Giselle Open Rehearsals

Katherine Trofeo as Giselle

20, July, 2013 was a busy day for the staff and dancers of Ballet Philippines. They have decided to show excerpts of the company's season opener for its 44th season.

The Willis

Giselle is the tragic story of a naive peasant girl who falls in love with Albrecht, a nobleman who pretends to be "one of the guys". He stays in a village in the guise of being a simple man with no rank nor power. However, his ruse is found out when a royal party wanders into the village headed by the prime minister and his betrothed, Bathilde.

The Willis

Giselle is distraught over the deception, loses her sanity and dies. The villagers believe in a myth that unmarried maidens who die ahead of their  time haunt the forests and grave sites at night exacting revenge on hapless men who cross their territory at night. Hilarion, who wooed Giselleearlier on, becomes the first victim. He is haunted by the Myrtha, Queen of the Willis, and the spirits of the unmarried maidens and dances himself to exhaustion. 

Katherine Trofeo as Giselle in a pas de deux with JM Cordero

Albrecht, beside himself with grief and remorse, visits Giselle's grave in the dead of night. He falls prey to Myrtha and the Willis. He, however, is saved from doom by Giselle who appeals to Myrtha for Albrecht's life. She dances in his behalf and attests her undying love for Albrecht and he is saved when dawn sets in and the Willis must return to their graves. Giselle and Albrecht dance in a haunting pas de deux and Giselle bids Albrecht goodbye forever...

Carissa Adea as Giselle

Giselle will be portrayed by Katherine Trofeo, Carisa Adea and Denise Parungao. Jean Marc Cordero  Richardson Yadao and EJ Arisola take turns to essay the role of Albrecht. Tim Cabrera and EJ Arisola alternate for the role of Hilarion. Madge Reyes, Rita Pinder and Macel Dofitas alternate for Bathilde/ Myrtha. Actors Bembol Rocco and Shamaine Centenerra-Buencamino portray the roles of Wilfred (Albrecht's friend)  and Berthe (Giselle's Mother), respectively. 

JM Cordero as Albrecht

Giselle's play dates are on the 16th, 17th, 18th of August, 2013 at the CCP Main Theater.

CERVESERIA

Salad with Pecorino cheese, arugula, grapes etc.*

I do not drink! I am allergic to anything with alcohol in it. But what am I to do when friends invite you to a restaurant with a name like this? You just take it is stride and show up for lunch.I was relieved though, that no alcoholic beverages were served with the food. You'll find CERVESERIA at the promenade on Greenbelt 3 right where the nice casual restaurants are.

Papas Bravas*

With a name like CERVESERIA, you would expect it to be a watering hole of sorts, wouldn't you? Yeah, you might. And it is, once the sun starts to set. But their take on Spanish food is quite close as far as authenticity is concerned. The flavors were surprisingly Iberian. I came a little late as I had forgotten about the lunch date so I missed out on the salad greens with Pecorino cheese. Can't give you a review on that one, sorry!

Gambas al Ajillo*

The Gambas al ajillo was superb, though. I love the taste of roasted garlic and the hot, sweetish taste of the pepper that flavored the olive oil it was cooked in. The shrimps were cooked rather well. And they were plump and juicy as they should be.

Calamares Fritos*

The Calamares, a perennial favorite, was crispy on the outside. The batter was light and not the usual oily breading that most of us have gotten accustomed to. They were tender and not rubbery, which means the right amount of temperature and time were used in creating the dish. The dip was creamy and had just the right hint of herbs and lemon juice to flavor it with... no, not your usual mayonnaise dip! I was relieved...

Lechon de Leche*

I thought all the servings were done Tapas style like they do in Spain but the Lechon de leche was a pretty  big serving for four people. The skin was crispy and the meat was tender and succulent as it's supposed to be. I only had to taste a bite of it so i won't over eat. It was delicious and not overpoweringly greasy. Still, i was careful not to over indulge on this one. It was good enough though, so i couldn't pass on this lechon. And there was plenty to spare so we had it doggie-bagged...

Paella Cerveseria*

Their take on Paella wasn't too bad either. They did not scrimp on the saffron nor the seafood in the dish. The rice was well seasoned and well-cooked. and the beans were crisp but not raw. Perfectly balanced flavor and color. What I missed though was the slightly overcooked rice that settles in the bottom of the paellera... TUTONG! I was sort of looking forward to scraping it off with my fork, but hey, the meal was near perfect... why fret?

*photos courtesy of Sarita Jovellanos

Modern Shanghai

Before you even think it... No, I wasn't on a trip!!!

I was with my friends. Mama June, Fides, Jojo and Sarita. It was Sarita's idea that we have lunch here.  And it wasn't a bad idea either. Modern Shanghai is a nondescript, well-appointed restaurant that serves updated Shanghainese food for the finicky diner of Chinese cuisine. 

You'll find it on the third floor of Glorietta 2. It's owned and operated by George Yang of McDonald's. I guess, it's their way of adding a new spin on their food empire. This one is a nice departure from burgers, though. Tastefully decorated and lit in amber tones, the restaurant looks really classy from outside. 

cold seaweed starter

Their food, needless to say, is GREAT! If you're not up on your Chinese cuisine... here's a little backgrounder. There are four types of Chinese cuisine: 1)Shanghai, 2)Beijing, 3)Cantonese and 4)Hainanese. Each cuisine has a specific quality that comes out when you try them. 

silken tofu in vinegar dip

Shanghai cuisine tends to be spicy as the region lies at the end of the silk road. Most of the travelers to China from the time of Marco Polo ended up in Shanghai where traders heaped up mounds and mounds of spices for trade or for sale. 

sweet and sour pork

Beijing cuisine has more of the herbs and aromatics mixed in their cuisine The region lies on the northeastern part of the Chinese continent where the climate is cold for most of the year. The food they cook up is mostly created from livestock and scented and flavored with lots of coriander and basil and garlic and ginger. Tasty, soupy cuisine and most of them has for the most part, warms the body on a cold day.

tofu in black vinegar sauce

Cantonese cuisine lies somewhere in the middle of the continent. There's more produce in this part of China. It only follows that the cuisine will include more vegetables and fruits. This takes into account the ingredients in most meals specially in the summer time when the produce is at its best quality.

shanghai fried rice

Hainanese cuisine is unique in that the region has a more temperate climate than the rest of the Chinese continent. The area lies at the southern portion of China's land mass. The cuisine therefore, includes a lot of sub-tropical ingredients... mostly peanuts.

steamed dumplings

Needless to say, the food in Modern Shanghai falls under the first category. But this restaurant makes it different in that the food is familiar but updated. No fusion here, though. It's Shanghai food with a modern slant. The menu offers a wide selection of viands from veggies to meats to seafood. Just look at the photos and you'll get an idea of what they have cooking in the kitchen. I enjoyed the food priced a little higher than the usual family restaurants down the halls. The servings are not too big but just right for five people to share. Worth a try... 

beef with leeks