Arts...Travels...Writing

Today I am remembering our trip to India in 2010, when we traveled to Shimla. This place has been featured in several Bollywood movies I suppose, and more recently it was shown in the movie the "Three Idiots". Temple atop Chail I wrote about this trip in this year's Expat Travel and Living Guide, and you can read more about it in the link below: http://www.expatliving.sg/currentissue/flipbook/2011/04TG11/index.html I thought I'd share more photos, at least some of my favorites from this trip :-) Pardon the lay out, I am still trying to find my way around here. flowers at night View from the Chail Temple The Town Hall Sunset Snowcapped Tibetan Peak in the Background All the horses The Ridge the oldest Catholic Church this side of India our furry friend

I just came back from Manila yesterday to attend my cousin Claire's wedding - one of the best weddings I have attended so far. It was a whirlwind trip, and perhaps it is partly because it was so bitin that I got reminded of the many lovely things I miss from Philippines. The top 5 things are: 1. Excellent customer service, I think its people is the biggest advantage of the Philippines: their warm nature and great intuition, are the perfect ingredients for great customer service. My most recent experience of great customer service was at David's salon at Podium where I had to rush to have my hair and make-up done for the wedding. Pressed for time, I explained my predicament to the stylist who immediately came up with a solution, I.e., to ask another stylist to do my hair while she does the make up. Hence, we saved at least 30 minutes with this simultaneous, instead of sequential, approach. I was also impressed by Discovery Suites' manner of attending to my requests. I t...

I was mesmerized by the beauty of it all. There was no gimmick, no empty promises nor other diversions typical of the more modern day acts or Internet-age personalities. What was on-stage tonight was sheer talent and versatility. When Dolores of The Cranberries took the stage at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, the audience did not need any gaga-esque production numbers. All they needed was the soul, the wailing, the jumping around, and yes the requisite head banging when chanting "in your head!" It's been 20 years since I first heard of The Cranberries, and yet Dolores O'riordan still looks as energetic as she did in the early 90s. There was no intermission throughout the concert. And to think she was jumping around in some of her numbers. Now seeing this huge talent before me tonight, I am suddenly all nostalgic of the beautiful bands and duos of the 80s and 90s. At least then, musicians and artists had legitimate talents and creativity. Unlike the "stars"...

Michael Jackson died yesterday. Not surprisingly, most media programs and contents are about him. There are news of internet bogging down because of too many downloads. I’m one of those who caused the bog-down I guess. As I watched Michael’s oeuvre, I couldn’t help but think of the generation he helped define. He probably influenced Gen X more than any other age group. Many of us Gen Xers were adolescents or about to cross that critical stage at the height of his popularity. At a time when there was no internet nor mobile phones, his popularity was such that even kids in rural areas could relate to his music. Who wouldn’t remember Thriller, Billie Jean, Bad? Or the most popular dance move of the era, the Moonwalk? But listening to old interviews of Michael, I couldn’t help but feel sad about the tragedy and irony that was his so-called life. He had such an unparalleled talent, and yet he claimed to be insecure. He said he’d rather wear mask during his performances than show the fac...

Last night I attended this barbecue sponsored by Mini Cooper. I had very low expectations going into the event that I did not even bother to check who Chef Robert Rainford is. I was going there for the main thing – which for me is the barbecue itself, what else! Before dinner, there was Chef Robert Rainford himself demonstrating to the guests how to get the grill right. I’m not a good cook nor do I have passion for the stove though I do love good food! My belly fat can very well attest to that. But Chef turned out to be extremely entertaining! I was laughing hard at all his well-contextualized jokes…and of course his practical tips are really so helpful, specially to someone like me who does not know much around the kitchen: 1) Soak the skewers in water before starting to grill – this is to prevent skewers from turning into charcoal, i.e., catching fire easily (Well, I know many might consider this basic knowledge, but to me this is NEW!) 2) Put aluminium foil...

What food is to the stomach, traveling is to the soul. At least to some wanderlust just like me. Travel always has its way of reviving me, changing my perspective about many things, places and cultures. For me the fun of travel does not start upon reaching the ultimate destination but begins with the trip itself. Of all the modes of transportation, I enjoy roadtrip best. The drive to a destination affords me to be one with time, moving along the road with each second. I enjoy feeling the speed and motion as the car traverses each mile of winding road; I bask at the freedom of a vast highway, bounded only by the white and yellow lines dividing the lanes. I like seeing the ray of the sun directly hitting a melting asphalt on a hot summer afternoon. And those stops at makeshift cafes along countryside dirt roads remind me that a warm cup of java does not always have to be in a Styrofoam cup with the green logo. It can also be had in aluminium cups or recycled instant coffee jars eff...