HOLI MANILA IS BACK!

- March 11, 2023, Saturday.

- Holi is back in Manila this 2023 after years of pandemic-caused disruptions! As usual, it was held in SM Mall of Asia By the Bay. Unlike in the earlier iterations of Holi in Manila, this year is was mainly organized by the Indian Cultural Association of the Philippines (ICAP), in partnership with other Indian associations such as the Indian Women in Enterprise (I-WE) and non-Indian organizations such as Asia Society Philippines. Both ICAP and I-WE are young associations in the Indian community, which makes this event more significant. ICAP was supposed to hold it's first ever Holi in 2020, but lockdowns were imposed shortly before they were able to hold the event. This making the 2023 Holi celebration a few years in the making - and it was just amazing!!

- For those not familiar with Holi, Holi is one of the major Indian festivals. In the Philippins, this is one of two major Indian festivals celebrated publicly by the growing Indian community, the other being Diwali (known as "the festival of lights" and takes place in Autumn.) The Holi Festival welcomes spring, and is best known for people throwing colored powder and spraying colored water at each other. There are also other more detailed explanations depending on the religion, such as Hinduism. Holi is also not too common in Southern India as a religious celebration, but some South Indians do decide to participate and play with color during Holi.

Love the costumes!

Getting ready.

Throwing color at each other is very much appropriate.

- In the Philippines, Holi is always done in a controlled manner, which I appreciate the most. The organizers always provide the colored powder packets, and are certified hypoallergenic. The other important thing to me too, is that they colored powder they chose easily comes off in the wash!   

- Unlike the past, the organizers chose a side of MOA that was more spacious, so it was more comfortable going around the kiosks (mostly food stalls). It was also easier to find chairs and tables when I needed to eat. The stalls present were facilitated by I-WE, who tapped on Indian women entrepreneurs (most of which specialize in food products.) 

Do try Savories and Sweets by Karina! They make some of the best homecooked Indian meals! (You may reach them in IG or Facebook, just search for their store name.)

Many many Indian food stalls!

- I went around the venue alone, but I was very happy to reconnect with old friends and some whom I have communicated with in online platforms during the pandemic. Truly, Indian events like these feel like the multiverse of my lives as I get to meet so many people I've encountered in various situations in the past.

- The program was also a mood lifter (because it's Holi after all!) From bhangra performances, devotion dances, and the endless beats of Indian music, there was not a single dull moment from the blazing afternoon until sunset.

A few words from ICAP! That's Ms. Shalini Saha, the main organizer of Holi Manila!

The main highlight! Holi hai!

Endless dances.

So many people.

The day won't end without bhangra!!

I look like the 80s spat me out. But hey I love colors so I don't mind!

Some people had way too much color (but that also is quite appropriate!)

With Roshan, the resident host of Holi in the Philippines and one of the best hosts ever! (And a good fiend too!)

- I've attended various Indian events in and out of the Philippines. Without biases, I've always had some of the best Indian celebrations here in the Philippines - like Holi Manila! Congratulations to all the organizers, especially ICAP and I-WE, for finally bringing Holi back to Manila! This was something I truly missed during the pandemic! 

The Sound of Music in Manila! - The Hills are Defo Alive!

- March 7, 2023, Tuesday.

- The hills are alive once more in Manila with The Sound of Music!! The stage production of The Sound of Music is here in Manila from March 7 to 26 at Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Ayala Malls Circuit. It was brought to Manila by GMG Productions, which also brought Matilda, the Lion King, Cats, and other big productions to Manila and the Asia-Pacific region. Though mainly an international cast, local artists Karylle and Markki Stroem appear in the musical as Baroness Schraeder and Rolf respectively. Tickets are still very much available in the official Ticketworld website (click here).  

I feel more like Godzilla than Maria.

Yay! I also tried to wear something trachten-inspired although I have a lederhosen and trachten suit at home. In hindsight, I should've gone all out! ("Tracht" or "trachten" refers to the traditional clothes of Southern Germany, Austria, and other related regions.) 

- For those who probably have never heard of "The Sound of Music," it is a semi-fictionalized story of the Von Trapp Family singers, who lived during the eve of the German annexation of Austria. The family is headed by Captain Von Trapp, a highly-decorated navy officer. He hired a governess named Maria Rainer who eventually taught the Von Trapp children how to sing. This stage production was originally done in the 1950s, although its most famous version is the 1965 film, starring Julie Andres and the late Christopher Plummer.

Edelweiss.

You'll see this once you go up the escalator to the main lobby.

- I've watched the movie over and over and over again throughout the years but seeing the musical alive will forever be a different immersive experience. This is the magic of theater. Since the musical is based on the stage production, some songs appear in scenes you probably wouldn't expect them to be in. Some songs in the film are also not in the stage production, and some songs are in the stage production but not in the movie. The pacing is also slightly different since the movie had an easier time bending time through montages, while the stage production had to be....a bit abrupt in some parts of the narrative. (I'm trying to be quite vague, for those who probably wish to watch.) 

- Overall, I loved the performance! Jill Christine-Wiley and Trevor Martin as Marita and Captain Von Trapp were perfect. More importantly, I must say I now have a newfound respect for Markki Stroem - whom I normally ignore when I see on TV because I thought he was just one of those mestizo actors TV stations hire. I wasn't actually aware that he started out in showbiz as a singer, and that he was active in the theater scene in the Philippines apart from his appearances in TV and film. (This being said, I guess I need to watch more local productions too.) As for Karylle, I have seen her in local productions (top of my mind is "Rama Hari" in 2012), so it was no surprise that she gave life to Baroness Schraeder really well too! However, I guess a super minor concern would be the theater's microphone situation since there were some instances of the actors' microphones not working for a second or two. However, it didn't really affect the overall experience of watching the play.

Hills covered in blue....clouds?

- I'm so glad I was able to watch the musical because I was actually saving money for something. However, God probably wanted me to see this because I earned a decent amount of money from a recent wedding I attended (I joined/was forced to join games in that wedding) and so I had some money to spare for a ticket. I love The Sound of Music so much I even did some sort of "pilgrimage" to the filming locations of the movie when I went to Salzburg a few years back (see here, here, and here). I'm hoping that more people would come watch since I was surprised that not a lot of people knew that the musical is currently showing. So why not take a chance? Go to the hills now, maybe your heart is lonely? Or climb ev'ry mountain, 'til you find your place....in the theater!  

Korean Village: The Way I (Will) Remember It

- Feb. 24, 2023, Friday.

- Before the battalion of unlimited samgyupsal restaurants shaped the way Filipinos understand Korean food, there was Korean Village in Malate. It was "THE" Korean restaurant, and one of the earliest Korean restaurants in the heart of Manila. It opened in 1978, and was the go-to Korean restaurant of many Manilenos. It was owned by the Filipino-Korean Tallos family. Recently, it became the talk of the town once more, because the current owner decided to close the restaurant after many years. Obviously, I had to go for one final meal.

Kamsahamnida!

- Due to the proximity of Malate to Chinatown, many Chinoys or Chinese-Filipinos had their first taste of Korean food in Korean Village. If I remember correctly, I was introduced to Korean food here as well. I couldn't remember much of what I ate in the past because we didn't always go there. However, I had a personal connection with Korean Village in the late 2000s just as the Korean Wave or "hallyu" was gaining popularity in the Philippines. I had frequent trips there with friends who were also interested in all things Korean. I remember celebrating a few birthdays there, and receiving my first ever K-Pop CD as a birthday gift from my friend (a SHINee CD, of course!) Back then, Korean CDs and other fan merchandise could be only bought in Korea or other Northeast-Asian countries. It wasn't long after those were sold in the Philippines as well. I also remember eating in Korean Village after watching SHINee live - and for free! - in 2009 when they performed at the 60th Korea-Philippines Friendship Festival at CCP. However, I ate at Korean Village less and less in the past decade due to the emergence of many authentic Korean restaurants, and of course, the unlimited samgyupsal craze. I also regularly went to Korea before the pandemic for conferences and other events, so I didn't long for Korean food too much. But despite that, Korean Village was still an important part of my formative years as a hallyu fan. Because of all these reasons, I just had to go back to Korean Village even when it meant braving the long lines of other nostalgia-filled diners.

- I met my friend Sharmaine in Korean Village, and it took us more than an hour before being seated. The restaurant was too overwhelmed by the number of customers since they never had very long lines ever (at least, that's what we were told.) 

A former student of mine was inside, and saw me standing outside the window. She took this photo to show how miserably hungry I was.

- I was surprised to see celebrity chef Margarita Fores who dined that noon and met with the owner. According to her during our brief small talk, she tried to convince the owner to not close down this jewel of a restaurant, to no avail. (I was told that the owner had medical conditions that needed a long time to treat.) Margarita Fores was one of many famous people who went to Korean Village for one last bite. That's how significant Korean Village is/was!

With Chef Margarita Fores. (If y'all don't know her, she owns Cibo!)

- Sharmaine and I were eventually seated, and had budae chigae (Korean army stew), a plate of assorted raw meat for grilling, and haemul pajeon (seafood pancake). It was a simple meal (well OK the budae chigae was quite big for the two of us!) with some of the many must-haves!

My favorite "look at me I'm grilling" pose.

We're enjoying our food.

Budae chigae.

Super spontaneous meetup but I'm glad we met again! We haven't seen each other since....maybe a year or two?

- After dining, I had one last photo with the restaurant, and as you can notice, I didn't shy away from wearing my hanbok, because why not! 

A last look.

Annyeonghaseyo.

- Korean Village holds a place in my heart and the hearts of many. Korean Village closed on the 25th of February 2023, the day after I ate. The long line was worth it for a place that meant so much! Kamsahamnida, Korean Village!