The Good Life: Editors’ Picks of the Week
In every The Good Life: Editors’ Picks column, we round up our editors’ favorites—restaurants, cocktails, experiences, exhibits, and everything in between. Here is our latest list.
10 Days of Art
February always starts with a bang as we look forward to 10 Days of Art, when public spaces around the city come alive with Philippine contemporary art.
This year, among others, a dreamlike carousel by Ronald Ventura, with creatures such as a horse, a shark, a demon, and a monster, is on view at Circuit Makati.
Letters of the alphabet in electric lights mingle with kindergarten school benches in a work by Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan with The Fruitjuice Factory Studio at the fountain at Tower One in Ayala Triangle Gardens.
Kinetic, colorful works by Isaiah Cacnio take over large LED billboards across Makati, undulating, flowing, appearing, and vanishing in Between Thoughts.
And the Paseo de Roxas underground walkway is filled with photographs by members of FotomotoPH, with images that celebrate self, place, and memory.
Anyone want to go for a walk? – Yvette Fernandez, Chief of Editorial Content
See the full program at https://www.10daysofart.com/.
Starlink Mini Roam
My favorite gadget is officially the Starlink Mini Roam, which has become an essential part of how I stay connected outside of the city—whether I’m tucked away in a valley somewhere, on a beach, or sailing. (Being a Digital Editor, connectivity is imperative!) The appeal is simple: it delivers satellite internet anywhere you go, without the guesswork that traditional connectivity usually demands. Launched mid-2024, I wanted to give it a year or so before recommending it, testing it out in different environments; I’m happy to report that it has exceeded my expectations.
The Mini itself is compact and portable, with a footprint small enough to slip into a backpack, yet it taps into SpaceX’s constellation of low-earth-orbit satellites to deliver high-speed internet where there is none otherwise; which, unfortunately, is the case in most far-flung locales.
The Starlink Mini kit retails at around Php30,000. Service plans vary: in the Philippines, one can sign up for a plan with 100 GB allowance at Php3,000, with unlimited options at Php5,700 per month, both without long-term contracts and with the ability to pause service when you’re off the grid (fees apply: pause modes require a monthly $5).
What really surprised me was how well Roam works over water. Starlink’s Roam plans include “Ocean Mode” for use near shore and even offshore, letting you stay connected along coastal stretches (within 12 nautical miles; beyond that, one will have to sign up for one of the Maritime plans) or in bays without setting up complex antennas. It’s refreshingly plug-and-play after a quick signup on its app—a relief! – Kimberly Rocha-Delgado, Digital Editor
More information here.