Life in Nuvali Philippines

Throwback: Au Naturel in Nuvali in 2013

Sometime in 2013, I was asked by Ayala management if I\’d be willing to get interviewed for Avida Living Magazine. They were to write about me and my experience in Nuvali.

I dug up a copy of the piece and am now shamelessly sharing it below. Kindly indulge me and my 15 minutes of throwback fame.

This came out in Avida Living Magazine in October 2013: Au Naturel by Nicole Sindiong.

Seda Hotel Nuvali — a quiet dining alternative

Two weeks ago, I got to spend some time at Nuvali\’s Seda Hotel. It was my first time inside, and what an interesting discovery it was! The restaurant offered meals below P400, with a fantastic view of the lake and poolside. Good to know there\’s now a nice option for quiet lunches or meetings in Nuvali. 🙂

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A sunset wedding in Nuvali

Life in Nuvali Philippineslake, Sunset, Nuvali Services, Food and Dining in Nuvali

Earlier this month, we attended a wedding at St. Benedict\’s Church in Ayala Westgrove, with the reception held at Monochrome Events place next to the Nuvali lake.

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The last time I visited this was in early 2013 when it was newly opened, and it was nice to see it dressed up for a special event like a wedding.

Was also so happy my precious Nuvali sky didn\’t fail to impress: we were greeted by clouds of glorious pinks, yellows and oranges.

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Nuvali will always be home. 🙂

Wakeboarding on a Monday holiday

Life in Nuvali PhilippinesWakeboarding, Active Lifestyle in Nuvali

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After three years of saying, \”I want to wakeboard\” in Nuvali, I finally decided to just do it!

We went on the Monday morning of the recent long weekend (thank you, National Heroes Day).

Blessing for the day: slightly overcast sky so we got semi-shielded from the sun. What gave us not-so-happy vibes: the line at the beginner lake was too long! We only got two attempts each, and waited over an hour for each round. Our advice: go early mornings on weekdays. Avoid holidays and weekends (includes Fridays).
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Just the same, it was AWESOME!

It wasn\’t as hard as I thought it would be.
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And I\’m super proud of myself for being able to stand on my first try! I didn\’t make it all the way to the end, but I know that with a little more training, it will happen.
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All smiles despite the \”bitin\” session — next time we will go on a non-peak day!
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Fixing up in Nuvali after Glenda

Life in Nuvali PhilippinesSolenad

I wasn\’t in the country when Typhoon Glenda hit.

Looking at aftermath photos in Avida Settings Nuvali, I\’m glad that there were no incidents in my house apart from a few windows that flung open and plants that fell by the wayside. A report from the same ASN homeowner fun blog (dated July 24, 2014) says that:

The howling winds toppled electric posts causing power outages and peeled roof sheets off the houses. Trees were uprooted along Nuvali boulevard and blocked the roads. No flood were reported within Nuvali.

Inside Avida Settings, some houses had their roof (polycarbonate garage roofing) blown off and the streets were scattered with blown garbages and debris. Green ribbons were littered with tree branches and some trees were even uprooted.

Clearing operations has been on going until now. ASN electricity has been brought back after almost a week. Telephone lines were still under repair.

If you are not living in ASN, we advise you to ask someone to check your property for damages (such as water leaks, stripped paint or broken lamp post).

I finally got to visit Nuvali two weeks ago, August 9th, and saw that clearing operations have been completed inside the village, and most things seemed back to normal.

It was in Solenad 2, however, that I saw cordoned off areas.
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The areas surrounding Bread Talk and Serenitea, as well as Gerry\’s Grill and Stoked/Roxy still needed repairs.
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I hope to see these areas fully cleaned out and operational by the time I visit this weekend!

Nuvali and the August sky

Life in Nuvali PhilippinesSunset

There\’s something about the sky in the South that is familiar, as if I know it and it knows me. Maybe because I greet it with such enthusiasm every time, in return it greets me with splendor and vastness.

Here\’s what coming home to Nuvali in August looked like:

A long dash of white to say hello…
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Soft strips of clouds and the setting sun against My Nuvali Home:
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Wispy lines watching over Solenad 3, with its construction in full swing.
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The magic hour saying goodbye with pinks and purples…
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Other posts that caught me looking up in the past:
Look up! Sky beauties in the South – June 2014
Sunset at Sta. Rosa – Oct. 2010
Rain cloud – May 2012
Wet Nuvali – June 2012
Nuvali Sky at the Magic Hour – April 2013

Emergency hotline numbers

Life in Nuvali Philippines

Saw this posted on the Avida Settings Nuvali bulletin board in the clubhouse. Sharing it for everyone\’s information.

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Summer greens in Nuvali

Life in Nuvali Philippines Farming and Gardening Sustainable Living

Look at what greeted us in Nuvali after a year of being city-based:

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Ligaw na sitaw! This just grew in the wild.

This is our papaya tree out front, now bearing fruit:
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Perfect for tinola, I\’ve been told. This tree was not even an inch high a year ago.

Was also nice to see our ivy slowly making progress in covering our front garden wall…
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…And our passion flower vine climbing all around the trellis:
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The flower of this vine is so lovely. Here\’s a pic from last year:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151454752347216&l=8f970994f6

One thing I miss about living in the South is the abundance of fresh flowers. These are my neighbor\’s purple blooms by the sidewalk:
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The Green Ribbon is also in much better shape now, although personally I\’d still prefer to leave it a little wilder or less manicured.
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All in all, Nuvali is getting greener and greener — which is its promise after all. I just hope the management is ready to hire grasscutters round the clock, especially with the coming rainy season!

Look up! Sky beauties in the South

Life in Nuvali PhilippinesSunset

I\’ve started looking up again. I got to spend a few weekends in Nuvali in May, and I just couldn\’t help but look up.

I\’ve always loved the sky, clouds, rain, the moon.

Here are some gifts I took from the sky these past few weeks:
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Old posts that caught me looking up in the past:
Sunset at Sta. Rosa – Oct. 2010
Rain cloud – May 2012
Wet Nuvali – June 2012
Nuvali Sky at the Magic Hour – April 2013

Have you updated your 2014 Nuvali stickers?

Life in Nuvali Philippines

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Saw this while visiting Nuvali last Holy Week.

Residents can apply for stickers at our respective administration offices. 🙂

On another note, 2014 is going by quickly! We just hit May two days ago — before we know it, summer will be over and we will need to prepare for the everyday rains again. In the meantime, I hope I get to squeeze in some biking this month. Will be spending a couple of weekends in Nuvali again…I can\’t wait!