One Partly Cloudy Afternoon After Work

The girls and I went to the lovely town of Los Banos just next to the city where we worked, for an afternoon of R & R. It had been a year since we had one together, so an anniversary of sorts is in order. Three of us actually live there, so it wasn’t far away at all. I find the town quite special myself, since the huge campus of UPLB is located here, where Noy and I spent time together doing a botany project, and where we got to know each other more for the first time.

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The V-Lounge is located just along the street leading to the University of the Philippines Los Banos. It’s a simple cozy place with lots of attendants, so we got to have everything done at the same time – in other words we were like having a spa party! At php400 person, one gets to have a hand spa, foot spa, and an hour-long body massage - quite a steal, huh? And I’m happy to report that none of those services failed to satisfy.

The hand spa started off a little rough for me, but experience tells me that what is “light” for others is always still “heavy” for me, so that’s forgivable. So when I told the lady, to make the scrubbing and kneading lighter, she was just like soaping me. LOL! But it worked. My hands were soft and supple afterwards.

I almost did not notice the foot spa happening since I was so into the article on Sense and Style that I was reading. I remember the soak being warm and bubbly and nice, and my feet felt really happy afterwards – no more bumps and cracks, just happy soft minty cool skin.

Now here’s the tricky part – the body massage. I’ve had a number of bad experiences with this – lousy massage, very hard massage despite the warning that I only go for the “very light”, attendants that make “chismis” while massaging, bad oil – the list goes on. This one I dare say is almost like Relaksasi’s as far as the style of strokes is concerned. Of course, the place would need a lot more sprucing up, but the attendants definitely need training on finesse and proper behavior. They weren’t harsh or bastos or anything – they just need, you know…finesse. Some points at hand – using a softer voice, more appropriate words, softer hands and slower moves.

Overall, V Lounge kind of exceeded my expectations. So yes, I might come back and even bring the hubby along. Hey, it IS affordable. And did I say their ginger tea was superb?

Walking a little more towards UPLB, we sat for snacks at Café Antonio, a cute little coffee place bustling with noisy students. I didn’t mind because they were talking intelligent things. The drink list is quite extensive for such a small space. We tried both hot & cold espresso mixes, and everything seemed okay. Nothing spectacular, but nothing was disappointing either. It’s good enough to either warm up or cooling down those degree-thirsty student stomachs. The price is kind on the pocket, too.

As for the five of us – well, there was fun. There was good relaxation. There was good coffee. But most of all, there was a rekindling of bonds. I can’t believe I already spent a year with these pretty and wonderful girls. I guess I’m having a lot of fun!