Chimara, Becky Night Out, Art in the Park

This week has been very interesting because I experienced a lot of new things. I've always been a fan of adventure so it was like an adrenaline rush doing so many novel things. Unfortunately, I kept forgetting my camera so I wasn't able to capture any of the events. I promised myself to bring my camera always and record everything I see and experience. That way, I can also experiment on my photography, which is slowly becoming a little hobby.

The incredibly yummy tofu chips from Chimara (photo taken from here)

My week began on Thursday, when I went to Greenbelt for dinner with my friend Christian. Yes, my week began on the 16th because I spent Valentine's at home, writing. I never got a chance to celebrate Valentine's and this year was no different. My friend Christian, who works in marketing, invited me to dinner at Chimara, this neo-vegan restaurant in Greenbelt 3. I've heard of the place when model Raya Mananquil mentioned that she likes the food but it was my first time this week. I thought the Omega 3 wrap was okay, but I instantly fell in love with the tofu chips, their signature snack. It's a healthier alternative to regular chips, packed with protein, and is bursting with flavor. The minute I got home, I craved for the tofu chips in white cheddar and thought of when I could have the deliciousness of it again. Dinner with Christian went great, he's a funny guy even though he takes life very seriously.

The lovely crowd at Bed Manila

 DJ Toy Armada, arguably one of the cutest DJs in Manila (photos from here)

On Friday, I went with Nikko and Jan to the Big Becky Night Out at Bed, Malate to celebrate Becky Nights, the overnight podcast hit featuring makeup artist Jake Galvez, stylist Matt Gozun, hair expert Buern Rodriguez, and Globe Asiatique VP Divine Lee. I was really excited to go. I haven't been to the club in ages and the place holds a special place in my heart because that's where I started clubbing at 15. I'm practically a veteran in the gay club scene, and I thought it was important I bring Jan because he recently outed himself and I wanted to expose him to as many cultural events as possible, including a night at a gay club. Bed was packed and I had a fantastic time.

I was forced to join a certain game during the program, but being a guy who rarely says no, I went up to join four others. The game was to perform your sexiest dance to a Madonna song and I was mortified. I love Madonna, but the thought of being up on stage in front of hundreds of people is terrifying. I was embarrassed but what the hell, when you're up there, you just have to give it your all. So I danced like a whore. I took my cue from Madonna and ripped off my blazer and put my hand in my crotch. I lost the game but some guys I met later told me that my moves were really 'different.' I'm not quite sure what they meant but I have no regrets.

The Hot Mess with Jake Galvez and Divine Lee (photo taken from here)

Me and Jan with my favorite member of Becky Nights, Buern Rodriguez

The three of us had access to the VIP room so we spent most of the night there. I really wanted to go down and dance my ass off (mainly to continue my choreography) but Nikko and Jan insisted we stayed upstairs. We did get to hang out with Buern, who took a liking to Jan, and get tons of drinks, so I was pretty buzzed by the end of the night. Met some guys, too, who were really nice and offered to share their drinks. One of them was this teenage crossdresser named The Hot Mess (at least that's how she introduced herself to us), a lovely creature with a 23-inch waistline.

The place really looks different from the last time I went, and it looks world-class now. There are three floors, with the third floor reserved for an open-air deck. The ground-floor restrooms were awesome. Right in front of the urinals is a lit aquarium facing another pair of urinals. So while you're doing your business, you can see another guy doing his. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your level of risque), the aquarium ends at the waist area so you can't see any goodies.

Got home by 6AM. God, I miss my partying days.

The event's poster

On Saturday, I met up with Nikko, Jan, and Mitzi (one of the paper's talented writers) for Art in the Park, an annual art fair held in a Makati park to make art more accessible and affordable, capping its pieces to P30,000. Over 40 exhibitors attended, many of them prestigious galleries selling work from their best artists. Some of my favorites were: Secret Fresh, Delirium [Art + Design], Vinyl on Vinyl, and TutoK. I was of course attracted to more avant-garde works, but sadly, the pieces were still expensive even though they were less than P30,000. I did have a great time looking around and talking to some of the artists.

The Romeo Lee notebook I got from Delirium [Design + Art]. The painting is called Number 8

The jawbone ashtray, designed by Leeroy New (photo from here)

The Sacred Heart Lamp, designed by Leeroy New (photo from here)

I wrote an article about the event for that day's The Philippine Star, and I featured Delirium as one of the galleries to look out for. Their works are surreal pieces from artists like Leeroy New (who did Gaga's muscle dress for the cover of Marry The Night) and some of my personal favorites are the Sacred Heart lamp and the jawbone ashtray. I showed them my article - frankly, I'm still the look-ma-no-hands kind of writer, and they gave me a handmade notebook with a Romeo Lee painting on the cover for my effort. I was really shocked but accepted it anyway, showering them with thanks and all kinds of appreciation.

That night, I vowed to buy one important piece next year. My obsession with art is steadily growing and I'm about to hit the phase of wanting to own a piece. After that, we had dinner at 8065 Bagnet, a hole-in-the-wall joint in Estrella Street that has the best bagnet I've ever tasted. I had the kare-kare bagnet, and they don't skimp on the servings. The peanut sauce was really delicious and the prices are very competitive. Budget meals start at P110, but group dishes are around P190. Divine, divine, divine. We capped the night with dessert at Rocci's in Malugay Street, then headed straight home.