First up, the main reason I was given a couple of days out of the office and sent to Cebu, the Radisson Blu hotel. The result of a partnership between the SM Corporation and the Carlson hotel chain, it is an unassuming business hotel with fabulous service, speedy WiFi, and really delicious dessert.
The hotel's facade
It's also a stone's throw away from what Wikipedia says is the world's 18th largest mall. Of course I had to go. And yes, it's just like every other SM in the world, with the exception of the newly-built (renovated?) North Wing, which features the higher-end stores. On sale. It took an inordinate amount of will-power -- as well as the realization that I had to fly back to Manila with about ten kilos added to my luggage if I gave in -- that kept me from shopping. I have a disease, I tell you.
Fine, I'll admit, I got a pair of really cute shoes. Twenty percent off. Win.
The hotel opening and ribbon cutting was this massive affair, with corporate moguls, CEOs, and pretty much the VIP of all Philippine VIPs right now:
Yep
President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Not only Kris' older brother, but more importantly, the fifteenth president of the Republic of the Philippines. He snipped the ribbon, gave what I'd like to think was a very good address, and then left for another meeting. And I thought my schedule was hectic.
I just wrote about the president on my blog. How cool and serious is that? Anyway, moving on.
My view
I should start making this a regular feature. "Gaby's Room (With A View)" or whathaveyou. Too commercial, I think, but whatever. It's a work in progress. This picture is pretty hilarious though. Half tropical paradise, half paved parking lot. Joni Mitchell would have found this hilarious, no? ...Maybe not.
Sample-size sweets.
I was, however, momentarily distracted by this plate of desserts so thoughtfully placed in my room. All were delicious, particularly because they were all mine. I also have two notorious soft spots –and a separate stomach-- for chocolate, in any form, and carrot cake.
Dinner, the next morning's breakfast, and then dinner before leaving for the airport, were at the hotel's restaurant, Feria.
It was there that I realized just how much I'm aging; years, even months ago, buffets were my domain, my specialty. Now, a buffet --particularly one that is separated into stations for appetizers, entrees, dimsum, and dessert -- has turned from a smorgasbord of delights into an overwhelming array that short circuits my brain.
Because I'm a horrible journalist, I totally forgot to take pictures of the party celebrating the opening, which took place the night we arrived. Was way too reliant on the SLR-toting members of the group. Whoopsies.
The next morning, a surprisingly upbeat and fresh group began a tour of Cebu. Our first stop:
Kenneth Cobonpue's showroom and workshop
I'm not the biggest fan of minimalist design, but some of his stuff was just undeniably pretty. See for yourself:
A bed inspired by the architechture of the Hagia Sophia. Awesome.
Lighting is important. Kenneth Cobonpue knows this, apparently.
I'm not sure if this is the piece they were referring to, but the chismis is that Brad Pitt owns one of these.
Cuteness. This.
I like beds, can't you tell?
For lunch, we were taken to where they make The Greatest and Best Pork in the World. Blogger Marketman, or Joel, which is about as much as Google knows about his real name, made some of his infamous Zubuchon, along with some other non-porky dishes for the group.
Dude. Duuuuude. Duuuuuuuude. The lechon was like... like if traditional Cebu lechon and lechon kawali had babies. Flavor from the bones, with crispy skin because they make hundreds of tiny little holes in the pig prior to cooking.
Duuuuude. And the little one? Truffle lechon. I'm going to say that again: truffle. Lechon. The man is insane. Like, seriously, who thinks of this stuff? It's like bacon ice cream. But, you know, good. Or lechon sinigang. Stuff you'd never put together.
Oh. Wait a minute. That's lechon sinigang right there. Cue a round of maniacal laughter.
The aforementioned non-porky stuff
After lunch and what can only be described as a food coma, the group was shuttled off to, um, a jewelry store. That makes pretty things. Like rings and pendants and bangles. Yeah. But the real highlight of the trip lay outside the factory:
Sheep. On someone's front lawn. There were two, actually, but this one was closer. Too bad he wasn't looking.
The rest of the trip was pretty much downhill from there. Because really, sheep. Sheep.
I should end all posts with images of sheep.
For more non-sheep-related information, you can call the Radisson Blu Hotel at +63 32 402 9900 and look for Ms. Mary Joan Danao, who is a lovely, patient person, who managed to deal with a group of 20 squealing journalists for a full day without wanting to stab any of us, or so I'd like to think. Tell her Gaby sent you. You can also visit the hotel's website if you want to make your own blog post of what [Insert Your Name Here] Saw/Did/Ate.
