Category Archives: people

A Prayer, A Party, and a Place Called Cafe Adriatico

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When you’re asked to write and say a prayer, the instinct is usually to get serious. Solemn, even. But when the request comes from the Marketing Manager of a beloved institution like Cafe Adriatico, on the occasion of its 45th anniversary, you quickly realize: this won’t be your average invocation.

This is a place where Manila’s luminaries and social butterflies of the 80’s once sipped their espressos, exchanged flirtatious glances, nursed heartaches, and sometimes even brokered business empires over lengua estofado. Cafe Adriatico isn’t just a restaurant, it’s an archive of whispered stories, a keeper of secrets, a backdrop to first dates, blind dates, breakups, reconciliations, and deals sealed with a handshake (or a bottle of wine).

So when I was designated to deliver the Thanksgiving Prayer during the celebration held at the original Malate branch, I knew it had to go beyond the usual “bless this food and those who prepared it.” This had to honor not just the food, but the flavors of memory that have simmered here for nearly half a century.

Below is the prayer I shared that evening. I loved how it turned out that I have to post it here on my Nengkoy blog. A humble offering of gratitude, wit, and truth, for a place that is meant so much to so many.

“Heavenly Father,

Tonight, we gather with hearts brimming with gratitude to celebrate the 45 remarkable years of Cafe Adriatico, a place where memories are made, stories are shared, and lives are intertwined.

We give thanks to the visionaries who planted the seeds of this iconic establishment, for the hands of the staff who have labored with care and excellence, and for the spirit of resilience that has sustained Cafe Adriatico through the years.

We especially thank You for the cherished guests who have woven Cafe Adriatico into the fabric of their lives. For the couple who shared their first date here and went on to built a lifetime of love. For the blind date that became the start of a beautiful marriage. For the friends whose simple dinner turned into a marathon of laughter and connection. For the souls who sought comfort after the first heartbreak, finding solace in a warm meal and familiar ambiance. For the dreamers and doers who found inspiration here, and for the professionals who successfully closed business deals over a cup of coffee and the perfect setting.

Thank You for making this restaurant more than just a dining place, but a witness to milestones, a keeper of secrets, and a sanctuary for countless hearts.

Bless the loyal customers who have supported Cafe Adriatico not just with their patronage but with their stories. Bless the dedicated staff whose work turns meals into memories. And bless this evening, as we come together to honor the past, celebrate the present, and dream of a bright future.

May Cafe Adriatico continue to thrive, offering not just food but love, not just service but connection, and not just tradition but a timeless sense of home.

In Your Holy Name we pray, Amen.”

Gondoh di ba?!

Raining Glitter, Nachos and Chika

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There are friends who come and go, like limited promo codes.  Then there are friends who stay through bad fashion trends, worse decisions, and decades of unsolicited advice.  Karen, Beth, Jing and I belong to that vintage category: pre-mobile, pre-social media, pre-carb consciousness.  We are living artifacts of an era when texting is called dialing and catching up involved landlines and a lot of waiting.

     Last weekend, we reunited with a planned full-day ahead.  The day began at Spectrum in Fairmont Hotel, where we attacked the lunch buffet with quiet focus and had storytelling that deserves its own Netflix limited series.

     Then, came Holy Mass at Greenbelt Chapel, because nothing balances indulgence like a little spiritual detox. Besides, only true Titos and Titas of Manila can pivot from lechon carving station to communion with elegance.

     The evening started or rather, sparkled with a Spanish dinner at Las Flores, where we raised our glasses, our voices, and our sodium levels.  The food was divine: Nachos, Calamares, and Mixto Platter. The stories were better.  I even have a clip of myself nodding attentively while chewing something dangerously crunchy, proving that one can listen and snack at the same time, a life skill they really should teach in school.

     So yes, I made a reel.  Not for the algorithm (although I wouldn’t mind a few hundred likes), but to capture the sparkle of the moment.  Set to Kylie Minogue’s Raining Glitter, which perfectly matches the energy of four souls who may be older, wiser, and better moisturized, but still refuse to dim their shine.  This was not a random night out.  This was full-course memory, curated by time, flavored with laughter, and seasoned with the kind of friendship that survives everything, even group selfies in public.

     Watch the reel.  Then message your oldest friends.  Take them out.  Feed them well. Attend Mass if you must.  Order the calamares.  Life is too short not to sparkle so always end the night with the right amount of glitter.

Masayang kasama ang mga bruha kong kaibigan!

Ruminations on Ali’s First Birthday Party

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Just this weekend, I attended another first birthday party.  That of my grandnephew, Ali.  Ali’s first birthday celebration was a little grand and over-the-top: servers were in costumes; food served was buffet style part of which was a roasted calf; there was a funny magician who performed; the dinosaur-theme set-up was ostentatious; alcoholic drinks as post-party celebration for the adults were overflowing; and, there was even a fantastic fireworks presentation.

happy birthday ali !!!

a colorful fun day!

super fun with friends & relatives

I no longer can recall how many times I have attended a first birthday party in the past.  And consistently, since a one year old baby has no concept of birthdays and parties, the baby-celebrator is clueless and has zero idea why everyone is congregating for such a day. 

It will make you wonder if such celebration was really about the baby or is it really about and for the people that surround him.  I guess, the latter seem to be the correct answer to this question.  It is indeed for and about the people who helped and will help the baby to grow happy and healthy.  And it is most especially for the parents (in Ali’s case my niece Thatcher and nephew-in-law Alexis) who seem to celebrate for not screwing up and being successful in their first year with the cute and adorable child.

a job well done…

The child may have received all the gifts, but it is the parents and the people who surround the celebrant who receives all the hugs, the love, the praises and the encouragements as expressed and delivered by all the guests who attended.

I am pretty sure, Ali’s parents (and like any other parents) had numerous uncertainties and frustrations in the past year.  I am also pretty sure, both Thatcher and Alexis had several worries and anxieties from crying outbursts to bottle rejections.  Some hurdles were conquered by mere luck while others were resolved by experience.  And oftentimes, snags and obstacles were resolved thru the assistance of family or friends.  Thus, the first birthday party of any baby is indeed a salute and celebration for the parents and the people who surrounds the child.

pose of the day

I was given the opportunity to give a short talk during the party.  I was able to give my warmest birthday wishes for the adorable Ali.  I was able to greet a beautiful afternoon to all the attendees. I however, failed to congratulate Ali’s parents.  So let me take this opportunity to express my warmest felicitations and compliments to Thatcher & Alexis for a job well done.

Trusty Nippon

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The BBC Reel documentary about Japan’s impressive lost & found scheme and system is true.  I have personal accounts and experiences about how remarkably honest, decent and trustworthy the Japanese people are. 

During our family’s second visit to Japan, one of the inexpensive yet enjoyable lunches we had was at a self-service keiseki-like (keiseki are like tapas of Spain or the small dishes of Japan) eatery in Osaka.  I can clearly recall that after we have stepped out and we’re like 200 yards away already from that eatery, we noticed that the old and short lady who worked in that establishment was actually running after our group.  Gasping for air when she reached us, she then handed a small bag to us. 

Without me understanding what she was saying, my now-niece-in-law (Alexis) then noticed that the bag the old lady was handing over was his.  He then realized that he actually left behind his pouch-bag inside the eatery which contains his cash, his credit cards and his valuable passport.

Another remarkable experience my family had in Japan when it comes to trustworthiness was when we had a winter adventure in Sapporo.   After a short flight from Osaka to Hokkaido, my family chose to reach our hotel via subway from the Sapporo airport.  The subway train station near our hotel was actually just beside a park, the Nakajima Park.  When we got out of the train station towing and dragging along our huge suitcases, out in the street, we noticed that the magnificent park beside the train station was filled with soft and fresh snow. 

My family lives in a tropical country where no snow falls.  Here in the Philippines, the weather is either hot or hotter.  Thus, it is but thrilling for us (a snow-deprived-family) to see, smell and touch those fields of frozen and icy hexagonal-shaped crystals.  And as if my family suddenly transformed into little naughty children we run towards the park and were unmindful of leaving behind our huge bags and suitcases right there in front of the train station.  We spent about half an hour inside the snowy park – making snow angles, snowball fighting, creating our very first snowman and gasping at how magnificent the snow formations are on trees.

the nakajima train station right beside the park.  that’s the very spot where we left our suitcases! haha!

After mellowing down and when we regained our adulthood back, only then that we realized that we actually left behind our suitcases right there at the train station’s entrance/exit platform.  We were gone for more than half an hour and when we went back to retrieve and get all our bags and suitcases, all of it were surprisingly still there!  Do that here in my country, all of our luggage will be gone in less than a minute and you got no one else to blame but yourself.

Japan is beautiful, its people are incredible and exploring Japan has been a worry-free type of adventure.  Because of these, this country has been my family’s most visited country.  I won’t be surprised if after the pandemic my family will again venture for another trusty Nippon adventure. 

Andrea & Pascual

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This year, my family’s Christmas Eve celebration was a little different.  It is because my pretty pregnant niece decided to hold the Gender Reveal Party also on the day before Christmas.  Everyone was so excited my mom’s house was colorfully decorated with pink and blue balloons and buntings for the event.

khris mae… my preggy niece

Games were played prior to the exciting gender revelation.  My family is so big that my nephew Den Den, the program host, decided to divide us into 4 groups.  In one of the games, called “Nominate A Name Game”, Den Den directed each group to think of a girl’s and a boy’s name whom we suggest be best given to our would-be newest member of the family.  The best recommended names will win the game.  Khris Mae, my would-soon-be-a-mom niece was, of course, the judge.

i was rooting for a baby boy while my elder sister wants a girl

There were so many suggestions, my group decided that I should be the one to think and provide our group’s nominated names.  I actually got an advantage because I have personally talked to Khris Mae during my birthday dinner buffet at Sofitel on what names does she plan to give her child. 

I however could not recall a single name that Khris Mae showed me as listed on her mobile phone during that Sofitel dinner.  During the game, I instead limit the names to names that starts with the letter A.  Besides, all of my grandniece and grandnephews names starts with the letter A – Arziolo, Alvia and Alexander II so I guess it would be perfect to name this baby with a name that starts with this letter.

When it was my turn to nominate a name, some gentle spirit seems to have whispered to me and made me utter the name Andrea.  A Greek-originated name that means “strong, brave and powerful”.  The very characteristics that I would want my brother’s would-be grandchild to possess.  A very appropriate name for a baby in this age and era of our planet.

For the boy’s name, the first name that entered by mind was Andrew, the male variant of the name Andrea.  But when I was asked what boy’s name I nominate, I suddenly uttered Pascual. That’s when I remembered suggesting to Khris Mae during my birthday dinner in Sofitel that I like the name Pascual.  I told her that it is to pay tribute and homage to my loving grandfather (Nengkoy’s dad) whose name was Pascual.

it’s pink confetti!

it’s a girl!

Later in the party, Khris Mae finally revealed that she will have a baby girl.  And guess what? My group won the “Nominate A Name Game”.

Could Have Been Aubergines, No Thanks to the Treaty of Paris

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Esquire magazine published an article entitled What If The Philippines Was A British Colony.  The write-up relays that between October 1762 and April 1764, the Philippines was actually part of the British empire.  Following George Washington’s attacks on French colonies, the French went to war against the Britishers.  Spain which rules the Philippines during that era, joined the same war so as to honor its alliance with the French.  Because of this, the Brits attacked and was able to capture Spanish-owned Manila in 1762.  However, British reign in the Philippines came to a peaceful end when the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763. 

The Esquire article then presented a number of could-have-beens in case there was no Treaty of Paris and the British rule continued in my beloved Philippines.  Expecting it to be mind-blowing, the theories presented in the article were somewhat deflated, subdued and ordinarily predictable because the notions discussed were simply aligned and paralleled to what happened with other countries under the British rule like India and majority of Africa.

the closest thing to my being briton now is wearing a union jack shirt. haha!

Let me then dispatch my inane and doofus version of what could have been if the Philippines was part of the British colony.  Firstly, I could have had high teas instead of siestas.  Eggplants would no longer be eggplants but aubergines and shopping carts would no longer be shopping carts but trolleys.  And I’d be drinking more tea and eating more biscuits while saying “God save the Queen” during weekends!  I might be speaking like Harry Potter by now and would be rooting for John Whaite and Johannes Radebe to win Strictly Dancing this year on BBC.  We will never know, if Brits ruled the Philippines, one of the James Bonds could have been some dishy Pinoy bloke.

talong, the filipino name for aubergine

Hey! Why was I not consulted when that wonky Treaty of Paris was drafted and taken into effect? 

Sizzling Hot Covid19 Vaccine

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My post Covid19 pandemic started yesterday.  When me and my sister (being registered under our local government’s waiting list) were told that an available vaccine is available, we immediately drove up to the designated vaccination site.

Though it is sad to note that majority of my country’s populace still doubts the significance and efficacy of the vaccine, such popular yet imprudent viewpoint became advantageous on my part for getting the vaccine. 

If you’re reading this article and wonder why such meek and lowly event of getting my first jab seem such a big deal on my part, please understand that my poor unregimented country has very limited supply of the vaccine.  It is because my country at this late point in time only depends on the United Nation’s donations as well as the dole-outs sent to us by rich countries because they either have surplus of the vaccines or that their country already achieved the so-called herd immunity.

So how did my first vaccination affair went? Answer: It was hilarious, uneasy and at the same time a little nerve-wracking.  It was nerve-wracking because I hate injections! It was uneasy because the vaccination site was at an open-air public place.  With no air-conditioning and with the scorching humid heat index of 42 degrees Celsius (no thanks to climate change), me and my sister were soaked wet in our very own sweat! 

Good thing there were very few people at the venue, our papers were right away processed.   And after we were injected, the hilarious thing that happened is that both me and my sister were told to stay a little longer because both our blood pressures were shooting up! And when asked if I take medicine for high blood pressure, I answered yes.  When asked what medicine, instead of telling the name of the drug (Losartan), I uttered the name of a popular French bakeshop here in Manila (Lartizan)! LOL!

took a photo of my covid19 vaccine passport while waiting for my boiling blood pressure to ease down! beside it is my sister’s japanese fan.  underneath is a mini-towel to wipe off my super sweat!

With pocket-sized feelings of worry, me and my sister laughed instead after realizing that we were the only two who were asked to stay longer.  My sister even verbalized to the medical team present that who on earth would have a normal blood pressure at such a torrid and scorching temperature?!  After taking our blood pressure three times at an interval of every 15 minutes, both of us were finally released and discharged by the nurses.

I went home nauseous not because of the vaccine but because of the sizzling weather. I too was craving for Lartizan! 

A Masterpiece of a Response

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I have seen the Harry & Meghan interview by Oprah.  The two-hour interview was like watching a televised therapy session with a shrink.  I am not British nor American, my country is not even part of the commonwealth, so I’d rather not publish my personal take about that massive interview.

But what fascinated me more was not the protracted and controversial narrative of the couple.  I was more into the reaction published by the Queen about this interview.

read!

It is a short, classy and dignified response.  It is firm yet compassionate.  It is brief yet precise.  It is succinct, refined and appropriate.  It is a masterpiece!

That 61 well-chosen words of a letter simply shuts, knocks and nails the over-the-top 2-hour interview done by Oprah.  The letter though short contain hopes of restitution, reconciliation and redemption.  It was unlike the Oprah interview which failed to discuss these affirmative possibilities.

Thus, after reading the Queen’s reaction, it dawned in me that I actually wasted 2 hours of my life listening and watching the Oprah interview that everybody now is talking about.  And with the Queen who is now 96 years old who still serves mankind and has to deal with this brouhaha by Harry & Meghan and with a husband who is very ill in the hospital, it can be deduced that it is actually not Harry nor Meghan who is depressed and lonely.  I think it’s the brilliant British Queen who is.

Leron Leron Ea

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Leron Leron Sinta is an old Filipino folk song I learned to sing when I was in elementary school.  This fun cheery old tune is a basic song every Filipino child learned during the time when gentle cows and mild water buffalos has started to diminish its presence in the streets of the city. 

I actually wonder what songs does young tots has to learn in preschool nowadays.  I won’t be surprised if teachers nowadays would coach their students Beyonce’s “All The Single Ladies” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Haha!  Good thing I am not a preschool teacher because I would definitely teach my young innocent pupils the classic Sophie B. Hawkins song entitled “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover!”

Regressing a little and in reference to Leron Leron Sinta, here’s one new cool version I discovered and have been listening to in the past seven mornings.  The Hawaiian version!

Aloha! How cool is that!