Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016

I almost couldn’t believe that today is the last day of 2015. Before the year ends and I bid goodbye to the year of the sheep, let me recall this year’s highlights and what made it memorable for me.

First off, the Papal Visit happened in January from the 15th to the 19th. As a Catholic country this is the time where Filipinos experienced a renewal of faith when Pope Francis came. The Pope came to the Philippines during the first leg of his Asian trip and brought about the message of “Mercy and Compassion.” Pope Francis was the second Pope after Pope John Paul III to have visited the country.

I am still addicted to online shopping so my sister and I got ourselves mason jar cozies. I will never forget how cute this cookie monster cozy was and the hassle of buying a made to order item. It took a month before I got it but I swear to God I will not order from that seller again. My cozy will turn 1 year on the 25th of January. 

Pets come and go. Our house cat in Antipolo that I named Moonie passed away on February 13th. I don’t know how long he lived but he definitely died of old age. The last time I saw him alive was April of last year before I left for Cambodia to spend my 34th birthday.

I’ve always been a health buff but no matter how careful I am I had some minor health issues in March. I was diagnosed with G.E.R.D and was on medication for two weeks. I had my second endoscopy since my gallbladder operation in July of last year because of some bacteria that thrived in my stomach and was on medication for a month. 

I want a birthday present for myself and I couldn’t think of anything so I had my second piercing and I loved it. I thought it’s cute. My piercing is eight months old and will turn one year on April 12, 2016.

How can I forget my 36th birthday getaway in Hongkong (April 25-27)? It was my first time in HK though I never get the chance to visit Disneyland, I was happy to see the largest Buddha, the Tian Tian Buddha at Ngong Ping, Lantau Island.

It was a sigh of relief when I finally quit my job in July. I got my final pay in August (yay!).

Pets need TLC too. On August 2nd my sister and I brought our 10-year-old German Shepherd to the vet due to his infected hygroma and was on medication for 2 weeks. 

On August 21, Typhoon Ineng hit Northern Luzon big time. Our town was enveloped in darkness for 3 days.

I enrolled in a driving school in September, the rush course lasted only for 2 days. Whew.

Typhoon Lando badly damaged Northern Luzon last October 18. That was the worst typhoon ever. We had no electricity for 4 days. 

Moving into a new house this year in October was the best thing that happened to our family this year. God is good and I couldn’t ask for more.

Just three days after moving into our new house we took Yumi, our 4-year-old Lhasa Apso to the vet because my sister and I noticed that she’s losing weight and starting to smell weird. According to the vet that Yumi's blood test showed that she was positive for some blood parasite. She was bitten by an infected tick so she was on lots of vitamins and antibiotics for 2 months because she was still positive on the 2nd month. Poor little dog, thank God she’s all well now.

Our senior dog Brandon was rushed to the vet again and was confined for three days from November 16-19 due to dehydration. We had Brandon’s CBC checked and was told that his kidney and liver are no longer in good condition because of his age. He was able to recover after three weeks.

I'm a little bit of a gadget freak and an Apple fan. I couldn’t live without my iPhone or laptop so I got myself a MacBook Air 11 as a Christmas present. Happiness overload.

I was happy for a while but that happiness turned to grief when Brandon, our most loved guard dog passed away 2 days after Christmas. His kidney and liver finally gave up. He will be missed. 

I guess life is all about balance. Good and bad things happen for a reason, it is not just mere coincidence. Everything that happened this year gave me a lot of things to ponder. On that note, let me share a quote to wrap up 2015 for me:

“As the year comes to an end, don’t look back on yesterday’s disappointments. Look ahead to God’s promises yet to unfold.” ~ Buky Gelabi ~

Goodbye to the year of the sheep. This is going to be my year so let me welcome the year of the Monkey with a bang. Hello 2016, Let's rock this.

Merry Christmas Baby

Merry Christmas

It’s the festive season and food is just sooo hard to resist I still have a hangover from last night’s sumptuous dinner. Overeating is no good for someone who lost a gallbladder a year ago but I care less even if I suffer from heartburn because Christmas only happens once a year right?  

There’s a bunch of things to be thankful for this year thus, a reason to celebrate. I can’t wait to have Internet service installed in our new home. It’s been 3 years since we had postpaid Internet and I really miss the good ‘ol things that I used to do such as downloading movies, music, etc. I’m a big leecher, not proud of it but I just am.  

They say the best things in life are those that money can’t buy, I totally agree. I’m a hardworking person, I keep working and working even if I’m not happy with what I do anymore until I just quit and move on to the next job. My life has become a broken record, it just played on and on. I take a break by traveling at least once a year to get some fresh air but I guess a temporary vacation didn’t help at all I realized that life is getting way too monotonous for me, a never-ending cycle. I thought I needed to do something to change how things are. 

I must say that this year is the best so far and I think I finally got what I always wanted…time, for myself and I couldn’t ask for more. This year had a lot of unexpected twists, mostly good ones. 

It’s just a few more days before the year ends and I have a feeling that the best has yet to come so bring it on.

Excited over the new year.

Cheerio! 

Shopaholic

Christmas is just around the corner and I'm feeling excited but haven't started shopping for presents yet. I'm addicted to online shopping I pretty much buy everything online because I love the convenience right at the comfort of my own home plus going to the mall as the holiday gets close is such a pain, the crowd is unbearable especially during SALE season. Online shopping has it's own risks too so make sure to buy from legit sellers only. As a piece of advice coming from someone who've been shopping online for 10 years, make sure to always check for customer's feedback especially if you like to purchase from international sellers just like in eBay.

I was an active eBay shopper until I got tired of waiting for ages for my package to arrive. I like to shop in eBay because that's where I find real cheap imported goodies plus the shipping is free, however, I still pay a postage fee of Php100 per parcel once it arrived in the country. Talk about free shipping but not really.

I was never a victim of bogus sellers (thank God!) because I know how to spot them. I like to shop with ease so whenever I encounter sellers that are quite unresponsive, I will keep in mind not to purchase from them again in the future. I'm not very hard to please. I lover sellers who are very accommodating especially in answering inquiries and those who give updates. I appreciate it when I'm provided a tracking number so I can personally track my package. I know how it feels to buy and sell. I have sold gadgets online as well as managed an online shop in the past so I know how it feels to win the trust of a complete stranger. I had the best and the worse customer experience but the worse of the worse just happened recently through LAZADA so for those wanting to purchase from them, think thrice. You have been WARNED.

Lazada sucks

I downloaded the Lazada mobile app last month because when my niece bought an all in 1 printer months ago she said she got it cheaper and it arrived soon so I thought that I will not have any problem since they are a legit and reputable company. I ordered a MacBook Air 11 on the 20th of November and got an email order confirmation immediately that it will be verified anytime. The following day I got a call from a customer service rep to verify that I really ordered the item. I thought this is good, I like that they really take time to call unlike in eBay, an email notification is enough.

According to the order details that I will get the item between November 29 - December 1st but I did not hear from Lazada after December 1st so I shoot them an email and got a reply (yes, they reply fast. Well, at least) that it is still in process by the supplier and that I will get my item no later than December 8 so I uttered to myself "okay, I'll wait then" though I'm starting to have doubts already that there is something that they aren't telling me but I still trusted them, that's how patient I am when I know that it is beyond my control. I started reading blogs and found out that Lazada has a lot of complaints regarding items that are taking way too long to arrive but I just shrugged it off because I don't want any of these articles to kill the excitement that I'm feeling. I stayed positive that I will get my item before the 8th until on the 4th of December, I got another email saying that the item I ordered is OUT OF STOCK from their supplier from the time that I ordered it although it allowed me to check out from their website and that they couldn't find any other supplier that have that model available so they offered me a P200 voucher that I can use on my next purchase. BEAST MODE ON. I was like, you gotta be kidding me... I waited 2 weeks for nothing and you expect me to purchase again and use that voucher? Seriously??? I was totally DISAPPOINTED. Who wouldn't be? They wasted my time. For a first timer in Lazada, this is just UNACCEPTABLE. I replied back to let them know how frustrated I was with their crappy website and that I will NEVER order from them I again. How on earth are you able to order an item that is out of stock? Ridiculous right?!

MacBook Air rainbow case

On the same day that I got the bad news, I went Macbook shopping with my sister in SM Cyberzone unfortunately, it was out of stock too on both Apple distributors thank God one of the sales persons from one of the stores told me that they have a stock coming the next day so I reserved it immediately and paid for the reservation fee. I was ecstatic when I got my MacBook Air the following day but still haven't forgotten about the bad experience. I told myself that if I wasn't too lazy to go to the mall, I would've have saved myself from all the s***. Moving on and lesson learned, if you're looking to buy a gadget do not do it online. It's still best that you are able to see the product that you are buying so you are able to test if it is in good condition, this is one of the things that you're not able to do when buying online plus it's still best that if something goes wrong, you're able to take it back to the store where you bought it to have it checked. Currently, I am pleased with my Mac. I am a first-time Macbook user but I find it very easy to navigate, it's very straightforward compared to Windows. I just love my new baby so I got her/him/it a rainbow case (ordered one from Shopee) that comes with a black keyboard cover, it's super cute.

Unboxed my MacBook Air 11

I guess my new baby will keep me busy again since our senior dog Brandon, is all well again after suffering from diarrhea and dehydration and was on medication for 2 weeks but we still have to watch his diet and administer his vitamins religiously. As of Yumi the tiny dog, she's still positive for blood parasite so this will be her second month of medication. I hope that her next check-up will turn out good. 

Life As It Is

It's 34 days to go before Christmas, would you believe it? I know, it was only yesterday when I was staring in front of my computer monitor thinking what it's like not to work on Christmas or New Year's eve now here I am, thankful for life's unexpected blessings.

It hasn't been a month since my family moved into this new house and it got me really busy. Packing and unpacking stuff is quite a drag but exciting at the same time. The thought of living in a new house makes me happy and sad at the same time. Happy because from the time that my sister and I started working we've always rented a pad so we have no choice but to be away from home so we are closer to our workplace. Living in a new house makes me feel like a child with a shiny new toy, I like it when everything's new. I am sad that my mom is not going to be with us anymore. We've been spending Christmas for three years now without her. I guess we are starting over.  

I love decorating our new house. I've always been interested in interior design that's why I can't get enough of Pinterest 'cuz that's where I get most ideas on decorating and stuff. I'm quite a perfectionist, I like things to hang nicely. I just hate eyesore that's why I do my research first to make sure I put things where they should be. 

Get well soon big boy

I like this new neighborhood, it's peaceful. Our pets are somehow getting accustomed to their new environment especially Atari the cat because he still gets to stay indoors. Our toy dog Yumi, is recovering from a blood parasite that came from our previous house and still on medication however Brandon, our 10-year-old German Shepherd was rushed to the vet almost a week ago because he had diarrhea and fever and was confined for 2 days due to possible contaminated water or food so just a to be safe never give your pets tap water, let them drink what you drink. We took Brandon home and is slowly recuperating. According to his vet, the infection badly affected his kidney and liver thank God his appetite is back but still too weak to stand on his feet. I'm just grateful that I get to spend time watching over our sick pets. 

I have a lot of plans for next year like working from home and hopefully my sister and I get to travel again for our birthday, I'm crossing my fingers. At the moment I couldn't ask for more. Happiness is contentment.

All We Need Is Just A Little Patience

I hate the rain sometimes. It's been 2 months since the last typhoon and here comes the rain again. I hate this bed weather because it keeps me from moving and being lazy is so not me. I have a lot of things to do and with this kind of weather, I can't do much (sigh).

In the course of two months, a lot has happened already. An adage goes, “when it rains, it pours.” After 5 long years, our vacation home was finally sold that's why I'm just ecstatic that my family is now moving into a new house. Rural life is such a pain, especially during medical emergencies. Aside from that, we can't get a good network signal or apply for services like phone, cable TV or Internet since we're too far away from the city. Oh boy! I can live without cable or landline phone but without access to the world wide web will definitely drive me crazy and it's not just all about social media, I want to keep myself updated all the time with the current news and stuff.

I truly believe that prayers move mountains as long as you don't lose hope because when the time is right God will give you what you asked for. I must admit it came to a point that I thought about giving up because I feel like God doesn't listen anymore. Maybe HE's too busy up there and my voice is too weak for him to hear but, at the end of the day, I still run to him for help. To me, there is no other God, who truly cares and understands even if I'm becoming too selfish already.

It' been 3 years since my mom passed away but I still talk to her every day like she's just beside me all the time, I know that she can hear my thoughts 24/7. They say that spirits who leave this world die to free them from the physical pain but continue to live an eternal life in the other world, it's a gift. Whenever there are major changes in my life I tell my mom how happy I am. When I'm feeling down and I need help on making tough decisions in my life I seek for her help and divine intervention. Every time I see a butterfly I associate it with my mom's spirit, looking after me. Whenever I get the chance to visit her remains I talk to her in silence and pray that she help escalate my prayers to God and one of my prayers is for God to send an angel that will help my family find a buyer for our vacation home. I believe my mom worked her magic. Prayers don't work overnight, patience is a virtue.

I think this year is a blessed one for me and my family sadly, my mom is no longer with us but she will always be our guiding light. I am grateful that things are finally falling into place. God's timing is always perfect. I quit my job three months ago and all I ever wished for is a new house that's accessible to everything so I can start working right at the comfort of our home because that's what my mom wants too when she was still alive. She wants me to stop working, it gets her worried a lot. My mom still hasn't changed a bit, she will always be the caring mom I've always known her to be. I believe that things happen for a reason and not just pure coincidence.

Darn, I still don't like too much rain but I should've learned by now that the sun will come out soon if I will just remain patient. Bear in mind that it's not always a rainy day.

Have a blessed Sunday.

Over The Weather

How's my driving? Sounds familiar? Whenever I see this at the back of PUVs it makes me want to text the mobile number posted just to see if it works but I never tried it, not even once. There is no perfect driver but on the road, there's no excuse even if you're just a newbie...like who cares? There are rules and regulations to follow. 

Now I know how it feels to drive even just for 2 days. A 5-hour drive is fun but exhausting. I was sooo hungry after the driving lessons that I could eat a horse! My elder sister drives a pajero but I think she's kinda scared for her baby to get hurt so I can't practice because I have nothing to drive at the moment (snort). 

I'm keeping myself busy with anything. I have to keep moving because I feel like I'm gaining weight but not the healthy kind of weight since I've been munching on a lot if carbs lately (sigh). I miss working out, really.

Since my previous blog, I'm now an avid viewer of Eat Bulaga's Kalyeserye because of AlDub. I no longer watch movies to kill time. When the clock strikes 12 I immediately switch on the TV for EB. Every Saturday is a big day for Alden and Yaya Dub and they never fail to disappoint their fans including myself. I spend more time on Twitter and Facebook than Instagram because I get more Aldub feeds, lol. In my opinion, it is very evident that Aldub is in the lead amongst other loveteams because in just 2 months they already had endorsements for major brands like McDo & Talk N Text. I'm happy for AlDub/MaiDen and I bet that if they continue to keep their image clean and as long as they stay grounded, they will soon become ambassadors of goodwill. 

Clearly, there is no competition. Nothing beats the original and longest running noontime show in Ph. I'm excited for Aldub's first date on Saturday. It's a Saturdate and I will not miss that. I hope that Maine and Alden will end up together, for real...lol! #Walangbasaganngtrip. 

Drive Me To The Moon

I'm excited to drive again.

I was 15 when I asked my mom that I want to learn how to drive so my sister and I have something fun to do during our summer break. I took driving lessons from a driving school as per my mom's advise so it'd be easier to get a driver's license. It's been 20 years yes, would you believe that it took me this long to realize that driving is a necessity nowadays?

I enrolled manual driving back then but I had a hard time multi-tasking until my interest in driving just waned through the years. My elder sister has been driving for 3 years now. She enrolled manual driving as well but now drives an automatic vehicle and said that it is easier so I thought if she can do it, why can't I?

I will start my 2 day/10 hour crash course in automatic driving tomorrow, yay! I'll start from scratch because I don't remember a thing about driving anymore but who cares? It's never too late to try again and there's no stopping me now.

ALDUB It

I'm not a fan of noontime or variety shows at all because I find it painfully boring with all the singing and dancing, audience participation, etc., etc. I thought it's way too "corny" for my taste. I meant no disrespect to people who prefer watching these type of shows every day to keep them entertained because I grew up watching them too but as time passed a lot has changed on Philippine TV that it has become monotonous for me. Growing up in the 80's I bet you are familiar with noontime shows such as "Eat Bulaga", "Lunch Date", "Student Canteen" just to name a few but to date, Eat Bulaga is the longest running noontime show on Philippine TV that has to withstand the test of time. I remember watching EB live in Broadway Centrum in grade school as part of our educational field trip. Aiza Seguerra back then was the Ryza Mae of the show and she was cute as a button. 

I'm not fond of watching TV but since I'm on vacay mode and we do not have cable service at home, I do nothing but channel surf until I find something interesting to watch. I prefer watching movies on my laptop during my spare time or surf the Internet but just a few weeks ago I noticed that people are going gaga on Eat Bulaga's newest segment Juan For All, All For Juan's Kalyeserye wherein the actors will perform a skit on the street then later pick a lucky household to receive tons of prizes. Every time I open my Facebook app to check the news I see nothing but pictures of the newest loveteam called "AlDub" on my Internet feeds (courtesy of GMA News). I got really curious as to who "AlDub" is and why these two became the most sought after loveteam so I started following. Surprisingly, I enjoyed watching AlDub and EB's Kalyeserye although I have already missed a lot of episodes. It is fresh and very entertaining it brings people together, young and old. The birth of "AlDub" from what I read came as an accident but this loveteam is here to stay. This whole "AlDub" fever has taken it's a toll on me too I get excited every time I see their exchange of sweet nothings via text messages on split screens, it seems real they're just way too cute to watch, lol. Hats down to all the actors especially to Wally Bayola and his bodyguards whom he calls "Rogelio, Rogelio, Rogelio". Wally really showed his versatility as an actor for his character "Lola Nidora" he is not just funny but "she" imparts good moral values too especially to youngsters. "Yaya Dub" or Maine Mendoza's character as Lola Nidora's "sidekick" is just clever although we cannot hear her real voice because she "Dubsmash" everything that comes out of her lips, her face lights up whenever she sees her "real life crush" Alden. Aldub is the icing on the cake. Jose Manalo's character "Lola Tinidora" is a good addition too because he is equally funny and his dance moves drive me crazy. It must be a lot of fun for these actors to be performing in front of a live audience. It's like watching a stage play on the street. I think that bringing entertainment closer to people for a good cause is brilliant.


At the moment I'm a fan of "AlDub" or "MaiDen" and EB's Kalyeserye. I don't care if other's find it cheesy or whatever because clean fun is what entertainment is supposed to be. But the real question is, when is the right time going to be for these lovebirds? I can't wait any longer. Oh boy, guess I'm hooked (pabebe wave). 




Sunny Side Up

It has only been a year since I last set afoot our house in Antipolo where I lived back in college and I must say a lot has changed already. My sister and I traveled a seven-hour trip from Baguio to Manila a few days ago and didn't expect that the Antipolo-Sumulong terminal is no longer in Araneta Center in Cubao but now in Farmers. Aside from that, gone are the Tamaraw FX days or Revo, it's changed to huge vans that can hold 15-18 pax. The fare sky-rocketed too from Php35 to 50 but not so much for jeepneys and buses. The heat and traffic are still unbearable as usual so that is no surprise at all. Once we are settled in our house we didn't think about going out until the next day because we are so darn exhausted by the heat. Our house sits in an overlooking area where we have a good view of tall buildings in Ortigas and Makati so it's quite refreshing, unfortunately, we now have a limited view because the leaves of our resident mango tree obstructed it but that's not the tree's fault, nobody just care to trim the leaves anymore, I guess. 

Our brother dropped us off to SM Masinag the next day. We scoured the mall and noticed that there are still a lot of unoccupied stalls. I love it when a place looks fresh and smells new. I'm glad to see an Etude store there too because I love their black Oh-M liquid eyeliner and I don't have to travel far just to grab one once it runs out, yay! I've been to SM Marikina last year while SM Masinag is still being built but I kinda like SM Masinag better, I find it more accessible from our place. The first thing that came to mind when I saw Razons in this mall is their bestseller "halo-halo." I ordered one for me and one for my sister to beat the heat and we surely loved it. We went home after an hour since there's nothing left to do there and we just really wanted to check out the mall. 

Hungry Hippo

The main reason for our travel is to sign some documents from our previous employer because I got a call from someone in our HR department that they are working on our final pay. Makati is about an hour away (depending on traffic of course) from Antipolo. From Antipolo, our brother dropped us off in Masinag where we rode a van en route Ayala. The fare is now Php55 per pax from 40 which was less than 10 years ago from what I remember. Our van left Masinag at 6AM and we got there past 7AM our appointment is at 9 which is a good thing because we have ample of time for exercise. We walked from Philamlife to RCBC Tower which is kinda far, it's roughly a 7-10 minute walk. 


Many years ago, all FX coming from Antipolo will drop off passengers along Paseo de Roxas which is more convenient, it will only take you 5 minutes to get to RCBC. We should've worn more comfortable clothes because we are sweating out when we get there. I got hungry after a long walk I told my sister I want to have breakfast at her favorite hangout place called Hungry Hippo. I ordered a huge meal which consists of egg, bacon, and toasts whilst she just had french fries said she lost her appetite after our morning jog/walkathon, lol. After signing all the documents we came back after lunch to see if we can already secure copies of our certificate of employment and ITR unfortunately, we were advised to claim it in their Baguio office...I thought seriously? We came all the way here because we were told that everything will be forwarded from one center to another so there's got to be a miscommunication somewhere? But we didn't give up, my sister sent an email to our HR coordinator in Baguio and got a reply immediately that we can get the COE and ITR the following day. Sadly, we still have to go back but thankful that we have accomplished everything.

We heard mass at the Antipolo Cathedral on Sunday. Our first house in Antipolo was just thee minute walk to the cathedral and it is still there only my sister and her daughters (20 and 7-year-olds) live there now. There are so many establishments that have sprouted in the area like malls, coffee shops, etc. It has changed a lot since 1987 when we moved into our first family home. I still see a few familiar faces. Our niece drove us afterward to Robinson's Place which is the newest and the largest mall in Antipolo. I recall this place used to be an empty land with tall grasses but it's transformed into a mall with a huge parking space. On the way back we paid a visit and offered prayers at the newly built Parish of the Immaculate Heart near Hinulugang Taktak (a famous tourist spot in Antipolo). I love this church better than the cathedral because it is not crowded. It is surrounded by trees so you feel closer to nature.

I still couldn't believe my eyes how a simple town like Antipolo can become so progressive that I couldn't recognize it anymore. I like how it's changed minus the road widening because it is such a pain that there's no space to park your car anymore in front of your own house. It's gone too crowded already. I think it's not ideal to live there it's become too polluted as well. I still need a place where I can breathe.

When Travel Bug Bites

Travelling is like a pill to me, it is a great cure for boredom and monotony. I like to travel every year on my birthday. There is so much to learn and learning never ends in this familiar ground. 

I use to have a fear of heights and the infinite. I thought I couldn't brave the sky and the clouds, only endless roads. I told myself that planes do crash and if this will happen, lifeless bodies will be fed to sea animals or the wild ones depending on where it will crash. 

But life takes you to unexpected places. Four years ago I decided to fly and see what's out there. My first travel experience was in Singapore where I moved from one house to another along with my sister and a friend. Living in SG wasn't easy because everyone's a total stranger but it was a learning experience away from home that I will never forget. 

Getting lost in Singapore

I came to SG looking for a better life but end up missing home, there's no place like it. I fell in love with this country because it was so different from home. It is very progressive, clean and citizens are afraid of the law. Fines are huge for any violation and people respect that. There are many beautiful places to go but be prepared to spend because the cost of living isn't cheap. 

My sister and I thought we could find a job in a month apparently, it is taking longer than expected and not all employers are willing to hire foreigners without a ready work pass. We decided to explore every town we've been to instead and gave up finding a job. We moved from one HDB (government housing for rent) to another. What I love about SG is that there's always a nearby park and supermarket in every community. It's easy to get around and the MRT system is a breeze. It's amazing that this country is earthquake free so I wonder where their calamity fund goes or if they ever use it at all.  Buses and private vehicles are smoke-free so there's obviously no air pollution. 

More about SG

I didn't enjoy most of the tourist places in SG because I'm not a fan of popular places where most people go. I am more interested in eco-parks and weird theme parks like Haw Par Villa or shopping districts like Little India and Chinatown. I also fell in love with SG food. I will never forget the very tasty chicken rice, nasi lemak, the refreshing bubble tea, and Makansutra's Aglio Oglio. 

I might come back to SG but there's more to explore in Southeast Asia.

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Last year on my 34th birthday, I decided to spend it in Siem Reap, Cambodia. As much as I hate evening flights, I have no choice because all the morning slots are sold out so my sister and I endured the view of nothing but darkness outside. A three-hour flight seemed like forever thank God the weather is good so there's no turbulence or any scary factor. A tuk-tuk (Cambodia's version of tricycle) driver brought us to a 3-star hotel called Hotel Angkoriana where we have reservations for 2 days and 2 nights. What I like about this hotel even if it is 30 minutes away from the airport, is that it is cheap but decent. They have all the basic amenities in the room like coffee and tea making facilities, free wifi, breakfast, pool, airport pickup (via tuk-tuk), etc. I remember staying at a cheap hotel near NAIA T3 that's way too basic they have no electric pot, mini fridge, not even a telephone in the room so if you want room service you have to use your cellphone to order from the menu posted in the walls of your room from the restaurant at the ground floor. Seriously? I'd rather go down and eat. Spell inconvenience. 

Seam Reap, Cambodia

We arranged a 1 day Angkor Wat tour at the hotel front desk upon arrival. Our tour guide and driver fetched us from the hotel around 8AM the next day. I think the tour finished almost 2PM. We visited I think less than 10 temples. We kept walking under the scorching heat of the summer sun, the only chance we got to rest was during our lunch at a fancy jam-packed restaurant filled with foreigners too. At the end of the tour we are so darn exhausted, we were all sticky and dusty that I couldn't wait to shower as soon as we head back to our hotel. After an hour of rest, we strolled "Pub Street" which is only few minutes from our hotel via tuktuk for food and souvenir shopping. Nothing much to remember about food in Cambodia because we only tried one dish but for sure, lots of spices will always be present. I don't know why we only spent 2 days in Cambodia. I thought maybe because there's not much to do anymore but later I realized that we have time to spare for 1 more day. Cambodia time is an hour behind from us we got confused the next day if we have to follow their time or Philippine time for our flight so we arrived really early at the Siem Reap Airport. I guess it's better to be early when in doubt just to be safe. 

I guess I'm addicted to adventure. This year on my 35th birthday along with my twin sister, as usual, we visited Hongkong for a change. I had my sister booked our flight and ensure that we get a morning flight this time thank God most flights to and from HK are in the morning, yay! A travel agency arranged a 4D/3N trip for us. We stayed at a 3-star hotel called Silka Far East in Tsuen Wan near the MTR station but far from all the major tourist attractions. My sister's first choice is a hotel in Mongkok because it is in the shopping district but the hotel doesn't look good on pictures and the area seem crowded and unsafe so I decided that it's best for us to stay in a hotel that's a little far but comfortable. 

Hongkong getaway 2015

Our half day city tour the following day lasted for only 3 hours we spent half of the day exploring HK. We climbed the long stairs of the Tian Tian or Big Buddha temple then went night shopping in Mongkok. It was our birthday the next day and have nothing more to do so we bought cupcakes from Hello Kitty's Le Petit Cafe and some more souvenirs. We flew back to Manila the day after and checked in at the nearby airport hotel then traveled back to Baguio the following day. 

Hopefully, I can visit Vietnam next year. I'm looking forward to seeing the beauty of Ho Chi Minh and stay at the Old Quarter. I have done some research already on nearby places to go but still collecting more information. So much to see, so little time. My feet is yearning to travel again, I can't wait.

Food Trippin' in Baguio

I love exploring places and food and what I learned about living in Baguio is that you will never run out of good, artsy places to go to enjoy good eats. 

Good Taste menu

When I was still based in Manila I occasionally visit Baguio for vacation because where else can you find all sorts of ukay-ukay (second-hand items) stuff and lots of coffee shops everywhere but here. It must be the weather that's why in every corner of Baguio, you will find coffee shops that not just serve coffee and bread but also rice meals, porridge, noodles, etc. at an affordable price. When I was a kid my dad brought me and my siblings to this local restaurant by the marketplace called Rainbow Cafe (Kayang Street Located at the public market). I had my first taste of their bestseller Rainbow Rice here which consist of Chopsuey rice with lots of fresh vegetables, a slice of lechon and steamed chicken. Oh boy, the serving was huge! It left me a happy tummy that I will never forget so I told myself that the city of pines has more to offer. If you miss homecooked meals, drop by anytime at the very popular Good Taste (Otek Street near Burnham Park). It is open 24/7 I remember my sister and I come here for breakfast in the wee hours of the morning after work. Rice meals are considerably cheap. Food is served with huge portions of fresh veggies. You will realize that fast food is nothing but junk if you come here often but make sure you are really hungry because you will really end up stuffed. I love their fried rice, chicken fillet, blue lemonade, and cream puff if you want something for dessert.

OMG at Oh My Gulay!

My sister and I are very much into artsy places but are also into healthy food so every once in while we drop by at Oh My Gulay (La Azotea, Session Road) to savor their tasty salads. I came across OMG as a tourist many years ago. I like to Google places to visit before I go on vacation and OMG is listed as one of the most interesting places to eat in Baguio. I always make sure that I have an itinerary to follow so everything's organized when I'm there and this definitely topped my list. If you're into nature-inspired art and organic food you will find this place really interesting and if you still haven't had enough of OMG, check out Ili Likha and Cafe Cueva (both in Assumption Road) too.

Ili-Likha with the resident ginger cat

Cafe Cueva

For chocolate lovers and cacao advocates, savor a cup of bitter-sweet rich hot chocolate at "Choco-Late de Batirol" (inside Camp John Hay). Make sure to try their "Turon De Langka and pair this up with any traditional blend of your choice. I had strawberry whilst my sister picked the cinnamon flavor and both are equally delicious. 

Choco-Late de Batirol's Turon de Langka a
nd strawberry traditional blend choco

Grumpy Joe's Combo A: Chicken, Spaghetti, 
Fries, and Pizza

Western food is everywhere too so why not try "Grumpy Joe" (Leonard Road). The place is not very spacious especially for a large group but the food tastes good and the price is quite reasonable.

Ozark's Dark Beer Cheesecake and Chicken BBQ sandwich

Whenever my siblings and I like to catch up, we go to random places so when a friend of mine at work recommended Ozark, (2 Bear's Trail, corner Bareng Drive) even if this is right in the middle of nowhere we took effort to find it. I was surprised when we got there because there is no one else but us. No reservations needed, a table and good food awaits. This is a perfect place to chit chat and relax. The day we came happened to be my niece's 19th birthday. so we decided to pig out and enjoy their South American food. You can sit comfortably while enjoying the soothing view of pine trees and school field. My (pulled) chicken BBQ sandwich is super tasty, served with generous portions of fries and Ozark iced tea. Also, never miss out to try their bestseller Dark Beer cheesecake.

Canto's Half Slab Lomo Back Ribs is heaven 

I'm not a fan of jam-packed places but if you're craving for lomo back ribs cooked at its finest, head over to Canto and you will never regret a thing. The place is crowded for the most part so don't take your chances and reserve a table for you and your family or friends to make sure that you will not end up disappointed. I just didn't like the noise especially if you will spend dinner there plus there's not much privacy I noticed that tables are too close to each other. 

Chaya

For Japanese food lovers, Chaya is a good place to dine but not for walk-in clients since they have limited tables. It's like a house converted into a fine dining resto. I'm not really into Japanese food but I did like their tasty Chicken Teriyaki salad and green tea ice cream sampler which is served free after your meal. To be honest and in my experience, don't attempt to come here without a car although the parking space is also very limited because it will take you forever to get a cab home especially in the afternoon too so I find it not very convenient.

The lovely walls of Hillside Station

After scouring books at Mt. Cloud better check out Hillstation (Casa Vallejo, Upper Session Road) too. This is cozy place serve vegetarian yet tasty sandwiches. For non-vegetable lovers they thought that vegan food lack flavor but that is no longer true since most vegan dishes nowadays aside from healthy are flavorful just like the "vegetarian panini" I ordered. I thought I was eating smoked beef and not eggplant because the taste is quite deceiving it's like not eating a vegan sandwich at all.

My Vegetarian Panini 

That's pretty much it for now. I'm still in the hunt for cool places to go and I will definitely keep looking. Any suggestions?