The Business of Eating

:::Got Food?:::

It's been a very busy week for me. I got called all of a sudden to do interview with very well known chefs in Iloilo for Mezzo Mag. Suffice to say, it is a experience (some bad i.e. like not being prepared enough, and some good because of the stuff I've learned). In any case Chefs Ramlo (who hosts a local TV show) Miguel (of Esca's and Afrique's fame) and Tibong (an Iloilo legend with dozens of recipes in each restaurant, they opened my eyes and let me glimpse into the varied world of being a gourmand and good eating.

Things I learned while doing the interview:

1. Never forget the basic questions. Its a good thing I got their numbers and asked them to send me their resumes.
2. Have a recorder. I thought tapping my laptop keyboard furiously while asking questions would do the trick, but didn't. Well, it almost worked, if I can accept the fact I had to type "shorthand" and had to translate from gibberish.
3. Out of the box questions are the best, as long as it pertains to the matter at hand.

As this was my very first interview, I think I made a good job, and with a very short deadline (actually I had to ask for three extensions) coupled with the regular workload, I think I've cut it very fine.

Find out more at this September issue of Mezzo Mag, the food issue.

:::Best. Movie. Ever:::

Well, not really, but definitely this year's top Sci-Fi film, and I would stand by this when compared to Star Trek and the travesty that is Transformers.

District 9 is a gripping story of a love, hate, racism, greed and terror of the unknown. From the start of the movie, you are starting to feel tension, as if somethings going to happen but you don't know what it is. Then, after the EVENT, you're still in tension but reaching new heights, as you don't know what's going to happen. No spoilers here. But this is the most realistic movie in terms of the human behaviour and its shortcomings. There are no pretty moments, everything is what you see what you get, which is down and dirty.

And the aliens are not the pretty boys like Trek or made of pure awesomeness like the Autobots, they're buglike to the point of being cockroaches. But in the end, they also show us that outer skin is not a judgement for personality, but what's inside that counts.

Watch this movie now. You'll not regret it.

:::In the Line-Up:::

I had chance upon a good selection of books on sale, so once again I'm a happy hamster:

The Dark is Rising, five books for a very good price
Strange Brew, a collection of stories from today's victorian steam-punk writers.
H.G. Wells complete collection, in Hardbound form (woot!)
The Pendragon Cycle: Taliesin, Merlin, Arthur by Stephen Lawhead (very nice)

State of Mind: Recovery Mode
Song of the Day: I'll Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie
Book of the Week: Going Postal by Terry Prachett
Want or Need: Path of the Destroyer Cards