LAST-MINUTE FIXES FOR HOLIDAY BLUES

Everybody plans ahead for the Christmas season, but sometimes we get caught in circumstances beyond our control. Thank

God for modern technology and new marketing developments which are solving these holiday season problems, making life easier and more enjoyable.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

A high school classmate, Boston-based is in Manila for a very short visit to attend to a family emergency. Finding hotels fully booked, she found a better deal

Luisa,

through Airbnb: a condo very close to the hospital where her mother is confined. It has all the amenities of a home, even a day maid who changes the bed sheets and towels, cleans the bathroom and the kitchen.

A large flat-screen TV with reliable WiFi and cable TV subscription dominates the wall of the one-bedroom flat, which is also furnished with a coffee maker, microwave oven, two-burner stove, and blender. A convenience store on the ground floor of the condo building has almost everything she needs, including ready-to-cook meals. Fast food joints and quaint bistros are strewn within a couple of blocks for when she needs to meet old friends.

ILOKANO CRAVINGS

Born and raised in Ilocos Norte, Luisa was sorry her short visit does not allow for a food crawl in her province, home of the famous empanada and longganisa. Laoag is 10 to 12 hours away and she had accepted the inevitable—an Ilocos food trip was impossible because of time constraints. Then came advice from another Ilocano classmate: Batac Empanada and Ilocos Langonisa are both only a smart phone click away, thanks to GrabFood.

GrabFood is the fastest-growing food delivery service with the largest