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Social Network Climber
I’m a latecomer to social media, although I do remember signing up on Twitter when Anderson Cooper and Ashton Kutcher told me to do so a few years ago. Anderson because I totally was with him on lambasting Sarah Palin, and Ashton because he is cute and like(d) older women. My Twitter account went on stasis after that – I forgot my password and reinstating it was just too complicated.
I’m a latecomer to social media, although I do remember signing up on Twitter when Anderson Cooper and Ashton Kutcher told me to do so a few years ago. Anderson because I totally was with him on lambasting Sarah Palin, and Ashton because he is cute and like(d) older women. My Twitter account went on stasis after that – I forgot my password and reinstating it was just too complicated.
I resisted Facebook, and still do. I succumbed to Instagram because it was quick study on my Iphone. In my 4 months of presence there, I garnered a whooping 58 followers. Yey. Then, I found out half of them are not even real people. I try not to post what I eat for breakfast, as I really don’t see the point of oatmeal and cereals, not to mention my probiotics. Still, there are times when out comes my camera when I’m in front of a heaping plate of black truffles lying languorously on top of a bed of pasta, or that time when we had a fantastic seafood meal at Kuta Beach in Bali. I like that I can tweak the colors and collage pics. So full of possibilities. But so far, its making my life boring, especially when Queen Melo posts his photos with Mario Testino and Terry Richardson, and even Glenda Bailey who I prefer so much more than Ana. I need to do more exciting stuff than my regular gym nights.
I just discovered the value of LinkedIn. My profile linked me to fellow egalitarian ants, hardworking publishers that come together just like fellow alcoholics in AA meetings in a group called BtoB Publishing. Finally, a sounding board for my rants and frustrations about media planners who were imperious to my selling charms! Signing in to their discussion board kept me awake til 3am.
The 3am session resulted in this “brilliant” thread. I am the first ranter (please, blogger is an obscene word!) in this newly minted column called SOUNDBITES in our Zee website. If you are over 50, welcome to my world, where I just might impose my beer preference to champagne, and why I think Napoles might just ruin the lifestyle market in Manila. Who wants to be photographed in their Loubotins these days or own a house in Forbes? Other like-minded individuals will join me in this space as the aforementioned Queen Melo in Manila, Cybill Gayatin and Butch Carungay from Cebu. Between the three of them, they should keep your fashion vocabulary current. From the US, Lorna Larrazabal Dietz will give us how life is to our kababayans there, and from down under, Zee editor Marissa Tionko and Carmina del Rosario will give us a Davao-perspective…
Business
bai Hotel Cebu named 2024 PH’s Leading Business Hotel at World Travel Awards
bai Hotel Cebu has emerged victorious as the Philippines’ Leading Business Hotel at this year’s prestigious World Travel Awards. Standing out among the nine other contenders from across the country, bai Hotel Cebu claimed the coveted title, solidifying its position as a premier business hospitality destination in Cebu.
Held at the City of Dreams Manila, the award was handed over to VP-Operations and General Manager Alfred Reyes and Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Carlo Rivera last September 3, 2024 at City of Dreams Manila.
This accolade, being the first of many this year, reaffirms bai Hotel Cebu’s steadfast commitment to providing world-class Filipino hospitality. “I would like to thank our guests for continuously supporting and for patronizing bai Hotel Cebu,” GM Alfred Reyes said. “This win is also yours as your loyalty inspires us to deliver the exceptional service bai Hotel Cebu is known for,” he continued.
Operating since 2018 with 668 rooms, 8 restaurants, and over 13 function halls, bai Hotel Cebu has established its presence in the industry having just been awarded as Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Tourism Standard Awards – ASEAN MICE Venue (Meeting Room Category).
We also extend our heartfelt congratulations to the country’s Department of Tourism headed by Secretary Hon. Christina Garcia Frasco for being recognized as Asia’s Leading Marketing Campaign award for its “Love the Philippines” campaign and as Transformation Leadership in Tourism Governance.
Based in London and established in 1993, the World Travel Awards is dubbed the Oscars of the travel industry that acknowledges, rewards, and celebrates excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry. It is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.
Events
A Feast for the Senses
By Joanna Cuenco
June 8 – Mactan, Cebu | For one of its biggest dining events of the year as part of the highly anticipated Cebu Food and Wine Festival, Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan curated an epicurean journey that brought guests on gastronomic flights of fancy, fine cuisine. A Feast for the Senses showcased the creativity and excellence of the resort’s culinary team through a dine-around event at its four dining destinations that invited guests to sample the best that each restaurant had to offer: international cuisine at Saffron, Spanish at Enye by Chele Gonzalez, Japanese at Aka by Naoki Eguchi, and desserts and more drinks at Azure Beach Club.
Spirits were high and beverages flowed freely the whole evening, thanks to Philippine Wine Merchant, A Wine Company, The Wine Club, Don Revy, Sommelier Selection, Engkanto Brewery, M. Lhuillier Food Product Inc., Future Trade International, Happy Living Philippines, Equilibrium Intertrade Corporation, and Bauhinia Brewery.
For the after-party and entertainment at Azure Beach Club, renowned mixologist Ulysse Jouanneaud took over the bar, crafting cocktails with Bacardi, Don Papa, Cointreau, and Sula Brands. Chef Allan Barrios presented a dessert spread that included key lime pralines, vanilla bourbon truffles, honey coconut cryos, and tiny flower-potted bamboo shoots that turned out to be made of pistachio. These little works of art were planted alongside vibrant green foliage, smooth stones, and a faux fog effect that created a tropical rainforest diorama out of the dessert table.
The night sky and the distant lights of neighboring islands were the perfect backdrop for a high-energy LED dance performance and fantastic fireworks display that left guests in awe and applause.
The Cebu Food and Wine Festival is supported by the Department of Tourism – Philippines, Visit Central Visayas, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cebu Business Month, and Cebu Pacific Air.
Events
The First NUSTAR BALL
The NUSTAR Ballroom, a magnificent venue at the NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu, sets the stage for last night’s first-ever NUSTAR Ball.
Glamorous guests from Manila and Cebu converged at the NUSTAR Ballroom, an exquisite venue within the NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu. The evening unfolded with a seated 5-course dinner. The opulent feast started with Beetroot Salmon Gravlax, adorned with caper berries, caviar, set with delicate edible flowers; and a main course of Compressed Pork Belly with Crackling Skin and Baby Scallops. Another highlight was the auction of coveted items like Dior and YSL handbags, a limited-edition Bulgari watch, and an exclusive 2-night stay in Nustar’s opulent 3-bedroom villa—complete with a private pool and a dedicated butler. The charity evening benefited the Cameleon Association, an NGO based in Iloilo City created in 1997 that developed a global approach to act on the causes and effects of sexual violence against children.
It was a night of elegance, luxury, and unforgettable memories as ladies in long gowns and gentlemen in black ties danced the night away.
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