The Collective Experience

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~♥