Gimmick for us B-listers.

I recently checked out the, ahem, scene, at Serendra, that tenement, whoops, "mid-rise residential development" at Fort Bonifacio. I guess no one's moved in yet because construction is still ongoing, but establishments have been put up in its atrium.

Upper-crust crowd, if you ask me. How Greenbelt was prior to the peroxide chicks laying claim to Cafe Havana.

Had a few drinks at Fez, one of the smaller bars in the area. I spied upon this chick and her mug filled with some green concoction. I asked the waiter (very friendly and efficient service, by the way) what the mixture was composed of and he replied, "It's called Jaguar, and it's got red horse, vodka..." and as soon as I heard Red Horse, I told him to send me a mug, pronto. Turns out it was a bar special.

'Twas ok. Nothing to write home about, I guess. But the color was kewl.

Oh, and check out their lamb appetizer. Yummy.

I can't get over this. Really.

I got this for my birthday last year. I love it to pieces. And to think I've seen the movie(s) several times. True, Puzo's style was pulpy, the love scenes icky (he could've done away with such), but the plot and the Don's philosophy were amazing. I couldn't put it down.

So why come up with this.?

Searched high and low for a paperback copy, none available in the bookstores, and secondhand shops only had it on hardbound.

Now I know why copies of it abound in second-hand shops. It doesn't deserve the shelf space at home.

The characters are lousy (a Magic Sing-freak mafioso, an FBI agent who probably descended from Javert's line), the women unworthy (a female lawyer vigorously opposed against capital punishment, a forgettable nympho who wins Don Magic Sing's heart), the plot convoluted BUT horribly predictable. I had to force myself to finish it.

This particular novel was Puzo's last, and supposedly left to his common-law wife to finish. I'm not commenting on that.

Christmas in HK

Late to post? Lots to post!

LP and I spent Christmas in Hong Kong. My first visit to the then-colony was twenty years ago, the second, and still as a colony, thirteen years ago. Both times I was still a minor, living off my parents' good graces.

Plenty have changed. The airport, Kai Tak, has long gone. I remember seeing tall buildings right below us as the plane prepared to land. Chep Lap Kok, on the other hand, is in Lantau Island, a good half-hour drive from Hong Kong Island. Much to my surprise, there were no towering skyscrapers as we landed at the new airport.

Day 1, Hotel: Marco Polo Gateway, right in shopping haven Tsim Sha Tsui. We checked in around 12 noon, and were told to come back around 2pm, when the rooms would be ready. No prob. HK would be the best place to get lost in!

First stop as we were looking for a not-too-frilly Chinese resto to have lunch at: Giordano. Of course. Grabbed some shirts for pasalubong, and then off to that elusive resto.

We ended up at McDonald's.

Next stop: The Peak Tram. We took the MTR (subway) to Admiralty where we got lost and had to find a Filipina to ask for directions. What a long, long walk. And a goddamned long line. Almost got into a fight with some senior citizens who cut in.

So there's the Tram.


And The Peak. Nice view, lots of shops and restos. Merienda at, where else? McDonald's.

And some photo-ops for LP.

Dinner? McDonald's, again.

Day 2: Paid tour. An hour wasted at a jewelry store, a few minutes at the HK Convention Center, which had a nice view of the bay,

a half hour (or so) on the Sampan,
and a stopover at what the tour guide claimed to be The Peak, but which was merely a stop somewhere lower than The Peak LP and I visited the day before. Oh well. (Not even worth the 1MB on my camera.) I really should've skipped the tour.

After lunch, it was off to...Ocean Park! Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I love Ocean Park! Such fun memories!

Crap. Twenty years ago, it wasn't this crowded. It really has been that long.

Lines moved at a snail's pace. LP and I waited an hour and a half to see jellyfish. Pretty.

An hour to ride the cable car.


And twenty minutes to navigate through the crowds and to find the Shark Aquarium.


I had to pony up an extra HK$50 for a go-kart ride, for the speed demons in us.


Oh, and it was Christmas Eve. For Noche Buena, LP and I, sore leg muscles and all, had the best Yang Chow fried rice and pork barbecue (aka asado) this side of the hemisphere. Really. It wasn't greasy, there was not much MSG, but it was heaven. Call for room service. (Sorry, was too tired to take pics.)

There was a street party right outside our hotel, and it seemed like the entire population of Hong Kong gravitated to Tsim Sha Tsui that night.

Day 3: Christmas morning, off to Disneyland!

Tiny, as compared to the parks in Anaheim and Orlando. But lovely, and nonetheless charming. Customer service? Perfect.

Oh, and there was snow. Unfortunately for LP, she realized she was catching soap suds. Still fun, anyway.

See?

And here's our hotel.

And the room.


Even Mickey Mouse is on the slippers.

And the view from behind the hotel.

And carollers at the lobby.

So that's how LP and I spent Christmas. How about you?