Of Thai spa and Chilean wine

Oriental Spa

A WELCOME addition to the over-stressed executive and the ladies in pashminas is the newly opened luxury spa at the Mandarin Hotel aptly called The Oriental Spa.

After a grueling day, you can look forward to two hours of massage, facials, herbal steams in an atmosphere of Thai style and elegance pampered by professional therapists.

The Oriental Spa opened its doors with Thai Ambassador Lt. Ravee Hongsaprabhas, Rep. Teddy Locsin and his wife Louie cutting the ribbon, assisted by Mandarin Oriental GM Helmut Gaisberger and Sporatathlon MD Anthony Tottman.

We always thought of the Philippines as a laid-back place but not anymore. Guy and Claire Owen's company, Fitness First, runs several spas at JJ Summit, Discovery Suite and The Spa at RCBC Plaza (with Vikki Aquino as club manager), but the flagship is at Mandarin's 18th floor.

You never know what you're going to pick up at these openings. For instance, you should be delighted to know that Jaime Dichavez is supposedly the newly appointed president of the Basketball Association of the Philippines and was last seen in Kuala Lumpur.

This is the same guy who used to make his presence felt at DOTC, what with all those telecommunication franchises scandals. Will someone please enlighten the benighted public as to the connection between basketball and telecommunications?

A luncheon preview of Chilean-French Fusion Cuisine at the Salon Carlos P. Romulo of the Prince Albert Rotisserie had all of us journalists (most of us like to eat, not cook) green with envy at Chef Cyrille Soenen's creativity.

While not too long ago all we knew were French wines, today Chilean wines, like the Merlots and Chardonnays of Viña San Pedro and Caliterra, have become familiar to Filipino gourmets.

Chilean treat

Chilean Ambassador Carmen Lynam and commercial officer Frank Tressler were on hand at the lunch to explain aspects of Chilean culture.

Aside from flan and banana fritters, we have classic empanadas in common with Chile, but Chef Soenen's stuffing of duck liver and breast was an inspiration, as well as his rock lobsters in corn parcels. Difficult now to remember that it was the Sept. 10 and everything seemed so normal.

Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines (everyone misses the old name Friends of the Cultural Center of the Philippines) held a thank-you lunch for members of the press at the Mandarin Oriental, announcing their plans for the remainder of the year, that includes the November ball originally titled "Two Thousand and One Nights" (in view of recent events, they had better change its theme, pronto).

In the meantime, by whatever name they go by, the group continues to support young and talented musicians through its Predis (Philippine Research for Developing Instrumental Soloists) scholarships and its outreach programs Sining at Kultura Para sa Lahat initiated by president Thelma Gana.

Given the support by the FCCP ladies, the Manila Youth Symphony Orchestra has evolved into a revived Manila Symphony Orchestra. It's possible some of you remember the old Manila Symphony Orchestra and how Tita Conching Sunico tried her best to keep it going.

Unfortunately there just wasn't enough interest in the cultural desert along the Pasig. But thanks to Prof. Basilio Manalo and Sr. Mary Placid Abejo, dean of St. Scholastica's School of Music, FCCP and other generous patrons, the MSO (II) had its inaugural concert at Andres Luna San Pedro's lovely St. Cecilia's Hall Auditorium on Sept. 1, more than a decade after the original MSO was silenced.

The most touching moment came when Professor Manalo handed over the baton to conductor Jose Arturo Molina. No one could have been prouder than Cez Manalo, her son Ino (slated to be the next president of the Metropolitan Museum) and president of the MSO Foundation Chito Madrigal Collantes. Wishing them the best considering the state of the arts these days.