Sale-aholic in HK

September 8, 2012, 11:41am

Queen's Road, Central

Every day is a sale day and Hong Kong’s myriad of shopping destinations continues to lure tourists and shopaholics alike. Cliché though it may seem, it was like "The Amazing Race" for shoppers who were bargain-hunting.  Whether in Central, Causeway Bay, or Wan Chai, shopping in Hong Kong is always an experience. Hong Kong’s shop and stroll indulgence ideally begins and ends with a luxurious air travel and hotel stay experience.

Shopping for bargains in Hong Kong likewise gives shoppers a respite from Metro Manila’s often crowded malls. Yet, despite the number of malls in Hong Kong, there are never too many for a shopper.

Kowloon may be a fabulous spot for shopping. The triumvirate malls in Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) are The One Mall, iSquare, K11. All three malls have all your needs from fashion and accessories, jewelry and watches, skincare and cosmetics, home and lifestyle goods, digital gadgets, and restaurants, but they have certain distinctions as well. The One is a 29-storey mall with restaurants on the 12th and 13th floors that have spectacular views of the Hong Kong skyline.

“This mall is actually named after a woman who was the former love of the owner of the mall. The woman is now with another man but his love for her remains,” said Mandy Lam of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB).

A few blocks away is the iSquare. This mall is the tallest mall with 31 floors and greets shoppers with a display of different kinds of animation through LED lights by the entrance. The K11, with only six floors, may have no reason to boast about its height, but it sure is proud of its art.

After scouring the different malls, we were ready to hit the sack and review our shopping finds. Towering at 61 floors with 467 rooms and 46 suites, Conrad Hotel guarantees a luxurious, yet cozy hotel experience.

“We like to hear suggestions from our guests, and we always take them into consideration,” said Thomas Hoeborn, general manager of Conrad Hotel. “The clock inside the bath room was actually an idea of one of our guests. And it actually is a good idea for people who don’t want to be late for their daily endeavors,” he added.

And if you still can’t simply get enough of shopping, the Pacific Place mall has an overwhelming selection of upscale fashion brands and accessories from Italy, France, and most chic runway fashions.

It is never really too late to shop, not in Hong Kong, even after the shopping season. Dragonair, a full-service airline and a member of the Cathay Pacific Airline Group, even offers an opportunity to explore Asia’s top shopping destination with its affordable rates.

China’s “Best Airline” for six consecutive years offers a leisure flight experience with scrumptious packed lunch set and with your choice of drinks. A competent cabin crew completes dedicated airline service. “We have a seven-week training course for our cabin crew, so it’s really tough for them. They have to go through proper training. We also make sure they can speak English, Cantonese, and Mandarin,” said Tracey Kwong, assistant corporate communication manager of Dragonair.

Prepare a comfortable pair of chic flat shoes as you embark on a journey to satisfy your shopping urges and check out promo flights from Clark or Manila to Hong Kong on Dragon Air’s website atwww.dragonair.com/da/en_PH/homepage.

Romeo Found Juliet in Sofia

Photos by PINGGOT ZULUETA

September 1, 2012, 5:01pm

“Bihira lang kami mag-away,” Sofia says. “Puro petty things lang kapag may mga arguments kami,” Romeo points out.

Juliet was never really right for Romeo; they never did grow old together. Their relationship raised a lot of eyebrows in society, yet still they pursued their love. But alas, it was a forbidden romance gone wrong.

Now, the story of Romeo Peralta and Sofia Sangco is your modern-day take on Shakespeare’s play—only theirs did not end in tragedy but in a blissful marriage.

Sofia Sangco-Peralta joined Ballet Manila as a scholar in 1997 when she was 16 years old. Three years later, Romeo Peralta joined Ballet Manila as well, and Sofia was his teacher.

During that time, both of them had their own relationships. The first time Romeo saw Sofia dancing, he admired her, but only as a senior because she was in a higher level at that time. And according to Sofia, she could not help but feel attracted to him because of his charming looks. “Pero eventually nakilala ko siya, mas mature pala siya sa’kin,” she laughs.

It was only in 2004 that they became friends. The following year, they fell in love and became a couple. There was never really an official courtship. The more they were spending time together, they felt a connection between them.

Sofia was hesitant at first because she is seven years older than him. However, their age difference did not hinder them from pursuing the relationship. Romeo was under 18 years old when they became a couple; he was just about to graduate from high school. Despite their age difference, she is enchanted by him because he’s mature for his age. Romeo recalls that he fell in love with Sofia because of her personality. “Naalala ko na approachable din siya kaya ako na-in-love sa kanya,” he says. They went on dates for at least once a week, to the movies or to restaurants. “Minsan magma-malling lang kami, basta every week ‘yung alis namin,” Sofia shares.

Sofia confided to Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s father, Cesar Macuja, who was also like a father figure to her. Since he’s the president of Ballet Manila, they always have the chance to converse. “He asked me how the relationship is between Romeo and his father kasi doon daw nakikita ang personality ng isang tao,” Sofia says.

“He advised me that we should get married after five years. True enough, after five years of relationship, we got married. I got pregnant with our first child,” she chuckles.

They got married on April 30, 2010 because Romeo wanted them to marry before their son’s first birthday. There wasn’t any marriage proposal either; they just found it natural to marry each other.

“Gusto ko magpakasal before mag one-year-old ‘yung baby namin,” Romeo explains. Their civil wedding was simple but memorable. They preferred a small and simple wedding with their loved ones rather than a lavish affair.

Having the same work schedule enables them to go on dates at least thrice a month. But there was one time when they both could not see each other daily. Romeo was a graduating student at the Jose Rizal University and he had to stop going to Ballet Manila for six months because he had an internship. Even though they found it challenging to have different schedules, they managed to find time for each other.

Sofia explains that it still feels different to spend time outside of the work environment. “We see to it that we act professionally at work,” Romeo says. “Pag dito sa studio, parang friends lang kami,” Sofia giggles. “Gusto rin kasi naming mag-set ng example para sa mga bata dito,” she adds.

When they are at home, that is the time that they can deal with marriage issues. “Bihira lang kami mag-away,” Sofia says. “Puro petty things lang kapag may mga arguments kami,” Romeo points out. When they reach the point of arguing, they try to calm themselves down, and be silent for a while. But they try to resolve conflicts within the day by opening up and discussing the issues calmly. “May nababasa ako na huwag matutulog ‘pag may sama ng loob,” Sofia shares.

In their two years of marriage, they had overcome a lot of obstacles already. These trials tested their faith and commitment. Sofia recalls how Romeo had been there by her side even in her darkest hours.

Her father and brother passed away in March. Romeo stood by her and helped her rise when she was at her lowest. Besides the fact that she was devastated, she was also under a huge amount of stress because they had to handle the hospital bills. She also had to handle an apartment and a computer shop. “Yung isang brother ko kasi nasa States na kaya marami akong hina-handle ngayon,” Sofia explains. But in time, they managed. Romeo handles the computer shop and Sofia has her own studio at their house. “Financially and emotionally, nag-stick together kami,” Sofia expresses.

“Thankful din kami sa company (Ballet Manila) kasi ang mga puwedeng ibigay na tulong, naibigay nila sa amin,” Romeo shares.  “Nag-support sila financially at saka emotionally. Tinulungan nila kami kung paano ihandle yung problema. Sila yung tinakbuhan namin,” Sofia says.

“One good thing sa company namin, pag dating dito, nalalabas namin ang emotions namin through dance. And then, ‘yung mga problems namin sa labas, kahit saglit nakakalimutan namin sa pagsasayaw,” Romeo shares.

ON TAKING CARE OF THEIR SON ETHAN

He said: Dapat agree kami sa mga decision, na kung ano yung gagawin namin. Pero sometimes yung way ko mas strict, kaya minsan yung baby tatakbo sa mommy ‘pag mapagsabihan ko lang. At kailangan, ‘pag uwi namin sa bahay, kahit pagod na, syempre lalaruin pa namin siya. We find time na magagawa namin lahat.

She said: Dapat pareho ‘yung desisyon namin. Ayoko kasi mangyari na "oo" siya, ako "hindi". And we make sure may time kami kay Ethan. Minsan tuturuan ko pa siya ‘nung basic alphabet. Ayoko kasi na maging dependent siya sa yaya.

THEIR MESSAGE TO EACH OTHER

He said: Stay the same, lahat ng problems natin sabay natin harapin.

She said: Very thankful ako sa iyo kasi ‘yung way of thinking mo maganda, matured na, at matino. Tama at deretso ang iyong pag-iisip.

THEIR SECRET TO A LASTING MARRIAGE 

He said: Don’t say or do things ‘pag galit ka. You always have to talk to each other. Pag may problems kayo, pag-usapan niyo na agad.

She said: ‘Wag idaan lahat sa init ng ulo. Ina-analyze muna ang situation kasi minsan nagagalit ka na pero ikaw naman pala ‘yung may mali.

COLD FRONT

Photos by NOEL B. PABALATE

August 24, 2012, 4:28pm

Uniqlo's Fall-Winter, pile on chic

Even as the winter breeze hardly takes hold of the Philippines, Uniqlo brings its horde of Fall-Winter offering featuring a collaborative design project with acclaimed designer Jun Takahashi and his cult-hit Undercover fashion label.

The Uniqlo Undercover or “UU” collection, offers almost a hundred items for men, women, and children the concept of which is aimed at clothing for everyone in the family, with collections that offer stylish outfits for parents and their children. The line brings together Undercover’s unique design aesthetic with Uniqlo’s high performance fabrics such as Ultra Light Down, HeatTech, Knitwear, Poncho Collection, Stretch Jeans, and Easy Bottoms.

“I’m not quite sure how the winter collection will affect the Philippine market, but when we (Uniqlo) venture to new countries, we like to offer what we have, and then see how it goes,” said Katsumi Kubota, chief operations officer of Fast Retailing Philippines.

The Ultra Light Down clothing includes new designs that are casual yet, sophisticated, and prints such as dots and checks patterns are designed to be easily coordinated. The Ultra Light Down may be good for both fall outer wear and winter inner wear because of its light and sleek tops that are made with super-fine 20-denier nylon.

With the tropical climate in the Philippines, the HeatTech heat retention clothing line may only be as good as a winter travel essential. This season, lounge dress, lounge pants, and HeatTech crew neck shirt have been a welcome addition to the line, giving shoppers smart and stylish picks for winter.

The Knitwear collection offers new designs of cardigans, tunics, and ponchos made with natural fabrics like extra-fine Merino, Geelong lamb wool, and cashmere. Adding a touch of femininity with jeans, the poncho collection gives a classic feel to the casual look with jeans. The men, this season, get to have an eye-popping, bold colors for knitwear such as pink, green, and blue.

With the success of the Easy Pants collection last season, Uniqlo has tweaked its designs by using warm fall colors such as orange and burgundy. These pants are still staying true to be easy-to-wear as they are still made with soft corduroy.

And lastly, forget about tight-fitting jeans. Uniqlo’s Ultra Stretch Jeans collection comes in rich, vivid colors and that incredible denim stretch that flatters captivating leg lines.

UNIQLO is located at the 2nd floor, Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia.