A Joint Opera Unites Two Cultures

The Philipine Embassy in Tokyo hosted the launching of the Philippine-Japan joint opera project. "The Blessed Lord – Ukon Takayama." Ambassador Domingo and Madame Kay Siazon told us that Takayama was a symbol of one of the early foundations of Japan-Philippine relations. It’s always a pleasure talking to Kay who is a master of both Philippine and Japanese culture and history.

Takayama Ukon is Japan’s best-known Christian daimyo who was banished from Japan for refusing to disavow his faith and fled to the Philippines in 1614. This year, his legacy comes alive in this joint production which marks the 450th anniversary of the daimyo’s birth, along with the centennial of Japanese migration to the Philippines.

The opera will be staged by a Tokyo-based opera association, along with the cast members from the University of Santo Tomas. The project’s supporters including the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, the Japanese Embassy in Manila and former Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata have been abuzz with preparations. President Gloria Arroyo also mentioned the project during a recent state visit to Japan. Twenty-one performances will be given in both countries with the premiere scheduled for Tokyo. The project aims to inspire hope and peace through music, especially fitting for these trying times of wars and conflicts.

We will be awaiting its Manila debut! Many congratulations to Ambassador Siazon and the organizers!

SUCCULENT SARAWAK DELIGHTS

We have enough proof to say that Century Park Hotel’s new general manager Paul Gill is really a hands-on GM. When I attended the preview presscon and food tasting of the hotel’s Malaysian Food Festival, I was surprised to see the dapper British hotelier behind the stove of Café In The Park, cooking the dishes himself. Paul wanted to make sure that the food preparations were perfect and that Malaysian wife Connie and all the guests would be impressed.

And impressed we were! Guests sat down on Malaysian-inspired table settings laid with batik cloth, banana leaves and a colorful centerpiece of vines, fruits and vegetables. Each guest was also presented with an attractive sackcloth containing spices used in Malaysian dishes as souvenir. First in the menu was the Sarawak Laksa, a spicy shrimp and coconut broth with rice noodles popular in East Malaysia. The main course included Rendang Daging, Satay Ayam, Ikan Panggang, Paku Belachan and Pumpkin Masak Lemak. All the dishes had that equal mix of pungency and richness which gave our palates a truly unique gastronomic experience. After that spicy treat was the dessert consisting of seaweed jelly and glutinous rice with palm sugar for all the expectant sweet tooth.

Paul explained to guests how these sumptuous dishes are made, and what ingredients made these delectable dishes uniquely Malaysian. It was rumored that Mrs. Gill herself brought loads of spices from her country for the guests to enjoy. The good news is that two of Malaysia’s finest chefs will be flown in from Kuching Hilton to prepare lunch and dinner buffets at Century Park’s Café In The Park from March 17-27.

To this, I say – I can’t wait!

ALL TILED UP

Putting aside their hard hats for a little socializing, engineers and contractors attended Eurotiles’ recent launching of its new product line at the Federal Hardware flagship store at Pasong Tamo. The new tile supplements – Power Partners: the Eurotiles Superior Tile Adhesive and Superior Tile Grout – were presented to a testosterone-laden crowd of construction bosses, members of the media and friends from the construction industry. These new products were formulated by Eurotiles’ experts to give tiled floors and walls enduring appeal with less maintenance.

After chatting over beers and listening to relaxing music provided by the house band, the program started with a presentation of how the new products are made in the same quality as Eurotiles’ diverse range of superior tiles. An actual demo of the mixing procedure was shown, along with tips on how to correctly fix the tiles to floors or walls. The Q&A portion had the guests ask questions about the new product offerings, with Eurotiles officers readily answering their inquiries. Beautiful models sashayed around to showcase the products and made every man in the room crane their necks for a closer view. The appetizing dinner concluded the successful launch and each was happy to receive a Eurotiles gift pack as the affair ended.

Congratulations to the people behind Eurotiles for giving quality products to beautify Filipino homes!