The Clay & I: A Journey of Becoming

Like most significant events in my life, I was moved by pragmatism when I decided to take up pottery. I was importing tea wares for my online tea shop then only to be confronted with exorbitant customs fees, not to mention the high rate of breakage in every shipment. I thought, why not DIY? Yes,…

Inheritance

IN the West, inheritance almost always involves monetary and real property value.  It has always been focused on the material and physical items parents leave behind for their children when they pass on. Having been born and having lived in the Philippines all my life, I grew up indoctrinated by parents saying the most important…

The Transitioning Power of Silence

I have always been an optimist. I grew up watching proofs of positive thinking unfold before me. I was never prone to depression no matter how dire the circumstances. But in the early morning of May 10, 2016, when the presidency was leaning towards a candidate I vehemently campaigned against, I could feel my world…

When Tea Called My Name

It was the first workweek of January 2014. I was preparing a tumbler of tea for the office from a pack of loose leaf a friend gifted me the previous Christmas. Before that day, I’ve only had tea bags from the grocery aisles and couldn’t tell the difference among the types if my life depended…

A Mindful Goal

When I was much younger, I would sit down a few days before New Year’s Eve and jot down several resolutions in my journal. Nothing has come out of it ever. The longer the list, the more likely nothing would be resolved.  The list would invariably include something about my diet, getting physically active, doing…

Dreamy Sagada

#Latepost Like four years late. Just came back to this page after a looooong lull. Between my last post and today, there’d been at least a couple of life-changing events and had no choice but abandon this blog for a while. But don’t you worry, I will be updating this page more often and share…

A Royal Invasion

From Germany to France to Bulgaria, a German count sets his eyes upon the conquest of the wine world… Wine Story’s Romy Sia and Christian Tan welcomed Germany’s noble lord Count Stephan von Neipperg to host an intimate wine-pairing dinner at the luxury wine store branch in Serendra several months back.   A very select…

Amansara

From the moment your plane lands, the Amansara touch is invariably felt. The VVIP treatment begins at the immigration. A designated person approaches you, takes your passport and processes it.  All you will do is sit and wait.  Don’t worry,  it does not take forever to complete the procedure.  Outside, a vintage Mercedes-Benz limousine awaits for…

Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor

Perhaps the “Grand Dame” of old-world luxury accommodation in Siem Reap, the Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor epitomizes the quality of travellers in the early days of the 20th century. Built only a few years after Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh, it has afforded guests comfort and ease that was thought of as implausible at…

La Residence D’Angkor

  Among Siem Reap’s upscale hotels, a unique property stands out.  If you want to experience an authentic Khmer accommodation, head on to La Résidence d’Angkor by Orient-Express located on River road near the city center. Utilizing natural wood, the hotel was designed according to the traditional Khmer style of architecture.  The foyer opens to…