Twins- Feast of Three KingsOriginally uploaded by annalyn. It is a little known fact that there's one place in Manila which celebrates the Feast of Three Kings annually in grand fashion. And thanks to their fairy godfather, my kiddies have been attending the celebration - held every first week of January - since they were one. The venue is the Casino Espanol on T.M. Kalaw St., Manila which is not really a casino, mind you, but stands for the Spanish Club of the Philippines.This year, we were fortunate enough to catch the properly-costumed Los Reyes Magos as they were ... Continue Reading...

Street scene, Quiapo, Manila, originally uploaded by ajay1.I haaate this time of year, mainly because because it's the season when colds, cough, diarrhea, flu, pneumonia and so on and so forth affect everyone. More so when sickness descends on my kids and I am transformed into one nervous wreck of a mother.I thought the worst was over when all my three kiddos woke up with sore eyes three weeks ago. Timely intervention ( read: overpriced medicines from the ophthalmologist) made them feel better after a few days and prevented me from going to the office in dark shades a ... Continue Reading...

There is a McKinsey report calling for the reengineering of Philippine tourism. It says that if the Philippines is to follow the example of Mexico and Thailand, we should develop "anchor destinations" following world-class standards and foster a "culture of tourism" nationwide.The long stretch of Manila Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard is perhaps one good example of having no culture of tourism at all.It gives you the impression that the folks at City Hall only care about money, money, money.You park your car and you have to pay a flat rate of P30, the same as in upscale ... Continue Reading...

My friend, the Philippine Senate's chief photographer Godfrey L., took a series of pictures of me at Manila's popular Baywalk two weeks ago. They're my favorite pictures this year. It was almost 5 p.m. and he was supposed to take a pic of me with the famous Manila Bay sunset on the background. Alas, the sun hid behind the clouds. We had fun nonetheless, it was completely no-fuss and I wasn't even waearing any make-up. Thanks, Godfrey! ... Continue Reading...

I have watched macho dancers in a gay bar and  watched the same breed of macho dancers gyrating in a hotel room "bridal shower." That was all "for experience." Little did I know that today, I would choose to be massaged by a male attendant, a.k.a. masseur. It all started when I went to my spa aching for my monthly Swedish thing. After a few minutes of waiting at the reception area, the man in charge would come back telling me the bad news: I would have to wait for 20 minutes because the female attendants were fully booked. It must been borne out of my ... Continue Reading...