The Atigas!

Tinabu, husband Nelli and baby Naz surprised be by saying they were in town. Luckily enough, my Sunday was free and I was able to meet up with them at very colorful Martha's Cakes in the Fort. It was nice seeing this Singaporean based couple after so long. Baby Naz is not even two years old but she's certainly looking like she's going to have a growth spurt for a long time. This I bet is thanks to her Samoan dad! Am pretty sure she will grow up to be as wonderful as both her parents and that she will be able to eat cupcakes, a whole bunch of them with us adults very soon.

Get me Sum-Sum-OH!

Yes, we all make fun of them or have made fun of them at some point-but the world of Sumo has always fascinated me. Think about it, how many other sports make it a requirement for you to gain a ton (sometimes literally) of weight, then nap, then wear the most body bearing uniform available then pay you heaps of money if you win and you attain God-like status because of it? Really! Morbid fact: Most of these big gents die when they're in their 60's but before all that there is the glory of all that is Sumo-fantastic. This was the second to the last day (Sept 29, 2008) of a big 15 day event and Francois was able to score us some tickets. Yes-there are scalpers in Tokyo you just need to look desperate to attract them. We were able to get near to nosebleed seats but it was still a good view all around and the energy from the crowd was magnetic. Coolest part is that you could eat popcorn and ice cream as you watched these thonged Titans battle it out in the sand below. I got to see the Yokuzuna Hakuho (Mongolian origin) kick major ass against Bulgarian Ozeki Kotoosho. Am still not familiar with all the rituals and ceremonies and I doubt I will get to watch another tournament in the near future but am super happy that I did. We didn't get to see a lot of the starting 'dances' but we were fortunate enough to see the better wrestlers in this Sumo Banzuke. Outside, it was amusing to see them being stopped by fans and one even got into his BMW and drove off, still dressed in his robe with his hair piled high on his head followed by his sumo-alalays. Needless to say, Baby and I took photos with the ones from the lower divisions as they exited the hall and man, we are sooooo petite! Good for the ego for sure! I am hoping that if I do chance upon another tournament, maybe next September that we can have a closer seat. The 'front' row is pretty cool as you get to sit on cushions on the floor and get served sake and sushi-or other Japanese delights as you watch the wrestlers grunt and groan away to the top prize.

Artful Escape in Antipolo

Instead of spending a Sunday channel surfing and stuffing your face with junk food (trust me, you will regret it come Monday) it may be time to get out of the metropolis and take a drive up to Antipolo to check out the Pinto Art Gallery.

Having locked the chips and the dip in the pantry I was whisked away one afternoon and welcomed with relatively traffic free roads to check out this art haven built by Dr. Joven Cuanang. I had heard about this place from friends many times before, that it was a weekend retreat originally and had eventually been turned into a hotspot for exhibits and gatherings for the cultured kind.

The coolest thing about Pinto Art Gallery is that the entire place is one huge exhibit hall. You get to see paintings on one floor, installations in the garden, furniture in the entrance, textiles draped in another room etc. The most exciting bit (at least in my opinion) is that visitors are free to move around at will, over the entire property, and enjoy the fresh air and the wide-open spaces that have pockets of art ready to pop out and greet them.

If you get tired, there’s actually a bed right smack in the garden (yes, the couch potato in you might get tempted) if you want a little spiritual enlightenment, you can go into the chapel, or if you want some meditation time you can go and enjoy some quiet moments overlooking an almost endless expanse of trees. For those feeling the need to express themselves, there is a mini-amphiteater located near a guest house, a fitting area that can probably be used for poetry readings or impromptu theater performances.

Art all around

On the Sunday of my visit, an exhibit entitled Aramid had just opened, I saw handmade furniture, pottery pieces and inabel textiles from Ilocos among others. I met with Dr. Cuanang who warmly welcomed guests and personally tried to show them around whenever he could.

As I viewed some paintings on the elevated floor of Gallery One, I could see a steady stream of art lovers come in and wander around freely, some were first timers such as me and I could hear sounds of delight as they took everything in.

There were regular visitors of course who showed first timers around, or family visiting from abroad. “I never knew something like this existed here” was commonly heard (in various versions) throughout the afternoon. Since it was the first day of this monthlong exhibit (the Pinto Gallery is celebrating the Antipolo Arts Festival till the end of June) merienda was served in the form of batac-styled empanada (freshly brought in) and dirty ice cream. Not quite sure if the food is a regular onsite experience but it certainly made the stay more enjoyable.

Families brought their kids who happily ran around the garden and if the weather was better I’m pretty sure Dr. Cuanang would have encouraged them to jump into the pool. Before I left I even asked the good doctor if he could rent out the place for a weekend stay (perfect for a group of friends or even a family wanting a short distance out of town escape). “Not yet,” he smiled although perhaps to keep it a sanctuary for both himself and art lovers it may be a not “ever.” Still, that one Sunday afternoon was more than enough for me to plan a trip back there whenever I need an artful escape.

Pinto Art Gallery is a member of the Silangan Foundation for Culture and the Arts. Gallery hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., from Wednesday to Sunday. It is located at 1 Sierra Madre St., Grandheights, Antipolo City, Rizal. For inquiries log on to the gallery website at www.pintoartgallery.net, E-mail silangan.foundation@gmail.com or call (632) 6971015.

Artful Escape in Antipolo

By Katrina A. Holigores
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Last updated 19:05:00 05/30/2008

MANILA, Philippines—

Inter-ART-ive Exhibit

Text and photos by Katrina A. Holigores

When you were a kid you probably heard “don’t touch!” yelled at you in panic as you went rushing towards some objet d’ art that to you looked heavensent from Toys R Us. Something that would have cost more than all your limbs combined when auctioned off in Sotheby’s was to you nothing more than something you just wanted to get your hands on and throw against a wall (or a cousin). Come on, you were probably 5 or 6 (or even younger) and art appreciation made no sense. The stigma though of untouchable art stays with us into adulthood. It seems to become even worse when we realize how much art, especially good art…costs. We’re not just talking about paintings of course, but anything and everything that will look at home in a museum or the creepy neighbour next door’s house.

What if you could find a playground of art? Imagine instead of swings, slides and a sandbox you would get to actually interact with art, and actually have fun and not get a spanking afterwards. Impy Pilapil’s Outdoor Sculpture exhibit at the Ateneo is a great way to kill a couple of hours alone or with a bunch of friends. But, choose wisely, bring buddies who actually want to have fun. If all they want to do is sit and stare direct them to the nearest cinema because you’re about to get your hands a little dirty.

The cool thing I’ve learned about installation art is that anything goes. Size, shape, form, texture, color, or meaning. Perhaps that only rule should be that if it’s bigger than you, it better be sturdy enough never to come crashing down and crushing you to death. Anyway, no danger of that happening here I was assured my managing curator of the Ateneo Art Gallery, Yael Buencamino. The first piece I saw was entitled the Mangrove and for a moment there I could imagine how it must have been, lying in my crib as a newborn staring up at a shiny, brighty, multicolored mobile. Yes, even at my age, I can still think (and act) like an infant. There were other pieces that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. The first was a wish stone made out of marble. With a paintbrush dipped in water you could write out your heart’s desires on this slab of stone. Whether or not your wish comes true remains to be seen but it sure is fun having to write it out, and with the hot sun or some gentle winds, even your most secret intention slowly disappears never (you hope) to be revealed to anyone else.

For a sensorial experience (and to work out some trust issues) have a friend guide you over the Barefoot Trail with your eyes closed. Feel different sensations greet your barefeet as you slowly walk over portions of wood, sand, porcelain, glass, granite and pebbles. The giant Chime Halo made out of solid bamboo makes for a rather noisy but melodious game of hide and seek if you wish. Do your own thing beat wise on the inside and ask someone else to strum out a tune on the outside, don’t forget to look up while inside, every aspect of this exhibit is meticulously crafted, infusing manmade structures with God given ones.

You can spend several hours feeling like a child again, try out your musical skills at the colorful foam orchestra of The Music Chamber. A rainbow labyrinth of guitar shaped instruments that require a good shake for a tune. Play sungka, (another massive marble slab accompanied by marble stools) or sit down in my personal favorite the Nautilus to take it all in. This exhibit is certainly not one you can rush through, but rather one that requires the regaining of your childhood curiosity and wonder to thouroughly enjoy the art of play. Feel young again and this time, feel free to touch everything in fact, you will be encouraged to.

Impy Pilapil’s Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit will be on display until August 31. For more information visit the Ateneo Art Gallery Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Heights, Quezon City or call Tel 426-6488

(Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer May 17, 2008)

Walk Like An Egyptian

Walk like an Egyptian

Text and photos by Katrina A. Holigores

“You have a beautiful eyes!” no, this was not some grammatically incorrect compliment during a romantic date but rather an attention getting yell thrown at me and a friend as we walked through the Khan El Khalili in Cairo. We were going shopping in the many streets and stalls in this world famous souk of all sorts and the competition for Egyptian pounds, dollars or euros was pretty fierce. Other lines that caught our attention as we passed and ignored were “I pay you to look only!” and “In here everything costs nothing!” In the end we got a couple of cool bargains although the word “bargain” takes a whole new meaning in Egypt. Seriously there are no price tags, so even a bottle of coke is subject to a buy and sell argument. In the end ( if you have the patience) the shopper and shopkeeper think they “won”. All's fair in love, shopping and “friend” pricing.

This is not a shopping story although it certainly is a no-miss experience if you ever find yourself in Cairo, but rather an essay on a travel dream come true. Since I could remember, I suppose from reading Tintin comic books as a child I have had a fascination for Egypt. It seemed like such a surreal place to visit, so mysterious, so ancient and almost caricature. (Yes, based obviously on comic book depictions) I remember in one particular Asterix and Obelisk adventure they made a parody on how the nose of the Sphinx was destroyed-I later found out it was an act of defiance by a lone vigilante when I finally saw the Sphinx for myself. I remember standing in front of it and just saying to myself ‘wow’ it’s more than I expected, for some reason, in spite of the the seemingly endless stream of tourists surrounding it, and the broken nose, it had an almost regal quality. It’s certainly not the prettiest thing I’ve seen, but it’s also nothing like I’ve ever seen. And you can’t stop taking photos of it, it’s just magnificent especially when viewed from the front with a pyramid rising behind it. I found myself just starting for a moment and wondering if this was real.


A quick backtrack, since being in Egypt is like going back in time, the morning of my arrival I found myself on the road to my hotel. As we were cruising along the highway I noticed some unusual shapes in the distance, in other words, they didn’t look like a normal structure…they were triangular..oh! oh! “Are those the pyramids?” I gasped to my guide, “Hmm yeah” he answered with the same enthusiasm as a Filipino would if we saw a sari sari store on the road. Despite my fatigue from the flight I nearly glued my head to the window of the car to get a clearer view of the pyramids. The sight itself was surreal after years of wanting to see the pyramids they seemed just a rooftop jump away, my friend and I were to start our tour the next morning and our first stop would be the Pyramids of Giza, like a child’s first visit to Disneyland I watched, transfixed as the pyramids soon faded from view.

The pace of our first day was perfect, we had a fabulous guide, a lady who’s English was impeccable and love for country was evident named Randa. First stop, the toblerone shapes of the desert, which again to my amazement was right smack in the center of “town” it seemed. Seriously, it was like we were in some commercial area and not in some farflung sand-infested oasis. The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) was our first stop-which is the last I believe of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The second, smaller one still had some limestone left at the very tip, resembling a dusty snowcapped mountain more popularly knows as Chephren was built for Khafre, the son of King Khufu and the “smallest” was for Khufu's grandson, called Menkaure. After walking around the pyramids we were taken to view them from higher ground to embark on our camel ride. Another first for me to actually get on a camel outside of a zoo, and experience the rather nerve wracking standing up and lying down of one when you mount and dismount. My companion actually screamed when the camel stood up, she was not alone a couple of other tourists did too. If you are faint of heart, I have to admit it’s a rush that can be scary for some…and you realize as you look down that you’re higher up than you may want to be.

Even with the heartpounding rush you feel with the uneven pace of the camel and the almost nonchalant indifferent manner its handler has as you’re being led around your heart races even more once you see the pyramids in all their splendour. Our guide ( who looked like he couldn’t be more than 11) ordered us in rather strong english to go through a series of poses, some on the camel and some off, and definitely some in extremely cheesy positions. Still, it was hard not to have a good photograph with that kind of backdrop. When we got back to the camel starting point we were immediately immersed in the art of bargaining. “How much?” I asked camel owner, he looked at me with a wide smile “Egyptian money or American money” “American” I replied “Forty dollars each” he said, his smile never wavering. I raised an eyebrow and looked at my guide. She looked at him straight in the eye and said “Twenty five” he said (yup still smiling) “thirty”, “No, twenty five” “But you go for a long time” at this point, I interrupted and said “No, we went only short time, just until there”, and pointed at some nondescript spot and he then said “Ok, ok, cause you are friend, twenty five.” Wow, fast friends indeed. We paid him twenty five each and then I saw the 11 year old, sullen looking still look at me with a knowing look and reached out his hand. Yup, he wanted a tip, I gave him five dollars and pointed to my friend saying it was for both of us. He didn’t get it, he tapped my friend and reached out his hand, and probably would physically stop her from leaving until he paid her. From that moment on, my friend and I made sure we always had small bills, because even if Egypt is magical and a no miss in this lifetime, the greatest travel tip, is to be prepared to tip. Everyone. Just keep smiling.

Text and photos by Katrina A. Holigores printed in the Inquirer May 10, 2008. Manila.

More Than Durian in Davao

The last time I was in Davao all I saw was the airport and my hotel. This time around, I was going to see a hotel on my way to the airport, but wow, what a hotel. When you think of the name Kublai (depending on your age) you may think of Kublai Khan, the last emperor of the Mongol 

Empire and founder of the Yuan Dynasty. If you were partying out in the 80’s, you think of the hotspot Kublai’s (like I do) where anything and everything was legal—but thankfully without the digital image evidence (Phew, many of you may be saying). In this part of the world though, Kublai was the name of an artist who is giving expressive art a whole new dimension. I arrived at the Ponce Suites Hotel and all I could say as I took in the entrance was “Wow, size matters.” Huge sculptures greeted my companion and I, and even if they looked like they weighed more than a ton, some of them seemed to be suspended like they were as light as air.

Inside the hotel I was in for a rather explosive set of textures, colors and images. Every single space of this four-story hotel is covered in an artwork. Yes, if France has Versailles in terms of decadence, Davao has Ponce Suites in terms of expressionism. Each floor greets you with a different theme. You look up, down, around, upside down and there is always something to look at. I even had my share of giant spiders, comical bat sculptures and a huge gecko staircase. Wow, who needs Walt Disney on acid when you have the artist who made all of this—Kublai Ponce

 Millan.

Upon meeting Kublai, I couldn’t help but think “Oh my god, he looks Mongolian!” what with the long hair the slanted eyes, the goatee and moustache. But of course I bit my tongue. He was

 the most charming and humble of hosts as he brought us up and down his hotel/gallery. Yes, you don’t have to check in to take a tour, but if you do, a regular room will cost about P800 a night—not bad and another incentive to come back. He told me that after a long stint of living in Manila, he decided to return to Davao and just do what he loved for fun and hoped that other people would have fun with it too. In fact, he doesn’t sell any of his artwork, he keeps everything and just finds more and more places to put them.

Those who, like me, have only been as far as the airport can get their dose of Kublai’s art by looking at the sculpture of a giant durian with women coming out of it.

My friend and I had a late flight to catch so we decided to chase the sunset and go to another one of Kublai’s projects, the People’s Park right smack in the heart of the city. It is actually Kublai’s dream to just build public places for children. (He has a son and daughter and his wife is pregnant with his third). So he envisions areas where they can play and families can go to enjoy themselves without having to spend a lot of money.

The People’s Park is a statement of integration. The sculptures of larger than life children represent different looks of Fiipinos from their dress to the fruits or products of a particular region. The entire park is family-friendly—children run and climb on everything, adults sit around and walk around and there is an educational component for everyone as the different trees come with “labels” so you can even get a lesson in tree-ology.

What’s even more amazing about this park is that it is litter-free. “The people take pride in this as their personal space even if it’s public,” shares Kublai, “so there is a certain reverence with how they treat it, they don’t leave anything and throw their trash in the respective trash bins.” The park is also free of charge, like his hotel turned gallery (where we capped the night off having vegetarian pizza) Kublai has created (and continues to create—as he is in the process of building another park in another province) a sanctuary for the senses.

Ponce Suites is located on Roads 3 and 2 Doña Vicenta Village II, Bajada Davao City. Contact No. (092) 778-8808 or (802) 227-9070 www.poncesuites.com

Text and photos by Katrina A. Holigores
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Last updated 04:34pm (Mla time) 04/18/2008

Kalipimu: Move with Spirit

By Katrina A. Holigores
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Last updated 16:33:00 03/28/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Stuck. Trapped. Blocked. Disconnected. These are words that formed part of my daily dictionary. Active as I was on the outside, inside I was feeling lethargic, and going through the motions of life on automatic pilot. I had tried meditation to clear my head of a thousand voices—but they just wouldn’t shut up. Even my outward movements felt mechanic, truth be told, finding quiet time was a skill I did not possess. An inner desperation led me to an old acquaintance (on recommendation of a mutual nephew) to Kalipimu. Kali what? Kalipimu, without delving into details (since you can Google it or go to www.innerdance.multiply.com) it was explained to me as an ancient healing ritual indigenous to pre-colonial Philippines—practiced by tribal shamans, the baylan (male) and the babaylan (female). They were the soul “doctors” before Christianity was brought (some say ‘forced’) upon us with the arrival of the Spaniards.

Feel it to believe it

But describing the power of this healing ritual in words is unjust. Experiencing it is the only way to go, or in this case, flow. I was simply asked to sit down and close my eyes. I felt light touches on various parts of my body and later on was slowly and seemingly stretched with gentle pushes and pulls. Part of me thought, “Ok, feels nice, but … ” and my mind started to drift off, to the usual traffic of what I did that day, what I was going to do later … etc., etc. The being moved around continued and at some point I found myself lying down on my back, eyes still closed taking in the music that was being played and trying desperately not to think about anything else but stay in the moment. I decided to just let my friend finish his work and I would politely just lie still until the session was over.

The tipping point

My friend stopped physical contact with me and moved a short distance away. My hands started to tremble, and jerk—to an irregular beat all on their own. My arms, planted firmly on the floor, started to sway, in no fixed direction left, right, round, up, down. At this point I should have freaked out, but I didn’t, I was mesmerized, transfixed (even with my eyes still closed) by the flow, by the loss of control which was still, weirdly enough, controlled. I felt little snaps of electricity traveling from my elbows to the tips of my fingers, as if something was slowly being released into the world and beyond. The trembling and shaking continued and this time, the voices in my head did shut up and my mind flew free. There was a lightness I felt, although I was still very connected to my body. All I could comprehend in this in-between state was that something had opened up within that allowed me to see into another dimension of myself, one that acknowledged an inner life force that had long been dormant. My body continued to move on its own and as I turned my head to one side my eyelids opened slightly and I ‘saw’ standing over me a woman, dressed in what seemed to be native American garb, her expression was one of observation. There was nothing sinister about her presence, she just seemed to belong there. Minutes later I heard a voice in my ear welcoming me back to the present. I left that night feeling like I had definitely found something. “This practice is a guru-less one,” my friend explained, “all you need is to find spirit and you can continue this on your own.” That night, alone and lying in my bed, I plugged in my iPod, closed my eyes and was taken over by movement once more.

Level Up

A month passes and I find myself on a plane to Davao, and greeted in the airport by Pi Villaraza—who I will identify basically as the moving force behind the awareness and expansion of Kalipimu and its benefits. I was going to spend the Easter weekend at his base, in the Don Bosco Youth Camp in Makilala, North Cotobato. For the next three days, I was going to immerse myself in all the healing qualities that this inner dance had to offer. First was release, the blocks, past life traumas, issues, hurts that were contained in my subconscious. The movements that took over my body were sometimes violent in their force and speed, but they never once caused any injury nor any fear in me, it was almost like I welcomed the spasms, the coughs that escaped from my throat and, on one occasion, tears. In the midst of one of my almost cathartic states, I had images of all the people in my present life who had hurt me and as tears flowed I heard myself addressing each of them saying, “I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry,” Yes, it was a reverse, instead of forgiving I was the one asking for it instead. That particular session left me with a rather deep sense of emptiness, and as it was performed on a rock overlooking a beautiful flowing river, I curled up into a fetal position and allowed the Universe to cradle me once more, so vulnerable, and yet open to what was around me. The key was, I was no longer caught up in the past, it was a giant, giant leap for me as I came to understand later on during my stay. We are emptied out, so that we may change what fills us, what makes us, and what moves us.

Part of this immersion was also reconnection to the purity of nature. Our party hiked, swam, took in the icy cold and warm waters offered by the mountains, natural heated pools and the cleansing benefits of breathing clean air and drinking fresh, flowing water. I felt like a child again, there were no “no’s” involved in anything I did as I explored what surrounded me and what was within me. By the end of the weekend, I had even learned the healing art of massage through Kalipimu. During this heightened state of connectivity to spirit you can activate another’s own life force to remove pains, both physical and emotional by touch. You become so sensitive to energy that sometimes you don’t even need to look where to place your hand, you are guided to it intuitively.

Everyone Can Heal

To think that Kalipimu is an instant fix is a huge mistake, it is part of a process, one that is designed for you to dig deeper and deeper, and you realize how much you may have repressed when the rigidity of adulthood took over the free spirit you possessed as a child. We all have aches and pains, but the ones we repress are the most difficult to bear. Kalipimu is like a much needed hug to a bruised heart or a broken soul. There is an almost instant soothing that takes place, but it doesn’t make all that pain or past issues go away. It takes practice, and sincerity. When it is later combined with an intention to heal, it may be used to free others from their own issues. It has been known to ease physical ailments, enhance creativity and more importantly (as in my case) feel connected again. Visualization ( if you’ve been on the recent law of attraction bandwagon) is energized when in a state of inner dance release. This could possibly take you one step closer to the person you were meant to become.

No one experience is the same; to resonate with spirit at this level is different for everyone, and is definitely for everyone.

A three-day Inner Dance convergence in Makilala, North Cotabato will occur on May 8-12. For more details call or text: 0919-2358153 and 0916-4748496

Special thanks to Betsy Gamela of the Don Bosco Foundation for Sustainable Development and her staff.

London Calling

It's been over 10 years since I got my M.A. from the UK ( wow that rhymes) and more or less 10 years since I last set foot in London. This was to be the last leg of a 6 day (crazy) work assignment and I had already shelved the idea of having enough time to go around and see a city that held a lot of wonderful memories. I was hoping to see my classmates ( or at least one) from my school before, have some typical pub fare and catch a show at the West End. After taking a look at the itinerary given to me by the DOT I decided not to expect anything since the 3 days we were going to be there would have us occupied from early morning til evening. In fact, it got to a point that I had to ask my friend and her husband to make an allocation to just meet me in my hotel for drinks since I didn't think I would be able to step out and see her! But, on a very happy note, things turned out much, much better than expected. Apologetic for our 'blitz' like stay in Berlin the DOT informed us that 1) Our first afternoon in London would be spent at our leisure and 2) that they were going to get tickets for two West End performances.Namely Lord of the Rings and Wicked. My heart leapt-I had been DYING to watch Wicked ever since I read the book and heard from my friends who had seen it in New York that the music was terrific. I wasn't too keen on Lord of the Rings since I wanted to spend an evening with my friends, and I hadn't heard any reviews about it-at least about the music, it was heralded to be a feast for the eyes in terms of visual effects and stage design. So, when the clock hit 4pm I got a phone call from my former classmate, Natasha, and we met in my hotel lobby to hit the streets of London. The sun had decided to come out that day so walking around was still cold but definitely more bearable than Berlin PLUS you could see around you for miles with the sun beating happily down. After walking around and taking photos in South Kensington and Knightsbridge ( the photos will be posted soon) we went for typical pub fare in the Soho district. I couldn't decide between fish and chips or a heartier bangers and mash...so I just asked the waitress who laughed and said "The bangers and mash of course! It's so much healthier!" her cheery sarcasm was appreciated and I went with the 'healthier' option.
I was able to reconnect with Natasha and her husband, Gavin, who I never met since they were wed about 7 years ago ( I was unfortunately not able to make it to her wedding) and as luck would have it Ulrike another classmate of mine was able to join us! She was someone I hadn't seen since we had our graduation ceremonies down in Kent. Although I was pretty tired ( our night ended around 10 pm) I thoroughly enjoyed myself and felt so happy that my friends could join me at a last moment's notice! Plus, I had Wicked to look forward to the next night, this trip could have already ended with that thought since I hadn't expected much in terms of personal activities.
Again, the luck of the Irish was radiating strong in Londonium because the next morning during breakfast of warm brown toast and jam we were told that we could have the morning free since the DOT activities were going to begin in the afternoon. That was GREAT news our hotel was within walking distance of two museums, The Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum ( the V&A) I sms'd Tash just to see if she was free to meet up with me at museum's opening at 10am and she was! We spent a great remainder of the morning visiting them both and I caught a great exhibit at the V&A that dealt with costume design and set design (in miniature) and we popped down to the coffee shop where I had my absolute favorite, scones with clotted cream and tea! Yum!
The afternoon was spent at the Excel Center where the International Dive Show was taking place and I must say that the Philippines' booth was practically the only destination exhibit booth there. So many people came and went especially when Filipino food was served for as well as drinks towards the end of the evening- we even had a band playing and some San Miguel beer accompanying the mixed cocktails! At night, it was off to Wicked, which was marvelous, I loved every moment of it and the theater was packed-literally from first row all the way to the back. It had a lot of funny moments-great delivery from the actress who played Glinda and the music was powerful- gotta get my hands on the soundtrack!
After the play it was off for some comfort eating of Asian fare at Bugis Street Resto at the Millennium Hotel in South Ken, again walking distance from our hotel (Grange Strathmore).
Even if that night ended in some rain and quite late ( not much sleep for the wicked watchers) I don't think I could have asked for a better way to bulldoze through 72 hours in London the way we did. God Save the Queen ;-) Photos coming soon!

Amsterdam Airport

I have been Schipoll'd! I don't think I have been to an airport as many times in as many days. KLM is the only carrier that has flights direct from Manila to Europe and because of this it was our stopover de rigeur on my recent trip to Berlin and London. My travel companions and I had the unfortunate experience of having our flight cancelled, literally at the 11th hour ( inside the plane and already taxing) on our first night. So, instead of landing in Berlin to enjoy a full day of touring the next day we were transported to the Holiday Inn around midnight-or 1am. I was so exhausted from the MNL-AMS trip plus all the waiting that I kind of lost track of time. After gorging (fatigue=hunger) on the hotel's buffet ( it was hot food, not great but it was hot and filled a need) I schlepped off to bed. Really cute hotel room though, and I slept like the dead. We had to check out at noon and spent the next 6 or so hours back at Schipoll since KLM could only rebook us an evening flight to Berlin. Sad. Schipoll isn't the most happening airport I'm afraid, at least not the terminal we were in. The other people travelling with me made a joke on how they had walked the length of the airport and had pretty much memorized the placement and prices of every product. Thing is, every leg we had from thereon had a stop in Schipoll so, I can even include myself in the "memory" game. I don't want to complain too much though as rumor has it that KLM is also going to pull out of the Philippines (as Lufthansa is about to end of March) and it's a good airline-movies and TV on demand. Schipoll-ing all the way may be a bit of a pain ( no free wifi internet like in Singapore or HKG airports) but with a good magazine, book or company is bearable-for as long as there are no more cancellations last minute. As you can see from the first photo, we would have actually done that on the runway just to get off the ground. ha ha ha! Anyway, til next time Schipoll!

Abuhan Dos in Cebu

Dinner with the FTV peeps ( Jia flew in from Singapore ) and our friends from Marketing and Creatives at Abuhan Dos was an experience in itself. Abuhan-the original on Ramos Street I remember from way back in 2001 when I first ventured out to Cebu. It was known for it's pochero-sort of like bulalo which was really good and quite cheap. Perfect after partying fare. This time around almost 7 years later I find myself in Abuhan Dos which is also on Ramos Street but in what could possibly have been an old house. It's got two floors and even an outdoor karaoke section (shudder). Thank goodness we just went there to eat and not to exercise and torture our vocal chords. Filipino comfort food (read: not healthy) as the group ordered pochero (the house specialty-what we Manileños would call bulalo) and sizzling pochero. There was also callos, lengua, grilled taningue, kangkong and chicken salad. The area of Ramos street is not the nicest with a lot of homeless and "women/ trannies" of the night abound. We did have an interesting experience when a woman holding a cellphone approached us and asked if she could be our friend. We waved her away since we had no idea who she was and she proceeded to the bar and eventually sat down with a man (who looked like he hadn't eaten or showered in days) on the other side of the restaurant. After they ate the man left right away and she even went back to us and said "See you later". We thought, 'Ok, weirdo, but a friendly one' her companion was more sketchy looking to be honest, but we were glad that he left without paying us any attention. After she left, we asked the waiter what was going on and apparently this was part of the woman's M.O. she comes in, approaches a big group and pretends to befriend them. She then sits with her companion (or perhaps someone else) and proceeds to order food, then they leave and she tells the waiters that she's part of the big group and to just add her orders to THEIR bill. Thankfully, the watiers and the staff had had experiences with her before so they actually asked her to pay BEFORE she ordered and when she had a receipt they served her her food.
I must say that the whole incident made everyone uncomfortable and I could tell that there was tension even when we were digging into the food. (Which was very tasty by the way, but how can you go wrong with fatty pork). I don't know if Abuhan Dos can "control" something like that since it's not in a great area and they shouldn't really discriminate ( after all the woman did pay for her meal ) but it did bring down the dining mood. Perhaps if we had stayed on the 2nd floor the whole situation would have not come to pass.
Moving forward, I can say that the group enjoyed the get together and despite the threats about hitting the gym the next day or moans about not wanting to eat another bite ever, we still proceeded to La Marea for dessert. Dietary hypocrites we are indeed.

Earth Rat Welcome!

The last time I formally celebrated Chinese New Year was a good 9 years ago. I remember specifically that we had to dress in either white, silver or red and that we had to follow an auspicious "route" recommended by the late Paul Lao of the Mandarin Hotel. It seemed like a fun thing to do, from what I can recall we all had to be inside a white, silver or red car and we had to pass through certain parts of Metro Manila ( and Old Manila)-in some parts we had to circle a landmark three times! We were a big group of friends and even my mom was game enough to participate. The last "stop" was at the Mandarin Hotel ( surprise surprise) and there was a dragon dance and a buffet ( that you had to pay for) and a gazillion people. In fact, just the people on the road doing the route was already a lot. Not sure if that year turned out to be particularly lucky but I had fun and my friends had fun and that's enough happy energy to make any year good right?

This year though is "my" year, being born in the year of the Rat. I had been invited by Joy Lim, proprietor of Charms and Crystals to her condo to celebrate the Eve of Chinese New Year. Apparently she only invites certain clients, family and friends to partake of a specially prepared selection of food ( each have their own meaning) and rituals to welcome in 2008. We started out writing our wishes on wishing paper and folding 8 pieces of lucky money. These would all be burned in a big fire in front of the altar of dieties on the roofdeck of the condo. As we started throwing our wishes and money into the fire (lit by three sticks of sandalwood incense that were also later placed in front of the altar) the fireworks started at the stroke of midnight Joy explained would "open" up the heavens since the next step was to write our wishes on red balloons that would be released (all at the same time) and would now "enter" the opened heavens. Pretty cool huh? Almost everyone was in red and the wishing writing was pretty much a frenzy but you could tell that everyone had hope in their hearts and were really praying for a much better new year.

"About 80% of wishes come true" winked Joy to her guests and she started handing out lucky money in red ampao envelopes "You keep this in your wallet so you will attract wealth" were her instructions. I now have a bright red and gold envelope sticking out of my wallet, who knows right? Am not going to complain if my bank statements reveal more $$$ in the coming months.

So to everyone who believes in Feng Shui or thinks this is all Feng-phooey, I would like to wish you all a very, very Gong Xi Fa Cai!