Pirates!

A few months after we launched Redvanilla we discovered that our designs had been copied by one of the suppliers we had discontinued business with due to poor quality. We didn't mind back then; we figured oh well...if you put the bags side by side it was obvious that ours was better made. We just told each other that imitation was the best form of flattery.

Recently though I've come across too many Redvanilla look-alikes. Each one of these vendors passes the designs off as their own. They change the material a bit, maybe tweak the dimensions...but it's obvious where they got the idea. It's become really disturbing.

Don't get me wrong...I welcome competition, but from those who are diligent enough to really go through the trouble of R&D, and hold high standards for quality. Companies who aim for excellence, not a quick buck. Nice, clean competition. I look up to all the world-class laptop bag manufacturers and one day hope our little company can be as great.

Ok fine...this is the world we live in, where piracy abounds. But for those who are serious about this business, come on...do you REALLY want to be nothing more than a cheap copy? Sigh.

I'm Loving....

1. VMV Hypoallergenics!

We were at breakfast the other day and Mom commented on how good my skin looked. That got me going about VMV. I've started on Id and Illuminants regimens, and what can I say...their stuff really works! So even if it's pricier than the cosmetics I used to buy, I don't care. It's money very well spent. And the fact that it's made in the Philippines is a huge plus for me.

2. Sunsilk

I've been a loyal Pantene user for years (it makes my hair smell wonderful). One day I ran out of shampoo and had to use whatever was available. Woke up the next day with hair that looked like I'd just been to the stylist, and I wondered what I'd done to make it so. It was Sunsilk shampoo and conditioner. And so it seems I've found a solution to bad hair days. Amazing.

3. Sebastian's Ice Cream!

Can't have enough of it. Can't they open a branch in Makati? Please please please?

Bicol Express! (Around Bicol in 3 days)

It was less than a week 'til Holy Thursday and we didn't have any solid vacation plans. I was about to resign myself to 4 days of watching DVDs and religious features on Discovery Channel, when the urge to go out of town took over me. I made reservations at Casablanca Hotel in Legaspi for 2 nights and announced to the family we were going to Bicol. Period.

And so at 2am on Holy Thursday we started on our road trip to Legaspi, Albay. It took us about 10 hours to reach Camarines Sur and another 2 hours from there to Legaspi.

Dex's eyes started to glaze over somewhere in the middle of Quezon, so I took over the wheel. Little did I know that we were just heading into zig zag country. I realized the times we spent playing Sega Rally at Time Zone were worth it, since that's exactly how it felt.

Legaspi

Mayon's peak was hidden in cloud when we arrived in Albay. But after checking into the hotel and napping for a couple of hours, we took the kids and the camera to Cagsawa Ruins, where the unveiled mountain waited, picture-perfect against the afternoon sky.

As the sun started to set we headed towards Waway's for bopis, laing, sinigang and what else....Bicol Express!

Donsol

We woke up early the next day to drive to Donsol (about an hour and a half away) to see the whalesharks. And this, I must say, was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.

I'm no diver. Nor even much of a swimmer. But together with our Danish boatmates and the Butanding Interaction Officer (BIO), Dex and I jumped into open water sans life vest to go swimming with these giant fish. It was both frightening and awe-inspiring to be so close to them. Once I was chasing after one and its huge tail was swishing right below me. I had to suck in my gut for fear of getting scratched. On another jump I was staring into blue water and wondering where the butanding was when the BIO grabbed hold of my wrist and pulled me to one side, and I suddenly found myself just a couple of feet on top of a whaleshark, staring down at its head. I stayed with it until it descended and was screaming excitedly the whole time (if that's what you could call it) into my snorkel mask.

After about six sightings we headed back to land and had lunch at the Amor Farm Beach Resort, where we tried kinumot (like kilawin, except it's sting ray!), their yummy calamares and fresh fruit shakes. The kids spent most of the afternoon playing on the beach while we lazed around in one of the resort's huts, within earshot of the kids' shouts of delight.

At sunset we went back to the Tourism office to meet Dina, our guide for the firefly tour. Our little banca went down the black Ogod river, where mangroves grew thick on either side. Every now and then we would see trees pulsing with what looked like Christmas lights, but which were actually thousands of fireflies clustered together.

It was the kids' first time to see fireflies and we asked our guide to catch some for us so the kids could see them up close. One of them had a damaged wing (oops!), so Diego kept it with him until we got back to the hotel. It crawled into Kylie's pocket right before she went to sleep, and that's the last time anybody saw its tiny blinking light.

Camsur Watersports Complex

We checked out the next day and took off for the CWC in Camarines Sur, where we were lucky enough to book a cabana for the night. It felt like we had crashed a big swimming party, because there were so many people and the pre-Easter mood was festive. So even if we were waitlisted for the wakeboarding night run (and weren't able to get our turn), we had a great time swimming, eating barbeque and drinking cold beer under the searing sun, and had ourselves a massage by the Nurture Spa in our cabana while the kids watched cartoons on cable TV. In the evening we watched little frogs jump out of our way as we walked across the grounds.

In the morning, after breakfast, we spent our last moments at CWC watching the foreign wakeboarders practice their daring stunts, before driving the 10 hours back to Manila and ending a fantastic four-day Bicol trip.

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Casablanca Hotel
Peñaranda Ext., Legaspi City
Tel: +63 (52) 480 8334 to 35
Fax: +63 (52) 480 8338
Rates: Standard Rooms at P1,600/night including breakfast for 2
Pretty good for the price. The rooms have all the basics: aircon, cable TV and a clean bathroom with hot/cold shower. There's WiFi available at the common areas (Airborne Access) and you can purchase internet cards from the lobby.

Amor Farm Beach Resort
Dancalan, Donsol, Sorsogon (walking-distance from the Tourism Office)
Mobile Numbers: +63910 4762176 or +63910 4586140
Look for Mrs. Sylvia Amor or Mr. Rafael Amor
Email lyn_amor0122@yahoo.com
Rates: Fan rooms at P800/night - P1,500 for aircon rooms
We were just hanging out at the resort and didn't stay for the night so I can't tell what the rooms are like. But the resort itself is nice and clean. I could've spent the entire afternoon sleeping on a banig in the middle of the resort's campsite.

Camsur Watersports Complex
Cadlan, Pili, Camarines Sur
Tel +63 (54) 477-3159 (at least this is the number posted on the website, because I couldn't get through)
Rates: P1,200/night for an airconditioned 2-bed cabana (breakfast not included).
I loved the accomodations and can't wait to go back and book a container! =) The grounds are like one huge, well-tended garden and there's free WiFi everywhere! For more info, visit their website, http://www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com

Pinay in Action!

The alarm rang at 4:15am. I turned it off and closed my eyes for a bit. Today was race day. My first ever 10K and I had to be at The Fort at 5am.

The longest distance I had run in the last 3 months was 7K and my right ankle had been complaining for an entire week, so I was a little worried. But when I looked down at my watch after crossing the 5K mark I was surprised to see my time at 33 minutes. Prior to this the fastest 5K time I’d ever had was over 36.

Behind me I could hear a group of men who looked like they were in their 50s saying that if they kept the pace they could finish at 1:05 or 1:06. I told myself that if I could just stay a step ahead of these folks I’d be good! And so the thought that I might finish faster than I ever considered possible today gave me a little burst of extra energy that sustained me for the next couple of kilometers, after which I had to slow to a light jog – more like a shuffle, really. Eventually the geriatric team overtook me and started to pull farther and farther away. Felt pathetic. But as I rounded the last turn towards the finish line I figured it wouldn’t look good if I were to trudge across like this, so I mustered enough willpower to make a decent run for the last few meters and smile in case there were any random camera clicks.



Crossed the finish line at 1:06:40.93. Not bad. Almost twice the time it took for the first person to finish, but still…not bad at all. Was on a high until breakfast, after which I crashed into a couch and was asleep until past noon. Crazy experience. Gotta do this again. =)

Goal!

Diego spent his weekends this summer at the futbolfunatics soccer camp for kids. When he scored his first goal I was cheering so loudly from the sidelines; Kylie wanted to gag me because I was beginning to embarrass her. =p Click here for pics!

Seems everybody scored a goal this summer: Dex went to Canada in April and was able to find work. He's now one of the "dakilang" OFWs whose remittances are helping to keep the economy afloat. =p Kylie spent her summer organizing her own swimming trips and sleepovers. She'd just call me on my mobile to tell me her plans and I'd come home to find one or both kids gone. Still very much into gymnastics, she took home the silver for her floor routine at the recent IS meet, and gets to do her back handsprings on the trampolene by herself now.
I had a couple of "wins" for the summer, as well. First, my friends and I launched a line of ladies laptop bags, redvanilla. We had originally thought it would take us 3 to 4 months to sell off our initial inventory, but we were dead wrong. =) The workday collection sold like pancakes! Click here to view our website. New designs will be out in July!

My second goal was going back to dancing. The last class I ever joined was a Dansa company class about a year ago, conducted by someone I used to teach. It was tougher for me than I expected. But though I'd accepted that I was past my prime, I knew that with a little work I could at least get back in shape. And so I signed up for the Powerdance summer workshop, and took jazz classes three times a week from April up until the recital last Tuesday (the 6th of June).

Over the last 2 months I've peeled off two layers of my toenails, scraped skin off my foot, pulled all sorts of muscles and had a terrible episode of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness that had me limping for 2 days. But I've rediscovered the things that I love most about dancing, not the least of which is performing onstage. It's been too long.

The day before the show Douglas Nierras said something like "if you think you can get up onstage tomorrow and still be yourself, you're mistaken. Once you're up there, you have to become the dancer." And that's just what I love about the stage. You can transform into anyone. Live out your fantasies for a few moments. And shift back into yourself as soon as you step off. It's magic.

There are other things I realize I've missed: the camaraderie between dancers, horsing around during breaks, just moving to music, discovering that there's still so much left to learn, that there are muscles left to isolate and movements yet to master. Oh, and I've been eating a lot and not worrying about gaining weight. =)

The show itself was great. =) I can't wait to see the video! And I can't wait to go back to class! But first... a long-delayed pedicure!!! Hahaha...

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Futbolfanatics offers soccer lessons for kids from 3 to 13 years old. Check out their website for details!

Powerdance is located at the 2nd floor of the Shopwise carpark in Cubao. They currently offer unlimited classes for P3,000/month. Visit http://douglasnierraspowerdance.com/ or call 9958287 for more information.

Boracay Like I'd Never Seen It Before

It was my third time in Boracay and I wanted to do something different. If like me you’ve had your fill of Jonah’s fruit shakes, banana boat rides, people-watching at D’Mall and shopping for trinkets at the Talipapa, and done with island-hopping and paraw-sailing and getting a henna tattoo, then read on….

Day 1

So this is “the new Filipino time.” Our 12:40pm Cebu Pacific flight took off at 2pm and an hour of my vacation went to waste. Our banca arrived at Boracay Station 3 at about 5:30pm. The water came up to thigh-level and I was wondering whether my skirt would be short enough for it not to get wet when one of the manongs said “Buhat na lang!” and I thought he was kidding until he scooped me up onto his shoulder (at which I gave a startled yelp!) and carried me to the beach. I looked back and saw Dex getting ready to climb onto the next guy’s shoulders, so I hurriedly dug out my camera to get a shot.

Someone from Dave’s Straw Hat Inn was there to meet us and take us to the resort, which is a few steps away from White Beach. The room we had for the night was tiny but pleasant, and an attendant offered us banana shakes as soon as we’d put our bags down.

We must have walked the entire stretch of White Beach two and a half times that night. So much has changed in the last 2 years: D’Mall had expanded and now looks like Greenbelt 5, and there are plenty of new shops and restaurants. There was just so much to see; it was overwhelming.

We had dinner at one of the establishments offering buffet dinners for P185. Then we headed back to D’Mall and decided to chill at The Hobbit House (same as the one in Malate where you are waited on by "hobbits"), where they have the best nachos for P100 (beefy and cheesy, served with mildly spicy salsa) and an interesting drink called the Minchi-Lada (a mix of lime juice and beer). This was also where I had my very first smoke ever: we had a hookah pipe with apple-flavored shisha and took turns trying to replicate Gandalf’s smoke ship. And now I know why I’m destined to be a non-smoker for life: though I enjoyed the curious looks from passersby, I just didn’t get the point.

We stayed at Cocomangas 'til midnight and walked the stretch back to station 3, stopping every now and then to marvel at how fine the sand really is in Boracay and hoping the sky would clear so we could look out for shooting stars.


Day 2

It rained about an hour after we got back to our room that night, but the morning sky was a happy blue. We rented 2 mountain bikes and took off for breakfast at Station 2, then hopped over to Real Coffee for calamansi cake and our caffeine fix. And then with nothing but our sunblock, 2 bottles of water and a general idea where we were going, we headed towards the highest point in Boracay, Mt. Luho.

Some people hike to Mt. Luho. Others take trikes, scooters or ATVs, or even go on horseback. And there I was, a girl who had no mountain-biking experience whatsoever, who had to stand en pointe for my feet to touch the ground, silly enough to think it would be a piece of cake. Biking on sand and evading all the human traffic was already a challenge in itself (around Station 1 the sand is so soft the bike's wheels have a tendency to sink and slide); what the hell was I thinking? But somehow Dex and I managed to make it over sand, rocks and mud, dismounting and pushing our bikes up where the road was too steep. It was tiresome work, and we even passed the infamous Boracay dumpsite (which didn’t smell like one, thank goodness) before reaching the steps to viewing deck, where the view was just... breathtaking.

We took the shorter route going back to White Beach, and the road was very rough and so steep that I was scared to death of tumbling all the way down to Bolabog beach. But I guess it was fear of failure and embarrassment more than anything that kept me on my bike, all the way back to the Inn. What an adventure.

After lunch we were met by the staff of Nami Villas, where we were billeted for the 2nd night. One of them introduced himself as Francis, our butler (!). After checking in at Nami we went back to White Beach to get a massage, terrorize the fish that were swimming around our feet, and catch some photos of the lovely sunset. After dinner the Nami van was there to fetch us (at exactly 9pm, just as we had asked) and when we got back to our room there was a hot bath waiting for us at our very own candle-lit outdoor jacuzzi. Aaaaahhhh….

Day 3

We were scheduled to leave for Caticlan at 10am, but Francis had arranged for us to go jetskiing at 9, so right after breakfast we headed down to the beach for our last Bora activity. It was another first for me, and though I kept getting blinded by seawater and was screaming half the time, it was such a cool experience and I can’t wait to do it again.


The Nami boat took us to its private welcome center in Caticlan, where a van was waiting to bring us to the port. Everything was like clockwork. Kudos to the Nami Villas staff, particularly Francis for his buttling. I give them five stars for service. It’s just too bad we weren’t able to stay longer. =)

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More photos here!

Dave’s Straw Hat Inn is located near the end of Station 3. The path going there is probably the only disappointment because the resort itself is great and the rates are easy on the budget. We rented our mountain bikes from them at P300/bike/day. Contact them at +63 927 494 4522.

Nami Villas is located at Diniwid Beach, just a 10-minute walk around the cliff from Station 1. The beach isn’t much, but if you’re after privacy and AAA treatment, you’ll get it here. Water sports arranged by your butler are priced similarly to White Beach’s, and you can charge all your outdoor activities to your room. Contact Nami Villas at +63 918 934 4709.

A Day in Hong Kong

Booked the last flight home the Saturday after a 2-day business engagement in Hong Kong, so I spent the last hours of Friday night munching on a crunchy waffle with peanut butter topping that I'd bought from this little corner stall a few steps away from my hotel, poring over tourist brochures and magazines, consulting Google, trying to decide how to maximize my one day. I wanted 2 major things on my itinerary: 1) an experience off the beaten path, and 2) shopping!!!

So after breakfast at my hotel I walked through the bustle of Causeway Bay and took the train to Sheung Wan. Made my way through narrow streets lined with shops that sold ginseng and bird's nest. Stopped by a tea shop and was greeted at the door by a myriad of scents. Purchased a bag of Lily tea for my cough. (The label said “delicious taste”. How could one go wrong with that? And by the way it really works.) Right before I left I turned to take a picture of the shop. The owner yelped and and dove out of my lens’ way while her son stood there laughing.

Walked on, wondering why everyone was wearing jackets when it wasn't chilly at all, gaping at sharks fins just hanging on the wall… eek. Turned onto a street where they sold crates upon crates of dried seafood. Rows and rows of stuff I didn’t recognize and probably would never taste in this lifetime.

Finally found myself on Hollywood street, where antiques and curios were sold. Ducked into this little air-conditioned shop to cool off and rest my legs. Gazed around and was in awe. Everything was just so intricately made; I wanted to buy the whole shop. Asked the owner to pick some “cheap but nice” snuff bottles for me and I settled on a colorful porcelain piece with relief carvings, very nicely glazed, and a bronze-lined cap. Thanked her and left, caught sight of some swords, and bought one for my brother, who collects them (the walls of his room are lined with all manner of swords, guns and knives). This would be his first antique Chinese sword. The vendor said that it was most likely from the early 1900s, though the design followed that of the Shang dynasty. After a bit of haggling and making sure they wouldn’t hold me at customs for this, I purchased the sword and took it back to the hotel.


After that it was off to Tsim Sha Tsui, with the intention of visiting Harbour City and maybe taking a quick peek at the museum and doing the tourist thing at the Avenue of Stars. Got some nice skirts on sale at Park Lane Shopper's Boulevard. Was disappointed to find that the new Skinny Jeans at Giordano were not skinny enough for me. Stopped over at a local bakeshop for some meat floss buns that I could eat while walking. Caught sight of a narrow alley where they were selling Chinese silk robes and pajamas, and embroidered pillow covers. Real cheap! Got Diego a little skull cap with a braid and moved on.

Harbour City was just dizzying. I could have stayed there for days walking my legs off, and I think I might have been better off with the Ladies' Market because there wasn't much that caught my interest. Crashed into Caffé Colorado and devoured an entire slice of chicken lasagna while watching the grey mist over the harbour.

Found the Clock Tower which is said to have been in operation since 1921. Well... there it was: a lonely clock tower. Too tired to visit the Avenue of Stars, I headed back to the hotel and took a cab to the airport, where more shopping awaited. Yikes! Sitting down never felt so good.