A Day of Zen |

Let’s admit it: sometimes living in the city can be quite suffocating and for someone who has called Metro Manila “home” for the past 28 years, I find it surprising and strange that I have never been able to visit Fort Santiago- a beautiful oasis filled with historical significance where I can retreat to… right smack in the city.

Spending an afternoon in this absolutely amazing place was exactly the breather I needed from the hustle and bustle of city life and I am so thankful to ASUS Philippines for giving me such a wonderful opportunity… I was able to go around and bask in the sights of my own country as though I was a tourist. What was even more special was that I was able to document the day with the use of my ASUS Zenfone which captured every moment of my day of Zen. Now, not only do I have the memory of the entire experience… I also have the most artful photos available to me with just a touch of a screen.

The #OneDayofZen event intended to teach press, bloggers and techies how to actually take such powerful photos using the ZenFone 2 Laser 5.0. ASUS Philippines kicked-off the event in high gear, via a back-to-back smartphone photography workshop led by none other than two of the country’s most in-demand photographers in Jay Tablante and Roy Macam at The New World Hotel in Makati. Right after the workshops, we all waited for our group assignments then made our way to the historical site of Fort Santiago, where a one-of-a-kind outdoor photography challenge awaited us. We then took photos which showcased the ZenFone 2 Laser 5.0’s unique selling points, and unparalleled photography quality and capabilities. It was such a hands on and interactive affair and by the end of the day, I definitely had so much appreciation for the Zenfone 2’s features.

For this day, I decided to go “warrior chic” in an easy and breezy white cotton playsuit disguised as a dress, which I accessorized with organic pieces in brown. The focal piece of this entire look would have to be the statement shoes and if you haven’t noticed it yet: this pair definitely took gladiator shoes to a whole new level. While I did sacrifice for my art on this day (I would not recommend wearing this pair to go sightseeing!), looking at how my overall look turned out made it all worth the pain. I would still advise wearing your comfiest pair of flats when sightseeing especially since it takes a lot of walking to tour the entire area. Since I am a Fort Santiago newbie (I didn’t even take time to google the place), my level of comfort for this day was not of utmost priority… I did learn and now know much better. Despite the “shoe situation,” being in such a beautiful place made me forget about my own dilemma… It truly was a day of Zen!