It’s one of the more fantastic cities in the world. It’s certainly among the largest, and most densely populated. With the amazing mix of cultures and people, Manila can be simultaneously stimulating and refreshing. Just like halo-halo, the famous dessert made of ice, milk, bean, and other delicious ingredients. Those coming to visit Manila hotels and wondering what they’ll be seeing in terms of local culture, there’s no clear answer. There’s simply too much happening at any given time to predict what Manila will be like this particular evening, and that’s one of the most exciting parts of it.
In terms of culture, there’s pretty much anything anyone could imagine. For live theatre, it’s a great place to discover that the global is the local, and vice versa. Dennis Gupta , professor and director, is working ahead of the trend, and putting food and epic theatre together in new ways that invigorate the art form. His company, Tanghalan Cocina 1921 has used halo-halo as the center of a performance piece that speaks to a very specific cultural practice. Here the dessert is used as a wedge to open up notions of food and meaning in the everyday practice of identity. It’s always unfolding, and at the center, always sweet.
