Being Josh Aviñante

After four months of recovering eternally desecrated self in the beautiful Withsundays in the Island of Lindeman, where I worked in Club Med as a Demi Chef G.O., two years of ordeal in Sydney and a total of three years procrastinating on the city of food and culture down under, I touched down in Melbourne on February of 2012.  It was summer and supposively recovering from that scourging Victorian season but it felt cold coming from the steams of Northern Queensland.  Almost immediately, I found a job as a casual chef ... ... This article was rediscovered on June 5, 2021. It was originally written on May 15, 2018 12.33 PM. However, I remember writing this in 2012 in Melbourne, a few months after the demise of Club Med Lindeman Island.

It was cold and raining in Sydney when I left that fateful day for an island in the Witsundays hoping for a new start. Among the excess baggage I carried with myself was a prized red towel, a jersey from a failed relationship, fear of people in the industry and most important of all, running into the same problem, that is people with a penchant for verbal abuse and who have contributed to my feeling of self worthlessness. However, the first sight of this beautiful paradise shed away a few doubts, well at least as it appears to be. You can never underestimate the power of reality to search and destroy. The welcome letter from the company gave me an idea that this would be a different experience. Indeed, the first sight, as we approached the harbour, was a group of enthusiastic GOs waving at us for our proper welcome. In case you wanted to know, GOs stand for Gracious Organizers, to realize later that some disgruntled elements in the island would refer to as Generally Obnoxious, lol...

Dear Diary, I saw Carla today. She is soooo cute!!! Kaya lang, she thinks I drink too much! So from now on, Goodbye Vodka! Goodbye Rum! Goodbye Johnny Walker! Goodbye Merlot! Goodbye Carbernet Sauvignon! Goodbye Pinot Noir! Goodbye Beer! Hmmm ... Goodbye Carla! Hehehehehehe!

Dear Diary, I saw Carla today. She is sooooo cute!!! Kaya lang, she might think I'm fat. So from now on, Goodbye ice cream! Goodbye croissants with butter and marmalade! Goodbye pan cakes with maple syrup! Goodbye bacon! Goodbye sausages! Goodbye beer! What? No more beer????!!!! Hmmph! Goodbye Carla!!!!! LOL

Dear Diary, Today, I sit here at the hostel lounge waiting for check in time, which will not happen for another one and half hour.  Until then, its quite nice to sit in a couch again daydreaming, doing nothing and generally being unproductive.  The fast pace of life in the hospitality industry, excacerbated by an expensive Sydney lifestyle, has trained me to live like a horse, just running without looking backwards or sideways, just forward without you knowing if your horseman (life) is leading you to a triumphant march into a conquered city or a suicidal cavalry charge against a larger army.  Now that my horseman is on break, I can take off those wretched horse eye patches and reflect on what I need to do.  But then, you realize how dreadful the past few weeks have been and the coming more weeks with those cavalry charges without knowing where your horseman will lead you.  Is Sydney the beginning of my march to greatness or rather my ...

Omnia Vincit Amor, meaning “Love Conquers All”. Virgil. Ironically, love could lead to disaster and end yourself up dancing with the devil under the pale moonlight, wreaking havoc on other people’s lives and yours too, until you find someone who will turn your world upside down. And when that happens, a place so sinister and foreign suddenly feels like home. And if that relationship fails, you reset to the beginning, the cycle repeats and you end up dancing with more devils. And as the kwentong bartender from Big Sky Mind goes, “Carry on compadre!” My cool and wicked brother has asked me about drinking in Australia so let the story begin. Well, people drink for many reasons and besides that of seeing and being seen under the pretense of chilling out, you have to admit that it is actually to prey on something exciting to happen. For me, I had no choice. I’m back to dancing the devil although this time under the protection of the Almighty. I know now why he had to suffer which i...

This article begins the first day of the next period of my life. I have begun my third career shift to culinary, from what seemed to be a glamorous but directionless Bachelors degree in International Studies and unsuccessful Master of Science degree in Marketing. I may have to contemplate a fourth if two years of kitchen science and art will only lead me to dishwashing, not to mention a heavily desecrated pair of hands. As you may have noticed in my previous articles, my early life was a struggle for glamour, for a sense of creativity, for something worthwhile. My food articles were press releases and I wrote like horse blindfolded and following the scent of a carrot, whichever direction the press release desired. My fashion articles were no different, except that I had an idea of what I wanted to wear and at least had a few droplets of my opinion. The rest, let the veteran writers be the judge of that. I was born in May 30, 1975, a decade too early. I was raised in an upper midd...

Once upon a time there lived a sea lion who had lost the sea. He lived in a country known as the barren lands. High on a plateau, far from any coast, it was a place so dry and dusty that it could only be called a desert. A kind of coarse grass grew in patches here and there while a few trees were scattered across the horizon. But mostly, it was dusty and sometimes wind, which together make one very thirsty. Of course, it must seem strange to you that such a beautiful creature should wind up in a desert at all. He was, mind you, a sea lion. But things like this do happen. How the sea lion came to the barren lands, no one could remember. It all seemed so very long ago. So long, in fact, it appeared as though he had always been there. Not that he belonged in such an arid place. How could that be? He was, after all, a sea lion. But as you know, once you have lived so long in a certain spot, no matter how odd, you come to think of it as home. There was a time, many years back, ...

I always thought that women who flirted with part-time message handlers were fugly. Well, this one wasn’t. There she was clad in her white uniform and standing between two ladies – a rose among thorns. Too good to be true. It was an ordinary day when I set the date. The campus was a romantic place with all the Romanesque architecture and its gardens. One attraction was the statue of the querubin which was said to be the patron saint of the homosexuals. The thought was disturbing but there was just the two of us surrounded by fallen leaves, a scintillating silence and the mystique of that lone statue. I could still remember the feeling. Act 1: Oh, did I mention that she had a boyfriend? Yes, she had. She said that she misses him. I could still remember the cheerless expression on her face. The thought of it was sad but not tragic. It was too early to fall head over heels. At this point, the excitement of courtship was all that mattered. One time, I forgot that the car I was driving with...

Ana Isabel Ramirez Bosch, lead vocalist of Analog, quietly passed away last January 11 from cerebral aneurism. She gave a good fight. Her ashes lies at the family compound in Pasay City. The wake will last until her birthday on January 25 during which a mass will be celebrated. She would have turned 33. After the mass, food and drinks will be served. As tribute to the rock goddess, there will be music, poetry reading and video presentations. As early as now, the Lemuria Compound where her ashes are kept has become a monument to her brief but fruitful life. Besides Analog, Anabel has also been part of Tropical Depression, Electrikoolaid, Spy and Cocojam. Her rise to fame in music is narrated in her last blog found on dizzychick76.multiply.com written in December 2008. According to this entry, she began jamming with Cocojam in her Uncle Pepito’s which was a haven for artists and home base for Cocojam. That was in 1989. She was just 13. Her music career ended at the sweet age of 32. In t...

On Baler The Movie. I must say that we are certainly getting closer to the true picture of the Philippine Revolution. There was a time when a Filipino soldier had to be barefoot, poorly clothed and very Indio looking. According to our history books, it's the other way around. Officers of the Philippine Republican Army were composed mostly of graduates of Ateneo, UST, Letran and other schools reserved for the affluent in Philippine society. A considerable number of Filipino officers were Creoles such as Col. Sityar, Col. Leyba or Major Manuel Quezon. As such, I find it unnecessary to tan our mestizo actors just to make them look "Filipino" or Indio. Andres Bonifacio himself was a Spanish Mestizo. This justifies the choice of Joel Torre and Leo Martinez as commanding officers of the Philippine Republican Army that attacked Baler. It is equally alright to choose another Mestizo in the person of Philip Salvador to play as one of the leaders of the revolution. When it comes t...

(Published in Yehey! Lifestyle) There are a couple of reasons to lambast anti-socials who are either against style because their freedom to wear hideous bugoy boots or eat cholesterol-filled Toknenes is threatened by the fashionista. For one, style is a discipline. It takes a lot of self-restrain to assert one’s disposition and talk- write- party your way into the acceptance of your radical views. For example, it would take some nerve and extra rare confidence for a man to sport red leather moccasins with matching red belt. It takes will power for a woman to sport blood red velvet boots in a humid cosmopolitan district like Ayala Center or Serendra. And finally, it takes a lot of discipline to keep you away from those irresistibly tempting fatty parts of Lechon kawali, Crispy Pata or Prime Rib Steak. In reality, an obsession in style makes a healthy balanced diet easier to follow. Fine dining involves etiquettes that minimize your servings to small bites. For example, etiquette endear...

Lately, the skinny bitch seems to have retaken the limelight from the geek. This with Sony positioning its cameras for Manila’s high society. In the posh Creole district of Rockwell, Sony Cybershot held a fabulous party attended by Manila’s hottest showbiz items. The party began an hour after its announced starting time, probably anticipating the socialite’s penchant for being late. Guests were greeted by elegantly dressed journalists gave interviews that made one feel like a star. I should have worn something more sophisticated! Kudos to that guy! Food was excellent with Friday’s serving my favourite – the Mozzarella Balls! Sony made no mistake in choosing KC Concepcion to provide a face for the brand. Possessing the marks of genuine nobility, she complimented her noble stature with noble deeds – helping fund the United Nations World Food Program in Mindanao. This she did by auctioning three of her used Sony Cybershots to the highest bidders beginning at PHP11,000 with the proceeds go...

(published in Yehey! Lifestyle) Folded and Hung celebrates their 10th year anniversary by once again paying tribute to street style with Streetcast Act 2, a showcase of the clothing brand’s Holiday 2008 Street collection that, in a reversal of tradition, brings the streets to the runway. The anniversary was celebrated with an astounding fashion show at A-venue which gathered some of the country’s designers, fashion journalists and some of the country’s most idolized showbiz personalities including Claudine Barretto. The Folded and Hung Holiday 2008 Street Collection combines the practical and urban aspects of street style with the richness and flair of party-appropriate ensembles. Taking inspiration from the Renaissance era, the Holiday collection is romantically somber in blues, browns, and blacks, but it gets a festive punch from crystal embroideries and from shiny, metallic fabrics. Expect figure-flattering—and easy-to-wear—toga dresses and draped frocks made of lightweight jersey a...

The definition (of real men) is a debatable issue between the male and female species. This is what I hear during those lost moments among skinny bitches during fashion events. Anyways, in our own world (us men), away from the destructive allure of their lingerie and bitchy craving for sweets, we have our own civil war – the BOYS versus the MEN! And in this quiet town of dungeons, dragons and kid’s fantasies, real men have invaded with their tanks of war travelling at the speed of lightning or challenging the forces of torque! This August, the Enchanted Kingdom held its annual SPEEDWEEK@EK featuring three national races – the 2008 National Slalom Series which was organized by the Race Motorsports Club (RMSC), the 2008 Shell Super Karting Series, and the 2008 San Mig Coffee Philippine Underbone King Championships. Spectators were lucky enough not to dance in the rain and the event fortunate to have beautiful Laguna sunshine all day. Enchanted Kingdom indeed! Rivera, Mendiola and Gerochi...

You must be crazy to be driving home, sloshed from too much Black Russian, and coming from a chic-laden party. Home is not where you should be driving your girl to. You should be drivinger her somewhere else romantic. Tee! Hee! But seriously, driving home plastered is quite normal for the party animal. What is not normal is taking a long drive out of town without SLEEP! Well, that’s how crazy the racers were at the City Kart Race Track, which included celebrities, Issa Litton, Victor Basa and Philippine racing icon Pia Boren. In the first week of July, City Kart Racing announced the holding of the Manila 701 dubbed as “The Crazy Race Second Edition”. Race drivers were to compete in teams with the first to complete 701 laps of the City Kart’s indoor race track, which is close to the distance of driving out of town. So what’s crazy about it? Race drivers would complete the lap from evening until past noon of the following day without sleep! Well, race drivers get some relief time by bei...

Simple trouble like flat tire or batteries running dry are not remote and they could be a nightmare if caught in a wrong situation such as in the middle of an important date. Our automobiles may come with a basic set of tools but roadside emergencies need not require the muscles that go with the dirty ugly image of a Neanderthal. Road trips should be safe, fun and in style. Here are some tips to keep your automobile (and yourself) hassle-free: Hydraulic wheel jacks are mechanically designed to make lifting a side of your car light and with a lot lesser effort than those stock wheel jacks that came with the vehicle upon purchase. They might just save your brand new Saint Michael’s shirt from unsightly sweat. They are very affordable and available in Ace Hardware or any similar specialty store. Extension rod for the wrench . The bolts that keep your set of wheels in place may have grown attached to its apparatus. Probably having been there for months or even a year, they may be...

There is reason for the sophisticated to seek a dining experience away from the glamour of top business districts after all. An unusual encounter with a hidden sanctuary of flavors provides us some answer. We are surprised that a restaurant somewhere at the edge of the San Juan-New Manila area would be filled nightly come dinner time. On certain evenings, guests may overflow to the nearby function rooms which can accommodate up to 50 persons. An adjacent garden makes the place delightful for celebrations like prom or a debut. The entrance to Lemuria is beautifully landscaped. A pond of pebbles and fishes greets our team. The interior transports the diner to the Provencal of France with its simplistic designs of dark wood, stone slabs and draperies. This very European atmosphere is designed by no other than Architect Jose Mañosa. A splendid meal and conversation with executive chef Golda May Ranada gave us an experience of liberated flavor and passion. “What gives me delight in managing...

Tights, leggings and opagues are must haves for the season. This November, renowned Filipina designer Kate Torralba and City Lady Stockings collaborates to showcase their leg apparel collection with an astounding fashion show that left the Manila Peninsula Hotel Conservatory dancing with pastel colors of irresistible chicdom. There was delight and excitement in the eyes of their audience while compliments for the Kate’s creation filled the room after the last model faded away signalling the end of the show. Some guests even forgot about their food and drinks as they watched the show in awe. No kidding. The last of this stockings craze was seen in Manila towards the end of the previous millennium with corporate Makati and Ortigas sprawling with female yuppies sporting opaque black leggings that for a time gave the business district a very European face like that of France. This season, they are back but in more elaborate and chic colors and City Lady has come out with hipper and ultr...

Finally, I am able to transfer these pointers from my phone notebook. They were shared to me by no other than my motoring editor Eric Soriano of Manual Magazine. By the way, the test ride series conducted by the Car Awards Group Inc. (CAGI) was a sensation. The slalom tracks temporarily set up in Clark, Pampanga plus the open roads for sprinting my favorite vehicles fed my fantasies of a tuner lifestyle like that of Fast and the Furious . You see, style cannot be complete without wheels. Just imagine a DIVA commuting her way to the Paris fashion week. Of course, the final look of the vehicle, both exterior and interior, is all that matters but performance counts. I'd laugh at that feelingera of a former officemate of mine bragging about her brand new bug that runs 40 km per hour and takes forever to accelerate! Hah! So what if its the only mustard yellow? In my previous entry, I featured my favorite from the test drive series which was the Red Kia Sportage. So preppy, so stylish. I...