Rounding out the Tattoo Black experience on a bus

MANILA, Philippines - When they say, “once you go black, you never go back,” it’s much more than a rapper’s racial innuendo, or a cager import’s locker room flirtation. It, however, describes the full-throttle, highly-charged, and ultimately addicting experience that comes with the color association. That is what Globe Tattoo Nomadic Broadband business head Dong Ronquillo and Tattoo product manager Joseph Co proved, as they introduced the Tattoo Black powered by 4G LTE to the media set in a tour de force that spanned the Metro’s most renowned gastronomic and glamorous spots (free-flowing champagne and cocktails, largely included) to best show how the fastest mobile broadband in the country could also usher in the most exciting experiences in the city.

By replacing the stuffy, traditional, paparazzi-heavy red carpet with the more exclusive, elusive, and exceptional black, the Globe Tattoo Black experience kicked off with welcoming hors d’oeuvres and refreshments courtesy of the culture-savvy M Café at the Greenbelt 3. From there, we alighted two of the city-famous Black Fleet, official carrier to visiting rock acts, pop stars, and, for this night only, the party-loving press guests of Tattoo Black. From that time on, the night was set to ensure a remarkable, revolutionary, and largely-rewarding encounter.

Welcoming us in the so-quickly-dubbed “party bus” is party-phile and Philippine STAR  Supreme editor and creative director Tim Yap and supermodel to the Manila social scene Georgina Wilson, both stellar visions in sleek black. Changing caps, they served as tour directors for the night, giving us the guided go round on Globe Tattoo Black’s new domain at the Makati CBD, highlighting the mobile internet’s groundbreaking features in speed and dependability, while making sure our cups were brimming with bubbly Moët.

With speeds of up to 48 Mbps, powered by 4G LTE (4 th generation long-term evolution in geek speak), Globe Tattoo Black makes the irritating buffering moments off your Skype calls or YouTube viewing a piece of mobile internet history. Our gracious host with the most, Tim Yap, proved this by making a video call to Georgina Wilson on his iPad, while she was on the other bus, and showing, in great detail, how more fun it is to be in our very own Black Fleet (mostly because we were better drinkers). And while the rest of us were getting inebriated with conspicuous amounts of French gold, we took a stop at one of the city’s most prized chocolatiérs, Chocolate Fire, earning us, in true Forrest Gump fashion, life found in a box of artisanal chocolates. This stopover led me to the mathematical theory that “champagne + chocolates = heaven.”

And so much for my celestial discoveries, we landed at Greenbelt 3’s Sala Bistro, internationally touted as one of Manila’s best dining establishments, which found me busy stuffing my face with their chorizo croquettes, baby goat cheese and heirloom tomato pizzitas, and Portobello mushroom canapés, downing them with a refreshing swish of white wine and raspberry mimosa. Manners withstanding, I saw, for my own eyes, how the Globe Tattoo Black fairs in the Internet odometer (rather well, actually). Then, Tim and Georgina posed the challenge of the most creative way to use your super-speedy Globe Tattoo Black, and my cluelessness dawned on me. What the heck are you supposed to do with 48 Mbps?

Sure, you can download the fall season line-up of NBC or Showtime, yes, you can FaceTime all you want or Skype transmit your every move to your significant other (if applicable), start a video diary in YouTube, spark a Facebook war, make stop-motion pictures on Instagram, or chronicle your life’s every second at Twitter, but don’t you think that having 48 Mbps of pure Internet signal is a bit greedy? “Well, you can always share,” counters, rather wisely, Joseph Co, who, in our tipsy state, we had started to fondly call Joe Co. Anticipating this Internet-induced guilt, the good people of Globe has designed a Wi-Fi sharing device specifically for your Tattoo Black stick for a small premium, transmitting to over five mobile devices at one time.

And in true Tattoo Black fashion, how quickly we landed was how quickly we left, so with the Black Fleet we went rolling, this time to Shangri-La Makati’s swanky boutique restaurant, Red. There, amidst overflowing Prosecco Spumante, we were treated to a six-course meal of smoked salmon with citrus salsa, a salad of goat cheese crumbs, baby leaves, and blood orange vinaigrette, lobster bisque, roasted Chilean sea bass, grilled US striploin, and the breathtaking surprisingly Red dessert, which gives a whole new distinction to melting chocolate. By this time, it had been an overindulgent affair, marked by world-class gourmet fairs and premium alcohol overload, but Dong Ronquillo was quick to remind us that this was just the half-time. We were in for more, wherever the black carpet would lead next.

So, the Black Fleet still went roaring, this time to Resorts World Manila, where bottomless Grey Goose cocktails and delectable tapas awaited us at Opus, and internationally-renowned spin king Porter Robinson and the Rehab got us thump-thumping at the Republiq. Proving that the black carpet certainly had its perks, the Tattoo Black entourage quickly snaked its way to the velvet ropes, all guaranteed VIP access to what was Manila’s most happening party that week, never skimping on the alcohol and the usual accompaniments, mind you, which led one to whisper, rather stealthily (if not to risk the newfound A-list status), “Ah, this is the life.” Whatever happened next should go without saying.

And after a whole night of pure blissful intemperance, you wake up with a hangover and a longing for the night before, like an addiction to pure, party-rock standing. But then the sunlight makes you realize that your usual pay-grade could not, in any way, compensate for such delicious hedonism. Your connections clearly need an upgrade. There’s a shining beacon of hope, and it shines black. While the Globe Tattoo Black powered by 4G LTE could promise mobile Internet speeds unparalleled in the country, I’d say, never mind the Mbps and go for the premiere VIP status that ultimately comes with it, something that your money can’t otherwise buy. This way, you can have your cake and eat it too… all at 48 Mbps.