Toilet Yoga, Anyone?

During a trip to L.A. back in 2007, my friends and I found ourselves discussing effective methods to improve one’s bowel movement. To be more blunt, we were talking about how to “let the poop out” when feeling constipated. In …

The Making of “Love Scene”

After supporting indie hip-hop group SNRG for years, I was ecstatic when the group’s rappers, Beau and Aaron Canlas, called me a few weeks ago to talk about working on a new music video with their singer, Kat Alano. …

Peanut Trail

It all started when I purchased a limited edition Peanuts 2012 planner from Moleskine over the holidays. The cover design of Charlie Brown by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz made my weekly planning and note taking a little more fun. For …

Kitsch of the Week: Nutella Book

Now that World Nutella Day is over, it’s time to scrape the leftovers of hazelnut spread found at the bottom of your jar. While you’re at it, also check out The Unofficial Guide to Nutella by writers Sara Rosso and …

Countdown to Nutella Day

Three days to go ‘til World Nutella Day!

For people like me who are hooked on it like crack, Nutella is more than just a chocolate-y hazelnut spread; it’s a way of life.

I remember my first Nutella experience. …

Kitsch of the Week: Paper Dolls

When I was a little girl in the ’80s, the word internet was unheard of. Online games were nonexistent, and although we had a number of gadgets such as Speak N Spell and Nintendo to keep us entertained, my fellow …

Crash Course in Taoism

After making plans to spend Chinese New Year’s Eve strolling around Binondo, Manila’s famous Chinatown, my uncle Joeboy told me about his personal experience there during last year’s celebrations. He jokingly likened the congested streets of Binondo to a war …

The Real Taste of Hong Kong is in the Streets

I’ve trekked with two types of travelers: 1) the one who prefers to dine in clean and sanitized places, carefully avoiding grade C and below restaurants and 2) the cowboy who doesn’t mind braving underground spots and eating street food …

Kitsch of the Week: Penny Smasher

Whatever you prefer to call it—penny smasher, coin smasher, penny squisher, coin press, or penny pincher, among many other things—it refers to that novelty machine found in amusement parks and tourist spots that melt and roll your penny into an …

Tai Hing’s 5-Star Roast Gets a 3.5

My travel buddies and I had one last stop to visit before heading to the airport and flying back to Manila—Tai Hing restaurant in Mongkok, Hong Kong.

Best known for its 5-star roasted pork and chilled original milk tea, …

Fisherman’s Wharf Macau is Dead

It was the first stop of my family’s Macau group tour on December 30, so naturally I expected it to be one of the best spots to welcome tourists to this Chinese region. But it was 11 a.m. and none …

Kitsch of the Week: Edible Mickeys

Call it the power of marketing. Just place a popular logo, brand or character on any ordinary consumer item and its selling power increases tenfold. When my family and I spent New Year’s Eve in Disneyland Hong Kong, my …

Hello Kitty For Grownups

Sanrio was a huge part of my childhood. At least once a week after school, I would visit Gift Gate, a chain of stores in the Philippines that carries Sanrio products. I would spend hours there, just browsing through hordes …

That Ball of Cheese

Ask any Filipino about what he loves most about Christmas, and I guarantee that the Noche Buena will make his top three list. In the late Doreen Fernandez’s book, Tikim: Essays on Philippine Food and Culture, published in 1994, …

Kitsch of the Week: Nike Mag

No other futuristic film has captured our hearts as much as 1985’s Back To The Future. The 1989 sequel showed Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, in the year 2015 riding a wheel-free anti-gravity skateboard, the hoverboard, while …

Sneakerheads, Unite!

Finally, a sneaker convention for the Philippine market! Fellow sneakerhead and businessman Antonio Aguirre, who I went to high school with, joined forces with the Sole Haven Sneaker Community to come up with Sole Slam Manila, a quarterly event where …

My Food Court Dish of the Year

My sister took me to Glorietta food court’s new food stall two months ago. Kalbi, a fusion of Korean and Mexican food, is an exotic feast for your taste buds. The menu: burritos for P159, two-piece tacos for P129, fajitas …

Kitsch of the Week: Mio’s Art

These gift wrappers were designed by a very special boy. He is a 7-year-old named Mio who has been battling cancer for two years.

I met his mother Jasmine Mendiola back when we were both full-time fashion and beauty editors …