Dreamwalker

I started my day early because I had an appointment at noon at Ysa Skin Care Center . I had never gone to this place before today, but since there was a deal at Ensogo some months ago, I decided to purchase a couple of vouchers. The deal was for a facial and a diamond peel at a fraction of the normal price I pay at Mendez Clinic in Eastwood. The cheapskate in me decided to make a go for it. Don't get me wrong - the service was not that bad, but I think that I prefer Mendez. My reasons: I had an appointment and was there 15 minutes before the appointed time. The session didn't start till a few minutes after 12. The session started with a firming mask, which didn't seem to have much effect. More so, it was applied while I had to sit on an uncomfortable stool. This is the worst part: I had to rinse of the mask myself! Maybe that's how they do it there, but I would rather have had the mask put applied while reclining or at least sitting down on a comfy chair. And

Every trip I go on, food is always a big part of it. I guess that's just part of who I am and what I like to do. This set of photos is way overdue, and going through my photos of the Cebu trip made me realize that I didn't actually take a lot of food photos! This trip was also a safe one in terms of food - while most of the stuff I had was good, nothing was adventurous or strange. ;) RESORT FOOD Singaporean Chili Crab. For PHP500, it is practically a steal! Mussels in white wine sauce. Cebuano Pochero. This was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting the pochero I am used to - with tomato sauce. It tasted more like tinola - a Filipino dish with ginger. The serving size was a huge surprise as well - literally. Beef enchiladas. The ubiquitous fresh buko (young coconut) juice. You can't come to the Philippines and not have this! A pina colada for the birthday girl, please. I met up with friends at a local motorcycle bar. We tried the fish and chips and BLT. Of cours

Summer is officially here. This afternoon, I just felt myself wilting as I sat in the shade trying to get some work done. I did get some done, but I just had to lie down and nap in the heat of the afternoon. I guess it must have been THAT hot as even my dreams were of all things cool - in the literal sense. Now you know how much I dream - in color and vividly. I think this afternoon's dream was one of the nicest I have had in months. I dreamt that I had a humongous old house in the mountains. It was made of old wood, had a wide foyer, and a nice staircase. The house had a breakfast room at the right side and there was a nice teak table facing the window. Outside the window, you could see a nice koi pond. I think that was remnants of the Cebu trip. On the other side, there was another table in a similar set up. The difference was that outside this window, one could see a nice swimming pool. I can't remember much, but it was really nice. Everything was open and th

I remember several - very clearly - getting into several "arguments" on how the word e-mail is supposed to be spelled. Fittingly enough, those discussions were made via e-mail. I had spent considerable time researching the then accepted spelling of the word and came to the conclusion that it should be spelled "e-mail" - with the dash between the "e" and the rest of the word. Of course, I had to provide strong evidence that my conclusion was (and IS) correct. Ever reliable Merriam-Webster says: e–mail noun \ˈē-ˌmāl\ Definition of E-MAIL 1 : a means or system for transmitting messages electronically (as between computers on a network) 2 a : messages sent and received electronically through an e-mail system b : an e-mail message — e–mail verb — e–mail·er \-ˌmā-lər\ noun As far as I am concerned, the matter is closed. Then came AP. As last week ended, the guys at Associated Press decided to drop the bomb and declare that the "new" accep

Everyone seems to think that working freelance is fun and glam. You get to work when you want. You get to travel and work. You are always available. Of course, those things may be true everyone now, and then, but the reality is that it is not so glamorous as it may seem. Consider these things: You go straight to work the moment you wake up. You work till the last moment before bed. Of course, this is all boils down to discipline. And that is totally NOT glam. You can find yourself writing about online degree programs for hours or days on end. Of course, the topic can be much worse. I heard about someone having to write about bunk beds day in and day out! I'll take online degree programs any day, actually! Your days and weeks blend into one another. What day is it today? There are days when you just can't seem to write well. And when you write something, the words just don't make sense. You find yourself wanting to do something in the middle of the day - or wee

It is no secret that I am a sucker for food, and no trip is complete without lots of new food experiences. The trip to Cebu was no different. On the eve of my birthday, I found myself at a posh-looking seaside restaurant called Coral. It is the seafood restaurant of Imperial Palace Resort, which is just down the road from White Sands. The moment you lay your eyes on the restaurant, you will know that you are in for a great night. It seemed to me that everything was designed to impress and make satisfy people. The decor is cozy - from the contemporary coffee tables to the cozy chairs. Cozy or not? That's the inside dining area - sorry for the sucky picture. Even the menus were nice looking. The sea from the table. My praises for the restaurant do not end with its appearances, though. The food was scrumptious - and I do not exaggerate! Take a look at these. I started with a mango bellini, which was my first. From what I hear, it is a rather simple drink, but it was totall

I have never viewed Mactan Island in Cebu as a perfect beach destination. For one, the beaches are not really beautiful. Having visited Bohol, Boracay, Siquijor, and other areas in the Philippines that are famed for wonderful beaches, Mactan just doesn't cut it. Still, White Sands Beach Resort seemed more than a viable option for my most recent trip. The beach seemed decent at least, the photos of the pools were gorgeous, and the rooms looked very nice. Then there is the nearness factor - you only need to take a cab from the airport and you can be at the resort in less than an hour. So off I went to see what this Mactan resort had to offer, and was I glad when I got there! This was my first look at the main pool. With only 50 rooms in total, the resort was never crowded in the week that I stayed there. I got there hours too early for check in time, so I lounged by the pool for a while. After an hour or so, I headed to the beachside restaurant, and this is the view from the