Enjoying your 40s

And my idea of fun has radically changed. While I could do heart-pumping activities like hiking in Sagada in my 20s and 30s, in my 40s I would rather go to the spa and just bliss out for three to four hours under the expert hands of a professional therapist. At 45, I have managed to master the art of relaxed breathing, slower heartbeats, and losing just enough consciousness to find a quiet calm zone, while still retaining enough awareness to hear the therapist tell me to turn over for the next part of my massage. (Click Something Like Life for the rest. In Photo: Illustration Spring Passing by Littlemisslove)

Libre ang mangarap di ba?

Something Like Life
Nov. 30, 2007

BEGINNING tomorrow, December 1, we have exactly 23 days to get our Christmas lists in order, subtracting the friends we haven’t seen for ages or adding new ones to the list (including new bosses for the proverbial sipsip gifts), and getting all our shopping done before the clock strikes midnight to herald the Christ Lord’s birth.

I’m almost done, having eliminated most of my lovable and understanding friends from my list and pleading poverty again this year, but I still need to get in order the gifts for the godchildren (with a plus-one courtesy of Iris this year).

After having had a less-than-productive shopping expedition with Fil at the International Bazaar at the PICC, I’m looking forward to a three-day shopping extravaganza at the St. James Bazaar in Alabang beginning today. Hopefully by this Sunday, I would be all done with my gift-buying, allowing me to concentrate on my own needs next. After all, I’ve toiled, sweated and run around godknowswhere, just to earn honest decent wages from my writing, so it’s time I get some rewards in return.

And I do have a lot of dream gifts for this Christmas, not that I can afford them all. But perhaps I can take a cue from the wildly popular video/book The Secret and focus all my positive thoughts and energies on these gifts. I shall visualize receiving these wonderful goodies and, for sure, most of them will be handed to me effortlessly. And, nah, I’m not going to wish for any of that “peace and goodwill to all men” crap that everyone unabashedly says when the klieg lights and cameras are switched on in their direction. I’m all pure materialism this year.

My 10 dream gifts this Christmas are:

Ananda in the Himalayas

1. A 10-day free stay in all the best spas in the world, with complimentary massages, body treatments and yoga instruction. These should include Reethi Rah in the Maldives, Banyan Tree in Phuket, the Ananda in the Himalayas and, just for kicks, the Four Seasons Biltmore Resort in Santa Barbara, just because Vanity Fair columnist Christopher Hitchens stayed there and tried to get an extreme makeover.

2. A monthlong cooking, eating and drinking tour of Tuscany, Italy, preferably, of course, with some gorgeous hunka-hunka burning love I’ll probably meet over there. Who knows, I’ll probably move there permanently. Think Diane Lane in Under the Tuscan Sun, right Francine?

3. The freakin’ P3.2-million, 103-inch Panasonic plasma TV everyone’s been talking about. While I have no room in my mother’s townhouse to put it in, I can probably have it installed in the garage and watch all first-rate, still-to-be shown-in-local-theaters movies on DVD. Of course, I will have to charge my neighbors P200 each if they want watch the movies with me. That P3.2 million will be paid up for in no time. Uh-huh, I’m so smart, aren’t I? Don’t you wish we were friends?

4. Full-course lunch or dinner at French Laundry with chef-turned-TV host/book author Anthony Bourdain. I saw a long-ago episode of Bourdain’s TV show where he and his chef buddies dined at what has been called one of the best restaurants in the world, and everyone looked like they were having fun with the tasting menu alone and the wine just flowing. This time, I’ll do the eating and Bourdain will provide the laughs (along with the credit card to pay the bill). We will have fun roasting that perennially perky fake cook Rachel Ray! Ooof! What the hell was Oprah thinking?

French Laundry's Atlantic Halibut (Photo from KQED.org)

5. Majority ownership in at least one hugely profitable listed firm, like SM Investments, PLDT (yeah, even if Smart Communications is ever so slow to release my new phone under my retention policy) or Globe Telecommunications (just to get back at Smart), JG Summit Holdings and Metrobank. There are other companies that are attractive but I’m still too busy plotting the takeover of the other firms. Besides, I don’t want to appear too greedy…duh.

6. My own vineyard and winery in New Zealand, which produces some of the most exciting wines in the world these days. I had the good fortune of touring the Villa Maria Estate years before NZ wines were introduced in the local market and marveled at the modern processes used to produce its award-winning wines (large steel barrels in place of oak, and screwcaps instead of corks). I shall become the best world producer of award-winning Pinot Noirs, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blancs.

7. The Jodie Ankle Boot from Louis Vuitton, which, I swear, is the most fabulous ankle boot ever! Made of canvas and calf leather, the brown boot just looks oh-so-comfortable even with its four-inch heel. I like it also because the LV monogram detail is subtle, unlike the ones on those fake LV bags available at your friendly tindera in the Greenhills tiangges. I especially love the metal rivets and tiny buckle detail. I stumbled on the Jodie after dreaming about a pair of LV boots, which set me off googling photos of LV boots one entire day.

8. The untitled 1954 oil on canvas by HR Ocampo displayed in the function room of the Bank of the Philippine Islands named after the artist. Or perhaps Pablo Amorsolo’s portraits of the Women of Rizal hanging in the BPI chairman’s office? Yes, some art for Christmas may be good for the soul, and will undoubtedly also raise one’s market value in the eyes of envious friends. And you all thought I was shallow!

Lake Como, Italy (Photo from Student Brittanica)

9. A house in the Southhamptons or maybe in Lake Como in Italy where all my friends and I can play all day. There’s nothing like exchanging gossip over cocktails with Vera Wang, Renée Zellwegger, and George Soros at the Hamptons abode, or having dinner with gorgeous George Clooney and his Ocean 12 buddies at my lakeside retreat. Of course, my friends will have to pay for their own airfare and land transport to get there. Sorry, darlings, no such thing as a free lunch!

And last but not the least:

10. Tony Leung. Need I explain?

Feeling at home at Shang Mactan

(WIND down from your harried life with a swim in this gorgeous pool by the hotel’s ocean wing.)

CEBU has always been one of my all-time favorite destinations, simply because it gives travelers the best of both worlds—a cosmopolitan feel, yet retaining some of the vestiges of provincial seclusion.

To me, it means sumptuous food, both of the sutukil (sugba, tuwa, kilaw) and the upscale dining varieties, fabulous swimming pools and sparkling beaches, friendly always-smiling people, and splendid restful five-star accommodations.

If you’re the type who wants to get away from it all, your best bet is Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort & Spa. For picky travelers such as myself, I like the hotel because it is a self-contained refuge where even the most discriminating guest will find everything that will please her to her heart’s content. Once you check in, you won’t ever feel the need to even go to the city to see its sights because the resort in itself already provides the guest with so many experiences that will delight all her senses.

Spacious but cozy

(Relax among the cozy corners of your deluxe sea-view guest room)

THE guest rooms, first of all, are spacious and warm, with furniture that is understated and elegant—a delicate blend of local craftsmanship which Cebu furniture makers are famous for. The headboard of my bed, for example, was made of wicker, while touches on the head lamp above the bed were in banig. The simple furniture was cozy, making me feel right at home. The guest room also had a magnificent view of the sea and the inviting swimming pool below. The king-sized bed guaranteed a tranquil sleep night after night, as I was surrounded by comfy large pillows.

The grounds are well-manicured in their refreshing greenery, so a walk even just around the premises becomes a refreshing experience.

I especially enjoyed a leisurely stroll into the Chi Spa Village, which relaxes the usual tense and harried guest with the sound of gurgling waters and the aroma of calming essential oils. Sitting on 10,000 square meters, the village is nestled amid the resort’s sprawling grounds and is the first spa village carrying the luxury hotel-spa brand in the Philippines.

Later I would delight in a “Chi Journey” that included a revitalizing bath in an outdoor pool which used coconut milk mixed in the waters; an herbal steam bath that instantly decongested my nasal passages as I suffered from a sinusitis attack; an energizing Mountain Tsampa Rub; and an Aroma Vitality massage.

The Mountain Tsampa rub uses a barley paste to absorb oils and exfoliate your body of dead-skin cells. It helps revitalize the skin and prepares you for the next ritual: the massage.

The Aroma Vitality massage is a blend of Swedish and Shiatsu pressure techniques using the essential oil suited to your element. As in other Chi spas, the guest is supposed to fill up a form which tells the therapist your likes and dislikes in terms of food tastes, colors and temperature. So the essential oil used in your massage is supposed to complement your element (e.g., water, metal, earth, wood, or fire).

(Immerse yourself in Tibetan luxury at the Chi Spa Village.)

Unfortunately, the therapist assigned to me wasn’t able to give me the deeper pressure I’m used to and even said I should have gotten a male therapist instead. I thought that response was not only unprofessional but totally ignorant because, as I had pointed out to her, my therapist at Chi in Edsa Shangri-La, as well as those from the other spas I go to, are also female but completely competent to deliver the pressure I needed.

Despite the minor disappointment with the massage therapist, my overall impression of Chi Spa was of pleasant satisfaction. The spa treatment was capped by a plate of fruits and refreshing drink.

Divine dishes

IN terms of cuisine, Shang Mactan has the basic choices in terms of international dishes.

Guests have a selection of Asian dishes at Tides, which serves buffet meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was where I enjoyed most of my meals and was impressed that it was able to deliver a varied menu for guests who were staying more than one night. Other hotels, despite their luxury tag, are not creative enough to come up with even a decent breakfast or meals that would delight a discerning guest’s food preferences. And if you’re staying at such a hotel for two or three days, eating the same fare can be annoying. Fortunately with Tides, as well as the hotel’s other restaurants, this was not the case. As with most hotels these days, the standard feature at Tides is the sashimi and sushi bar, which did not tire my palate at all, considering my love of Japanese cuisine.

I immensely enjoyed lunch at Acqua with Shang Mactan’s energetic PR girl Sharon Samarista as we caught up on the latest industry gossip in Manila. The restaurant served one of the most delectable Italian meals I have had in the longest time. It truly deserves to be called one of the best restaurants in the Philippines because it offers a modern twist to basic Italian fare, be it pasta, risotto, or your usual meat and seafood dishes.

(Sumptuous Italian fare with a modern twist at Aqua.)

Everything I ate, from the refreshing arugula salad, flavorful pumpkin soup and tender salmon, to my dessert of pana cotta in three different flavors were just divine. What’s more, the restaurant also offers vegetarian fare for health-conscious guests. The restaurant overlooks the infinity pool, which some guests may find to be an entertaining diversion, especially if those swimming have gorgeous bodies. If that isn’t your cup of tea, you can move to the other corners of the spacious restaurant for a spectacular view of the ocean.

Cowrie Cove, which overlooks the Visayan Sea, appropriately serves up seafood specialties in a buffet spread. Name it, they have it—lobsters, crabs, shrimps or prawns, lapu-lapu or the freshest catch of the day, cooked in various succulent ways. It is quite a walk from the main building and sometimes a tad difficult to navigate around due to the low lighting conditions of the restaurant. Nevertheless, the outlet gives guests a distinct Cebuano alternative to the cosmopolitan array of meat dishes in the hotel’s other restaurants.

Satisfied with the excellent quality of its restaurants (have you ever been disappointed with a Shang restaurant anyway?), I told Sharon that I intended to return to have a go of the sumptuous offerings of the Chinese restaurant Tea of Spring.

Other than the spa, the restaurants and the really awesome pools, guests can enjoy the hotel’s other conveniences, such as a business center well-stocked with foreign business and local newspapers (that’s why I got hooked again on the Asian Wall Street Journal); a gym/health club with top-of-the-line equipment; bars by the pool, the beach and at the lobby; an indoor playground, dubbed Adventure Zone, for their kids; or if they wish, they can also stage their own private singing contests—good Lord!—in the karaoke room.

But more than these pleasant diversions, what is truly endearing about Shang Mactan is its cheerful well-mannered staff. Everyone is available for any question or concern a guest may have, no matter how simple or ridiculous (I lost my way going to the spa, for example, duh). Each has a ready smile and a helping hand for guests, so it’s no wonder a lot of foreign and local tourists love staying at this resort.

It’s a hotel where guests can truly be made to feel at home.

(Published in BusinessMirror, Nov. 1, 2007. Photos courtesy Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort and Spa.)