Dad.

If I was even half a decent writer, I would write an epic novel about my Dad and his real-life adventures. I mean, we're talking about spies, barons, dictators, castles---yes, castles!--- let's throw in the seven dwarfs for good measure and call it a party.

During the prime of his career, he missed out on some recitals and school presentations, but I never felt a tinge of neglect. He could be flying from two different cities in a day but still manage to get home just in time for dinner and be excited about the most mundane things like a new pair of socks that I just purchased in the mall. He never told me what to do but he always led by example---He showed me to be compassionate to those who needed it the most, to choose my battles (and weapons!) wisely, to never dignify pompous questions with an answer, to be passionate about doing the right thing even if it can be the most difficult thing to do, to be able to find humor amid grave predicaments, to turn to God for guidance and thanksgiving... and randomly, how to survive winter in Cambridge, Massachusetts (he went to Harvard Law right after I was born).

Happy Birthday to my first love and sometimes, my favorite frenemy. 

Check out all that sass!

Photo by Jon Tolentino Photography

Toodles!

Conde Nast Readers' Choice Awards: Cebu & Visayan Islands

Nothing makes me even prouder about my little spunky island of Cebu than getting a mention from one of the most reputable travel publications companies in the world such as Condé Nast. The travel mag usually holds a reader's choice poll every year to have discerning travelers select their fave travel spots in the world, with one of the categories being "TOP 5 ISLANDS IN ASIA". Asia is a beautiful continent in itself but having my island of Cebu and the rest of the Visayan Islands being rated side by side with Bali and Phuket just gives me an exhilarating thought---that finally, people are beginning to notice our side of the world and they likey...they likey alot!

Here's a screenshot of the page...sorry I had to re-size the photo to fit into my blog page but here is the original link: Top 5 Islands in Asia

To those of you who are not yet familiar with my hometown (Cebu, Philippines) or Asia for that matter, skip your usual vacation haunts and head out to Cebu and the rest of the Visayan islands to sample mouthwatering food fares (cheap eats!), explore our gorgeous beaches and experience warm hospitality from the locals---find out why we are so laid back and friendly!

I miss you Cebu! 

Toodles!

The Dancing Prisoners

Who would have thought that we would see a group of prisoners in my humble hometown, Cebu, become a hit sensation all over the world? Being a prisoner is definitely something not to be proud of but it's amazing how the human spirit can turn things around and make something funny and creative out of the worst case scenario. In a way, these prisoners are showing their vulnerable side, something that we rarely capture on film since people who go to prison are usually stamped as an undesirable forever.

This really goes to show that it's an innate behavior for Filipinos to want to entertain. It just really runs in our blood, we love hosting joyous occasions and we certainly love a good laugh. Of course, that's just the tip of the iceberg. The inmates do these dance stints as part of a rehabilitation program as well, which I think is an excellent choice. You combine discipline through choreography, exercise through rapid dance movements, and it (hopefully) promotes camaraderie among fellow inmates and the facility's employees.

I believe this was the first video that went viral and it was even featured on a segment on CNN. Check out the muscles on that guy in the pink halter top.

Here's a newer video of them doing a dance number of Gangnam Style. Talk about not letting anyone rain on their parade...they performed flawlessly even in the heavy pouring rain, and everyone knows that this ain't no California drizzle!

If it weren't for the flashy "P" on the back of their shirts, you'd forget that they are actually prisoners!

Yup, this is where I grew up. CEBU... where we have pristine white sand beaches, cheap eats and dancing prisoners! And you wonder why I'm always smiling =)

Toodles! =)

The Filipino Box

What's in a box? A box could be filled with trinkets, it could be filled with something sparkly or if you're unlucky, it could even just be plain empty (attitude adjustment wouldn't hurt, ey?). But this box that I have is no ordinary box... it's a Filipino box! If you're not a fellow Filipino, you've probably been wondering what's inside those huge boxes that Filipino travelers have in tow at the airport. Sorry to disappoint you, we stopped smuggling an entire village through those boxes so we managed to fill them with other things instead. Ha! You see... when Filipinos travel, we either go big or go home. And going big means nothing short of goodies and treats that make my heart skip a beat and brings me to a place of rainbows, unicorns and Carebears!

Carebear, starreeeee!

So you can just imagine my excitement when my sister, Kiwi, finally came back here in the U.S. from her 3-month vacation in our hometown, Cebu! Lucky brat. Forget the low-fat, low-sodium snacks! There's nothing better than having some yummy in my tummy that brings back awesome memories of the good ol' days in the Philippines =)

Mine! Mine! Mine! My heavenly box of goodies :) Can you spot Skyler in this picture?

Now there's one delicacy that us, Filipinos really enjoy despite the fact that it does seem like such a simple no-fuss kinda treat. This was the one that I especially pestered my sister about... and this simple sugary treat is called "Polvoron", derived from the Spanish word "polvo" which means powder or dust, but I prefer to think of the former since eating dust doesn't sound as appetizing. The most popular one in the Philippines is sold by the major restaurant chain, Goldilocks.

The Filipino version of polvoron mainly consists of powdered milk, sugar and nuts but this sweet piece of heaven is so delicate that it could actually break apart and crumble even before it plummets to its death in your mouth.

Back when I was a kid, I remember having loads of those polvoron contests among classmates and cousins, pretty much the goal is to speak or whistle while having an entire polvoron stuffed in your mouth. Whoever doesn't have polvoron spurting out of their mouth while speaking or whistling wins and of course, no one ever wins... except that you don't lose either because after all, you do have an entire piece of that yummy polvoron in your mouth!

 Food games are always the best, non?

Toodles!

Skyler's Plea

You know, I just felt so compelled today to dedicate a blog for a cause that I really appreciate and believe in, so the least that I could do is to SHARE. The one thing that I've learned as an Advertising and P.R. graduate is that as long as you get the message out, it'll reach whoever and wherever it needs to reach. Not a lot of people know this but I've always wanted to form some sort of charity or non-profit organization that could make a difference and make someone's (human or animal) life better.

Well what do you know, someone beat me to it and I'm totally enthused! I discovered that there is a Cebu-based animal rescue group called the Island Rescue Organization (or wittingly called by it's acronym "IRO", which means DOG in the Visayan dialect). I've been quietly following them on Facebook and have witnessed the selflessness that they exude as well as their dedication to give love and care for these helpless animals. This means that someone had the biggest huevos (Spanish for something...if you know it,good. If not, just google it 'coz I feel like it's not appropriate to say it in this context in English! Ha!) and actually made this all happen. What I only concoct in my dreams, is something that they are ACTUALLY doing right now and I think that's just amazing.

They rescued some Pit Bulls from a raided dog-fighting ring in Cavite, a province in the Philippines, and were sent to IRO's sanctuary in Cebu where they rehabilitated these badly abused dogs back to great health and normalcy.

Here are some photos that I grabbed from their page...

I am nowhere near the Philippines right now but that doesn't mean I can just say "Awwww" and feel sorry while I'm reading their sad stories and then call it a day. Nope, I think that's just not enough anymore. There is a need to take action, and that's what I did today.

I decided to skip my purchase of a Chanel eye shadow palette and made it into a donation instead...

To all of you who are attempting to go on a diet, now is the best time to re-think that dinner date because you know it'll  just all go straight to your thighs and add more cushion to your muffin top. It's wise to just donate that money instead and lose a couple of pounds at the same time. Win-Win! 

It's so easy to donate, even Sky can do it. Click here to Chip In. 

On behalf of your Royal Highness, Skyler, we are grateful for your time and support!

Have a great weekend!

Toodles!

Dedon

I was in the mood to do a little cleaning in the apartment today and look what I found underneath a huge pile of random junk mail...

I totally forgot that my W magazine actually came in about two weeks ago but luckily I was off today so I gladly perused through it. I usually skip to the beauty and travel section, and to my wonderful surprise, here in this prestigious magazine is an article about SIARGAO, PHILIPPINES.

It had a four-page spread by Armand Limnander about his visit to a place in Siargao called Dedon Island. The article essentially explores the eco-friendly resort that sits on a four-acre property, owned by Bobby Dekeyser. Dekeyser happens to be the founder of an outdoor-furniture company called Dedon, which manufactures hand-woven furniture in Cebu. I seriously beam with pride when Cebu gets a mention, in this case, in one of my fave fashion magazines.

Cebu, in fact, has always been a well-known hub for exporting world-class furniture. Here are some of Dedon's fun, signature pieces that I thought were eye-catching yet completely functional and cozy...

THE NESTREST

YIN YANG

OBELISK

ORBIT XXL

For more of Dedon's designs, you can check out the Dedon website.

I gotta admit, looking at all these wonderful outdoor furniture is making me miss Cebu a lot.

Where am I from, you ask? Oh. I'm from Cebu, you know..where we have awesome beaches and awesome "lechon" (roasted pig) and awesome people who make awesome furniture. That's a lot of awesomeness to handle. I know.

Have a great Friday the 13th!

Toodles! =)

My Father's Daughter

Strict. Intimidating. Passionate. Tough. Relentless. That's how people usually see the man whom I simply call... Dad. I'm 29 years old and I'm not ashamed to say that I still don't mind holding my Dad's hand when we take a stroll at the mall or just lounge around with him on the rare occasion that he gets to sit on the sofa with us, while he flips the channels from one news channel to another. CNN. Fox News. BBC. Oh how I dreaded those channels when I was a teenager. I mean c'mon...so what if they're talking about nuclear warheads in the news? We have to focus on issues that are totally relevant..like how am I going to convince my Dad to convince my Mom to let me go to that birthday party without having the nanny tag along? My parents are experts when it comes to entrapment. Oh yes, you can go but...you have to take the nanny with you. Say Huuuwhhaattt?

My Daddy-yo is a lawyer so he travels a lot. It comes with the territory and I've grown accustomed to it since I was a young, innocent, angelic (just go with it) child. My favorite part was when the world weather report came on and featured the capital cities... I'd ask him if he's been to this city, or that city and he would simply smile and nod to most of them. Move over, Dora. Looks like you got more exploring to do.

Photo from nickjr.com

During the peak of his constant travels, we got into the tradition of dropping off and fetching Dad at the airport and it didn't matter if he was going to be gone for a couple of hours, days or weeks..I'd still be there sitting at the back of the old family van, waiting for him to emerge from the arrival area with his briefcase in one hand and a big, familiar smile on his face.

I can't tell you how many times I used to get owned by Dad when I was younger..you know, that stage when kids would annoyingly ask random questions, every minute of everyday? Dad, why is it called like this? Where does this come from? What does this do? What is it made of? To my surprise, Dad would shoot down my questions with answers one by one.. How the heck does he know these things? Google didn't even exist yet. From then on, there was only one thing to conclude..My dad is a walking encyclopedia.

Photo from britannica.com

Now that I'm older and wiser (like I said, just go with it), I realize that Dad wasn't there to build a tree house for me nor was he there to teach me how to ride a bike. No..he was there to teach me more viable things than that. He taught me to be respectful to others in order to gain respect. He taught me that books are windows of the world,you don't need to travel to learn so much. He showed me that even when you think you own the world, you don't. And when all else fails, pray.

I wish I took care of this picture better. Dad looks like he's got big holes on his trousers. Ha!

Dad never tried to be a friend to me, he was always a father and I'm thankful for that. I needed someone to discipline me and prepare me for what's to come. He's the living proof that good guys and REAL men do really exist. In fact, he's the reason why I'm not a man-hater. Everyday he goes to work, comes home to his wife and kids, has no vices, doesn't go golfing or waste money at the casino's even though most men of his stature do. Despite the fact that he has attained much success in all aspects in his life, he has managed to remain a simple, grounded man. You can imagine my delight when I started dating Miguel and realized that he has a common, if not, similar disposition just like my Dad. Now if only my boyfriend didn't look like a terrorist, then he would have been just like my Dad. Oh well, we can't have it all, can we?

Thank you Dad, for giving me a happy childhood. When I grow up, I want to be just like you..after all, I am my father's daughter! =)

Photo by Jon Tolentino Photography

Happy Father's day to all the Dad's, whether they may be soon-to-be, newbies or the expert Dad's who've been around the block or two! Cheers!

Life's a Beach

While I sit here in my little apartment, my mind usually tends to wander back to the Philippines..to my hometown, Cebu. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a city close to awesome, awesome beaches that my standards are relatively higher than those who aren't frequently exposed to the sandy shores.

I mean, a couple of hours from my town and you get this...

Bantayan Island via http://www.bantayanisland.org

I don't mean to be a snob but sometimes when people brag to me about their recent trip from (insert BLAH beach that they just went to), I sometimes nod in approval but deep down inside..I just want to say Hello? I'm from Cebu. Go figure! *snap* (don't forget the snap, it's crucial)

Our beautiful, white sand beaches all over the Philippines are quite affordable..well, at least most of them. Don't believe me? Ask the locals from Cebu..they are ALWAYS at the beach. Heck, at the rate they're going, I wouldn't be surprised if they develop gills from staying too long in the water.

As Cebu being my number one biased choice, I'd like to explore the rest of the world for the craziest, unbelievable, powdery white sand beaches that this planet has to offer. And since I am allowed to day dream, here are my top picks on the beaches that I would most likely be seen running amok..someday..if I win the lottery.

Pristine white sand beach fronts...clear blue water...secluded islands combined with luxury amenities..

Get ready for your jaws to drop..

Amanpulo Resort, Palawan, Philippines

via www.amanresorts.com

 Shangri-la Villingili Resort, Maldives

via www.shangri-la.com

Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort, Bora Bora, French Polynesia

via www.lwh.com

Constance Lemuria Resort, Seychelles

 

via http://lemuriaresort.constancehotels.com

Whitehaven Beach, Australia

via www.allbestbeaches.com

via www.travelontheworld.com

These beach resorts are so secluded, you wouldn't have to worry about how you'd look like in your teenie bikini or tight speedos...and yes, even with your cottage cheese legs and saggy hiney.

Did you notice that I didn't put any descriptions at all on each resort? There are no words that can do justice! *sniff*

Okay. I need to snap out of it now. My carpet needs serious vacuuming from all that fur that my dog is shedding off and the dishes are piled up higher than the Eiffel tower. Alas, it's back to slavery!

Toodles!