Casa San Miguel

i love love places!

Casa San Miguel

San Antonio, Zambales

Since joining the FLOW retreat in 2009, I have been following the group's activities as they have infinite references on the many beautiful, artsy and calming places there are in the Philippines. And among the places which kept on haunting and nagging and tugging me until I finally visit is the breathtakingly beautiful Casa San Miguel. The two years of waiting did not disappoint. One Saturday in February, we finally spent a weekend for a post Valentine back to back with Alan's birthday celebration.

We were the only guests at that time but the place was bustling in energy and magic as most of the staff and the students of the virtuoso, Coke Bolipata, were busy preparing for a concert the next day. The Loboc Choir will be performing and it broke my heart that we cannot stay to witness their artistry as we had to leave early on Sunday. But just the same, the children playing with their violins serenaded us as we enjoyed our meals in an outdoor cafe with leaves falling gently unto us. Good thing there were umbrellas. Colorful Ones. Dainty Ones. I found myself bottling up the moment and keeping it safely in my heart only to open it up when my frustrations catch up on me. I found it useful just a week after when all I wanted to do was to stay in bed and cover myself up with my blanket all day, in tears. My weary heart took refuge from this beautiful memory and I couldn't be more grateful. Places like Casa San Miguel, a product of one's passion and love for his artistry, is a reminder that life is breathtakingly beautiful.

Adjacent to Casa San Miguel is the whimsical Pasilyo Bookstore. The place was closed at the time of our visit though we were allowed to take pictures. There were no books that Saturday but the colors and the intricate forms of objects found there more than made up for it. We were not aware that the house near the bookstore was off limits and is a private property, we have unknowingly trespassed it. I cannot believe that it is a fully functioning private home as it appeared to be a gallery of all things of splendor. How can one normally live in such a magical place? Imagine patches, tassels, sequins, the colors of Morocco, sea shells, chandeliers, teapots, drapes – things that do not really match but when put together create magic. It is pure Wonderland yet it is simply a home. I felt painfully average and inadequate with my plainness. Oh! I hope the owner does not mind if I post the pictures here. Promise, we did not touch more so took anything.

The Casa San Miguel Foundation was built on four pillars, Norman, our guide said: First is the music and the arts (they award scholarship to children in the community and provide artist residency). Second, the Museum. Third the Education  (they run a Waldorf-inspired preschool). Lastly, the entrepreneurial side, the bed and breakfast and their outdoor cafe.

I end my post, with our favorite dessert offered by their cafe: the dark chocolate molten lava cake. My words are not inspired, I know, but I hope the pictures gave you a glimpse of how beautiful their place is.

P.S.

All pictures are by Alan David (except for two: the picture where he's on it (obviously) 

and the lava cake - which I took, haha!)

La Luz

i love love my family!

Laiya, Batangas

On the first month of the year, a week before my brother flies yet again back to Dubai, we spent the coldest weekend of the year (so far) in La Luz, Batangas. I pray for more blessings and opportunities to travel with the family. :)

Seek the Uniq

i love love babies!

I have sought beautifully! :) I am still in continuous search of a signature scent (haha) but for now, I am really happy with Seek the Uniq's line of baby scents, Fille et Fils. I have two variants which I spray on generously especially when I feel a little blue, Zurie (fresh from the shower) and Jeune (powdery) scents. Just sharing. :)

Lucky Chinatown

i love love places!

After bargain shopping at 168, we dropped by Lucky Chinatown Mall last Saturday to chase the last fizzling smoke from the Chinese New Year fireworks. The plan was a trip to Binondo (Manila Chinatown) but after hours of early morning shopping, I can barely feel my feet. We parked our tired feet and wallets in the open area section of Lucky Chinatown to soak in a little sunlight and enjoy a rich fare of Chinese food from their weekend food market. We cannot resist taking photos as the place was splashed with vibrant red and gold in celebration of the New Year. :)

Of New Year's

i love love colors!

Lucky Chinatown Mall. Photo by Alan David

The New Year is my favorite holiday. It's the holiday of lists, promises to self, the holiday of faith and of hope. It's the holiday when our dreams are at their noisiest and our eagerness to achieve them the most intense. In the 365 days we have in a year, I celebrate three New Year Days. Yes, three. I am kind to myself that way. 

First, is of course, the January 1 holiday, when I celebrate with the rest of the world. My mother who runs a grocery stocked more cream breads in her store for sale in preparation for the New Year's eve celebration (Media Noche) than she did for Christmas' Noche Buena. She said that Christmas is more of a religious tradition and our little barrio, being a healthy melting pot of INC's, Seventh Day Adventists and Catholics, is a little selective in celebrating the birth of Jesus. The demand for cream breads is the highest though on New Year's day. These three religious groups join the rest of the world in collective celebration of the birth of another year. I have never really appreciated the law of supply and demand until this observation from my mom-preneur. She deserves a faculty slot in the School of Economics. Haha!

Second is Chinese New Year. While I am obviously not Chinese (really big eyes, hello, haha!), our culture is heavily influenced by them. Plus, Chinese lanterns are so pretty (see picture above)! And Yang Chao fried rice is so kanin-pa-lang-ulam-na satisfying! And did you know that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure that can be seen from the moon according to my really good friends from NASA??!! Haha! I wish I have given more attention to my Sibika at Kultura class in school so I can drop cool cultural (or COOLtural, how's that for a word?? :)) tidbits here. More than the hype in aligning water and earth elements, feng shui talks on fortune and love and the lollipop-chasing dragon, the real reason I love Chinese New Year is that it is another excuse for a New Year for a non-Chinese like me (I apologize for being shallow). For me, it is like getting a vaccine for, say, measles. You do not stop at the first vaccination, you still need (or advised) to get a booster. The CNY is my booster. It's the universe's way of saying, "you do not have any excuse to slump, I am giving you a second round of clean slate-ness, only this time with dragon dance and tikoy!".

Third is my birthday. This is the most personal New Year of all. This time, you are not celebrating WITH the rest of the world but instead the rest of the world is celebrating FOR you. It does not hurt that out of the 365 days in a year, there is one dedicated for the spotlight on the self. I am an advocate of self love, the YOUniverse. The words of my lola when I was a little girl never left me, you cannot give what you do not have. One has to be complete and whole before one can effectively reach out to others.

Happy New Year!