HIL-TON TOPS SHERATON

That is in terms of pansit served.

That of Doha's Sheraton is bland with an eerie sweet aftertaste, it's only saving grace is being served in the buffet table of a 5-star hotel.

Shiela's Hil-Ton (read: hila kariton) in Cabanatuan has more character and gastronomic punch.

Sheraton's must be chef-prepared with the fancy title of a vegetable noodle while Hil-Ton's is cooked by the-man-in-the-street and goes by local names (read; canton, bihon, mami).

But both pales to the bowl of hot lomi teased with a squeeze of calamansi and served with a piece of warm pandesal from the kitchen of PRRM's penthouse in Quezon City. 

Then there was Manor Horizon Hotel's surprising breakfast offering of vegetable noodles too and before that a redeeming spaghetti with Bolognese sauce for lunch at Sheraton. 

For those but with the emphatic exception of Sheraton's vegetable noodles, I say kaman wahed. 

MORNING IN DOHA

I came a day too early, sleepless and 5 hours behind Manila time.

I checked in, got introduced to my cavernous room, sorted my luggage, locked the safe, and went walking in the same clothes I flew in to where my feet would take me.

I stayed with a group of Filipinos fishing at the waterfront of the Al-Corniche until they finally caught a small silvery fish with a swordfish snout.

I saw a swarm of pigeons and decided they would make a nice photo shoot.

I went inside an entrance and got introduced to Souq Waqif by a symphony of spices wafting from displayed sacks and boxes.

I walked on, clicked some more, crossed the street, and came across 2 Filipino stores crewed by South Asians.

I went back to refresh in my hotel then killed the afternoon feeling the shuttle service to the Qatar National Convention Center, registered and got my pink badge, late lunched on a cold tuna sandwich and a bottle of fruit juice blend, went back to the hotel and started working on my annual work plan for the office, then dined on grilled chicken with fries and Indian bread.

I slept early and well but woke up at 1 am.

Today starts the prologue to the big event.

BAM-I

After the churches
     came the noodles,

and nothing more Cebuano
     than their holy bam-i guisado,

sotanghon and canton
     in sanctimonious union,

which by CnT's version
     is sinful pork communion,

never mind the salty lechon
     give me bam-i or renunciation!