Steff in Wonderland

  

“Steff in Wonderland”

Sun.Star Davao, June 22, 2014

With her desire to escape from reality even just for a night, Steffani Czanelle Cruz Go especially handpicked “Alice in Wonderland” as the whimsical theme of her recent 18^th birthday celebration.

            “Let’s face it; the real world can be dull, harsh and ugly. In Wonderland, however, life is full of imagination, color, beauty and laughter. Even though Wonderland is a place full of nonsense, it is sensible to say that without it, life would lose its heart and “much-ness”, shares Steff, who is a 2^nd year AB Psychology student at the Ateneo de Manila University.

For Steff, “Alice in Wonderland” is about growing up and, to survive in such a world, change is always constant.

“Like Alice, I, too have changed. My debut signals my transition to the challenging yet exciting world of adulthood. This milestone marks a beginning in which the state of my thinking is filled with new strength and maturity while maintaining parts of my childlike behavior”, declares the unica hija of lovely couple Tyrone and Aireen Go.

Quirky tea party

Steff’s Alice-inspired scroll invitation, handmade with loving care by Crafter’s Haven, was accentuated with a golden key to depict the key to Wonderland.

            As guests arrived at the Davao Convention Center on Steff’s birthday, their eyes feasted on the splashes of vibrant colors. The eccentric rabbit hole entrance was inspired by the Lotus Garden and creatively draped with oversized playing cards as well as lopsided signs that said, 'This way wrong way, tea party'.

Veejay Salonga of Decoratives of Janna and Hercs marvelously filled the party venue with amusing and quirky touches highlighting the Mad Hatter tea party theme.

There were gargantuan playing cards on the walls, clocks, garden flowers, mushrooms, fruits and various tea sets for the fabulous tea party. Each guest table showcased a giant mushroom, garden lamp post, frames, cards, teacups, clock, key, books and well-loved quotes from the beloved tale.

            On the other hand, the majestic backdrop drew inspiration from the rabbit hole, the portal to Alice’s amazing adventure, with its mismatched and playful elements.

Sweet and elegant

            Steff’s tiffany blue-tiered ball gown by renowned designer Erwin Lee Tan of K Davao was fully encrusted with crystals, stones, and beads. The breathtaking gown had a semi-halter neckline which matched the sweet personality of the debutante.

            “Even though my debut denotes that I am now a grown and mature lady, I felt like a young girl full of curiosity with my poufy blue dress. I loved how the cut and style of my dress along with the arrangement of the stones, made me feel that I was aging with elegance and grace”, smiles Steff.

            The ball gown transformed into a short cocktail dress without the bouffant skirt after Steff made a quick change during the party. “It was truly a gown that transported the wearer into Wonderland!”, describes the designer.

Otoi Mercado, Steff’s longtime makeup artist in all of her milestones as a teen, made his muse picture perfect with peach-blushed cheeks, nude lips, and her hair curled and gathered at the side.

Edible masterpiece

            Each layer of Steff’s birthday cake by Marjory Pang of Icing on the Cake was meticulously chosen by the birthday girl to represent different articles from Alice in Wonderland.

            As with the story, there was the checkered floor and the tiny door that can only be opened by the golden key leading to the beautiful garden bedecked with huge mushrooms.

            “The cake also had the Queen of Hearts who is the main antagonist of Alice’s adventures in Wonderland but I would rather want it to represent the people around me who have good hearts; the Mad Hatter’s hat which symbolizes all the “madness” of the world (both good and bad); the pocket watch of the white rabbit which signifies the importance of time and how we should live each second; and the teapot that stands for celebration and fellowship with the ones we love”, Steff details.

            Lastly, the top layer had the white rabbit which Steff describes as the one which navigates Alice. “For me, the rabbit symbolizes the guidance we get from God, our True Navigator, and our loved ones in our adventures throughout our life”, says Steff.

            “All these elements were made of sugar, each carefully molded to perfection to create a fun and colorful Alice in Wonderland edible masterpiece”, she shares.

Breakaway

            Steff’s special guests for her debut were her dearest friends, relatives, godparents and mentors from Davao Christian High School and Stella Maris Academy of Davao where she excelled academically and spent her high school and grade school years, respectively.

            In their personal messages and tributes during the 18 Roses, Blessings, Candles and Teacups, almost everybody had nothing but good words for the kind-hearted and fashionable Steff who has been such a blessing to many.

            More surprises came when her co-resident students from Ateneo de Manila University as well as close friends John Christopher Pontillas, Juan Daray and Moses Cam performed their song numbers.

            Even Steff’s only brother Kyle elicited a shocked expression from the debutante when in the middle of singing his song, “A Whole New World”, Steff’s seven-year-old voice crooning the same song magically played along his brother’s ala duet.  You can hear the ‘oohs’ and the ‘aahs’ of the guests who were also caught up in the moment, feeling and appreciating the close bond of the family.

         Capping the magical night was the debutante’s impromptu and heartfelt thank you speech to the guests, followed by Steff’s soulful rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway” hit while she expertly played the ukulele.

As I listened intently to the lyrics, the catchy song was indeed a very apt choice for this young lady who is now more than ready to spread her wings at 18.

            “I’ll spread my wings and I’ll learn how to fly

             I’ll do what it takes till I touch the sky

             And I’ll make a wish

            Take a chance

            Make a change

            And breakaway”—Kelly Clarkson, “Breakaway”

A million thanks to ace photographer Marlon Advincula for sharing Steff’s pre-debut and party photos.

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.

22nd Eye Level Literature Award

22ND EYE LEVEL LITERATURE AWARD

Calling all aspiring writers and young illustrators! It's competition time once again!

Eye Level reaches out to the world in discovering new breed of writers and literary talents with the annual Eye Level Literature Awards.

Now on its 22nd year, the contest aims to promote the love of reading to kids of all cultures, regardless of boundaries and nations through finding story tellers of written and visual language.

CONTEST CATEGORIES

1. Illustrated Category (Children)

a. Kindergarten: drawing with short story

Any kindergarten students enrolled in a private school both Eye Level and non-Eye Level students.

b. Elementary: drawing with short story narrative about “My Dream”

Any elementary school students (Grade 1 – Grade 6) enrolled in a private school (both Eye Level and non-Eye Level students)

2. Short Story Category (Adults)

-Filipino Citizen, 18 years old and above.

-The theme is open and free to the desire of the author/artist provided that it is suitable to readers ages 12 and below.

-The entry must be an original work of the author/artist, written in English and contains significant moral values.

For the detailed mechanics of the competition, please feel free to visit www.myeyelevel.com . You may call Eye Level (E.nopi) Davao Jacinto Ext. Center at 300-2134.

Submission of entries is from July 1- August 31, 2014 only.

So what are you waiting for? Join now and spread the word to your friends and colleagues!

Loco over Lego

   

 

“Loco over LEGO”

Sun.Star Davao, June 7, 2014

Summer is officially over but our recent vacation at LEGOLAND Malaysia still brings back fond memories with the whole family.

            

After arriving in Singapore via Silk Air, we immediately rode our rented van to Johor Bahru, Malaysia which was just an hour away from the airport.

Sleepy and tired from hours of air and land travel in just a day, our kids automatically took their naps while on the road, only to be awakened during immigration and customs check. 

We had to personally bring all of our pieces of luggage and check through the agencies which were located a floor up from the ground, all without the use of luggage carts as none were available.  This was quite a tedious process for our party of ten with ages ranging from 3 to 72.

The kids’ weariness wore off instantly though the moment we arrived at our destination.  Hallelujah! It was the LEGOLAND Resort after all, our fantastic home in Johor Bahru for two incredible nights.

Everything is awesome!       

The four-star LEGOLAND Hotel, which opened late last year, has 249 spectacular rooms with pirate, kingdom and adventure themes, truly a kid’s version of Shangrila (not-so-young folks are in on it too – though still an “in the closet thing” for some).  

The hotel’s lobby is a jaw-dropping spectacle with full-scale LEGO medieval castle, pirate ship and single-engine Cessna-type plane assaulting all senses when guests first enter. Like kids let loose in a candy store, we dug into countless LEGO and Duplo bricks, models and mini figurines enthusiastically assembling them in every nook and cranny, getting lost in the moment, almost forgetting to check-in.

An X-Box 360 video console and more unlimited bricks for playing were strategically situated across the hotel’s buffet restaurant, aptly-named “Bricks Family Restaurant”.  Inside the resto, the adorable bricks continued to amaze us as these were artfully assembled into striking life-sized LEGO bakers and utensils.

And the cuteness continued as disco-themed elevators opened up for us with songs from the past such as “Dancing Queen”, and with disco lights going round and round above us. It was such a treat to see the younger kids dancing merrily to the music each time we rode the lifts.

Adventure awaits

From nostalgia and getting it all in our heads, we were excited and impressed to find out that our superb travel agent Ivy Tan of Frontier Travel and Tours booked us a premium adventure-themed room for our stay, with a bunk bed and king-sized bed for our family of four.

           

Being able to sleep in a LEGO-themed bunk bed (with a pull-out trundle bed) was a dream come true for my daughters and their three younger cousins. My brother’s room and ours were beside each other so the kids happily transferred from one room to another carrying with them boxes of Duplo bricks generously provided in the room.

The adults, on the other hand, felt like royalty with their king-sized canopy beds. Each part of the room had its own flat screen TV.

           

From the beds, walls, carpets, beddings, and comfort rooms (which had two separate sinks and mirrors, one for adults and another mini version for kids), everything was tastefully LEGO. Why, I wouldn’t mind staying in the room for a whole day!

A treasure box in the corner of the room intrigued the kids. There were four questions on a sheet of paper which they had to answer. All clues could be found inside the room. After much investigation, the mystery digits were unraveled and the code was finally broken. The kids shouted with glee when they found that there were three sets of LEGO toys inside the treasure box for them to take home!

           

As we turned in for the night, I am sure the kids were in LEGO dreamland, and it was definitely…awesome!

LEGOLAND Park

On a bright and sunny morning the next day, after our sumptuous buffet breakfast, we set off to conquer LEGOLAND Park, just 50 steps away from the hotel. Because we were in-house guests of the hotel, we had the privilege of going inside the park by 9:30 a.m., 30 minutes earlier than the other park guests.

LEGOLAND Park offers several themed areas of attractions. They included the Beginning, LEGO Technic, LEGO Kingdoms, Imagination, LEGO City, Land of Adventure and Miniland.

Whether one just wants to create and build LEGO structures, watch 4-D shows, marvel at the mini Asian landmarks or ride roller coasters, each remarkable attraction brought out the kid in us all. How do I know this? My husband who really doesn’t like posing for snaps as much as the rest of the family just could not stop himself from requesting me to take his photos, of course along with some of the LEGO life-sized figures which were placed all over the park. He was finally caving in to his LEGO nostalgia, ambling like a kid lost in Willie Wonka’s factory.

We were warned by friends who have been to LEGOLAND Malaysia that it was scorching hot at the park. So, we came extra prepared with sunblock, hats, sunglasses, shawls and umbrellas.

Water fun

By 4:30 p.m., we decided to transfer to LEGOLAND Water Park just beside the park. It had a wave pool, over 20 slides and more than 70 LEGO models.

After depositing our things at the park’s locker, equipped with a high-tech finger scanner, we made the most of the time left trying out some thrilling slides. Being the designated “nanny” of the kids that afternoon, I had to look after them at the Joker Soaker area where they had tons of water adventure. At the novel Build-A-Raft play area, the children creatively customized their rafts using LEGO soft bricks before floating away along a river of refreshing cold water.

Before we knew it, the park staff reminded us that the Water Park would be closing its doors at 6:00 p.m.

Gathering our things from the locker, we showered and changed and hurried back to Bricks where my brother would be celebrating his birthday dinner---an action-filled and packed day it was!

As I watched the LEGOLAND Hotel staff sing a surprise birthday song (complete with a birthday cake) and as the day was winding down, I could not help but feel the moment and reminisced how my once little brother used to go loco over LEGO more than thirty years ago.

That’s the endearing power of LEGO.

Those tiny bricks of magic truly transcended generations of creative builders and will surely continue to do so for more years to come!

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.