Green strip

I've already posted a picture of Bonifacio High Street before, and here's another, this time taken from the roofdeck of Fully Booked. If you enlarge the photo, you can see that large spider of a rock (Reg Yuson's "Specific Gravity") and some of the shopping and dining promenade's other water features. Unlike the other side, this side of Bonifacio Global City is more densely built up. I really hope it doesn't get much worse than this.

Deli-cious

European deli meats are still not a common sight in Metro Manila. Usually imported, and therefore expensive, they are carried only by large supermarket chains and a few deli shops located in upscale malls or neighborhoods. Earle's Delicatessen is unusual in that it makes its own sausages and deli meats. This is from their branch at The Columns Ayala. Owned by a brother and sister tandem, Earle's has a German master sausage-maker as a consultant who comes here twice a year to teach their staff how to make deli meats authentically. And when you buy any of their sausages and hams, they will ask how you want it cut: thin, thick or shredded. It was the first time I encountered such a thing. This Earle's has nothing to do with the UK franchise—the brother in the team just happens to be named Earle too.

A new old door

Our East Gwillimbury tour guide asked in my CDP theme day post why the Manila Cathedral had been built so many times since the 16th century. The answer is simple: fires, when Manila's structures were made mostly of wood and bamboo, and earthquakes, when stone was finally used. Then of course, there was the Battle of Manila during WWII when almost the entire city was razed to the ground. The war especially is the reason why, despite the age of the city, we have very few old buildings and those that look old are usually just reconstructions. However, even in the old walled city of Intramuros, only buildings with historical significance were reconstructed. Intramuros used to be the City of Manila but is now just one of its districts. It is a commercial zone and therefore has many office buildings. It has a law which I love though: any new structure built there has to follow the architecture of the Spanish colonial era. This office building is probably very modern inside but it doesn't look out of place beside the Manila Cathedral or the San Agustin Church.

An older door

The San Agustin Church in Intramuros, unlike the Manila Cathedral, was able to survive WWII. In fact, it is the oldest known church still standing in the Philippines. It was completed in 1607 and the magnificent carved doors, slowly and carefully being stripped of the grime of the centuries, bear the pierced heart of Jesus and bible symbol of the Order of St. Augustine. Through the door, you can see a portion of the arched vestibule. Looks like relief, doesn't it? But it isn't. The entire interior walls and ceiling of the San Agustin Church is covered with amazingly realistic trompe l'oeil ornamentation.

One-half

THEME DAY: DOORWAYS • The current Manila Cathedral in the old walled city of Intramuros was finished in 1958. It is the eighth church and sixth cathedral to stand on the site since 1581. Its main doors, over which a magnificent arch rises, each has four bronze panels created by the Italian sculptors Alessandro Monteleone (1897–1967) and Francesco Nagni (1897–1977). According to the Manila Cathedral website, the eight bronze relief panels represent important episodes in the history of the cathedral. I wish it had more information than that—I would love to know what events these panels depict.



Doorways of the world from City Daily Photo bloggers. It's going to be another wonderful tour this month! Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Not itsy-bitsy

I think Mr. Spider wants coffee and donuts from Go Nuts Donuts as his Halloween treat.



6:07PM UPDATE: Oh wow. I've just noticed in my Dashboard that this is my 500th post! I've been waiting forever for it and almost missed it. Geez…

Paving stones

My favorite road in the Ateneo de Manila University. Except in very special circumstances, vehicles are not allowed on it.

Stacked

The regular academic year in the Philippines begins in June and ends in March. Most colleges and universities divide these ten months into two semesters, though a few offer trimesters. For those with only two semesters, the last two weeks of October and the first week of November (with some variation) are usually the semestral break. While students and faculty are on vacation, other school personnel use the time to clean, repair and renovate classrooms.

Spirals

Since we're already at Sofitel Philippine Plaza, let's take a peek at Spiral, the hotel's flagship restaurant. It is one of the most popular buffet restaurants in Metro Manila, with open cooking stations and the widest array of multi-cuisine dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is the lovely spiral staircase that leads from the lobby to the restaurant, and its unusual and very striking spiral sculpture.

Shaken, not stirred

From October 21 to December 16, Sofitel Philippine Plaza is hosting themed parties at its luxurious 7Pecados by the Bay bar and club. Last Wednesday's theme was "Casino Royale" and I think even James Bond would have approved of the booth that my husband and I chose. Instead of seats, it has a lounge chair for two. And don't you just love those crystal-beaded walls?



The cover charge, amazingly tiny at only 200 pesos (about US$4), not only gives you entrance to the club. You also get two drinks of your choice, peanuts and wasabi peas are already on your table, and servers with trays laden with various hors d'oeuvre walk around the room offering more filling treats to all the guests. The theme was also applied to the drinks—you have to choose your drinks from the bar list at the entrance and instead of drink stubs, you're given playing cards which correspond to your choices. I used my 6 for the Mai Tai (dark and white rum, curacao, grenadine, pineapple juice, orgeat syrup and lime juice) and the 10 was for a Long Island Iced Tea (sweet and sour mix, vodka, tequila, rum, gin, triple sec and Coca-Cola).



The smaller aces of spades in the photo above, each labeled with a face value of 1000 pesos, was for one of the night's main attractions: casino games. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) lent 7Pecados a Black Jack table with two dealers (cute dude—I like his dimples)…



and two slot machines. Of course, this was all just for fun so no real money was involved.



The casino games were very popular that night. I'm glad I got photos before the crowds arrived. The handsome 27˝ iMacs were quite popular too. Just for World Wide Wednesdays —WWW@7Pecados, which is the party series' name—the bar also becomes a mini internet hub.



And what's a party without music? The band was good—they had everyone swaying to the beat even as they were playing games or chatting away with friends. I asked the girl at the reception table their name, but my liquor-soaked brain didn't retain it. (Thanks to a friend in Sofitel, I now have their name: Blind Curve.)



I couldn't resist this next shot. The ceiling of 7Pecados is completely covered with mirror tiles and I found it fascinating. So now I have an unusual portrait of me and my husband. And the guy in the next booth.



The next World Wide Wednesdays themed party at 7Pecados by the Bay is on November 4: Knock Out Night. (I just hope that's not what I'll be like—knocked out—at the end of the evening.) Who wants to come? Everyone's invited!

Milk candies

Pastillas de leche originally from the province of Bulacan. Carabao's milk and sugar. Soft, bite-sized, creamy, melt-in-your mouth sweetness.

Outdoor photography

Caught a beautiful and unusually-mounted outdoor photo exhibit at the plaza of Eastwood Mall. I like how the photo banners are mounted on the planters.

Wired sky

The evening's rain clouds limned by a rosy sunset, a little haze from vehicular pollution, and the ubiquitous power cables crisscrossing over your head. Welcome to Metro Manila.

Visit the Sky Watch Friday home page and tour the skies of our interesting world.

Tiny

I can't believe I've never seen a papaya blossom before. Maybe it's because most fruit-bearing papaya trees I've seen are taller than I am. But this little 5-foot (1.5 meter) tree just outside my office window started blooming this week. It's almost hard to imagine that that tiny little flower can turn into such a big (and delicious) fruit.