Eat, Pray, Shop

I don’t believe Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the best-selling book Eat, Pray, Love, anticipated the success and acclaim her book would receive or imagined that the book would be turned into a movie, with no less than Julia Roberts playing the starring role. But Eat, Pray, Love is a book, a movie and much more; Ms. Gilbert put into writing what many women probably feel but are shy to express or afraid to reveal. She put a name and a face to a subject that is taboo in countries like the Philippines — a subject called divorce. More importantly, she took women along on her journey of self-discovery and made us feel that great things are possible even after the disappointment of a failed marriage.

Her book has spawned “Eat, Pray, Love” tours in Italy, India and Indonesia, taking people to the places where she ate gelato and pizza, the ashram where she went to meditate and the rice paddies where she took her solitary bikes rides. She has inspired many women to take similar journeys to overcome a sense of defeat and loneliness and discover the joys of living.

I recently went on my own mini-version of an “Eat, Pray, Love” trip not by choice but rather by luck; although my trip was work-related and not prompted by a divorce, it gave me a chance to discover and be reminded of certain things in life. I didn’t find romantic love as Ms. Gilbert did since I wasn’t searching for that (thus the change of the word “love” to “shop” in my title); mine was a three-day trip with a group of women to two cities in one country, not the transcontinental, year-long travel that Ms. Gilbert took solo.

So why am I making parallels with her life story and my brief, jam-packed three-day trip to Japan? Simple. I realized that it isn’t about the circumstance, not about the distance or amount of time you travel, there are certain trips that liberate you, rejuvenate you and encourage you to become a better person to yourself and others; this was that sort of trip.

Perfect Timing

I didn’t really have time to plan for this unexpected trip; all I did was say yes, pick up my ticket and go to the airport a few days later. I was particularly exhausted when the offer to travel to Nagoya and Kyoto came because I was in the process of moving to our own home, opening a new store and preparing our kids for the start of school. Honestly, I didn’t think twice about leaving so much behind; all I could think of was three days away from the madness! I didn’t stop to consider the brutal schedule either, trying to pack so much activity into a three-day trip, nor the fact that I was traveling with complete strangers; all my mind and body (including my daughter) was saying, was “Go.”

I have not gone on a solo trip purely for fun and relaxation for over 10 years; the last time I did, I was in a similar situation: exhausted and overwhelmed. I can still remember how great it was meeting up with friends, waking up at no particular time, eating leisurely and shopping guiltlessly. I enjoyed the quiet of my own company and the noise of the company of others, no moment wasted; truthfully, I didn’t even begin to miss my family until the second week of a three-week sabbatical.

So there I was a week ago at the airport lounge at 5:30 a.m., tired but excited, waiting to meet the rest of the group flying with me to Nagoya and wondering how this trip was going to turn out.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Professionals (Plus One)

I have traveled with groups before but this was the first time with people I didn’t know. At the airport lounge, Luanne Wenceslao, our host from Delta Airlines, introduced me to the women in the group; there were brief exchanges but nothing else because we were still all sleepy.

I slept for most of the flight and after three and a half hours, we found ourselves in Nagoya; there was more interaction among the women after we landed and I got a closer and longer look at everyone’s faces while we were waiting for our luggage. Whatever inhibitions, awkwardness, apprehensions or preconceived ideas anyone had about each other for that trip all flew out of the window the minute we hopped on the bus. Right then, I knew I was in for a fabulous time.

Seven of the women worked in travel agencies, two came from the airline industry and I was the outsider. Dorothy Lauron-Aytona, who provided much of the comic relief (along with myself, Erika Shibamura and Joie Alberto-Castro ) during the whole trip, immediately showed her funny side on the bus ride from the airport. I told her she should have been in the entertainment business because she could definitely give Pokwang a run for her money. Joie, who was good friends with Dorothy, was the miron, always egging on her BFF and delivering her own witty punch lines. Between Erika (who is Japanese) and I and our Nippongo, we cracked them up with our actuations, exchanges and banter in Japanese. Our Japanese guide Kyoko, conservative as she was, couldn’t help laughing herself. Even MaryAnn Mallari, “the girl with the blue scarf,” broke into hysterical laughter when we launched a “controversial” discussion on sumo wrestlers, their fundoshis (barely-there wrestling costumes), unmanly hairstyles and bathing habits. “She’s alive,” I exclaimed in the bus on the way to Kyoto. Rowena Quintela, the one with the kawaii (cute) face and the giggle of a little girl, didn’t know what she was getting into when she revealed her scheduled side trip to their Tokyo office to take the Shinkansen (for the first time!) the day after at 6:30 a.m. We immediately peppered her with questions: “Won’t you get lost?” “Will you be able to wake up on time?” “Have you prepared your speech already?” Someone suggested she just head straight for the Nagoya station from Kyoto and sleep there just to make sure she got on the train at which point we all laughed. We talked her into practicing her speech in the bus in front of us and as soon as she started her speech with “Konnichiwa” followed by her infectious giggle, we all looked at each other and laughed even harder! We laughed until we cried; to this day I don’t know if she made it to Tokyo.

It was pretty much like this the rest of the trip. We managed to find humor in just about everything, we made fun of each other, we made fun of ourselves and everyone got along wonderfully; there were no prima donnas, no killjoys and no prudes to ruin any moment. We were all in “chillax” mode, despite the 37-degree humid, sweltering heat!

It is amazing how simple things can bring much joy to women who barely know each other; we were all different in many ways yet we found pleasure in the same things. We all loved to eat, we all loved to sightsee and most of all, we all loved to shop.

We passed around and munched on Japanese sembei (rice crackers) and potato chips inside the bus. I gave them tips on which types of Japanese snacks to buy; before the trip ended they all trooped to the Japanese grocery to buy the same snacks I usually bring back to Manila. We ate soft ice cream at some rest stops, drank fresh cappuccino from a vending machine and ate chocolate for our sugar cravings. On our second night, the 10 of us went to the Nagoya Station Restaurant floor and had a sumptuous dinner. Between sips of miso soup and bites of ebi tempura, unagi, tonkatsu, udon and sticky Japanese rice, Dorothy, our erstwhile entertainer, launched into an “interrogation” regarding men, diet and sex; the two single ladies in our group nearly choked on their udon when Dorothy asked them pointedly if they were still virgins! Thank goodness we were in a private room because we were laughing our lungs out!

What’s a trip without sightseeing? In Nagoya, we saw a castle, a museum, a temple and a porcelain outlet. In Kyoto we visited pavilions, shrines, temples and another castle. While none of us are Buddhist, we followed their rituals; we washed our hands and wiped our mouths at the stone well before proceeding to the main temple. We clapped our hands and bowed our heads, threw coins and said our prayers in silence like the rest of the Japanese visiting that day.

After seeing our share of sacred places, we switched gears and headed for Aeon and Aso Shotengai where Komehyo is for some serious shopping; of course, along the way, most of the girls bought souvenirs to give away. At Aeon, we all rushed to Uniqlo and found some great bargains; I bought several tops and a cardigan, priced between P250 and P800. MaryAnn, Majah Mallari, Rowena, Francia Ibuig, Dorothy, Joie and Irene Raza got dresses, shorts, T-shirts and girlie tops; we were all happy to find our sizes at Uniqlo. Erika bought boots at ABC Mart and at the pharmacy, Luanne, Majah and Dorothy bought makeup and eyelash curlers for pasalubong. At Komehyo, the second-hand department store for luxury goods, we all split up looking for different things. Four of the girls bought bags, two bought Louis Vuittons and one bought a Prada for half of the original price. I saw a pair of Jimmy Choo peep-toe stilettos at Takashimaya Department Store at 70 percent off, but sadly they didn’t have my size.

There was no stopping us! At the airport before and after check-in, we bought Royce chocolates, more clothes and makeup, trying to maximize the 46 kilos we were each given as baggage allowance.

Lasting Impressions

Three of us were in our 40s, one in her 50s, the rest were in their 30s; most of us are married, some are just wives while the others are mothers of teenagers and one has a toddler. One was separated and two were single but at the end of the three days, none of these statistics seemed to matter.

While I wouldn’t readily recommend that any woman travel with strangers, if you have the chance and are assured of your safety, take an “Eat, Pray, Love” kind of trip; removing yourself from your comfort zone and away from the predictable can be a wonderful, cathartic experience. What did I take home from this brief trip?

• I learned that I could actually be very funny, poke fun at myself and make people laugh. Truly, laughter is the best medicine.

• I learned that traveling with strangers can refresh, liberate and comfort you; you can let your hair down, leave any emotional baggage behind and have a great time.

• I was reminded that there is no room for being selfish and self-centered, that you cannot always get what you want and that’s okay.

• I was reminded that there is beauty and kindness in everyone, no matter what age, profession or social status.

• I was reminded of the joy of discovering the unexpected, being pleasantly surprised and grateful for the littlest things.

• I was reminded that there is always a lesson to be learned from others.

• I realized that we all need a similar kind of trip, not just to get over a divorce but to recharge and regroup, to be humbled and grateful, to have fun and be a woman, to be a better person, single or otherwise. Generally, it’s just good for the body and soul.

To the ladies from the trip, thank you for an awesome experience; I would do it again with all of you anytime, in any part of the world.

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Delta Airlines flies five times a week to Nagoya (except Thursdays and Fridays) and daily to Narita with connections to various hubs and gateways in the US like Seattle, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York and Portland to name a few. The tickets can be applied to earn miles and with the merging of Delta and Northwest Airlines, Skymiles, the world’s largest loyalty program, allows you to travel to 350 destinations in 60 countries in six continents.

Tickets can be purchased through Delta Reservations at 841-8800, at Delta Airlines website (www.delta.com) or through your favorite travel agent.