waketime stories

Smells Good

Wearing perfume at home, just because. Relishing that indulgent feeling of “wasting” a few drops of expensive oil for no one but yourself. And I’m in a good mood all of a sudden, excited without knowing why. My smell memories work too well.

Wensha: Win Siya :)

May 1: Labor Day is a commemoration of workers’ rights, and for most working-class people it means a day of rest. My Mama decided to take the holiday to greater heights - literally! Last night, we tried out the fairly-new Wensha Spa in Antipolo. The timing happened to be perfect because they were offering a 20% discount to Moms and ALL her children for Mothers’ Day month. So this evening was like my own mom’s early celebration as well.

We arrived a little after 6PM, and since the spa is on a building overlooking Metro Manila, we caught the sun just as it was spreading fire to the sky. The air was cool too since it rained that afternoon. It was so beautiful.

The concept is pretty simple, and patok for most Filipinos: For six hours, one can enjoy these three services: spa with full amenities, a buffet, and a bar. At the front desk, everyone gets bracelets that correspond to one locker. This is where you store your valuables, and this also serves as your ID when you get your massage (you can choose 1 service to come with your buffet).

There are two wings for men and women’s locker rooms, which lead straight to their respective sauna and jacuzzi rooms. Photos are not allowed inside, but suffice it to say that our own experience there was interesting. But it was very relaxing! I forced myself to sit out the sauna this time (since I always feel suffocated in one), and it felt really good afterwards - like you really let go of a lot of bad stuff.

I’d like to add here that we were actually with a lot of other guests during our stay, but it never felt crowded. The divisions and wide interiors made sure that customers still feel relaxed and still have their own pockets of privacy - except in the sauna area hehe.

The buffet we feasted on was their dinner menu and the 24/7 dimsum and shabu-shabu bar. There’s pork, vegetables, chicken, and seafood. Two kinds of juice and ice cream flavors. The food was in fact pretty tasty. It took some time for the trays to be refilled (maybe they were staggering the food), but there are lots of other things to try while you’re waiting for your dish. We actually had only some of the shabu-shabu first before getting our massage. I thought it would be uncomfortable to get a massage on an extremely full stomach!

Also have no pictures of the massage area, but I was happy that there were so many rooms and that therapists were immediately available when it was our turn. Massage rating: 4.5/5 :) After our massage, we girls went back up to join my brothers for more food and dessert. My mom and I also had margaritas.

The bar wing of the buffet floor featured a live act, but spa-goers can also do karaoke on stage when he’s not singing. Here I am trying to upstage him by insisting on doing karaoke while he plays acoustic. Shortly after this we headed home.

Verdict? I think it was worth it, as in super sulit given the fact that for a fee only slightly more expensive than a massage service, you get to enjoy an entire buffet, a bar, and a place with a great view. For six hours, you can enjoy a mini-getaway that clears your mind and fills your body. Quite a winner! I can’t wait to let Papa (and even Ranie) try this next time.