(Published in CNNGo.com on August, 22, 2012) Tokyoites borrow the most library books, Parisians are movie-obsessed and other cultural snapshots of the world’s biggest cities Which city has the most nightclubs? Which the most greenery? Where should you go if you want to eat at a different restaurant every meal, forever? The answers are São Paulo, Singapore and Tokyo, respectively. But there’s much more to be gleaned from the recently released World Cities Culture Report, published under the auspices of the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, which…Continue Reading “World’s most cultured cities (CNNGo.com)”
You can’t take the girl out of the world’s most awarded airline. VAULT takes an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of what it takes to be a Singapore Girl Writer: Niña Terol-Zialcita | Photographer: Pat Mateo Being a Singapore Girl is a dream come true for many women. The name given to the flight attendants of Singapore Airlines was coined by French designer Pierre Balmain in 1972, when he was commissioned to update the airline’s Malay Sarong Kebaya uniform. Since then, the name has come to stand for Asian…Continue Reading “How a Singapore Girl flies (Vault)”
Vault takes a closer look at the evolution of the women who once dominated the skies The so-called Golden age of flying coincided with the packaging of female flight attendants as sex symbols. Then called stewardesses, they were meant to coax and predominantly male passengers at that time into flying the airline they represented. This was evident as early as 1955, when United Airlines stewardess Barbara Cameron posed as Playboy magazine’s Miss December. She re-appeared in 1958 as “The Girl Next Door” and was named…Continue Reading “From femme fatale to security frontliner (Vault)”
It’s a great city, but what’s with all the traffic and trash? Finally, Manila is trying to clean up its act By Niña Terol-Zialcita For travelers used to efficient public transport, wide roads and a general sense of order, Manila’s careening jeeps and buses, overflowing trash and a globally “hated” airport are a shock to the system. Bill Davis, an American missionary and editor based in the Philippine island of Palawan, calls it “benign chaos.” “That’s how it seems to many foreigners,” says Davis, who has…Continue Reading “5 things travelers hate about Manila — and how the city’s tackling them (CNNGo.com)”
A year-ender trip to Bohol with my “writing sisters”, thanks to Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay Miles, re-introduced me to the island’s many charms, as well as to the benefits of being almost obsessive-compulsive about tracking one’s miles. There, I found the perfect place to let my hair down, catch up with friends old and new, and ground myself for the year ahead. As we begin another year of travel planning, I’d like to share my list of personal favorites from this island getaway—but don’t take my word for…Continue Reading “10 Ways Bohol Feeds Your Body and Soul (ClicktheCity.com Travel)”
Article By: Jim Sullivan and Niña Terol-Zialcita Images By: Courtesy of Life Heritage Resort Hoi An Inside the resort gate, just minutes from the whirl of downtown, the pace instantly goes languid amid tropical garden paths and riverside vistas. Each individual accommodation in the 94-room compound is a sanctuary unto itself, spacious and split-level with sleeping quarters above, lounge area below, and private veranda just outside the door. The bathrooms provide still another level of retreat with sunken terrazzo tubs and discreetly positioned windows for maximum natural…Continue Reading “A Witness to Vietnam’s Charmed Life (asianTraveler)”
And on to your left we have the coffin of King Ferdinand V of Bohemia…” Our tour guide’s voice drowned in my head as I fumbled with the controls of my borrowed camera. The room that kept King Ferdinand’s coffin was dark, and I wanted to get a good-enough photograph using the camera that I had started using only the day before that. A click here, a snap there—I turned around to ask my classmate, Eva, a question about using the camera in low light……Continue Reading “Lost (and Found) in Prague (ProPinoy.net)”
Words by Niña Terol-Zialcita Images by Ena Terol It was around six o’clock in the morning on a Sunday when I found myself staring at a vast expanse of blues and greens, enveloping waves that were crashing a little too loudly and strongly for this hour of the day. I removed my slippers and dug my feet into the cool, soft sand and then decided to just leave the slippers behind and take a short walk while taking in the pristine beauty that surrounded me. To…Continue Reading “Mati: Davao’s Next Big Thing (asianTraveler)”
It was seven o’clock in the evening, and the sun was still shining as brightly as if it were three o’ clock back home. I was in a second-class coach on a train from Paris, but, luckily, I had the aisle all to myself and could stretch and take photos and contort as I pleased. In front of me, beyond the glass that reflected the blurred faces of a cute French guy reading a book and an old man with a white beard, were wide…Continue Reading “French Retreat (Manila Bulletin)”
Words by Niña Terol-Zialcita Images by Niña Terol-Zialcita I have to admit: it was a rather foolish decision to make Paris only a short pit stop between my trip to Prague, Czech Republic, where I had spent a week on a scholarship program, and the French seaside town of La Rochelle, where I was set to make a long-awaited visit to friends. Divided into 20 arrondisements (administrative districts), Paris is certainly a city that takes days—even weeks—to fully explore and enjoy. Even with enough time…Continue Reading “Paris in a Hurry (asianTraveler)”