![Team Eurika Ai, then Team XO, during a press conference held at Restaurant 9501 as part of World Cosplay Summit Philippines in 2014. [Deremoe Archive]](https://jayagonoy.com/wp-content/uploads/11722070_1093471440682796_7319773392753818130_o.jpg "Remembering Restaurant 9501 2")
After all that has been said and done, we can’t deny that ABS-CBN as an institution has been home to some experiences of mine.
One of the memories I had with its broadcast complex, the ELJ Communication Center, is Restaurant 9501, the company’s corporate dining facility at 14th floor.
As a home for the media people, 9501 is a host to many press conferences. I think that the restaurant put the spotlight on what would be the bloggers’ conferences (blogcons).
These happen when Deremoe was still alive, active, high and wild.
Hero Face-Off 2014
I stepped into the resto once in 2014 and then in 2015. In 2014, I got to interview Myrtle Sarrosa as a collab between Deremoe and Otakista (meaning, Deremoe interviews Myrtle, and Otakista has recorded the whole thing):
Look at me, I’m still thin and hyper back then. I felt more confident at that time, now where do I get that confidence again?
The Cosplay Cafe has a report on this press con, where you can see more photos like these:
Hero Face-Off 2015
Before we know them as Team Eurika Ai the World Cosplay Summit 2014 Philippine representative and Pop Culture Hiroshima 2018 Philippine delegates, we will refer to them as Team XO.
Before they fly to Japan, they are shown to the press. Long before this, we were just talking to them casually, loving the skit they did on stage. On that press conference, we are rooting for them.
Now look closely at Ping and SJ, they are doing so well.
All of this I remember now because 9501 will be no more after August.
Lastly, it’s no longer secret that I auditioned for Hero TV only to fail miserably because I can’t go through idiot boards.
That’s where I learned that I can’t adlib the way I used to anymore.