Literally.  Because we took it a notch.  Er, notches. Family and I – we just moved to Canada.  A country an ocean away, separated from us by 13 hours of flight time. A country of rugged beauty, incessant rains, warm winters (8 degrees is warm for them), trees with breadth longer than an arm [...]

I ingest recipes and then imagine cooking them in my head. And then I forget about them.

Because I eat out – we eat out – a lot. And those recipes lose their allure to gastronomic treats in restaurants with ambiance that is well worth the money. And I do not have to clean up (look, ma, no dirty hands!).

It is because of experiential eating. And when I say experiential eating, I mean Sonya’s Garden, which entered my reality more than ten years ago. Because of that one fine afternoon when we got lost looking for what would be our wedding reception venue, I found out that eating should not just be about good food. It should also be about having a great experience – a meal amidst a lush garden, fine bone china, rose petals in the salad, sheer white gauze in the windows, dew on the flowers, a singing dog (believe me) and a goddess in a flowing chiffon gown… And since then, we have been on the search for “the dining experience”. And the Manila restaurant scene did not disappoint – there is Antonio’s (Tagaytay), Ugu Bigyan (Quezon Province), Bale Dutung (Pampanga), Abe’s Farm (Pampanga) and the other places that have been getting acclaim – the so-called best-kept secrets.

… To read the full article, please click on the title …

Exactly one year ago today, You Want To Be Rich made its debut in the blogosphere.

Interestingly, June 12 is also independence day in the Philippines so I thought it would make for a great beginning – an independence day for people who wanted financial freedom. And it was a great year. Although it was a challenge to keep writing and internalizing and coming up with interesting insights and articles, I enjoyed every minute of it.

But let me confess something –the days leading to this first anniversary were not easy ones. As a matter of fact, they were the most challenging of my life.

But let today be one of celebration because it is, in very many ways. Please allow me to process what has happened this past week and I will share it with you in the coming days.

For this anniversary month, I am also launching a contest. Please watch out for it.

To all my readers and supporters, know that I am very grateful – one year after – to still have you with me on this journey.