Brad and Angelina did come to Boracay part 1

As we are pushing on our third week in boracay, we had our friends and brother come over. It was the hubby's brother's bday so we decided to celebrate at the Shangrila Boracay Resort.

A few nights back we were having a few drinks with our neighbors, they mentioned that one of the local residents, while playing golf at the Fairways and Blue Waters, chance upon a helicopter landing and saw Brad and Angelina with their kids going down. He tried to say hi but a but they had overprotective bodyguards. Theywere also saying this is the second time Brad was here. They stayed in the Shangrila. My sister in law met and chat with an employee of the hotel, while waiting to be re routed to kalibo because of the Zest air plane that overshot the runway, asked if if it was indeed true. That person only gave her a guilty smile.

Anyway. We went to Solana Lounge and had sunset cocktails which had this view, we literally sat on that cabana. That is the private beach of Shangrila. They have 2, one is shared with club Panoly.

The drinks were good, the service was good too. They had this great ashtray, that people would like to take home. They said that their signature drink is the lychee martina, but too bad they only had 2 pieces of lychee (which is actually quite disappointing for a Shangrila, i would think they grow everything)

Shangrila was just amazing, you feel that you are no longer in the country. I haven't seen the rooms and Daisy from the guest services said that the lowest is about 14k a night which is actually not bad, if you're a couple plus 2 kids. They have the same adventure zone in Shangrila mactan. They have their own jetty port, a big jacuzzi pool and an upcoming italian restaurant that is situated on the cliffs, which is made to be the most romantic spot in the island. They have a building complex as housing for their staff, thencarved the side of the mountain for their access road.

The hotel looked like a few billion bucks, and probably is.

(coming up: food review)

not such a successful day

last sunday it was suppose to be the first day of our kiteboarding lessons with freestyle academy, as we were learning how to fly the small kite, the wind was just not cooperating. So we decided to come back the next day. We decided to rent a motorbike to kill time and maybe check out the new shangrila resort here in boracay. We had a few apprehension cause the last time we rented a scooter here that was 11-12 years ago, when JP and I just started dating, we broke the motorbike and really was quite a hassle.

So we rented the motorbike for 2 hours and and went to Shangrila, it was magnificent (details in another post.) So we decided to check Puka Beach and started to go home. But lo and behold, what we thought to be a pleasant bike ride, ended up with a flat tire, and not the type that you just put air in it. Good thing there was a kind guy who fixed it for us, but we still had to suffer about 45 mins of this insolent man, who had nothing better to do but just make side comments and unsolicited advice.

We returned the motorbike, went home, looking forward to just lying down after a stressful day, what was waiting for us was a gecko that was bigger than my size 9 (ladies) slipper. We asked for help from our landlord, and of course he just laughed at us and probably thinking this stupid city dwellers.

Anyway, hoping its a better day next day and our gecko guest decides to leave our place.

taking time for yourself without the guilt

Back in the island. kids are now going back to school and more than 2 weeks off. Parenting is a full time job and its the most important one. but like any other job, we are still prone to get fed up, frustrated etc. although its a full time job, vacations and days off are also needed. This is take a step back and see the whole picture and be grateful for it. but off course, Guilt is the main factor that hinders especially for mothers. We would feel that our house will catch on fire and our kids will become dogs as soon as we go. but actually they don't. Here are some tips that can help you take the much needed time off and enjoy it as well.

1. Leave kids in able hands. We are quite fortunate here in the Philippines that we enjoy a very close relationship with our immediate family. whenever we go, our kids stay with their grandparents on either side. This gives them opportunity to have some quality time with their grand parents and feel spoiled rotten for a few days or weeks. This is also a way to get back at the grandparents on their " get back" scheme of spoiling grandchildren to get back at us. The will realize these after a few days.

2. Leave a house schedule and Kids Schedule. I left a household help schedule along with things to do on a daily, weekly, etc basis. I also left a daily sched for kids so they don't just watch the whole time. this will be a good basis on the rules and some sort of your presence.

3. Equip the kids with communication lines. besides the phone, i put up a computer and taught my kid to use skype. So they can see us anytime they want too.

4. Do the grocery before you leave. This will at least give them a few days or weeks, depending on how much grocery you did, on the diet you want to keep them in. When its finish, they will just have a couple of days break

5. Try to call at least every 2 days. this will just be enough for them to start wondering where you are. if its more often, they will just feel being pestered, beside we want to feel missed too.

6. Enjoy your vacation. It will be a wasted vacation if you don't enjoy it. instead of achieving what you needed to do and feel refreshed. you just wasted all time and money. Shed the mother martyr face and have some (clean) fun.

why we don't have cable at home

When i tell people that we don't have cable at home, they usually give different reactions. Some will get surprise, some will say ok but will look at you with "Prison" in their eyes and some will say that seems to be a good idea. Although it seems to be too harsh and my kids would need to have some sort of connection to the outside world so they don't look to ignorant when they go to other people's house, it has more impact on us than the kids. My hubby would have problematic sundays during race weekend and we also miss out on times that we would have love to veg out and just stare at the TV. But our reasons for not having the tube are as simple as 123:

1) We would like to encourage reading. we believe that the more kids read, the more they learn, plain and simple.

2) we had experiences when the kids imitate language and action seen on cartoons. our childhood favorite "Tom and Jerry" would look funny but at the end of the day promotes violence. Yes we can audit the things they watch, but we are trying to make them individuals who have their own sense of what is good for them.

3)Kids sometimes go on a zombie like attitude when watching TV, which make them less attentive and more present to things.

At the end of the day, our kids have videos and cable TV during vacations. Bringing up your kids has a personal and subjective approach, one might work in one family and some might not. No one can say you're a bad parent for not letting your kids watch cable TV or letting them watch all they want. What's important is that you care enough for their well being to care about what parenting program you want to instill or which TV show they can watch.

Image from saida online magazine

life's guilty pleasure

when i wake up, while waiting for my coffee, i usually open my computer and check my email. Also this is one of my me time, where i open my favorite gossip sites. Some people like soap operas, i just like to take my mind of things for a bit and enjoy, perezhilton, Mr. paparazi, Professional Heckler, Victorina, PEP, chuvaness and Cocktales. sometimes i go to kitty go's site but she doesn't update regularly.

Kid activities in Boracay: marine walk

this was cool.  Its like retro diving.  Good activity for kids.  the service with Napoleon Water activities was good. It cost us P500 per person.  Make sure that they don't use compressed air, which has a funny smell and might cause dizziness.  We used tanks for diving.  You go about 10 feet and feed the fish or walk the waterbeds.  Too bad my kids had colds that day, they couldn't equalize.

This was Aly and At trying to learn diving signs.

taking a break

Im drawing a blank.  I just feel so overwhelmed with everything.  Opportunities that you think you are loosing, things people expect from you.  sometimes we loose ourselves in the day to day activities that we don't see the big picture. I was planning to use this vacation to learn new things and i realize that I'm just overloading my day to day activities again.  Im working hard to slow my brain down and refresh it.  I read this blog names zen habits and it basically gave me my action plans:

1. Do less.  this is self explanatory

2. Be present. sometimes when my kid is asking me a question, i go "Uhuh" without listening to the question, which later on became problems because it contradict some of the rules. 

3. Disconnect. The article said that we have all this technology to supposedly help us make our life easier but it only makes it worst.  All the communication gadgets just brings more distractions to us.

4. Focus on people. I think I will try to be more interested on people and make new friends.  I was always very cliquish.

5. Appreciate nature. Yup doing that.

6. Eat slower. hard when you're trying to feed two kids.

7. Drive slower. Interesting

8. Find pleasure in anything. Ha!

9. Single-task. I'm the queen of multitasking, i would need to unlearn this.

10. Breathe. yes don't forget to do this.

Take time to read the article quite helpful. http://zenhabits.net/2009/06/the-10-essential-rules-for-slowing-down-and-enjoying-life-more/

if the crocs fit...

My daughter was being difficult this past few days, so when we rewarded our son a pair of new crocs and my daughter wanted one too, she decided to play for our affections.

who looked like minnie mouse

We went out one time and my friend Pia was wearing a gossip girl head band.  we all took turns and took our picture.  who rocked it?

PIA?

Me?

TITA BRENDA?

We had a good time that night our smiles were as big as the  bows.

bohemian beach

We had a good time today, we totally felt like bohemian travelers by going to the other tip of the white beach of Boracay to Angol point.  This part is not so popular but we kinda like it here cause no one seems to be around. We placed a sarong on the sand, sunbathe while listening to Jobim.

  We had an arsenal of sunblocks, my kids are so dark already we needed spf 70.  I on the other hand doesn't seem to get to keep a tan.  i always need to apply Maui Babe, something i learned from my friend Jeena, which my hubby calls food coloring. 

We spent the afternoon catching little crabs and playing jailers to them, body surfing (waves are very strong this time of the year in this part of the island), eating ice cream etc.

Day 2: Hang out

This is the second day of our vacation.  We decided to go to our favorite resort, Sea wind.  We come here every year and we kinda know everybody.  Its a good place to hang out with kids,  we are also attending a wedding here in a few weeks.

This morning i woke up with an urge to clean our rented house, this is something i hate doing or never learned to do.  As i would tell my friends I'm no good in household management, only events and marketing campaign.   Maybe after this trip i'll be a lot neater.

Places I'm looking forward to eating at or doing  here in boracay:

Eat in: Fridays Boracay: foie Gras is the best

     Lemoni Cafe: Mango Cookies

     Seawind Seafoof Buffet

     PAradiso: Grilled Food

     Aria: pasta and Salads

will try Shangrila resto as well.

Doing : Read a book by the beach

      Massage everyday

     Do nothing. 

off to an adventure

I was procrastinating for the last 10 years.  believe that i can do everything but didn't really do anything.  I am embarking on a new adventure starting with staying 1 month on the beach. something i really wanted to do but just couldn't find time to do it.  I'm here now and plan to document my adventure starting now.