Freida has never been happier since she moved to Boracay, having a front row seat to the beauty of creation and soulful encounters with interesting people. A month after she resigned from a magazine as managing editor, she knew exactly where to go, Boracay, to work at Mandala Spa – her perfect refuge. Her typical day starts at 7 a.m., when she enjoys the morning with a cup of coffee and a chorus of birds that sing along with her Bach CD. She spends the whole day at the spa (her workplace!) and practices her
ashtanga yoga, followed by a hearty vegetarian lunch. She pauses from work to enjoy the sunset and meet her friends for dinner and dancing. Her lifestyle changed in every way imaginable from wardrobe, diet, relationships, name it. Her wardrobe has shrunk drastically to yoga wear, jeans and tanks, flip-flops. She also fancies tunic Indian silk clothing, tunic dresses and vintage finds, not to mention a lot of bikinis. Living in a more peaceful environment allows her to shed the unnecessary elements and focus on what is real. Now, she chooses to live simply and fully and that’s why she plans to live in Boracay forever.
In Boracay, one cannot miss Tanya, mostly known for managing her boutique, Mundi (Latin for "of the world"), which carries pieces from Asia at D’Mall D’Boracay and local designers from the island and Manila. She is often seen on the beachfront of Hey Jude perfecting her tan while cheering on the boys playing football or ultimate frisbee. This former tv and print ad model chose to move to Boracay three years ago to open a store and become a jewelry maker. She has a great flair for fashion as she parades on the sand wearing white and funky colored swimsuits, making her look like she came out of a ’60s or ’70s movie. As soon as she set foot on the island, she decided to just let go of all inhibitions and left the excess baggage of her life at the airport. Today, her days are spent enjoying the beach with a good book or getting lost in her writings with good music in the background.
Cheese is a familiar face among Nami regulars as she has been managing the resort for three years now. Compared to others who spend every single day on the island, she visits her resort once a month to check on the menu and update the facilities. She is addicted to Boracay’s peace and quiet and mentions that her greatest memories of the island are of fireflies, moonrises and soft waves tapping the shore. When everyone else is on holiday in the island, she has to constantly remind herself that she is there for work and on a different schedule. Her sense of style is classic rather than trendy. She prefers to have items in her closet that will never go out of style, like variations of a crisp white cotton tailored men’s shirt and chiffon blouses. Her closet is also filled with bags and accessories from the shop at Nami. Her interest in fashion is obvious as she dreams to have boutique resorts all over the country so she can have many more "homes" aside from Bora.
Joanna has been living in the island for six months, working as operations manager for Boracay Regency Hotel. This Bora neophyte is yet to explore more about the place as she is busy entertaining guests and has not yet seen Boracay’s entire beauty. Not much of a party girl, this sweet and demure young woman chooses more conservative swimsuits and prefers pastel colors. Her charming smile and pretty face are enough to catch her guests’ attention. She says it didn’t take much for her to adjust to the lifestyle in Bora. We have yet to see, however, how she is going to change after years of living there as she plans to live in the island for as long as possible.
