A volley-wood weekend
For some years now, one of my summer weekends has always been devoted to the annual Nestea Volleyball event, rechristened this year as the Nestea Fit Beach Volley National Circuit 09. It’s been 13 years now that Nestea has been at the forefront of maintaining beach volleyball as a well-publicized, and viable, campus sport activity. And one can’t give enough credit to Nestea for spearheading such a laudable effort and making this a commitment that has spanned over a decade now. It’s been too often that we’ve seen other such efforts kick off with a bang and end up with a whimper, as money dries up or said corporate entity decides to refocus, realign or move its support elsewhere.
The four-day event culminated with the University of San Jose-Recoletos taking the Men’s Division crown, while the University of Southern Philippines Foundation copped the Women’s title. Eighteen teams reached this Finals phase on the white sands of Boracay, and to watch the two-man teams executing in the morning and afternoon heat and sun is an exercise in catharsis all by itself. They throw themselves all over the court, executing with pinpoint precision and enviable endurance, and as a spectator, one is panting and grunting right along with them. One highlight of every Nestea weekend are the celebrity matches — something I have found myself participating in previous years as the media gets extended invite to join in with the assembled showbiz celebs. Well. I’ve either been permanently retired, or the surfeit of celebrities on hand meant they didn’t require my services! This year’s version had Volley-wood stamped all over it as Iza Calzado, Rhian Ramos, Paolo Contis, Alfred Vargas, Sam Oh, Polo Ravales, Survivor Philippines’ JC Tiuseco and fellow castaways Kaye Alipio, Jace Flores, Kiko Rustia and Rob Sy, all took to the court Friday afternoon. They were all on double duty, as later that night at Juice Bar and Piazoleta, they were models in the fashion show featuring the designs of Bora-based PJ Aranador. The awards night on Saturday at Paraiso had Sandwich and 6cyclemind performing high energy sets that had the celebs, athletes, media and various guests all mingling and partying the night away.
The Nestea Fit drink comes in an Apple flavor blend, and with L-Carnitine, is Nestea’s new pride and joy. It satisfies those who seek that strong fruit tea flavor, while giving us a drink that actually helps one stay fit and health-conscious. Yods Enriquez, Nestea consumer marketing manager, passed on that available in powder form as a ready-to-mix, Nestea Fit has one of the higher concentration of L-Carnitine in the market, 900 mg. for every one liter, which puts it at par with the premium ready-to-drinks that also offer that active ingredient. And yet, it comes at an effective price that’s hard to beat. All in all, it’s good to see Nestea still playing its part as patron to beach volleyball, and sponsoring one of my signature summer weekends.
Bora’s taste of Brittany
Boracay is practically a year round destination nowadays, so it helps to know what new dining options exist and seeking the personages who really know what they’re doing and have set up shop on the white sands of the island. Christine San Diego is the doyenne of Absinthe here in Greenbelt 3, and has made Bora a second home via the Juice Bar. November 2008 saw her launching Ti Braz right by Station 1, and it’s a welcome addition to the culinary possibilities that we can find on the beach! The photos that dot the wall of her establishment are stories in themselves, as they’re taken by Allyssa, her 15-year-old daughter, who took up photography at the age of 12. Christine’s partner in this venture is Janet Dolera of Cafe Breton fame, and Christine’s brother Peter is the resident chef. Peter comes to Bora via the Cordon Bleu in Pasadena and a stint with Wolfgang Puck. With Janet on board, the crepes and bistro fare that we associate with Cafe Breton are present on the menu; and it’s Peter who brings fresh, new items to the menu.
The Crab, Clam and Shrimp Boil is Ti Braz’ version of Bouillabaisse, and it comes in Creole or Coco versions. The Grilled sandwiches include my favorite French sausage, Merguez; and there’s a Ratatouille variant. The underlying concept was to give familiar fare a subtle twist — for example, the Macaroni Gratin is served with Mornay sauce and Truffle Oil, and even the Pinoy food will give you Grilled Prawns, but marinated in Coco and Mango, topped with Pistachio Cream Sauce and served with Garlic Noodles. It’s this kind of whimsy and element of surprise that made each dish I tasted such a delight, a small voyage of discovery.
Ti Braz is literally a nickname for the region of Brittany, but thanks to Christine, Peter and Janet, it’s now a brasserie/bistro on Boracay that gives al fresco dining a daring and truly enjoyable facelift. And do check out the photos of Allyssa, they’re quite mature and exceptional for someone so young. Christine has a lot to be proud about!
