Author Archives

  • Lava Ice Cream Cafe
    Posted in: Food

    One day, I woke up to find that Manila is surrounded by ice cream shops everywhere. It’s not just the mainstream ones you’d normally find from supermarkets, convenience stores and drugstores. I’m talking about the shops selling luxurious Italian gelatos and artisanal ice cream. Each scoop is typically of the same or a little bit […]

  • VIOS Cup 2014 Part 3 brings the waku doki thrill in McKinley West
    Posted in: Cars, Events

    On October 18-19, 2014, Toyota Motor Philippines, in cooperation with Bridgestone and other sponsors, gathered together car racing afficionados who chose to participate for the fun of it, apart from going for the win. Racers ranged from various sectors such as private individuals, businessmen, students, politicians, media and other celebrities. Toyota fans in Metro Manila […]

  • The 29th Negros Trade Fair at Glorietta
    Posted in: Events, Lifestyle, Vizayas

    One of the reasons why our family loves to mall around Glorietta is because of its regular exhibits. We love to look at artworks and food that are distinct to a specific country or a province. But then, the event at the Glorietta’s Activity Center last September 24-28,2014 was especially remarkable for us because the […]

  • Dome at Shangri-La Plaza Mall
    Posted in: Coffee Shop, Food

    Whenever my personal-related meetings take place at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall, chances are, the venue  would be at Dome’s Café. It’s my top-of-mind not only because of it’s European-style ambiance that draws me almost naturally (even though it originated in Australia), but also because of its customer service. There’s truth in Dome’s reputation for very […]

  • Jed Madela’s Concert at the Shang
    Posted in: Music

    We know how it is: a new mall (or new extension of it) opens, and what better way to spread the word than to have a famous singer hold a free concert? For the singer and music label producers, on the other hand, meeting a captive audience is an opportunity to sign autographs and have […]

  • Caffé Ti-Amo
    Posted in: Coffee Shop, Food

    I used to be a constant fixture of the library back when I was still a student. The habit started when it’s where I had to stay to get excused from attending ‘mass,’ as a non-Catholic studying in a Catholic school. I’d read all sorts that the shelves had to offer, and eventually, I have […]

  • Toast Box
    Posted in: Food, Menu, Restaurant

    On my first visit here, I actually thought I was in a European café due to its store interiors and music. Until I came closer to the menu board and saw that it offers Hainanese chicken, nasi goring, kaya toast (with 2 boiled eggs on the sides), hot chocolate with tablea cocoa, and the crew […]

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    The Side Tripper

    “Make sure you don’t take any side trips,” warns Schumler, from a phrase in the 1993 American film Swing Kids. If you are someone who does not have time to lose, then it is better for you to stick to your main agenda, because there is something about side tripping that submerges the soul in experiences that sometimes make you hope that time would stand still, as the experiences they bring can be more impactful than the main trip itself. It is that free flowing agenda, an unexpected sleepover or a detour that has unintentionally brought pleasant surprises. You can live without it, like you can eat a cake without its icing, but your journey may not be as meaningful. If travel is the ‘best medicine for the heart’,* then for me, side trips are secret ingredients to the most memorable travels and other events that can happen in between or off the main route of one’s itineraries. Welcome to Side Tripper, a collection of photographs and blogs about the many side trip adventures of our family and friends. *Source: The Global Commission on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, in partnership with the U.S. Travel Association (Los Angeles Times, December 17, 2013 by Chris Erskine)