I brought the camera, good and all, but unfortunately, I forgot to even take it out of my bag while traipsing around the Evangelista area in Bangkal, Makati. So, no photos of last Saturday's excursion. Err.
Ah, Evangelista. When I was in high school, we would go to Jesi Mendez or Hair 2000 on Evangelista to have hair and makeup done for special occasions, this aside from Hair Performer across from the Blue-and-White. Evangelista was Makati's Banawe, auto repair shops all in a row. When Mr. Z died and was interred at Magallanes, Evangelista was the route of choice going back to the Green-and-White after each visit to the wake.
I don't know when Evangelista became the segunda mano capital of Makati. All I know is it was featured in one of Real Living's first few issues in 2003 and I wondered, Evangelista? Where we used to go? Yes, one and the same.
Fortuitously (and fortunately), we ran into Vic and Marian, high school friends of the SO who help run Marian's family's two shops in the Evangelista/Hen. Hizon area. They walked around with us and then pointed us to other places outside the Evangelista/Hen. Hizon main strip which yielded some interesting finds. We then ate at Jolly Dopey a few blocks away (still on Evangelista), and found more-than-passable spaghetti. Marian said the owner/cook used to work at Pancake House. For me it was more like that eatery in that little alley in front of the Blue-and-White whose name escapes me at the moment, but which we frequented well into the Green-and-White years until it closed down.
Marian was selling her collection of bridal magazines at their store, too. Hee. People sell anything and everything in this little flea market haven. I saw Fire King cookware, Limoges porcelain, amber bowls, Troll dolls (!), and a newish copy of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time sharing display space with furniture of all shapes and makes, old narra aparadors, marble-topped console tables, and a hutch that looked like it was made of kamagong. There were carved wooden chairs with battered upholstery, two of which I was interested in buying--Marian agreed that they were very "boudoir" rather than dining table, but they were in quite bad shape. If they're still there during the next shopping trip, I'm haggling them down to 350 per (which is not bad for a nice frame) and having Mang Hesus fix them up.
Some stores sold delightful chandeliers still in great condition, one store had a paper shredder among its merchandise, and in one store, I saw a copy of Evolution, one of the Time-Life books that I grew up with. The saleslady was puzzled when I picked it up and searched for the dog family tree (how all dogs are descended from little Tomarctus or something). Reminiscing.
I was suddenly queasy about the baul though. I've always wanted a baul, but now that one was staring me in the face, great condition, smooth finish, and well within the budget (the lady was giving it at Php2,500 and seemed good for haggling), I was suddenly overcome with strange feelings of what-if-they-put-a-dead-body-inside-like-Desperate-Housewives. Oh well.
Carlos Celdran has an Evangelista tour which starts at Fat Michael's. I've never been to Fat Michael's myself, so maybe on the next shopping day (March 17 probably), we can start out or make a pitstop there.
Last Song Syndrome : the weird song someone keeps on humming here in The Hub (sa San Miguel daw yun)
