Twin Pines Suites Tagaytay

by Michael Martin

We passed this bed and breakfast last December and felt so at home with the modern minimalist design of the hotel. It was a mom and pop as far as we could tell, and I had interviewed the owners a little. Sadly, the material is not enough to put on a review but the place is such a good deal that I think I’ll make up for it.

First off the place was the owners previous country home, and they had renovated it post retirement. I do not have enough pictures of it, but what I have I think will suffice. I do things better when it’s enfolded in a story so I think I’ll do that now if you don’t mind.

Heidi and yours truly spent the morning racing around Manila and did some crazy shopping and pampering. Afternoon arrives and we get a text message from MJ and Jocelle asking where we were. The other members of the erstwhile Team Fuji were indisposed and after the funny incident of hide the cars in the Ayala Center parking lots we hooked up at Glorietta.

The drinking session began at Guilly’s G5 since we were too pooped (that’s what we thought) to move the cars or try and go anywhere else. After a languid session of around nine vodka Ices, six lite beers, two towering frozen margaritas and a plate of pork sisig, we ran out of smokes. On the way down Saldy confirmed that he was in the area already and we picked him up. RJ arrived soon after.

The drinks were done, and there was discontent brewing. We ended up kidnapping Saldy and RJ. It was one o’ clock in the morning by this time.

The best idea we had was the Twin Pine Suites as no one was liquid anymore and all we had were credit cards. So off we went in our tanked up buzz and devil may care attitudes to the friendly cold slopes of Tagaytay City.

The owners picked up the phone on the first try, and although it was such an ungodly hour were so accommodating (I do not recommend this, please be considerate) to these eclectic bunch of travelers. We were given the list prices - Heidi and I were in for 3,500.00 PHP and MJ, Jocelle, Saldy and RJ decided to take the double at 4,500.00. Since we were leaving in the afternoon, Instead of a usual 12 hour plus 24 hour charge, the owners charged a single day. Word to the traveler, most places are hard-nosed about these types of stuff. You find someplace as customer friendly as Twin Pines, go get them more patrons. There is more than ample space for parking, which means you won’t have to worry about your ride too if you wished to crash and hide.

Ohhhs and Ahhhs followed suit as the group went upstairs and were given a small tour of the area. We were housed in the Longleaf Pine and Loblolly Pine rooms. The rooms had dark stained wood motif and were all warm shades of brown and beige. The interiors looked like five thousand peso rooms you would find along the same stretch of the highway. The bathrooms are well maintained and have cold and hot water. There are LCD televisions in the rooms and have cable if you’d ever need it. There are books in the rooms, and they are serious entertainment let me tell you.

Despite the strong pull of sleep, we were suddenly animated and in discussion. Heidi and I shared a smile. We didn’t fail the gang. MJ saunters over to our room and upon seeing the veranda asked if we could still stay there despite the lateness. The owner assented and off we went, in high spirits and hope of continuing our nicotine induced madness.

The garden was so welcoming and friendly. We didn’t notice it was almost light as we caught up on stories, recounted old ones, made new memories and hoped for kind futures. I’m not sure if it was Heidi or Jocelle that mentioned it was near six in the morning, and we all trudged back to our rooms. I am not really sure if they were sleepy, as I sure wasn’t.

I was up by nine thirty in the morning and woke Heidi up for breakfast. The Twin Pines serve great tasting breakfasts with good service from their friendly staff. We decided to forego the dining area and had breakfast in the garden instead. The choices were either the standard Filipino silog fare or American continental breakfasts.

The place felt so warm that I was reluctant to leave in the afternoon. I’ll be back again that’s for sure and drink the place up.

Great price, great service, warm and friendly people, what else would you want from a vacation spot? Thank you Twin Pines! Four stars by my book.

You may contact the Twin Pines at:

Twin Pines Suites

185 Aguinaldo Highway, Maharlika East, Tagaytay City 4121

Mobile: 0927-8747199

Telephone: (046) 544-0265

Email: twinpinessuites@yahoo.com

Happy Returns

Our lives are composed of acts, that when strung together make up a lifetime. Every moment is a choice; fear or courage, indecision, coherence and all else – acts. We never really know what happens next, fate may lay waste to the best laid plans or may reveal after a long and winding bend, dreams further than our wildest dreams.

I wrote this nine in the morning as we were in the garden of the Twin Pines at Tagaytay. Poetry would lead me to say as usual that I am a victim of circumstance in this case, but that would be both contradicting and self serving. Also the tale is not mine. Not entirely. It’s mainly about someone else’s son. It just so happens that I consider him partly mine too.

A boy had left my orbit years ago. He left quietly, so opposite from the noise of his arrival and his intervals with me. I found myself talking to a young man last night. Somehow he learned what I sought to teach, but I think he may have figured it out himself. We never know what life brings, what we do with it is take it the best way we can, and do it with our backs straight.

I said yes without blinking when he asked me to be a godfather in his wedding.

from October 2008 *(Heidi’s Starbucks Planner) How Matt and Ivy came about

We were looking for our old photographs and found this. I think I posted this somewhere before I took all my blogs down. Reposting with minor edits.

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Sunlight filters through the curtain and lands like fluttering butterflies on my eyelids. It’s what passes for sunlight actually. The day is overcast, and it has been drizzling the entire morning. I stretch and groan, and my hands feel warmth; my heart skips a beat. It is still a pleasant surprise and I believe in my heart of hearts that it will always be so. I open my eyes a fraction, and yes, there she was. I hug her tightly and she smiles although locked tightly in sleep’s embrace. “Good Morning honey” I croon in her ear and she curls into my arms in reply.

Unimaginable really where life has led us. To the here and now. The cycles have been both kind and unmerciful. We had held on, and fought it out even as we fought for each other. We stood our ground, and somehow this storm left with us finding ourselves staring at each other in the wake of its passing. There was no spoken moment that defined capitulation. As it was always for us when things did happen, the bargaining is between souls. Agreement then follows assent. Soft eyes and silence. Fingers entwined. With that, commitment is given. More powerful than any spoken word to bind. To show up. Stay. Share.

I stand up, unwilling to leave the warmth of her side. She half mumbles, sounding the way she does when she pouts. I shake my head chuckling under my breath to not wake her up. She was still wrapped tightly in sleep’s friendly shroud. Which was good. She needed that more than she knew. I whistle softly as I proceed barefoot into the kitchen and turn on the percolator. I then start to make breakfast. Omelets, bacon, tomatoes and toast. I nod as an idea comes to mind; it would make a great story. Matt and Ivy. Somehow the morning seemed to be filled with promise. As full and varied as the aroma wafting from the small kitchen. Yes there is a fair chance. That everything will be alright.

Screaming Spots *circa 2005

harbors.beaches.cliffs.a lonely stretch of hardtop. anywhere isolated.

pebbles. and my heart.

i have prevented myself from going completely bonkers in the past through it. wherever life takes me, the first place
that i look for - a screaming spot. have a few of them scattered across the unfathomable miles. some i have not seen for
years, but still a part of my soul, and a part of me.

i had to one to talk to, or no one that understands before, and that became the spillway which i still cling on to, up to the
present, whenever there is something i cannot say. there i let it all out, mostly ending up panting and out of breath, on all
fours, clutching the ground and blinded by my tears. i have gone there with someone only one time  in these almost three
decades of being in this planet, although there have been a couple of  people who have thanked me for bringing it up,
according to these souls, having their own screaming spot kept them from the edge as well on a number of occasions.

how does it work? the two main ingredients are in the first two lines of the entry. then find time, or rather make time. ditch.
play hookey. it would be good if you had a journal or the like. each stone represents whatever you want to say or get out
of your system, and you hurl it with all your might as you scream your want, your intention, your hurt, your pain. it might
and it will feel awkward at first, remember though that it is your time and your hurt. let it loose. let it go.and do not cheat
yourself. oh by the way, cliffs might not be a good idea if it is your first time, i would not want you to jump off it if you get
too intense.

so scream.and scream till there is nothing else. scream until you are empty.

memoirs 09/12/05

WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND

WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND

Matt and Ivy

By Michael Martin

Matt slowly eased his car into the driveway and killed the engine. He smiled at the thought of the rest of the evening, glancing at the red Suzuki Swift resting peacefully on its 17 inch rims. “Boy she’s early today” he thought to himself as he gathered his belongings and walked the short graveled path to their front door. The Zen garden which he so loved he barely gave a glance to, hurrying as he was, it was a Friday, and sure it went all crazy just thirty minutes before he promised to do a hard stop, he was able to close it out. The work week is done, his Client happy, his Company quiet, and Matt on his driveway at six o’ clock sharp.

The television was off and the couch was immaculate in its black leather, new magazines and what looked like new books in a table beside the couch. There was no sign of activity during the day other than that. He took a couple of steps out into the hall and listened for noise near the stairs. Only a restful quiet greeted him. He didn’t notice a frown growing in his face, his jaw muscles clenching and a pout forming in his lips. Some weekend this is. He sauntered into the living room and was greeted with the same silence. “Kroatoan” was playing in his mind. He thought of turning around to change his clothes and felt the stronger pull of wanting to search the house first before doing so. Then a thought occurred to him. “What if - ?”

He slowly spun around, and killed the lights off as he passed them: dining room, hallway, stairs, and living room. He then went back and lit the light at the stairs again, noisily climbing up this time and opened all the lights in the master’s bedroom. Then he took his shoes off and hastily bounded down the stairs and out the front door. Catching his breath, he slowly traversed the left side of his house, his shoulder glued to the wall. There was a good five meters from the wall to the fence, but he took no chances. An evil grin was on his face, his eyes lit up with anticipation.

As he neared the edge, he slowly took a peek. Just as he thought, beside the pool and hunched behind the cabana, were Ivy, Carlitos and Isabel. The household helps and their driver were there too. They were exchanging glances and trying to keep the two toddlers from giving whatever they were planning away. Carlitos and Isabel were so excited that they literally looked like they were tensed springs as they crouched. He went down on his haunches, really worked up now. Crawling slowly to where they were, he was just not noticed in the middle of their anticipation. He finally reached them, and leaning over, he whispered: “Who are we waiting for?”

Carlitos answered: “Dada”

He asked again: “We are waiting for me?”

He was watching Carlitos intently and saw the boy mouth a “Yes” and then began to stiffen up. His smile was wide on his face as he watched his son slowly turn, awareness dawning in his wide eyes.

“Dada! You cheater! You were supposed to go through the door!” Carlitos screamed as he jumped his dad, simultaneous with the surprised exclamations of the household. He rolled on his back and embraced the boy, chest to chest as he laughed like a bear. Isabel squealed “Dada!” and leapt to his arms as well. Tears were in his eyes from laughing as the kids mussed him up. Then he heard a familiar voice in his ear, as lips grazed his cheek. “Welcome home Dada.” It was Ivy’s sultry voice welcoming him home, completing his universe and making life worth living.

Techno Major Geek Mode

The dour thing about owning IPods is that if your media library wasn't set up properly in the first place is that you will be spending a crazy amount of time trying to put it correctly from that point onwards.

I've spent the last two hours setting up my iPod. The princess? She's still arranging her songs. Tee Hee

Sucker Punch

I went to see this movie without the benefit of any web research. I saw a part of the trailer on those LCD televisions that establishments use for bombarding our heads with further capitalist propaganda than anyone had ever thought possible. After seeing a young woman wearing that kind of a uniform and brandishing a katana who would not want to watch that movie? Oh please, like I was the only one who bought Anne Rice’s Belinda or Nabokov’s Lolita. Plus it felt like a PlayStation game on cellulite.

From IMDb:

Sucker Punch

PG-13

Action, Fantasy, Thriller

Release date: March 25, 2011 (Philippines)

Writer: Zack Snyder

Starring: Carla Gugino, Emily Browning, Vanessa…

Genre: Action, Psychological thriller, Thriller,…

Producer: Jim Rowe, Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder

A young girl is institutionalized by her abusive stepfather. Retreating to an alternative reality as a coping strategy, she envisions a plan which will help her escape from the mental facility.

I was wondering five minutes in if I saw the rating correctly (PG-13). I think I was. Boy, I wonder if the parents (and the kids) followed the undercurrent, or saw it as another play to bend reality and not get taken in by what the film was trying to say. The other thing is I maybe too perverse and it is scary to think about being able to catch a lot of that through my filters. It was a pretty sick plot, with the stepfather obviously having relations with the lead (Baby Doll) and committing her to a mental institution that did unspeakable things (Yes they weren’t mentioned but clearly alluded to) to its patients.

The movie carries through on its promise to be an action fantasy thriller. It’s 109 minutes of in your face adrenaline rush.

The fight scenes were really good, although the only one I did like was the first one. The CGI was great and the sequences were over the top, which was a testosterone boost. Pair it up with sexy young women with their puppies almost popping out and you have lift off baby. Well you could say that I’m a sexist pig, but this was one for the Cro-Magnon vehicle all the way. The movie sells big action scenes, allusion to sex, skin, skin, skin, and then some more skin.

Welcome to the 21^st century.

Oh, the soundtrack was freaking great!

Three Stars out of Five Possible

Trying to Write

It’s always good to know in your heart that you have published works that you’ve been paid for already. It gives me comfort. I’ve broken the barrier, I’ve proven that I can do it. But knowing this is sometimes very aggravating since I wrote about pain and loneliness.

I’m happy now. And consequently there is a lack of truth to write about what I did before and tell myself that it works. It does not.

I’m restarting this blog yet again for the nth time these last three years trying to find the direction I should be in. It’s three days and still no go.

I miss Lalaine.

Quiet Saturday Morning Drives

Early morning found Mikey on the C5 highway driving to Taguig. I was to show Jet the finer points of HDMI connections, which was what you ought to have when you prefer watching and listening to the great trash metal bands on your rest days.

The roads were quiet with very few cars on them, which reminds me why I fell in love with driving when I was younger. It was a pleasant morning, that I found myself a little saddened to reach my destination so quickly. Time and everything else flashes by so quickly that you need to always be aware to try and live in the moment.

It something I have yet to learn. Thank God I have Heidi by my side.

Drone Drone Drone

The afternoon was a departure from the usual. Believe me the usual is a monotony we call our life. It’s fun, and is everything I ever wanted. But the princess (Heidi she calls herself) thinks life is dead without variety. Poor me. I’ve caught the dream and she decides that lack of choices makes for a very lackluster life. Good thing she doesn’t feel that way about the man she loves.

So the break we got was courtesy of her physical therapists Mitch and Deng. They joined us for an early dinner at Dencio’s Bar and Grill. It was a treat and good fun. They were funny and refreshingly different. I have to hand it to Heidi – the variety is something I should welcome. So much for the uptight Mikey.

So we were watching this Meryl Streep movie about a cook in the late 1940’s. Alternating in the cut scenes was a modern day blogger working through the former’s published cook book. The movie was going quite well until Heidi picked up on the blogger. With a wicked glint in her eye she starts getting on my case.

Which is why I’m penning this down while she watches the movie for me. Sheesh. I understand it though. If it was so good, then why don’t I write about it? I guess I will.