girl beach

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Life’s a beach on Lakawon

MY PAPER MONDAY MARCH 1, 2010, A13 - A14, MY TRAVEL
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BY JILL ALPHONSO, myp@sph.com.sg

PHOTO: TRANQUIL: The writer on practically deserted Lakawon Beach Resort in the Philippines. (PHOTOS: JUSTIN NOREIKIS)

HERE are the kinds of people who visit a beach location and spend half their time trying to keep sand out of their bags, hair, and their rooms.

PHOTO: http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn168/bacolodchamp/lakawon-island-resort-front-view.jpg

Then there are the others, who relish the feel of sand between their toes and for whom a holiday is not complete unless fine powder is found even between the sheets.

PHOTO: http://www.kriyayoga.com/wallpapers/widescreen/beach/beach-dsc04093.jpg

I belong in the latter category. Heck, I’m happiest when I can feel the crunch of the grains between my teeth.

PHOTO: http://www.widescreenwallpapers.in/bulkupload/widescreen/HD/Green%20Leaves23.jpg

Trouble is, when it comes to nearby beach destinations, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find one that provides just the right kind of isolation that I’m looking for when I plan a beach trip.

PHOTO: http://www.candymag.com/images/gallery/media/194907_1185639481.jpg

See, my idea of a beach holiday is one where I see as few people as possible and where I get to drink loads of beer. I’m not always fond of built-up destinations that have capitalised on the tourist dollar (Thailand) or where the beer doesn’t come cheap (Malaysia).

PHOTO: http://s2.hubimg.com/u/944829_f520.jpg

So it was that I found myself travelling to Lakawon Beach Resort – located 48km from the provincial town of Bacolod in the Philippines, followed by a short boat ride from a jetty – after a friend’s wedding in nearby Bacolod City.

PHOTO: http://www.weddingsonmaui.com/picts/beach_background_slideshow.jpg

So unplanned was this side trip that I wasn’t sure of where Lakawon was exactly, or even how to spell its name, until the day I left the island. I’d relied on the expertise and know-how of newfound friends, who’d booked the trip and who were generous enough to let me and my partner come along.

PHOTO: http://www.desktop-wallpaper.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/beach-coconut-palm-beach-1019.jpg

I’d simply heard the word “beach”, realised I’d never heard of the location, and said: “I’m in!”

Sometimes, that’s the way a trip should be.

PHOTO: DOG DAYS - The resort’s pack of dogs eye the wild guinea fowl as though they would have liked to take a bite out of the birds.

PHOTO: http://www.youwall.com/papel/clean_beach_water__wallpaper_d4e90.jpg

TREASURE TROVE OF SURPRISES

Bacolod City is the capital of Negros Occidental, also known as the “Sugarbowl of the Philippines”, since it reportedly produces more than half of the nation’s sugar output.

PHOTO: http://www.widescreenwallpapers.in/bulkupload/widescreen/HD/Green%20Leaves14.jpg

Early on Valentine’s Day, we boarded a van that drove us through roads that wound around fields of sugar cane, which the native people once used as a natural toothpaste, chewing it to clean their teeth.

PHOTO: http://www.widescreenwallpapers.in/bulkupload/widescreen/HD/Green%20Leaves23.jpg

Everything was a surprise, from the miles of sugar cane to the little huts made out of tyres that are used to house fighting cocks.

PHOTO: http://www.widescreenwallpapers.in/bulkupload/widescreen/HD/Green%20Leaves33.jpg

The trip back from the remote jetty after our Lakawon adventure, though, was broken only by one sudden roadside check, where a policeman toting a rifle peered into the van.

PHOTO: http://www.wallpaperweb.org/wallpaper/Nature/1920x1080/Green_Beach_Island_of_Vieques_Puerto_Rico.jpg

“What’s he searching for?” I whisper to a fellow traveller, Rick, a Filipino who lives and works in Singapore.

“Guns,” he says. Then, more lightly, he adds: “Guns, goons and gold.”

Another new friend, Chester, soberly provides this information: “It’s election time in May.” And election time in the Philippines sparks violence: A mayoral candidate in Negros Occidental was gunned down in Iloilo City, an island to the northwest of Negros Occidental, last month.

PHOTO: http://spillingmyownthunder.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/lakawon-island-resort-bar-view.jpg

But on our trip – to and from Lakawon, and back to Singapore from Bacolod City – all is calm.

The policeman at the road block smiles and waves us on.

On the way to and from the jetty, the only excitement would be when the truck driver blares his horn and suddenly weaves around trucks piled high with sugar cane, and jeepneys stuffed to the brim with pineapples and people.

PHOTO: http://www.tropicalisland.de/LGK%20Langkawi%20island%20-%20Pelangi%20Beach%20Resort%20-%20pool2_b.jpg

BACK TO BASICS

The area around Lakawon – according to the resort’s owner, Mr Victor Puey, a former Asian power-boat champion – sees mostly tourists from around the country.

The accommodation is rustic to the max; its beach huts have rooms that are very, very basic, but clean.

Electricity is turned on only at 6pm, to conserve power. This means that even if one gets an air-conditioned hut, don’t expect this luxury until dusk.

PHOTO: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimB5rQ-jKinlovZEh2NJK7AXRZ3SXIOM1kIC_tHmF3VKx_UIidi6DOMQHJ7dvI8EvTvlmVvgNwdnkoH0lRiFFjRSKnDCJT4tc-LLSdSDyH86S-FTlpw3QaPbuZQ4SxK3ZDWLsuMpPpIamn/s400/Nice+Sea+Beach+Wallpaper.jpg

Mr Puey gestures vaguely around him, saying: “I see mostly Manila people here. These people can’t afford five-star accomodation.”

For the first time, wandering around the huts and watching the clear blue waters roll in and out with the tide, I feel like I’ve made it to a place where the outside world can’t touch me.

PHOTO: http://abuggedlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/p1020613.jpg

All around me are the protected marine reefs that hold seaweed forests and teeming marine life.

If travel is meant to literally and metaphorically transport you, this island has done it for me.

And there’s no one here but the party of eight I’ve come with: my boyfriend; Mr Puey and his family and workers; and the residents of the small fishing village nearby. (There, you can watch cock fights and buy local coffee and delicious grilled, caramelised bananas for a few pesos. A peso is about 3 Singapore cents.)

PHOTO: http://www.hdwallpapers.in/walls/palm_tree_society_island_beach-normal.jpg

The resort’s other residents are the goats that are used as lawnmowers around the property, a pack of dogs that romp happily in the sand at sunset, and some guinea fowl (the dogs watch these with wariness).

PHOTO: http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t226/cosmosnegros/cadiz/scottkendal.jpg

The abundance of fauna around makes it feel as though the pages of British author and naturalist Gerald Durrell’s 1956 book, My Family And Other Animals, have come alive for me.

Durrell, who died in 1995, spent his childhood on the Greek island of Corfu, where his burgeoning love of animals and nature took off.

PHOTO: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/1b/60/8d/view-from-the-pools-and.jpg

On Lakawon, as the light grows dim, I watch as my partner plays frisbee with three kids. In the background, two stout-legged puppies dig around on the beach, nipping playfully at scuttling crabs before lying belly-down in the cool sand.

PHOTO: CALM WATERS: The writer’s partner, Mr Justin Noreikis, chills out on a banca, a type of motorised outrigger boat, on the way back from idyllic Lakawon. (PHOTO: JILL ALPHONSO)

A bonfire of fun in this island paradise

We feast on a dinner of pork adobo – a kind of stew – grilled pork, vegetables and rice (Lakawon Beach Resort also offers steamed crabs at 320 pesos per kg). The food is home-cooked and simple, much of it flavoured with tamarind, which gives the meal a pleasantly sour taste.

After dinner, Mr Puey suggests that we build a bonfire under the stars. We happily agree.

PHOTO: DAY’S END: Spend the night star-gazing as you lounge around a bamboo bonfire on the beach.
(PHOTO: JUSTIN NOREIKIS)

With the sound of popping bamboo – which is used as firewood – in the background, we watch for shooting stars and point out the constellations we know. Orion, Taurus, the Pleiades and the Big Dipper are all there.

The Milky Way travels slowly across the night sky.

Talk turns ribald and we discuss whether love is better than sex, or just better with sex.

PHOTO: http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu251/Jaypuri/girl_beach_wallpaper.jpg

We clink beer bottles and stoke the fire until we run out of wood to feed it with.

I thank my friend Chester (nicknamed “The Godfather” because he is in charge of booking the trip and collecting the money owed for it) for having us along.

“I was anxious you’d be bored here,” he says, relieved when I tell him there’s not a chance in high hell of that happening.

We leave the next morning on a motorised banca – a type of outrigger boat native to the Philippines.

PHOTO: http://www.widescreenwallpapers.in/bulkupload/widescreen/VISTA/Themal%20Dives%20Beach.jpg

A boisterous dog my friends dubbed Randy (after a squint-eyed 1980s Filipino singer) has, over the course of the trip, taken a liking to our jocular friend, Don. The dog follows us as we make our way to the boat until the water gets too deep for him. He retreats to the shore and there he stands, tail wagging.

We shout our goodbyes to him until he gets tired of watching our boat melt into the distance. I see him shake once, then turn his furry back on us. He trots off towards the island’s shade as the sun begins to rise higher in the sky over Lakawon.

myp@sph.com.sg

PHOTO: http://www.computerfreewallpapers.com/bulkupload/wall23/Celebrity/Leah%20Dizon/Leah-Dizon-
Beach.jpg

HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn

Beach holiday: 沙滩假期 - shā tān jià qī
Marine life: 海洋生态 - hǎi yáng shēng tài
Bonfire: 营火 - yíng huǒ
Constellations: 星群 - xīng qún

PHOTO: http://www.zastavki.com/pictures/1600x1200/2008/Girls_Beautyful_Girls_Girl_into_water_005257_.jpg

Reference

Monday, March 1, 2010

The Princess Of Golf, Michelle Wie

MY PAPER, WEDNESDAY F E B R U A R Y 2 4 , 2 0 1 0, PAGE A1, NEWS
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PHOTO: MY PAPER, WEDNESDAY F E B R U A R Y 2 4 , 2 0 1 0, PAGE A1, NEWS

CAMERAS clicked incessantly during yesterday’s opening media conference for this week’s HSBC Women’s Champions tournament, and they were all aiming at one golfer: 20-year-old Michelle Wie (above).

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31234.jpg

The American, who shot to stardom as a teenager taking on male golfers, is making her first trip here, fresh from winning her first professional title last November.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31235.jpg

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31326.jpg

Flaunting a natural elegance with her 1.85m-tall frame, she and four other women golfers charmed the packed room, and even tried their hands gamely at batik painting.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31183.jpg

Sports Editor Chia Han Keong recounts this encounter with the “Princess of Golf”.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31239.jpg

MY PAPER, WEDNESDAY F E B R U A R Y 2 4 , 2 0 1 0, PAGE A18, SPORTS
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by Chan Han Keong

Golf belle Michelle holds court

PHOTO: CHARMER - Michelle Wie commanded the entire conference’s attention whenever she spoke. The world No. 9 will play at HSBC Women’s Champions tournament. (PHOTO by JAMIE KOH)

SHE is the lowest-ranked of the five women golfers at yesterday's opening media conference of this week's HSBC Women's Champions tournament.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31181.jpg

But there was no doubt who had the most star power, as Michelle Wie charmed the packed audience with her elegant, occasionally girlish, demeanour.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31183.jpg

The 20-year-old American is making her first appearance in this top-tier competition at Tanah Merah Country Club, in which only the 20 top-ranked golfers and the winners of official Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournaments are entitled to be among the playing field.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31184.jpg

And all eyes were on her lithe, 1.85m-tall frame as she sauntered first into the conference room, ahead of her illustrious peers.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31237.jpg

So much of her life was played out publicly, her back story so well-known amid the golf fraternity that most of the audience immediately recognised the tall, stately golfer, even though she was making her debut.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31236.jpg

This is the young woman who shot to stardom with her prodigious skills when she was just 13 years old; who gamely took on male golfers in her teen years; who suffered serious injury and confidence setbacks in her initial professional career; and who finally earned proper respect and admiration with her first professional win last year.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31238.jpg

Yes, Wie's current world No.9 ranking pales in comparison to the rankings of the formidable line-up at the conference.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31321.jpg

The past two HSBC champions were present: world No.1 Lorena Ochoa, who won in 2008, and defending champion Shin Ji Yai, who is world No.2.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31322.jpg

Wie's compatriot Cristie Kerr is no slouch either, with 12 career LPGA wins, including a Major victory in the 2007 US Open.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31323.jpg

Then, there is pint-sized Ai Miyazato of Japan.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31327.jpg

Prior to last week, the 1.55m-tall golfer, like Wie, had only one LPGA career win.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31330.jpg

But, in last week's Thailand Open, she shot a superb final-round 63 to clinch her second career title. Her world ranking also shot up from No.8 to No.4 this week.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31332.jpg

Yet, Wie managed to command the entire conference's attention whenever she spoke, punctuating her answers with girlish giggles along the way.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31334.jpg

She expressed her eagerness to do well and try to win this highly-competitive tournament on her first try.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31335.jpg

"I know only the top two golfers in the world have won it, and I hope I'm not too far back at No.9 to have a chance to win," she said.

"The competition's fierce, the course is fantastic and, hopefully, the weather will be equally good. I can't wait to start."

PHOTO:

Indeed, one could sense that, after the massive initial hype that surrounded her since her amateur days, she sounded humbled by the series of setbacks and controversies that dogged her when she turned professional in 2005.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31341.jpg

Her frequent forays into men's tournaments, usually on sponsors' invites owing to her star appeal, earned frowns among her fellow professionals.

A bad wrist injury also curtailed her performances, as she went without wins in the first three years of her pro career.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31190.jpg

But last year was a breakthrough as she won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in November, and she was a great team member during the United States' Solheim Cup win.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31191.jpg

She said: "It's really great just to spend more time with these players. They are really cool people. They are really great players and I feel like I've learnt a lot being around these players. You learn, you gain so much more experience."

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31192.jpg

"Hopefully, I can do a lot better this year. I'm just trying to have fun out here and to just try my best, no added pressure. Hopefully, the results will follow."

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31193.jpg

She smiled charmingly, rarely losing her trademark poise – except on one instance.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31194.jpg

When a reporter called her the "Tiger Woods of golf" and asked for her comments on the scandal that has engulfed the top male golfer in the world, she giggled and hid her face in mock embarrassment.

Then, she composed herself and gave a reply that her years under the media glare must have taught her.

"Unfortunately, I have no comment on this."

hankeong@sph.com.sg

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31336.jpg

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/PageImage/24022010102827/7693.jpg

HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn
Sauntered: 漫步 - màn bù
Slouch: 懒散 - lǎn sǎn
Forays: 尝试 - cháng shì
Poise: 沉着 - chén zhuó

MY PAPER, WEDNESDAY F E B R U A R Y 2 6 , 2 0 1 0, PAGE A1, NEWS
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MICHELLE WIE, THE TRAFFIC STOPPER

WHEREVER golf superstar Michelle Wie went yesterday at the HSBC Women’s Champions tournament, a large chunk of the 2,690-strong crowd at the Tanah Merah Country Club followed.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31179.jpg

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31180.jpg

The American undoubtedly attracted the most attention at the Garden Course. Everyone stopped and stared at the 20-year-old beauty, who was tipped to dominate women’s golf since she was 13.

PHOTO: http://static.divaasia.com/action/MediaImage/31176.jpg

While she showed glimpses of her best golf, she also suffered from inconsistency, as a mish-mash of birdies and bogeys eventually gave her an even-par 72 for the day.

PHOTO: PRETTY IN PINK: Michelle Wie, 20, delivered an inconsistent performance yesterday at the HSBC Women’s Champions tournament, but she still drew the crowds all the same.
(PHOTO: JAMIE KOH)
MY PAPER, WEDNESDAY F E B R U A R Y 2 6 , 2 0 1 0, PAGE A1, NEWS