Merkado in Art District

The inspiration to write has a switch. But unlike switches wherein you can just press up or down to turn it on, writing belongs to a different kind. To turn it on is like yawning when you feel sleepy. Or running when a mad dog attacks you. Or singing when you hear (or at least when I hear) this on the radio, "When I think of home I think of a place where there's love overflowing..." The process has been like that. Today, I get back to write because I found this beautiful place. I was lost along Lacson Street way past Robinsons Mall, walked under a gloomy sky, when I saw this signage, Merkado, within Art District. No one was inside. That made it more interesting. 

 Inside, this met my eyes.

I have always loved wood furnitures so I stayed and checked the menu. And the music commanded me to stay.

It was cold outside and even colder inside so I decided to get a hot drink - hot cocoa. It was heavenly. And easy on the pocket. And you have the option to use honey as sweetener. Honey, it was so good on the palate. I want more warming, so I ordered, fish tinola.

And yes, they have red rice. In fact, they have black rice too. 

 

This afternoon is about two things. Getting lost but finding one great place to dine. 

Gay Marie

I call her with her Gay Marie. She calls me Jay Cris. When Mel and Jay, two famous tv show hosts, parted ways in television, Gay and I started our toastmasters journey in 2007. Our first meeting was very memorable. Well to make it more vivid. It was embarrassing. It was one Friday evening. She delivered a speech. I was her evaluator. She was so full of energy and honestly she was already very good for basic speech project number 4. I tried to match her being articulate and energy, I opened my evaluation with my usual loud voice saying, Good evening TM Gay Marie Gane. She was single at that time. When suddenly all barangay toastmaster members chorused in telling me - Gane! I was silent. Well, I was embarrassed. Moral of the story, you can never be too good with names. Most of the time, they are so tricky. Since then, we became inseparable as hosts. When Riverside and Barangay did joint meetings, such as during Buwan ng Wika meeting, we took the role as toastmasters of the evening. Perhaps we complemented well, that fellow toastmasters took it to a higher level. When Division D hosted the Midyear Convention in 2008, we hosted together the Masskara themed Fellowship night, where Marty Go of ABS CBN did an ambush interview after the event. If Mel and Jay watched that interview, they would have realized, they did what was right - ended the show. In with the new, out with the old. We journeyed together in our respective toastmasters life. We both became Club Presidents in 2010 where she led Barangay to achieve Presidents Distinguished Club. It was also in her term as President that BTMC turned 50 years. But I tell you, she is not as old as her club. We became Area Governors also in the same year, 2013, the year when both of us stopped competing with each other in a Speech Contest. Simply because we are not allowed to compete. Otherwise, we are always on the same stage trying to outdo one another! Those were the very rare moments that our friendship is put on hold! We don't smile at each other and no one accepts any beverage even for free be it coffee or juice if it comes from me or from her. In other words, stay away from your enemy. If its contest time, its friendship over for us! But of course whatever the results of the contest, we became friends again! We both suffered from short-term memory loss. I must say though that she is undeniably the best table topics speaker of the division! That being said, she became Division Champion in Table Topics three times. A record for any toastmaster in the division. And in 2014, she won 1st Runner Up in National Table Topics Contest. She was also Division Champion in Evaluation and Prepared International Speech. To complete her collection would only be one, being a Division Humorous Speech Champion. Who knows, next year, she will be. Now that she is taking another toastmaster track which is on leadership, I couldn't be more proud. I know she will leave beautiful memories and legacies as a leader as she said, its now time to give back to the organization that she loves and she works full-time even without pay. In fact if her efforts given to toastmasters will have monetary yield, undoubtedly she will be the richest toastmaster. Her passion is flaming hot that its very very contagious! Her passion is the energy that drives excellence and superior results! Fellow slaves and servants, how about a big round of applause to our Division Director, very soon to be Distinguished Toastmaster Gay Marie Gane Tiu!