Entry on Landmark Makati's Mary Mother of Hope Chapel

Year 2013 finds Landmark Makati opening its solemn-looking chapel, Mary Mother of Hope to Catholic churchgoers slash mall shoppers. More than just being situated in a mall though, attending the Holy Mass here is enticing for a lot of reasons.

 
1. Nestled on Landmark Makati's 4th floor, Catholic mall shoppers can easily drop by for a prayer or to attend mass. Gone are the days when one needs to squeeze in to Greenbelt's own chapel. There might be reactions left and right on the seeming inappropriate convenience of mall chapels but this is one of the many realities that we really need to admit and face. Though there are Catholic groups that would go for real churches, we have a number of prayerful Holy Eucharist attendees that would go for more accessible holy places.

2. Hello AC! The place is relaxing and comfortable because of the cool ac. Entry author tends to collapse/faint easily in warmer church conditions (couldn't sustain myself until the Lord's Prayer / Ama Namin) so this feature is an asset.

3. There are ushers/usherettes that would lead mass attendees to their seats. This minimizes distractions from late comers and all spaces are utilized.

4. The chapel's seats / pews are upholstered and comfy.

5. There are spaces for bags. And it is more than just a teeny shelf that's meant for your coin purse, mind you.

6. The chapel is well-lit and the stained glass windows set that I'm-in-a-real-Church mood to its attendees.

                                                                                                     

The altar is adorned with the traditional Advent Wreath and a Holy Family set (sans the Baby Jesus around this time).

7. They have a separate (READ: ENCLOSED) chapel area for kids.  Parents and other attendees can finally concentrate and pray in peace.

8. Rules are strictly being implemented - using of cellphones are not allowed, food and drinks are strictly prohibited too. Need we say more? These are common rules but sometimes, I guess we need to be reminded of such things.

9. They have monitors all over the place for mass attendees who are having a hard time seeing the altar and the priest himself.

10. Mary Mother of Hope Chapel is holding anticipated "Simbang Gabi" at 7:00PM.

Mary Mother of Hope Chapel
5F The Landmark Makati City
(02) 817 8886

Loving Nail Spa

A decade ago, I often wondered why some women need to have a day in a week to just go and visit the nearest salon for a nail pampering session. Heck, it's a lot more practical to go for a DIY. Little did I know that I'll be getting that habit eventually. I'm thankful to know why.

I'm not a newbie when it comes nail pampering. It started with the need for an overall manicure -- more than just trimming, mind you.

My first nail salon was a small quaint salon down our condominium building. And then our favorite manicurista left the salon. Next stop was Beauty and Butter. I believe that I blogged about that a few months ago but didn't get into the habit of visiting the same shop due to proximity reasons (one salon is in MOA, the other in Megamall). Nail-a-Holics was my next choice since one that's located inside a mall is just walking distance from our condo. It gets somewhat busy on a weekend (which is my only availability) so I took it off my list. Then I tried Nail It! in Glorietta -- staff were good but it didn't work out for me since its convenience to mall goers made it too crowded. So what really got me into the weekly or bi-weekly addiction of nail pampering?

Nail Spa.

Nail Spa is not really that accessible. Going there might even seem impractical for the common fella since one needs to ride a cab just to get to their shop. Hence, initially, taking a cab was my only choice when going to their location. Eventually, I realized that you can exit Greenbelt 1 and simply cross to Gamboa Street. Five minutes of walking will lead you to their building. Not bad.

 

 

 Customers are greeted by a spacious front desk and a cushy couch meant for waiting customers. I generally don't have to wait for a long time though since I make appointments in advance and I am prompt in following my set schedules. Upon entrance, everyone is teased by bottles of different nail polish in a wide array of colors. They have Butter, Orly, OPI, Essie, Barry M (not Manilow though lol), Chanel, YSL and the list goes on.

The place doesn't get crowded easily and even if they're accommodating more than their usual amount of customers, privacy is still in place as one couch is located far from the other. Place doesn't get that noisy with the typical chitchats of their attendants. They are all very professional here.

 

There are two VIP tents which are practical for customers coming in by pairs. The tents are perfect for foot spa + pedicure combo since they have a very convenient wash area for two people inside.

My preferred service is express manicure and pedicure. I don't get tired of selecting the same services over and over since I take pleasure in all this nail salon's available polish brands and colors. Here are all the reasons why:

 

One can have Orly / China Glaze painted on their nails for free. A measly Php60 extra payment for premium brands like Orly and OPI. Designer polish like YSL, Butter and Chanel costs Php100. Fair, fair prices.

 

- The word according to Foursquare -

• "Look for Meden, Bing or Emily! The best nail technicians!"
• "Really nice ambience, good treatments (with lots of choices) and excellent polish, but always insist on getting a good therapist -- it's a mixed bag here."
• "Regie for my feet and Mary for my hands, superb tandem!"
• "Look for Merly, she's the Michaelangelo of nails."
• "The ambience is smooth and fresh, and the private tents, great for 2 are a moment of indulgence for a pampered feet/hands."

Here's their other pampering services: http://smg.photobucket.com/user/vainpire/media/menunokits.jpg.html


NAIL SPA MAKATI
109 Gamboa St. Legaspi Village, 
Makati City
(02) 817-3128.
Open daily, 10 am to 9 pm.

NAIL SPA SHANGRI-LA MALL
5F Shangri-La Plaza Mall
Edsa cor. Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City
(02) 687-4991 or (02) 687-7011 
Open daily, 11 am to 9 pm.  

NAIL SPA THE BLOCK
5F SM City North Edsa
Edsa cor. North Ave., Quezon City
(02) 441-0323
Open daily, 11 am to 9 pm. 

Rule that applies to all branches: Last call for services is approximately 1 hour before closing. Best to call for an appointment.

Preview: OTJ (On The Job), 2013

It's not common to see ABS-CBN's dramatic actors do unusual intense action scenes so the moment that I saw On The Job's (OTJ) trailer, I made sure that I see it and check if it will satisfy my curiosity.

Starting scene begins with the main character "Tatang" Maghari (Joel Torre) and Daniel Benitez (Gerald Anderson) gracing the busy streets of San Juan while everybody is observing St. John the Baptist's Feast. Not much is revealed for a couple of minutes until the older mentor executes his job by killing a notorious criminal in broad daylight. Opening credit rolls magically. The film's first few life transitioned to actual news scenes in black-and-white.

The film progresses by acknowledging "evil". Tatang Maghari as a ruthless inmate-slash-part time assassin who is entrusting his work to the younger Daniel Benitez. On the other end of the spectrum are the "good", the anti-crime fighters who struggles with their own share of career ambition and of promoting justice despite the corruption, deception, danger that lurks.

Joel Torre and Gerald Anderson excelled in their craft. The advertisement is a little misleading for me since it significantly features the dashing Piolo Pascual who did average in the film though his character isn't as competent as the roles of Tatang, Daniel and even Sgt. Joaquin Acosta (portrayed by Joey Marquez). The role of Sgt. Acosta is very good ...but Marquez as its actor will just never work for me.

The cinematography is quite good - realistic yet artistic at the same time. It helps that camera shifts were backed up by some raging rock music at some point too - this adds extra excitement. Intense protagonist-antagonist fight/chase scenes. The main casts' side story adds a sincere dramatic and humane touch too.

This movie is fearless because it unveils our government's and crime group's realities. It exposes ambition to power, dangerous connections and shameless manipulation. It rolls everything into art like how unpretentious  directors like Lino Brocka might possibly do it. It is not surprising if this film will never lose its mark on its viewers in the next decades to come.

**Pictures were lifted from differenT OTJ-related sites over the WWW.

Top Bet for Viet: Bà nôi's

La Familia has always been fond of trying out new restos and we can always cite personal favorites whether if it's Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese ...and the list goes on. We were hyped when we saw a certain Vietnamese dining haven being featured in a local morning talk show.

Located in the lesser busy streets of Kapitolyo, Bà nôi's invites its guests with their distinct greeting "The Fresh Flavors of Vietnam". 

There's nothing striking about the restaurant's interiors. Thematic Vietnamese portraits adorn the area with black and white as the dominating colors of the room.

We went for Pho Go / Chicken Noodle Soup which has always been a hit to us. This is the safest dish that you can order by far. Want it plain? Sip up. Want it flavorful? Savor it with lime, beansprouts, basil leaves, Sriracha and Hoisin paste.

  

We were hoping to try the fresh spring rolls but they don't have it when we dined in. The dish became an instant hit after Bá nôi's was featured in the show. We selected Green Mango Salad / Goi Xoai Ca Kho (with nuoc man dressing) from the menu.

The dried fried fish strips balances out the sour taste of the green mango. There are peanut bits underneath too.

We went after Tom Nuong for our seafood fix. This one has prawns mixed in a certain sweet-spicy sauce. The dip on the other hand is a mix of lime and black pepper. This one is expectedly more expensive than the usual plate but is oh-so worth it!

Another dish that our "carnivore" counterparts would love is Suon Nuong Xa / Pork Riblets.The ribs' coating is somewhat spicy and flavorful but the sauce heightens the whole taste experience.

What is Bà nôi's without their Vietnamese coffee? We ordered their brewed coffee (cup with a metal filter on top) and poured what seems to be like condensed milk on it. The brew is a strong mix. The very last sip sealed our awesome Bà nôi's experience and we are definitely going back.

Bà nôi's
12 East Capitol Drive,
Kapitolyo,
Pasig City
(02) 893-7359

Hitting a Paradise in Cebu: Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan

Fam's next vacation stop (since 2012 that is): CEBU.

The mom and I aboard Cebu Pacific before taking off to Cebu

This is yours truly's second chance of stepping in to the country's oldest city. Flashback to 2008, my colleagues and I ventured to Cebu after having visited Bohol since we got an invite from the Basilica De Sto. Nino's Rector to drop by for summer. So that Summer of '08, we roamed Basilica De Sto. Nino, marveled at the Sto. Nino Museum's relics, hiked up the Taoist temple, shopped for danggit and pearls at the local market and had a fun drunken night at a restaurant overlooking the city.

After an hour's worth of trip from NAIA, we landed in Cebu and was fetched by the resort's shuttle. We reserved for 3D/2N in Crimson Resort and Spa - Mactan to where we were shuttled again for about 30 minutes. Lo and behold, we were amazed at the seeming palace-slash-paradise resort.

Above are what can be seen upon arriving at the destination: grand pots as their fountain's ornament and a lobby leading to a wonderful view.


I love how simple yet grand their lobby is. A wooden decorative pattern hovers over the front desk area.




There are different seats where their waiting customers can relax and lavish the entire view.
There's a sungka table where guests can play while they wait for their rooms to be available.

Here's more of Crimson's outdoor paradise:

This sight can be seen from the resort's lobby area. Crimson is overall proud of their 3-tiered infinity pool.

Right picture shows my ice cold "welcome drink" from the resort staff. We're fans of the drink by the way. Later on, we learned that they concocted this thirst quencher by mixing lemon grass, cucumber and calamansi. Left picture shows a humongous playground for the kids.

Guests are transported by an electric golf cart from the lobby area to their rooms.

Speaking of rooms ...take your pick from their luxe fortresses ...

Waking up in Crimson Resort is also a treat. We had daily yummy breakfasts in Saffron Cafe where they have Pinoy b-fast varieties: corned beef, beef tapa, longganisa, bacon (oh, yes, their bacon's the best!), danggit. They have other food fares too: sausages, baked beans, salad, congee and the list goes on. Damn, I filled my plate and consumed what's on it in no time! I've had extra rice too (hence the 10lb gain when I returned in Manila).

Some folks from Foursquare testified that Saffron has the best desserts too but I wasn't able to taste 'em unfortunately (hence minus the possible 5lb gain).

We woke up to fresh flowers in our doorstep. There's a scroll (which came with the flower set) containing the resort's whole day activities where guests can participate in.

We took a stroll by the pool (where there's an ongoing aqua aerobics class) and the beach (which was off limits to swimmers due to a recent oil spill -- sucks).

b

While the beach / beachside is calm during the day, it turns into one interesting venue at night where there's loud party music, folks enjoying either their booze / desserts and a cool ocean breeze.

 

Much for my feature on the beach and Crimson's outdoor spots, here's our space:

Top grade furniture inside the room. I love the grandiosity of the bed's headboard.

The bathroom is extra special. Here's a peek with the mom as our model:

This one's pretty cool. An odd-looking vanity chair. It has removable strong woven bars for butt support and a foam underneath it for comfort.

 

Misses:

• They have free wi-fi everywhere but the connection isn't really that good. Either the connection is really slow or worse, intermittent. They changed their wi-fi password while I was reading my office emails around 2AM and couldn't get in touch with somebody to get their new password. They could have sent a notice prior to the change;
• As per their website, they have an iron/ironing board in all rooms. We don't have that set though.

Hits:

• They provide a shuttle which courses through Ayala / SM malls. There are pick-up schedules too;
• There's a Bancnet (East West bank) ATM near the resort lobby;
• All the staff are oh-so-polite and exceptionally courteous (not one of them failed to greet us "good morning" or "good afternoon" or "good evening");
• They have a wide array of food to choose from;
• The resort is really clean and the furniture are quite impressive;
• The place isn't crowded;
• Spa by the beach -- speaks for itself. To say that this is wonderful would be an understatement.

Just to summarize the vacay experience at Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan, I'd give this heaven 9 out of 10 points. There were few misses but overall, it's close to perfection already.