I arrived in Cebu on Wednesday to prepare for the Saturday Marketmanila.com eyeball. The first thing I did was take everyone in the office to see the new James Bond film “Quantum of Solace”. I thought “Casino Royale” was a far better movie, but never mind, James Bond is still James Bond. Inspired by the movie, one of my office colleagues decided to doodle with their photoshop or other photo software, and morphed Marketman’s face onto Daniel Craig’s body, results in the photo above! My apologies to Mr. Craig, but I am totally disclosing this is an altered photo, and mean no offense to Craig or Bond. But this just proves you can’t trust photos of folks you see on the net. Gosh, this was so much easier a diet program than several visits to Vicki Belo and 300+ hours of working out in the gym, and this took less than 30 minutes to do, I gather. I would give anyone 20 lechons if they could assure me the same physique as Mr. Craig, in less than 3 months time…
I may not even be a distant cousin of Mr. Bond, but I sure felt as busy as he seemed in the two-hour, action -packed film! Here are the behind the scenes shots of the day or two before the eyeball. First, the tents went up in the yard…
…and more tents…
…to create a space for a large buffet table and a long table that could seat some 50+ guests! The tent was there for two reasons, to ward off the noon-time sun if necessary, or to keep any brave rainshowers from dampening the lunchtime festivities… No eggs to the convent for fine weather, just another appeal to my ancestors who intervened with good weather the last time around…
Then we went to several markets and quite literally filled up the entire back section of an AUV! Note that the contents are some 3-4x the volume than that for the Anthony Bourdain visit a few weeks ago!
Then someone was dispatched to Naga City to pick up some FABULOUS tortas made by the mother of a marketmanila reader who is now based in Manila… and these were as dense as a brick and laden with all sorts of traditional torata ingredients including pork lard, tuba, etc.
Friday night we assembled several dozen floral arrangements for the tables and stored them in an airconditioned room overnight…
…relying completely on flowers found in the local market, at prices ranging from PHP12.50 for a bunch of burgundy mums to PHP80 for a large bunch of hydrangeas…
Arrangements were tested on the tables to make sure they were the appropriate heights and colors…
…then we had to grill pork livers to make Luzon style lechon sauce, chop up several lechon heads to prepare for a sisig the next day, prep other ingredients, etc. By 7p.m. on Friday, I was bushed and ready for bed… and I was feeling quite ill. But I knew I could will away any cold or flu, as the pre-eyeball adrenaline pumping through my veins is better than any medicine, and just hours later I would have to get up and make sure the eyeball went off smoothly… After all, you think a simple cold or flu ever stopped James Bond??? :) As for the weather, a rare storm signal hoisted over Davao and the same system headed to Cebu did not bode well…
35 Responses
Cool Bond photo of you..hahahaha. Love that. Mrs MM must be more in love with you!!! Didn’t expect you to be able to post anything due to your “busy-ness”. Am dying to see your EB photos. How did it go? Kuwento-kuwento. Will start praying now that the next EB will be in Manila and I will be included…Hope the weather cooperated.
he’s off and running!!! just like MM would! first i had to say,”who is that gorgeous hunk”? he looked familiar…alas, MM, maybe 309 and a half hours of work-out might produce a similar result…
just as gorgeous is the photo of the grilled liver!
my last thoughts at bedtime were of the fantastic 50 having a great time. this post is quite a treat as soon as i awoke..
pls.. post your pics.i’m so excited to read your stories about the EB.well, what can i do. i was with my niece , who took the entrance exam for Phil Sci… so many people that made me dizzy… sana, dizzy from eating lechon in Cebu na lang! hahaha
Ang saraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap! Mabuhay at maraming salamat sa lahat! :-)
uunahan na kita sir MM sa mga pics mo hahahaha. here are some of it guys.
https://edikdolotina.blogspot.com/2008/11/i-invaded-marketmans-kitchen.html
i can hear the burp from mr joey pacheco…inggit! :-S
Wow! The place looks so chic!
MM, Bless your heart for being a Classy Superman meaning you are quality host,so talented and can pull off just about any task!!
WOW!!! (yes, still glued to the laptop…) thanks for the loud burp, Joey!!hahah…and a high five and fist bump to Edik!!! now let me head downstairs and start my day…it’s saturday am, northwest, USA…sleep well, fabulous 50. i know you’ll have sweet dreams, too…thanks, MM!!
am so jealous with this…. have a great time with the EB and the flowers are fab!!!
look forward to the next posting!!
i am sure that your 50 guests had a fabulous time socializing and enjoying the lechon and all. can we see more pictures, please?
…woke up early …couldn’t wait to see the pictures!!!…made me mooooooooooore homesick than ever…next EB I WILL BE THERE!!!!!…I am giving my notice now to my darling hubby!
MM…whoa….to add to your 10 page resume….besides Lechon Sensei, EVENT PLANNER SENSEI!!!!…NATIE: don’t you think walang say ang mga apprentice ni Donald Trump?!?
Does anyone know the name of that “green ball” flower? Is that an annual or perennial? Is it similar to Flower in a MIst? I want to start looking for those seeds in catalogues…
James Bond aka Marketman is soo HOT HOT HOT. Iam a new blooger but I do look forward each day to get a dose of your site.NICE JOB!
nice james bond (kuning) photo, MM! boohoo, i’m so envious but will live vicariously through pics and posts about the cebu lechon EB. (slurp…already salivating)
Like your approach – entertained your staff including management and professionals I believe – first to a movie and get rejuvenated and energetic for the your main event Lechon Carnival – turning your place into magic kingdom Lechon! I like the all the blueprints of your event preparation including the tent, chairs, flowers, table covers, etc. Nothing could go wrong everything has been planned, drawn and attention to details. I just salute and salute you.
Just came back from the Bond movie. Not impressed. Who needs a grouchy James bond?
OMG, kalami sa torta!!!! hope you all had a nice time, kahit inggit kaming lahat na hindi naka-attend :-)
so excited for the lechon EB pics mm. Don’t get me wrong, flowers are really pretty, but nothing beats variety of lechon dishes in all its cholesterol glory!!! wooooohoooo can’t sleep till the next post
I second that comment maria.. bring out the swines..
bettyq, the “green ball flower” is called Balloon plant.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_physocarpa
Can’t wait for the pics!!!
i love sister’s comment! — that has to come from a sister.
the arrangements you have made for the EB are guaranteed to give the lucky 50 a fabulous time.
looking forward to the next EB and meeting the ultra generous and talented betty q.
True!!! Lechon Sensei!
And what yummy looking torta!
bettyq, i agree–MM is the quintessential event-planner! hope the next EB will fall on my trip home. this looks like a fun crowd, bettyq!
Wow, you lucky guys and gals! MM, when you have caught your breath and de-clogged the arteries, please plan one for the Manila-based fans, puhleeeeze!
Where’s the other Bond-MM photo?? That one was better!
Sister, we totally agree with you. Grumpy and no eye candy for the female fans. More undressed Bond shots please!
Am incapable of posting the photos I took yet, but will do so (including a video of steamy lechon butts – anyone have tips on how to load the videos from my camera online??) soon.
The lechons were crunchy, tasty and the other dishes (wonderful lechon paksiw, grilled shrimps, buttery corn, a kilawin na tanguigue that made us all sing, and that dessert buffet definitely made this the event of the year. It was wonderful to meet Lee and Frank-Artisan Chocolatier too!
Thanks Lojet for the Balloon flower info!!!
I most certainly agree Natie…it sure looks like fun and kenkoy crowd!!!….I am sooooooo inggit!!!!!!
oiiiiiiiii…. MM is getting popular with the girls now….
Just came back from the Lechon EB in Cebu. It was great. To say that the place and the food were excellent would be an understatement. The bonuses were getting to meet MM, Mrs. MM and the Teen, and the 47+ guests — MM’s fans and friends — and bonding with MM’s readers whom we had known only by their codes or pet names. It was like a community of MM fans/readers communing with MM as he showed us how to prepare the kinilaw nga tangigue and lechon sisig. After lunch, to give us a breathtaking view of Cebu City, several of us joined a tour up the Monterrazas de Cebu. The EB was also graced by Margarita Fores of Cibo and Frank of Artisan Chocolatier.
I agree, Moni. I am one of the few who was able to witness MM’s and his family’s hospitality and creativity shown on the flower arrangements down to the menu. I will never forget that EB held at Gourdo’s on my birthday that I celebrated with fellow food lovers and friends. Thanks, MM for that experience! :D
1. Love the balloon flowers like betty q. Was looking for a close-up. =)
2. I thought the liver was a ceramic leaf decor! Hahaha!
3. Quantum of Solace was a waste of “Bond-ness”. It was just another not-very-brilliant action movie.
re Bond movie….a tv movie critic whined that the trade-mark theme song wasn’t heard til nearly the end of the movie—it didn’t get good marks from her either..
Photo looks cool! With Christmas and New Year coming, that’s wishful thinking MM, good luck though.
Wow, MM, ang bata mo pala … or is that the photoshop?
I watched Casino Royale again before going to see Quantum of Solace this weekend. On its own, QofS is a lesser movie, but if you go into it with the mindset that it’s a continuation of Casino Royale, enjoy na rin.