Tantingco: Lost in New York

FOR someone who’s in the United States for the first time, a theatre in Colorado showing Dark Knight at midnight isn’t the most dangerous place in America. The New York City subway is.
That subway is really old (built in 1869), really complex (468 stations connected by 1, 355 kilometers of tracks), and really busy (3,000,000 passengers on one Saturday alone).
If New York City is crime-infested, you can imagine what it’s like beneath it, in the dark and dingy subterranean transit system, where thousands of criminals, drug addicts and psychopaths lurk like rats and roaches in the sewers.
That’s where I got lost, on my first trip to the United States last October. It happened, of all days, on Halloween, when millions of costumed revelers were taking the subway trains to attend the world’s biggest, most boisterous Halloween celebration at Greenwich Village, the cultural district of New York City.
New York was actually just a two-day stopover between Boston (where we visited Harvard) and San Francisco (where we visited Javier Nepomuceno, eldest son of HAU founder Don Juan Nepomuceno). I was determined to take as much bite as I could of the Big Apple.
As soon as we checked in we dropped our luggage and headed for Times Square just a few minutes’ walk from our hotel. Times Square is the most visited tourist spot in the world, beating the Parthenon, Taj Mahal and Vatican City. By day it’s just a busy intersection, but by night it turns into a magical place of neon lights that shoot up to the sky, digital billboards as huge as buildings, and partying that lasts till the wee hours. No wonder it’s called The City That Never Sleeps.
Right next to the Times Square is Broadway, the heart of the American theatre industry. The marquees announced all the musicals that were showing at the time: Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Wicked, Rock of Ages, Sister Act, The Lion King, Godspell, etc.
In front of Broadhurst Theatre where a show called Hugh Jackman Back on Broadway was running, a small crowd was waiting for the star to come out after a performance. I told myself “I’m only here once” and joined the crowd.
After a few minutes the star of X-Men, Van Helsing and Kate and Leopold, Mr. Wolverine himself, emerged from the door and started signing autographs. No one shrieked (New Yorkers are supposed to be blasé about celebrities), but I wasn’t from New York so I shouted, “Hey Hugh! Here!” He turned and came to where I was. I told him, “I loved your hosting of the Oscars!” He looked at me and said, “Oh, thank you!” (Too bad no one took our photo for Facebook.)
The next day was Halloween. We were up early and went straight to the Empire State Building, then hailed a double-deck tourist bus that took us around Manhattan. We got off at the Esplanade along the Hudson River for a view of the Statue of Liberty, then walked over to Wall Street, pausing for picture-taking at the iconic Raging Bull sculpture.
Right in the heart of the US financial district, just a stone’s throw away from the world’s largest stock exchange, was an old Presbyterian church called Trinity Church (built in 1698 and rebuilt in 1846), surrounded by an old burial ground with tombstones sticking out of the grass. I couldn’t believe that such a heritage site exists in New York City.
This church became refuge for panic-stricken New Yorkers fleeing the debris cloud when the first tower collapsed during 9-11. From the church it was just a short walk to Ground Zero, where we said our prayers. The place was all boarded up for construction so we didn’t see the exact spot where the World Trade Center once stood.
It was from there that we took the subway. First we went to Madison Square Garden, then we went down to take the subway again, bound for Central Park.
The crowd in the subway was unusually large and unusually rowdy. I was surrounded by ghouls and goblins, Supermen and Spidermen, which were all headed for the big Halloween Parade at the Greenwich Village.
My two companions and I were making a dash to the subway train, holding our plastic tickets and poised to swipe them at the turnstile, when Snow White cut my way. I let her pass and that act of chivalry cost me a few precious seconds. I saw the train door close, my companions and Snow White safely behind it.
And then it hit me: I had been left alone in the busiest subway in America at the busiest hour of the busiest holiday of the year! My new SIM card didn’t have my companions’ cell phone numbers and I didn’t have theirs.
I expected to have a panic attack to be followed by a heart attack, but strangely, I remained calm. I knew they’d wait for me at the next station.
I got on the next train, but missed my companions on the next stop, got back on the train, missed them again on the next stop. I was still not worried, because New York has excellent city planning, with avenues arranged vertically and numbered from right to left, and streets arranged horizontally and numbered bottom to top. My hotel was near the intersection of 10th Avenue and West 57th Street.
To cut the story short, my companions and I were reunited on 72nd Street, on Central Park West, near Strawberry Fields, the garden dedicated to John Lennon, who was killed across the street near his apartment at Dakota Building in 1980.
We strolled around Central Park, where Harry (Billy Crystal) met Sally (Meg Ryan) and where Woody Allen shot most of his films. It was late afternoon, some areas were still covered with snow from the same snowstorm that had struck Boston, and Halloween partygoers popped up at some unexpected corners. It was a magical mystery tour.
Then we toured the Museum of Natural History, where Ben Stiller and Robin Williams filmed Night at the Museum. I shared the elevator with a finalist from The American Idol, missed my chance to have a photo taken, then bumped into him again at the dinosaurs exhibit, where I finally had a picture with him.
I capped the night with my first Broadway musical, The Phantom of the Opera. I shelled out the equivalent of P7,000 for a balcony seat, but that didn’t prevent me from dozing off through most parts of the show, out of sheer exhaustion.
On my way back to the hotel I wore my Halloween costume (a cap with a bloodied hunter’s knife stuck through it). I had bought it for only 2 dollars, but I got my two minutes of fame when I walked through the crowd at Times Square.
And that was how I took my first bite of the Big Apple. I had been to the best cities of the world—Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Bangkok, Jerusalem, San Francisco, Boston—but, to quote Alicia Keys, “These streets will make you feel brand new/Big lights will inspire you/Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York…”
New York is my favorite city in the world. I love its energy, its diversity, and the fact that everyone living there has come from somewhere else.
And people will let you be yourself in New York. For example, when I was lost in the subway there was this guy in hobo suit who was talking to himself. I was the only one who cared that there was a loony in the train, until he smiled and told me, “I’m rehearsing for an audition.”
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/opinion/2012/07/24/tantingco-lost-new-york-233666
Yeng steers Painters to Game 1 triumph

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — “Allergic” to fixed match-ups but with a flair for excellent defense, Vice Governor and champion coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao on Sunday evening led the supercharged Rain or Shine Elasto Painters to victory number one, trouncing the battered B-Meg Llamados, 91-80, to win their debut in the best of seven Governors Cup matches at the Smart Araneta Center.
Guiao, a Pampanga First District congressional aspirant and branded by his circle as the 2013 “CCC” [Champion Coach and Congressman], sent the Elasto Painters into a “rampage” all throughout the four quarters, proving he was the unbeatable “stroke artist” pushing the advantage in transition and a merciless running game that gave the Llamados very slim sights on the basket for a lead, ending the first quarter at 18-16 and the half at 35-39.
Even B-Meg coach Tim Cone seemed to have been worn-out with 7:23 left in the fourth quarter, throwing a monoblock chair into the hardcourt in protest of a lack of a foul call for a driving James Yap.
With Cone ejected, the B-Meg coaching team with Jeffrey Cariaso took over the game marked by several skirmishes, but succumbed to Guiao’s “no luck factor” tactics as RoS pulled away at 74-64.
“Everyone will find these finals games very physical. But we are prepared physically and mentally and we would have to do something about problems in rebounding,” shared Guiao, adding “I’m proud of the boys. They were able to handle the pressure in the finals and the way we played our defense in the second half.”
The Elasto Painters have beaten the Llamados twice in the elimination round and in the semifinals last Wednesday, but Cone expects a series to be a long battle.
He admitted that Rain or Shine, with its bevy of strong backcourt players and a powerful import in Jamelle Cornley, even as the team is rookie-laden, is a “tough matchup” for the Llamados.
Cornley scored 25 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, pouring in 13 points in the pivotal third quarter where RoS reclaimed the lead. Rookie Paul Lee banked in 14 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Gabe Norwood gave the Painters a lift with 10 points, mostly in the last quarter stretching the lead to 83-65 with 4:14 left.
Yeng’s RoS shot 51.5 percent from the field and with almost perfect defense, held B-Meg to 39.5 percent. Lee and Cornley put the finishing touches in the game, icing it respectively with a three-point shot and a tomahawk dunk.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/sports/2012/07/24/yeng-steers-painters-game-1-triumph-233668

Clark Wine Center is lauded by wine and food lovers from Manila and tourists from abroad as the best place to buy wine in Pampanga or Subic or Tarlac. Wine lovers from Manila as well as visitors to Clark Philippines from Asian cities visit this famous wine shop in Pampanga to buy vintage wines to enjoy here in the Philippines or bring some back home with them when they leave Pampanga.

Recent opinion survey of frequent travelers heading north towards Subic and Clark Pampanga revealed that the number one most frequently visited wine shop in Pampanga is Clark Wine Center located in Clark Philippines. Reasons given include good selection of fine vintage as well as affordable wines for everyday drinking also. This wine shop also has a beautiful roof deck lawn which serves as a nice venue for outdoor alfresco dining, cocktail parties and small functions and events. There are five large wine cellars that contain some of the world’s finest wines and rare vintages as well as wines that are excellent value that every wine shoppers love to discover. This wine shop in Clark is frequently visited not only by local residents but also tourists arriving in the Philippines looking to pick up a few bottles of good wine that are not normally available in their home town.

Subic is well known for diving, the sea and water sports that come with the territory. However one thing that Subic is not famous for is dining options. For years, visitors to Subic have complained about the quality of the restaurants and dining establishments but it is only until recently that travelers to Subic discovered the best restaurant to wine and dine, even for visitors with families and children. Now most residents of Subic and also Tarlac and Baguio know of this wine shop in Clark as the best place to buy wines in the Philippines and certainly the best wine shop in Pampanga, Angeles City, Clark Philippines.

Clark Wine Center was built in 2003 by Hong Kong-based Yats International Leisure Philippines to become the largest wine shop in Philippines supplying Asia’s wine lovers with fine vintage wines at attractive prices. Today, this wine shop in Clark Philippines offers over 2000 selections of fine wines from all major wine regions in the world. As a leading wine supplier in Philippines, Pampanga’s Clark Wine Center offers an incomparable breadth of vintages, wines from back vintages spanning over 50 years. Clark Wine Center is located in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone adjacent to Angeles City, just 25 minutes from Subic and 45 minutes from Manila.

Wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, Loire, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Alsace, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa, Chile and Argentina etc. are well represented in this Clark Wine Shop.

The next time you are in Pampanga and are looking for things to do in Clark Philippines spend some time to do a little wine shopping at the most famous wine shop outside of Manila called Clark Wine Center. One of the favorite places to visit in Pampanga Clark Freeport is the white building along M A Roxas highway of Clark which houses over 2000 selections of fine vintage wines. The Clark Wine Center is one of the places to visit, a tourist spot and a good shopping place for those staying in Angeles City, Subic or Clark Pampanga.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Click here to contact Clark Wine Center in Clark Pampanga for inquiries and orders.

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023

Tel: 0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Road, Ortigas Centger,
Metro Manila, Philippines 1605

Tel: (632) 637-5019 0917-540-3626 ask for Rea or Chay

Log on to this web site for more information about Yats Wine Cellars as the leading wine importer and wine supplier in the Philippines:

ats Wine Cellars Leading Wine Supplier in Philippines

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

Yats Leisure Philippines

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. Highly recommended fine dining restaurant in Manila for special occasion is Yats Restaurant & Wine Lounge located in the famous Mimosa Leisure Estate in Clark Pampanga. Situated near this popular restaurant in Clark is the Mimosa Golf Course as well as the Mimosa Clark Casino. This top rated restaurant near Angeles City Pampanga in Clark Philippines is frequently used for private parties and corporate functions such as board meetings and other gatherings. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

Besides good restaurants to wine and dine near Manila, Subic or in Angeles City Pampanga, Clark Philippines, those requiring assistance for hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines may log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com for more information and reservations.

The lifestyle in Clark Pampanga is quite unique. For more information about shopping, sports, golf, leisure, hotel accommodation, where to see and visit, what to do, where to wine and dine and good places to hang out, relax, have a drink with friends, child-friendly establishments, log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

Wine lovers looking for a special bottle or something that is of great value and special discounts might log on to this web site to shop for fine vintage wines
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

Those visitors who plan to relax and unwind in Angeles City, Subic, Pampanga, Clark Philippines might make an effort to book a room at the famous beach and lake resort Clearwater Resort & Country Club. This famous hotel in Clark Pampanga is frequently visited by families with children looking for a good place in Clark to see, a good holiday destination for the family to relax and unwind in the beautiful outdoor facilities. For more information, log on to www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com