Unveiling My Bridal Veil

Most girls has vision of perfect wedding. To have a perfect wedding, the Bride has to get 'The One'.

The perfect wedding gown...

"I don't care about the gown, as long I won't look like a clown"

It became a popular belief that The Bride has to "wow" the crowd with her fancy dress. This is not the wedding that I want. My wedding is not just about me -- it's my husband's day too. It's the day we pledge to be with each other and take care of each other, till the end of our lives.

But then...

I am a big fan of shawls or any accessories that can drape on my upper body. My quick vacation in Manila made it possible to attain my little whim - a veil that is personalized, that describes me. I want it made of Pineapple cloth or "Piña" which is only made in the Philippines.
The whole process of turning the pineapple leaves into a luxurious cloth involves a long tedious process from extracting fibres off the leaves to gently applying intricate designs by talented embroiderers. Its mainly used to make formal attire in the Philippines and has also attracted the attention in the world of haute couture, because of this reason Piña earned the reputation of being the Queen of fibres in the Philippines.

Prior to our departure for our 2017 vacation, I found La Burda de Filipina online and directly contacted the Proprietress Marivic Gordovez to inquire with the help of a dearest friend back in the Philippines.

Traditionally the designs on the piña cloth are sewn by hand; due to our situation, there are time and budget constraints, the only option Marivic has is to have my veil machine sewn. Little bit disappointed, but i have something in mind to add a "hand-made" touch--- embellishing my veil with freshwater pearls, my birthstone, and Swarovski crystals to add sparkle😉.

Back in Vancouver, I am very delighted to find Beazu. They carry a vast variety of beads of any kind. Forgetting to buy freshwater pearls on my recent Philippine trip, I am relieved to find that Beazu carries them!

Each pearl and crystal was applied painstakingly as best I could, trying to be careful not to ruin a fabric that took time to create, putting my heart and soul into it. I have never worked with pineapple fibre before, but I am proud of the final result:

The final result

As I am writing this post, I would like to express my gratitude to my long time friend Olive. I am grateful for her help in purchasing my veil and many thanks to  La Burda de Filipina for the elegant veil, I am proud to own one, and I truly love it.

See the rest of the photos in this album.

On my way to be Mrs. 🐻

<----Trying on my Piña veil for the first, after the tryout bridal make up with Save the Date Beauty.


On the day of my wedding on 2017-11-23--->

Scent, Music and Colours of Davao

Summertime is icy treat time, I usually go for my halo-halo, or grab myself some bubble tea, but that time I decided to go to Candy Tree Dessert* a dessert place just a few steps from my place. 

Based on what I've heard, the Durian waffle tower is one of their main attraction, which was also recommended by the lady behind the till, trusting the positive reviews, her advice, and my guts, I said yes to the scrumptious tower of powerful aroma; the description fits my order perfectly as the scent approached my nose first, as my order being delivered on my table, the aroma sent my mind somewhere...

Our brief visit to Davao city has left me and my fiancé with lots of great memories, there are so many of them that I think it deserves a Part 2 in WEGO.

Back In Davao....

Our Davao trip started beautifully on the first night, right after we arrived. Both tired and needing a light meal, we checked the hotel's quiet bistro in the pool lounge hoping to grab a quick bite, as soon after we placed our order, live music started playing to serenade the patrons, being the only couple in the lounge this experience reminded me of the famous Lady and the Tramp spaghetti scene.

A serenade and kilawin  

My dear 🐻 ordered a burger and fries, that was his "light" meal --- me, curious about what Marco Polo has to show off with their version, I ordered kinilaw - the Philippine style ceviche.
I could picture it in my mind: raw tuna cubes, marinated in vinegar, lightly flavored with aromatic vegetables, and choice of other various ingredients---depends on the cook. This is my first kinilaw in my Philippine vacation, and Davao is the right place to have them since tuna is one of the city's main products. With a watering mouth, I waited patiently as I enjoyed live music. My kinilaw that night was crowned with fried dried squid - adding crunch to the flavourful tuna.

My breakfast in Café Marco

Marco Polo is located in downtown Davao, we happened to be there during the ASEAN summit and security was strict, but the presence of the military and police force didn’t deter the locals and tourists to go to Davao’s night market, located just stone throw away from the hotel. Every night Roxas Avenue gets alive with lines of food vendors, diners, and tourists. Unfortunately, we were full when we happen to check this very popular local foodie stop. There were plenty of dishes to choose from grilled meats and kinds of seafood, chicharron, refreshments, and desserts.

One thing that I also make sure that I would not miss when visiting a new place is to check for any great souvenir places. Good thing that Aldevinco is just adjacent to Marco Polo. 

Aldevinco Shopping Center carries pretty much everything Mindanao souvenirs. Like any other market, one has to use their bargaining skills to get the best deals. Be ready to be greeted with lots of attention from the merchants upon entering Aldevinco. Indulge in the colourful displays from clusters of tight boutiques...doors will be opened as you approach their shops and you will be greeted by their vibrant displays; enter the world of colors:

If we are not stopping by Palawan at that time, my luggage would be full of shawls as they are my favorite accessories... gotta travel light. 

On the first visit to Aldevinco, I grabbed myself two lovely table clothes and I have been using them regularly whenever I entertain in my home in Canada.

Table cloth that i bought from Aldevinco

A fruit with a powerful aroma can evoke such pleasant memories; back in Burnaby while savoring the durian waffle I am grateful that have plenty of memories to cherish from my Davao holiday; a place that I once called home.

*Update: Candy Tree Dessert has permanently closed. (∩︵∩)

Escape to Nacpan Beach

Most girls dream of a romantic proposal. Imagine yourself being on a quiet beach, with white sand, and clear blue waters somewhere in a faraway exotic land.

That's Nacpan Beach where we spent our Valentine's Day 2017 away from the busy El Nido town.

Nacpan Beach

Going to Nacpan Beach?

One must have to endure one hell of a bumpy ride going to Nacpan. During that time there were few modes of transportation to reach it:

Beach bum for a day with my fresh coconut water

• renting a scooter (lucky if you have one)
• tricycle which will wait for you as long as you want to stay there  (Philippine Tuk-tuk)
• book a tour van
• and part of the Tour E-package (Inland Tour)

Half of the road going there was not paved as Palawan Island, in general, is still undeveloped, so there's limited accessibility going around.

Sounds like another adventure to us,ᕕ༼⌐■-■༽ᕗ We decided to be beach bums for a day after the action-packed Tour-A Island hopping package the day before.

I highly recommend that you do your research when you decide to use the service of tricycles for their pricing is quite odd, if you can haggle for a better price, good, we paid P1,500.

The commute was quite rocky, it's a uniquely interesting experience for someone who has never been had a tricycle ride, the uncomfortable ride is semi-compensated by several views of the charming sight of rice paddies, they're so nice to look at that few tourists would stop their scooters to take photos, for sure the carabaos and the farmers were having a celebrity moment!

Entrance fee to Nacpan

After the long bumpy and dusty tricycle ride, we were greeted with a long stretch of white sand, clear blue waters, and less crowd, there are few small business establishments so it's quite peaceful. Perfect for a laid-back Valentine's celebration.

According to my research online, walk a bit farther from the crowd as there are more huts that can be rented, so we walked away from the Twin Beach part of Nacpan; eventually, we found ourselves on the quieter side of the beach.

I asked the lady who seems to be the person in charge of the huts, I explained that I am not staying overnight but for a few hours, to my surprise, she allowed me to use one empty hut's patio for free! She also cooks lunch for P180.00, and sells fresh coconut water for P60.00.

Being so grateful for letting me use one of her huts for free, there's not much shade along the way and there are no other places to grab food nearby, I decided to give her our business, or else me and 🐻 would be having so much of that unwanted painful tan.

Now the Proposal

We've been talking about weddings, and having a family for quite some time and I have expressed to my dear 🐻 that I don't really like the sudden and public proposal. I feel more empowered when I am involved in this life-changing event. I came from a culture where couples decide together when they want to get married (though some couples are catching up with popping the question style).

Our view when he popped the question

While sitting on our lounge chairs, in front of our hut enjoying the breeze, talking about how lucky we were to find a spot on a long beach, then my Dear Teddy Bear held my hand and asked me, if I want to marry him.

I guess the North American in him still wants to pop the question...

"Of course, I will marry you! We've been talking about it!"---my unromantic but elated reply!

On Valentine's day, we were in one of the most beautiful places in the world, a semi-empty long beach, while enjoying fresh coconut juice, we were engaged.

Our first meal as an engaged couple, for less than $5.00 (Cad):

Ginisang Hipon (Sauteed Shrimps) and Inihaw na Puisit (Grilled Squid) with rice

And this is our view:

Chilling in our hut while enjoying our lunch

Aside from the mysterious pricing system of the tricycle drivers, other things to watch out for when you decide to visit Nacpan Beach:

• When the strong wind blows, sand hits you, so better protect your eyes!
• Not that much shade, be generous when you apply sunblock lotion
• It can get really hot, bring water
• The current can be unpredictable, stay near the shore
• Other tourists reported sandflies, though we were not bitten, just be aware of it, bring insect repellent.

Planning for the wedding began when we got back in Vancouver. Stay tuned for the next posts as I blog about my busy 2017!

My beautiful pink sapphire engagement ring from Minichiello Jewellers

-Life is great! ヽ(⌐■_■)ノ♪♬

Davao: Getting to know you through your food Pt. 1

"If my tummy could extend three times the limit and I was blessed with a laser fast metabolism..."

After staying in Manila for a few days; 🐻 and I flew to Davao city to visit a city where I spent the first few years of my life. I can remember myself speaking the local dialect fluently, being a little girl living a carefree life, enjoying Davao's local fruits, and my first school---L.C.A (now Ford Academy Of the Arts).

Visiting home after more than 20 years of being M.I.A brought a lot of nostalgic feelings now that I have my 🐻 with me in this trip, he gets to see a glimpse of my forgotten past; me rediscovering the old me that I left behind.

Our stay in Marco Polo Davao was fab and action-packed, being the official venue for the 2017 ASEAN Summit, and its delegates, We were caught up in the center of diplomatic buzz!

Marco Polo front entrance (above) and the lobby (top) displaying the hashtag for the 2017 ASEAN summit

Reintroducing Myself to Davao's Gastronomic Delights!

The highlight of my 3-day Davao homecoming was when we signed up for Mel's Davao Food Tour, iI figured that most of my fond memories of Davao are food-related, so going in for a food tour with my 🐻 would reunite me with good old times!

Bayong from Mel's

Bahay ni Tuding (Tuding's Inn), was the meeting point for the tour; We were greeted by Mel Pangan, the Proprietor of the inn, and also our tour guide. Being a local of Davao city, Mel knows all the best of authentic Davao.

Lakatan and Latundan varieties

The first stop of our tour was the Bankerohan Public Market - A big public market where she showcased the "Pineapple Samurais" --- pineapple vendors who can cut the pineapple in less than a minute without touching the flesh inside! The pineapple was served to us as our breakfast.

Pineapples (top right) Sweet potatoes and local cookware for sale (top left)

Using batirol to prepare the chocolate drink

Del Mar Painitan (Painitan from the root word 'init'---means hot/heat.) where the real culinary adventure starts. 

This place seems to be known for its puto maya and the kinutil - a beverage made of coconut toddy, native chicken egg, tablea (chocolate tablet), and evaporated milk. This is my first time having a puto maya, a rice cake made of purple glutinous rice, cooked in coconut milk, with a hint of ginger. It went well with kinutil that I miss so much.

I remembered my father making us kinutil when we're sick, we believe it has healing properties by sweating out the toxins out of the body, locals also claimed this yummy drink as an aphrodisiac! 

Purple glutinous rice 

Puto Maya and Kinutil