MangoJuiced: Read it and weave

I've been searching for something graphic, bright and fun to perk up our mostly neutral living room. Turns out all I had to do was look homeward for that much-needed pop of color and burst of pattern. Incidentally, it seems the Department of Tourism shared the same train of thought.

Yup, I'm talking about banig. 

This homegrown classic—matting woven together from strips of dried palm leaves—was a wistful note on my wish list of home accents this year. A quick trip to SM Kultura satisfied my craving for weaving. Side note: you know you've been living abroad for a long time when you realize that you've become the target market of stores like SM Kultura.

Find out how I rediscovered banig, and check out some of my banig buys in this week's post on MangoJuiced!

MangoJuiced is a webzine for anything and everything that interests women—from fashion and family, to pop culture and beauty, to travel and lifestyle. Follow MangoJuiced on Twitter and Facebook... and don't forget to check back in for a new post from me every week!

10 things that are more fun in the Philippines

Inspired by the recently launched Department of Tourism campaign, I looked through two years worth of photos (without the help of Google, all of them are mine) to come up with my own list of things that are more fun in the Philippines. I've put up only 10 here but the possibilities are endless.

Can I just say, this was so much fun to do? Can the Negative Nellies out there please give it a try? It's better for your heart and your wrinkles, I promise. Although may find it difficult if you are devoid of humor—a rather rare and life-threatening condition for a Filipino.

But wait, there's more!

It's more fun in the Philippines

Vacation's over, and I'm back in Amsterdam!

Marlon welcomed me home with so much love—a handwritten sign at the airport, a sparkling home filled with flowers, and a piping hot lentil soup. As we were catching up over dinner, he asked me if I had seen the new campaign launched by the Department of Tourism last Friday (while I was on the plane). "You have to see it," he said, excited. "It's so good. I want a t-shirt!" After seeing the new tagline, I had to agree with him—and with the concept behind the campaign. 

Why do I love it? First, the idea behind it is simple and true. It is more fun in the Philippines. It's why I went home for three weeks instead of staying here to travel around during my first Christmas in Europe. It has that ring of truth that gives good concepts a chance to actually make it out there.

"What differentiates the Philippines from every [other place] in the world... is the Filipino. [It's] his special gift for transforming what is already a beautiful place into an unforgettable special place," Tourism Secretary Mon Jimenez said. "You take two identical islands, put Filipinos in one, it's going to be more fun there."

I completely agree. That other island will also be more chaotic, true, but it will definitely be more fun. We may not be able to do some things well (like, oh... enforcing bus lanes har har har) but we do know how to have a good time—in both the best and the worst of circumstances. 

Second, I like the concept of sharing the work of tourism with millions of Filipinos all over the world via social media. It's never been done. That 10-year old WOW Philippines corporate video on Youtube with a paltry 253,000 views? It doesn't count in a world where a sneezing panda can get the attention of 127 million people. So I think this first attempt to play by 21st century rules is an important, and valiant one. 

[Jimenez] described the new international slogan as "so deceptively simple" that traditional advertising and marketing people may find the new tag line "a little strange because it is a thought almost drawn from social media…. In a very real sense, it is a very modern 21st century kind of campaign. But it's something Filipinos immediately can get behind, because it's true."

The naysayers who think PhP 5.6 million, or approximately US$ 126,900, is a lot of money for an international media campaign (the advertising agency doesn't just come up with a slogan, people!) have no idea what they're talking about—they need to see the rate cards for placements on TV, radio, print and outdoor advertising, and do the math. 

The social media effect is a multiplier that does the work our government can't afford to do. So a concept that makes it easy—and yes, fun—for Filipinos to "take hold of it and make it their own", that sparks our own creativity and humor, is genius. I'm a writer, but I know when something needs more than just writing (or "slogan making" in barangay and high school parlance). So I can also see that more than just writing is what is at work here.

It's a campaign not simply to be impressed by, but to get behind. And that's been missing from previous campaigns, even WOW Philippines, which has become the yardstick by which we Filipinos measure our tourism campaigns. As the Professional Heckler says: just like Anna Dizon, WOW Philippines is WOW Philippines... but what could I, personally, have done with it? 

Not much. I always root for foreign friends to visit the Philippines, and I put effort into it. I've been known to send friends emails detailing fares, itineraries, hotel, restaurant and even wedding planning suggestions. But never has something like WOW Philippines figured in any of that. What was I supposed to do, sign my emails with "WOW Philippines"?

But this... well, this is different. It made me immediately think of things that, to me, are more fun in the Philippines. It made me think of jokes to crack and images to use. It made me finally install Photoshop, which I've been telling myself I would do for the last four months. And it made me simply get behind it.

It was easy, and it was fun. In fact it was so easy and fun that I made 10 more of these with my own original photos. But that's for another post!

All images courtesy of Chuvaness, except the last, which is mine. For more on the campaign, click here. Also, insightful reads on the campaign here, here and here. Finally, a helpful how-to for your very own "More Fun In The Philippines" meme here.

Year four

Marlon and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary with five days in Boracay. Holing up in our own little world is just the kind of thing marriage gives us license to do, without setting off a wave of wagging tongues!

Financially, 2011 has not been the best year for us—although we were prepared for that when we made the decision to move to Europe. So, no gifts this year. But just out of curiosity, I looked up a list of traditional wedding anniversary gifts. We've never followed the traditions (year three, leather = missed opportunity!) but upon seeing that year four is supposed to be fruit or flowers, I suggested that we share a Boracay favorite to mark the occasion. 

Yep, for our fourth anniversary we gave each other mango shakes from Jonah's! Slurping them in the shallows, under the sun, was absolutely perfect: another great memory to add to our growing list.

 Then Marlon made me funny things out of sand...

like a perfect white sphere carved with our initials...

an "Angry Birds" inspired effigy of Rogue (a.k.a. "Angry Cat")...

... and the silliest gift of all, a "love lump" in the sand. I told you this was a low-budget anniversary!

Thank goodness for Boracay's spectacular sunsets. Instant romance! Libre pa!

We both love, love, LOVE Dos Mestizos and make sure we have at least one meal there wherever we're in Boracay. So we didn't even consider any other restaurant for our anniversary dinner. Aside from their scrumptious paella, we also love their ostras fritas (fried oysters with aioli).

And don't even get me started on the bread pudding. My mouth is literally watering at the memory.

We decided to hoof it all the way back to our digs in Station 1. After walking past the perya atmosphere of Station 3 (all I can say is: not for me), I heard a familiar voice at Bom Bom Bar. Hello, Armand!

I've known Armand for years but was my first time to see him perform a full set.  In fairness nag-enjoy ako. He sure knows how to spread good vibes. And his songs are catchy. #proud

So that was our anniversary. Simple and sweet, but filled with all the things we love to enjoy together: travel, food, music and each other's company. I couldn't ask for more. 

Updates

Thank heavens for progress, i.e. the free wifi at the Manila Domestic Airport. I'm waiting to board a flight to Boracay for our third wedding anniversary (yes! Three years!) and thought I'd use the downtime for some quick updates.

Marlon and I are home for the holidays and so far it's been great. I didn't realized how deprived I was of any sort of Christmas spirit in Singapore until I got home and saw the crowds gathered at Ayala Triangle for Simbang Gabi and the light show. Pilipinas, iba ka talaga mamasko.

Our big move has finally started to feel real, now that we've locked down important details like our final departure date (January 13), where we will be living for the first three weeks (we chose a serviced apartment 35 minutes by tram from the city centre over a hotel smack in Dam Square, simply because the former seems more livable for a longer period), and what will happen to our beloved cat (she's on the same flight as us, yay!).

Still, it hasn't completely sunk in yet. But I figure there will be plenty of time for that. It will probably really hit me when I am freezing on the streets of Amsterdam.

That's it for now. Hope you all had a fun Christmas and have a great New Year ahead! And maybe the next time I blog will be from Singapore right before we set off for this next big adventure.

From happy to happier (hopefully)

A few weeks ago, Marlon and I saw a window display for a book about the world's happiest countries. Imagine how gleefully we chortled upon seeing how our soon-to-be ex-home and our soon-to-be future home stacked up against each other on the list!

Moving 77 places up the list is not too bad, ey?

Though Singapore and I have not exactly been a match made in heaven, we've had some great times. And for a place that ranks below Kosovo, Bosnia, and Kazakhstan on the happiness list, it's done very well for me these last three years. For obvious reasons, there are tons of things I'm looking forward to in Amsterdam. But to be fair, there are also a lot of things I'll miss about Singapore.

The food. Singapore is where I really fell in love with Asian food. For some reason in Manila, if you want gobsmacking, very authentic Asian food other than Chinese (say Thai or Indian), chances are you have to pay through the nose for it. Not so here. Great food is abundant, very affordable and truly diverse. Unfortunately for me, I have enough added poundage to prove it!

Black pepper crab, my all-time favorite Singapore dish

The professional growth. Coming here stretched me professionally. I probably wouldn't have pushed myself to take on production if I had stayed home; being shoved out of my comfort zone led me to discover the little payoffs and sweet spots in what seemed, many times, like a muck of difficulty. Among other things, I learned that being "fast" and "nice" is well and good, but not enough to carry me forward; not when there are other things to be, like "reliable", "accurate", "professional"... and so much more.

My last shoot with BDA for the Disney Channel in Kuala Lumpur

Finding the courage to leave a job that I'd loved, but had lost my love for was a daunting risk that paid off. And both learning that I'd done well enough for other people to want to hire me, and being able to sustain a financially rewarding freelance career out of that, have done wonders for my professional confidence.

Our house. I will miss our house! It may be out in the boonies as far as Singaporeans are concerned, but  I've loved living in this green, quiet, low-density, sprawling complex.

Our home has been an expression of Marlon's and my still-developing identity as a newlywed couple. We've had so much fun decorating it (even if I did end up getting rid of half the furniture), making my first culinary steps (and mis-steps) in it, hosting the many guests of "Hotel Plazo" (or Palazzo Plazo, as Pauline calls it), just holing up and getting cozy on leisurely weekends, and yes, even messing it up when we just get too damn lazy. I enjoyed the comforts of home especially over the last six months when I started working freelance.

 The view that tells me the workday is over

It may not be a Town & Country or even a Real Living kind of place, but it's been our home. And I sure am going to miss having a pool...

Singapore = 1, Amsterdam = 0

Note to self: must swim more this week! Barring Boracay and Bohol in December, God only knows when I'll get to swim next!

Multicultural colleagues and friends. The locals may complain about us "FTs" or foreign talents (some even go as far as to call us foreign trash), but Singapore sure knows how to attract people from all over the world. (Whether they actually stay and put down roots is another story.) There are just so many expats here.

Happier times at BDA

I've had the chance to work with people from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Japan, Australia, the US and the UK; some of the dearest friends Marlon and I have made here are from as far away as Colombia and South Africa.

Just like when I traveled to Europe with the Glee Club, meeting people of different cultures and backgrounds makes you realize there are so many different ways to live, so you don't feel completely insane for making certain decisions. (Like going freelance and moving to Amsterdam, for example.) 

The infrastructure. When locals whine about their infrastructure, sometimes I just want to slap them and say "Please travel more! And you'll see that in this world, you're lucky just to have a country that works!" Because public transport here is pretty awesome.

It's why we haven't felt the need for a car for three years (seven years for Marlon). And it's why I don't understand why one of the most widely circulated newspapers in the country prints letters to the editor that are about such pressing problems as puddles (yes, puddles) in MRT stations and heated pleas to the government for an in-train display that lights up to tell you what stop you're at and on which side of the train the doors will open. (People! It's four freaking MRT lines, not rocket science! Have you seen the metro systems in Paris, Tokyo, Seoul?)

But I guess discovering malfunctions in such a well-oiled system can be like paying through the nose for tickets to Disneyland and finding out that Space Mountain is down for repairs. Oh, and I'll miss cabs.

Cabs are my biggest vice here by far. Never mind the cabbies and their driving. I'll miss relatively affordable taxi rides (relative to Europe, that is), being able to book taxis via SMS, and having them arrive in minutes. Ohhhh. If I think about it too much, I might get depressed. On to the next.

The large, and growing, Pinoy community. The number of Pinoys in Singapore has boomed since I first started visiting Marlon seven years ago. And the demographic is changing; for the first time in the history of Singapore, there are more Filipino professionals than Filipino domestic helpers. Nowadays, I catch snatches of Tagalog nearly everywhere I go. It's like living in Makati. Or sometimes, Katipunan.

With Singapore-based high school and college classmates (Justine was visiting)

It's great to be able to speak Tagalog to someone (most often on the customer-facing side of things) to break the ice, get things done, or simply create instant rapport. It's even better to run into old acquaintances and rekindle friendships. And best of all, because of the large Pinoy community, it's easy to get a lot of things home. In the mood for longganisa, daing na bangus, sukang pinakurat, even pan de sal? Lucky Plaza lang ang katapat niyan.

Proximity to home. Cheap flights were a godsend for me in the first few months here, when I was still very homesick and hadn't found work. Later on, as I started to make a home for myself here, the Philippines became our destination of choice for short getaways.

 Happiness in Bohol

I tried going to a few other beaches (Phuket, isdatchu?), but I guess there really is no place like home. It's just ironic that I could only really afford to travel around my own country once I got out of it. When plane fare home moves up by from three digits to four next year, I am sure going to miss being able to hop on a Philippine-bound plane at the drop of a hat!

Take home

When I'm in Singapore, home is husband, house, work and routine. But the moment I touch down in Manila, home is my friends, my mom and my mad, unbelievable city. Every trip becomes a search for and rediscovery of pieces of myself to take back with me, so that I never really leave home... and home ends up being wherever I am.

And so after a week and a half back home, this is what I have brought home with me.

Triple-certified birth and marriage certificates for our Dutch work visas. The main purpose of our trip was to get our NSO-certified documents authenticated by the DFA, then legalized by the Dutch embassy, before submitting them to the relocation agency, who will be applying for our visas in the Netherlands.

I must say the process was a lot less painful than I thought it would be! I was really impressed with the DFA; I went in my grottiest outfit, ready to sweat it out for at least half a day, but both our visits (to submit and to pick up the documents) lasted for no longer than half an hour. Progress at last!

New clothes. Thanks to the miracle that is foreign exchange, Manila always means cheap shopping for me now. (Oh the days when Landmark was the pinnacle of my consumer ambitions!) I scored a dress from Cecile Van Straten's new collection for Heather Miss Grey, a jewel-print tee from the Ramon Valera collection at Freeway, plus a funky cat-print blouse from one of the small stores at Anthropology in Rockwell. 

A whopping crush on Akihiro Sato. On Friday night in Bantayan, I flipped on the TV while getting ready to go out to dinner. Big mistake. Survivor Philippines: Celebrity Showdown was on, and it kept us glued to the boob tube for a full hour. That must have been the most telegenic final four on Survivor, ever. I'd seen Aki before but with the full grizzly beard... rawr! Kume-Keanu Reeves ito!

New books for my already tall pile of unread tomes. After cheap clothes, cheap books are always a great buy. I found Beauty and Spindle's End by Robin McKinley (highly recommended by Gutsy, the YA lit expert), The Fashion File (a book on the style of Mad Men, by its costume designer Janie Bryant), and Nina Garcia's Little Black Book of Style, each for less than I'd pay for a taxi ride in Singapore. By far, though, the best book buy of the trip was Pacific Rims by Rafe Bartholomew.

I've never sat through an entire PBA game in my life, but I was astounded at how many memories this book dug up for me, how many names rang so many bells. Everything people have told me about this book—that you can't put it down, you'll laugh out loud, you'll love it even if you don't like basketball—is absolutely true.

A few new pounds. I managed to check off quite a few items on the list of my favorite comfort foods on this trip. Chocolate chip pancakes at Pancake House, a Regular Yum with Cheese at Jollibee, coffee pie at Cafe 1771, and pritong saging na saba at my mom's were just a few of the highlights. And of course, danggit and Cebu mangoes every day in Bantayan!

Freckles and a tan. Thanks to four days of sun and surf in Bantayan (plus two more beach trips scheduled for December), I am now well on my way to being the envy of all the Dutch with their pasty midwinter complexions!

A papier-mache and resin horse. How random is that? About two years ago, a hundred different Filipino artists took part in an auction that had them apply their own artistic touch to a taka, or a traditional papier-mache figure from Paete, Laguna. I got wind of it online and ended up buying a taka by sculptor Juan Sajid Imao, son of National Artist Abdulmari Imao and perhaps best known to us Ateneans as the maker of the crucifix at the Church of the Gesu.

I bought it sight unseen and it turned out to be huge! So the taka got stuck at my mom's for a while, and eventually it had to be repaired. I sent it back to Sajid, who was gracious enough to repair it, fortify it with a hardier structure and pack it for transit. 

We took it on the plane back to Singapore with us, and we get to bring it with us to Amsterdam with no shipping costs involved. It was also awesome to meet Sajid and his wife, who are such a warm and gracious couple.

Food for the heart and soul. Friends, family, music, and laughter... all the stuff that home is about.

I also ended up taking home a whopper of a flu that leveled me for four days after I got back. But considering how ragged I got running around and zipping back and forth to get this huge bounty of take-home goodies, maybe I should've expected it!

Disappointment & pride

The events of Monday filled me with disappointment and shame. I became glued to my Twitter feed after sundown, becoming more and more disappointed, angry and incredulous with each 140-character assessment of our media and police's antics. Yes, I use the word "antics," because nothing really sums up ludicrous actions like sledgehammering a bus door for 45 minutes, or televising the SWAT team's movements for the hostage-taker to see, than the same word that is used to describe what clowns do in a circus ring.

I was particularly disturbed by the media's relentless pursuit of the scoop and how it contributed to the downward spiral of events. I didn't follow any of the live streams, so I don't know really how the network I came from handled its coverage; I read a lot of criticism against its rival network, though. I was also horrified at how many members of the news media shrugged off responsibility later on, justifying their actions and claiming to be "just doing their jobs." It leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth; after all, we are human beings before we are whatever we do for a living, and "professionalism" is not the only thing we can and should exercise in the pursuit of our work.

As a Filipino working overseas, I am a relentless cheerleader for our country, often replying to questions like "Are you from the Philippines?" from foreigners with "Yes! Have you been? You should visit!" I take the pains to send detailed emails full of suggestions and advice to acquaintances who tell me they are considering a visit, and I often tell coworkers about life back home, not just all its absurdities, but all the things I love about it.

Sinisikap kong maging magaling sa trabaho para makilala tayong mga Pinoy bilang magaling, masayahin, mabait at mapagkakatiwalaang mga empleyado at katrabaho. And all it takes is one rotten egg to ruin all the efforts I, and many overseas Filipinos like me, have made.

I went to sleep horrified, angry and disappointed, and hoped that when I woke up the next morning I would have reason to be proud. I did, and even if I was disappointed — if we were all disappointed — I still find many reasons to be proud.

I won't go all becky on you (these sisters have the market cornered on that!) but I was proud of our girl Venus and thought that she did the best that she could under the circumstances. Her answer doesn't change the fact that she's a beautiful woman and a spirited fighter, and gives us much to think about in the way we Filipinos view language, intelligence and class. The decades-old argument about allowing our beauty queens to use their native language resurfaces with new strength, and I hope it's something the powers-that-be will consider and embrace.

With both of these vastly different events, disappointment has been bitter, and strong. But it has not had, and will never have, the strength to overpower my pride in being Filipino.