Blogging Miles Around the Metro

Every neighborhood has a mini red-light district. And despite the fact that the place I live in is a university town, a small entertainment district also exists to augment its diversity as a place of higher learning. erhm. And of course, in typical Japanese fashion, engrish or Japanese-english rules supreme when it comes to choosing a suitable (if there is such a thing) name for such establishments. While I cannot afford to spend time in these bars or pubs, the cheapest and perhaps safest form of entertainment I can have from them is in their signboards. Take a gander at these interesting names! Perhaps they can inspire your creativity!

No need to go to the UK to get inspired by the Beatles! just drop by for some rhythm and value!

Gotta hold your head up high during the night!

My personal favorite. No false leads, just the hard facts.

Popularity: 62% [?]

” Style detached from content.
A fatal attraction to cuteness.
Style is style.
Fashion is fashion.
Girl, you got style. ”

We already know that Gwen Stefani made waves when she confessed that she’s a fan of Harajuku Girls. I’ve seen them around Tokyo but never took pictures. And so one time, I finally did! They just basically sit around Harajuku, near the entrance to Meiji shrine on Sundays. People pass by, gawk, AND take pictures. And they will readily pose for you too!

Most of the girls are hobbyists. Yes, the stuff they wear like the gothic lolita dresses are handmade, and it’s their hobby to show off their creations. The streets are literally like a catwalk of color and different styles. Many young Japanese designers also sell their clothes in Harajuku, and the most popular haunt is Takeshita doori.

So far, the styles have been classified as gothic lolita, gothic maid, wamono (a fusion of Japanese and western clothes), second-hand fashion, cyber, and decora. Harajuku is vibrant and pulsating, it seems that half of Japan’s young ‘uns are prowling the streets, waiting to be seen.

Unsurprisingly, I also saw some foreigners trying to get into the Harajuku vibe. Some are dressed for the occassion, while others hold up “Free Hug” signs, and sell artworks. If you’re a fan of youth culture, Harajuku is definitely on your must-see list!

Popularity: 100% [?]

Long-running artist-run spaces are a rarity. Seldom will you find prolific artists who also adequately maintain their own galleries or restaurants. Unless blessed with a business partner (a real business-minded one, I might add) who understands and appreciates the idiosyncrasies of artists, and knows how to maximize these, our dear artists would more often than not find themselves burned out, and artistically unproductive.

Painter Rock Drilon has managed to keep not just one branch of the Mag:Net Gallery up and running these past few years, but he’s grown the chain to three branches in Metro Manila, with the branch along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City serving as a book/magazine shop, cafe and performance space as well.

With a packed schedule of exhibits, performances and film showings (not five minutes away from my office door), you can expect to find more tales about this cozy haunt to come.

Vector map by Herb Fondevilla for Mag:Net.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Not.  But when I did see an announcement on an email list I belong to, announcing a free breakfast for those who would like to blog about the experience, I responded immediately.  ☺

For those uninitiated to the ways of Philippine dining, Max’s Restaurant is a fixture on our country’s gastronomical landscape.  Famous for its fried chicken, they also serve a diverse sampling of traditional Philippine cuisine, from our lumpia (spring rolls), to pancit (noodles) to halo-halo (a cold desert of fruit preserves, beans, custard, milk and crushed ice).  The restaurant was born after the Second World War, beginning as a café that catered to American GIs.  From a simple menu, their offerings expanded as the restaurant’s popularity grew.  Today, Max’s Restaurant has branches all over the Philippines, and has gone as far as opening branches in California, USA.

Breakfast was a hearty affair.  Armed with gift certificates care of Blooey of Ang INK, Bern and I trooped to Max’s Katipunan and ordered their new breakfast meals.  For your information, Max’s now opens at 7 AM, and offers breakfast meals (apart from their all-day breakfast combos) until 10 AM.  Bern had the beef tapa (sliced beef marinated in a mixture of spices), which was served with slices of tomato, two eggs (sunnyside up), garlic rice, pickled papaya gratings (which we call atchara) and a cup of coffee.  I had tocino (cured pork), which was served with the same side dishes.  I couldn’t speak for Bern, but she seemed to thoroughly enjoy her meal.  The tocino was excellent, the sweetness just right, and the pork tender.  The price of each meal is around one hundred twenty to one hundred and fifty pesos (from a bit over two dollars to three dollars).

The waiters were attentive, though our orders did take time in reaching us.  Since Bern and I were mooching on a free meal, we patiently waited, as person after person walked into the restaurant, clutching gift certificates for free breakfasts.  I’m quite sure that for Max’s Katipunan, that must have been their busiest morning ever.

With good breakfast offerings for reasonable prices, it does look like Max’s can confidently open to busy mornings from now on.

Photo is of Yelle’s yummy tocino meal, shot with Bern’s photographer’s eye with Yelle’s mobile phone cam.  Thanks again to Blooey for the gift certificates.

Popularity: 22% [?]