The Best And The Rest 198

This is a cute Top Ten because every family has a quotable member, some more quotable than others.  In our family, hands down, it’s my mom.  She says stuff that in our clan, has reached mythic status.  The type of stories that we repeat and relive everytime we gather during reunions.  For example, while eating a hamburger: “Pwe, hindi masarap ang siopao nila dito…”

February 20, 2009 → The Top Ten Quotes From Your Family – Astroboy

1. Cardamom – My mom, to me and my friends at our dinner table: “Barkada kayo ng mga bakla, no?”
2. Glenda – My son during dinner that we hosted for my boss: “Mom, how’s your diarrhea?”
3. No name – My mom once said to me: “If your father is poor, that’s destiny. But if your husband is poor, that’s stupidity.”
4. Jorik – When my mom was teaching me language she said: “F is F, P is P. Get the foint?”
5. Lynski – My 7-year-old daughter was looking at our wedding pictures when she asked: “Mom, why wasn’t I at your wedding?”
6. Stonewall – When my sister had her first manliligaw, our lola asked the boy: “May plano ka bang galawin ang pechay ng apo ko?”
7. Jose – My dad: “Sa susunod na maglalayas ka, sasabihin kung saan ka namin mahahanap!”
8. Your Highness – My niece: “Si Daddy pag natutulog, laging nakahawak sa dodo ni Mommy!”
9. Hands-on-mom – A friend will always remind his son going on a date: “Anak remember, putting condoms is easier than changing diapers.”
10. LilRedShiningNips – My cousin from Cebu was buying calamansi so he asked for lemoncito (what they call calamansi in cebu).  The tindera gave him a bottle of lemon C2.
11. Denzyou – My 10-year-old sister as she lead the rosary: “The second sorrowful mystery is the scourging of the caterpillar…”
12. Ghildon – My mom while scolding our dog: “Ikaw Martin ha, nagiging hayop ka na!”
13. Boknoi – My sister yelled at her son playing outside: “Kain na, pinagluto kita ng adobo!” Her son answered: “Mamaya na, nagpapalipad pa ako ng saranggola!” My sister said: “Mamaya na yan, makakain mo yang saranggola mo?” Her son answered: “Eh yang adobo mo, mapapalipad mo ba?”
14. Harold – During our wedding reception, my wife’s mom said in her speech: “Anak, sana matulad kayo sa amin ng daddy mo. Kahit sa ganitong edad, napahilig pa rin sa sex!”
15. Grecia – My husband asked our eldest: “Ano gagawin mo kung malaman mong may kapatid ka sa labas?” Our son answered: “Eh di papapasukin ko.”
16. Daddy Elmo – I once told my kids who were asking permission to swim late at night: “Wag na, gabi na.  Bukas ng umaga nalang kayo mag night swimming!”
17. No name – My 90-year-old lola, after all these years, refers to Madonna as: “Magnolia”.
18. Tan – My mom wrote this on her card for me: “You may not be pretty, but you’re definitely sweet.”
19. Maive – A month before his fatal heart attack, my dad told my mom: “Sweetheart, if it’s time for me to go, let me go, okay?”
20. Kachika – When they were putting my lola’s ashes in the urn, her sister touched the urn and it felt warm to the touch.  She started crying: “Mainit pa! Buhay pa siya!!!”
21. Lia – One day my mom just blurted out of nowhere: “Pag kinasal ka, wag ka na magsuot ng belo, kasi hindi ka na virgin…”
22. Ergo – One time my mom slipped: “Manang-mana ka sa tunay mong ama!”
23. Grace – When I introduced a suitor to my lola, she said: “Sino to, yung bobo o yung bad breath?”
24. Bubbles – After a night out at Rockwell, my mom asked me where I came from. I answered: “Sa Power Plant.” She said: “Aber, at ano naman ang ginawa mo sa Meralco ng ganito kagabi?”
25. SC- We once had a visitor in our house. (My lola saw our visitor picking her nose) Lola: “Anong kinukuha mo ineng?” Visitor: “Nursing po.” Lola: “Ah, akala ko kulangot.”

Boracay, Aklan (The Resort)

We stayed at the posh Mandala Spa & Villas, about a 5-minute walk away from the white sands of the beach.  It was a stunning place to stay.  The gate of the resort is right smack in the middle of the very busy street parallel to and just behind the famed beach front.  From outside, you’d think you’re just in Pasig or some other busy street in Manila.  But once you get inside, the tranquility starts to set in.  The room we had was pretty impressive.  It was nestled in the thick foliage around the resort.  There are only 12 villas, so even if full, I doubt if the resort gets anywhere near hectic.  Here’s our villa from the outside:

And just when when we thought that the villas were all rustic in design and made of bamboo and sawali, we open the door, and instead of seeing a bahay kubo, what greeted us was a vision of opulence:

The main room was a full octagon, and the furniture scattered around it with much space in between.  It reminded me so much of The Farm in San Benito, being a wellness center and spa as well, and the meticulous detail put into the construction.  It was just so tempting to stay there and relax all day on the huge bed.  We had to be pried away from the bed to go to the beach.  The spacious main chamber opens up into the veranda, where you can vegetate on the cushy beach chair with matching footstool that overlooks the trees and the distant beach:

And the bathroom!!!  Oh my goodness, I didn’t even know where to start.  I wanted to soak, shower, pee and poop all at the same time because every part of it just begged you to use it!  It starts off with a tease of what’s in store:

And when you finally turn the corner, the full splendor is revealed:

Of course the piece de resistance was the gorgeous bathtub that was designed by the manufacturer specifically for Mandala:

Loved soaking in that tub.  But more than the tub, I loved the outside shower the most.  I just love outdoor showers.  Like I said, it reminded me of The Farm, which also had an outside shower.  But what was extra nice were the organic and biodegradable soap, shampoo and conditioner that they supplied generously.  In fact, they encourage you to try out their eco-friendly products instead of your own, in case you brought any.  I loved the soap the most.  It’s also in liquid form, and it’s got this strong minty flavor that just smells SOOO good.  Although I got a bit overwhelmed when the eucalyptus-y fumes got into my eyes.   I took so many showers just to be able to use their soap.  They also sell them, but I regret buying only 1 bottle.

Hehehe…I must say it was quite a sexy feeling because it felt like you were bathing in public even though you’re safely hidden from view despite being outdoors.  We also had free massages as part of the package.  I think the prices are pretty steep because of the quality of the rooms and the treatments, but I wouldn’t know because I got the package from the rewards I earned from my credit card, so I didn’t really pay much.  The food isn’t strictly vegetarian like in The Farm, but you’d have to tell them in advance so they can buy fish or something for you.

It was really a relaxing place to stay; a nice contrast to the frantic pace the beach usually is in.  So after all the fun and frolic on the beach, it’s nice to retreat to the solitude of a sanctuary in the middle of a busy beach like Boracay.  Highly recommended, if you want hardcore relaxation.