With WordCamp Philippines 2008 successfully concluded, I took the chance to wind down, hangout with good friends here in the Metro and explore new places. Thankfully I have a place to stay in Makati. After finally ridding myself of the Manila Pavilion (a hotel that I vehemently DO NOT recommend to anyone), my buddy Eric put me up at his Bel-Air condo.

It seems that the used-to-be-dreary “TTh” is now the new Friday-Saturday around these parts. At Tabu, a restaurant on Salcedo St. in Legaspi Village that turns into a hip club around 11-ish, people party hard on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Check out these photos I took.

It’s intriguing how holding a DSLR camera automatically gives you the license to shoot people. They’ll even pose for you without being asked!

Gerard, the events manager and DJ at Tabu, says that they’ve made Tuesdays and Thursdays models night and Brazilian night. So these young, luscious, head-turning models show up on these days and liven up the whole place. Check it out! (Psst! Matt, you missed out on some fantastic photo ops here!)

Before going to Tabu, my best buddy Vince and I went to sample some exceptional wine selections at Cav, in Bonifacio High Street, The Fort. A bit pricey, but if you’re a wine lover, I’m sure you won’t mind the expense. When you get there, they give you a swipe card, where they store the value of your orders. Each time you take wine from their high-tech dispensers, your card gets updated. (Now don’t get too drunk and run up a bill you won’t be able to stomach!)

Cav also has a superb cheese tray — if I remember right, they have about a dozen types to choose from. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that they have Davao Goat Blue Cheese. It’s high-quality stuff, and proudly Davao-made. The taste is not what you might expect of blue cheese, because it’s milder than the French variety. I also recommend the Tête de Moine, if you’re into cheeses. It’s very pungent but provides a heady sensation and a extremely pleasing aftertaste.

Our last stop, having become quite inebriated, was naturally a food outlet. Vince brought me to Rufo’s, supposedly known for their tapas. I really couldn’t tell, because I was so hungry and tipsy, it didn’t really matter anymore.

Tonight, there’s a wii party being put together by Jayvee. Should be interesting. I’m sure to meet up with other bloggers there, including Jehz, who’s celebrating his birthday today.

With all the excitement and sights and tastes in the capital, I still can’t wait to go back to Davao…