Maude's Avenue of Thoughts

Life in SG: Santa Grand Hotel

2012-01-29T23:33:00.000+08:00

Hello there! :)

So sorry for the lack of posts! We transferred to the house that we'll be renting for a year and it took a week for us to make the internet+cable work. But now that we're connected again, I'm gonna blog regularly na! Okay, I'm crossing my fingers and toes here. Haha.

Anyways, on to the real post...

Since our assignment is long-term, our accommodations are at our own expense. The company, however, booked us at a hotel where we could stay for two weeks while looking for a house. I, along with 11 other teammates, am checked in at Santa Grand Hotel.

SGH is in the heart of Singapore's Chinatown and because Chinese New Year is just around the corner during our stay, the very street that the hotel is in is almost always jam-packed. Our consolation is that it's a few minutes walk to our office and the MRT station so there's really no complaining :P

This is the reception area and that's their friendliest front desk officer, Kelvin.

Our rooms are in the third floor and these two iPads are what's gonna greet you as you step out of the elevator. Yup, WiFi's free! :-) Perfect for OFWs like us. Haha!

The hallway.

And my keycard.

Oh, what can you say about the wifi password? :P

There's my room! ^^,

Before anything else, picture muna :D

If I remember it right, I got a Deluxe Room priced at SGD 144.50 per night (again, don't convert! haha!). I think we got a discount because their published rates say it's SGD 250 (corporate stuff, maybe). My room is a bit small for it's price but it's all mine so I didn't mind the size.

Let me show it to you.

Here's one side. The room has windows but sadly, I don't think it can be opened. And even if it can, it opens up to... wait for it... another room's windows. Haha!

The other side. The cable TV only has 10 channels! Yung iba dun, Chinese pa! At the very least, it has HBO :-)

A closer look at my bed. I loooooooove the headboard. It's simply classy. The bed's just how I like it in terms of firmness. The pillows I love too! But sometimes the sheets are itchy. Sometimes lang naman.

At the corner is a pole where you hang clothes. I don't have a closet in my room but I think it's okay because a closet is creepy for someone who has wild imagination like me. Haha.

Now the bathroom... I like the shower and the lavatory but seriously, it's just too cramped :-(

The wallpaper caught my fancy. Love the color and the texture.

This is the breakfast area. I adore the couches! Royalty ang peg! :-)

The breakfast spread is super limited. The free-flowing drinks made up for it, though.

Yup, that's just about it.

And this is what we ate for 14 effin' days! In fairness, my stomach got used to it by the fourth or fifth day. And it's free, okay.

Meet auntie who serves the breakfast. Always with a smile. I love her, so I took a picture of her before we left :-) By the way, most of the staff are very accommodating except for that one lady who scolded my friend when the power in her room went out. Haller, it's not her fault! And for the record, that's not how you treat paying guests!!! Oh well.

And like I said, the couches are love so I'm not checking out without a picture on it :-)

Considering the amenities, location and service, I'm giving Santa Grand Hotel 4 out of 5. There's definitely room for improvement but overall I had a pleasant stay.

SG: From Take off to Touchdown

2012-01-07T01:15:00.000+08:00

First things first... Happy New Year, dear friends! :)

I know it's been a week since the turn of the year but you know also that the past days I've been ultimately busy preparing for my departure. Yes folks, I'm now blogging from the Lion City! :)

My last few days in the Philippines was emotionally draining. I found myself crying every so often because saying goodbye to loved-ones was really something I haven't prepared for. A day before my flight was our monthsary and J and I really made the most of our last day together. Of course there was a lot of tears but what truly moved me was that more than the drama, there was HOPE. Hope for a safe trip. Hope for a rewarding career. Hope for more maturity. Hope for a better life for my family. Hope for an unwavering love and commitment for J and me.

Now let me just photoblog my departure from MNL and arrival at SIN =)

The day's first shot. I am definitely gonna miss my two babies :(

Oh, sorry about the puffy eyes, yan ang napala ko kakaiyak magdamag.

Obligatory shots with my family and J before checking in at the NAIA Terminal 2.

My colorful luggage. I opted for lighter bags to maximize my meager 20kg.-allowance. Thanks to my honey who did most of the packing! :-)

Our last shot before we officially bid each other farewell T_T
Pilit na mga ngiti namin no? :(

Sadness is killing me as I entered those glass doors but I tried hard not to cry because I don't wanna draw attention.

Then I suddenly told myself... "Shocks may nipper ako sa bag ko! Lagot!" hahaha

My passport (thanks Jim for the pretty passport cover), boarding pass and Overseas Employment Certificate (yes folks, we're technically OFWs). Bagong Bayani ang peg! :)

Boarding... Up to this point I'm still asking myself if I can live without J and my family.

We're flying PAL.

ETD was 10:10 but we took off at this time pa. #FilipinoTime
Tears slowly rolled down my cheeks as the plane gathered speed in the runway. Leaving my loved ones behind broke my heart but I had to keep telling myself, this is for the best. Fighting!

With only a couple of hours of sleep the past night and eyes tired due to crying endlessly, I let myself fall into slumber. I was only awaken by my Project Manager when it was time for lunch. The food was okay. Service was so-so. Flag carrier yan, ah. PAL could definitely use some more Customer Service 101 sessions.

After about 3 hours, we're ready for landing. My butt hurt because of sitting for quite a long while. 3 hours lang natagalan na ko, what more if US or Europe?!

Touchdown! Thank Heavens for a safe trip.

Arriving at Changi Airport -- truly word class!

Our very first group picture in Singapura!

And of course a solo shot! :)

Quite a lengthy walk to the exit so these walkalators are heaven-sent.

Yes, this is still inside the airport. Parang park lang :)

Lots of transportation options they have there.

But we can't hail a taxi yet coz the drivers won't accept our money. We had to drop by Currency Exchange to get some Singapore dollars. Rate at that time was 1 USD = 1.29 SGD.

At the same booth we bought a local SIM. It's expensive!

Now we're ready to ride a cab. Pricey also, so don't dare convert. Haha!

This is it! I really am in SG! Hello Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands! It's my first international trip, by the way.

I had to take a photo because it's my first time to ride a right-hand-driven verhicle. Those are my teammates Khai and Che.

No traffic at all. A few minutes was all it took to get to our destination.

The hotel where we're staying for two weeks. Photo from their Facebook page. Actual photo was soooooo far from it. Blame it on the Chinese New Year. Hahaha.

There you have it. The beginning of a new and extra challenging chapter of my life. Expect to read more of Singapore in my next posts! :)

xoxo,

Day 35 - 40

2011-12-30T12:23:00.000+08:00

Because I'll be very busy in the coming days, indulge me as I squeeze 6 days in one post :)

Day 35 - A picture of your hometown

I've been living here since birth but I don't have a real picture of my hometown. Haha. This will do. :-)

Thanks Google Maps! ^^,

Day 36 - A picture of your favorite toy when you were younger

Polly Pocket. I have a Country House, a Pizza Parlor, a Ski Chalet, a heart-shaped small house and the one in the photo below - a Mansion! I'm pretty sure you can tell which is my favorite! Haha. I and Ate Pants play with these all the time. With our Polly Pockets combined, we get our very own village! Geez, I miss being a kid! :-)

Credits here and here.

Day 37 - A picture taken at school

On our last day as students of our beloved Pamantasan.

Day 38 - A picture of your favorite drink

When I'm too tired or too sad, I buy myself a grande Java Chip and the world is a better place again. Haha.

Day 39 - A picture of your favorite food

No other than home-cooked Pork Sinigang. I am sooooo bringing packs of Sinigang Mix to SG ;P

Me: *drools*

Day 40 - A picture of your friends

Lucky to have these people in my life!

Happy to be almost halfway through the challenge,

In 7 Days...

2011-12-29T20:42:00.000+08:00

...life as I know it will turn upside-down.

Remember I told you that there's another reason I bought myself a laptop but can't disclose it until it's a hundred percent sure? Well today, I received the confirmation. I'm leaving for Singapore in 7 days. For work. For the entire 2012.

Sigh.

I know I've wanted this opportunity for so long but now that it's here, I can't help but ask myself if I'm ready for it. Like, emotionally. I haven't been away from my family in my entire 23 years. I can't last a day without Haley. I'm sure as hell I can't take more than a week of not seeing J. I need a regular dose of girl bonding. And in a week I'm off to a foreign land for a year-long assignment. Seriously?!

Sigh.

I have my flight details now and God knows I've been holding back the tears since I opened that e-mail attachment. It's no turning back. It couldn't have happened if it wasn't meant for me. I can do this. I am doing this. For my family. For J and I's future. For my career growth. No one said it's gonna be easy, but I'm certain it's gonna be worth it.

Wish me luck. Lots of it.

And if you have time, listen to this song 'coz I've been LSS-ing on this for the past X days.

Day 34 - A picture of your favorite morning

2011-12-29T19:56:00.002+08:00

J and I having breakfast in our veranda at Keni Po Rooms in Tagaytay
- our first out-of-town trip just the two of us :-)

Imagine cuddling the entire night then waking up to a misty morning still in his arms.
Talk about life's simple pleasures :-)

P.S. You don't mind my straight-out-of-bed look, do you? :P

'Tis the Season

2011-12-25T16:59:00.000+08:00

Me, Junie, Micah, Dad, Haley, Mom, Faye and Choy

From our family to yours, a merry and meaningful Christmas! :D

May we all experience the joy of the season in the company of people close to our hearts.

And oh, Happy Birthday Baby Jesus! :)

Cheers!

Day 32 - 33

2011-12-23T23:45:00.000+08:00

Putting these two in one post coz they're related anyway :-)

Day 32 - A picture of what you did today

Day 33 - A picture of somewhere you went to today

Are we really just a day and a few minutes to Christmas? By looking at the traffic and the crowd at the mall, yes, it really is Christmas. So today I went to SM Makati with J to do some last-minute shopping then grabbed a quick dinner at Mc Donald's (I never realized I miss McD till I got the first bite of the fries.. haha!). We just got home and guess what, I still have a couple of persons in the list without gifts :(

You done with your Christmas list? Clock's ticking!

Day 31 - A picture of food you made

2011-12-23T03:31:00.001+08:00

I like the 100-day picture challenge because I get to share photos from yester-years... Like this one... :)

This photo was taken Valentine's Day last year. We just go out on V-day year after year so I thought we needed a breath of fresh air -- We're celebrating at home! I cooked Carbonara for the first time and not to toot my own horn but it was a massive success! J getting a second round was enough proof ;-)

To your left is what we had for dessert, a refrigerated cake also made by yours truly (gosh this feels so long ago -- look how small Haley is in the picture!). I painstakingly wrote those 3 characters using strips of ripe mangoes with oreo bits on the background. In fact, I almost didn't wanna slice my masterpiece when it's time to serve! Hahaha!

I'm making this combo again for Christmas Eve and if you don't have plans yet for your feast, you may want to try them. Yes, I'm sharing the recipe! :)

Pasta in Creamy White Sauce (Instant Carbonara)
Credit goes to my friend Noreen for the original recipe but this one I already tweaked to my liking :-)

Ingredients:
* 1 kilo spaghetti noodles
* Cooking oil
* 250 grams bacon
* 200 grams ham
* 1 chicken breast
* 1 small can of Jolly button mushrooms, sliced thinly
* ½ cup butter
* 2 cans Jolly Cream of Mushroom
* 2 packs of Nestle All-purpose cream
* 1 small can of evaporated milk
* 1 pork cube
* 1 box of quickmelt cheese
* regular cheese (for toppings)
* 8 cloves garlic
* Pepper

Procedure:
1. Cook the noodles according to package directions.
2. Boil the chicken breast, shred then set aside.
3. In a pan, fry the bacon until crisp. Let it cool down then dice into bits. In the same pan, fry the ham. Cut into squares.
4. In a separate pan, in low heat, melt the butter and sauté the garlic. Mix the cream of mushroom, all purpose cream, milk, pork cube and grated quickmelt cheese. Continuously stir until the sauce starts to boil so that it won’t stick. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water (be careful not to add too much of it cause the sauce will be bland).
5. Add the mushrooms, ham, chicken and about 2/3 of the bacon bits. Add pepper to taste (no need for salt as the cheese is sufficient). Simmer.
6. Put pasta into a plate then add sauce. Top with bacon and cheese. Voila, Carbonara! :-)

Ref Cake a la Maude :P

Ingredients:
* 2 packs of graham crackers
* 3 packs of all purpose cream
* 1.5 cans of condensed milk
(Note: My milk to cream ratio is 1:2 because I have a sweet tooth. By all means, adjust it to your preferred sweetness.)
* Ripe mangoes and oreo bits for the toppings

Procedure:
1. Put the condensed milk and all-purpose cream in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. In a rectangular tray, lay the graham crackers. Make sure that there are no spaces as this will make the cream go all the way to the bottom of the tray once poured.
3. Pour the milk and cream mixture until the layer is completely covered.
4. Put strips of ripe mango on top of the cream. I used to think this is optional but soon I figured that this is the secret to a moist ref cake cause it prevents the layers from sticking together, thus absorbing the cream between them :-)
5. Repeat steps 2-4 till you fill the tray. I can usually make 4 or 5 layers with the ingredients above. Tip: Spare a generous amount of cream for the top layer.
6. Now do your thing with the strip of ripe mangoes and crushed oreos. Be artsy or cheesy, totally your call! :-)
7. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours. Serve with a smile ^_^

Happy Christmas Weekend, dearies!

Day 30 - A picture of your favorite quote

2011-12-20T23:13:00.000+08:00

photo credit

Agree? :D

Because I Deserve It...

2011-12-20T01:10:00.000+08:00

I bought myself a Christmas gift!

Well, not really "bought" cause it's from BPI's Installment Madness but I'm still gonna pay for it so what the heck! Haha.

I figured that now is the perfect time to buy one cause the kids' school work is getting more and more demanding leaving me little to no time at all to use the laptop for just surfing the net or blogging. Now my old laptop is theirs and I can tinker with my lappy as much as I want, in the comfort of my own room even. Thank God for wifi, as well :-)

Now allow me to share with you how great a deal it is...

I got it at Php37990 at 0% interest for 12 months and with the Buy Now, Pay Later promo at the Installment Madness, I'll start paying for it on March pa! I opted for it because the two preceding months will be financially stressful for me (with the post-holiday expenses and Faye and Choy's prom on February, good luck to my pocket, really! Haha). And then there's actually another reason, a major one, but because I don't wanna jinx it, I'll be mum for now. Promise, pag sure na, I'll blog about it right away! :)

Next, the specs...

* 2nd generation Intel Core i5-2430M Processor (2.4GHz)
* 14.0" Diagonal HD BrightView LED Display
* 640GB Hard Drive
* 2GB DDR3 RAM
* WLAN and Bluetooth
* DVD Optical Drive
* New Mobile Intel HM65 Express Chipset
* Radeon Graphics
* Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic (64-bit)

Another laptop brand offers an i3 processor at the same price so I preferred HP. My Compaq (an HP product also) served me well for 3 years -- and counting! -- so durability is out of the question. RAM and disk space are tip-top too! Now I can have all my files in one place without compromising the machine's performance. And the color! Oh my goodness, the color i L-O-V-E!

But wait there's more!

It comes with a free Snap-on cover in Leopard and tell me, what could be more fabulously fierce than that?! Raaawwwrrrrr!

Other freebies include:

- an upgrade to 4GB RAM

- a beautiful leather messenger bag... not your ordinary laptop bag, I tell you! (note to self: take a picture of it to show it to you! ^^,)

- an optical mouse

- an HP digital camera worth Php4000 (approx) -- with my Canon Ixus and my friends' S95, I'm not much of a fan of this one but a freebie is a freebie, yeah?

Oh before I forget, through the BPI rewards program, the purchase also entitled me to a 6-pc Chicken Bucket and 3 servings of Spaghetti from Jollibee. We have a lot of kids so this came in handy last weekend! Talk about free advertisement. Hahaha.

With my new baby, hopefully I can organize my files and blog more often now. Crossing my fingers and toes here!

Cheers to 2011 and the blessings that came with it! :D

xoxo,

Day 29 aka Our Christmas Tree! ^^,

2011-12-19T23:52:00.001+08:00

If there is a "Blogger with the Most Backlogs" title, I'm definitely one of the toughest forces to reckon with. Haha. Seriously, I have a loooooooot of stuff to share but I haven't gotten a lot of time! I wish I could just stay at home and blog the holidays away but you know, with the Christmas rush and all the work-related tasks that needs to be done, that is just impossible.

Okay, I digress. Back to the challenge now. I still think this picture is that which always makes me smile but because it already has its own post, I'm picking this one instead:

I have always wanted a pretty tree and finally, wish granted.

Btw, we chose pink and violet because it's my and Haley's favorite color!

Yes, looking at our Christmas Tree makes me smile these days. It makes me feel that Christmas is really just around the corner (6 days left, my goodness!). I have my Tita Antin to thank for this -- we shouldn't be putting up a tree this year but she gave in to my little wish and we went all the way to Divisoria to buy the entire set. And because caring is sharing, I'm giving you a closer look at the ornaments and a run down of the costs.

The tree itself is of Scotch Pine variant (they have what they call the Monterey variant but it's much pricier, like in the 3k range). It's 5 feet tall at Php1000. That's our lead decorator right there. Haha.

The pink Christmas balls cost Php 160 per canister of 20 (or 24? I forgot!). It comes in 3 finishes: matte (the one in the photo), glossy and glittery.

The medium-sized poinsettias cost PhP 120 per dozen. We got two. A dozen was put in the mesh ribbon (as shown) while the another dozen was scattered all around the tree.

The mesh ribbon made of Sinamay is the modern-day garland. I think it's more beautiful and classy! We got ours in cream and gold but there are other colors available at PhP250 per pack. The vendor volunteered to tie it into bows for us free-of-charge (or not! haha), and it made 11 ribbons.

The LED lights cost Php180 per box of 100 lights. We got two but a box is enough for a 5-foot tree. It's a little more pricey than the ordinary ones but according to the vendor, it doesn't overheat even if you leave it on over the night so it's safer. Ours is white but like the ribbons, it has other colors as well.

Our angel tree topper is soooo pretty and perfect for our motif! It's at Php150 only! :)

Et voila! Our 2011 Christmas Tree with our little girl too happy for words :-)

I'm not sure if what we got are the cheapest there is in Divisoria but it's definitely a far cry from the overpriced ones in the malls! Here, I did the math for you ^_^

Add Php30 for the sales~~gay~~guy's talent fee. Yes, may TF! But since it's Christmas, pagbigyan na. Haha!

There, you've seen our humble tree and how much it takes to get one. All items are bought at Tabora Street in Divisoria, Manila. Click here for the map :)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Planning 2012 the Starbucks Way

2011-12-14T09:16:00.001+08:00

I'm sure you all have heard of the Starbucks Planner Promo running from December 13-15. But for those of you who haven't, here it is:

Photo credit

Coincidentally, I already have 12 stickers so I and my cousin just grabbed 2 Christmas drinks yesterday and I already got myself the planner. Lucky me!

I think Cherry's the prettiest shade.

Okay, I'm biased! Haha.

I've been using planners since I was in college. I tried those little ones from Papemelroti, the Cosmo Datebook, the Belle de Jour Power Planner for this year and now I'm trying out Starbucks. I actually have no plans of joining the sticker-collecting bandwagon but the size and weight of this one is irresistible! Haha. I don't want to just leave my planner in the office again (like what happened to my BDJ 'coz it's too big and bulky) so SB planner's perfect!

You have until tomorrow to take home your very own Starbucks 2012 Planner, if you haven't already! :-)

Subic Trip with J's Family: Ocean Adventure

2011-12-11T17:47:00.000+08:00

Note: This is the last (and loooooooooong overdue) installment of my Subic series. I thought I have to get this up before the year ends! Haha!

After recharging over the night and grabbing a quick breakfast, we checked out of the villa as we're all set for our Subic Day 2 destination:

This time, J's driving and that made me kinda lonely at the back seat (you see, I'm used to cuddling with him during long travels). That's his kuya on the passenger seat, guiding the way with his handy-dandy GPS.

But you know what, whenever he checks me out on the rearview mirror, with that look that I know is mine alone... I melt. Cheesy, yeah, but it's true. Hihi.

Anyway... going back to the trip, somewhere along the way to Ocean Adventure, we had to pull over because these monkeys deserve to be photographed! Haha. They're at the road-side, as if waiting for tourists to pet them and feed them and click away. That's exactly what we did :-)

When the bigger monkey came near (he's scary, he looks like he's the superior guy there), we went on our way. At around 10am, we got to Ocean Adventure. Mr. Sun's already up and about but we still stopped by the facade to take pictures.

Unlike Zoobic Safari, we didn't have promo tickets here so we availed of their regular rates:

I'm not sure about their height requirement but sadly, Jhay's nephew who's just about to turn 2 on December is no longer entitled to the free admission :(

Our tickets ^_^

Since it's Halloween, we were greeted by crew members dressed in spooky costumes. J wanted to take a photo with the zombie nurse and patient but since I'm not very fond of creepy stuff, I only let him pose by these 2. Hehe.

I also went inside the souvenir shop but didn't have the time to look around so I just took this shot.

We were given this flyer containing the show schedule. No need to worry if you miss a show because if you look at the image closely, there are re-runs throughout the day :-)

We headed straight to the Seaside Stadium to catch the Adventures of Olongapo Jones. It's more of an environment-centric kiddie show complete with a Kuya Kim-look alike lead character and his mascot friends. Hahaha.

This next act was a hit to young and old. The 2 guys were supposedly the villains in the story (they were the illegal loggers Olongapo Jones and his friends were aiming to catch) but with their trampoline tricks, they were easily the heroes of the show :)

*This is the part where I discovered the photo collage tool of Picasa. I swear I almost cried when it did the trick in a few seconds! Haha*

Of course, the show had a happy ending with O.J. and friends catching the bad guys and the bad guys then promising to work hand-in-hand with the team to save the environment.

After they took their final bow, all roads led to the El Capitan Theater where Dolphin Friends Show will be staged. On the way, I couldn't resist taking a photo of the serene Subic Bay.

As soon as everyone had settled, these adorable sea creatures started to strut their stuff. Really, I was amazed at their talent! These are the moments I wish I had an SLR. The following pictures don't do the show justice but at least you'll have an idea :)

Three dolphins and a baby whale wowed the crowd with their skills.

Oh, credit goes to their trainers, too.

The third show was another display of the brilliance of our marine friends - the Sea Lion Marine Patrol Show. It was pretty entertaining and what made it special was that one of the seals was actually blind but still proved to be as talented as the others.

I particularly loved the stage :-)

Sorry for the poor lighting but you can still see the seals naman, di ba?

Finally, we went to their Eco-Theater for Walk on the Wild Side where a native aeta talked about Jungle Survival 101.

At this point, our stomachs were already growling so we didn't finish the show. We proceeded to Ocean Adventure's cafeteria where Tita Meg and company were already waiting. As expected, the queue was long so it took us another half an hour to have these...

Sinful Lechon Kawali for me :-)

Salisbury Steak for J

The food is good but the prices are on the steep side. If I remember it right, my plate cost PhP 250 while J's at PhP 190. Without drinks pa yan.

After lunch, we took a quick tour inside their aquariums. I didn't find anything extraordinary inside, just like a much smaller version of the Manila Ocean Park.

Sharon and Gabby daw sila :P

I missed J here. He's already outside getting the car :(

One last group shot.

Overall, I think we got what we paid for at the Ocean Adventure. If you're heading to Subic with your family, don't miss to include to include it in your itinerary. I'm sure the kids and kids-at-heart will enjoy!

And of course, what Subic trip would be complete without a stop-over here? :D

Duty-free shopping at Royal.

By some stroke of bad luck, the window switch of our car malfunctioned. J had to stay in the parking lot so I really didn't enjoy shopping. I only bought a few chocolate bars (which I regret, by the way, coz they're so cheap there!) for pasalubong and then spotted an All Flip Flops outlet at 40% off so I bought us these matching slippers. Nice, no? ^_^

These are only Php 567 a pair. I thought the purple and pink combo is too feminine so I got J the brown one. Ending: He's inggit with mine. Haha.

On the brighter side, not having J beside me that time game me a chance to bond with his mom. We strolled in the supermarket together and she told me a lot about J and their family. Being able to spend time with my MIL2B is truly a rare opportunity and for that alone, I'm very thankful that this Subic trip came to be.

We drove off soon after and reached home in less than 3 hours. Thanks to the Hipolitos and Paulinos for making my Halloween weekend fun and truly memorable :-)

Day 26 - 28

2011-12-11T16:37:00.001+08:00

Warning: This set of pictures can be much too cheesy for some. Please view at your own risk. Haha.

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you

Our love.

Day 27 - A picture of your favorite night

Our last night in Cebu.

Day 28 - A picture of your favorite place in the world

Don't say I didn't warn you! Hahaha.

Back to Basics

2011-12-09T16:46:00.001+08:00

If you're a regular visitor of my blog (oh, thanks! :D), you may have noticed how all of a sudden, my template was a mess:

It was a pain to look at so even if I love that template along with its multi-colored header and the cutest details, I looked for a replacement. Of the thousands available in the WWW, none fit my taste and requirements so I decided I'm going back to basics -- Blogger default templates.

Now my revamped blog is a lot simpler but it's a lot more me, too! I love the pink background and the cursive header font as they scream feminine! And the best part is, unlike my old template, I got to control the width of the main posts such that large photos already fit (with space to spare)! Yay!

This change takes a little getting used to but I hope you'll like it as much as I do :D

Happy weekend!

A Sneak Peek at Haley's Birthday

2011-12-06T12:04:00.001+08:00

Last November 25-26, our family together with my girlfriends went to Residencia de Riego Resort in Alitagtag, Batangas as a post-celebration of Haley's Birthday. The place is beautiful and that translates to about a thousand photos! So while I'm still sorting them out and putting into words the experience, here are some of the winner pics of the weekend :-)

Beautiful girl + lovely backdrop = the perfect photo :-)

The tarp that I created last minute!

She's currently addicted to Hi-5, an Australian child-oriented show, that's why!

She personally chose that swimsuit. Goes to show that Dora the Explorer still has a special spot in her heart. Haha!

Our little princess looks sooo happy in that last pic, no? I have more of those to show you so please stick around for the full post ^_^

Cheers,

Day 25 - A picture of you from last year

2011-12-06T11:39:00.001+08:00

When I started this challenge, I told myself that I'll finish it by year-end. But it looks impossible now so I'm just aiming for at least Day 50. Looking at the bright side, I'm halfway through my target now! Haha!

Picture taken October 2010.

My girls and I went to EK for Nhix's birthday.

Made me realize, I'm really getting bigger and bigger. Noooooooo! T_T

Day 24 - A picture of someone you miss

2011-12-05T23:03:00.001+08:00

I don't just miss one person... I miss the whole gang!

6 girls and 3 guys make the original Tropang Isda.

One of the guys, Roi, is MIA during our 2009 Christmas Party

while the girl in the photo is April, our friend who migrated to the US back in 2006.

Sure the girls and I get together every so often... but the guys? We see them only once a year! And Ep, haven't seen her in five years! I miss the kwentuhan when in easy-peasy subjects and the kopyahan in toxic ones, the Pinoy Henyo games during vacant periods, lunch at eateries our meager allowance could afford and late afternoon bonding in the walls of Intramuros. Sigh. I miss the fun when we're complete. If a wedding is what it takes to get us reunited, then I'm getting married next year! Better yet, next month! Hahaha!

But kidding aside, I miss my college barkada. All 9 of us... together.

Update

2011-12-05T22:42:00.001+08:00

Yup, I'm still here! :-)

I know I have a looooooooot of backlogs already! I so so so wanted to blog but I've been out-of-town the past two weekends (kwento coming soon! ^_^) and then when I got back, cough and colds always make me wanna go straight to bed.

Anyway, I just want to tell you how delighted I am with comments and page views even if I fail to update. Keep 'em coming, please? Promise, I'll be back to regular programming by the end of the week :)

Happy Monday y'all!

Three Today

2011-11-24T21:22:00.001+08:00

Our little one isn't so little anymore!

Today she turned 3 years old and she's getting more and more adorable!

Can she just stay like this forever? :)

Happy Birthday, Baching!

Ate loves you so much!

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

2011-11-22T11:48:00.001+08:00

As I've said here, I haven't been reading books for the longest time so these are oldies but goodies :) I had a hard time choosing which among them is my ultimate favorite so I just picked them both! They're of different themes anyway ;-)

Day 22 - A picture of something you never leave the house without

2011-11-20T14:44:00.001+08:00

My beloved wallet and my trusty hanky!

Aaaaaand.. Since we're already talking about my wallet, lemme share to you narin the newest addition to its bulkiness:

Please excuse that unflattering photo of mine :P

I was so giddy last Thursday when mom told me that my Unified Multi-purpose Identification card has arrived. If you're wondering why an ID made me giddy, well, it's because I waited for it for 11 freakin' months! I applied for it December of last year and it's almost Christmas time again when it was delivered -- guess that says a lot about our government system/processes, yeah?

On a lighter note, this isn't called multi-purpose for nothing. Instead of issuing an SS ID alone, this UMID was released to be used for four different government agencies: SSS, GSIS, PhilHealth and PAG-IBIG Fund. Also, according to the letter that it came with, it also has a microchip that stores personal information and SSS data and provides a convenient and faster way of getting SSS benefits and privileges.

Back side.

Now all I have to do is take good care of it if I don't wanna wait another year to get a replacement. Oh and I also have to stay single for a few more years so that I won't need to have my last name changed! Hahaha.

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget

2011-11-17T21:44:00.001+08:00

There was a typhoon on our scheduled trip to the shores of Puerto Galera October of last year. In fact, I almost called on all the saints I know during our ferry ride to the island. When we got there, the weather is still gloomy and in effect, the waves were extraordinarily strong. But what the heck, I and my college friends are definitely not passing on the chance to beach bum and enjoy the mini-reunion.

So despite the rain and the strong current, we played in the sand and walked a few steps into the water. We were taking pictures endlessly so we're facing the shore and in the middle of waddling and jumping and giggling with my maharot friends, a couple of huge waves ate me entirely! For a moment there I thought I was gonna die! I was panicking and struggling to stick my head out to the surface. I am certain that the water is just about waist-deep because I'm on bent knees and could feel the sand but the current kept pulling me down.

After what seemed like forever, the water calmed and I was able to get up to my feet. With sand all over my body (my mouth, even!), I walked back to my friends who were checking on me and at the same time trying to control their chuckles. After making sure that I'm okay, we all laughed about the incident but up until this moment, I'm still terrified by big, strong waves. Even the thought of it, or merely seeing pictures of it, send chills down my spine. I wish I could forget about it soon, or at least before we hit Boracay on June. (oooh, that rhymes! haha!)

Guess who's staying in for the week? :-)

2011-11-13T16:05:00.001+08:00

Yep, J! ^_^

He recently made a career switch and now he's doing OJT in a government agency. He will be reporting for work in NAIA1 and because he lives way up north, he decided to just stay here. Less travel time for him, more time for me, everybody happy! :-)

I emptied a drawer full of stuff I keep for God-knows-why to make room for his clothes.
Wife for a week, eh? ^_^

So if I ever fail to blog in the next five days, you know why. ;-)

Blissful beyond words,

An Early New Year's Resolution

2011-11-10T01:01:00.001+08:00

Okay, I was supposed to write about Ocean Adventure but I just had to take note of this random thought. Please bear with me :)

My friend Jaq shared with me this beautifully-written post (do yourself a favor and click the link! ^_^) and it sparked a lengthy conversation about reading.

And then I realized... where has my love for reading gone? I used to be head over heels with books, and now I don't even open an e-book, let alone a real one.

I used to cry a river reading the works of Sparks (sadly I failed to see him when he visited the country last month), took note of the codes in Dan Brown's sci-fi, memorized lines from Albom and Coelho and stayed up to finish Harry Potter even if I have a 7AM class the next day. I can still recall Francis Kong's lessons on life in The Early Bird Catches the Worm but the Second Mouse Gets the Cheese. Even Bob Ong, demmet!

Then I remember when I have yet to land my first job, I was already computing where my soon-to-be salary would go. I told myself that every month I would set aside a part of it to buy paperbacks. I've been working for quite some time now and had I fulfilled my plan, I would have had 27 books in my (now dusty) bookshelf. Sigh.

Heeeeence... a light bulb moment!

Even if we're 2 months away from the new year, I am writing my resolution for 2012!!!

*drum roll please*

If I fail on the "Lose Weight" mantra year after year, then at least I should be able to keep up with this easier goal, right? :D

With a new-found longing for January 1,

Subic Trip with J's Family: Our Homestay

2011-11-09T01:10:00.000+08:00

After 3 hours on the road and 4 hours getting up-close and personal with the animals in Zoobic Safari, we all felt that we deserve a nice and comfy place to stay the night. Good thing Tita Meg doesn't settle for less :-) She passed up on the tram tour to look for a homestay for our group of 16 and this is what she found:

photo credit

Forest View Residences is a US-style residential village in El Kabayo Road, Subic. They offer the units to families and big groups who are in the city for short trips or longer stays alike.

Much like your usual village, the place is private and security is tight.

You'll find here the peace and quiet you're looking for when in a vacation.

This is the unit that Tita Meg got for us :-)

Hotels in Subic range from PhP3500 - PhP 5000 per night, with strict number of guests per room. This one costs Php 6500 per night and can fit all of us so it's definitely sulit!

It's pretty spacious and looks modern (Thank God! I most certainly don't want a creepy-looking vacation house on October 31st. Haha!). The furniture and fixtures seem new as well. Let me tour you around :-)

There's a huge sofa and a 32" LCD TV in the living room. Sorry for the not-so-good angle. I don't want them to wonder why I even have to take a photo of the place. Hahaha.

The Dining table is huge and classy, too -- minus the plastic covers, that is!

But I understand that they just wanna keep the fabric clean :P

The kitchen is complete with the basic appliances you'll need to prepare quick meals. On the opposite side is a large sink and another counter.

Now on with the bedrooms...

The master's bedroom. It has its own bathroom with a dedicated shower area.

And then 2 rooms like this. This is where we stayed, along with J's mom, and the family of his bro. We brought with us an airbed which we put in the center. All rooms have A/C units, by the way.

This is the common toilet and bath. Not seen in the picture is a bathtub (sosyal!) and a water heater. It's equipped with a bidet as well. On the other side is the vanity counter and sink. Water pressure is strong also.

I generally liked the place but here are a few pros and cons that you may wanna know if you're considering renting it:

Pros:

- Fully-furnished, with high-end interior pieces.

- Beds are comfy and A/C is working well so we had a good sleep.

- Very homey, and there's a lot of open space, which I love (and the kids, too, I think -- cause they enjoyed running around :D)

- There's a swimming pool near the admin office, if you wanna take a dip. Too bad we don't have a lot of time (and I didn't have a swimsuit too! Haha!)

Cons:

- The place is kinda far from the main road. If you have you own car, this won't be a problem. Otherwise, I don't think I saw public transport in the area.

- When I pulled the comforter (the blue one in the picture above), there's a dead cockroach in there! It was disgusting, yeah, so we just didn't take the comforter off. We used our own blanket when it got too cold in the middle of the night.

Overall, we had a pleasant stay. The cockroach could be an isolated case, so I'd still recommend the place :-)

Forest View Residences
El Kabayo Road, Subic Bay Freeport Zone

Rates and reservation details are here, here and here.

P.S. I almost forgot, the power went out at midnight but it went back after around 30 minutes. I'm not sure if it was just a technical problem, or the house's way of saying "Happy Halloween!" Hahaha!

Subic Trip with J's Family: Zoobic Safari

2011-11-07T22:36:00.001+08:00

If you've noticed here and here, I was an emotional wreck last week. The boyfriend and I were having issues and for a moment there I thought that was the end of us. Luckily though, during the Halloween weekend, tita-in-law invited me to go out-of-town with the whole family and J came to fetch me. We talked and settled things and kissed and made up ;-) And the rest, as they say, is history :)

Now back to the out-of-town trip. I was only told to pack my things noon of Saturday. J and I left home that same evening and slept over at their Marikina house (first time! :D) and come early morning of Sunday, we're bound to Subic!

Our first destination:

Tita Meg got Zoobic Safari tickets (I forgot to ask where) at a promo price of Php1499, that's for 6 persons already. But in case you wanna know, here's the regular rate:

Yes, it's kinda pricey, and everything inside comes with a price, too.

But let's just say we're doing it for the animals :)

After presenting your tickets, you will have your wrists stamped.

You'll also need it when you go in and out of the premises.

We got there around 11AM starving so we opted to eat first. They have a mini resto there but the food choices are limited.

Of the 5 set meals, only 3 were available when we were there.
Yeah, I meant it when I said "limited" :P

The interiors are consistent with the whole safari ensemble (but they could definitely improve on the ventilation).

The boyfriend's family.
That's S2BMIL at the far left and beside me were bro-in-law and his wife.

Us ♥

Us again, post-meal. Candid shot courtesy of Kuya Migs. I dunno what we're talking about here but I guess if you ask us about the food, that look could describe it. The food is so-so. But for hungry tummies, okay narin. Haha.

After lunch, we proceeded to the mini-stage where orientation is conducted before the tour.

She's our tour guide, and we belong to group number 15 along with many other groups of guests. Because each guide is in charge of about 50 people, the actual tour is sort of chaotic. You can just roam around by yourself, or choose to stick with her if you want it to be reaaaallly educational.

Closer look at the map.

Then the tour began. At this point, I'll let the pictures do the talking (or not.) :P

The more tame birds you can find here.

At Bird Thrill, there's more interaction with other types of birds.

After this picture, J almost got bitten by that bird. Haha.

Here is where you'll find rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and more.

Zoobic Park houses the farm animals and those that live in the wilds.

You can feed them, but you have to pay for the food also.

Behind us is a bearcat.

There are also boards like these in the park, where you can stick your heads out for souvenir pictures. If you don't quite recognize them, they're J's mom, Tito Bobby and Tita Meg :P

We just have to have one! :)

Next attraction is the Serpentarium.

(Thanks to Kuya Migs again, for all the photos with his watermark :D)

That ends the walking tour. The rest of the attractions are accessible via this tram for an additional Php50 per head. You can choose to bring your own vehicle, too, and drive alongside the tram.

Our first stop is the Forbidden Cave and another one called Zoobic Cave. I don't have pictures of the latter, and I forgot what's in there, as well. Haha.

Inside the cave are stuffed animals (real ones).

When we're done with the cave, we waited for our turn on the caged jeepney (below) for like 30 minutes, then off we drove into "the Philippines' only Tiger Safari".

In there, humans are caged and tigers are free, for a change :-)

This for me is the most exciting part of the tour. It's not for the faint-hearted, I tell you! You actually feed the tigers with raw chicken (which you also buy for PhP 200). According to Kuya, the chicken pieces won't even constitute a quarter of a kilo. Lesson learned: Next time, bring your own raw meat! Haha.

A crew will throw a few chicken pieces towards the hood and naturally, the tiger will run for it. Katuwa panoorin, promise! :)

After the safari, you'll ride the tram again to bring you to the rest of the park zones:

Do I look scared? Well, I am! Hahaha!

Next is the Savannah where ostriches run around, lots of them!

And for some reasons, wild boars too (not running, just lounging around like normal pigs :P). Please don't ask me how ostriches and boars are related. Hahaha.

Spencer aka Bruno Mars stayed at the back of the tram because we all didn't know we'll pass through something like this. He's playing cool until the ostrich threatened to run after him! Everyone was laughing at our guy! Haha.

From the muzooeum, our final stop is at walking distance:

At this point, we're just too tired so we just took pictures outside.

J took this from outside as well. Lots of crocs waiting for food.

Noticed Mariz's shirt? She just passed the CPA board exams (Congrats!)

But if you call her CPA, she'll correct you: CPA Dancer!

Oh-kay. Haha!

That ends the tour around Zoobic Safari. It took more than 3 hours and it can really drain your energy, but it's fun nonetheless! Friendly advice: Be sure to keep some bottled water and face towels handy :)

While having snacks.

The boss/manager/financier contented at watching us eat. Haha.

Before leaving, don't forget to buy souvenirs!

Prices are kinda steep, though.

And if you have some extra cash, you might wanna take a picture with the tiger.

Because we don't wanna spend so much, these souvenir shots will suffice :-)

There. I hope you enjoyed a virtual tour of the zoo! Up next, another Subic tourist destination: Ocean Adventure! :D

My Pretty Little Ladybug

2011-11-06T16:20:00.000+08:00

Days before the Scarefest, Haley would cry as I leave the house because she wanna come with me to the office already. So when the day came, words just can't describe how happy and excited she is!

(L) When we bought her costume, we're no longer after what's spooky or one-of-a-kind. We looked for what's comfortable for an almost-3-year-old and something that will fit her to a T.

(R) We succeeded, yes? :D

Let me do it a la fashion blogger, just because. Haha!

Dress, wings* and crown set from SM Dept. Store at PhP 430 (less 10% coz they're on sale)

*Mom tweaked the wings a bit because it's too plain for her liking. She added the red lining, that's PhP 10/yard from Carolina's :)

Black stockings from SM Dept. Store at PhP 150 (less 10% also)

Black shoes from Carriedo Shopping Arcade at PhP 150 (talk about wise spending! :P)

Skirted Trick or Treat bucket from SM also at PhP 100.

For only 800 bucks, achieve na achieve, di ba?

When we got to the office, as expected, my pretty little ladybug was a scene stealer! ^_^ Everyone walks up to her just to say hi or have a picture taken. Here are my 3 favorite shots of the day:

They stayed at the pantry while waiting for the program to begin. And of course, took pictures (the two shots above are taken there as well).

Haley with our cousin Jaren. Jaren's kuya also works in Headstrong :)

Here's Haley with our beautiful momma!

Then we went around the Angry Birds area for more photo opps:

Soooooooo charming!
I told you, kids loved our theme so whether we bag the award or not, we're still winners :)

I just had to pose with King Pig.

And Ate Junie, too!

The astronaut and the fairy are siblings. I love it when I hear them talk cause they speak very fluent English. I swear my kids will be like them! Haha!

I won't miss a photo with this blue bird, inside the makeshift iPod. Funny thing is that you have to guide him around cause he's blind. They forgot to create a hole in the costume for his eyes! Hahaha.

Finally, the program started. First, they gathered the kids in the conference room for some snacks and film showing.

Watching Spongebob Squarepants while munching on chicken lollipops (she had 4!)

Oh, here's another winner shot of moi! That's our little celebrity enjoying the attention of the paparazzi! ;P

After the mini fashion show, the main event was next... Trick or Treat!

Haley and Jaren all set to get heaps of candies and chocolates.

Love this candid shot!

I had to include the 2 photos above (even if they're blurred) cause it captured Haley's experience trick or treating.

Her bucket is getting heavy but the show must go on! Haha.

Somewhere along the tour we saw her Ninang Jejo waiting for her to pass by :-)

Oh, do visit Jejo's blog - she's got some great stories and photos to share as well!

Haley with the Queen and her lady royals.

At the queen's garden.

With the lady pirate and their treasure chest! :-)

Haley and Junie at Hogwarts.

And lastly, Haley getting her treats from my very own team :-)

I was so proud of Haley because she was well-behaved the whole time. Some booths have zombies and ghosts and other spooky creatures -- she got scared but she didn't cry. She just closed her eyes and let me hold her hand until we're done. Good job, little girl!

Here she is at my cube - tired but would still smile for the camera. I trained her that way. Haha.

Oh yes, I deserve that tight hug! ^_^

And what better way to end the night than to dine at the kids' place-to-be -- Jollibee! :)

One last shot before going home -- right at the middle of one of Makati's busiest streets. Haha.

Dear Headstrong folks,

Thanks a lot for the awesome Halloween event!

Looking forward to next year's! :)

Love,

Little Ms. Ladybug

Ham 'o' Ween at Work

2011-11-06T12:11:00.001+08:00

If there's one thing that I love about the company that I currently work for, its the Scarefest -- that day once a year when employees pour out their creative juices dressing up their work stations while kids close to their hearts get to visit in their cutest costumes to go trick or treating. It was one event everyone in the office looks forward to because we get to set aside work even just a few hours and bond with our families and co-workers for some Halloween fun.

You see, my team's been holding the Best Scarefest Zone title for the past two years. That means we're vying for a grand slam this 2011. And guess what theme we did?

Yes, it's Angry Birds no less! :)

I admit, it's kinda overused already but it was a hit to the kids! Unlike the other zones, the little boys and girls enjoyed roaming around our area, with eyes open and smiles wide. They goofed around and took pictures with the iconic Ham o' ween tree, King Pig, and of course, our life-size slingshot! :)

We don't settle for less so our birds are 3D! That meant large balloons as mold and layers and layers of paper and glue, and then some paint after! The production wasn't easy but let's just call it labor of love :)

My most favorite bird of them all. I lurrrrve how "angry" it is. Haha.

And to complete the peg, we covered the facade with some japanese paper and cutouts of black trees, pigs and pumpkins!

Hang some cobwebs for that Halloween effect.

By the way, thanks K for the pics!

Oh, let's not forget "THE" banner.

This baby was made by yours truly ^_^

For the treats, I have to say thank God for Divi land! We got Angry Birds balloons, erasers, keychains, pins and stress balls which all made the children giddy!

The colorful birds lined up to welcome the guests :)

The balls doubled as eggs in the huge nest.

And the human birds were there to protect the eggs. Cute, no? :D

All these were made possible through the efforts of the TLX Creative League:

The rose among the thorns, Ms. Anne, spearheaded the group.

Wait, why am I not in the picture?!?!

Oh, I remember! Blame it on this little ladybug! ^_^

With a kiddo as cute as her, who can resist being a stage sister? :D

I have a lot of adorable pictures to share so I'm saving them for another post. Stay tuned!

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

2011-11-02T21:02:00.000+08:00

I had a blissful weekend and I can't wait to share it with all of you but while I'm working on them, let me continue first with the 100-day picture challenge which is reaaaaaaaaally overdue. Haha.

Because I've told you time and again that I'm lusting over going to European countries, I'd be patriotic (not to mention, realistic :P) this time...

click the photo for a larger view :)
Sagada, Misibis Bay, Bohol, Bellarocca, Davao, La Union, Boracay, CamSur, Batanes, CDO, Coron, Anawangin Cove.

There are a lot of beautiful places in the Philippines but these are just some that I wanna visit soon. Any other place that you might want me to include in my list? :)

Disclaimer: All the photos above are not mine. Credits are given to their respective owners.

Day 19 - A picture of something you love to do

2011-10-25T11:14:00.000+08:00

This pretty much sums up my two favorite things to do:

EAT and TAKE PICTURES! :D

Salivating over Tiramisu Meltdown,

Happiness

2011-10-23T21:35:00.001+08:00

I've been feeling blue the entire week (#pleasedontaskmewhy) and today I've come to my senses. Happiness is a choice, and if I choose to lock myself up in my room and wallow in sad thoughts, I'll lose what could have been a great weekend. So I picked myself up and headed to a place where girls get their much-needed pampering... the neighborhood salon! I'm not so hard to please, you know! :)

It's a Sunday so as expected I had to queue, especially because I wanted a particular nail technician (naks!) to do my foot spa + pedicure. I was told to wait about 1 hour so I thought I'll grab a drink at a nearby Starbucks. I love HSBC for the free tall drink for every PhP2000 spend but I love it more now that they allow upgrades!

Java Chip never fails to brighten my day :)

Add PhP15 to upgrade to grande and Php30 for venti. Not bad, right?

HSBC and SB, let's have this instant reward forever, please? ^_^

With my refreshing drink, I went back to the salon and waited patiently. After about an hour and a half (I'm in a good mood so yeah, I waited that long!), my feet are in for a treat. Soak, file like there's no tomorrow, scrub, pedicure then massage -- aaaaaaaahhhh, I so deserve this!

Okay I know I don't have the prettiest feet but I just wanna show you my nails!
Red is just perfect for this feel-good Sunday, don't you think? :)

Today's lesson: Be happy, you owe it to yourself. I know a drink and a spa ain't gonna fill in that missing piece deep inside but it's a good start.

Here's to a beautiful week ahead!

Let's pretend this is Tumblr

2011-10-22T04:56:00.001+08:00

... and that something copied and pasted would suffice as one post.

via

I love you, Luke. I do.
But we go days without having a meaningful conversation, and I used to miss you so much when that happened. But it never seemed like you missed me.
So I guess because of that, I stopped missing you.

-Brooke Davis, One Tree Hill.

Now that it's out of my chest, maybe I can sleep now. Or maybe not.

Sigh.

Day 18 - A picture of the sexiest woman alive

2011-10-22T00:15:00.000+08:00

photo credits: left, center, right

Whether or not it's fake doesn't really matter to me. Haha. I just love her curves. I don't like the skinny sexy kasi. So yeah, IMO, Kim Kardashian is the sexiest woman alive. Not to mention, she has a pretty face too! ;-)

I'd love to know who you see fit for the title! Share! :)

Day 17 - A picture of someone who has made a huge impact on your life recently

2011-10-21T03:09:00.000+08:00

I was supposed to put a picture of Haley but it's so predictable, right? So I thought of this guy instead...

Friends, meet Jim, our team lead.

I personally took this photo for a company newsletter so I'm kinda proud if it.

It's post-worthy, yes? ;P

Career-wise, there's no one more fit for Day 17 than Jim. I learned a lot in the past year that I've been working with him and in the last few months, all the more that I was able to prove how great a leader he is.

I was recently assigned to a project in which I am the only resource doing QA. Being a junior, everyone doubted my capability but Jim believed in me. When we had a one-on-one talk, I had to look away because I don't want him to see that I was thisclose to tears while he's telling me he's certain that I can nail it. That confidence meant so much. That confidence convinced me that I'm actually better than what I think of myself.

In my book, what sets him apart is that he knows when to speak out and when to listen to what I have to say, when to intervene and when to step back to let me do my own thing. More than a mentor, he is a motivator. He inspires me to step up and outperform myself every single time.

"The reward for good work... is more work." -- I've seen my job in a whole new light since he told me that.

P.S. Jim, if you ever chance upon this (I hope not :P), sorry I put up your picture without letting you know. And thanks, if I haven't said it enough :D

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

2011-10-13T19:01:00.000+08:00

I'm not naming one, two or three... because I have 8 persons who inspire me.

My family inspires me to soldier on, no matter how difficult life gets sometimes.

Seeing my mom set herself aside to take care of us is enough for me to do my best to become a better daughter and sister. Knowing that my dad, despite a few failures here and there, perks up and still tries his best to make a living for us inspires me to help provide for the family in my own little way. Looking at my five younger sisters and envisioning a bright future awaiting them makes me want to work doubly hard to send them to a good school and give them all their needs, and if possible, their wants, too.

Sure we don't have a posh house, a luxury car, or weekly shopping sprees but just having this beautiful family (literally and figuratively :P), makes me feel extremely wealthy.

And of course, this guy.

Being with each other for more than 6 years, I can safely say now that J is the man I'm meant to spend the rest of my life with. Whenever we talk about future plans, I'm amazed at how certain he is that we'll have a blissful and abundant married life. He makes me believe it, too, and inspires me to do my part for that plan to materialize. We both know it's not gonna be a walk in the park but I know we can make it because we're taking the rough roads hand-in-hand. He inspires me to love the life I'm given, emanate kindness and generosity everyday, value my work, chase my dreams, and in the end be the woman I am destined to become.

Thanks Crickette!

2011-10-13T18:59:00.000+08:00

I work on night shift this week because I'm on the last few days of my project (I made it! Yay! :D) and honestly, I am enjoying it. For some reasons, I am more productive in the wee hours and when I get home, I recharge until mid-afternoon and still get some me-time before going to work again.

And then this afternoon, while spending my lull time, I got all giddy when this arrived at our doorstep:

Well it wasn't really a surprise because Crickette of The Drama Queen Can Tell Stories e-mailed us that she'll be shipping the prize anytime last week but usually, someone else at home receives deliveries on my behalf. This time, I personally got the package and it was pure delight! ^_^

It should have been just Nivea products (for the record, I've been using the brand for years!) but since Crix is a dentist, she threw in some tubes of toothpaste and bottles of mouthwash, too. Thanks mucho, Doc! :D

Happy Thursday everyone!

Of Pajamas and Priceless Girlfriend Moments

2011-10-10T01:36:00.001+08:00

Warning: Picture-heavy post.

Since we became part of the working class, my girlfriends and I make it a point to celebrate each of our birthdays -- complete with gifts, good food and a sinful cake with a candle on top. Well of course we also celebrate back when we're still in college but because we already have our own moolah, we can afford to up a notch in terms of how we do it now. The past birthdays we celebrated laughing our hearts out at a comedy bar, beating each other at bowling, acting like little kids at a theme park and getting up close and personal with our marine friends at the ocean park (and why haven't I blogged about all of those?!). But there's one thing we've wanted to do for the longest time but haven't gotten the chance to do so -- PAJAMA PARTY!!!

Thanks to Nhix's birthday-slash-promotion treat, we were finally able to fulfill that dream last weekend. Awesome way to start the month, eh? ;D

photo credit

After scouring the net for hotels and finding out that it's way out of our budget (plus they're strict with the number of guests per room), we thought of looking for condos for rent instead. The problem with the idea, though, is that most of the units has a 3-day minimum. We were actually losing hope until I chanced upon Jedidiah Rentals. I texted the property manager, Grace, and lucky for us they allow overnight stays! We were already decided to settle for it without even scrutinizing the place because it's cheap at Php1800 + electricity charge but seeing the photos made us want to drag the days to October 1 already. Here lemme show you some...

3 towers of residential condominium units developed by DMCI. Hello, Mommy Fleur! :)

Dansalan Gardens is located at Boni Ave., Mandaluyong City.

Weeeee! Huge pool for the school of fish! ^_^

Comfy couch + LCD TV + DVD player = movie marathon!

The inviting bed's a threat to our plan of staying up all night!

Photos from Jedidiah Rentals' site

Seriously, PhP1800 only? I don't want to sound like a home TV shopping voice over but... What an offer! :D

The day came. After shopping for gifts for Nhix and buying some groceries for our little party, we went straight to our home for the night. When we got there, we had to wait awhile for Ms. Grace's assistant to take us to the unit. Building security is impressive, by the way :) As soon as the door opened, we tried our darn hardest not to squeal in delight!

Actual photos from my cam

2 couches to fit all 5 of us

The entertainment set, with cable TV even.

The kitchen may be small but it has everything you'll ever need.

The 4-burner electric stove with exhaust and lighting system was a hit to Noreen.

The dining table which for us became the gadget table because...

Beside it is the phone and modem.
It kept us connected to the outside world :)

The bed is really comfortable and have you noticed the lamp at the corner?
Turning it on made the room even more cozy.

The huge wooden cabinet has enough hangers, a flat iron and a comforter, too. Have I already said that the unit has everything you'll ever need? :P

And the best thing about it is that the entire place is spotlessly clean, including the comfort room! The fixtures are of high-quality, as well.

But what really got us are the little details...

This wall clock is too cute I just had to take a picture.

They have dinnerware narin and pots and pans and knives and this classy glass collection.

And yes, the plates are Ikea pa!

This reaaaallly caught our fancy -- a fish ice tray! It's meant for us! :D

We continued to admire the place while taking some rest. It's great for a couple starting out but we had other plans -- what if we just live together?! Imagine coming home to your friends and beginning to tell the day's adventure as soon as you step in and having the entire night just for girl talk? That'll be crazy, but super fun!

We love it that the furniture are strategically located for self-timer shots!

After about two hours of daydreaming about us living under one roof, Jejo arrived. You know what that means... time for dinner! :D

Noreen cooked our favorite Pork Sinigang so it was one hearty meal.
But before that, there's picture taking of course!

Our tummies were full but we just can't say no to this. They loved it because it's not too
sweet but since I'm a sucrophile, I still prefer Red Ribbon or Conti's :P

Nhix brought cupcakes from Cake R' Us. Too pretty to eat, aren't they?

Happy birthday, labs! :D

Post-dinner, it's pajama party proper! Fine, they're not all pajamas but those would do, okay? ;-)

We laid our sleepwear on the bed with our gifts for Nhix. Wedding ang peg! Haha.

Then we had the obligatory continuous shots...

Then Nhix opened her gifts...

A wallet from Jaq, a bag that I want for myself from me and Noreen and an Ipanema sandals from Jejo.

And finally, it's time for some real and unadulterated girl bonding...

We hid under the sheets and talked about family, love, work and everything in between. It was a no-holds-barred conversation -- something that we haven't done in a while because we're busy juggling our career and personal lives. We made the most of the privacy by ~~watching porn~~ (kidding! :P) sharing a thing or two about our relationships (boyfriends, beware! hahaha) and pouring out our frustrations and secrets and future plans and dreams. Imagine you and your 4 closest friends in one cozy room talking about things that under normal circumstances only your diary would know. Isn't that great? I say priceless.

A movie and some episodes of Vampire Diaries followed. Before we know it, the sun is starting to show up and it's time for the most important meal of the day.

Our breakfast.

Thanks Noreen, for taking care of our tummies! :)

Once again, we had our fill. To religiously follow the sched that we created, we watched Hip Hop Abs, a workout video for those who wanna lose weight. You're supposed to follow the routine but as I've said we just, well, watched. Hahaha. Then we changed into our swimming attire because we're hitting the waters next!

First shot. We're trying so hard not to appear cold but in reality, we're freezing! The wind was extra strong that morning, thanks to Typhoon Quiel.

Let's play a game, shall we? Pagandahan ng underwater shot. Hahahaha.

Mine is boring, I know!

I love Jaq's pose. I tried to do that but it was hard. Hers is effortless.
Oh by the way, drop by her blog! :)

Nhix's is... kinda revealing. Haha.

Noreen is just so happy. Agree? :P

Where's Jejo, you ask? She's there... taking our pictures. She's not very comfortable submerging herself in the water, that's why. She's still a winner, I think, for being an awesome photographer. Hahaha.

Now let's offer a brief moment of silence for D10, Jaq's underwater camera. It succumbed after that swimming session and needless to say, my friend is devastated she even wrote D10 a letter. Include them in your prayers, please?

We went back to our unit and started packing up. Much as we wanted to stay longer, we had other activities after that. As always, it was one awesome weekend with my ladies and we could only wish for more of this. And to close this uber long post, let me share with you one quote I truly believe in because of our friendship:

"A best friend is a sister that destiny forgot to give you."

Thanks destiny for being so generous to give me 5 (yes, Ep, that includes you) :D

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die

2011-10-09T18:01:00.000+08:00

photo credit

A kiss with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

I've always dreamt of traveling to Paris -- the magnificence of the tower, the city lights, the history and art, the picturesque spots, the romantic feel all around. Oh Paris, one day I'll see you. And I'll take the love of my life with me so that we can have a snap just like the one above :)

Hon, let's save, save, save for Paris, shall we?

(I know exactly what J will tell me... "Di ba dapat for a house muna?" Hahaha)

Day 14 - A picture of your favorite store

2011-10-09T17:43:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since my last 100-photo challenge post but now I'm back! Okay, I strongly feel that SM Department Store is my favorite store in the world (because it got it all for me? :P) but that sounds boring, right? Haha. So here...

The Maxine boutique in Trinoma

Thing is... whenever I go to SM, I go straight to where Maxine is. It's a clothing line for plus-sized women like me. It's my go-to brand because I love the style and the quality of the fabric of their products. Their sizes fit me to a T as well. And last but not the least, Maxine is my second name so it's sort of a love-your-own mentality. Tee hee.

And God said...

2011-10-04T23:42:00.000+08:00

Patience, my child...

I know how awful it feels, I perfectly understand.

Set jealousy aside, it won't get you anywhere

Instead focus on your dreams and on what you can do to get there.

Work harder, stay strong, just keep the faith

Because what I have for you is worth all the wait.

Better Late than Never

2011-09-13T22:58:00.002+08:00

I came home tonight and was pleasantly surprised with what's sitting in my bed:

Yay! ^_^

If you still remember, I posted about me winning this from Aryanna Epperson back in July. It took 2 months for it to arrive because apparently there have been problems with former couriers. Anyway, thanks to Aryanna and kudos to Paulo of Samsung PR dept. for getting in touch and constantly e-mailing to update me of the status. The best thing about it is that I know I was supposed to get only one USB bracelet but as their way compensating the delay, they sent me two! Awesome! :D

Sunday Lunch at YakiMIX

2011-09-13T02:03:00.000+08:00

I loooooove weekends. I can list down lots of reasons to support that statement but perhaps there is one thing I don’t like about it – during weekends, it’s a struggle keeping up with the diet. Well, I admit that 4-letter word and I have a love-hate relationship but on Saturdays and Sundays, we are always always on the verge of breaking up. Hahaha.

Last Sunday was no exception. I was invited by tita-in-law for lunch to celebrate the 20th birthday of their unica hija.

Meet Mariz. I like her because she’s blessed but she stays simple and down-to-earth. I love her fashion sense too! We jive because we are both into all things girly – Forever21 and bottles of nail polish included :P

We ate at YakiMIX in Trinoma. I’ve been hearing good things about the buffet resto so I was really looking forward to trying it out.

It's located at the 4th level, near the cinema.

The queue was cuh-ray-zee! J and family arrived before 11 am but they we’re already 19th (yes, 19th!) on the waiting list. We were seated almost 1:30. Kaloka di ba? Lesson learned: Be there waaaaaay ahead of time to be able to eat lunch on time. Haha.

The interiors and overall feel of the place is very sosyal :-)

The down side is that since it's jampacked, it's gets a little noisy.

As soon as we’re settled, J went to the buffet table to get us some (raw) food. I’m a first timer in a resto with a grill-your-own-food setup so I had fun cooking some bacon, beef and chicken right at our table. BTW, the rolled bacon is delish!

Then J and I went to get cooked dishes. I must say the buffet area was huge and filled with an array of viands, different kinds of sushi, cold cuts and sinful desserts. I wanted to take pictures of each section but I was too hungry to bother. Hehe.

I was never a fan of Japanese cuisine (except tonkatsu and tempura) so my first set was a little boring. Oh speaking of tempura, I still think the one we had at a seaside resto is the best -- fresh, hot, crispy and the prawns are just soooo yummy! The one I had at YakiMIX wasn't as impressive to me (or maybe the ones that I got has been on the table for some time, I dunno).

My second set was mostly fatty food – chopped crispy pata (or a Japanese version of it which I enjoyed), more bacon, crabsticks, 1 little serving of pastry and a slice of cake – so I didn’t take a picture of it anymore.

I finished the meal with a bowl full of ice cream.

I told you, diet is completely forgotten that day.

Now on to some group shots :-)

When J saw this picture, he couldn't believe how much he's grown (weight-wise). Haha. Sorry babe, reality bites.

With the celebrant! I intended to post this on Sept. 12 (her real birthday) but it's past 12mn already so belated happy birthday, pretty girl!
And good luck on the upcoming CPA board! ^_^

I know I just said that I don't like blurred pictures but I just had to post this.

See how close I and MIL2B were?! It's one for the books! :P

Mariz with her parents and some close family friends.

Bro-in-law, his wife and TJ (I owe that little guy a lot! Find out why here.)

I could've eaten more had MIL2B not been seated at the edge of the couch. It's dyahe to ask her to stand up just so that we can go for another round. Hahaha.

And here are some must-knows about the restaurant, should you wish to give it a try :-)

Overall, YakiMIX still gets my thumbs up (the tummy couldn't agree more). I'd love to be back, probably when it's just the two of us so that I can take a trip to the buffet table as often as I want. Hahaha ;-P

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist

2011-09-13T01:35:00.000+08:00

photo source

Usher Raymond & Alicia Keys

You can't deny it, these two are really talented individuals.

So when they create music together, I'm in la-la-love! ^^,

Hope they do more collabs.

Oh and how about a concert together in Manila?

Sweet Jesus, I am so not letting that pass!

Dear Universe, please let that happen,

and please let me have enough moolah by then :)

Fanatically yours,

Day 11 and 12 ^_^

2011-09-10T23:12:00.002+08:00

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

It's actually more of a pet peeve, blurred pictures. The photo above is an exaggeration, of course *wink*

What I mean is that there are just moments that you wanna capture in crisp images and sometimes you wanna be in THAT image so you hand over the camera to another person. When he/she gives the camera back to you, you view the photos and boom -- the photo falls short of your expectations.

Not that I'm not grateful (to the one who took it. I am. Really.) But let's just say I'm nit-picky. Exactly the reason my friends are scared to take a picture of me. Hahaha.

Day 12 - A picture of something you love

photo source

If the previous photo is a pet peeve, this one's a guilty pleasure: S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G!!!

I know I'm being shallow but putting one stuff after another in the cart and taking them home and admiring all those beautiful items and getting excited to use them -- oh how I love that happy feeling! I may not have much to spend at the moment (hence, the guilt) but I find comfort in knowing that someday I will have enough to buy whatever my heart desires :-)

Keeping the faith,

Day 10 - A picture of someone you do the craziest things with

2011-09-10T21:53:00.000+08:00

Dear girlfriends,

I terribly miss you.

Hoping to get crazy with you again soon.

XOXO,

Heart Kristel's E.L.F. Collection Giveaway

2011-09-07T14:43:00.000+08:00

Who can say no to this 85-piece Complete The Look Palette?

Definitely not me!

I am so joining this giveaway!

Click on the photo to find out how you too can join :-)

If I have cosmetics as plenty and pretty as this set,

I'd probably allot an hour everyday just to make myself up ;-)

My Weekend Equation

2011-09-07T00:08:00.000+08:00

Celeb with friends + QT with Jhay + a little Me Time

= a happy long weekend!!! :D

This is a little late but allow me to still share with you my version of last week's 4-day vacation...

I was invited by my college friend-slash-officemate to his son's dedication on Saturday but since it's been raining all day, I was too lazy to get up and out of the house. After thinking a hundred times, the responsible godmother in me prevailed so I dressed up in 30 minutes and dashed to the venue. I was an hour late but good thing the ceremony hasn't started yet. When I saw the charming little guy, in my thoughts I gave myself a pat on the back for choosing to be present.

Meet my 8th inaanak, Kim Summer.
God knows I tried to convince his dad that it's a baby girl's name but he won't listen.
Oh well, let's just call him Sam :)

See how much I enjoyed carrying him?
His cute smile made me wanna text J and tell him that we make our own. Hahaha.

I'm a proud Catholic but I admire how solemn and personal Christian ceremonies are.
Here are Sam's parents praying for their kid.

My fellow-COEs who are ninongs and ninangs as well.
There were a lot of catching up about work, travels, love life even!
I really missed these guys.

With the heartfelt ceremony and bonding with friends,
the yummy food served was just icing on the cake :-)

We left at around 9pm. The rain's still pouring hard but nothing can stop me from being with my J. From the Makati venue, I traveled all the way to Fairview, QC to sleepover at Tita Meg's house (where J lives now). When I got there, we're already both sleepy so we hit the sack. Nothing beats cuddling on rainy evening! ^_^

The next day was badminton day with the family! Time to burn some calories, baby!

I'm not in the pictures because as usual, I'm the photog. In the first picture are J and his cousin Spencer, in the second are his aunt and uncle, Tita Meg and Tito Bobby.
They're one sporty family, I tell you!

I got to play with all of them and I was so embarrassed because even the 10-year old Bob beat me. Well what do you expect from someone who last played a sport 4 years back?! Haha. I was sweating like crazy but I loved it because it made me feel a wee bit healthier. Maybe I should do it more often. Yeah, I really should.

After around 2 hours of slicin' and smashin', we drove to Quezon Memorial Circle for late lunch. Looks like the fats burned are gonna get back to my system sooner than expected :P

The family's go-to resto.
We had the good old grilled chicken breast, crispy crablets, KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, Langka -- a soup dish) and the crowd favorite Chikyninees (Pinoy slang for fried chicken skin). Then the sinful leche flan for dessert. Tsk tsk. Cholesterol overload.

Since we're already at the park, we decided to take a leisurely stroll after eating. Walking around made me realize that the last time I was there was during an educational trip back in First Grade. Wow, that was almost 2 decades ago!

Jump shots may already be stereotypical but it still is F.U.N! Agree? =)

Please excuse me wearing pambahay.
I didn't know we'll go somewhere else after badminton. Haha.

Since we have kids with us, we went inside the museum as well. It houses late President Quezon's memorabilia -- clothes, furniture, paintings of him, lots of framed photos, his hand's imprint even...

...and serves as his and his wife's mausoleum too.

After the museum tour, there's more picture-taking outside...

Jhay = trying-hard; Spencer = effortless. Hahaha.

Would you believe that that tall guy is just 12 years old?

I love how candid and happy this shot is =)

The Paulino family and their adopted son. Hehe.

And of course, US! ^_^

Friends, say hi to the world's best aunt-in-law :D

We went home soon and since were all tired, Tita Meg asked me to stay another night. Yay! That meant more kwentuhan, more hugs, more quality time with J!

After the next day's lunch, it's time to head back to our humble abode. While on the road, I decided to sidetrip to a nearby mall to buy some stuff (I'm on a tight budget so my loot only consist of the "needs".. promise! :D) By the time I got home, I'm sooooo longing for some snooze already.

And then Tuesday came too soon. To make the most out of the last day of vacation, I stayed in bed until around 11AM. I got up to grab a quick bite, saw a book lying on the table, took it with me back to the room and finished it in one seating. I didn't really like the storyline because I'm a fan of happy endings (and it obviously didn't end happily) but I loved the fact that I was able to curl up in bed and just while away the time reading -- something that I haven't done for ages.

I spent the rest of the day enjoying the pleasure of doing nothing. Indeed, thank heavens for long weekends. And I'm sure you're with me when I say that I hope there's more of this to come. Once every quarter, maybe? Haha.

And that, folks, is my formula for an awesome weekend. Care to share yours? :D

Day 09 - A picture of what's in your bag

2011-09-06T14:24:00.001+08:00

I, too, cannot believe that I can fit all those stuff inside my small bag.

Yes, I bring all those with me wherever I go.

Let's start.

Most of the weight of my bag is because of my wallet. I feel incomplete when I don't have it with me so I just don't mind its hugeness. I told you, red is slowly becoming a favorite :D

Second row from L-R: my tiny umbrella, 2 cologne atomizers (1 is VS Love Spell and the other is VS Secret Charm, I use them alternately), loose powder, alcohol, my company ID, key with nailcutter keychain.

The floral purse is my vanity kit. It contains an eyeshadow palette, blush, compact mirror, eyelash curler, lip balm (I heart Carmex!), blush brush, liquid eyeliner, mascara and lipstick. I don't put make-up on everyday, though. Only during special occasions or when I have time to fix myself (and almost always I don't).

Bottom row from L-R: Pocket tissue, wet wipes (I'm using Giggles ever since FashionPULIS advertised it. It's good!), an extra hanky, my phone's headset, tickler (where I write draft blogs when I want to pass time), a highlighter and 4 colored gel pens (I don't use the usual red, blue or black -- I'm maarte like that! hahaha).

Oh, I just realized that I forgot to take my comb out of the bag! Silly me!

Looking forward to seeing what's in your bag, too!

Day 08 - A picture of your most treasured item

2011-09-04T17:01:00.000+08:00

Meet my 3-year-old laptop. Just please don't mind the cluttered desktop :P

Lappy may get a little slow sometimes but it holds years and years worth of memories in the form of pictures, music and important files. It got me through numerous reporting tasks and long thesis nights, and now lets me connect to my friends through social networking sites and share snippets of my life via this blog.

Day 07 - A picture that makes you laugh

2011-08-31T00:34:00.000+08:00

I've been looking for "it" for about a week now but there seem to be none in my digital files. That's when I remembered that there's actually a couple of printed photos that made me -- and my girlfriends even more! -- laugh till our stomachs hurt.

It was an ordinary sleepover here at home when my friends suddenly thought of digging into the family's photo albums. You see I was an only child for quite a long while so the old pictures from God-knows-how-many-years are mostly me, me and me. From the tons of prints, this one caught their attention:

Taken during one of the recognition ceremonies in my elementary school after I received my medal and certificate. I can still recall what caption the crazy girls thought of for this picture: "Tara na dad, nasatin na ang medal, pwede na nating pasabugin tong lugar na 'to!" They say I look like I have an evil plan here -- like that of a terrorist ready to attack. Do I? Really???

The laughters eventually subsided and on they went with looking at the pictures... Until they saw this...

I swear the guffaws were non-stop! They laughed like there's no tomorrow when they found out where I got that look -- my dad, no less! They say we're mag-amang terorista. How mean can they be? Hahahaha.

They even wanted to steal these photos and upload them on the internet but I managed to keep them out of their sight. So yeah, I'm doing those girls a favor by posting this now for the www to see. I'm sure wherever they are at the moment, they're laughing their asses off all over again.

Don't tell me you are, too? T_T

Happy back-to-work day, everyone! Don't worry, it's gonna be weekend again in 3 days! :)

P.S. I miss you, fishy friends. No matter how mean you are ~~sometimes~~ most of the time.

Cebu Getaway: Bantayan Town Tour

2011-08-22T00:04:00.000+08:00

After playing in the sand and taking some 50 pictures by the shore, we decided to sit in one of the lounge chairs to relax. That’s when a local approached us to offer a tour to Bantayan Town. It’s actually part of our itinerary because it’s where you can find the old Sts. Peter and Paul Church and the big public market where you can buy all sorts of dried fish – danggit being the most sought after – for pasalubong at a much cheaper price.

When we asked how much the tour is, it’s a whopping 500 bucks! That is way beyond our budget so we asked for alternatives. The local told us that we can rent his motorcycle instead and drive ourselves to the town at a rate of Php300/day + gas. We haggled because we don’t need an entire day but the cheapest that he can give us is Php150 + 50php gas. He said he can give us a lower price but he’ll let us use a motorcycle whose brand I only heard for the first time. Of course we won’t risk getting stranded in the middle of I-don’t-know-where so we still settled for the trusty Honda. Better safe than sorry! :D

Testing 1, 2, 3.

Jhay asked for directions then we’re good to go =)

We traversed a seemingly endless road for about 20 minutes before we reached what looked like a town proper. A few hundred meters more and we saw the town plaza, the old church and the market.

We decided to hit the market first.

Heaps of dried seafood everywhere!

Folks, meet danggit :) It’s at 500php per kilo if salted.

The unsalted ones are 30php more expensive.

Another yummy delicacy: pusit (dried squid).

It’s just about the same price, if I remember it right.

I’m holding a quarter of a kilo, meaning one kilo is really plenty. The packed fish in front of me is tuyo, a Filipino favorite for breakfast, and it’s at 60php per pack.

We spent a little over 800php in the market then proceeded to the nearby bakeshop to buy a loaf of bread for dinner and for tomorrow’s snorkeling.

And then it’s time to say a little prayer =)

The church interiors in its antiquity.

It’s getting dark so we opt to drive back to the resort. The best thing about Jhay driving is that I can ask him to pull over just so I can take pictures!

Maia’s is one of my options but when we saw this sign, I can’t be more thankful that I chose Kota Beach. Maia’s is just too far from the port and the main road!

I originally wanted to sit in the middle of the road for a dramatic shot for my header (Maude’s Avenue of Thoughts, remember? ^^,) but J won’t let me :(

So I had to be contented with this. Haha.

Thankfully we were able to get back to homebase. We dropped by the little market again to buy canned goods, ripe mangoes and bottled water. Our rule is that we can splurge for one meal per day so we’re having Century Tuna for dinner. Haha.

Jhay and I exploring a place we’ve never been to on a motorcycle was one great adventure. It’s so fun and it’s another one for the books!

Other posts from my Cebu Getaway Series:

Cebu Getaway: The Beginning
Cebu Getaway: East Capitol Pensionne
Cebu Getaway: SM Cebu and CNT Lechon
Cebu Getaway: Cebu City Tour
Cebu Getaway: Bantayan Island
Cebu Getaway: Kota Beach Resort
Cebu Getaway: Snorkeling and Island Hopping
Cebu Getaway: Gran Tierra Suites
Cebu Getaway: Casa Verde
Cebu Getaway: Skywalk Extreme
Cebu Getaway: See you again, Cebu!