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The Pink Villa

The last time I visited Villa Escudero was in the early 90s, a couple of years earlier than Elsa Klensch (as if it matters to Elsa, haha). Yesterday, my college friends and I decided to go on a whim after much discussion about doctor's appointments, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and menopause on our Messenger chat room. I booked online a day before our trip, I made a request for a vegan meal for our friend Beth de la Rosa , and they happily accommodated. Approximately 3 hours away from Manila, we left McDonald's Kia Theatre in Cubao at 6am to avoid the morning rush hour. From the South Luzon Expressway, we took the well paved Pan-Philippine Highway from the Sto. Tomas, Batangas SLEX exit to San Pablo City. Villa Escudero, an 800 hectare working coconut plantation and hacienda is located in the border of San Pablo, Laguna and Tiaong, Quezon. The friendly staff in colorful Filipino country costume welcomed us with cups of cool Gulaman, a local sweet drink infused with ge
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Your Happy Place

I look forward to Sundays, that day of the week when the metro seems half asleep and traffic is light. Sundays I get to Netflix all day or be at my most casual self and bond with family and friends, discovering new eating places. One happy discovery I made was The Study , located right across Ateneo , on the second floor of Regis Center . It's an eating and study place in one, serving affordable meals for students and foodies like me who are in constant search of the best pork dishes. Their Lechong Kawali is a must try, served with Sinigang Rice , a perfect match I must say. Here's to Sundays and Lechon! Katipunan Ave. The Study at the second floor of Regis Building Cheetos Cheese Logs Gooey goodness! Doritos Cheese Lechong Kawali and Sinangag Rice Buttermilk Fried Chicken S'mores Refrigerator Cake I wish we had these study nooks when we were college students. Our happy Sunday bunch;  Blove ,  Randy ,  Chuckie ,

Vintage Valera

A couple of years ago, Roselyn Tiangco brought me her mother's Ramon Valera bridal trousseau and asked if we can cut the train and use it for her wedding gown. It was a Philippine terno in ivory satin, with bugle beads cascading down the front like waterfalls and a 5 meter train trimmed with Guipure lace and tons of pearls. I was aghast with the thought - no, I wouldn't dare desecrate a Valera. Roselyn and I agreed not to touch the vintage gown, we collaborated instead on simple Dior inspired gown for her wedding. Early this year, Roselyn's mom Mrs. Linda Tiangco brought the Valera gown again, this time it would be for her wedding anniversary. The 50 year old gown gown still fits her perfectly but the bodice was already discolored and some parts of the train were moth eaten. Mrs. Tiangco told me to take my time to study the gown and see what I can do with it. For a month or so, I was just looking at the gown on the dress form, hoping Mrs. Tiangco would change her

Fifty Shades of Bravo

Douglas Bravo was my seat mate in college, we were seated in alphabetical order. Douglas stood out in class because he spoke with a Singaporean accent, having lived in Malaysia and Singapore from grade school to high school. But more than the accent, we were amazed with his nostalgic Asian style in interiors. He got perfect grades in perspective drawing. After graduation and a couple of years working in Manila, he moved with his family to the US and took further studies in Interior Design in New York. Knowing how I love the Big Apple, Douglas would often text about the changing colours of Central Park and his train rides from school while listening to Josh Groban in his disc man. Today, he shuttles back and fort from his Las Vegas home base to do house interiors for Filipino-Americans who've decided to come back and make the Philippines their home again. Douglas enjoys tricycle and jeepney rides, savours Filipino buffets, and marvels at our chic hotels and heritage houses.

The Ariel Power Gel Wash

As a fashion designer, I'm often asked on how to care for clothes. Every now and then, I come across new discoveries; mild soaps, detergents, bleaches, fabric softeners, and fabric sprays. One day, I got a call from a friend, inviting me to join a forum on fabric care and a wash test with Ariel's new Power Gel. I was excited about the new product because I heard it was much better than powder detergent. We like to keep our white shirts white, and our black shirts really black. Black has been my uniform for obvious reasons, and I like to keep them looking new for a long time. I was happy to see Bianca Intal , Liz Uy , Darla Sauler , Rex Atienza , and Tessa Valdes at the launch. We all had the same concerns in proper clothes washing, and we were all just too glad with our great find, Ariel Power Gel . Bianca Gonzalez-Intal Kris TV Head Writer Darla Sauler Stylist and Digital Curator for Style Singapore  Liz Uy Interior Designer and Red Cross Governor T

Manila Nostalgia

I've been friends with Jonathan Lim for a little more than 37 years now, he was my classmate in high school. Jonathan was the kind of student who wasn't bookish but extraordinarily smart. He lost his father sometime before we graduated, and he started working right after high school at the Pines Hotel Casino in Baguio to support his family. After his stint at the casino, he qualified to enter the US Navy, and there he saw much of the world, giving security to his family at the same time. Now retired and taking his masters, he visits every year or so, and every time, we set aside time to catch up and reminisce. For his visit this year, I planned a nostalgic tour of Manila. I wanted to show him how beautifully curated our National Museum is today.  Joining our tour is a good friend of mine from a much younger generation, Kimi Lu . Kimi is a life coach and a plus size model, a bundle of protons. A visit to the National Museum is free of charge on Sundays and you'll s