The Philippines’ must-see places (First of two parts)

Guimaras Island. Photo by Frances Beldia

In this country, there are 7, 107 ways to stay. If you have more than 7,000 islands to explore in one country, chances are you also have that many questions to bewilder and bewitch you for weeks before your travel. When stuck in a muddle, the best remedy is humor. Put on a funny hat or, more fittingly, a long gown and recall the beauty queen who, when asked how many islands there are in the Philippines, unwittingly riposted: “High tide or low tide?”

Romantics travel and replete their journals with their travels, while the web-knowing and tech-savvy apt to blog about their most recent journey across the islands. These ardent travelers will cross seas to experience the fabled pristine waters, verdant countryside, and rich cultural experience of Islands Philippines. No wonder the country is a mecca for poets, musicians, and anyone with a strong connection with nature.

Cure for Mondays traipsed through the travel journal of some of our friends and discovered a thousand and one alluring places. Trimming down the list was something of a feat as we found anything from the most-visited yet still well-loved tourist destinations like Baguio, to majestic and unfrequented islands like Kay Bukal in Looc, Occidental Mindoro.

We divided this article in two parts so just take it nice and slow. Don’t forget to tell us if you’ve stamped any of these destinations for your next travel. We'd love to hear about your adventures.

Kay Bukal. For its serenity, Kay Bukal in Looc, Occidental Mindoro is one of the country’s dreamlands—the kind that soul searchers might call home. The municipality is one of the least populated areas in the country but has six major languages. Think about owning the night sky and celebrating the beach with only your partner miles away from the maddening city crowd.

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Sagada. Say, what is it that you want to explore? Is it the magic of the fields or the mystery of the caves? One needs spontaneity while travelling on the mist-laden mountainsides of mystical, mysterious Sagada. The shadow of modernity may have crept in around the edges but the spirit of the land remains untouched by modernity or its trappings. In this place, romance was born of the land.

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Sampaguita Gardens. What can be more astounding than finding fantasyland? Think about carousels and ferris wheels, a 43-foot aquarium, and an amazing mansion. Across these is a Christmas cottage; anyone who visits is instantly transported to Santa’s domain where Christmas is celebrated year-round. Sampaguita Gardens, the home of Precious Moments Dolls and works of art, is cradled in the province of Aklan.

Photo by Frances Beldia

Apo Island. Home to more than 650 species of fish and 400 species of coral, this is a dream destination for those who love to dive or snorkel. This haven is found seven kilometers off the southern tip of Negros island. The famous volcanic island is also one of the world’s best-known marine sanctuaries.

Find here The Philippines' must-see places (last of two parts)

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Chronicle superhero film movie Hollywood Cure for Mondays

Is pulp fiction?

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blender

Juicing, wellness and you

Juicing is not new. It’s not a fad that came with the afro hair or the 80’s themed Trapper Keepers. Ancient cultures of the world used fruits and vegetables as antioxidants, and even considered them as cure for many illnesses.

So how old is old? History reports that juicing had been popular in the Bible era, and it was evident in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Jews and the Essenes were well known to be vegetarians. It’s nothing newfangled, and if the benefits of juicing have been substantiated across centuries, then it must be worth the attention it’s getting from health arenas around the world today.

Juicing has also gained quite a number of advocates following the juice revolution in 1930, when Dr. Norman Walker created the very first juicer. Walker lived to be almost 100 years old.

Juicing pioneer Dr. Norman Walker

Juicer or blender?

So what’s with all the hype? It isn’t only about drinking fruit and vegetable juice and what they can do for your body that’s making all the buzz. It’s also the process of extracting juice from fruits and vegetables that people actually talk about, ask about, exchange text messages about. Should you get a juicer or a blender?

The requisite to extracting fresh juice is the use of a juicer or a blender. Each is easy to mistake for the other and although it is in no way lawbreaking, it is essential to understand their differences.

The juicer has a mechanism that separates the pulp from the juice. It’s the kind that busy people like to have in their homes because it saves them time and effort. The blender, on the other hand, grinds the fruit or the vegetable together with the pulp. It’s for the pulp-fancying crowd.

Whatever your needs require, make sure you don’t equate high price with quality. Do your research. Talk to those who have devoted their time to understanding the benefits of juicing and have enjoyed the practice for a long time. Their insights are invaluable.

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, by Frances Beldia

Cure for Mondays

Chi for good health (Last of two parts)

Tibetan singing bowls

They say life is what you make it. I’m pretty sure they meant it when they said that because based on (my pseudo mentalist) observation, people who are good to themselves are rewarded with the good things in life. This, I’m sure, has a lot to do with positive thinking and having a positive attitude. Have you noticed that your friend who easily brushes off problems, who thinks of a glass as always being half-full, and who laughs a lot almost never gets sick? Positivity plus a good understanding of chi is the way to go.

In my last post (Click here to read it)I left off with the idea of cleansing. Having a Tibetan singing bowl from the Himalayan region in the Kathmandu is an easy way to rid your body and your space of stresses and negative energy. Tap, rub, and hit the bowl to produce a beautiful sound; this will cleanse your surroundings and attract good fortune.

Without a singing bowl, you can simply play soothing music and clean all parts of the house. According to Marie Diamond, an international feng shui artist, one way to achieve harmony in life is to create order in your space at home and at work—for how can you expect good energy to flow in if clutter is in the way? Cleanliness will attract positive energy and therefore abundance.

Anyone who aims for success in any aspect of his life should first focus on his health. Allow for a bit of commonplace thought: Health is still wealth.

A certified feng shui expert and CEO of The World of Feng Shui, Marites Allen says, “There are three kinds of luck that we need to understand. There is the heaven luck that may tell us that other people are prettier than us. Then there is the mankind luck that is influenced by our actions and decisions. If you are lazy then you can’t put food on the table. The third is the earth luck and that is what feng shui is all about. It will tell you what lucky charms to bring with you so you can avoid illness or it will tell you the right directions for your protection.

In feng shui, what you use to protect you from illnesses are called cures. Here are some of them:

The Laughing Buddha. The potbellied, happy Buddha, also known as Budai, embodies the ideals of health and longevity. Life lived in laughter is the best prevention and cure for all health problems, thus, “Laughter is the best medicine.” (Read Laughter Yoga). The laughing Buddha is not prayed to so it must not be placed in the bedroom or in the dining room.

Wu-lou. We know it as gourd or calabash. The Wu-lou is known to cure illnesses, and it represents health and longevity. It will bring blessings and long life to the family.

Kuang Kung. He is the strongest attraction for success in career and business. Kuang Kung should be placed in the northwest corner of the house. At work, an image of Kuang Kung should be placed behind where you sit so you’ll always be supported by people around you.

Fuk Luk Sao or The Three Wise Men. The three most important and most visible feng shui icons in households. They integrate prosperity, wealth, excellent fortune, power, authority, success , longevity, and health.

The Peach. It is a symbol of marriage and immortality. The heavenly fruit, according to Chinese texts, is the main ingredient for making pills of longevity that grant good health, long lives and immortality. Peaches can be placed in your living rooms to exert healthy qi and longevity qi.

Read the first part of Chi for good health here.

Special thanks to Maritess Allen and The World of Feng Shui Philippines.