Love, travel and time

Love makes the world go round and when expat Sly Samonte met sweet, Thai-born Aimmie Paritpokee in their Unilever Singapore head office, he knew almost immediately that she was the one.

Hearing the couple’s beautiful story of how this religious, passionate and committed young man pursued his love, and how the bride converted to Catholicism on Easter Sunday, made me aware that God works in many ways. There were two wedding ceremonies in Bangkok and Manila that had family, close friends and associates show up en masse to make sure they would be witnessing the couple’s union with joy and happiness.

In Bangkok, the Buddhist ceremony lasted for seven hours with a reception at Mandarin Oriental.  In Manila, the Catholic rites were at Santuario de San Antonio and the wedding party was held at the Dusit Thani Manila’s Ballroom, which was awash in Tiffany blue, a very complimentary color for most Asians. Aimmie’s Vera Wang couture bridal gown was a perfect fit for her petite, delicate frame.

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Bridal family:  Sirion, Nara and Sinit Paritpokee

Travelife magazine, the Philippines’ leading travel and lifestyle magazine, celebrated its fourth-year anniversary with a grand culinary event, “Travelife Italy Night” with Margarita Fores.  The country’s best and most distinguished personalities in the fields of tourism, diplomatic affairs, business and media celebrated a love for travel, culture and, of course, food. Publisher Christine Cunanan welcomed the guests and shared the amazing story of the magazine’s beginnings. Manila’s queen of cuisine Gaita Fores prepared a most delectable dinner of authentic Italian fare with two of the presidential daughters in attendance: Luli Arroyo and Pinky Aquino.  The nine-course degustation was absolutely divine and just remembering the meal makes me gain an inch in the wrong places.  

With the diplomatic community in full attendance, one could have had a major United Nations meeting that evening with the presence of ambassadors and honorary consuls from over 35 countries.  “This has been a true labor of love and creativity,” Cunanan said. “We intend to be the only magazine that writes about travel and truly brings travel to our readers.”

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The launch of Lucerne’s newest store, Le Temps at the Resorts World, featured David Coulthard, TW Steel’s brand ambassador, as he also launched his special-edition watch.  “I’m thoroughly enjoying working as an ambassador so I guess it was only natural that the next step was to produce a watch together,” said Coulthard. “I think the end result is certainly one that maintains TW Steel’s bold appeal while it perfectly reflects my own appreciation for subtle yet distinctive styling.”

The groom’s mother Penny Sibal with sisters Lynda and Bing Sibal Limjoco

As functional as it is stylish, the timepiece perfectly captures his passion for detail while offering a bold, sophisticated look that captures the high-end lifestyle associations that come from his involvement in one of the world’s most glamorous and appealing sports.

The family-owned Dutch brand is known for its distinctive, oversized watches whose sharp engineering is built to Swiss perfection. Starting out in 2005 with a simple four-model collection, its popularity soon grew under the tutelage of its astute CEO and co-owner, Jordy Cobelens, and has expanded over the years into becoming an international breakout lifestyle brand.