Keepsakes and the MIBF

Books fall open, you fall in
Delighted where you’ve never been
Hear voices not once heard before
Reach world on world through door on door
Find unexpected keys to things
Locked up beyond imaginings

-David McCord

Konnichiwa! Welcome to Tokyo Cafe!

The moment I flipped through the menu of Tokyo Cafe, I told myself how stupid I was for ignoring this restaurant for years! In its Mall of Asia branch, I always notice its crepes displayed behind the glass windows but something about it intimidated my lowly being. Maybe because it looked high-end or maybe because its name suggests food faithful to the Japanese cuisine. While I love the deep-fried and grilled Japanese dishes, I am reluctant to try the raw ones.

Tokyo Cafe’s menu is a variety of western dishes with a Japanese twist, a fusion. I was curious how pizza and pasta will become JapaNice but I was pretty sure that it will be good. I have tried “Philippinized” western food and I have not had a bad experience with them. Looking at the menu, I knew I was not in Tokyo Cafe for that first bad encounter.

My Not-So-New Running Shoes

I was on a hunt for a new pair of ruunning shoes a few months back because I felt the need to run. I started feeling uncomfortable with my weight, panting halfway through daily routines. But I haven’t decided on something until early August when a pair of low-budget running shoes in Payless Shoe Source caught my interest.

Of course, I have always been interested with Nikes but with its steep price, a non-rubber shoes person like me and not to mention kuripot by all means, buying them would be excruciating. And so I settled for this pair of Champion running shoes for personal but valid reasons.

Why I Will Never Forget 'The Phantom of the Opera'

The timeless story of the Phantom, the jealous lover who goes mad and wreaks havoc when his Christine falls for her childhood friend, Raoul; the music that haunts forever; and the set, costumes, and effects nobody will ever forget— these are the reasons why I fell in love with the 2004 movie adaptation of the Phantom of the Opera. I thought it was delusional to say that the play was as beautiful, or even more beautiful. “How can they pull off the scenes requiring grandiose sets without having cuts?” I thought to myself. I wondered how it captured theater-goers all over the world for 26 years.

Luck of all lucks, I got free Orchestra tickets to the Phantom of the Opera’s Manila leg at the Cultural Center of the Philippines courtesy of Maryowni, my ex-lunch buddy-turned-fairy. [wink] Tell me, is there a better way to end a very tiring and tragic August? I bet none!