Some things to Smile About
COME ON, GET HAPPY! THESE TIPS AND IDEAS ARE SURE TO MAKE YOU GRIN, SAYS MAYA CALICA
Good news all the time
Here’s the perfect antidote to all the bad headlines we’ve been hearing about the Philippines. The website Good News Pilipinas is devoted to trumping only positive articles and inspirational stories about Filipinos and the Philippines. Click on goodnewspilipinas.com for a pick-me-up and be proud to be Pinoy.
A V-date treat for non-lovers
Duke’s Deli in Hong Kong won’t be ? lled with pink hearts, red roses or smug couples on Cupid’s Day. On February 14, order their Love Bites dinner: a slice of pepperoni pizza and a beer plus a bag of "I’m not bitter" chocolate almonds for just HK$38 (PHP232.78). Listen to songs like Everybody Hurts by REM, I’m Not in Love by 10cc and Glad To See You Go by the Ramones. These tunes will be playing here all throughout the week of Valentine’s. 135 Des Voeux Road, Hong Kong, tel: +852 2544 7587
Round-the-clock inspiration
If nothing’s making you smile these days, tune in to Hay House Radio at www.hayhouseradio.com. Created by Louise Hay, author of You Can Heal Your Life, the internet radio station provides 24 hours of online talk shows daily that tackle matters like creating abundance, ? nding a soulmate, feng shui tips and enriching your spirit. Tune in to authors-cum-radio show hosts like Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, and Esther and Jerry Hicks for a dose of enlightenment.
Tried & Tested
Beauty Booty
| Smashbox OSmashbox O-Glow Intuitive Glow Intuitive Cheek Color Cheek Color Dulce Sia, trade Dulce Sia, trade sourcing and sourcing and development development manager “It blends really well, “It blends really well, gives me a glow, and gives me a glow, and doesn’t make me look doesn’t make me look heavily made-up or oily. heavily made-up or oily. Plus it has vitamin C to Plus it has vitamin C to energize my skin.” energize my skin.” |
 |
| Dr. Hauschka Sunscreen Cream SPF 20 Ivy Esguerra,Ivy Esguerra, fulltime mom fulltime mom “I like that it’s “I like that it’s part of a holistic part of a holistic skincare line made with precious skincare line made with precious oils and extracts from certified oils and extracts from certified organic and wild plants. organic and wild plants. Even my husband swears Even my husband swears by it. He uses it when by it. He uses it when he plays golf. It’s also a he plays golf. It’s also a great makeup base that great makeup base that makes my foundation makes my foundation last longer.” last longer.” |
 |
| Bene? t Dr. Feelgood Leslie Ong,Leslie Ong, entrepreneur "This product "This product can be used can be used as a base or as a base or worn alone. It’s for days when worn alone. It’s for days when I don’t want to apply makeup. I don’t want to apply makeup. My skin feels velvety and matte My skin feels velvety and matte - no need for an oil - no need for an oil blotter! It doesn’t blotter! It doesn’t clog my pores clog my pores and provides and provides enough enough coverage." |
 |
| Curls Rock by TIGI Catwalk Far Cuenca, Far Cuenca, systems analyst systems analyst "This hair "This hair product line product line helps manage helps manage curly hair. I highly recommend curly hair. I highly recommend the shampoo as it the shampoo as it enhances my curls enhances my curls and reduces frizziness and reduces frizziness so that my hair feels so that my hair feels softer and smoother. softer and smoother. The fruity smell is The fruity smell is addictive! Using it addictive! Using it lightens up my mood." lightens up my mood." |
 |
Shop Alert
Res/Toe/Run
What’s your sole mate style? This restaurant-inspired multi-brand shoe store offers three categories of footwear to satisfy nearly every whim. RES refers to the comfy casual shoe line, TOE represents toe-? aunting sandals and ? ip? ops, while RUN is their active footwear range. Res/Toe/Run makes shoe shopping much like a dining experience, with its interiors looking like that of an Italian restaurant. Drop by and try on a pair at their boutiques located at TriNoma, Ayala Center Cebu, Gateway and Robinsons Galleria.
For inquiries, go to www.restoerun.multiply.com or email restoerun@primergrp.com
Travel Right
LOOK FRESH AND GROOMED ON VACATION WITH THESE JETSETTING FINDS
YOU’RE OFF TO… A BUSINESS MEETING
Take along: The Contura Suit Carrier by Timothy. Show up at your destination fresh and unrumpled, thanks to this ingenious carrier. About the size of a laptop cover, the Contura keeps suits crease-free thanks to a piece of molded rubber around which you wrap your business trousers and then your jacket.
The medium-sized suit carrier costs HK$480 (PHP2,938.15) and the large one costs HK$550 (PHP3,366.63) at select stores in Hong Kong and Seoul or online at www.timothytravelgoods.com
YOU’RE OFF TO… JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE
Take along: The Wordlock combination lock. It secures your belongings using easy-to-remember words instead of numbers. This gadget was conceived by Todd Basche because no one in his family could memorize the many numerical combinations on padlocks around his house. Their range of travel and bike locks are made from hardened steel.
Wordlock travel locks are Travel Sentry® approved and available in Singapore at The Planet Traveller for SG$23.90 (PHP769) at Marina Square, #03-113 and Paragon, 04-15/16/17, Takashimaya, BHG (Bugis Junction) Robinson’s (Centrepoint).
YOU’RE OFF TO… A HIGH SCHOOL REUNION
Take along: the HairMax LaserComb Premium.
This ingenious invention, when used as directed on thinning hair, will give you a lusher mane.
Over 90% of HairMax users noticed increased hair growth, the cessation of hair loss, faster growing locks, more manageability and more vibrant color in as little as eight weeks. The gadget has won several awards, including Time Magazine’s Most Promising Invention of the Year. Use it and then tote it in your suitcase for a rejuvenating comb wherever in the world you are. The HairMax LaserComb costs SG$748 (PHP23,895), and comes with a premium leather travel case, a convenient worldwide AC power adapter, a DVD instructional video, a quick start guide, and even a spare set of hair parting teeth.
Buy it at Glo Spa and Wellness in Singapore, 81 Club Street, tel: +65 6327 9700, www.glospawellness.com
FIVE OF THE WORST FILMS YOU CAN WATCH IN THE AIR
Don’t view these on your laptops!
DIE HARD 2
The reason: John McClane (Bruce Willis) is at odds with terrible mercenaries who take over an airport’s communication system, who threaten to make planes crash unless they get what they want.
LOST, SEASON 1
The reason: The show begins with a plane crash and a bunch of people trying to survive on a deserted island. Do you want this on your mind 35,000 feet above sea level?
SNAKES ON A PLANE
The reason: There are two — one, there are killer reptiles loose on this flight, and two, it’s a bad movie.
TURBULENCE
The reason: In this flick, a stewardess needs to fly a plane overrun by criminals, ward off a serial killer, and touch down in Los Angeles just in time for the Christmas holidays.
FEARLESS
The reason: This 1993 film features a very graphic and traumatizing plane crash scene, which Max Klein (Jeff Bridges) survives.
It eventually changes him into someone who feels indestructible.
Loving Company
NOELLE DE JESUS TALKS TO MOY ORTIZ OF THE COMPANY ABOUT GROUP HUGS AND KEEPING POSITIVE, NO MATTER WHAT
ONCE UPON a time in 1985, a group of friends got together because they missed their days of making music as members of the Ateneo Glee Club. Now more than 20 years on, The Company is the country’s leading classical and pop ballad ensemble, having gamely taken on the romantic pop ballads so beloved by Pinoys and making them their own. When their hits play on the radio, whatever the genre — people on jeepneys and in the malls know, without a doubt, it’s The Company. And with their 18th album, Group Hug, all they want is to spread the joy — goodness knows, they have it aplenty.
Why Group Hug?
Group Hug is The Company’s tribute to iconic and legendary groups that have left their mark on popular music. ABBA, The Beatles, Carpenters, Earth Wind and Fire, Queen and more. It’s a special collaboration with Maestro Gerard Salonga — Lea’s genius brother — and his full orchestra, FILharmonika.
The best part of making the album?
It was pure joy to create beautiful music with the Philippines’ best musicians, arrangers, producers and technicians. And director, Chuck Gutierrez, and cinematographer, Bernard Dacanay, did an exceptional job showing us going through life’s milestones for the video of, Nandito Pa Rin Tayo (We’re Still Here). And we’re such mush buckets, we all got teary-eyed, seeing it.
What happens when members are not feeling “companionable”?
Those moments are rare and far between. We just take short breaks or trips to cool off. We never allow our relationship to reach a stress level where we feel burnt out.
Why these songs?
These songs are commercial, instantly recognizable, and easily associated with the original artist. For instance, Bohemian Rhapsody equals Queen. You can’t outdo the definitive versions. That wasn’t really the point of the album.
Who is your audience today?
We play for a wide range of audiences, from college kids to senior citizens. We try to keep it fresh, adapt, adjust and ugh, that inevitable word, reinvent.
Any wishes for 2009?
For our group, we wish for continued financial stability and to just go on with our journey. We are extremely grateful that we’ve even reached this point. Certain things could be better, of course. We’d love to do international tours again and be a little more visible on TV. But we believe everything happens for a reason and in the end, His will be done. At the risk of sounding cliché, we sincerely want peace for the world.
INFLIGHT ESSENTIALS
|
LISTEN Freedom Akon’s third album has that trademark hiphop/R&B track (Right Now), the usual artist collaborations with Lil Wayne and T-Pain, and a safe-yet-controversial album title (his earlier ones were Trouble and Konvicted). So hip-hop/R&B fans will like it too. |
 |
|
READ Live Life with Spice Author Eric Waldburger inspires with interesting anecdotes on how to set and achieve goals, promote a good relationship with your colleagues and clients, and encourage creativity and leadership. It’s a thought-provoking read. |
 |
|
SHOOT Canon PowerShot E1 Its curves and range of cute colors may distract you from this digital camera’s other impressive features — a 10-megapixel resolution, 4x optical zoom lens and face detection technology. All great to have once you’ve finalized your choice: will it be cotton pink, ice aqua blue or vanilla white? |
 |
Telling Secrets
CHIP CHILDERS MEETS THE AUTHORS OF THE CELEBRATED COFFEE TABLE BOOK, MANILA’S BEST KEPT RESTAURANT SECRETS
WHEN IT COMES to cuisine, Manila has always suffered an image problem, especially when it’s compared to its neighboring foodie cities like Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta. But those days are about to end, says Elian Habayeb, who along with co-author Ines Cabarrus, has produced the stunning 260-page coffee table book, Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets, a loving ode to the epicurean hotspots that may just sneak beneath our radars.
“I believe Manila is right now experiencing a culinary revolution. Never in the history of this city have there been so many great restaurants,” says Habayeb. “When I moved here 10 years ago, it was hard to find a great restaurant. But it’s clear, things have changed completely.”
The book’s buzz only escalated as the first annual Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets Awards was held late last year. The event celebrated the cream of the crop, with 80 judges from a diverse cross-section of the restaurant industry and related fields selecting awardees in 22 categories.
Which is why the MBKRS Awards promises to be “the Oscars” of Manila’s restaurant industry.
Apart from the obvious value the book holds for both the city’s dwellers and visitors, it’s also spawned a curious “local area restaurant tourism” as residents focus on their own particular districts, eschewing the others. Interestingly, one of the forewards to the book is penned by Philippine Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano.
“People know their own local area’s restaurants, but they don’t usually know about restaurants in other parts of town. If they live in Quezon City, they may not know Malate’s restaurants. This book tells you about the different gems all around the city,” explains Habayeb.
Says Cabarrus, “The book is really about discovery. And it went beyond just the food to the people and their passion for the ultimate gastronomic experience. It instilled a sense of adventure in me so that even now, when I hear of a new restaurant, my first instinct is to call Elian so we can try it ASAP!”
Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets can be found in National Bookstore, Powerbooks and Fully Booked, but it’s also for sale internationally on Amazon. For more information, log on to www.bestkeptsecrets.multiply.com
7 RESTAURANTS YOU OUGHT TO KNOW ABOUT
Some recent award-winning restaurants named at the 2008 MBKRS Awards Ceremony
-Best Continental Cuisine Lolo Dad’s 899 President Quirino Avenue Malate, tel: +63 (2) 522 2941
-Best Filipino Restaurant Abé G/F Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, tel: +63 (2) 856 0526
-Best Steak House Elbert’s Steak Room 3/F Sagittarius Bldg 3, 111 de la Costa St, Salcedo Vill, Makati, tel: +63 (2) 339 3363
-Best Enoteca (wine bodega with food offerings)
Barcino Gourmet 2/F City Golf Plaza, Ortigas Town Center Julia Vargas Ave, Barrio Ugong, Pasig, tel: +63 (2) 636 2963
-Best Specialty Restaurant Hossein’s Persian Kebab 2/F, LKV Building, 7857 Makati Ave, Makati, tel: +63 (2) 890 5928
-Best Spanish Restaurant Terry’s Selection Unit 2, Building B,Karrivin Plaza 2316 Pasong Tamo Ext, Makati, tel: +63 (2) 844 1816
-Best French Restaurant Je Suis Gourmand G/F, Net One Center, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, tel: +63 (2) 889 3963
Macau Rewind
WANT CULTURE? MACAU OFFERS IT AT STREET LEVEL, SAYS SIMON WONG
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIMON WONG
WHILE OTHER ex-colonies and Asian free ports have lost their old world charm over time, Macau retains much of its original way of life, kept whole by its well-preserved Chinese and colonial architectural heritage, dating back almost 500 years.
Areas like Coloane Island exude the ambience of a lazy Sunday afternoon, with its decidedly classical Portuguese town, complete with old library building, holy relic chapel of St Francis Xavier and colonnaded square. If you’re pressed for time, head to Senado Square which may be a little touristy but is bustling and ultimately worth the effort.
In Macau’s streets and lanes, amid the small parks and a generous smattering of temples, you can enjoy dimsum the old-fashioned way at the retro Loong Wah Teahouse, which has original 1960s furnishings that were passed down to the owner by his father.
Spend a day strolling the streets. Macau is one of those places where you can still sample local street food, walk down old cobbled streets, stay in old stone forts, and eat a ton of splendid Portuguese egg tarts, piping fresh from the oven of an old cottage bakery.
PINOY BEHAVIOR 101
If you are visiting the Philippines for the first time, it’s alright to not understand any Tagalog. That’s because practically everyone understands English, whether you’re in Manila or on the beaches of Baler. So why would a book like the Etiquette Guide to the Philippines (Tuttle Publishing) even be necessary? This manual by Dennis Posadas and Joy Posadas provides insight into the Filipino psyche, apart from its list of rules and vocabulary. Helpful phrases include “bahala na,” an expression that means “Whatever fate brings!” and “beso-beso” from the Spanish word meaning kiss, used to refer to the social kiss on the cheek. As such, it makes a great gift for visitors to the country. Available at Fully Booked and National Bookstore.
Discover Dipolog City
THIS GATEWAY TO WESTERN MINDANAO HAS GREAT THINGS TO OFFER! AYO GRANDE GUNTING SHARES FOUR GOOD REASONS
Carlo B. Carlos 1 Take in spectacular views Climb the 3003 steps to Linabo Peak, Dipolog’s highest elevation point at 486m above sea level. There, you’ll find the 14 stations of the cross amid verdant trees. The way up is quite a workout but worth it once you reach the top. A quaint community chapel and a breathtaking view of Dipolog and Dapitan await you.
2 Stop and smell the orchids It’s no wonder this city has been nicknamed “The Orchid City of the Philippines.” Dipolog boasts a very wide variety of this beautiful flower, which it showcases in annual events such as the Dipolog Orchid Garden Show.
3 Indulge in art and food Visit Goodtimes Café & Art Gallery, a private mini-park and restaurant. The two-storey ancestral home houses numerous art collections: from chinaware and figurines to papier mache masks and carved driftwood. They also have a garden where the Kapilya Juliana is located, plus the Galeria Indolencio in the yard, where a number of Dipolog artists reside.
4 Take home sardines in a bottle The city is also known as the “Bottled Sardines Capital of the Philippines.” According to Stephen Montano of Montano Sardines, which has a factory in Dipolog, the city has an abundant supply of malangsi (herring). Take home a couple of bottles as pasalubong for your friends and family!
To get there: Cebu Pacific flies to Dipolog City from Manila and Cebu. To book, visit www.cebupacificair.com
ENTER A WHOLE NEW WORLD
Whether you’re an explorer, an adventure seeker, a frequent traveler or just someone who loves learning about different cultures, you’ll enjoy the recently opened National Geographic retail store on the first level of VivoCity in Singapore. This is the brand’s first in Asia, and its second outlet in the world. The first opened in November 2008 on Regent Street in London.
At a sizeable 1,500m2, this store is packed with interactive displays and pieces that will inspire and educate you about our planet. “Experience zones” simulate extreme weather conditions, so you feel what it’s like to be part of a grueling National Geographic expedition. You can even try their explorer gear in the product-testing chamber to see if they really work. Check out their extensive line of travel clothes and accessories, gadgets like binoculars, telescopes, cameras, and journals, maps, and guidebooks. What’s more, when you shop here, you help save the planet since net proceeds go to National Geographic’s exploration, conservation, research and education programs.
01-18/20 VivoCity, 1 HarbourFront Walk, Singapore
Heavenly Havens
NEED TO ESCAPE FOR A WEEKEND? HERE, OUR VOTES FOR TOP HOTELS TO GET TO RIGHT NOW
For fun and frolic in the sun
Head to: Berjaya Redang Beach Resort, Redang Island, Terengganu, Malaysia
Here’s why: A fine white sand beach! This March, the resort opens its Oceanfront Suites, pristine one- and two-bedroom lodgings in neat little double-storey Malaysian wood chalets, just steps away from powder-like sand.
Contact: tel: +609 630 8888, email: reservation@b-redang.com.my, www.berjayaresorts.com
To get there: Cebu Pacific flies to Kuala Lumpur via Manila. Redang is then accessible via Berjaya Air and a ferry.
For the ultimate urban getaway
Head to: Alila Jakarta, Indonesia
Here’s why: The hotel is conceived as a relaxing haven in a very urban setting. Alila, is Sanskrit for “surprise”, and it’s an apt description for the hotel’s abstract yet minimalist décor. Relax with cocktails in the Space Lounge. Head to the mybodygym and mybodyspa for some stress-relieving rejuvenation.
Contact: tel: +62 21 231 6008, email: jakarta@alilahotels.com, www.alilahotels.com/jakarta
To get there: Cebu Pacific flies from Manila to Jakarta thrice weekly.
For a head-to-toe beauty retreat
Head to: Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou, China
Here’s why: Chi The Spa offers guests its exclusive Oriental Pearl Radiance facial, an energizing skin treatment patterned after Ci’xi, the last Empress Dowager’s beauty regime. It uses nano pearl powders so fine, its grains allow the skin enhanced absorption of the nutrients. The 110-minute spa journey is priced at RMB1,380 (PHP9,446).
Contact: tel: +86 (20) 8917 6658, www.shangrila.com
To get there: Cebu Pacific flies from Manila to Guangzhou weekly.
To book, go to www.cebupacificair.com
Bookmark This Post
