August Milestones and Magazines…

If you haven’t already done so, pick up the August issue of the locally published Rogue Magazine. It’s the annual food issue and it’s VERY WELL DONE! Probably one of my favorite local magazines, the topics, writing, photos and features are all extremely interesting and I highly recommend it. And no, I wasn’t asked to mention this magazine, I just like it.

Besides some serious eye candy is some interesting food porn. A feature on Luis de Terry, the man behind the restaurant Lu, and for marketmanila.com regulars, you might be interested to see Chris Bautista, a long-time reader and commenter and recent eyeball guest who is listed among the seven private Chefs for hire. :) He is alongside his cooking partner, Chef Farah Tolentino-Ylagan, in the two page photo.

Today is my 47th birthday. As the Teen likes to rub in, it is the last year I can say I am in my mid-forties; after next year, it’s late forties and older. Frankly, I am just happy to have made it this far without serious incident of any sort. Less than 200 years ago the average lifespan for someone like me was probably just 45 or 47 years old, assuming I made it past childbirth and newborn illnesses/mortality. It seems infant mortality was very high in the early 1800’s, meaning overall life expectancies for people seemed wickedly low at say 30-35 years old… Today, doctors might say I have another 30 odd years left on this planet statistically (if I don’t smoke, eat lechon constantly and occasionally let off steam by blowing a proverbial gasket screeching at someone or something inexplicably dense)… so I have to figure out what to do with that remaining time wisely… I am a Leo and a Wood Dragon. I admit to many of the adjectives used to describe Leo-Dragons. :)

A significant part of the last seven years has been spent feeding this blog. It started in late 2004, and I have explored, recorded, photographed, written, ranted, raved and responded to comments for the past 2,500 days, give or take a few, including some brief hiatuses in between. I just checked the statistics, and my 3,000th!!! post passed unnoticed about a month ago. Three thousand bloody posts! That’s roughly 1.2 posts per day on average every day for the last 7 years! If I only wrote 700 words per post including comments, that would be two million words I have typed over the years. Also amazing is that readers have sent over 101,000 comments or roughly 33 on average per post! Sure there’s been a lot of useless drivel and fluff along the way, but there has also been an incredible amount of information shared in both directions, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have commented over the years for adding so much more to the posts on this blog. THANK YOU! And to the 95+% of you who tune in and NEVER comment, I hope you get just a little smattering of the guilts today…hahaha. :)

Which brings me to the August issue of Town & Country, Philippines edition. Marketman is mentioned as one of the 101 People You Must Meet Right Now… how amusing/absurd is that? Readers of this blog probably know more about me and my quirks than some of my relatives! Over the years more than 100,000 readers have probably happened by for a post or two or even three thousand! I know I was only included in the dubious line up of T&C as I know several of “The Panel” of ladies who drew up the list. They just wanted to embarrass the heck out of me by doing that. So Margarita, Sevrine, Lizzie and Monique, wait till I see you next… :) The mention had to do with Bourdain and lechon, so if I were to be quoted today, I would say “See what happens when you play with your food?” Hahaha.

As if local exposure wasn’t enough, I also rated a mention in the August issue of Esquire magazine, in the U.K. edition. That was a result of a hastily arranged dinner hosted by Margarita Fores to feed visiting writer Tom Parker-Bowles. I was just the sidekick to Margarita, the hostess that evening. The article is a gritty one, but in the end probably very good publicity for the Philippines and Philippine food overall. Many thanks to the Department of Tourism folks assigned to the Philippine Embassy in London who so kindly sent me a copy of the magazine by airmail. Salamat.

So it’s been a wild and crazy August (and year!). If the Zubuchon restaurants ever stabilize (in 2021 maybe), I think the one last thing on my food bucket list will be to compile a list of favorite Pinoy recipes and finally publish a book. I might not sell enough to pay for the cost of the book, but it will be a fitting conclusion to the blog, whenever that happens… Thanks again for coming along for the journey. I am now officially on a quiet “day off”.

P.S. If there is one regret for the past year, it is that my series on credit cards started earlier this year was interrupted or overwhelmed by circumstances (travel, university tours, restaurant openings, etc.) and some of the RANT in me was lost or dissipated with the passage of time. “Horrible Service Bank” and the two densest and dopey-est bank officers I have come across in the past decade, consider yourselves lucky to not have faced a rant when it was fresh in my psyche. But if I manage to find the time in the months ahead, I WILL TRY TO FINISH that credit card series, if only to educate the consuming public.

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Marketman

Marketman is a well-traveled management consultant who loves buying, cooking and eating good food. Read more »

166 Responses

  1. Happy Birthday MarketMan. Glad to be a blog regular and I am extremely happy to have attended two Lechon Eyeballs. More Power!

  3. Happy Birthday Sir! Thank you for sharing so much of your time to all of us who crave for your thoughts on food and almost anything else under the sun. :-)

  4. Happy Birthday to my favorite blogger (no bull, seriously you are my hands down favorite)!!!! Good food, good meat, good health, good God — let’s eat!

  5. Wow! Congratulations MM for being in the list as one of the “101 people we must meet” and I felt honored to have met you during the Zubuchon opening.

  6. Happy Birthday MarketMan! Thank you for maintaining your blog! I really love it here. All the information that I get are really helpful. I really, truly appreciate the back and forth interaction between you and the other readers. And yes please, compile your favorite recipes. Bibilihin ko yung book niyo, if you write one. Hahaha! :)

  9. On your 47th, don’t you feel you are ” on the edge of your glory”? ….and you will be reaping more blessings for your hard work and passion. You are not a Leo for nothing! Happy birthday!!!

  11. Many happy returns MM! All the best, cheers!
    Your readers will definitely wait for your book :)

  12. Happy Birthday! Tsu Ni Sheng Ri Kwai Le! Zum Gebursctag wiel gluck! Maligayang Kaarawan! though I don’t comment as much as the other regulars I would like to thank you MM for all of the informative and entertaining posts the past 2 years (that i’ve been reading)! I hope you and Marketmanila have more fruitful years to come! :)

  14. From one Leo to another, Happy Bithday, MM. Thanks for all the recipes, priceless info and sharing yourself. What a wonderful site and blogger.

  15. Extremely privileged to be part of your life and blog for the last seven years although have to humbly beg for your (and the readership’s) forbearance for my share of the fluff and drivel and the occasional descent into the gutter. You have never failed to energize me.

  18. To my fellow Leo, Wishing you nothing more but blessings for good health and success in all of your endeavors. Happy Birthday and enjoy your day!!

  19. Happy birthday MM, your blog always make my day. When i am really depressed and down, all I need to do is click on to your website and I am in another world. You never knew what you did to me in a personal level. Your blog is my therapy.

  20. Yipes! Why must you foist upon your readers the 2nd photo!? I’m a little bit mortified MM, but very honored. Thank you.

    And Happy Birthday! Wishing you a day of abundance of all the things that make you happy. Oh what the heck, make that a year, ’til the next one!

  21. Happy birthday to my favorite blogger. Not a day pass in the past six years or so without me checking your blog for new post and comments. I wish you more birthdays to come and may you continue sharing us your knowledge, and I wish you loads of good health and good wealth for years to come.

  24. Happy birthday MM. May God bless and keep you more. Your blog is a fine example of entertainment-education. Keep it going.

  25. happy birthday, MarketMan!!! keep ’em blogposts coming… cheers!!!

    “See what happens when you play with your food?” = LIKE!!! :)

  28. Happy Birthday! You are really one of a kind – A big Thank you! Take care!
    P.S. Please, finish that Credit card series. ;-)

  30. Wishing you a wonderful birthday, MM! Thank you for sharing your blessings not only to us your readers, but also to others like the children of your feeding program. Not only is your blog informative, but also very inspiring.

  32. It’s my birthday today so it must be yours too. And, there is another August 20 co-celebrant: filet mignon :) Happy day to all three of us!

  37. Happy Birthday MM! I will forever be your humble follower. :) The shirt, the signed bag and the signed magazine will always have a special place in our house.

  38. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MM!!!

    This post is (one of the many) reasons why you should be SECRETARY OF TOURISM!!!
    hehehehe

    Met Chef Chris at the last eyeball, and small world, he’s the cooking partner of my niece, Chef Farah.

  39. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU…HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU …. HAPPY BIRTHDAY…HAPPY BIRTHDAY… HAPPY BIRTHDAY MM……

    May you have more. God Bless You and your loved ones always…

  41. Happy Birthday, MM! I wish you good health, peace of mind and joy, not just today but for the rest of your life. I look forward to visiting Cebu again so I could try freshly cooked Zubuchon (the frozen one bought from the airport is delicious and I imagine the freshly cooked one to be even more so). Today is also my birthday :-) Is there a website from where I can order Zubuchon for a party on Friday?

  42. As today is your actual birthday,I want to greet you the 2nd time……

    HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MM!

    Hope you have a wonderful day!

  43. Happy birthday MM!! Just finished chatting with a buddy whose based in Cebu. She was making me jealous by telling me how many times she’s been to both ur zubuchon outlets!! Grr. I will get there someday!

  44. Happy Birthday, MM! Have a great day today and every day… and please delete the word “conclusion” from your vocabulary when referring to this blog. Gives me anticipated-missing blues! More power to the best blog in town!

  45. Happy Happy Birthday MM! Don’t mind the number of your age. I’ve been a regular lurker for about 4yrs already and in my observation, your work, porjects and articles just get more and more interesting. You’re definitely like wine.. .you only get better with age. Thank you so much for keeping your blog going and sharing a part of your life with us.

  46. I haven’t been commenting for quite some time, sort of joined the overwhelming majority. :P Nonetheless, Happy Birthday MM! Kudos to all of what you’ve done and achieved this year and past. I dream of a time when Filipino cuisine will be recognized (as one of the world’s great cuisines) for its virtues and other positive attributes, and with yours and other “food ambassador’s” efforts, that doesn’t seem too much far off. Of course, I must hasten to make my own contribution, and I can only dream/hope to reach a food “rockstar” status of your caliber, haha! And that UK article would definitely move some minds (and stomachs) to give our food a try :D Enjoy your day off!

    P.S. Do work on the cookbook. A good majority of your reader (commenters or not) would probably get a copy, and then egg others to do the same out of sheer enjoyment. I most certainly would. :D

  57. Happy Birthday way manok naay baboy pulos tambok… happy birthday walay manok naay baboy pulos bukog. a visayan song for u , MM. hehehe.

  58. Happy happy birthday Marketman! :) My friends and I have followed your credit card series, being young professionals who need that sort of guidance. Hope you’ll be able to continue it in future :)

  61. Happy birthday Marketman! Will be going with the wife to Cebu next week to eat at your Zubuchon resto! Dream come true!

  63. Happy birthday MM! Haven’t you heard…40’s is the new 30’s — so you’re just as young as you were a decade ago !

  64. warm greetings again, MM!! thank you for the tireless posts–your blog is a gift!

    Wow to ChrisB!!

  65. Happy happy birthday MM! May God continue to shower you with more blessings and good health…

    I remember following your blog even before i got married, now i’m waiting for my firstborn to make a debut, i’m still an avid follower. Marketmanila has helped me in a lot of ways, from recipes, diets, market price studies etc etc… Thanks for inspiration! More power! :)

  67. Hi, MM. I noticed on that cover image of Rogue you posted that Clinton Palanca wrote one of the pieces. I used to love reading his columns in the Inquirer. My friend Manolo even gave me a copy of his book “Mad Tea Party”. Then he seemed to disappear from the face of the (written) earth. Is he a regular contributor to the magazine?

    Thanks!

  68. happy birthday, MM! may you have many more years to share your time, recipes, opinions and whatnots! :-)

  70. Happy birthday to you, MM! Interesting – yesterday was Pa and my youngest sister’s birthday while the other day was my birthday. And like you, I’m also a Leo-Dragon. :D

  71. Happy birthday to the man behind the only blog that i read! ThAnk you for maintAining such an often amusing but definitely educational blog. Learned a lot specially food suppliers, most recent is the soft shell crab, will get my order tomorrow! :) stay healthy, keep writing and i look forward to your cookbook!

  75. why don’t you celebrate with us your birthday next year by publishing your collection of recipes!But that doesn’t mean its the culmination of everything yet–okay?
    Happy Birhtday and may your wishes (and ours too) come true!

  78. best wishes on your birthday marketman! thank you for continuing to be a giving person. you inspire us to do the same.

  80. Happy birthday to the other MAN in my life. hehehe. Thank you for continuing this blog. Life could not have been the same without MARKETMANILA.COM
    I have learned so much and have helped me in my culinary journey. I wish i could meet you in person someday!

  81. Many happy returns of the day MM.
    I am so glad my sister in NJ told me about this site. Like my daily dose of vitamins, it is part of my daily routine. I have met you personally and have been to Zubuchon many times.
    More power! God bless.

  88. hihi, i guess im part of the 95% – reads daily but seldom comments, but since its your day, let me post one here~~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARKETMAN!!! Cheers! :mrgreen:

  90. MM I am watching the junior masterchef philippines edition specifically to catch you.

    Just saw you a couple of times!!! You were wearing a brown short sleeved polo. Looking good and fit! I just wished you had agreed to be on the show longer so that I can see you more on TV. Still , I understand your choice, seeing you is already enough for me even for a short time. :)

  92. happy birthday Marketman! :) i’ve been more of a lurker for years and i still backread everyday. really cant get enough of this blog. :) i keep telling my husband that should we find ourselves in Cebu, Zubuchon is a must. (i think i mention this to him once a week, hopefully he gets the hint. haha. )

    p.s.
    saw you on Junior MasterChef a few minutes ago! :)

    Maan

  94. Happy birthday mm. Btw saw you (very briefly) on junior masterchief pinoy edition’s primier.

  95. Hi, MM! Happy, happy birthday… :) enjoy the last of your middle-agedness… may you continue to enjoy good health.

  98. Hey you’re a Leo-Dragon, just like my dad! Not implying anything here hehe. Happy birthday! =) Incidentally, it’s my cousin’s birthday today as well.

  99. Happy birthday MM!

    I’ve enjoyed tagging along on your adventures, and yes, have muttered and fumed when you ranted.

    Thank YOU for the education and the entertainment :) looking forward to the next 3,000!

  102. HAPPY BIRTHDAY,MM! YEAH…I concur with Junb….YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!

    Footloose…I have learned sooooooooo much from you as well ….waaaaaay a lot more than all my English profs. combined! YOU ROCK, too!

  104. Happy Birthday, MM, and congratulations, for all that you’ve achieved in life so far — including the mileage that this blog has had! I had been away for quite some time (an odd couple of years), and just recently returned to this “community” of active discussants, occasional commenters, and a vast, silent majority (I imagine) of lurkers.

    It’s really interesting how your blog has fostered a complex relationship between foodies — albeit largely anonymous to each other — that cuts across different territories, cultures, generations, with its respective preferences and prejudices, et cetera.

    Thanks for putting it all together for all of us. Keep it up! (the blog, i mean… hehe)

  110. From one wood dragon to another, happy birthday MM. Thank you for making my retirement bearable and productive!

  111. Happy birthday MM! and all those celebrating their bday today and the rest of the month of august :)

  112. Gefeliciteerd, as they say here in the Netherlands! Happy birthday to the only blogger whom I read every day! Wishing you many, many more happy returns – and wishing us, your readers, many, many more years of MM blogging!

  113. A very Happy Birthday to you MM. May you have many more food , fun-filled and fullfilling years ahead! 15,000 posts to go?! Ha ha, one day at a time…

    If the raving response to Zubuchon was a surprise for you, wait till you finally publish your book. Or books. We don’t necessarily have to go to Cebu for that!

  116. Happy Birthday Mr. Marketman… You are one of the reason why I am so proud to be a Filipino :-) Thank you for making our Lechon well known all around the world. Truly, you are one of my inspiration to become more passionate about our Filipino Cuisine. My favorite part is when you blog about filipino food and trying to make it just like our Ancestors made it a long time ago. Kudos to you, your family and especially to your wonderful Staff!!!! Have a great a wonderful birthday :-)

  117. Maligayang Bati. Wishing you what your heart desires. May the Lord bless you always with peace and happiness. Sincerely from Singapore…

  118. MM, awfully ‘sweet’ of you…. THANK YOU! Will set out to buy some nice bread so I can treat myself this am :))))

  120. Happy Birthday Marketman! I have been following your blog since ’05 while studying in North America, working in Japan and now back in Manila. Out of your 3,000 posts, a good number served as salve for my homesickness while I was away and many more gave me ideas when entertaining. I always wondered about what could I do with those mother of pearl plates, your table setting posts gave me excellent ideas. Thanks Marketman! I hope I can book a party in your verandah setting one of these days!

  121. Happy birthday, MM! Have an awesome year ahead. Will wait for that cookbook to be written and published!

  122. I missed your birthday :( because our server was down but anyway here’s wishing you good health and more blessings……Happy Birthday, MM!

  125. Happy Birthday Mr. MM. I’m one of the quiet majority of readers. Like Meg (#19) your blog brings me to another world. Good food is universal, but you made me love Filipino food more. I felt panic when you planned to stop blogging. Thank you very much for continuing this blog. Hope to read 3000 more!!! Your cook book will be a treasure to own.

  129. Happy birthday, MM! You can’t be 47! You look a lot younger. Let’s just say– you’re 30 with 17 years of experience! Hahaha!

    Thank you for posting my brother’s (ChrisB) photo from the magazine article. I’m a proud ate. :)

  130. Happy Birthday MM. I am a regular visitor to your site and learned a lot but I keep mum about my comments, enjoyed all your blog.

  134. Hi MM – from one wood dragon to another – wishing you a wonderful, healthy, joyful year ahead. Just finished celebrating my daughter’s (Aug 18) and husband’s (Aug 21) birthdays.

    Life begins at 50! Look forward to that!

  142. You’re on the verge of being in your late 40s?!!? No way!!! you still don’t look a day over 42. But I attribute that to your eyeglasses. Now, if you only got laser eye surgery, you’ll probably look a few days younger (disclaimer: if i said anything more, i might be accused of being super sipsip/bolera which is how i “bribe” you for a good review as i don’t have money and which you wouldn’t need anyway).

    Happy bday again to us, MM and myra_ps! And I can’t believe I’ve already met the guy who has been highly touted as THE person everyone should meet now. That means, I have arrived. woohoo!!!!

  147. Belated happy birthday, MM! Always praying for your good health. Thank you for taking the time to share so much of your knowledge here in on your blog, without asking for anything in return. As showbiz lingo goes, “More power to you!” : )

  148. Happy Blessed Birthday, MM! May God Bless you with your Heart’s Desires! Thank you for this wonderful blog! Even if I and my children are vegetarian, I’d still buy your cookbook. I’m sure it will still entertain, inform and be filled with your personality Ü Your cookbook would be great to give to friends & relatives as well Ü

    Congratulations on your many milestones, too! I’ve also recommended Zubuchon Mango to balikbayan fam going to Cebu over the weekend. Can’t wait to hear their comments Ü I may never taste your lechon but I happily recommend it to meat eaters haha.

  150. Hej MM,

    Belated Happy Birthday and many happy and healthy returns of the day! Thanks for this birthday treat – to read more about you and your passions outside of your blog is always an interesting angle to follow. I’ll check if there is Esquire here in Stockholm.
    Cheers!

  153. Happy birthday Marketman! my husband reads you, hehehe. Am excited to go to Cebu next month to finally try Zubuchon! Cheers

  154. I saw the T&C article online, you and A/M L are all there! Heehee.
    Happy Birthday MM! Cookbook for the 10,000th post!

  155. I’m guilty of not giving any comments as I used to 3 yrs back during the time when I spend most of the time in the office just surfing the net hehe. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MM!!! You can’t imagine how much your blogs is influencing my life and now my starting married life (I was single when I started reading your blogs back in ’08). More Power and God bless!

  156. Belated Happy Birthday MM! Maybe its time to get that Porsche which you’ve mentioned you’ve always liked! Yahoo!

  158. Happy Birthday, MM.. may you (and us, your readers, through your documented culinary adventures and passion for a life worth living (and eating, haha!) have many many more days and years filled with deliciousness!

    Cheers!

    Teddy

  159. Belated happy birthday MM! Thank you for enriching our everyday lives with your daily posts. Here’s wishing you good health in the years to come!

  160. Belated Happy Birthday Marketman!
    Your blog has kept my appetite continuously teased and intrigued for the past 3-4 years!
    Maraming maraming salamat!

    Man, I’m hungry!

  162. Belated Happy birthday sir! I pray that the Lord will bless you with good health, good life and all the desires of your heart. :) I am one of those who visit your blog daily but commented only twice. I have seen a Zubu Liempo along Mindanao Avenue and it always reminds me of Marketman and Zubuchon. GOD BLESS po

  164. belated happy birthday MM!! i happened to surf the net just today bec i have no internet service for the past 3 days. if u finish the credit card series educating us blog readers do consider the internet service here in our country!! China by far has the fastest internet i have encountered in my lifetime. next will be singapore. hopeless na ba tayo?? happy birthday again and thank u for reading my rant. hahaha!!

  165. Belated happy birthday MM! As always, I wish you and the rest of your family the best of health!

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