Cruisin’ with Mother Lily

All work and no play makes Jane a dull girl.

Taking a cue from that oft-quoted line (actually, a gentle reminder for hyper-busy people who seldom, if ever, take time out to, you know, smell the flowers), Regal Matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde decided to recharge herself far, far from the madding crowd.

She took a three-week cruise aboard the Holland-American Liner together with daughter Meme Monteverde-Tan, the same luxury liner that brought them on a Baltic Cruise last year.

“It’s a dream cruise,” said Meme. “There were almost 2,000 of us, most of them foreigners…a very refined crowd. Only 25 percent were Filipinos.”

The liner offers all the amenities you can think of: A fitness center, a theater, a casino, tennis court, swimming pool, fine-dining resto, convenience store and a viewing deck where you can listen to yourself think under starry skies with the gentle sound of little waves as background.

“And there’s Mass every morning,” added Mother Lily who was billeted in a suite with Meme.

The liner made stops in New Zealand, docking for six days, thus giving the cruisers more than enough time to see the sights of Oakland and other places. The next stop is Sydney for three days and that’s where Mother Lily had fun having herself photographed with “virtual reality” as backdrop (check out pictures on this page).

Back home still sporting healthy rosy cheeks, the recharged Regal Matriarch buckled down to the usual business — yes, of drumming up for her company’s Metro Filmfest entry, Shake, Rattle & Roll 14: The Invasion, all three episodes of which were for the first time directed by only one person, Chito Roño (who described himself as a “first-time shaker”).

At least, she knows how to relax. What are you working hard for, working to death, and not enjoy the fruits of your hard labor?

Take a cue from Mother Lily!

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