KVETCH...KVETCH...KVETCH
ET TU, LJC?A few months back, I lamented the downmarketing happening all over the district of Malate. Gone is the neighborhood's gentility as the age of the karaoke jolog now descends upon everything like a noisy fog. It appears that the entire neighborhood unanimously decided to aspire for a lower standard - save for the exceptions of Penguin Cafe, Oarhouse, and Cafe Adriatico.
Unfortunately, that list must now be revised. It seems that Cafe Adriatico has decided to shed it's classy image and join the rest of the kabaduyan (tackiness) which surrounds it and "reinvent" itself as something more and "appealing" to a "younger" market. Although the food might be the same, it's the little details which were changed that alter the entire image, ambience and experience of Cafe Adriatico. I mean really, it was already bad enough that they changed the downstairs flooring from the lovely original vigan ones to the current beige bathroom tiles but why - oh - why in heaven's name did they change the waiters' uniforms to hot orange (top photo, corner) and dispose of the lovely menus with the charming drawings of the Fondue girls (above)? What were they hoping for? That we would look at those butt-ugly cheese ball uniforms/powder blue clip art menus and say, "Wow! Look! How trendy! Gee! Now I'll definitely come back more often!" Who was the monkey who thought of this? Was he the same primate who designed their clunky website? They both seem to have a common color and theme. And the images of the Fondue girls were so iconic, practically the logo of Cafe Adriatico. Don't even get me started about what a mistake it was to get rid of them. LJC, these are majorly majorly wrong moves, dudes. Rethink your strategy. Do you still want to maintain yourselves as the touchstone of bohemian sophistication in Malate or do you now want to be a Jollibee? I think the answer is easy.
posted by carlosceldran @ 9:34 PM
13 Comments:
It is an open fact that the dictatorial regimes in Iran and Syria are the main sponsors of the Hezbullah terrorist gang in Lebanon. Such despotic regimes have cooperated in training and backing-up such terrorist gang which has undermined and weakened the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and, obviously, is right now threatening to destroy Israel’s own national sovereignty. Israel was recreated in the 1940s by the properly-civilized international community as a legitimate nation in accordance with international laws and principles. So, it seems that the dictatorial regimes in Iran and Syria are not observing international laws and principles by backing-up a terrorist gang which has a clear intention of destroying the state of Israel. With such policy, the dictatorial regimes in Iran and Syria have become “actual aggressors” working for the destruction of the sovereignty of the state of Israel. Hence, the dictatorial regimes of Iran and Syria are clear violators of interntaional laws and principles. The U.N. Org must now impose further punitive actions against the dictatorial regimes of Iran and Syria for being aggressor-states against the sovereignty of both Lebanon and Israel. The wise citizens of this world must peacefully and lawfully pressure and urge the U.N. Org to impose tough and punitive sanctions against the dictatorships of Iran and Syria for supporting the inhumane terrorist actions of both the Hizbullahs and the Hamas all over the Middle East region. The dictators of Iran and Syria are real aggressors in today’s world.
Sometimes I wonder why the U.N. Administration doesn’t impose punitive sanctions nor make condemnations against dictatorships which do obvious crimes against many countries of this world. Such dictatorships are aggressor-governments which commit various crimes against humanity. The U.N. Org should promote real and global democracy, that is through peaceful and lawful means, to every social organization, every country and every culture in this world. Such is one of the ideals of “political abrogationism”. The readers of this message can know more about political abrogationism by just “typing” the word “political abrogationism” at any internet search box that is available right now. In simple words, political abrogationism wants to peacefully and legally abolish all types of dictatorships, monarchial reigns and despotic regimes all over this planet, so that this world can gain real, global and moral democracy. Support political abrogationism now!
^^^can you just ban that thing on top^^^??
Actually, I do have the automatic spam blocker so this fool is really going out of his way to type out the letters himself.
I really think he is hilarious more than anything else.
Let the fool be.
Ooooh. Orange uniforms. How "appealing".
I clicked that link on Cafe Adriatico's site and concluded that only an idiot would put on background music on their site. It's the easiest way to make me navigate away from there.
Besides, it doesn't work completely (some stupid database error), so all I see are the navigation menus. Stupid.
oh no the pinera-meister strikes again!?@#$%^ dude, we so don't care.
maybe that thing on top is the reincarnation of a political version of a larry cruz -- the wannabe 'abrogationist' punk of malate.
it's hard to say what one should do to the karaoke jologs growing like barnacles on the sidewalks of nakpil, adriatico, and remedios. and what's painfully clear is that the tendency of people to just crowd themselves into the narrow and cramped spaces of the establishments catering to them, has reached breaking point, and it's really a pity as to why LJC has succumbed to the jolog season. maybe the 'good' mayor should develop that area of the service road between max's and magsaysay center to accomodate that crowd, so that there's much more space for them to park their cars or to get off the jeeps and taxis on either m.h. del pilar and the service road in parallel routes, as it were. that way, the crowd profile between baywalk and if there were to be a similar development across the boulevard would suit everyone in a more harmonious gimikan for all by the bay setting.
i've only been to the oarhouse once and i loved it. the people there just kind of stick to their own business and chat discreetly. the music they play is great, too. nothing imposing. i even caught ma'am sol vanzi there that night. charming.
gosh, carlos celdran talking trashy cheap here.
Goodness gracious! I've talked trashier and cheaper before for sure.
:o)
even the first (and best) sidewalk BBQ spot, EJ's across Tia Maria, expanded, changed ownership, and just plain lost all semblance of its former grill greatness.
boy, Carlos, how I miss the Malate of '85-95, when the original Penguin, Moviola, Patio Mequeni, Camp Gourmet, Cafe Hippo, Weinstube, Rosie's Diner, Firehouse, Insomnia, and that safari-themed bar with sand (!) for flooring ruled the roost.
no cheesy psychedelic streetlights during that bygone era of romantic walks along the practically deserted streets of Remedios, Adriatico, and M. Orosa.
now, they're just quaint sepia-tinged memories. sheeeesssshhhh!!!
laos na ata taste ni larry cruz e.went to cafe africana ba yun sa tabi ng havana.when we went there isang table lang ng mga noisy koreans and me n my 3 friends lang....sigh.indeed...malate is losing its charm.syet!from the way i see the crowds,i would rather drink markang demonyo sa labas ng bahay namen kasama mga kapitbahay. la na difference when you check out the same crowd guzzling the beers there in malate.
susmaryasantisima trinidad! kung mayroon pang mas makakapanindig-balahibo't makapang-uusok ng ilong kay sa mga tambay sa libertad-pasay na inilipat ang inuman session nila sa mga lugar tulad ng cafe adriatico ay ang mga turistang koreano na hindi yata alam ang ibig sabihin ng civility. i would even dare say that they don't have it in their vocabulary.
irrespective of the places they go to or hang-out in, they're always rowdy, noisy, provincial and downright barbaric. if i be accused of being Caesarianly pompous of my views on these trouping trollopes, then so shall it be. God bless those who can stand them, they have more patience. I have none to offer this sub-species.
At the risk of sounding racist, I rather agree with daniel regarding the Korean invasion.
I, too, miss the old bohemian days of Malate, frozen margaritas at Penguin, baked beans at Camp Gourmet, the humongous beer mugs at Third World Cafe, and even the raucous nights at Blue Cafe.
Nowadays, well...these infernal Korean karaoke monstrosities pockmark the once-genteel face of Malate.
I can only hope for another Malate renaissance. Till then, I lament its passing.
Post a Comment
<< Home