JollyBBQ

There's no reason why this shouldn't work - the right location, across from Novena Church - to capture the throngs of yayas and indays looking for a good old Pinoy lunch. At the same time, it's got parking and is fairly close to the Newton MRT for those who don't have the time or the wherewithall to cook their own liempo, pork barbecue or salpicao. Why, when all it costs for a satisfying plate is $4.50? The name is genius - mining the brand recall and equity of the giant at home. And then there's the food itself. The serving of rice is more than generous, if a tad on the moist side. It's true though that I am of the extreme prediliction, preferring rice on the drier, more mabuhaghag side. Also, I found I would have preferred the pusit more inihaw than pusit -- drier -- more like Cafe Ilonggo, all blackened and toasty on the edges. But maybe that's just me. There also ought to be a fish dish - if not danggit or bangus, maybe inihaw na tilapia?

I wish the Atenean entreps more power and great success. It's clear that Pinoy cuisine must work it's way up, rather than down, at least in this particular market - but there's certainly no reason why JollyBBQ shouldn't be phenomenal.

Sunday night blues

The tummy feels nervy. Am not sure how to play this day, nor the next. And am hoping I'll be able to get up for the track. In the meantime, every fibre of my being is saying - can't I just stay home?

I may as well be in fifth grade again.

Where do they get it?

At last Sunday's picnic, I introduced K to M's mother.
K: Hello! (then under her breath almost as if to herself) The resemblance is amazing...

Today, at the Singapore Children's Choir concert, C settled down in his seat, leaned back and closed his eyes. Then he murmured:
C: Music soothes the savage beast...

These kids are just marvelous - and they're mine.

Now, that's a superhero movie

Next with Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel, written by Philip K. Dick is a modern superhero tale, and very much worth its 1 hour and 30 minutes. At once fresh and inventive, the flick is a great casting of Cage - in fact, I can't think of another actor who could have done it as well as he did. Like all superheroes, Cage's Chris Thompson has that slightly tortured, manic look that should, if you think about it, be on all superheroes' faces - if superheroes were real people, that is.
It's also a pretty clever super power, when you think about it...a two minutes' headstart after all has great potential in what can be achieved...

It's been awhile since I've had the pleasures of sheer storytelling alone - but I did during Next. Even before I was halfway through the movie, I wanted to clap my hands. Clearly, it has been too long.