Life is Good

What a spread
The Sunday Brunch buffet at Spectrum at the Raffles Makati is back, and we are enthralled. A wagyu roast is the star of the show, with baked potatoes and all the trimmings to boot. We reveled in sashimi filleted directly from a fresh whole tuna, crisp skin from a perfectly roasted lechon, and a nostalgic childhood surprise, chunks of fresh crab ensconced in an alimasag shell. There’s raw seafood bar, Peking duck and a variety of dimsum, tandoori, lamb curry, and different kinds of naan, beef stew in a French oven, hearty bowls of chashu ramen. Top it all off with pretty pastries, fruit drenched in chocolate from an unending fountain, and our favorite flavors of Carmen’s Best ice cream. Sundays at 12 noon.

Wagyu cap at the Raffles Sunday brunch buffet. Photo by Yvette Fernandez

Wonder women
The works of Alice Reyes and Agnes Locsin—two living Filipino National Artists for Dance—will be showcased in Pulso Pilipino II: Alay Nina Alice at Agnes. Reyes is credited for having developed a distinctly Filipino modern dance style, while Locsin is recognized as the pioneer of the Filipino neo-ethnic style of dance, drawing inspiration from Philippine tribal dances and cultural practices.

National Artist for Dance Alice Reyes, courtesy of the Cultural Center of the Philippines

National Artist for Dance Agnes Locsin, courtesy of the Culture Center of the Philippines

The mixed program is the second part of the CCP Dance Series (LIVE! 2022 and features Locsin's "Igorot", "Moriones" and "Elias at Salome," as well as Reyes' "Carmina Burana." Friday, Sept. 30 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct 1 at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 2 at 3:00 p.m. at the CCP Main Theater.

Father and son
Tanghalang Pilipino’s Anak Datu is the stage adaptation of a short story by National Artist Abdulmari Imao, who wrote the story about the son of a Muslim village chieftain, as he awaited the birth of his son in 1968. His son, Abdulmari Imao Jr., also known as Toym, is the set designer for this production.
Adapted by playwright Rody Vera and directed by Chris Millado, it revolves around the struggles of the Tausugs set amid the conflict that later leads to the organizing of the Moro National Liberation Front. Onstage at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, CCP’s new Black Box Theater. Friday, Sept. 30 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 2 at 3:00 p.m.

Sculpture by Shozo Michikawa. Courtesy of Silverlens

As the wheels turn
Ongoing at Silverlens Manila is Haiku in Clay, a solo exhibition by Shozo Michikawa. The ceramic artist is known for working with clay on a pottery wheel, twisting it from the inside out, resulting in unique sculptures inspired by the topography of his birthplace, Hokkaido.

Work by Mit Jai Inn. Courtesy of Silverlens

Also showing is "Come-one-come-all," an exhibit of Mit Jai Inn who took the Armory Show in New York by storm earlier this month. He uses ribbons with his signature layered bold colors in stunning paintings and a series of sculptures that run into each other alongside a vibrant tunnel of hues.

Silverlens is the currently the toast of the New York art scene with its newly opened jewel box of a space in the Chelsea art district. Mabuhay! Through Oct. 22. Tuesday to Saturday. 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Girls night in
One of my earliest childhood memories is of my grandmother relaxing in bed at home while having a facial with her Elizabeth Arden products she had hand carried home from a recent trip to New York.

Elizabeth Arden’s newest skin care products brought back a flood of happy memories, and we’re looking forward to an evening of pampering with the skin-illuminating Brightening Night Capsules—a nighttime serum that evens out our skin while we sleep—and the Visible Brightening CicaGlow Concentrate, a peel that brightens, smooths, and soothes. Bring out the ice cream and the gossip. We’re staying home.

Y. Louise

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