I don’t know about you guys, but I was spent last weekend.
That Friday, I went to a disco (?) party. Is that how you still call it these days? The following day, I went to an exhibit of sorts, had a nice lunch at a wine bar then a quick visit to my college. The night ended, albeit too early, with a rave.
Sounds a lot, and let me tell you, it was. Scroll down through this whirlwind.
(Un)ceremonious feast
I was so intrigued by this concept. Instagram magically suggested me this account. Held at SinePop, a fanciful house-turned-cinema, (Un)ceremonious Feast was a pop-up event on the art of casual gathering and shared experiences. Beautiful tablescapes showcased different lifestyle brands.
JM Avenido, the creative director, warmly guided me through the galleries as a host would with his esteemed guest. We started by the outdoor staircase with an elegant piece from Ren Marble. We then walked up to the second floor landing where a sculpture of hanging sourdough breads from Scratch welcomed us (top of page: middle picture, second row). We proceeded to wander through the different rooms: the foyer, library (top of page: first two pictures, first row; bottom of page: second video, bottom row), dining room (top of page: last two pictures, first row), and wash room (bottom of page: third video, bottom row) to name a few. Each space was carefully put together with dinnerware from Hoom, wines from Some Love, furniture from Nooke, flowers and fruits from Moko Plants and Happy Fruits, scents from Saan Saan, and bags from Play Nice. The indoor staircase led down to the socials area where the feast continued amidst the background of bamboo swaying gracefully with the wind (bottom page: first video, bottom row).
An afternoon in Katipunan
To kill time before the rave started, I headed to Toka Wine, an unassuming wine bar and shop along Katipunan. For appetizers, I had the sourdough bread and olive oil with Manila Sunset, a cocktail made with tapuey, lambanog, orange, and pineapple. The sourdough was nothing special but the cocktail was very interesting; I swear I tasted fish sauce. For mains, I had truffle gnocchi, then for dessert, roasted milk ice cream with coconut jelly and ube chocolate shavings. Best decision ever. Each bite was just a taste of heaven; I’m not even exaggerating. Definitely a must-try.
After lunch, I decided to stroll around UP. Of course, I was too early for the event so I sauntered through the academic oval. I always love going here. The big acacia trees shaded me from the afternoon sun as nostalgia washed over me. I passed by AS, the Main Library, and of course PHAn, my home for four years. I was pleased to catch up with Kuya Collins, who has guarded these halls for more than two decades. The sun began to set and I bade him farewell (and his twelve cats! See bottom of page, second video, top row). It was time to party (again).
SadoMasoDisco + Vargas After-Hours
Guys, I don’t know what I was thinking, but there I was dancing the night away at SadoMasoDisco last Friday (first video, top row) and attempting to do it again at Vargas After-Hours (third video, top row) last Saturday. Lord knows when I last did this, let alone two nights in a row. It was fun of course, I just needed to let loose and just chill out to the beats of Telephones.
Vargas After-Hours by the UP Vargas Museum was another story. I guess I was so exhausted from all the festivities that I only stayed up to 7:30 in the evening. Cinderella would have been disappointed. I did catch the 5 PM enlightening conversation about rave culture and the alternative music scene in Manila, the 6 PM set by the post-rock band Monochrome and the first few songs by the opening DJ.
I’m going to pat myself on the shoulder for staying alive after this weekend.
What do you think?
How was your weekend? Was it as crazy as mine? Let me know in the comments.
On my next post, I’ll talk about slow travel.
Remember. Reminisce. Reflect.
Salamisim out.
salamisim 
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