Monday, January 15, 2007

I call this post: Stint as a Social Injuster [BGmusic: Wala - tulog pa roommates ko kasi umaga pa]

Let me tell you a little something about myself. I get easily scandalized when I see extravagant displays of wealth - the mere sight of a diamond-encrusted watch is enough to get my heart palpitating. [SOCIAL INJUSTICE! SOCIAL INJUSTICE!] Even drinking coffee at Starbucks makes me guilty. So you can imagine what I thought of the Peninsula Manila Hotel. To sum up the place, it was very... posh. Why was I there? A family... gathering [wow, we sound like a cult]. Okay, let me rephrase that. We had a family dinner in a restaurant there [family meaning my parents & sister, three sets of uncles and aunts, and four of my cousins].

Anyway, pag pasok pa lang sa Hotel, biglang lumabas ang pagka ignoramus-elitista ko [what a combination]. Ignoramus-elitista meaning hindi mo alam kung feeling superior or inferior ka sa mga tao dun - "You poor, unfortunate rich folk. [Huhuhuhu I feel so deprived.]" Yes, my ignoramus-elitista moods are very confusing experiences. Oh, [tan-an!] nawala pa kami ng ate ko, kasi medyo kakaiba yung directions na binigay sa amin. But that's another story.

Anyhoo, I had the whole hotel beckoning me to "jooooiiiin uuuussss.... jooooiiiin uuuuussss... come into the dark siiiide....", with their shiny marble staircases and their soft lighting. May sun-sculpture pa sa ceiling. Hellur. But I wasn't going to give in. I'm from UP. Even though I'm no activist, it just doesn't seem right to be of this world while other people in our country have nothing to eat.

So we had dinner at this Italian restaurant inside the hotel. Each serving was teeny-weeny, and I don't even want to say how much one costs for fear of being stoned to death for promoting this kind of extravagance. But to prove a point, I shall. I actually don't remember, but these are estimated prices.

Salad:
P300-ish?

I split the salad with my sister. It had red pears and mangoes in it. But still, P300?

Verdict: Masarap. Ich liebe salads. Pero hellur, P300?!

Main Course:
[my cousin's hand for scale]

Ravioli. P400-ish.

One of my cousins couldn't help but scoff when she saw the serving size.

Anyway...

Verdict: Oo, masarap. But eating when you're constantly thinking, "I wonder how much this bite costs? P40? P50? How many mouths can you feed with P400?" kiiinda takes your mind off the oh-so-beeyootiful flavor.

Dessert:

[from left to right: Mine (shared with my sister), Pito's, Karla and Ate Hazel's]

I don't even want to talk about how much these cost. Because you know what, it doesn't matter. And besides, it's good for the economy.

To make the long story short, it was my sweet tooth that did me in. They were too beautiful. Too wonderful. The chefs were artists, I tell you. Wonderful, wonderful artists.



Maganda ang CR ng Peninsula Hotel.

Maganda ang lobby ng Peninsula Hotel.

Maganda ang mga tao sa Peninsula Hotel. [Nakita ko si Vicky Morales - had to suppress the urge to run up to her and scream "I LOVE YOUR SHOW! (Saksi) WHO WRITES THOSE THINGS?"]

At masarap ang food.

Pero, wait, before I go, here is the star of the show.


Cranberry Juice
The cheapest thing on the drinks menu.
P170 each, so you are looking at P340 worth of fruit juice.
Not counting tax.
Knife for scale.

Mag-Peninsula Hotel kayo. Super sulit.

A chance for you to show off your etiquette. [Like me, oh-so-very-refined - see right.]

[in a grave voice] Indeed, I have crossed over.

And it feels good.

Bwahahaha. Mabuhay ang mga taong walang ibang magawa sa pera nila.

I apologize for sounding like such an arse, but don't blame me. Blame my stomach. Blame it on my youth. Blame the weatherman. Blame Vicky Morales. Blame love [?].

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