Asian adventure
MANILA, Philippines - It’s too good to be true—does that thought ever cross your mind while flipping through the expertly shot photos in a travel magazine or while watching a cookie cutter travel show with a host exclaiming how beautiful a place is? When media proffers such perfection, is the traveler’s high expectation to blame when Paris Syndrome hits?
The world is beautiful, that’s a fact, but beauty isn’t limited to a view of a glistening beach beckoning us to take a dip. Each place holds a special energy and personality that is seen old, new, glam and grit come together to create a city’s texture. And as the world looks to Asia —and I’m not just referring to economic concerns — its emerging cities are getting ready to embrace the spotlight.
These places are the ones travel host Anita Kapoor comes to discover in her new show Go Asia with Anita Kapoor. We speak to her about life as a former editor, her travel strategy, and the fulfilling experience of revisiting Asia’s most exciting cities, Manila included, of course.
As a travel host, how much do you take from your editorial experience at Elle and Harper’s Bazaar?
Anita Kapoor: Being an editor of a lifestyle title was probably some of the best training I’ve received. As editors, we curate all the time, we have to figure out really fast what’s the [latest] trend or how these five things go together — all those things come up in travel shows as well. When you land in a country, you do a lot of research and the rest is up to the moment and the synergy between you and the person. Editorial work is so much like that. I have a big place in my heart for Elle; it’s the place where I grew up.
There are so many travel shows on air, what makes Go Asia so different?
Discovery’s new production team wanted to do a contemporary show on Asia. We wanted to find out what people were doing and how they are imagining the world now that region is becoming so prosperous. We discovered that there was a very happy balance between the old and the new. Usually, shows on Asia either focus on the traditional (because it photographs very well) or the glitz, but that’s not the entire story. I’m very proud that it’s a show that imparts the balance, contrast, and dynamism in the region.
Who were the provocateurs you met in Manila?
The three that stood out for me was meeting Tessa Prieto-Valdes, the dancer Regine Tolentino, and Carlos Celdran. Regine is all about the Filipino’s inherent talent that sits so comfortably. It was scary because I had to learn the pasa doble, the beginning of the pasa doble in two hours. Meeting Carlos, on the other hand, was about activism — the youth, the changing tide, and the overall attitude Filipinos have towards their country. It was about knowing the past and the present and how people, like Carlos, create a new future. That was really fantastic. When I met Tessa — who, by the way, took off a bracelet and gave it to me — it was all about the Filipino spirit. She’s crazy, but she’s nuts in this fabulous way. Tessa was also a real lesson in celebrity. We went to Mall of Asia she didn’t say no to anyone. She doesn’t have airs. That’s what I see in the Philippines, when you talk to people, no one turns their back on you. It’s a very social society. It’s definitely more fun here.
Any other standouts from your six day stay here?
I’ll tell you what I really loved: Espasol. The packaging that it came in was beautiful; it was wrapped in paper and had a stamp in front. I had this in Tagaytay — oh, and I’m going to retire in Tagaytay. You can come to my farm (laughs).
Any parallelisms among the cities you’ve visited — Delhi, Mumbai, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Manila?
Not once did I have a feel that “Oh, this is a version of something that is from somewhere else.” Everything was authentic; when you talk about authenticity, it doesn’t have to be exotic. Authentic can be really modern. Every city I went to, I was like “My God, every one is so cool.” I want the world to see this. And this is only the beginning of the kinds of stories that come out of Asia.
