Judy Collins

* picture from flemingartists.com

Despite her own popularity as a folk singer, she was often in the news described as the girlfriend of well-known actor Stacey Keach (and before that, Stephen Stills of Crosby Stills Nash & Young). I didn't see her that way, and I remember her best for the light banter with Kermit D. Frog on The Muppet Show. While Send in the Clowns is another favorite of mine, I will always enjoy the unforgettable clarity of her voice in one of her earliest hits, Both Sides Now, composed by her friend Joni Mitchell. This song never fails to lift my spirits up!

BOTH SIDES NOW

words and music by Joni Mitchell

first recorded by Judy Collins

Rows and flows of angel hair

And ice cream castles in the air

And feather canyons everywhere

I've looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun

They rain and snow on everyone

So many things I would have done

But clouds got in my way

I've looked at clouds from both sides now

From up and down, and still somehow

It's cloud illusions I recall

I really don't know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels

The dizzy dancing way you feel

As every fairy tale comes real

I've looked at love that way

But now it's just another show

You leave 'em laughing when you go

And if you care, don't let them know

Don't give yourself away

I've looked at love from both sides now

From give and take, and still somehow

It's love's illusions I recall

I really don't know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud

To say "I love you" right out loud

Dreams and schemes and circus crowds

I've looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange

They shake their heads, they say I've changed

Well something's lost, but something's gained

In living every day

I've looked at life from both sides now

From win and lose and still somehow

It's life's illusions I recall

I really don't know life at all

I've looked at life from both sides now

From up and down and still somehow

It's life's illusions I recall

I really don't know life at all

Saladstop

Monique has been raving about Saladstop since Vicky took her to have a fast merienda at their Legaspi Village branch.  It seems that she has embraced the very idea of eating healthy. We were lucky that our visit to their store at the Central Square Mall in BGC was made at off-peak hours--we found an empty table without any hassle.  The chain is quite popular and tray traffic during peak hours is just too much for me to bear, such that we've postponed our visit for some time now.

Eat Wide Awake, their slogan says.  We did exactly just that, savoring each bite and morsel of their crab wrap.  No wonder Monique is hooked; the wrap is packed firm, ingredients are very fresh, the dough is not soggy at all, and the taste is just right.  Slightly sweet, not overpowering.  Price wise, still reasonable--you can have a good satisfying meal at around P400 per person.  I like the place too, quick go-to food.

Captain America: Civil War

Completely Satisfying.  Enough Said.

Citadines

Some overseas guests of mine are coming to town, so I took a look at the Citadines serviced apartments along Valero St. in Salcedo Village, just to get a feel of the rooms.  Room prices start at around P5,000 per room night, which is pretty reasonable for a room at the Makati CBD.  Functional interiors, pleasing colors, spacious rooms.  Best part is the great location for people with business in the Makati area.

The Flying Pan

My English teacher once told me that the pun is the lowest form of humor.  I couldn't help remember that lesson when I saw the sign of The Flying Pan along Valero St. in Salcedo Village.  The interiors are cozy, and the lighting made the restaurant look like the next "in" place in the Makati CBD.

I spent something like P400 for the porchetta.  It was tasty and the skin was crispy, obviously steeped in Italian marinade.  I just couldn't reconcile the menu blurb (porchetta prepared daily in limited quantities) with the sauce that they served with the meal.  The sauce, shown above, was definitely a Mang Tomas copy.  The dish therefore, was more like lechon kawali to me, rather than Italian porchetta.

I would guess that the restaurant is the default cafe for guests booked at the Citadines serviced apartment, being adjacent to the hotel lobby.

Botan Black

Monique and I were pretty disappointed as we tried to get in the World Street Food Congress at the BGC grounds.  The venue was jam-packed, and the organizers had closed the gates.  We didn't want to spend another 2 hours lining up in the hot afternoon sun.  We decided to change plans, and found ourselves entering Botan Black, a Taiwanese restaurant in the High Street area.

We started off with some munchies.  What you see above isn't french fries, but rather sliced fish cake fries, not too flavorful by itself--the taste comes from the powder sprinkled on it. The Taiwanese sausage wasn't bad, it was served with sliced raw garlic.  Anti-vampire food, I guess!

The bakih soup was nicely prepared, came in piping hot, slightly spicy and filled with meatballs, sliced meats and vegetables.  Beef stew was also good, meat was tender and sauce was delicious.  The restaurant also serves pearl drinks, but by the time we finished eating, we didn't have any place for that in our tummies.

Food prices aren't exactly cheap though, so it's better to prepare some P500 per person to enjoy the cuisine.  The restaurant is located on the second floor of a building, and there's an elevator for your convenience.  Ambiance is more like a bar though, and I was a bit confused as we entered--I thought we entered the wrong restaurant.

Petrocelli

* photo from Wikipedia

I remember the TV series Petrocelli (played by Barry Newman), which was about a trial lawyer defending clients by playing on the "reasonable doubt" test of innocence. After going through the stories of the alleged perpetrator, the stories of possible suspects and other corroborating witnesses, Petrocelli would make an educated guess on the truth of the matter, and the wrongfully accused would be freed.  What I recall most about the series wasn't the legal victories though.  It was that each episode would end showing Petrocelli breaking his back to build his house which was situated in the middle of the dessert.  By the end of the series, I don't think he completed the house!  We had such a laugh about the never-ending construction work.