For my Holiday 2012 collection, I’m taking inspiration from luxe holidays by the sea and Botticelli’s renaissance masterpiece The Birth of Venus mixed in with a little subversive 60′s flavor courtesy of Andy Warhol and The Velvet Underground’s “Venus in Furs”…let’s see where this goes!
Botticelli’s La Nascita di Venere (The Birth of Venus)
The Velvet Underground’s “Venus in Furs”
Andy Warhol’s “Birth of Venus”, acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen
Yesterday was filled with some of my favorite things–great friends, delicious food and amazing art. Art in the Park, the annual art fair in Salcedo Park, was packed with people when we got there at 4pm. People were busy browsing the different booths and in the thick of shopping for interesting items or picking out their favorite pieces. Luckily the weather was good, if quite humid, and we ran into many of our friends as we wandered around the park.
There was so much interesting art on display and so many unique fashion styles to look at, it was fun just soaking in the creative vibe and enjoying the laid-back atmosphere of the whole place. Here are just a couple from some of the many, many pieces that caught my eye…
Jenny Angel & Rommel Pidazo’s amazing piece that patchworked our history with modern technology & found objects
Leeroy New’s “Saprophyte” made from assorted plastic toys from Divisoria
Ran into good friend, Meli, with her beautiful niece, Regina de Vera, who was modelling Leeroy New’s “Botany”
Leeroy New’s “Sacred Heart” wall pieces blended religious iconography with a healthy dose of street sensibility…
…I couldn’t resist purchasing his “Sacred Heart” pendant with the chains running through it 
Also bought some contemporary handmade pottery from Cornerstone Pottery Farm in Silang, Cavite–perfect for ice cream or affogatos at home!
So much art to see, so little time! We had to run and leave Art in the Park early to meet some friends for dinner. Ito and I picked up a few items at Terry’s for a potluck tapas/wine/dinner night at our good friends’, John and Jade Amon’s, home. I first met John and Jade when we all worked together in JWT quite a few years ago. These days they head their own successful advertising agency (AMP/Amon+Maneze) and have not-so-recently immersed themselves into yoga and a healthier lifestyle.
Starting off with various tapas and wine before John’s delicious and healthful roast chicken dinner
Enjoying the lovely weather and lounging poolside with Jade, Ito, Cris, John, John & Kish
Adorable Suunto shares my sunnies since we also share the same hair, LOL!
Rocko Amon, the lady-magnet, finally joins us and gets lots of big hugs from Tita Cristina!
Great dinner & lots of laughs–thanks so much John & Jade! Hope these aren’t John’s sentiments after tonight’s get together 
Easy, relaxed and filled with good vibes, now these are what good weekends are made of Here’s to more of the same!
It’s not everyday that one gets a literal dose of “Sunlight” while at work 
One of the ubiquitous tunes of the early nineties in Manila, “Sunlight” was on everyone’s lips and the favorite feel-good song back then, and I remember how it never failed to put a smile on my face. International jazz singer, Kevyn Lettau, is in Manila once again for a series of shows including receiving an award at the Philippine Jazz Festival’s international gala night at the Rockwell Tent (she’s also just released a new album called “Drawn To You”).
I met with her and lovely stylist Guada Reyes the other night for some fittings, and she was such a joy to meet–very down to earth, centered, and just exuding warmth & positivity. She had such an open personality, it felt like I’d known her for a while…we talked about quite a number of things and she definitely made my week (& made me blush) with her generous compliments! And, wow, what a rocking body! If bikram yoga does that to you, it’s definitely worth giving it a try.
So despite the rainy days, I got a big dose of sunshine this week thanks to the warm & wonderful Kevyn Lettau. Catch her shows around town and have a great Friday everyone!
A not-by-the-book look–inspiration is everywhere! Random snapshots of things found around the city that get the creative juices flowing…
It’s the most primal of elements and it completely surrounds us. Water is everywhere! The beautiful colors and undulating patterns of this underwater picture that Ito took during our recent whaleshark adventure is both calming and hypnotic. It made me think of how big waves are born of tiny ripples, as it showed the beauty of nature at its most simplistic and primal, combining ethereal concepts like light and shadow with very basic elements like hydrogen and oxygen. Nature really is the best designer!
*Photo by Ito Ocampo
After an exhilarating whaleshark adventure, Ito and I were ready to head for the Sumilon dock to return to the island when our driver suggested we take a little detour to visit some falls. It was still only about 8:30 in the morning so we decided, why not? The drive to the falls from the whaleshark area only took about 15 minutes–the roads are spanking new and are by a beautiful ravine filled with soaring bamboos. We parked at the top of the road and took a steep walk down since the area is still undeveloped and not commercialized (which I loved!).
The air got progressively cooler as we neared the end of the road. At the bottom was a dirt path that led through a bamboo forest with pretty, aqua-tinted pools of water that cascaded down the side of the mountain…
…the water was so clean–super fresh and icy cold!
We continued following the water path til we reached the clearing…then, wow! I was stunned. The falls were glorious!!! Breathtaking and cinematic…
…and towering! The falls were about the height of the mountain!
As if to completely show off, there was even a full rainbow that appeared in the mist, so we can actually say we got to the end of a rainbow! 
I couldn’t resist jumping in and going for a swim in one of the pools. The water was so invigorating, it was like drinking two cups of doppio espressos straight–I was wired for the entire morning!
Visiting the Tumalog falls and having it all to ourselves was definitely one of the most unexpectedly beautiful experiences I’ve had. Let’s hope they keep the natural charm of the place even as the town of Oslob develops. It’s one of those hidden natural treasures that I hope stays preserved!
As magical as the full moon was last Thursday, the downside to it was that full-moon season is the least favorable time for whaleshark spotting. According to my childhood friend, Julie, who lives in Cebu, krill (which is what whalesharks eat) are hard to come by during the full moon which is why whalesharks are scarce during this season.
But Ito and I decided to take our chances on spotting a whaleshark. We had already gone swimming with whalesharks in the wild in Donsol, Sorsogon a few years back and the experience had been unforgettable. This time we were hoping to swim with them again and catch a glimpse of the connection they had with the fishermen of Oslob.
We woke up at 5:30am and took a boat from Sumilon Island at 6am, reaching Oslob by 6:20 am. After a short briefing (don’t swim near the whaleshark’s mouth, don’t swim near the whaleshark’s tail, don’t touch the whalesharks) we were taken to the beach where we hoped and prayed a whaleshark would show up. We hadn’t been there 15 minutes when the fishermen quickly called for us to board a teeny, tiny boat, and one of them paddled us out to sea. A whaleshark had come to feed, and this one they had nicknamed “Fermin”.
While whalesharks come in from the wild, “Fermin” seemed very friendly and docile. He followed the fisherman’s boat around as he was being fed, and he swam so close to us that we nearly bumped into him several times…
…what an amazing experience!!!
The water was so clear, you could see the various schools of fish that followed the whaleshark around…
“Fermin” played and stayed around for about 20-30 minutes…
…and allowed us to get up close and personal.
I loved the alternating stripes and dotted patterns on his back! Mixing patterns is very spring/summer 2012 so “Fermin” is right on trend! LOL
Fashion tip for snorkeling with whalesharks: Surf style is best! Wear a wet suit or a sporty rash guard and board shorts over your swimsuit because the plankton and krill that whalesharks eat can cause the water around them to make your skin itch (my rash guard is more than a few years old and has served me well through many water adventures. Looking to buy a couple more this summer). I also love the water-proof case for the Iphone that Ito got me in R.O.X. because I could still text, tweet and take pics without worrying about my phone getting soaked Travel adventures are infinitely more fun in the Philippines
Love. It was the word that, growing up, I used to view with some ambiguity. To my younger mind, love was serious business, weighed down with thoughts of commitment…loyalty…duty. Instead of dreaming of a dashing prince who would marry me and take me away to his castle to live happily ever after, I fantasized about adventure and travel, with freedom as my prince.
But like every young girl, I was also very fascinated with the idea of love. It seemed magical and mysterious. It’s just that from what I observed then, it seemed to me that love was the antithesis of freedom–while freedom opened you up, love seemed to be the reason that people tied themselves down and clipped their wings. Ah, I thought…the secret is to first enjoy one’s freedom, and then settle down with love. I imagined being a free-spirit, then in my later years, I would finally tie the knot, tie on the apron and tie myself down.
But as the popular (and often repeated) quote goes “life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” I fell in love with Ito during my college years, and it was wonderful, crazy, difficult and exciting. In our late twenties, when Ito proposed marriage, I was extremely happy and elated and immediately said yes…but then I got a little scared. What if we weren’t ready? There were so many things we still wanted to do–what if we hadn’t had enough of our freedom and it wasn’t ‘out of our systems’ yet? Then Ito said the most outlandish thing I’d ever heard–he said love and marriage weren’t meant to tie people down, but to give them the freedom to be whomever they were meant to be.
I was shocked…that had never even occurred to me before! That love WAS freedom, and that freedom WAS love. And that growing together, and joining together, and exploring together, and evolving together–just being together–was what love and marriage were all about. Now, almost fifteen years of marriage later, Ito has shown me in no uncertain terms that love was the adventure I had always been seeking, and that love really does set us free!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
*(reposted from my on-line journal)
“What would you do if you were stuck on a deserted island?” is usually a hypothetical question, but one that Ito and I got to experience for a while (sort of). Well, okay, it wasn’t that deserted because there was the resort’s staff who took extremely good care of us, but we did have an entire island all to ourselves, at least for two days before all the weekend tourists arrived (which they did!).
On our first day in Sumilon, we walked this undeveloped stretch of white sand beach that faces the open sea and as we strolled around we heard lots of different bird calls and saw a variety of pretty birds (which I can’t name), because as it turns out, the island is both a bird and marine sanctuary…just gotta love nature! (Incidentally, birds and aquatic motifs are the hottest prints for spring/summer 2012, so it’s the perfect fashion inspiration!)
After our short hike we headed back to our cottage to relax a bit. The cottages had wi-fi, so there wasn’t much ‘unplugging’ involved–we uploaded some pics, then Ito watched a video while I tried to read and instead ended up taking a nap on a hammock. The sound of the waves and birds really lulled me to sleep! Soooo relaxing…
A little later in the afternoon we took a short stroll and went for a swim in the extremely picturesque sandbar…
…which had an amazing 180-degree view of the turquoise seas and the islands of Negros and Oslob. It was the perfect spot for sunbathing too!
The amazing thing we discovered from the staff was that this is a shifting sandbar, so it’s here today… 
…but in the months of September-December, the winds and tides shift and it moves the sand to the other side of the island! How crazy is that???
Before sunset we moved to the pretty pool with a bird’s eye view of the ocean where we swam a little and had some seafood pasta and fruit shakes for merienda. Little did we know that the staff had a little surprise cooked up for us…
…before we headed back to our cottage to shower and change, they told us they were preparing us a complimentary dinner! Both Ito and I were happily taken aback–they had even set up a table with candles and scattered petals all around it. I’m sure it was because Valentine’s Day was just a few days away, but it was still such a sweet, unexpected gesture. The food was excellent! I would have skipped merienda if I had known they were serving us so much food.
They first brought out cream of pumpkin soup, followed by a delicious salad called the Blue Water salad, then for our main course they served us grilled tenderloin steak, lamb chops and prawns. Yum-mmmm! I was so full, I could barely breathe by the time they brought out the dessert and coffee. We thanked the amazing staff and asked them to give our compliments to the chef. After dinner, Chef Eugene came out to meet us and we found out he used to be part of the original team at Lolo Dad’s…no wonder the meats were grilled to perfection.
As the proverbial cherry to top off our day–which had started off with crazy, stormy weather and ended up being full of surprises–we were given one last treat by Mother Nature. An oversized, dramatic full moon rose as we were having our dinner, starting off with a giant, orange globe that slowly rose up into a huge golden orb that lit up the star-filled sky. Wow, what a day!
Sorry for not having posted in a while, but Ito and I just took a few days off and ran away to have a little island adventure. Every year we’ve made it a habit to kick off summer and celebrate Valentine’s with a little beach trip, usually in (the lovely and convenient) Shangri-La Mactan in Cebu. But this time we decided to try catching the whalesharks in Oslob, which is on the southern part of Cebu, and a two and a half to three hour drive outside the city.
Instead of doing a day trip from Mactan, this time we decided to try something different and booked ourselves into an eco-friendly, self-sufficient little island just a hop away from where the whalesharks feed. Ito and I had never been to Sumilon Island before, but it seemed like the kind of back-to-nature, laid-back place where one could just relax and not have to worry about bringing a suitcase full of clothes. So, with just our snorkeling gear, swimsuits, flip flops, a beach bag full of breezy cotton tops/shorts/dresses, and a small army of gadgets (Iphones, Tab, Kindle, digital cams, digital underwater cam, etc., etc.), we were off.
After an early morning, two and a half hour drive from Cebu, when the heavens decided to open up and let loose torrential rain, we arrived at Sumilon island’s Oslob dock where we were catching the resort’s boat. The thing about Mother Nature is that one can never predict, much less control, what she does and it looked like we were in for a rough ride. The waves were high and the sea was extremely choppy, so Ito and I prepared ourselves for a stormy stay marooned on an island.
Instead, we arrived 20 minutes later at Sumilon Island and the waters had calmed down.
We checked into our very spacious, very comfortable cottage (with a roomy balcony fronting a marine sanctuary) at 8:30 am, napped for an hour & freshened up…
…and by the time we headed out for breakfast at 10 am…
…the sun had come out!
…and so our island adventure officially began!
P.S. Fashion tips for an island adventure: Unlike Boracay Island which is known for its parties and nightlife, an eco-friendly island like Sumilon or islands off Palawan that are nature reserves are best explored on rubber flip flops. Paths are usually rocky and strewn with coral, so even leather-soled sandals may not hold up. Pack clothes that are pretty, but won’t get damaged by snags on stray twigs, being laid on driftwood, or hanging out to dry on bamboo posts.
Keep accessories to a minimum, and pack those that can hold up to the sand and sea water (I brought my favorite tooled leather cuff from Cambodia, amber & leather ring from Russia, my mother’s vintage glass bead necklace, and snakeskin bangles from Boracay). Most important of all is to bring your sense of wonder and adventure with you!
It’s always wonderful getting together with really good friends, and throw in some amazing food and you’ve got a truly great party. It was the milestone birthday of Raffy (del Rosario), who together with his wife Carmina, are two of our dearest friends. Raffy & Carmina had just gotten back from Taiwan where they celebrated Raffy’s birthday and they were just raving about the food! Last year, Ito and I had joined them on Carmina’s birthday trip to Siem Reap where we had explored both the temples and the Khmer cuisine, and while we couldn’t join them on this year’s trip, at least we could listen to their food-talk while eating their scrumptious home-cooked food :9 (Sorry, no food pics, the food went that fast!)
Just recently Carmina started her own food catering company called the Crazy Cook (both she & Raffy also own Thai restaurant Bangkok Wok in Davao City that serves refined Thai food in a modern, elegant setting), and I thought the name was totally apt when I entered the kitchen to greet her and saw her whipping up our feast in a dramatic, floor-length evening kaftan & gorgeous jewelry! Talk about crazy special service–even Raffy, the birthday boy, worked up a little sweat with his killer, melt-in-your-mouth roast prime rib….yummmmmmm.
Happy birthday, Raf! Looking forward to the next delicious celebration you & Carmina whip up
Lounging around with the birthday boy post-dinner
Diva in the kitchen…The Crazy Cook whipping up a feast for her birthday boy
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