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LET’S
give it to the Car Awards Group Inc.’s (Cagi) Coty
awards. The people behind this glittering night of cars
deserve praise. Their bash was magnificently staged.
Under
these trying times, it’s a wonder how Cagi was able to
put together such a star-studded evening of cars and car
CEOs at the plush Rockwell Tent in Makati (take a bow,
Iya Diza). Here’s a glass to Dino Directo and his
fellow Cagi officers. Cheers to Ira V. Panganiban, the
Cagi president. Well done, fellers.
Always,
there’d be some snide remarks here and there about why
this car won and why that car lost. Given na ’yan.
Can’t please everybody.
My only
beef is, I couldn’t interview the stars of the show
(Fords, Volvos, Kias, Hyundais, Hondas, Nissans,
Toyotas, Subarus, Isuzus, Mitsubishis, Benzes, BMWs,
etc.) in their “moment of truth.” It has happened to me
in the sports beat. Alas, it’s been reprised in the
motoring beat.
Yearly
in the sporting scene (I began as a sportswriter; still
am), we bestow awards to the sports heroes of the year
past. Choosing the Horse of the Year has been a main
staple of the event.
I love
horses. And recognizing their amazing feats on the
racetrack always gives me a thrill.
But come
awards night, I couldn’t interview the winning horse as
he always got barred from attending the event to accept
the trophy.
“Pets
are not allowed in the hotel,” said the manager of the
hotel where the sports awards night was held yearly.
“We have foie-gras but not green grass on our menu.”
So, one
time, just to appease my appetite to know how it felt to
be chosen Horse of the Year, I went to interview one
winner at his stable. Long Ringer was his name.
I asked
him, “What can you say about your victory?”
And,
coming literally from the horse’s mouth, Long Ringer
said, “Neeeeeeeeeeigh!”
See what
I mean?
Every
winner has the right to be heard.
So, to
be fair, I’m now thinking of also interviewing Volvo
C30, the Petron 2007 Car of the Year during the recent
Coty awards.
That
night at the Rockwell Tent, I missed the wondrous but
absent Volvo hunk, a luxury sports coupe that swept the
field in the Luxury Subcompact category.
Two
dolls and one guy come to mind: Lyn Manalansang-Buena,
Loi Concepcion and Atty. Albert Arcilla. Surely, as
Volvo Vikings’ top guns in the
Philippines,
they could facilitate the interview.
Like
what I did with Long Ringer, I only have one question
for Volvo C30: “What can you say about your victory?”
If
she’ll answer, “Volvorrrrrrrrrrrrmmmm!,” I can only nod
in agreement.
As I
said, every winner has a right to be heard.
Police
presence
Recently, a lady friend of mine—a doctor—suffered a flat
tire on not just one, but two of her tires. She was
cruising one drizzly night along
Saint Martin Street
somewhere in Pasig not far from Medical City Hospital
when her two rear tires burst. To her surprise, a
police car was at the scene in a jiffy to rescue “the
damsel in distress.”
It
bothered her that two tires had burst simultaneously.
It
surprised her that a police car was there in an instant.
“It was
dark, but I kept my cool,” she says. “I didn’t leave my
car. I kept the doors locked. I called up from my cell
phone the hospital janitor for assistance and, thank
God, he arrived soon after onboard his motorcycle.”
The
police brought her to the vulcanizing shop, where she
was told to buy two tires for P10,000.
“I
refused,” she says. “I had my damaged tires vulcanized
and they charged me P2,000. A bit exorbitant but under
such circumstances, forced to good ako, ’di ba?”
Before
she left, she saw the two policemen stay behind, talking
with the shop owner.
Roppongi
report
On our
nth trip to the Cavern Club in Roppongi during a break
of our recent coverage of the Tokyo Motor Show, a flyer
at the club read: “Welcome to Cavern Club. Thank you for
coming to Cavern Club Roppongi! We would ask you to read
through this paper for the purpose that you have a
perfect night here.”
Sounds
Inday-ish?
The
Cavern Club in Roppongi is where The Beatles are
recreated nightly, live, by a band playing Beatles
music. Since 2001, Danny “Sir John” Isla and I never
fail to go there during every Tokyo Motor Show. This
year was no exception.
Okay, to
continue with the Cavern flyer:
“The
Music Charge: All guests are required to pay ‘the music
charge.’ For male ¥1,890 (P950). For female ¥1,575
(P800). It is varied according to the event of the
guest musicians.”
OK, the
coup d’ grâce.
“A music
charge is valid for all performances. Please let us
know if you have anything to ask or need. You can stay
as long as you want no matter when you come.”
Who says
Japan doesn’t have its own Inday?
Pee stop
What do
Mel Dizon of Mitsubishi and Arnel Doria of Honda have in
common? They play golf. Art Balmadrid of Isuzu and
Raymond Tribdino of Nissan? None. Art plays golf but
not Raymond. So, Raymond, better start playing golf.
It’s the game many top guns in the motoring industry
play, including Willy Soong of Jaguar and Felix Ang of
CATS. |
