Thursday, November 09, 2006 Magsaysay: A toast to bordeaux and roast By Jo Magsayssay Whatever
Big Foot: My eleven-year-old granddaughter, Samantha, wears a size 10 like her lola. When I acquired my first Havaiana flipflops, she fell in love with them because they were white and they fit her perfectly. She shyly asked if she could borrow them. But of course! My second pair, black with crystal embellishments, was snazzy. She loved them, too, but borrowed them a couple of times only to show off to her cousins.
My third Havaiana was simply darling, with metallic green straps and flower-printed soles. I wore them practically everywhere except to the shower when I used the white pair because it had a firm grip on the slippery wet tiles. Some friends reading about them agreed; they do indeed keep them from slipping; their husbands also felt safe sloshing and splashing around in them.
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When Amizade Marketing announced that "the best flipflops in the world" for the "Havaianaticos" in Cebu to "make your own" flipsflops, I tagged Samantha along with me to Ayala.
There the partners, Aimil Gonzales and Leanne Florendo "the best of friends ever" greeted all comers to show off a gorgeous display of 14 brilliant shades of straps and soles to be customized in any of the 196 possible color combinations. Samantha picked the colors of her choice and brought them over to the counter where a row of technicians, looking like busy bees in their yellow and black outfits, waited to put together the straps and soles. Sam chose a combination of orchid and aqua blue, with a personalized "limited edition" pin for pizzazz. Frankly, I cringed at the choice and to quote the kids’ idiom it looked "icky yucky". However, Sam’s face was glowing, her eyes shining when she said "thank you lola, it is so cool, so beautiful! Who am I to argue about fashion with an eleven year old? If she had wanted stiletto heels, I’d have put my big foot down!
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Now she walks on a cloud along with Hollywood stars and European royalty.
And among over 2.2 billion others who have been flip-flopping in Havaianas since 1962!
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Merto’s over in BTC has one of those eat-all-you-can offers. With a difference. Same difference? Not quite. Instead of the usual staggering variety of food on the buffet spread that already gaggles and sates you at sight, Merto’s on Mondays offers only one meal, all you can eat of prime rib roast, generous slices, succulent, oozing with the natural flavors laced with just a soupcon of gravy, mashed potatoes and salad greens on the side and tomato soup. Being one of our favorite dining places, small quiet and intimate, Merto’s was Tina Ferreros’ choice to invite nearest and dearest friends to celebrate her father’s birthday. How many years old?
Does it really matter? Ralph Ferreros looks absolutely chipper and as always conversant with any happening and non-happening under the sun. He decreed the Bordeaux excellent, Sonny Yan in agreement, so smooth; most red wines are harsh to my throat. Ben Ebrada nudged Tina, his own Tina, to make tomato soup this good for him at home.
Junjo F., ever the environmentalist, had a thing or two about the conservation and purification of the city’s water supply. In a huddle intellectual and scholarly exchange no doubt with Grace Ferreros, who is principal of Bright Academy, Sandy Ebrada, a PhD and Masters from Ateneo de Manila teaching graduate school in La Salle U here in Cebu to give a talk on Child Abuse and Tina Ferreros off to Indonesia to open a management and training center.
Although the giggling and whispering going on did not sound like they were talking about the educational crisis in the country. Pepeton, Ralph’s grandson, a growing boy sprouting like Jack’s beanstalk had his second helping of roast beef, while Tina and I were missing the third party of our triumvirate, Millie Sembrano, still on extended vacation in the States visiting with her pride and joy, her doctoras, Leny, Rosie, Bee-Ann and Mimi, all four enjoying the fruits of their lucrative medical practice.
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Speaking of which, outstanding and remarkable achievements and accomplishments of the sons and daughters of some of our friends fills us with pride and joy as we share interesting info:
….about Letty Regala in the nunnery counting her blessings, notably one of her six gifted children, Benjie, former boy genius, who had been awarded a scholarship breezing through two PhD’s in math and in physics at Brown University, plucked by Pentagon, for some kind of job with National Defense.
A brilliant tactician, he practically looks over the shoulders of admirals and generals, briefing them on calibration and what not of ballistic missiles, submarines, whatever He is only a cog in the military machinery but a bodyguard has been assigned to follow him around. Shades of Tom Clancy?
…about Consuelo Ortega’s grandson, Roscoe Umali, son of Ernesto and daughter Rosie who graduated summa cum laude in UCLA college of law but hitched his star to music so that he was awarded best rap artist of the year.
Roscoe who composes and choreographs his own songs, has performed with such rock bands as Black Eyed Peas and Snoop Dog under the name Kuya but is now using Roscoe when he comes to perform at the Araneta Coliseum in December on the invitation of the Philippines’ number one rapper, Francis Magalona. Meanwhile, he is considering a contract offer from Universal Records and occasionally coaches the champ Pacman of all people. Manny Pacquiao who of all things wants to rap, baby, rap!!!
……Roscoe’s younger sister, 14 year old Lauren, who has been ice skating her way to collecting trophies in the States, copped the third prize in the figure skating ice competition held in China a couple of months back. A veritable ice princess indeed!
