Outdoorsy

After a gruesome week where I had to cope up with so many stresses, I decided to pamper myself. I visited my favorite spa, Body Bliss, which offers several services. It was much needed as I could feel a heavy weight on my shoulder, pain on my hands and a recurring headache that Ibuprofen cannot seem to ease.

As I entered the spa, the dim lights and the smell of essential oils seem to provide a serene feeling. It was the first time in so many weeks that I felt that calm.

The therapist immediately attended to my needs. The session started with warm water cleansing of my feet which was followed by muscle stretching, the relaxing Bentosa cupping and a combination of Shiatsu, Sweddish and Thai massage. Slowly, the soothing effect of the therapy began to loosen the stiffness of my muscles. Bit by bit, there was a sense of ease that has brought me tranquility.

The session I had was indeed therapeutic. The Bentosa cupping is an ancient Chinese-Filipino practice wherein small glass or bamboo cups are attached to the skin. These hot suction cups are placed on acupressure points of the body, particularly at one’s back, to activate blood flow, clear toxins and energy channels and prevent colds and fever. The “cold wind” which is locally known as panuhot is sucked out from the body leading to a better feeling. The massage, on the other hand, gives a lot of physical and mental benefits. The physical benefits of massage include relieves muscle tension and stiffness, reduces muscle spasms, promotes deeper and easier breathing, improves blood circulation, reduces blood pressure, helps relieve tension-related headaches and effects of eye-strain, enhances the health and nourishment of skin and strengthens the immune system. As for its mental benefits, the massage is said to foster peace of mind, promotes a relaxed state of mental alertness, helps relieve stress, fosters a feeling of well-being and reduces level of anxiety.

No wonder that after a much needed treatment, I feel so relaxed. I felt I was reborn to face yet another challenging week ahead.

On line shopping is definitely the “in” thing nowadays. It has transformed the lives of shoppers by selling the things consumers need right inside their homes. Truly, it has brought comfort and convenience.

For most shoppers though, they spend hours looking for the best deals on a particular item they wish to buy. They practically open every page they could get their hands so as to get the maximum satisfaction in finding a great buy. Well, the strenuous task of searching comes to an end with ShopWiki.com. This shopping site gives its clients a different level of online shopping as it offers everything and anything that is for sale on the web. This only means better deals and savings for their patrons as there are more products coming from a wide range of stores to choose from.

The hottest items that are up for grab from the site include frills to pimp your rides. One could choose from varied selections of car audio and video accessories. They have dvd players, speakers, receivers and even GPS devices. The offer is unbelievable and surely, you can look for the finest items to refurbish your cars with. So go get those hands working. Start searching for top of the line materials with ShopWiki and get your money’s worth.

It was one lazy Sunday afternoon. The heat was so intense making me sweat profusely. The warm temperature was getting into my nerves that I found myself heading towards the nearest mall to feel the coolness of its centralized air conditioner.

As soon as I stepped into the mall, the cold air started to give me a sense of relief and freshness. Whew! I just loved the feeling. To complete my chillax (a word I have heard my niece utter a few weeks back which meant to chill and relax) moment, I bought a large Peach-Mango fruit shake and opted to watch a movie.

Since it was my unwind time, I chose to see a very light and entertaining film. Thus, I preferred to see the second installment of Night at the Museum.

Ben Stiller reprises his role as Larry in Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian.

The plot happens years after Larry left his post as the night guard of the museum to pursue another career. In the film, he visits his former workplace where he was told that some of its attractions will be temporarily stored at the Smithsonian Institution while the Museum of Natural History is closed for renovations. As most of us already know, the museum’s attractions are used to being alive during night time because of this certain tablet that gives them life. Thus, the dilemma sets in as the temporary storing of the attractions would mean they would not be brought to life for a certain period. However, the monkey steals the tablet as they were being transported to Institution, which begins the entire mess that Larry has to fix.

I could not tell the rest of the story because the movie is better watched than told. As expected, the cinematography and effects are great. It lives up to the good image it earned in the first episode of the film.

More than the aesthetics, the values that the movie wishes to impart is its best asset. This is also the very reason why kids should watch the film. It depicts how friendship can be manifested in a deeper level. It shows that people should not be afraid to conquer greater feats thereby leading to the ultimate happiness. It illustrates that satisfaction and fulfillment need not be achieved through having a high paying job but that it could be found in doing what one loves to do.

There so much that kids and adult alike could learn from the film. It is a guarantee that this one is something you should not miss.

After a grueling exam in Remedial Law, Weng and I decided to stroll at the nearby Diaz Mall. The place is unlike the other malls we are used to. The area is not fully air conditioned, in fact, warm air surround the vicinity. There are no big retail stores, only small spaces occupied by vendors who sell either second hand clothes from abroad or brand new ones that were not sold out.

I checked out one of the stalls and got really interested with the clothes on their display. There are a lot of great fashion finds in that store, which offer brand new imported outfits for both men and women. I was not really enthusiastic to look at the men’s clothes but I was desirous to see what they have to offer for a female vogue addict like me.

At one side, I found elegant dresses made of satin with intricate bead works or embroidery. The garbs are definitely a must buy for the teens who are set to have their proms. They come in different designs and most worth noting are the strapless dress in black, the red one-sided gown, and the bronze micro mini sleeveless dress. It is a guarantee that people would never know those ensemble are from a thrift store as they are truly at par with the designer ones.

The store also has office attire on their display. For a more laid-back fashionista look, there are three-fourths and long sleeve tops in pastel colors that can be paired with their slacks in plain and plaid print. For those who would want a more adventurous and glam getup, there are dresses suitable for office wear. Most of what they offer are made of good materials that they seemingly fit almost all body types. I noticed this maroon empire dress that had glittering beads just below the bust line. It was perfect yet I contained myself not to have a second look at it as I did not have the funds to splurge on clothes that evening.

As I scanned through a long rack of dresses, I got one that I simply could not resist. I tried it on just to see how it looks on me. It was a long sleeve dress that actually looked like two piece wear as the top is in black with a white collar and the bottom part is a combination of pink and purple plaid. The dress looked so much like what I see the Japanese anime girls wear. It was great on me. So Weng, my ever-generous benefactor of all times, had to give in and paid for it. In fact, he even got me this pink trench coat to match with the dress.

I could not hide the smile on my face as I walked away from the store. For both dresses, we were only able to pay 430 pesos ($9.10). It was a superb deal. I am definitely going back to that thrift store though I have to put that off until my next payday.

Cool mountain breeze greets the guests as they stride towards an uphill drive to reach one of Davao City, Philippines' best spots. The cold air immediately gives travelers a sense of serenity that is indeed hard to find in the usual busy metropolitan area that most of us live.

The Eden Nature Park and Resort is situated at the foot of Mt. Talomo some three thousand (3,000) feet above sea level. It prides itself with lush trees, blooming gardens, animal sanctuaries together with other flora and fauna. The entire eighty (80) hectare area is covered with various trees, mostly pine. The place is a sight to behold; thanks to the hands of those who tirelessly gave their effort to nurture the ninety-five per cent (95%) man-made forest. This spectacle of nature is not the only wonder that the place has to offer.

It also boasts of their Vista Restaurant, which serves the best-tasting dishes made from the freshest ingredients. Most of the vegetables being served are produce of Eden's garden. The lettuce are actually products of Hydroponics technology or the method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, without soil. They also grow organically their tomatoes, cucumbers and an array of spices. Diners would absolutely enjoy a scrumptious meal.

If you are more of the adventurous type, the place also caters your personality. They have recently added in their list of attractions the Skyrider that actually allows thrill-seeking visitors to zip through a cable line. Tuly an exhilarating treat! But if you are one of those who are afraid of heights yet would still want to experience riding thorugh a cable, then the Indiana Jones is right for you.

Finally, the place also gives a preview of Mindanao's cultural heritage in Tinubdan. Tinubdan is a replica village depicting the life of people here in Mindanao. It takes visitors back to what life was like for the early settlers of the island.

To get to experience Eden, all it takes is to travel around twelve (12) kilometers from downtown Davao ... that is about forty-five minute ride and you are off to enjoy nature at its finest.