Happy Hearts & Tiger Day!

Last night Montri let me loose to be with my girlfriends from college for Carna Manila held at the Rockwell Tent. Jeri and I watched Denise play the big sordo drum with Escola de Samba de Manila. It was refreshing to be with the girls to act and feel young again. Escola's thundering performance was fantastic! Catch them again in the next FLOW Surf Yoga Samba weekend retreat. Me in my fave shrug by bohemian extraordinaire Maria Villanueva. She is at the weekly Sunday Legaspi Market. Escola de Samba de Manila on stage. Check out Dee in red bangin' the big ol drum

Festive Brazilian craze at the Rockwell Tent

This morning Santi and I were blessed by the lucky chinese dancing dragons (or were they tigers this time?) of Rockwell. We were on the way to visit my parents and heard the loud drumming by the Joya building. Santi was intrigued by these dancing creatures and got mighty scared when they approached him. He was trembling and climbed onto me like a cat would to a tree! But, glad to have good fortune on our side.

So it's a double whammy celebration for love and tigers. Are you the feeling festive yet? Spread the love! ;)

P.S. Lately Santi has been extra ferocious, roaring at people even at strangers in the elevator! :O Is it because he feels the year of the Tiger creeping in?

Working with Hands

So, what's new? I have been making things with my bare hands whether its cooking, baking, drawing with Santiago, mixing up skin/hair products and most recently relearned the art of crochet in Mikael Playgarden. This is the Waldorf inspired school where I take Santi to toddler-parent days every Mondays and Tuesdays. More on Mikael Playgarden here.

Now back to my crochet obsession, I even went to the crafts store (Dreams in Glorietta 5) and had the boutique owner teach me how to knit! These things are therapeutic, they say. Perhaps, I'm psychologically and emotionally preparing myself for the move to Palawan. During the transition period from the city life to island life, I will busy myself with all sorts focusing energies to yoga and creating things from scratch.

Do you see the lovely colors of yarn and cotton? I can't wait to turn them into something beautiful and of use :) You can download free patterns in Ravelry, a knit and crochet online community. You're sure to get lost in a maze of creative hand-made masterpieces by artists and homemakers. My next target is a Singer sewing machine and do some Burda Style projects...ooooh ;)

Learning about THE WILD

Because we live in the city, to look and interact with animals actually costs money. Ark of Avilon charges P250 per person (child or adult). I paid P750 alone for entrance fees because I brought Santi's yaya with us because I wanted to concentrate on taking photos and didn't want to wash Santi's poo in the middle of the trip just in case he did--which he did! Mother's instincts work so well :P

If you know Santi, you'd know that he is not fond of crowded places. It was hard for us to keep up with the group because he didn't want to be amidst all the other kids with yayas and parents. Maybe to him it felt a bit claustrophobic. My same explanation why I have a hard time dressing him up. (especially with shirts because they all seem to have small holes for his extra large head. Those few seconds where it gets stuck, he used to scream bloody murder) A little trivia: Santi has never been able to wear a hat successfully, he automatically takes them off. Socks are challenging and shoes --- a whole other post on that. Let's just say he sticks to his trusted red crocs and refuses to wear any other shoe, even if it's a new pair of red crocs.

Feeding the rodents (or were they rabbits?) the most outrageously epxensive carrot at P10 per stick.

Going back to the zoo trip... it was ok. It would've been better if the 5 other preschools were not there at the same time we were. And I always feel bad for the animals after. They shouldn't be caged for people to stare at them the whole day. I guess that's their fate. Like how some animals are born pets and wouldn't be able to survive in the wild. I wonder what was Santi thinking below--
Speaking of the WILD! Santi and I attended My Masterpiece's "Where The Wild Things Are", a storytelling event at Fullybooked High Street. We were invited by Denise who also teaches art in the school.Even if it was meant for kids, I was utterly moved by their rendition and performance of the story. Sucker-consumeristic me bought the book, another addition to Santi's bedtime tales :)"Inside all of us is hope. Inside all of us is fear. Inside all of us is adventure. Inside all of us is a Wild Thing!"

FLOW Surf Yoga Samba Weekend Retreat

(click photo to enlarge)

FLOW Surf.Yoga.Samba

A Weekend Retreat of the Senses
November 28-30, 2009 at the San Juan Surf Resort, La Union

Get the chance to learn Vinyasa yoga, commune with nature, ride
quality waves, dance to the beat of the drums and nourish yourself
with healthy wholesome food.
Take a breather from your everyday lives and create a space where you
can feel the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle.

The FLOW Surf.Yoga.Samba Weekend Retreat aims to unify the body mind
and soul. We offer each guest an experience of a lifetime. Practicing
yoga will develop focus, strength and flexibility. Surfing will
develop your confidence, stamina and ocean awareness. Dancing and
creating music enhances sense of well-being and build social skills.
The whole retreat is complemented with vegetarian food to help nourish
this unique journey to self-discovery.

P6,500 per person
P6,000 early bird rate (Register and pay on or before October 5, 2009)

Package Inclusions:
- 2 Vinyasa Yoga sessions by Monica Eleazar-Manzano
- 2 Surfing lessons with Luke Landrigan of The Billabong Surf School
- 2 Samba lessons and jamming with Escola de Samba Manila
- Roundtrip transportation from Manila-La Union
- 3D, 2N aircon accommodation at San Juan Surf Resort
- Vegetarian Meals (with chicken and fish options)
- Flow T-Shirts
- Tote Bag with freebies from our sponsors

This event is co-presented by Gaiam and Sanuk.
In partnership with Nivea.
Sponsors- ROX, Sea to Summit, Nalgene, Fitflop, Fluidsurf, Twinkle,
Oishi, Moringana, Googoo&Gaga, Brownbelly and Dharma.
Media partners Action & Fitness, Onesport, QTV, NU107

To register, visit our website at
http://flowsurfyogasamba.multiply.com or email us at
flowsurfyogasamba@gmail.com


The People Behind FLOW

Monica Eleazar- Manzano is a certified Vinyasa yoga instructor through
Greenpath Boracay Yoga. She is also a Post-Natal certified yoga
instructor with the Yoga Teachers Association of Australia (YTTA).
DHARMA and INDIGObaby are her brands where she sells all-natural bath
and body products for yoginis and yummy mummies.

Luke Landrigan is the chief team rider and team captain of The Stoked
Inc-Billabong Surf Team in the Philippines. He has won numerous surf
competitions for both shortboard and long boarding in the country and
emerged the 2009 Champion of the Aurora Surf Cup Challenge. In
November 2008, Luke led the Philippine national surfing squad to a
silver-medal finish at the first-ever Asian Beach Games in Bali,
Indonesia.

As a professional surf instructor, Luke received his training in
Australia. He is the first Filipino to be awarded Australia’s
prestigious Bronze Medallion, surf rescue and CPR/life-saving BY SURF
LIFE SAVING AUSTRALIA, a globally-recognized credential. Luke has also
earned a Surfing Australia Level 1 Certification for surf instruction,
a world-class qualification that permits him to teach anywhere in the
world.

Toni Bernardo is a full time percussionist, who has studied and
performed the musics of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the
Americas, including West African drumming, dance and song; Japanese
Taiko drumming and Nagauta music, including the Shamisen and Tsuzumi;
Northern Philippine gong and drum ensemble; Indian Bhangra rhythms;
Flamenco cajon; Cuban Mambo and Rumba; Brazilian samba; and
African-American music traditions. Toni has given numerous
performances and workshops through the various groups she has been
part of and has led. She is currently the Diretora da Bateria of the
Escola de Samba de Manila.

Dr. Mom Health Journal Book Launch