Comment!

My friend, former classmate, fellow Beatles and Paul Simon-Ladysmith Black Mambazo fan, one-time neighbor in Davao City (though we didn’t know it and ended up not seeing each other!) and now-California resident Batjay has the distinction of being the first person to leave a comment in Jambayan. He writes:

so if i were to buy a new steel acoustic guitar, would a taylor be a good choice?

i've been looking at their website and there is a dealer near where we live. thanks for the referral - i might visit them one of these days.

kamusta na pare diyan sa davao? miss ko na ang aking favorite city.

To the first question I reply: Yes, a Taylor is a good choice for a new steel acoustic guitar if you're living in the US. My friend and pastor Jan Drayer has one and I’ve played it often enough to say it is one of the best I’ve strummed and plucked, and I’ve strummed and plucked quite a few guitars in my lifetime. And as acoustic guitars go, Taylors are relatively affordable, priced lower than some Gibsons and Martins. One of the reasons is that Taylor uses automation in some of its steps, whereas Gibson and Martin, at least on their high-end guitars, still claim to do everything by hand. Taylor also breaks tradition by installing a bolt-on neck, and later on we’ll discuss the merits and demerits of such a system. I can only wish I can afford a Taylor one of these days...

To the second question, things are fine here in Davao City. Like I said, Batjay lived here for some time in the late 1990s, having been one of the engineers who built the San Miguel Brewery in nearby Darong, Davao del Sur and the PNOC geothermal plant in Mt. Apo. Unfortunately we didn’t know we were living in the same city and were oblivious to each other’s presence. We were even in the same compound (SMB Darong) during its inauguration (by no less than President Fidel V. Ramos) in – I guess it was 1997, right, Jay? – but didn’t know it. Oh well…

Anyway, things are good here. Davao City is hosting the 2006 Asean Tourism Forum in January and things are picking up. It’s peaceful here, and anyone who gets to spend some time here falls in love with the city (if not with someone special here like I did when I met and later married my wife Dadai). Come visit…