MANILA, HERE I COME!

Changi Airport's Terminal 2

My flight was leaving at 7.50AM. Counters opened at 6AM. Jetstar is okay - way cheaper than Cebu Pacific, have day flights (which i like very much), serve real meals, but wait! They do not issue Fragile stickers! Passengers, beware.

Going through this airport is a breeze...

My plane for home, an A320. My favorite aircraft.

The Pre-dep area. Free internet available!

Our flight got delayed by 20 minutes. One runway is closed for repairs. I had a chat with a friend, Second Officer Baban of Philippine Airlines, and the story is, when the SQ A380 landed in Singapore for a test flight, it left deep bumps in the runway. Whoah!

Singapore from the air...

..and here, too!

Clouds and sky. My vista for the next 3 hours. Sigh.

Breakfast is served! My first and last meals in and out of Singapore! I'm so going to miss Hainanese Chicken Rice with Sambal, aaarrrgggh! SGD 3,4 only (Php 102).

A Philippine island. So small yet it has white sand!

Plane banking to the right on a descent path to NAIA.

That's Las Piñas (my home city!) and Cavite's Bacoor.

Parañaque City, or parts thereof.

The grand old dame of Asian airports.

Chaos. I'm really home now.

Yap or Gozum? Hmmm...

Waiting for the sundo. Wellwishers and welcomers are already waiting outside.

Mabuhay!

SINGAPORE: CLARK QUAY

Spent my last night in Singapore in one of the city's bustling areas for night life - Clark Quay.

MINISTRY OF SOUND. Founded by James Palumbo, Humphrey Waterhouse and DJ Justin Berkmann, it opened its first nightclub in Elephant and Castle, South London and has since opened franchises in Asia. Singapore's club opened in December of 2005. So far, the branches in Singapore and Taiwan are the only ones left often. Those in New Delhi and Bangkok have already closed.

There's also a bazaar which sells really nice goodies. We met a Pinoy selling shirts bought from the US. They're selling at SGD 51 each (Php 1,530). Rather steep for shirts, huh? But they were really nice.

I also saw acrylic versions of Tintin and Friends, my all-time favorite comic book characters!

This area is protected from the elements by these fiber glass canopies which are illuminated at night.

I love the concept of this bar, C or Clinic. The entrance features two surgery room lights which really melds into the industrial look of the place. Fantastic!

The couches have wheels and aluminum bars to mimic hospital beds. Way cool!

There are also IV fluids on standby. Maybe just in case you are too drunk to drink, they can just push the liquor via IV, hehe!

We dropped by NECTARIE for dessert.

2 cakes plus drinks only cost us SGD 15!

The Kandi Bar is one of the coolest looking bars in this area.

Mad rush to go home. At 12 midnight, we decided to go home and rest. I had to be at the airport at 5AM for my 7.50 flight back to Manila.

CULTURE EXPRESS: CINEMALAYA 2007

The 3rd season of the much-awaited CINEMALAYA Film Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines is back!!! Please visit http://www.cinemalaya.org/index.php for details on the competing films.

Let's support our new filmakers! Here are some sample posters.

SINGAPORE: CANELE PATISSERIE CHOCOLATERIE

Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie officially opened on 22nd September 2004 on Robertson Walk, serving a wide selection of freshly baked bread, pastries and chocolates.

This baby sister of the Les Amis Group is helmed by Executive Pastry Chef, Pang Kok Keong who confesses to having an extremely sweet tooth himself. Inspired by Master Chef Francisco Torreblanca (Spain), Chef Eric Perez (Shanghai) as well as Chef Pierre Hermé (Paris), the former two from whom he learnt.

Chef Pang chose to specialise in Baking, Pastries and Chocolate making after his graduation from SHATEC. The ex-member of the Singapore National Culinary Team is the driving force behind the creations at Canelé, including its bread, pastries, cakes, chocolates and confectioneries.

Guests may spend a lazy afternoon in the petit “salon de thé”, or simply pop in to purchase their favourite items. Their newest shop is at the basement of the spanking Paragon mall along Orchard Road.

Macaroons made in heaven. The only available flavors for the day are Violette (SGD 1,80) and Bergamote (SGD 2,30).

Tiramisu! Tira mo 'ko!

LOCO OVER DECO!

The Ortigas Foundation Library Monthly Lecture presents: Loco Loco Over Deco!

Shanghai. New York. Bombay. Miami. Rio de Janeiro. Manila.

Separated by oceans,continents and time lines; what do these cities have in common?

Not much, except all cities are a treasure-trove of Art-Deco architecture! Come and take an arm-chair journey down the roaring 20's as we explore Manila's rich Art-Deco heritage! It's all about the age of speed, jazz, boogie-woogie and the American colonial experiment in the Philippines, do swing by and join us as we gather together and go loco over Deco!

Speaker: Ivan Man Dy
When: July 19, 2007 Thursday 6:00 PM
Where: Ortigas Foundation Library

For more information please call 631-1231 local 222 (look for Aileen Matic) or email http://ortigasfoundation@ortigas.com.ph/