It's not too late to grab Cosmopolitan Philippines' special 15th anniversary issue!
Cosmo celebrated the milestone with a party at NBC Tent. Check out the cute, glowing cocktail tabletop!
I normally don't like attending big events, but for Cosmo (and EIC Myrza Sison), I made an exception. Here I am with the goddess herself (in pink) and GH's associate publisher, Melody.
Attire was "sexy formal." I would've totally rocked this dress three years ago when I was at my fittest. But I just sucked it up (and sucked it in) and made like a true Cosmo girl and owned it--lumps and all. Har.
Happy anniversary, Cosmo! Cheers to 15 years of fun, fabulous fearlessness!
Inside Malcanang was produced and directed by Filipina Marnie Manicad for the National Geographic channel. Marnie is a good friend of mine, my ka-barkada since grade school. We're so thrilled that she was able to pull this off--while being a hands-on mom to two darling girls, to boot!
We were invited to the premiere a couple of weeks ago, so we literally got to be inside Malacanang.
Cameras were not allowed within the palace, so we took quick photos with our phones outside...before a guard promptly told us that photos weren't allowed on the street either.
With L, who holds a Ph.D. in botany, and C, who is a mom of one but is so much skinnier than me! Flowers were for the gal of the hour, Marns
At the gate, stickers were placed on our camera phones so that we wouldn't be able to take pictures inside. The only people allowed to take photos were official photographers. And so, I present my barkada's official photo with the President. How cool is that?
Marnie (in yellow) with the rest of our barkada minus four (one was busy with work and taking care of three kids; the rest are abroad), plus Marnie's sister and Mr. President, who joked that we were all schoolmates (he supposedly went to Poveda for kindergarten)
It kinda felt like prom, except we all went stag. (Marnie, of course was supported by her husband, reporter Jiggy Manicad.) It was so surreal seeing Marnie sitting on stage beside the President and giving a speech in front of cabinet members and press. We're all so proud of her.
Do catch Inside Malacanang,tomorrow night (March 18), 9 pm on National Geographic. No air dates yet for other countries, but keep an eye out for it!
Pond's asked the editors to wear something pink to a recent event. I don't really have pink dresses so...
I didn't get a great night's sleep (even in the sumptuous Midas Hotel bed) because I generally have trouble sleeping without the husband beside me. Hence, the eyebags and sallow skin. I felt so haggard next to all the lovely editors and models!
Lovely Frances from OK! and pretty pretty Cit-Cit from Inquirer (formerly from Preview)--who couldn't not wear black
In case you haven't heard, there's a new kid on the block...
Summit has released the first issue of Esquire, another title from Hearst Magazines (parent company of my own GH as well as of Cosmo and Town and Country). Heard it's selling like hotcakes so grab a copy ASAP.
The Esquire Ball was held on October 5. I normally don't like going to glitzy events, but I figured, 1) how often does Summit launch new, big-name titles? Might as well be there for it, and support a sister (brother?) mag; 2) it would be nice getting all dressed up for date night for a change; and 3) two words: free drinks!
Dress by Madhuri Hemandas. Necklace by House of Trois. Bag by Aranaz. Shoes from...I don't remember anymore. My husband looked quite dapper.<3
The invitation said "formal" but I was given the go-signal to wear something short. (The gowns I have in my closet are too...wedding-y.) I just upped the glam factor with a gorgeous Indian-inspired necklace. For hair, I didn't want to do my usual loose waves, so I opted for a messy updo inspired by Vanessa Hudgens. Mine was originally very pouffy and, er, sagala-like, so I had the curls toned down a notch. By the time this photo was taken, my hair had lost a bit of volume already. It reminded me a lot of my wedding hair.
We got there at around 8:30 p.m. and already the place--from the lobby to the ballroom--was packed! All the ladies I saw sashaying in cut-out dresses demonstrated that the theme for the night was: commando. (You can imagine how happy the men were!)
It was pretty cool how videos of US cover stars (like Ryan Gosling and Robert De Niro) were shown, wherein they each said, "I'm [insert name here], and this is Esquire." Then it ended with our first cover man saying, "I'm Manny Pacquiao, and this is Esquire Philippines." Woot!
With the ladies of the Publishers Group. Readers, meet the wonderful women who handle your favorite Summit titles.
After intro messages from Lance Gokongwei and editor in chief Erwin Romulo, there were performances by Solenn, Ogie Alcasid, and Ely Buendia. DJ Mars Miranda kept the hiphop beats going til well past midnight. A few stars came out to play--Anne Curtis, D, a couple of Azkals. I'm sure PEP will have all the deets soon. We were pretty content just standing in our corner, sipping our drinks and munching on canapes!
It was nice feeling like I was in an episode of Gossip Girl, but this whole dressing-up-and-going-to-fancy-shindigs thing is only something I can do on occasion. Today, I'm happy to be back in my flats and non-hair-sprayed tresses!
P.S. See what stars wore to this formal affair. Have fun browsing here! My faves: Michelle Madrigal in Martin Bautista, and Arci Munoz. Whose outfit did you like?:)
For the most part, I love my job. I don't have to sit at a desk all day. I don't have to deal with math (much). I work with a very efficient team. I can wear whatever I want to work. I get a lot of free stuff--if you work in a mag that covers beauty, fashion, health, food, and cleaning, you're bound to get an abundance of products. I get to write and edit, two things that I enjoy doing. And it warms my heart whenever I read letters from readers who say that my magazine has helped them in one way or another.
But some days, I REALLY love my job. See, there are days when I get invited to events and I get to do this...
On their 15th anniversary, The Spa treated us to a bunch of services. I didn't have enough time for everything, so I opted for one of their newest offerings: the Crystalline Skin Body Treatment. It's essentially a body scrub plus massage. Bliss! And I had my own villa at their High Street branch! Sublime!
For the first half hour of the 90-minute treatment, I felt warm oil being dribbled all over my body, before I was gently scrubbed down. They use a mix of chamomile, rosemary, jojoba, aloe vera gel, and lemon. I then washed everything off under their rainforest shower (in my own villa! Did I mention that already?), before proceeding to a private room for an utterly relaxing 60-minute massage.
In my past life (meaning, pre-GH), I spent a lot of my weekends working on rakets. At Summit, we have what we call the Golden Rocket Awards, given to the top-performing magazines each year. Some people used to joke that I could win the Golden Raket Award. I would contrib to Candy, Seventeen, Yummy, Men's Health, Marie Claire, Cosmo, Total Girl, Martha Stewart Weddings, even GH. It was tiring, but I enjoyed it--boredom is not a great color on me. Plus, all the extra moolah paid for my trips (both in and out of the country) and my wedding. This, of course, was before I had to pay for things like rent, utilities, and my own toilet paper.
I don't raket as much as I used to (truth be told, I miss it), but after a looong while, I felt what it was like to have a packed weekend again! It started with Saturday. My first stop was a baptism, where I served as ninang to this little bundle of joy...
My goddaughter with her proud parents
After a quick lunch (I couldn't possibly say no to the Officers' Club fried chicken, so I really stayed to eat!), I had to rush to Timezone for another godkid's birthday. Here I am with my kumare, her second son, and my TF (true friend) Mona.
Former SGV co-workers, friends for life
And then, I had to make my way to Megamall for a GH event where I had to give the opening remarks. Horrors! You can make me dance in front of a crowd or teach a class, but I hate hate hate giving speeches.
With my no. 1 fan (it's a tossup between her and Hamil)
Afterwards, Mumsy was nice enough to give me a ride to disc training. And after that, my teammates and I hung out at a friend's new condo, where we loaded up on carbs.
I finished a 22-oz Big Gulp Gatorade from 7-Eleven before chowing down!
Not shown: The macadamia nut sansrival which was delish! But after two slices, my teeth started to hurt!
The following day was the start of the Malakas at Maganda league, which is the all-male/all-female league. Imagine the fun I had considering we only had a total of nine players, while our three opponents each had two lines. I didn't sub for back-to-back games.
Which brings us to Monday, when I could barely walk! Oh, to have more weekends like this. But with more QT with the hubby!
Day 3. Photo c/o Ms. Marlu. Still waiting for our photo with Wash SyCip. That's me with two-toned hair. Ack. My maxi dress from Tango.
While ze huzband went off to Bangkok, Zurich, and Israel, little ol' me was left behind. Sigh. What was I to do for a week without my better half? Why, move back into Mumsy's casa, of course!
"It's like I'm on vacation!" I texted Hamil, after seeing all the Doritos, Ruffles, Cheetos, and Lay's, the French Onion dip, and fridge full of low-fat milk and Chocolait. My mom kept asking me what I would like to eat. Champorado for breakfast? Check. Longganisa Lucban? Done. Meals that I don't have to cook and dishes I don't have to wash? Score!
Being sort-of single did make me realize one thing: Outside of disc parties, I don't really go out at night anymore. Partly because I'm not inclined to (I get sleepy by 11 pm) and partly because, well, my single friends don't bother to ask me anymore. Eh. Such is life. So my week was filled with more laid-back pursuits.
Day 1. Despedida dinner for Good Housekeeping's former managing editor, Kat. The baroness, as some people call her, is going abroad to study. She made my life so much easier and so I'm really sad to see her go. But I'm happy that she has this rockin' opportunity. Highlight: Finally trying Galileo Enoteca after years of meaning to.
Day 2. A leisurely 5K run after a running hiatus. Highlight: I'm so out of shape, but was glad I pushed myself to do it, at an oval no less.
Day 3. Hung out with old colleagues and good friends at the SGV Alumni Homecoming, Makati Shangri-La. Highlight: Having a picture taken with maester Wash SyCip (who was wearing jeans!).
Day 4. I finally got my stolen (and expired) driver's license replaced! Woohoo! Plus, quality time with mom. Dinner at one of my fave restos was kind of disappointing (why did I order something I hadn't ordered before?), but we made up for it by hanging out with the kiddies for a bit (fun) before getting massages (ahh). Highlight: Weighing in for my driver's license and finding out I'd lost about three pounds. Lowlight: That's three pounds out of 15 I gained since I got married. Le sigh.
Day 5. Got into a minor car accident. And no, I was not driving! My mom's driver was. And anyway, it was the other guy's fault, a kid of about 19 who admitted that he "just spaced out." I was so late for training because we had to file a police report and all that. Highlight: I still made it to training. And we ate at Army Navy afterwards. Lowlight: Dude who hit our car asked to use my phone because he was low batt. I kid you not. I kinda felt sorry for the guy.
Day 6. Family lunch at Mom and Dad's. Highlight: Inihaw na baboy, sinigang. Burp. Lowlight: Not having a ticket to see my boy DRose. Sob.
Day 7. That's today! When I said goodbye to Mom, she said, "Come back soon!" Aww. Highlight: Jetlagged husband sleeping peacefully beside me as I type.
We jammin' to some reggae beats. We were just getting started. (Photo by Ian Villar)
One of the best things about the Philippine ultimate community is we definitely know how to party. Proof: As I was leaving last Saturday's "Summer" League party, some dude stopped me outside the venue.
Dude: I'm not from here. Is it always like that in there? Me: Uh no. There was just an event tonight--a Frisbee party. Dude: So if I take my friends there another time, it won't be the same? Me: Nope. If you wanna go clubbing you could try the Fort or Republiq or... Dude: I went to (name of club) and it was lame.
And he seemed genuinely bummed that his friends weren't around to see what was going on.
In Shanghai, whenever we would invite people over to Manila Spirits (an annual international tourney) and tell them that the parties here are off the hook, players from other countries would say, "Yeah, we heard!" So as you can see, we have a bit of a reputation!
With Garon and Sib, two non-disc-playing friends who recently discovered the awesomeness of PUA parties
Last Saturday's party was planned by Breakfast Club, a super fun team recognizable by their pink jerseys. (One of their former players, a big white dude, would wear a pink skirt to go with it sometimes.) The theme? Playboy Mansion.
That collar and bowtie was a hit that night. Um, don't ask.
The Hotlegs (from BC) had some hot hot hot performances. One team had a "magic chair." One guy was wearing a thong. But that's all I'm going to say about it to protect other people's dignity privacy.:) Suffice it to say that I think we've been banned from yet another venue.
If you've got a disc-playing friend, maybe you could try tagging along to the next party. But don't say I didn't warn ya!
Yes, I'm one of those people! And I actually planned a tea party to watch the most anticipated wedding in recent history. And who would be free to attend a tea party on a weekday? Who else but my freelancer friends! The attendees:
1. M (hiding behind his iPhone) - The only guy. He rolled his eyes every time we squealed. He made inappropriate (but funny!) comments throughout the ceremony. He commented on the women and the cars, just to guy it up a bit. BUT he was the only one tweeting about the wedding all throughout! Ha!
2. BFF Ching (not shown. The only night shifter was still busy getting her Happy Lemon fix) - The girl who said Princess Catherine's brother James Middleton was "pwede na."
3. Coni (henceforth to be known as "Koni," inspired by Catherine's Kate) - Our commentator. She knew pretty much every guest that arrived at Westminster Abbey--except for the guy in the barong! Of course she knew everybody; she had hoped to become part of the royal family, after all. She didn't intend to watch this wedding because it was just too painful to see the love of her life exchange vows with another. But we convinced her, yay! (Kons, there's still plan B! Go get that see-through dress!)
4. Issa - She brought yummy egg-and-mayo and tuna sandwiches as well as Mint and Orange Kitkats. Woohoo!
5. Chinggay - Our hostess. (Thank you for your air-conditioned den!) The girl who said that she was in love with this couple. Sigh. Since it was too hot for tea, she provided a steady supply of iced tea and a bucket of ice.
6. Me - The girl who had a couple of free hours on a weekday after working on a Black Saturday. (Boo!) I was exhausted after a looong shoot and was having a bad day. And when I got to Chinggay's, the power went out! "Guys, sorry this is my fault. I'm the one who's malas today." Thankfully, the power came back on after a couple of minutes.
I had wanted us to dress up for this, but they all vehemently objected given the heat. And I didn't have time to buy fascinators. Shucks. Still, I'm sooo happy we did this. It was great to be squealing and jumping around together (well, except for Miguel, who just kept shaking his head)--when we saw William and Harry in the car on their way to the abbey, when Kate came out of the hotel, when the couple's hands were joined together, when they rode the carriage to Buckingham Palace, and when they kissed! Sigh. I am really rooting for this couple. I really hope that they'll live happily ever after!
Good Housekeeping Philippines had its first-ever Family (and Pet!) Fun Run last Sunday! Though I promoted it to my family and friends, and even did a radio tour for it, the real props should go to our associate publisher Melody, who slaved away for months to produce this great event. We were so overwhelmed by the number of participants--there were about a thousand!
Humans warm up; dogs relax
The events: a 5K open run, a 3K tandem run for parent and child, a 1K run with obstacle course for human and dog, and a 100m dash for kids six and below!
And they're off!
My husband and I joined the open 5K event. Hamil told me at the starting line that he wanted to finish it sub-30--in other words, he was going to leave me behind. Haha. I had no intention of finishing quickly. I projected that I would finish in about 34 minutes, considering I hadn't really run since that half marathon! I was so not in shape, and I even walked a few meters towards the end, taking my sweet time. Imagine my surprise when I rounded the bend leading to the finish line and saw that only 30 minutes had elapsed! Ended up finishing in about 30:31 I think. I could've done it in sub-30 if only I hadn't walked! Oh well. For all my non-effort, I still finished fourth (surprisingly!) among the girls. Husband, meanwhile, did it in 26 minutes! He believes that running a half marathon changed our bodies. (Although I can't, for the life of me, imagine running 21 kilometers now.)
Post-run, participants got loads of freebies (including breakfast!) and were pampered with short massages, and even nail treatments. Dogs got basic grooming.
In between bites of my free tapsilog, I had to do interviews for all these different shows--in all my post-run, sweaty glory! When the crews asked me if I would like to freshen up, I said that that was as good as it was gonna get. Haha.
This was for GMA News
I think, for the most part, people really enjoyed themselves. For P200, it was so worth it--a singlet, bib, hydration stations, breakfast, drink, loot bag, and all these other freebies from various sponsors. My favorite thing about the event (aside from the massive Chow Chow that ran the 1K) was seeing the smiles on families' faces as they ran hand-in-hand. I also loved seeing older ladies running the 5K--there was even a pair wearing matching hot pink leggings!
So many other people wanted to join the event, and this year's participants are already talking about inviting their cousins and friends next year. Here's hoping we'll pull off a bigger, better run in 2012!
Ari Gold: Oh, I got tickets. Happy belated. Johnny Drama: How are the seats ? Ari: Nosebleed, just like you like 'em.
Yup, my husband, a couple of friends, and I were in the nosebleed section at Janet Jackson's Number Ones World Tour--but no need to feel sorry for us. The venue was pretty intimate so our seats--up in the balcony, somewhere in the back but near the center (we got our tickets late!)--were still pretty good.
Surveying the crowd, I wondered if I was now part of the, er, older set, and if high school and college kids now see me the way I see people who watch, oh, Fra Lippo Lippi (or Trini Lopez?). It was a decidedly older audience--definitely not the same people that'll be cheering for Taylor Swift in a couple of weeks!
SPOILER ALERT: Those who plan to watch the concert in other countries might want to stop reading now.
There was no opening act. Miss Janet got right into it, starting with an intro video I could barely understand. (She's kind of soft-spoken, and the crowd was screaming really loudly!) I gathered that she dedicated the song "Go Deep" to Manila, the first stop on her 35-country world tour.
The "Go Deep" video then started playing before Miss J burst into the theater through a side door! Here she is in outfit number one:
Photo from Map
In this skintight number, she did a bunch of her dance-y songs, including "Pleasure Principle" and, yes, "Feedback"!!! I went nuts! I was practically the only one jumping and dancing and singing along in our section.
In her next set, she wore a sparkly gown with a slit up-to-there...
Photo from Map
And performed some of her slow songs. She had the audience belt out the first verse of "Let's Wait a While," and she also sang a crowd favorite...
Super low quality--converted the video into a small file and this is what happened!
The way all the women in the audience were in raptures (you could tell from the giddy tone of the collective voices), this was one song many were really waiting for, and that a number of them were thinking back to the days when this song came out ("Suddenly the memories came back to me in my mind..."). It reminded me a lot of that scene in the movie Fired Up, where all the girls (and some of the boys) at cheer camp knew the entire Bring It On dialogue by heart!
After the senti set, she changed into a black outfit and started the third set with "Doesn't Really Matter," before going into lighter, feel-good dance classics like "Escapade" and "When I Think of You."
Photo from Map
She also performed "All for You," which brought back memories of me dancing to the song in college. Sigh.
Next set, another black outfit.
Here, she did her more hard-hitting songs, starting off with a "What About" interlude (another CADs dance number back in the day). Then there was the song that, I realized, had one of the videos that really made me want to get into dancing.
I remember trying to get the steps back in grade school, not an easy feat considering this was pre-YouTube (and pre-Internet, for that matter!). Even though my body probably won't be able to do the choreography anymore, I knew in my head which movements were coming during the dance break. During this set, she also sang "Scream," dueting with a recording of Michael's voice. I wondered what was going through her mind, hearing her late brother's voice.
For her finale, Janet came out in an all-white outfit and sang "Make Me" before ending with a very touching "Together Again"--as she sang and danced to the song, pictures of her and big brother Michael flashed onscreen.
Photo from Map
It was such a sweet, unexpected ending. This concert was pretty amazing--not only did it have a whole set list of songs that I could sing (and dance) along to, but it had so many layers: It was exciting, engaging, and surprisingly poignant. So worth the nosebleed seats!:D
D celebrated his birthday. I went, thinking it was going to be this low-key gathering. Turns out, it was hosted by Swatch, one of the brands he endorses. Good thing I changed out of my disc clothes!
My sequined top (currently a fave) from Express, jacket from SM
Risotto? Check. Steak? Check. Lechon? Check. (Czar and I kicked ourselves for having dinner beforehand. But that didn't stop us from eating again...) Giant tarpaulin with D's face on it? Check. Life-size standees of D with half-open shirt? Check. Priceless photo of Czar beside the standee, also with his shirt half open? Check! But since I value our friendship, I'm not posting it here...
Wednesday Oops, we did it again. Over-ate, that is. This is becoming a yearly Real Living tradition! We had our Christmas dinner at style editor Gwyn's place which, incidentally, is featured in this month's Real Living. I wrote the article, my first editorial raket in a looong time--oh, writing, how I missed you so!
The two Patricias, the two Kaths, and the two Arlenes!
And still Wednesday Jo's big 3-Oh! She marked it with a one-woman art exhibit at Bardeli's. One of her paintings is sitting in my living room now.:)
Can't remember where I got my top from, necklace from a friend, high-waisted pants from Topshop
Thursday Summit Christmas party: back with a vengeance! After a two-year hiatus, the Divas were back!
Britney and Madonna
The party-goers were wowed by our Glee performance (I use "our" loosely here--I was a mere choreographer)...
Guess who won best costume? Lady Gaga in her bubble outfit made of condoms, of course!
...and the attendance of one John Lloyd Cruz. (Mayhem, I tell ya!)
Saturday Warriors Christmas party: Games. "Gambling." More food. Exchange-and-steal gift, three years running. (I won a prize for "most stolen gift." I had no time to think of a unisex present, so I thought of an easy, one-size-fits-all option--cash!)
Cheers! A toast using UW shot glasses c/o JB and Che
Sunday I hosted this year's barkada get-together. In recent years, with some of us having kids and all, we've been having our Christmas QT during the day--no more late dinners for us.
Crammed into our teeny dining area/kitchen
I gotta say--there's nothing like expecting company to get you to finally fix up the house and do the things you've been putting off. (Our vacuum cleaner got quite a workout!)
I don't know what it's like in the rest of the world, but this is what Christmas is like in the Philippines--exhausting! Parties and reunions with everyone from former co-workers to grade school classmates, with overeating as a common theme. Exhausting, but a whole lotta fun!
Let's face it, extra money is always welcome. Before I became EIC, I would contrib to other mags--Total Girl, Candy, Preview, Men's Health, Smart Parenting, Yummy, Martha Stewart Weddings...I think the only ones I haven't contributed to are FHM and Top Gear! Someone once joked that I should win the Golden "Raket" Award (a play on an internal award called the Golden Rocket). There aren't big bucks in editorial assignments, but my rakets--by virtue of sheer volume--were able to pay for my trips abroad and my wedding--my share of it, at least! So I ain't complaining!
But now, my editorial rakets are few and far between. People (rightfully) perceive that I'm busy, so they hardly approach me for styling work or four-page articles. Sigh. Luckily, this past week brought two unexpected sources of Christmas money.
First, I had a hosting gig!
Outfit explained below!
Friends would sometimes ask me to emcee their weddings, and I did host a couple of events at my old office. I'll be the first to say that I'm not spectacular at it, but I think what I have going for me are 1) my fluency in English, and 2) my ability not to panic in front of a large crowd. (If you've danced wearing nothing but a nude-colored leotard in front of an auditorium full of people, or done a routine in a packed Araneta Coliseum where half the crowd is from a rival school, then I suppose saying some lines in front of a ballroom full of people isn't that intimidating!)
This last event was MC2's Wild Wild West-themed Christmas party in SMX, and it marked my first paying gig. I mostly did it for my friend, Czar (shown in photo), who was the organizer, but it was awfully nice being compensated. While I don't intend to actively pursue a career in hosting, I'd still welcome opportunities that may come my way. But first, I gotta work on my ad libbing skills. And figure out how to stand in my ouch-y five-inch heels for four hours!
Second, I was asked to choreograph a number for our company Christmas party! And I'm getting paid for it. Yay! The theme? Glee! I was initially asked to be Brittany S. Pierce, but I declined. (It wasn't as bad as being asked to be Darna for a production number before. But I digress...) I love dancing, but this required a bit of singing. And I just don't do solo numbers. Eventually, they scrapped the Britney bit and just asked me to choreo a Glee mashup. So I spent the better part of the evening looking at videos like these for ideas...
My neck is going to hurt tomorrow from copying all the super fast hairography moves-on-crack!
I got really cute steps from this live bit.
And this non-Glee clip pretty much took care of the whole "Like a Virgin" routine!
It's pretty cool getting paid to do non-boring work. But I'm not quitting my day job any time soon--thankfully, I've got a steady income from a job I actually love!
My first time to zipline! Not very graceful, I know.
Mumsy and I had just come from lunch, a press briefing, and a cooking demo, and were standing in our spacious, comfy room at Anvaya Cove. She laughed and said that it was why my nieces thought I had such a fun job. It's doubly fun when I get to share it with people I love! This particular event was for Eskinol Ageless, and we were encouraged to bring our mothers on this overnight mother-daughter bonding trip.
Our room at Anvaya Cove
Rewind to the day before. After receiving the invitation, I called my mom who promptly cleared her sched so she could make it to the event. The next day, we found ourselves in Bataan, where we were joined by two other mother-daughter pairs, and over a dozen other press people.
My mom and me with FHM contributing fashion ed Donna Cuna-Pita and her mom Tita Diana
The event started off with a buffet lunch, then moved on to a presentation about Eskinol Ageless. I didn't even know that this 65-year-old brand had started selling their own anti-aging line. I was pretty amazed to learn that their day creams and night creams sell for just P199 a jar, and that their toners are less than a hundred bucks a pop! No verdict yet though--I'm still waiting to see what it does to my skin after regular use. (On a side note, I am finally using toner. And yes, I can see that it removes dirt and makeup residue that a simple washing can miss. P.S. I used to use toner on my underarms! A friend recommended VMV Id for whiter, smoother kili-kili, and it worked!)
The creams come in sachet form too.
It was cool to take a trip down memory lane with Eskinol, as they showed us old-school commercials--Marian dela Riva, a turbaned Ate Vi (love her! Classic Eskinol girl!), the Cojuangcos, Sharon and KC, and even a friend of mine, Chinie (she's the one in the Matte N' Fresh TVC from years ago). After all the presentations, we sat back as the hilarious and super cute Chef Sylvia Reynoso and her kids had a cooking demo. Mumsy, who hardly cooks, was forced to showcase her kitchen skills in front of a crowd when host Issa Litton volunteered her.
(Top) With Chef Sylvia Reynoso and her daughter; (above) what Mom cooked: prawns in aligue sauce
After we feasted on all the stuff that was prepared (basmati rice, chicken barbecue, a salad, prawns in aligue, and mango sago--and this was merienda!), I went for a run around Anvaya. Too bad I didn't have my cam with me so I didn't get to take pics of the beach and the pool. After my short run, Mumsy and I got ready for dinner...and a glorious massage at the spa.
My masseuse Josie chuckled as she heard several cracks when she put her weight on my back. My body had been crying out for a massage for weeks, and the event allowed me to finally get one. Josie's adept hands set the stage for a good night's sleep.
By 7:00 am the next morning, my mom and I were back at the function room for a yoga session with Dunia de los Reyes. It was Mumsy's first ever yoga session, and she soldiered through it, gamely attempting poses despite having previously fractured a wrist and hip! She wasn't able to do everything, but I was happy that she at least tried to do most of the poses. A for effort!
Right before we grunted our way through the poses
Yoga took a bit out of her though, so she rested while I tried the zipline--the last activity for this packed event. I didn't feel nervous at all, despite the 250-meter line and 100-foot drop--at least not until the dude in charge got ready to push me! I let out a little squeal as I started to move, but "Eeek!" was soon replaced with "Oooh!" after I zipped along at a moderate speed over a whole lot of trees--if anything bad happened, at least there would be something to break my fall! After I got my feet back on the ground, I got ready to go back to Manila.
It was a very pleasant, intimate event. More than all the activities lined up (did I mention the free massage? Sigh), I especially enjoyed being able to spend time with Mumsy, and being able to share the fun side of my job with her!
