Pasyal at Pahinga

  When my cousins Gio and Melan invited us to Sta. Elena Fun Farm to celebrate their son Ino's 3rd birthday, we said yes immediately!  Since the pandemic lockdown began in March 2020, we had been yearning for opportunities to bond with family again. It's been two long years of not having big family gatherings!  My older kids Narra and Guijo had more opportunities to enjoy playing with cousins than my youngest son Lauan, who like his cousin Ino, and their other "batch mates" had to live with social distancing for an extended period.   Sta. Elena Fun Farm was a perfect choice for a pandemic party - we're still under Alert Level 1 and while more activities are allowed now, we still follow safety protocols like wearing masks, observing social distancing, and choosing well-ventilated and uncrowded places.  Sta. Elena Fun Farm had plenty of space and outdoor activities for kids to enjoy. From pony rides to animal feeding, to zip lines, obstacle courses, boating, fish fe

When we found out a big Leni-Kiko rally was happening in Pasig, we were excited to go. We lived in Pasig so we just planned on either walking or biking to Emerald Avenue to attend PasigLaban. But my sister had other plans. She booked several rooms at a budget hotel on Garnet Road, which was near the rally venue, near enough for our senior citizen parents, aunties and uncles to feel and see the festivities without having to join the crowd. My sister had the foresight to make a family affair out of PasigLaban! It's been a while since we've done anything together as a family because of the pandemic. We checked in on Saturday afternoon and immersed in the festive atmosphere of preparations until late in the evening. We watched rehearsals on stage, and saw banners, tarps, flowers, lights, speakers, tents, ribbons, photo walls, and standees being set up in preparation for Sunday's event.  Even the pedestrian lanes were turned pink! My sister and I bought dinner for my parents and

  Around this time five years ago, I was 8 months pregnant with my youngest child and I was feeling all sorts of pains and aches. I daydreamed of going to Karada for their unique massage therapy, but it was impossible, they wouldn't do any treatments on pregnant women. I understand them, of course. Karada's techniques require specific positions that simply aren't suitable for someone in my condition then.  Weeks after giving birth, I went back - and I was denied their treatments again - "too soon", they said.  Argh.  When finally I became eligible to receive their services, I did so with a vengeance! I bought a discounted package for multiple treatments and sessions, to make up for lost time.  I got my fix. And when I consumed all of the vouchers I bought, I was fine.  I didn't go for months, which turned into years. Before I knew it, it's been 4 years since my last Karada visit!  So when my sister asked me "gusto mo mag Karada?" - my heart leapt

My sister invited me for some self-care on Saturday afternoon. The agenda was simple: go to Burgos Circle to eat at a vegetarian restaurant, and walk to Karada nearby for a Japanese-style massage. It sounded like a really good plan. My sister first encountered Shaka Cafe in Siargao and she was delighted to find out there's a branch in Taguig.  I told my sister I wanted us to do something we can enjoy only when it's just the two of us - without or parents, or my husband and kids. Oohing and aahing at plant-based fare is that sort of thing. And Shaka Cafe did not disappoint. We ordered a wrap (and cut it in half), and we ordered the tacos as well, and had one each of the pair that makes up a serving. There were so many things to love about what we ate. The portions were just right, hefty and filling - we were full and satisfied by the time we polished off our plates, but we also felt like we had a light meal so we didn't feel stuffed or sluggish.  The taste and play of textu

I have very fond memories of Villa Escudero. In the early 1990s, my grandparents celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary and that occasion gave their large brood of 12 children (with spouses) and their 24 grandchildren reason to get together. Half of the family had re-settled in Canada, and half remained in the Philippines, and the two halves were together for that brief period. It was a time of outings and parties and Villa Escudero was one of the places our big family went to.  The lunch buffet at their waterfalls restaurant was memorable to me. Table upon table of aunts and uncles, and cousins, and beloved grandparents, Lolo Maning and Lola Ilit. I hadn't gone back since - not in 30 years!  So when my husband and I took our kids there, I wondered - will it be as I remembered? I figured some things wouldn't have changed, like the waterfall itself, which is part of the Arsenio Escudero mini hydroelectric power plant.  The concept of the restaurant is of an outdoor dining a

  Camp Spotted Wood is a first rate campsite located inside Villa Escudero Plantation and Resort which is accessed through its entrance in Tiaong, Quezon.  One registers at Villa Escudero's front desk to perform the usual health protocols and settle fees before entering the gate and following the road that leads to the campsite farther into the property, beyond the resort's more popular attractions.  Named after the Spotted Wood Kingfisher, a brightly-colored, medium-sized species endemic to the Philippines, the camp is the habitat of many bird species and diverse plants.  Villa Escudero, as I remembered it from my youth, was all about man-made attractions: a waterfall (of the mini hydro power variety), cultural shows, museum, buffet, coconut plantation - these are all still here - but a turn to nature has taken place. There’s now a forest with more native trees where mostly coconut trees used to be, there’s new camping grounds in addition to the air conditioned accommodations