Where hope's in bloom (watercolor on paper)

A daffodil

For hope,

Faith,

Good fortune,

and new beginnings…

I did one last summer. It’s not as remarkable as a pro’s work, but as I was looking at it the other day, it became to clear to me why I chose this particular subject and picked two colors (and their hues) from the box of watercolor tubes, gathered  several paintbrushes and started working.

Flowing Leaves (9x12 watercolor on paper)

This piece, which I named “Flowing Leaves,” was done almost four months ago, the same time I had to make a major decision. It is now that I realized why I picked those leaves from the garden and painted the watercolor pad in blue: because at that time, I was turning over a new leaf; taking my life in a new direction. And although the water in the stream has a particular destination, I have decided to go against the current and create my own channel.

So far, I’m loving the decision I made. Life is good (and the Almighty’s making it even better). I couldn’t be more grateful.

Noah’s Park combines leisure and nature–very suitable for bonding with your family or friends. Of course, who can resist the inviting warm pools. Noah’s Park is probably one of the resorts with very safe pools, especially for  children.

Pool(s) of fun and cottages to rest

Beyond  fun in the Water

Aside from enjoying an all-day dip in the water, Noah’s Park offers other equally enjoyable activities. From the entrance of the resort, guests are greeted by a large fishing area.  If you’re not up to swimming, go fishing! You can rent one of the cottages surrounding the lagoon, grill your catch and voila! Then share it with your barkada.

Fishing lagoon. The uphill road leads to the pool area.

Since the pool area is several meters away from the entrance, a multicab services the guests to and from the swimming area. But why spoil the fun? Go hike and enjoy the green surrounding instead. Detour to the hanging bridge for a while, climb to the foot of a man-made waterfalls, and if you get tired, take a few minutes rest at one of the wooden benches placed just before you reach the pool area. You’ll definitely appreciate the water more.

Breathtaking views (see the mountains of Montalban?)

Beautiful floras.

You can also do karaoke for everyone to hear your vocal prowess, get a henna tattoo with your friends at the tattoo parlor and face painting for the kids.

The lush greenery and natural beauty surrounding  makes it an appropriate place to hold reunions, parties and weddings. Noah’s Park is located in Brgy. San Isidro, Montalban, Rizal just across Avilon Zoo.

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*barkada – group of friends

*multicab – vehicle for mass transportation, resembles a jeepney but smaller in size.

But all I needed was courage and decide what would make me a happier, much better person. I didn’t know I possessed that much bravery until I let go and let fate guide me to a new path.

I should thank the circumstances which led me to chose the dive. Yes, I did, but with some cautions. And as with other storms, it did pass. I’m alright. I feel free, a master of myself. Fear has no room now.

And so, I start another phase of life with a new-found courage and a rekindled passion to strive and hope for better things.

I’m back on track, finally. 

Do you remember how you felt the first time you visited a theme park as a child? You’re all wide-eyed with excitement and you couldn’t wait to try every single ride.

I get the same feeling when I’m in a shopping mall. Those racks and racks of dresses; rows and rows of shoes in every imaginable color and style; and those bags… wow! Different sizes, different shapes… and all so pretty! The mall is like a theme park to me; every stall promises lots of fun and unending surprises. I’m giddy with excitement when I find something I like. And once I’ve started putting things in my shopping cart, I can’t seem to stop, especially when I’m shopping for shoes.

When I go into a shoe store, I’d usually tell myself I’ll only buy a pair. But the displays are so pretty, so nice and cute and they feel oh so comfy when I try them on. Shoes are my real weakness. My plan of buying just one pair… never happened. I’d usually end up with three or five pairs. And that makes me feel happy. When I walk out of the store, I’m in cloud nine and a big smile is pasted on my lips. Thank God, my buddies, Visa and Mastercard, are always with me (which means BILLS by the end of the month, but… *sigh* I’ll deal with that later).

Believe me, shopping is not a stressful activity. It’s therapy! It makes you forget the rough day you had, how difficult your boss is, or the fight you had with your boyfriend earlier. Shopping simply is enchanting.

If you’re a shopaholic like me and  Rebecca Bloomwood, you know exactly how it feels. All shopaholics should catch “Confession of a Shopaholic” in Cinemas on February 18, 2009!

I’m sure you all know Fanny Serrano. He’s a well-known celebrity makeup artists in the country. He enhances the beautiful faces of movie celebrities such as Sharon Cuneta, Lorna Tolentino, Amy Austria and many others. But did you know TF (as Fanny Serrano is fondly called) has a secret?

It’s not a new line of beauty product, no. It’s Secret Cafe — a coffee shop that, in the beginning, was intended for the husbands or boyfriends of the clients of Fanny Serrano Beauty Salon. He wanted them to be comfortable while waiting for their beloved have their hair or makeup done. But word travels fast. Soon, the secret nook beside his salon is no longer a secret. According to TF it seems his clients were impressed with the food and service of Secret Cafe.

Unknown to many of us, TF loves to experiment with food. Through the help of his very resourceful chef, Henry Ranas, he is able to fulfill his food ideas for the restaurant. He wants Secret Cafe to be known not just as a place that serves good food but healthy as well. Some of the food in the menu that’s becoming popular are the Unagi Sandwich, Pinoy Shawarma, and the pan de sal creations (Panlonto, with longganisa, tomato and egg; Pansarto, with sardines, tomato and egg; Pancorto, with corned beef, tomato and egg; and Panchito, with chicken, tomato and egg).  Here, take a look at some of Secret Cafe’s offering:

The Squash Okoy (squash-shrimp fritters) is served with vinegar and lots of garlic. It tastes better than the usual okoy and is more healthier because flour has been replaced by squash. And the Pinoy Shawarma… it’s filled with veggies and really tastes Pinoy (filled with adobo or chicken liver)! If you’ve tasted unagi sushi or any Japanese food cooked with unagi (Japanese term for eel), you will also love Unagi Sandwich. It has a creamy taste and goes well with the whoele wheat bread. Try the Sayote Shake, too. You’ll be surprised! You won’t even think it’s sayote.

What is good about Secret Cafe is the creativity exhibited in the food itself. Most of what the restaurant serve are original creations and, in a way, the recipes are unknown to diners. That is why TF chose to name his dining haven “Secret Cafe.” Although prices of the food are a little higher for the pocket of the ordinary Pinoy.

Secret Cafe does not only boost of its menu. TF is a fan of the art deco era. He deemed it as the perfect look and feel for Secret Cafe. The earth-toned walls is teeming with art deco paintings and the Tiffany chairs go very well with them.

Experience Secret Cafe, located along Scout Rallos in Tomas Morato, Quezon City. It’s right beside Fanny Serrano Beauty Salon.

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I love it when December comes. The air is cooler, especially during the night. From my window, I’m greeted every morning with a picturesque view of the mountains, with fogs hanging low. It makes me want to go back to bed, snuggle under the sheets, and steal a few more minutes of sleep.

Ah, the glory of provincial living…

But that’s not the point of this post. The city, where I spend most of my time during weekdays, is all glittery and bright this time of the year; truly a sight to behold during the night. Tiangge or bazaar can be found all over the metro. And the yearly Christmas decors in Policarpio Street in Mandaluyong, the COD Christmas display in Greenhills Shopping Center and the giant tree at the Araneta Center are already in place. One can marvel at their beauty. It may be a little extravagant at a time of economic crisis, but who can prevent the Filipino from celebrating Christmas?

The Metro’s Christmas Icon

Up until now, the giant Christmas tree at the Araneta Center continues to be the most popular icon of the Holiday season in Metro Manila. The tradition of lighting the giant tree started in 1981, getting its inspiration from the giant Christmas tree displayed at the Rockefeller Center in New York City.

Each year, the Araneta center holds a lighting ceremony, signaling the beginning of the Christmas season. This years giant Christmas tree is magnificently adorned with ribbons and gift boxes and lighted with over ten thousand bulbs, plus hundreds of stars and balls. The tree’s lights are on until midnight everyday.

Christmas All-Year Round

The museum of Belen Collection in Marikina is one of the nicest places I was able to visit this year. Here, everyday is Christmas day. Visitors can marvel at the wide variety of Belen from all over the world. “Belen” is the Spanish term for the nativity scene, which depicts the birth/birthplace of Christ. A typical Belen is composed of Mother Mary, St. Joseph and the infant Jesus in a manger. It is set in a barn designated for keeping animals and haystack. The depiction would also include the Three Wise Men carrying gifts, sometimes the shepherds and their herd, angels and the Christmas star or the Star of Bethlehem. The star is an important symbol in Philippine Christmas tradition. During the holiday season, a Filipino home is usually with a parol (Star of Bethlehem), usually placed by the window.

Belen from around the world, made from different materials.

The Belen Museum houses the collection of Mrs. Carmen Carlos of over a hundred Belen. Mrs. Carlos is a retired businesswoman from Marikina, who started collecting Belen in the 1950s. Before, she only showed her collection to relatives and friends. It was only in November 2006, from the request of Marikina mayor Maria Lourdes Fernando, that Mrs. Carlos’ collection was exhibited to the public. Its main aim is to deliver the message of hope that the birth of Christ brings to the world.

At the entrance. Catching snowflakes inside.

See how different countries interpret the nativity scene; most of them given a local touch. Be fascinated by the Belen from the Philippines, Russia, Japan, Bethlehem, Germany, Spain, Vietnam, Africa, Italy and Peru. There is a Belen made from every imaginable material: fiberglass, wood, ceramics, paper, tin and the most amazing are those made from riverstones, jute, abaca rope (lubid), and clay.

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A familiar sight? When was the last time you were here?

Located at the heart of Manila, Rizal Park is one of the main attractions of the city. In the Spanish colonial era, it used to be a cleared area aimed to buffer any rebellious acts of the locals against the walled city of Intramuros, which, at that time, was the center of business and social activities. The area was then named Bagumbayan or New Town, but was better known as Luneta because its shape was like a small moon or lunette (Spanish). In 1912, Act No. 243 of the Philippine Assembly, declared the place as the site where a monument of Dr. Jose Rizal and a mausoleum which will house his remains will be erected. This location is almost the same spot where Dr. Jose Rizal was executed on December 30, 1896. Up to this day, two ceremonial guards known as Kabalyeros de Rizal or Knights of Rizal guard the National Hero’s monument twenty-four hours a day and all throughout the week.

How much of Luneta have you seen so far? Do you have a photo by the Rizal monument? Or are you one of those who find this idea appalling? But leaders from other countries do not think so. In fact most visiting dignitaries make it a point to pay respect and lay a wreath at the monument. The many times I’ve been in Luneta, groups of foreign visitors excitedly pose in front to take pictures.

Today, aside from the Rizal monument, Luneta Park has other attractions like the man-made lake with a replica of the archipelago in it, the Quirino Grandstand, the Chinese and Japanese Gardens (favorite venues of students for rehearsals of school presentations), a monument of Lapu-Lapu and a few meters from the monument is the National Museum, and the big flagpole in front of Rizal monument (marks kilometer zero). At night, visitors can catch the light and sound show about the last days of the National Hero in the park’s open theater.

Let me end this post with snapshots of Bagumbayan today:

Photos: marker of Jose Rizal’s execution site; a series of relief sculptures depicting the life of the National Hero; a scene in the light and sound show

Photos: La Madre Filipina (a detail on the right side of the Rizal monument also depicts a mother and has this inscription below: “La Madre Filipina cria el porvenir del pais”*); Binhi ng Kalayaan (unveiled during the Philippine Centennial, dedicated to the heroes of the country); a very attractive tree, Natinal Museum of the Filipino People (used to be the Finance Building); Lapu-Lapu monument; bulova clock

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*Rough translation: The Filipina mother nurtures the future of the country (Fil.: Ang ina ang humuhubog sa kinabukasan ng bayan)

Some of the photos in this post courtesy of my friend Agnes. Used with permission.