Your mantra for the week: “As I sow positive thoughts, I reap untold blessings.”
Why should married couples have a separate rooms—for his, hers and theirs? Last week, I said I would be explaining why this has become necessary, and how it opens doors to greater harmony and happiness for couples.
Besides giving the necessary space that people need to stay healthy and happy, they provide the platforms for individuals to maintain their authenticity, preferences and tastes:
1) Oftentimes, couples have different choices of TV shows or even the kind of music they would like to listen to. If he and she have different rooms, they will have a chance to enjoy their personal picks.
2) The cause for many divorces in the United States is snoring. As I mentioned last week, sound sleep is of utmost importance for health, and snoring can be the worst of disturbances.
3) How can one talk to God when there is someone else listening, especially if the problem is the one around listening?
4) There are people who want to chant, or say their mantras aloud, while their partner prefers to meditate quietly, or one needs his/her own space to do this effectively.
5) There are those who want the lights turned off, while their mate might wish to have some light on the whole night.
6) Ultimately, it has been shown by psychologists that moments alone are of great importance for mental and emotional health. Also, as mentioned last week, both parties sleep better when sleeping by themselves.
7) It is more exciting and gratifying for intimacy when there is a “theirs” room, because one can prepare to look his/her best for those highly anticipated moments.
That is why I teach prosperity, so that one day, everyone can afford this so-called luxury, which, for expanded happiness, is a necessity.
‘Peri-peri’ good
Your last chance to view Portuguese artist Arlinda Frota’s ceramic paintings will be at Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza until June 6. Frota says she likes working with porcelain because of the special light it emanates.
Portugal—known as Europe’s West Coast—is also in our consciousness partly due to Eduardo’s Peri-Peri Flame-Grilled Chicken, which opened on the second level of SMDC Light Residences in Mandaluyong, as well as its outlet in Newpoint Angeles, Pampanga.
It promises to be all over the metropolis by July.
The restaurant chain is a partnership between Joseph Calata of Calata Corp., the biggest distributor of agro-chemicals, feeds, fertilizers, seeds and veterinary medicines in the Philippines, and Eduardo Viterbo, a star in the hospitality industry who owns a chain of restaurants in New Zealand, namely: Thai Street, Red Crab, Grasshopper and Golden Silk.
Eduardo’s Peri-Peri is described as a fast casual dining place. What makes it different from countless chicken restaurants in the country is its use of an African bird’s-eye chili—a distinct variety of spiciness which makes it easy to call this Portuguese-inspired chicken as “peri-peri” good.
Ultimate partners
Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Effie Ben Matityau and his wife Lizia Lu—former Panamanian Ambassador to Vietnam where they met, fell in love and married—are now, in my opinion, the ultimate partners in diplomacy. Lizia was once the Second Lady of Panama, but I consider her the lady who comes first in many ways.
On May 23, the Philippines helped celebrate Israel’s 69th Independence Day at SMX Convention Center, McKinley Parkway in Bonifacio Global City. It also turned out as a tribute to the Philippines to commemorate the time it welcomed Jews fleeing the holocaust in World War II.
Ambassador Effie thanked the respective families of the late Presidents Manuel Roxas and Elpidio Quirino for their generosity of heart in welcoming the Semitic community to the Philippines.
Hebrew song
The SMX program touchingly featured “The X Factor Israel” season 1 winner Rose Fostanes, who sang a Hebrew song about hope and peace. It was followed by a dance number depicting Philippine-Israel relations.
Seen enjoying the evening’s festivities were friends of Effie and Lizia, like Rene and Ann Puno; Princess Merriam Kiram of the Sultanate of Sulu; Cory Quirino representing the Quirino family; Ambassador Rolando Alvarado of Panama; Singaporean Ambassador Kok Li Peng; Suzanne Jocson Bangsil, whose calling card reads, “Behold Israel”; Chito Limcaoco; Joseph and Nel Calata; Parker Ong; and honorary consul for Monaco, Fortune Ledesma, who was distributing Israeli products by Bio Marine. The beauty products, such as the Firming Face Serum and Protective Dry Cream, looked very promising.
Till death do them part
The fun and funnier side of the evening was when Ambassador Effie and Foreign Affairs special assistant Enrique Pingol proposed a toast, and a cake was brought in for them to cut.
Anthony was wondering whether they would kiss each other and promise to love and obey for better or for worse, in sickness or in health, till death. One thing was sure, though; we all got cake.
‘The Angry Christ’
If you missed the limited run of the stage play “The Angry Christ,” then you can add it to your list of regrets for not seeing Philippine theater at its best.
This new play by Floy Quintos is not only remarkable, but is flawlessly directed and choreographed by Dexter Santos, and supported by designers in production, lighting, music and video by the likes of Gino Gonzales, Monino Duque, Krina Cayabyab, Steven Tansiongco and Josef Garcia.
The whole cast deserves an award for best ensemble, and a distinct trophy for Nel Gomez who played the lead character.
Tats Manahan must get special congratulatory merits for her artistic techniques and the gathering of Alfonso Ossorio’s body of work.
Doing the country proud
I don’t know what it will take to bring this gem of a production to the Cultural Center of the Philippines, but I will do my very best to tap the proper sources to give this masterpiece of theater to a bigger audience, if not to the whole country.
It will probably further enrage “The Angry Christ” if it does not come to pass.
