Aloha everyone!
How was your weekend?
My weekend plan of going back to Baler was shot
down because my vacation leave was not approved. I was feeling bitter because
most of my college buddies get to go. Fortunately, my good friend
Nika invited me to go with her to The Collective in Makati.
Located along Malugay St, it is just a stone throw away from Central BBQ Boy. The Collective is like a mini art district that
houses different shops, restaurants and galleries. Formerly a warehouse, it is
now the home of visual arts sprayed on the walls. Very cool!
Nika and I ate at a restaurant called Wabi-Sabi.
It's a quaint place that serves Asian cuisine. There were several tables and a
Japanese style counter where they take your order. There is also their "Noodle
War" wall where they post pictures of those who ordered the Shoyu Ramen and
their Viet Pho. Ordering the Ramen gets you to the "Ramen Padilla" side while
ordering the Viet Pho gets you to the "Fernando Pho Jr" Side. Brilliant naming.
Haha! I ordered their Shoyu Ramen and a glass of Milk Tea while Nika ordered
their Viet Pho. Nika also ordered their Haru Maki. Shoyu ramen is a type of
Japanese ramen consisting of broth and plenty of soy sauce. It usually contains
seaweed (nori), boiled egg and bamboo shoots. Viet Pho, on the other hand, is a
popular Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of rice noodles and herbs and it
either consists of beef or chicken. The Haru Maki is fried spring rolls that
uses banana blossoms and seaweed instead of ground meat and vegetables and is
served with soy sauce and mustard. Their Milk Tea is the Thailand
version.
I must say the food did not disappoint. Big in
serving and very tasty! ^__^
After the meal we headed to the small art gallery
just beside Wabi-Sabi called "Vinyl on Vinyl". There was no entrance fee. They currently have a solo show
by Anjo Bolarda titled "Sorry for the Inconvenience". His works combines
Japanese style or "Anime" drawings but portray Filipino beliefs and culture.
They reminded me of gothic artwork which I find very interesting. There are also other works on display on the second level. Star Wars characters and famous
movie villains for the geeks like me! I couldn't resist to have my picture taken
with Darth Vader! Haha! If you want to check their gallery for updates, you can
check them out here: Vinyl on Vinyl
We strolled a bit and explored what else The
Collective has to offer. There were different stores. There was a skateshop who
sells high quality skateboards and longboards as well as parts, there was a
store called "Rituals" which sells organic soaps and oils. "Skitzo" is a costume
shop which sells dresses from anime-inspired like Sailor Moon to the comical like
a costume meant for you to look like a "Pint-size Beer". Lol. They also sell
different colored wigs and hats. The walls of The Collective are designed with
spray painted art ranging from the cute to the dark, from funny to the
satirical. Even the bathrooms have been spray painted! It's like taking a stroll through the streets of Shibuya without riding a plane to Japan.
Our last activity was the free beginner's Ukulele
lesson offered by Ukulele Philippines. They start from 3pm to 5pm. I was
hesitant at first but with Nika's encouragement, I decided to join in. They even
let me borrow one of their ukuleles. The instructor was very friendly and
encouraging. He provided us with a bit of history regarding the Ukulele. It's
actually pronounced "Oo-kooh-leh-leh". The basis for the instrument actually
came from the Portuguese but was made popular by Hawaiian locals. He taught us
the parts of the ukulele and basic chords. Then he taught us different ways to
strum it. Boy! He was really good with the ukulele! Very impressive! Now I have
to buy my own ukelele if I really want to pursue playing this musical
instrument.
I'm glad Nika invited me! I had a blast and will
definitely drop by The Collective soon!
Until the next post,
Sammy~♥
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