She Day '10

“She Day ‘10”

Sun.Star Davao, June 19, 2010

There was estrogen overload one hot summer day when Davao City’s first ever “She Day ‘10” affair gathered over 600 women at the Apo View Hotel.

“She Day” is a laudable project of OMF Literature, Inc. which started in Cebu five years ago. Its noble mission is to “inspire, empower and nurture women to be the person God wants them to be”.

“This event was done primarily to bless and say thank you to the women of Davao who are our most loyal customers”, revealed Aileen May Ocariza, OMFLit’s operations supervisor for Mindanao. Aileen organized the well-attended activity together with “She Day’s” dynamic core women composed of different women leaders from 12 mega churches in Davao as well as the core women from Cebu.

The theme verse of “She Day ‘10” was taken from the book of Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will".

"She Day ‘10” was envisioned to bring a different kind of change in the hearts of women. This year’s talk aimed to transform women by “giving insights on how to set new priorities; helping them cultivate good habits and conquer bad ones; furthering God’s plan for them”; and many more.

Talented singer and actress Timmy Cruz was the affair’s engaging host. She also serenaded the participants with catchy original compositions from her newly-launched album during the occasion.

The successful event featured two outstanding and most sought after resource speakers, award-wining children’s book author Grace Dacanay-Chong and seasoned marriage counselor and motivational speaker Vic Garcia.

In her talk, the Don Carlos Palanca Awardee Chong shared that “writing a book is like living one page at a time”. She viewed writing as her ministry in which God is an essential part. “My career and Christianity are one”, she added.

She reminded Christian women to be faithful. “Have faith today; when you wake up tomorrow, have faith again. Refresh it every single day”.

For his part, speaker Vic Garcia focused on the importance of making one’s marriage work.

He cited that one of the reasons why couples are having marital problems is that “they enter marriage without proper preparation and understanding of the purpose of marriage”. Thus, their needs as husband and wife are not met.

Garcia quoted Ephesians 5: 22-23, “The greatest need of a husband is respect and the greatest need of a wife is love”, and thoroughly discussed with much energy and humor how couples can meet their respective needs.

After the enlightening talk and exciting raffle, participants trooped to OMFLit’s book sale held at the hotel where among the bestsellers were Chong’s heartwarming children’s books.

"She Day ‘10” was made possible through the support of Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Cherifer Premium, Microdata, Sofamore, Premium AC Corp., Microtel Inns and Suites, Light Talk and Kangaroo Coffee Company.

E-mail mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.

Chow time at the loo

“Chow time at the loo”

Sun.Star Davao, June 5, 2010

It was our last night in Hong Kong and after a long and tiring day of marathon bargain hunting, our supposed final stop was at Watsons along Causeway Bay to purchase some medicines.

“Mommy, I need to use the bathroom”, my daughter urgently tells me. So, I hurriedly asked the sales ladies where we could go. Unfortunately, there was none available in the store.

I checked the third floor where we found a jampacked Korean buffet restaurant with a restroom. After our ‘courtesy call’ at the C.R., I noticed a colorful sign that looked very familiar.

My unexpected discovery made me giddy with excitement. Lo (or should I say, ‘loo’?) and behold... there was a Modern Toilet Restaurant on the fourth floor!

I’ve always been intrigued by this bathroom-themed restaurant which I first saw on my friend Keryl’s Facebook photos.

‘Poopy’ beginnings

According to Wikipedia, owner/ex-banker Wang Zi-Wei’s inspiration for this unique 

restaurant concept was derived from a Japanese robot cartoon character, “Jichiwawa”, who loved to “play with poop and swirl it on a stick”. From this ‘stinky’ idea, he successfully established an ice cream shop which sold swirled chocolate ice cream on top of paper squat toilets.

In May 2004, Mr. Wang and his partners launched their first ever full-fledged themed restaurant, Marton Restaurant (now Modern Toilet) in Taiwan.

“The restaurant immediately caused a stir with its humorous “out-there” design. At the start, many people peered in the restaurant trying to figure out what we were selling—then had a big smile on their faces when they finally worked it out”, reveal the owners on their official website.

Modern Toilet now has 13 restaurants scattered in parts of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. Soon to open are branches in Macau and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

Toilet humor at its best

As we entered Modern Toilet, the kids were awed and tickled pink with the novel and quirky concept.

Situated beside Japan Home Center which actually sells real houseware and appliances, the restaurant boasts of comfortable cushioned toilet seats as its dining chairs, glass tables on top of ceramic wash basins, tile-covered walls with shower heads, enormous PVC pipes, special sauna dining areas, immaculate bathtubs, among others.

Modern Toilet even has a gallery of toilet seat covers with various national flag designs and a showcase of ‘shitty’ (pardon my French!) paraphernalia and decorations.

Chow time at the loo

For our late dinner, we ordered tummy-filling and lip-smacking Pork Chop Gratin, Braised Sirloin Hot Pot, Japanese Milky Hot Pot, Spaghetti with Creamy Spinach Sauce and Japanese Pork Cutlets which we paired with refreshing smoothies and house specialty drinks.

Our sumptuous food was ‘tastefully’ presented in mini toilet bowls and bath tubs and wash basins as plates while we sipped our drinks in urinal-inspired containers.

Dessert would not be complete without the popular soft-swirl ice cream (which reminds me of you-know-what) served in a squat toilet-type dish. Other must-try ‘appetizing’ shaved-ice desserts include “Diarrhea with Dried Droppings” (chocolate), “Bloody Poop” (strawberry) and “Green Dysentery” (kiwi).

Our set menu also had tomato soup, unlimited fresh vegetable salad and sinfully delicious cakes. We wanted to gorge on more desserts; however, our stomachs simply could not take them all.

So, after our heavy dinner, we posed endlessly as we took pictures of the restaurant’s ‘crappy’ interiors till almost midnight. Every nook and cranny did not escape our trusty cameras.

Pooped (no pun intended) but still managing to flash our winning smiles, our memorable meal at Modern Toilet was an awesome way to cap our night and end our fun-filled family vacation.

In Hong Kong, Modern Toilet Restaurant is located at 4^th Floor Capitol Centre, 5-19 Jardines Bazaar, Causeway Bay (MTR Exit F, located above Watsons) and 3B, MPM, 240-244 Portland St., Mongkok.

E-mail mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.