't have time for coffee with apes.

            (A visit to the commercial area is never complete 
                 without visiting the Greenbelt Chapel)

So, thanks to my human friends for a fun time @Greenbelt, and thanks to the apes for the reminder that humans, even with their superior intelligence, are not the most trustworthy politicians. :-) 

A Pinoy At The Movies: Hercules At Greenbelt 3 and The Hobbit At Glorietta 4

Spending two nights in Makati was a treat. And two nights in Makati were all I needed!

After I planed in from Bacolod City, flying out from the very picturesque Bacolod-Silay Airport, I immediately started my weekend with strolling around the Greenbelt and Glorietta areas trying to practice my legs after a week from the hospital and a few weeks just staying at home.

Every time I am in Manila after the Christmas holidays, it would still be the Manila film festival and no Hollywood movie is shown even a few days after the new year's. But this time, lucky me, after an extended medical leave, I was now able to catch a couple!

So, on my first Saturday night, I went to Greenbelt 3 to watch The Legend of Hercules. Well, the actors weren't familiar faces, although most of them look like the ones you'd see bulking up their muscles in the gym. After all, it's about Hercules, the strongest man in Greek mythology, long before steroids were invented. Ha-ha-ha!

This is a movie to watch if you have no other choice. And yes, I didn't have any other choice that night. Ha-ha-ha! Although the acting wasn't that convincing, the visuals and my re-education on Greek gods and the Greek wars were worth the Php 60 ticket price. Of course, in the end, Hercules and his flexed muscles won over the other bodybuilders pretending to be Greek warriors. 

                                 (Glorietta 4 Cinema)

                        (Sizzling boneless bangus dinner!)

My second night in the cinema was more interesting. I was able to get a ticket for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug! This film was on a limited release in Seoul when I left in December because some cinemas wanted more share from the ticket sales of the film. This wasn't shown at CGV Yongsan, which was just next to my office in Seoul, and even my friend In-pyo, a fellow movie fan, wasn't able to catch it. I sent him a message through KakaoTALK that night telling him that I caught the movie just to make him envy. Ha-ha-ha! Mean!

And right before catching the last full show that night, this time at Glorietta 4 Cinema, I made sure I could squeeze in a dinner at my old favorite fastfood stall at the food court, Sizzling! The boneless bangus (milkfish) has always been my favorite and I got a plateful that night on the eve of my flight back to South Korea. I guess that was my last supper...without anyone betraying me. Ha-ha-ha!

After paying a Php 220 movie ticket, I was engrossed for almost three hours watching elves, dwarves and orcs enjoying my last night in Manila, the last night I could wear shorts before I flew in into the very cold winter days in Seoul. Even though the movie ended in another cliffhanger, signaling another sequel to watch out for, I was able to relive my days (or nights!) of enjoying walking around, dining and watching films at Greenbelt and Glorietta cinemas. Those were the days when my friends, especially Roselyn, and officemates would get guaranteed seat tickets on weekends as part of relaxing after a stressful week at work. Those were the days, indeed.

While In-Pyo envies me for having caught The Hobbit in Glorietta, I envy everyone having fun at Greenbelt or Glorietta this weekend. And if you're there, do watch a Hollywood film for me and even squeeze in a boneless bangus dinner if you can! 

    (A huge poster that caught my eye at Glorietta cinema lobby:                   Monuments Men! Another must-watch film!)

Mary Grace Cafe: Everyone's Reunion Cafe!

On my first visit to Mary Grace cafe in Serendra during my Christmas vacation in the Philippines in December 2010, I met Mary Grace herself! That was the day I brought over Bae Young-Joon to her cafe. Grace was very warm and friendly. I was introduced to her by her sister, Cielo, whom I met in Seoul (and through Facebook!). Cielo and her other 'sisters', Jenny, Itchay and Marlu were in Seoul last year to visit the locations of their favorite Korean dramas. I call them the Seoul Drama Queens.

Going back to the cafe.

There's something about the cafe that makes people want to visit again...and again...and again.

While the interiors look very homey and welcoming, it's the baked goodies that also make people come back for more.  Whenever I fly home (to Victorias), my Mom would always make me a hot cup of tablea tsokolate with pinipig. (I put pinipig into the tsokolate and enjoy it one cutcharita at a time!). 

So, having tsokolate at Mary Grace cafe always makes me feel at home (without my Mom having to use her batirol and batidor! Ha-ha-ha!).

And on these few visits to Mary Grace cafes in Serendra and Greenbelt, I noticed that most of their customers are in groups: families, barkadas and old classmates!

I guess it's a reunion place for me since most of my visits were always to meet up with friends during my vacation!

And on my last visit to the Mary Grace cafe in Greenbelt last weekend (my last lunch in Manila before I flew back to Seoul that afternoon), I noticed a dozen ladies on the next table who were probably high school classmates having a reunion, while we (Cielo, Itchay, Arlene and I) on the next table were also busy catching up and talking about their dramas, Korean and otherwise.

That afternoon, as my Cebu Pacific plane bound for the Incheon International Airport was busy taking off, I was also busy burping from the Chorizo and Green Olive Pasta and Mango Bene (which was always an O-M-G dessert!) I had for lunch.  Luckily, I didn't need to buy myself some inflight meal as I was still full. I just had another 'dessert' on the plane: that very yummy ube jam from another friend, Fay. (I have to ask Fay where she got this treat. It tasted better than the one sold in jars).

I don't know when I'd be flying back home again. Maybe December in time for Christmas? Although I have a feeling it would be difficult to get a table at the cafe, especially during the holiday season, unless you reserve a table.

But with or without reservations, those baked goodies, especially the ensaimadas and the fruit cakes are always welcome!  Throw in the Valencia Hot Chocolate (love the hint of orange flavor!) and you're home!

(The Seoul Drama Queens enjoying dinner)

                           (My note for Mary Grace, which I left on a
                    table at the second floor of the Greenbelt cafe)

I guess, on my next visit, I won't only see ensaimadas and hot tsokolates; I will also see friends (Ha-ha-ha!).

                 (my ube dessert with the prize I won at 
               Cebu Pacific's inflight 'show-me' game)