Graffiti on a bottle

If Nicholas Sparks has a novel titled Message in a Bottle, Leonard McGurr, on the other hand, has an artwork called “graffiti on a bottle.”

Hennessy has always been known for its remarkable collaborations with global artists in different fields. Its most recent one with world-renowned graffiti artist Leonard McGurr (a.k.a. Futura) is definitely one of the most memorable.

Hennessy Very Special treated graffiti fans to an audience with Futura. The experience left most of them breathless as they witnessed firsthand how Futura created art on walls and boxes. Of course, Futura used the cognac bottle as a canvas for his unique design aesthetic.

For his Manila tour, Futura’s first stop was at the Ronac Art Center where he spoke about his unique art form and his steady rise to global fame. He then treated Manila’s graffiti fans to a live art exhibition on one of the center’s glass panels.

The Ronac Art Center performance was a fitting prelude to the main event at M Café in Makati City. To celebrate the collaboration, the people behind the cognac brand treated a select group to an evening of music, art and a steady flow of Hennessy apple, ginger ale and berry.

True to form, Futura displayed creativity, originality and down-to-earth appeal through his live art performance that afternoon. He also signed Limited Edition Hennessy Very Special bottles for some very special guests. My cognac-loving friends would be proud to have one in their collection.

For his graffiti on a bottle, Futura used a warm, complementary color palette of amber with splashes of yellow.  The arm and broad axe logo of the brand, which are significant elements of Hennessy’s history, were seamlessly worked into swirls of hot pink and electric blue as a nod to Futura’s sci-fi-inspired artwork.

Hennessy Very Special by Futura is a truly special work of art to house the world’s best cognac. As Futura said, “If you set the bottle in front of one of my works, there’s a real dialogue there. And on its own, the bottle is an object you can appreciate; it can also be a part of your life.”

I am keeping my signed bottle and painted box in my collection forever.

A (Premium) class of its own

I took Air France the very first time I flew to Europe, flying directly to Paris from Manila.  That experience made me stick to the airline every time I would go to Europe.

However, when Air France stopped its direct  Manila service, I have accustomed myself to taking other airlines to Europe with stopovers in other Asian cities.

Then, recently, while I was planning my trip to Europe, I learned about the Air France Premium Economy Class. I decided to take the airline once again, flying first to Hong Kong before taking Air France to Paris. This seemed to be the most convenient airline to take to Europe since it had the Premium Economy Class.

Introduced in 2009, the Premium Economy cabin (formerly Premium Voyageur) perfectly complements the Air France range of services by offering a tailored solution to customers seeking enhanced travelling comfort on long-haul flights at very competitive fares.

Customers appreciate the comfort and calm of this intermediate cabin class, situated between the Business and Economy cabins. They also like  the privacy of the fixed-shell seat that offers 40 percent  more room than a seat in the Economy cabin. Premium Economy passengers can check in the Business Class counter. They can have priority boarding as well. 

Air France Premium Economy has only 21 to 28 seats, depending on the aircraft and 38 seats on the giant A380. The choice of a fixed-shell seat, generally reserved for the best Business Class cabins, makes Air France the first European airline to offer this type of seat in an intermediate cabin. Air France especially asked B/E Aerospace to develop this seat. The seatback slides down inside the shell without intruding on the space of the passenger behind. Inside the fixed shell, the seat reclines to 123 degrees, allowing the passenger to relax comfortably with his legs extended. The seat is also equipped with a leg rest whose height can be adjusted, an adjustable footrest and a headrest that can be raised with movable wings. The roomy seat is 19-inch wide with 10-cm. wide leather armrests. The pitch between seats is close to one meter. In order to free up space for the legs, Air France has incorporated the video control box into the seat, rather than beneath it. Each seat features an electric socket for a laptop, a wide tray that can easily accommodate a laptop along with papers and a glass, lit by an individual directional reading light, a cocktail tray prolonging the armrest, and a noise-reducing headset. 

On each seat in the cabin, passengers will find a pure wool blanket, a feather pillow and a bottle of mineral water, as in Business Class. Before takeoff, cabin crewmembers will hand out to each passenger an amenities kit containing a relaxation mask, ear plugs, earphone covers, a pair of travel socks and a toothbrush and toothpaste kit. The large individual Premium Economy video screen is 10.4 inches wide for comfortable viewing.

The baggage allowance is the best reason to take Premium Economy on Air France. It allows two pieces of checked baggage each weighing up to 23 kilos — that’s a total of 46 kilos as opposed to only 20 kilos on Economy and 30 kilos on Business for most other carriers! A Premium Economy customer benefits from the same cabin bag allowance as Business Class customers and can take two bags as well as an accessory (handbag, garment cover, etc.) that all weigh no more than 18 kilos. That’s more than the seven kilos allowed on Asian airlines and the 12 kilos on Middle Eastern airlines! 

Flying Blue Gold, Platinum, Silver or SkyTeam Elite/Elite Plus members can check one additional baggage item weighing up to 23 kilos.

I think the reasons stated above are enough reason for me (or you) to take Premium Economy, rather than Business Class, when I go to Europe for my holidays. Air France Premium Economy Class is available on all flights to Paris from Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

(For inquiries, call Air France local passenger at (02) 588-6900 or visit www.airfrance.com.)

Going the ‘Xterra’ mile

LBC Solutions once again showed its support to many Filipino athletes by providing logistical expertise in the Xterra 2013 Off-road Triathlon Series. This is the second year the company supported the event held in Liloan, Cebu. 

Darlene Dollente, LBC Express brand communications head for cargo, said, “As a proud partner of this triathlon competition, we reinforce our belief in the Filipino athlete. Similar to what the triathlon represents, we also value determination, hard work and discipline while maintaining efficiency.”

As the official logistics partner for the triathlon series, LBC Solutions provided its expertise in coordinating the movement of race equipment and other supplies from Manila to the port of Cebu all the way to Liloan. The timely delivery of the equipment was critical in ensuring the smooth pace and eventual success of the event.

The company also provided a bike assembly area manned by expert mechanics to assist the participants in setting up their bikes, which took off some of the pressure from the triathletes.

With the company’s valuable assistance, the athletes and organizers were motivated to go an extra mile in their passion for the sports, making the Xterra 2013 Off-road Triathlon Series successful.

Need for speed

Globe Tattoo hosted a “meet-and-greet” at Salon de Ning of The Peninsula Manila for its ambassador Marlon Stockinger whose racing career has zoomed following his selection as the newest Lotus F1 junior driver. His recent accomplishment has propelled motorsports in the Philippines to new heights.

Stockinger, who shared his journey in the international racing circuit and his extreme joy after being chosen as the newest addition in the elite Lotus F1 Team, said, “Both pressure and expectation are high in Lotus F1. But I think it’s good to be pressured that way so I can deliver.  I’m very nervous. Actually, that’s typical whenever I get behind the wheel of a new car.  The training regimen we receive at Lotus is the same as that of the F1 drivers so I’m sure I can handle it.”

Dubbed as one of the “young ones,” Stockinger proudly represents the Philippines alongside six other recruits from across the globe: Marco Sorensen of Denmark, Alex Fontana of Switzerland, Oscar Tunjo of Colombia, Esteban Ocon and Dorian Boccolacci of France and Alexander Albon of Thailand. They will be meticulously trained by the Lotus F1 Team in all areas of driving skills, physical fitness, health and nutrition, social and mental development, business ethics and principals.

“It’s a great feeling to be associated with such a prestigious team. So to be surrounded by that heritage is a big honor for me. I really want to make the most of it and am looking forward to wearing the team colors with pride,” Stockinger added. He will compete in the World Series by Renault.

Supporting the 22-year-old Stockinger in his F1 journey are his proud parents Thomas and Egin Stockinger who make sure that their son is focused on his F1 dream but has time enough to enjoy other things that matter to the youth.

Stockinger also enjoys full support from Tattoo Broadband. Communication channels head of Globe Telecom Bunny Aguilar said, “Tattoo represents speed and there is no better person to represent this than Marlon.”

Stockinger and the rest of the Lotus F1 Team will bring to Manila for the very first time an actual Formula 1 car for the Lotus F1 Roadshow presented by Tattoo on May 4 to 5. Stockinger will be the official driver.