The Block NKOTB Album Review

Ok...ok...I admit it. I used to be a huge NKOTB fan. I lined up to watch their show. I have all their albums and I lost my Joe McIntyre doll. =) My favorite NKOTB members were Jonathan Knight and Joe McIntyre. 

Two days ago, my beloved hubby surprised me with a copy of their new album entitled The Block. As a huge NKOTB fan, I was quite surprised with the sound of The Block. The songs sounded very modern. The obvious genre is R&B. This is probably the work of Donnie Wahlberg who was one of the executive producers. At first listen, I was really taken aback by the songs. I felt that I couldn't relate. Somehow I can't seem to veer away from the image of 30 and 40-somethings singing hiphop.

After the second, third and nth listen, though, I can say that the album is not bad. The songs sounded fresh and their gamble may actually work in making NKOTB relevant once again. Although I missed the beautiful ballads (the strongest selling point of the band, in my opinion), I still liked their mid-tempo songs especially 2 in the Morning and Click, Click, Click. Stare at You sounded very much like their old ballads but somehow this song did not speak to me. I was a bit appalled by the simplistic and forced rhyming lyrics of Close to You. As for the faster songs, my favorites are Single and Grown Man. Single will be a great follow-up single to Summertime--a song that reminded me of NKOTB circa Step by Step. Still, I am glad NKOTB is back. It's great to revisit old favorites and discover something new about them.

Twilight-Inspired Polyvore Sets

Edward's Bella



Jacob's Bella

Nurture Spa: An Exhilarating Experience

 I was blessed to have the opportunity to visit Nurture Spa Tagaytay last weekend. Aside from the stress-relieving massage treatment, I was able to meet the spa owner Mr. Michael Turvill. We discussed the business of wellness and I discovered the best definition of wellness I encountered. Turvill expressed that when hospitals go down and spas go up, wellness is the middle way. He further expressed that many hospitals are starting to offer spa services for healing and prevention. Turvill, a doctor of organic chemistry, also started Spa Essentials, a line of aromatherapy oils and other spa supplies exclusively available at Watsons. They also supply hotel chains such as Shangri-la, Mandarin Oriental, Hyatt and Hilton. The Spa Essentials line won the 2007 Watsons’ Health and Wellness Award but I digress…

Back to my Nurture Spa experience…

The warm sounds of Filipino instruments welcomed the guests when we arrived. In the simple yet inviting reception area, we were provided with the spa menu from which to choose our treatments. We were also given tea to sip as we chose our treatments. From the menu and posters, I already saw the main uniqueness of Nurture Spa. They offer Filipino-themed massages including treatments like Lunas (Healing), Magsing-Irog (Couples), Aruga (Care) and Payapa (Peace). I chose to have the Aruga body massage (PhP1,400, 1 hour) and the Dilag facial massage (PhP600, 30 minutes). Nurture Spaalso offers foot massages, body scrubs, hilot (healing), body wraps and other treatments.

Before our treatments, we had a simple snack of mango suman with hot chocolate. This snack may be considered heavy before a spa treatment but it hit the spot after a 1.5 hours journey from Quezon City to Tagaytay. I would say that the mango suman is a Filipino twist to the traditional Thai dessert mangos with sticky rice. This Filipino version is excellent because it was not too sweet (no coconut cream). The natural sweetness of the mango shined through. To help us digest the snack, we chatted and walked around Nurture Spa for about an hour before starting our treatments.

My massage therapist offered me a chance to bathe before the treatment. This is because bathing is discouraged after the massage. She provided me with soap, shampoo and a towel and discretely left the massage room. I had my massage with another friend and we shared a room with 2 massage beds. The room was open-air with a great view of the outdoors.  

Still, the room is discrete enough (curtains are available) so I did not have to worry about indecent exposure.

My massage, Aruga (Care), is a 1-hour signature massage using the Tranquility Massage Oil which is a blend of benzoin, cedarwood and grapefruit essential oils. The massage is designed to relieve anxiety and tension and provide a sense of calm and relaxation. The massage therapist was conscientious enough to inquire about my preferred massage pressure. pressure. I would say that since my back is the most stress-out part of my body, I could literally hear the tension as she massaged my back. I felt some pain but I understood that some pain is involved in massages. The next day, I could still feel some of the pain but by Tuesday, I felt quite energetic. For the Dilag facial massage, the therapist used honey to cleanse my face before she massaged it. She ended the massage by applying a moisturizer. Check out my after-photo with the owner. Don’t I look refreshed? I think my face looked smoother and clearer than usual. =)

A hearty lunch followed my treatments at Nurture Spa. Their Aruga café offers a choice of healthy and hearty meals. Since I am not on a diet and my vacation was officially starting, I opted for the Rib Eye de Vin Grilled

Rib Steak with Caramelized Onions in Red Wine Sauce. The meal started with a light and refreshing salad served with the Nurture Spa signature oriental dressing.

We also had the Nurture vegetarian spring

rolls and cucumber soup. My entrée was perfectly seasoned and the red wine sauce was superb. I truly enjoyed the lunch. I would have preferred mashedpotatoes with my steak, though. It was served withrice. Still, the rice was well-cooked. The meal ended with small slices of carrot cake and mango cake. Thedrink they served was very interesting to me. It was a carrot-dalandan (Filipino Lime) juice. The refreshing flavor of dalandan was delivered in a nutritious drink with carrot bits. Visit my Nurture Spa Tagaytay photo albumfor more pictures of my Nurture Spa Experience.

My experience at Nurture Spa, I would say, exceeded my expectations. I plan to take my husband there for our next anniversary. The Ifugao Rooms available for overnight stays are so romantic! I was surprised to discover that the spa has been there for 6 years now. How come I have not heard of this haven close to the metro? For your next out-of-town

trip, I suggest you visit Nurture Spa. You may contact their sales office at the following phone numbers (+632) 839-2196, (+632) 838-3646, (+632) 838-0073 and email at info@nurture.com.ph.