CATHAY PACIFIC COUNTRY MANAGER

Cathay Pacific Country Manager Rob Bradshaw with Cebu staff Hazel Taguimacruz and Jessica Fernandez

Rob Bradshaw, country manager for the Philippines of Cathay Pacific, was in Cebu on April 1 to meet friends from the media. The occasion called for a celebration by way of a luncheon at the Hai Shin Lou.

That is the Chinese restaurant in the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel. The specialty is Cantonese cuisine, the favorite of many Cebu residents. There was plenty of it, so much so that I did not taste everything that was laid on the table. I did have the duck wrapped up with plum sauce.

Doing the introductions were Hazel Florita Taguimacruz, the Cathay Pacific district sales and marketing manager for southern Philippines, based in Cebu; and Jessica Fernandez, account executive.

Rob Bradshaw wishing Nelia Neri a happy birthday

From the press came Nelia Neri and Cookie Newman of Sunstar, plus Cassandra Poculon and Alexis Yap; Cris Evert Lato Ruffolo of Cebu Daily News Online; and Southwall magazine's Nikki Oguis (managing director) and Jaiun Roa (editorial assistant).

This is a good a time as any to inform everyone that Cathay Pacific, since April, has a new destination in the United States: Seattle, with four flights a week out of Hong Kong. They may become daily in July.

That brings to eight the Cathay Pacific destinations to mainland USA, to other seven being New York - JFK, New York - Newark, Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago.

Out of Cebu Cathay Pacific has twice daily flights to Hong Kong, in the morning and in the afternoon. This started on April 1, and will continue up to October.

Cathay Pacific has recently acquired Hong Kong Express, a HK - based airline with regional destinations. It will be run as a separate low cost business model.

Flavors of HK are a feature in April on Cathay Pacific flights. According to what class you travel in you may enjoy fried lobster, curry rice, steamed halibut, roast duck, abalone and other specialties.

The Sanctuary has opened at The Pier, the business class lounge at the HK airport. It has been designed for you to take time for meditation should you desire it. Many do their yoga before a long or short haul flight.

Mr. Bradshaw told us about himself and his presence in Manila these past two and a half years. "I promise to come to Cebu more often," he resolved.

As he said this, dessert was announced. On a platter, snow ball pastries were so arranged to simulate a cake with a glowing candle at the center. It was for Nelia Neri, one more of the many celebrations of her birthday which had been a few days ago before.

In the evening, Rob Bradshaw had dinner with the entire Cathay Pacific Team Cebu, another "getting to know you" fun-filled occasion. Aside from Hazel and Jessica, who was there?

Janice Nabua, Cathay's airport manager; her assistant Charlene Presbitero; Edwin Alerta, engineer; direct sales executives Juvy Cosejo and Caren Lipardo.

Cathay Pacific has numerous destinations all over the world. Be alert about travel fairs where you can get tickets at very attractive prices. I did that last year. There was a travel fair at Ayala Center and I happened to pass by the Cathay booth.

They offered a very attractive rate from Cebu to Madrid and back. I signed up for myself and my son Jimmy, opt in to fly by the last week of September. Those business class tickets were a steal.

The flight was a very long one, but we were comfortable and manged to get many hours of sleep which helps overcome the discomfort of jet lag. We stayed for two days in Madrid before taking the bullet train to Zaragoza where we spent three weeks.

It was quite hot in Madrid, so we tried not to venture in the afternoon beneath a scorching sun. Our hotel was very close to La Puerta del Sol. At twilight on our second day, we went down Carrera de San Jeronimo to search out the famous restaurant Lhardy.

There it was where it has been for the past 180 years, a witness to Spanish history and politics, as well as many romantic occasions. We made reservations for dinner. No need to dress up, we were told. But we looked our best when we went, at 10 PM, which is early to have dinner by Madrid standards.

We each ordered a salad to start with. For main course, I had foie gras al Oporto, while Jimmy took the deer loin. For dessert we had the Lhardy "sorpresa" which is always a pleasant surprise.

Lhardy has a deli on the ground floor and it is a fabulous place for any gourmet or gourmand. At about lunch time, it gets filled with a standing-room-only crowd that comes to sip its rich hot consomme.

Even in times when it is very, very hot? Even then, nods the lady at the cash counter. I remember once, Cecilia and I ordered a hundred grams of boar's head in aspic which we ate with crusty bread and a bottle of chilled white wine in our hotel room at 12 noon, our Filipino lunch time.

I can hardly wait to return to Madrid, if only to go back to Lhardy, which is the name of the gentleman who founded the restaurant in 1839.

Post script:

During hot months Lhardy offers an alternative to hot consomme - Vichyssoise. This, according to the dictionary, is a soup of pureed leeks or onions (or both) and potatoes, cream and chicken broth. It is usually served cold.

As the name implies, its origin is Vichy in France.