Another year has passed, and I would say this was a good year for Marketman & family. I would even go so far as to describe it as a vintage year, in fact. I have a learned a lot in the previous 365.25 days, not the least of which is everything foodwise from the tremendous give and take in this blog which has become a large part of my daily routine, and hopefully and bizarrely, a part of your routine as well. I have learned that you can indeed get wiser as you get older (though that isn’t a guarantee), you can learn to focus on the highlights and the positives in life and ignore or cast aside more of the negatives. You can learn to remain sharp, sometimes sarcastic, focused and witty, while feeling less put out by dull and depressing examples of our gene pool, of which I still feel there are still many. You learn to stay true to what you are, while accepting not everyone else will ever have the same or even similar point of view. I realize life must have variety and that you must work and enjoy what you do, play and always be open to new experiences.
I have realized that there are just a few things on my personal “high priority list” and at the moment, family and close friends, a passion for food and entertaining, running a business decently and properly and looking forward to the rest of my life and deciding what to do with it is a basic but fairly comprehensive list. Life can be as complicated as you want to make it, or as simple and satisfying as you choose. I am grateful for all of the wonderful things that I have been privileged enough to have received or experienced, and realize those of us who even have the time and resources to write or read this silly blog are by far so much better off than so many of our countrymen. It feels such a monumental task to overcome what seems to be such a huge downward spiral in the Philippines but yet we all hope that things will eventually get better. I particularly feel for the many millions of Filipinos who have had to make the often painful, sometimes voluntary leap into working in some unknown/sometimes difficult foreign land, just to make sure their relatives back home are housed, clothed and fed properly.
For all of Marketmanila’s readers near and far, regulars and sometimes visitors, frequent commenters and not, Marketman and family wish you a wonderful and interesting New Year (2007). I do wish we could collectively get together for a New Year’s Eve dinner for say 6,000 regular readers and have a choice of either this western or more Filipino inspired menu. A start-up toast with well-chilled Dom Perignon or Cristal champagne served with a single spectacular raw oyster, a sliver of foie gras, a cup of lobster bisque, a generous slice of rare roast beef served with Yorkshire pudding and lots of gravy, some asparagus and a wickedly rich plate of dessert with say a crème brulee, a small mousse or wicked chocolate concoction. Alternatively, you could start with a supremely fresh kinilaw na isda, followed by several square inches of just off the fire lechon skin, a buffet selection of ham, morcon, rellenong manok, pancit, baked lapu-lapu, kare-kare, paella (and the list would go on and on…) and a dessert spread that must include leche flan, banana turon, etc.
But this New Year’s Eve the wonderful reality is you will be reading this post from nearly 80 different countries and hundreds of cities and towns, many of which I didn’t know existed until I started reading the statistics of which locations the readers are logging on from. Many thanks for visiting Marketmanila.com and I do sincerely hope you and your family have a great New Year! And just in case you thought I was getting too serious and lost some of my sense of humor, I have not. It is 2007 after all, 007’s year that is, and Marketman intends to hit the 170-175 pound mark, build respectable muscle mass, lose the “bilbil,” retain some of my black hair, not shrink from my 183 cm height, will probably pass on the PHP950 blue contact lenses, will wear my La Perla square cut swim trunks that I will have fedexed from Beverly Hills with my faux Omega Seamaster, and with the soundtrack from Casino Royale playing in the background, I shall emerge from the Batangas sea shore to waiting cameras and shrieking fans….heeheehee. Happy New Year!!!
56 Responses
I wish you luck MM for your new year’s resolution and Happy New Year to you and your family!
Wishing you a spectacular new year MM! Yes, it would be so nice to have dinner, and I would prefer the Filipino menu (of course it is only human to prefer what I don’t have easy access to!) Happy New Year to the rest of your readers as well!
So true and eloquently said, MM. Here I am in the OC, rolling my eyes at having to report for work on New Year’s eve,and thinking about the cities of my childhood, my country. Yes, another year gives us all renewed hope and enough drive to continue what we do best. I thrive well where I am, and quite thankful for everything it brings. I am grateful for this life, for the unflinching opportunity to exercise my choices. In my quiet moments, I still wish, I could spend all my creative juices, my energy and whatever influence I can muster, and do what I do best,in my own soil. I can only sigh. But with your example, I know and I am certain that I will return and give back in a meaningful way. Wish me well, so it may happen.
Your posts bring a certain comfort and it is so satisfying to end a long day browsing through. Thank you for everything you share. I admire your candor, your wit and your love for good food, great company, your curiosity, and your deep regard for culture, family and friendship.
I raise my glass of bubbly, though not Dom Perignon or Cristal, but leftover Veuve Clicquot(non-vintage!) from last night, and wish you and your family well in 2007.:) Thank you, dearest fellow Market Manila readers and lurkers, your posts and comments are always refreshing. Reading through is like entering a warm and friendly room filled with strangers eager and happy to share. Sante! Happy New Year to all!
Ah the promise of the new year and the thought that anything is possible has a ring of romance to it. Thank you for continuing to share your market finds, successful recipes and kitchen experiments through your blog.
Happy new year to you and your family! May 2007 bring new and exciting things for all of us. =)
Happy New Year Marketman!
am just nearby. But wishing you and your readers a great new year ahead.2007 still looks very promising inspite of the yearender news.
Happy new year, Mr MM! And thank you for your blog (don’t you have plans of launching your very own OmniMedia?)—it’s a daily habit that always eats a teeny-weeny part of my morning at work. [If any of the readers is my supervisor, note, “teeny-weeny”!]
Happy New Year to you and yours,MM! Entries in 2006 have been truly enjoyable and a link to all that is good back home. Thank you for evoking those memories and please, may we have more?
It’s going to be the Year of the Lechon, now what foodie doesn’t take that as a sign of a good food year?
Nice last post to close the year MM. Have a blessed new year to you and the family! Thanks so much for posting all the interesting finds – foods, markets, etc – and for making me look forward to visiting the Phils and try to locate the restaurants, markets, etc that you featured in your blog. Keep up the good works MM.
P.S. If you ever find yourself in this part of the world please look me up and I will be very happy to take you and the family out to lunch or something. The Lord bless you!
Marketman and family,
Happy New years!!! Looking forward to the new year of new posted recipes, great pictures, news reports and just plain information from your site to remind me of home….
Love your site….
and may His continued blessings and guidance be with you and your love one’s this new year….and to all readers of this site as well…
Rowena
Happy New Year to you and your family Marketman…
Happy New Year MM and family. May 2007 bring us good health, happiness, love and prosperity. To all of us MM readers, Happy New Year.
Cheers!
Happy new year!
happy new year MM, Mrs, MM and the Kid! from ME, Mr. ME and my Kid. :)
May good health, prosperity, and good times greet you and your family each day of 2007. Happy New Year MM~!
Happy New Year! I look forward to your 2007 posts. They have always been delightful and inspiring.
Happy new year dear Marketman and fellow readers!
Looking forward to another wonderful year here at Market Manila. I love visiting this venue because I feel like I’m with my barkada… relaxed, interesting, and among friends.
A very Happy New Year to MM and family and to everyone!
Am certainly looking forward to your always exciting,informative,inspiring,interesting,funny,playful,wicked,and ever so delicious posts.
May you and your family be blessed with good health and happiness this new year 2007!
Happy New Year to everyone!!!!
A gleeful prosperous and happy New Year, MM and Family and co-readers! Dear MM, may you get to make the 007 ocean scene come alive — and soon! :-) We wait with bated breath!! (wolf-whistles in the background, heehee)
happy new year to all! ü
Happy 2007 to you, Mrs. MM, the Kid, the Crew, the Pooch, the fans of Marketmanila, the detractors; I look forward to another 365 days of wonderful food finds, a rant or two, another EB (hint hint), interesting people c/o the blog, and the hope that all of us have a peaceful but interesting year ahead.
Happy New Year MM!
I’m very suere you will hit your target weight! I’ve got two words for you -> “jump rope”
rgds,
The Pageman
Happy new year to you MM and to all the members of your household!Hope your new years just keep getting better and for all the readers and posters here my wish is the same for you all.
For our new years eve,we had kinilaw nga isda,crispy pata,budbud and mango,daing na bangus and tikoy.Plus prawns and bonito(tolingan) nga sinugba with suka and patis with lots of chilli for sawsawan.
Happy New Year, marketman!!!!
Happy New Year MM!
Happy New Year to you and your great family! Thanks for a year full of gastronomic inspiration! I look forward to more :)
Oh, and I join you in your quest to loose some bilbils this new year :)
Happy New Year to all. And by the way, MM, I’m one of your fans who will shriek when you emerge from Batangas sea shore feelin like 007 (hehhehe).
Happy New Year to All =)
A very Happy New Year to you and your family!
I was less than thrilled to get the news that we were moving to Manila 10 months ago. I had never been to the Philippines and what little information I had about it didn’t paint a pretty picture. But, one fateful day when searching the net for information about my new home I stumbled across MarketManila. What a thrill! Reading about the food and markets made me excited about the thought of living here. My first weekend in Manila I went to Salcedo, and I have never looked back. So thanks to you MM, you made an enormous difference to my first year here. Long may you continue.
Same to you MM!!!
Hope you the best that the coming months has to offer and I personally wish that I be able to attend this year’s EB. Visiting your blog is one morning ritual that I am looking forward to everyday!
Happy new year, Marketman! Yes, in an eerie way, reading your blog has become a daily routine for me. I dread to think of the kind of withdrawal I’ll have should you stop blogging. My fav of all time: the fishpan incident! Wanna do a survey on your readers’s favorite Marketman post in 2006?
Happy New Year Marketman, Mrs. Marketman and the Kid!! :)
Pls tell me the date, time and exact location – which square kilometer of Batangas coastline you will be emerging from…and I will decide if I will be part of the shieking horde or the cringing one! Heeheehee!!!
But seriously, thanks for the sharing and the caring. I feel like we are one big family. MAy we all absorb your enthusiasm, your passion and joie de vivre. But most importantly, your compassion for those who are less fortunate. God bless you and your family!
Manigong Bagong Taon sa lahat! (Thanks for the imaginary New Year’s Eve Dinner. I savored every bite in my mind!)
A wonderful year to you and your family MM! Cheers!
Happy new year MM! Chin chin!
Happy New Year Marketman! May more of your dreams be fulfilled this year. Our best to Mrs Marketman and the kid as well.
happy new year MM! and to all the regular readers of this wonderful site…!!!
A Blessed New Year to ALL!!!!
God is good ALL the time.
Happy New Year MM and to everyone! Looking forward to good food and good reading here at Market Manila!
happy new year to all! by the way, im betting that you’ll be able to reach the 170-175 pound mark by may. don’t let us down marketman. your hordes of adoring fans await! go for the gold! hahahahaha
Best wishes to New Year to everyone!
dont i follow yr blog.. no matter my location is? ;-)…
die hard fan lol
happy new year bisag nag connect sa cell i still read yr blog
Cheers MM!
Happy new year Mr. MM, or is it Mr. JB, now that it’s 007?
Thanks everyone for all those greetings! I am back now after a few days of rest and no posts… Will have several posts coming up in the days ahead. I hope you all had a great holiday week! Now, back to the grind…
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO MR & MRS MARKETMAN AND FAMILY. AM GLAD TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE BACK. HAD LOG ON YESTERDAY AND THIS MORNING AND I THOUGHT SOMETHING WENT WRONG AGAIN.
ANYWAY, ALL THE BEST TO EVERYBODY.
Happy New 007 Year to you, too!
happy new year MM and family! thank you for a wonderful year of good posts and pictures. sabi nga nila, i feel like a member of a barkada when reading your blog.
more power and here’s a toast to another year of blogging.
One year ended, and a new one has begun…My new years resolution would be to keep on reading your blogs MM. Keep on blogging.
Happy New Year, Market Man! May HE who makes all things possible for us continue to love and protect you and shower you and your family with more exciting blessings in 2007! HAPPY EATING IN THE NEW YEAR!
Happy New Year to you and your family!
I wish you a blessed 2007!
Happy New Year!!!!!
A prosperous and happy new year to you marketman , your family, your crew, to all you fellow readers. Again thank you for the past entertaining and informative 2006 and hope to read and learn more from you and every reader this 2007.
We have our beliefs that we follow every year like we don’t eat chicken for media noche and new year’s day itself, so that life will not be “isang kahig isang tuka” for the year.
We open all windows , doors, to drive away the bad luck and bring in new blessings. We also make lots of noises by using covers of pots, whistles, horns other noise makers(we don’t have firecrackers) this is also to drive away evil, we make sure that our pockets are filled with money. Coins are scattered on windows and doorways, we eat 12 grapes for the 12 coming months at the strike of midnight,we wear polka dots.
This time we had goto, spaghetti, buko fruit salad, tejas barbecue ribs , chocolate fudge cake, champagne and sparkling apple cider. Lunch we had black-eyed peas with neck bones, and boiled cabbage they say that eating this is also for good luck. There is no harm in doing all these so we just do it.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YA’LL….
DivineG., so interesting… Since we had an Italian guest for New Year’s we had Zuppa di Zampone e Lenticche (a lentil and sausage soup) with a coin in the soup tureen for someone to get for good luck the rest of the year…will put a post in the days ahead! :)