My Misbehaved World :)

Longchamp Overload

2011-11-07T01:37:00.002+08:00

I thought I'll never get over obsessing over longchamp. After I bought my first ever longchamp, I just couldn't stop myself from browsing and browsing the internet on what to get next. That's why I was itching to buy the second one. I think I was too high on the thought of "buying" it. Hey don't judge, we all have our own guilty pleasures in life.

That did not end there, when JM went on a holiday in Europe..he also went bag shopping for me-- particularly more longchamp straight from Paris! Then it hit me, I have so much what will I do with it? Just then and there I felt happy and contented. No more longchamp shopping for me--at least for now. I've my eyes on a different bag *ehem*. Joke. Okay that's a half meant joke. Somehow I've learned that I should have invested my money in some other things, which I am doing now. Wish me luck :).

Don't get me wrong, I still love my bags just the same :D.

My 12mn Post

2011-10-24T00:49:00.000+08:00

I've been MIA for xxx number of months, been swimming in work lately. So tiring but I'm quiet happy and fulfilled. Yes my body clock is on a reverse mode now, but what can I say I have to hang in there. The best part of it is I get to meet new wonderful people in my life.

Welcome to the Other Side of My World!

2011-07-11T00:13:00.002+08:00

I've been insanely busy the past few weeks and don't wanna talk about it right now. So let me just share with you something that keeps me sane for the moment.

Here are two of the homes I've made in Sims 3 (Thank you you tube haha!) :).

Hollie Potter's Sunset Valley crib :)

The bunnies (which are Me and Juanie) just moved in to this high-rise apartment in Bridgeport. Not yet fully done but we'll get there :).

Hong Kong DIY Trip Part 5 - Disneyland

2011-06-25T11:25:00.000+08:00

When I was a kid, I had this Disney book called Beauty and the Beast (must now find it). That is why it was my most favorite Disney story of all time. Up until now I still love listening to the Beauty and the Beast song. Since it was my first time to go to Disneyland, I'm excited as a 5 year old kid can be. Imagine seeing my favorite princess! It feels like stepping into my childhood again.

From Golden Crown, take MTR (Tsuen Wan Line) to Lai King. Then change trains to Tung Chung Line, get off at Sunny Bay and ride the Disneyland Line going to the magical land :).

Good thing, I also bought discounted tickets from Ken of Golden Crown before we headed to Disneyland. Less hassle for us and more time to roam around the park :). We stayed from 9am until 8pm in the park alone and we were so happy because we get to watch most of the shows.

Here are the photos that I took during our magical day :)

My favorite princess!

Yes maybe its not as good as other Disneylands as they say, but heck my family and I had a wonderful time so it was all worth it :).

Hong Kong DIY Trip Part 4 - Ocean Park

2011-05-29T15:05:00.000+08:00

It was a gloomy morning but we braved the drizzle to see what’s in store for us at Hong Kong Ocean Park.

From Golden Crown, ride the MTR (TST) to Admiralty. Locate Exit B, ride the City Bus 629. The bus will already bring you at the entrance of Ocean Park.

I already purchased our tickets ahead of time, from Ken of Golden Crown with a discount rate of 220HKD, so no need to queue at the ticketing booth. Yay for that!

Be sure to get some Ocean Park’s map at the entrance for easy navigation of the theme park (Chinese/English, whichever your preference is).

Our first agenda was to visit the Great Oceanarium. Honestly, I was quite disappointed with the giant aquarium; I was expecting a larger oneL. Oh well, maybe Singapore’s oceanarium will satisfy my liking.

The next thing we did was to visit the Pandas, An-an is the only one we saw so we took advantage in taking photos.

Ocean Park is huge, I think it is bigger than Disneyland so one whole day is not really enough to try out everything. It will be better if a whole day is allotted for this so that you don’t have to hurry from one point to another, plus you’ll get too tired just going around the place.

Hong Kong DIY Trip Part 3 - The Peak and Star Ferry

2011-05-22T20:32:00.001+08:00

Since it was holy week when we were in Hong Kong and our third day falls on Good Friday, I already jot down a church that we could visit. This is the St Joseph Church in Central.

From Golden Crown, ride the MTR (TST) going to Central.

It was hard to locate the church (Yep I was not able to fully research the directions), there were 2 pinays walking before us so I asked them for directions. Luckily, they are also headed to the same church. Hooray! Most of the church goers are Filipinos, they even have mass in Tagalog.

On a side note, the church is just a few steps away from the entrance of the Peak Terminus:p. So if you already know how to get there, just walk past the Terminus and the US Embassy and you’ll see the church.

We stayed for a while in the Church and after which we decided to explore the area. Since we’re already in the Peak Terminus and the line is not yet that long (maybe because it’s still early, around 9:30am) we decided to go to the Peak already.

There are different ways to reach the Peak:

Option 1: Ride the tram going to and from.

Option 2: Ride the tram going there and ride the bus on your way down.

I have already bought our round trip tickets for the tram so we already have no choice, before I knew that it’s better to ride the bus going down for an added tour of the place (I learned this from a fellow Pinoy, whom we met at the Peak, who is already based in HK).

We did not bother buying the Sky Terrace and Madame Tussauds entrance tickets because my dad asked us if we wanted to go there or just use the money for shopping. Of course you know what I picked:p

For a detailed list of prices, click here.

Riding the tram is an adventure; you’ll have a good view of Hong Kong Island while the tram is inclined. Be sure to sit on the right side of the tram for a better view.

We spent most of day at the Peak, we had lunch at Tsui Wah Restaurant.

There were quite a lot of shops that you can visit.

It was already afternoon when we decided to go back to Central and ride the Star Ferry going to TST. There were quite a few bumps during our ferry ride, which made my mom decide not to pursue going to Macau. I must say that the Star Ferry is far cleaner than what we have back home (RORO vessels), though I was not able to check on the toilet.

Hong Kong Island to Kowloon (TST) by Ferry will take approximately 15 minutes, if I remember it correctly. We decided to walk a little around the harbour before going back to Golden Crown and calling it a day.

Click here is you missed Part 1 or Part 2 :).

Hong Kong DIY Trip Part 2 - The Ngong Ping 360 Experience

2011-05-07T10:28:00.000+08:00

I want to see the Giant Buddha so on our second day, we headed to the Ngong Ping Village to visit the famous landmark in Lantau Island. Alright!

How to Get There from Golden Crown?

Ride the MTR Tsuen Wan line from TST to Lai King, at the interchanged station Lai King change trains going to TungChung. You'll easily spot the arrow pointing the station where the MTR is headed.

Since it’s not yet holiday in HongKong, the MTR very much looks like a corporate jungle. Trust me you’ll learn how to walk fast with these Chinese people:p.

When you get to the Tung Chung station, find Exit B and you’ll see the huge Citygate outlet, walk past it and you’ll see the entrance for the Cable car and the bus terminus. Since it’s still early we opted to ride the bus going to Ngong Ping and ride the cable car on the way back. We bought a package ticket (bus + one way cable car ride) for HKD98. You can also use your octopus card to pay for the bus and just buy your cable car ticket when you get to Ngong Ping Village.

The bus ride going up the mountain is scenic; you’ll be able to get a good sight of Lantau Island. My dad even joked that it was the only time he saw a banana tree in our whole stay in HongKong:p.

After almost an hour bus ride, we finally arrived at the Ngong Ping Village. It is a beautiful place indeed, very far from the busy scene in the city.

We got the entrance to the Giant Buddha and Museum + Lunch package ticket and started to walk these steps.

After visiting the Giant Buddha, we explored Po Lin Monastery.

After eating our lunch, we wander around Ngong Ping Village and had a little soda break at 7-eleven because we were tired already:p. I went to the Ngong Ping 360 counter to exchange our vouchers for the Cable Ride. There are actually two types of Cable Car in Ngong Ping 360, the Crystal Cabin (has a glass bottom) and the standard cabin. Since the Crystal Cabin is pricier and scarier (for me) we opt to choose the standard cabin.

I think it was almost a half an hour ride to enjoy the beauty of Lantau Island. My family and I really did enjoy it. We even have half-scared half-laugh out loud moments whenever we see that the cable car is descending from a very high point.

After the cable car experience, we went to the Citygate outlet to check out some stores. I’ve seen in Kat’s blog that she was able to purchase wedge crocs here. Sad to say there were no more wedges when we went.

I also went to the grocery and bought a 2L Coke which is in a cute petite bottle hahaha! I also love that HK tries to eliminate the use of plastic bags by using paper bags or letting their customer pays (HKD0.50/bag) for the plastic bag. This initiative will promote the use of eco bags instead.

We also went to Mongkok after CityGate to explore the place. It’s filled with shops, shops and more shops! They say that the best place to get your gadget fix in Hongkong is in Mongkok, we checked out Fortress and I'm happy to say that the Sony Walkman that JM wanted retails cheaper here compared to Manila. We bought a black and a green walkman and a 32G iTouch.

My mom wanted to eat fresh fruits but the price here are way too high compared to Manila so we decided to just skip it (We were able to score some fruits at Northpoint though, will blog later).

With tired feet we return to Golden Crown and called it a day:D.

Missed Part 1 of My DIY HK Trip? Click here :).

Hong Kong DIY Trip Part 1 - Welcome to HK and Avenue of the Stars

2011-05-04T22:28:00.000+08:00

5 4 3 2 1.

Thanks to Cebu Pacific’s Seat Sale, we were able to grab RT tickets to HK for roughly 4k/pax. Sweet! My first ever out of the country trip (Yep, you read it right)

I was designated to come up with the itinerary and to scout for accommodation. Good thing is all you have to know is in PEX, GT and YouTube! Thank you cyberfriends!

I prepared our itinerary, maps, budget computation and packed my bag!

We had the first fly out (which is 5:40am) so we headed for the airport around 3AM, excited much! Since it was holy week, there are a lot of waiting passengers in the airport. Our flight was even overbooked and CebuPac offered a RT tickets to any destination and a confirmed booking to the next available HK flight for the person who would give up his seat. La la la it was a good deal but my schedule was restricted:p.

After arriving at the airport I instantly do the following:

1. Go to the check-in counter. Give itinerary and passport. Deposit check-in luggage.

2. Pay travel tax (You can also do this first).

3. Go back to check in counter, show travel tax receipt and get boarding tickets.

4. Pay terminal fee.

5. Go to the designated gate and wait for boarding.

After the 2 hour plane ride, we were greeted by the sunny HongKong airport and it was huge!

I immediately changed some dollars, got our passports stamped, got our luggage, bought octopus cards and ate breakfast at Burger King. This is it! We followed the signs going to the bus terminal and rode the A21 double decker. We rode on the 2^nd floor of the bus for a better view of the city.

When we reached the famous Nathan Road, I am already alert because we might miss our stop (I think we did). We went down near Mirador Mansion and walked back to Golden Crown Court building. Anyway, the room was not yet ready because it was only 10am so we left our luggage and stroll around the area (btw 2 of the housekeepers in Golden Crown are pinays so we felt really safe there).

We walked down Nathan Road to go to Avenue of the Stars. The good thing is that the weather is still somehow cold compared to Manila so walking at noon was not really a problem.

Hello Avenue of the Stars! For me this place is the most popular in HongKong. Most of the people I know who already went here has a photo in front of Victoria Harbour. So it’s a mandatory photo op for me:p

We went back to Golden Crown to rest a while.

While we were on the bus from the airport we saw a Yoshinoya branch so we decided to eat our lunch there, from Golden Crown we walked (big mistake! It was far!), I think it was in Yau Ma Tei already!!! The funny thing is the next day I discovered that there is a Yoshinoya branch on Cameron road which is a few steps away from Golden Crown. A big brain fart moment!

After eating we decided to explore the area before going back to the hostel to get a good night sleep.

Stay tuned for the next leg of my HK adventures :)

Back from the Magical Land!

2011-05-01T19:22:00.000+08:00

Hello people of the world! Yes I am still very much alive. Let me just sort out my xxxx number of photos from my recent trip to Hongkong before I post my stories :). Please bear with me for being MIA for the last couple of weeks :).

xoxo
Mav

Run + Pray + Eat + Shop. Repeat.

2011-04-17T15:02:00.001+08:00

I woke up pretty early again today to accompany JM to the Run for Japan event. The number of participants is overwhelming, around 7000 from what the organizers said. Again, I was not able to join because I'm so not fit for it:(. Maybe one of this days, when my schedule permits me:) (I really really hope).

I was able to get some snaps while waiting for the boyfriend to finish.

The female hosts are in a schoolgirl uniform.

10k runners getting ready.

I was actually surprised that there are a lot of 10K runners compared to the past events JM attended.

Yellow bib for 10K runners.

Green bib for 5K runners

Red bib for 3K runners.

While waiting for the runners to finish, cosplayers were invited on stage.

Kids were afraid of him:p

The bunny finished at the 31min mark:)

That's it! We went to church, mercato centrale and did a little shopping afterwards. Now the boyfriend is happily snoozing beside me while waiting for the Formula1 Shanghai race:P.

How's your sunday so far?

Off We Went to Tagaytay

2011-04-10T13:11:00.001+08:00

Hollah I'm back! I've been very busy this past few days. Anyway, my family and the boyfriend went on a picnic trip to Tagaytay one weekend. Living in South makes it easier and faster to get to this lovely tourist spot. I just love the art of doing nothing while sun bathing in the cool breezy wind of Tagaytay.

The boyfriend ran some laps here and boy was he tired!

They already have a pasalubong store! Parang Baguio lang ah!

I'm just hoping that the local government of Tagaytay work on the improvements of the parks and other tourist places, Tagaytay is a good alternative to Baguio sometimes.

Wanna See My Baby?

2011-04-05T21:25:00.000+08:00

Move over JM, you've got some stiff competition here.

Meet our new baby, Crunch! :). Imagine my surprise when I went home one night and this adorable baby licked my toes! :)

New Kicks from Charles & Keith

2011-04-03T15:35:00.000+08:00

Charles & Keith bags are more appealing to me. I always thought their shoes are too high. That was before. Recently, I rediscovered my love for sky-high heels and look what just knock me off of my feet.

The straps are added bonus since it makes walking more comfortable and you don't have to worry about slipping out of the shoes. I originally wanted to get a brown pumps, it looks nice on my feet too, but sad to say it does not perfectly fit me. This was a better choice and I'm loving it :).

Anti-carjacking 101

2011-03-29T20:51:00.000+08:00

JM forwarded me this poster and I just want to share it to all of you. Be safe! :)

Oh Bags...Gulp!

2011-03-27T19:33:00.000+08:00

After I saw Heatherette's blog entry on a beer store that is not a beer store in Greenbelt 5, I knew I had to see it. The number of beer cans in this store is just plain overwhelming. Though, I still don't get the logic behind it. It overpowers the bags which they are trying to sell. Please enlighten me :)

JM goofing around :)

Paseo de Sta Rosa Oh So Greek-y!

2011-03-26T19:26:00.001+08:00

I wanted to visit Paseo de Sta Rosa ever since I heard about its outlet stores but just never had the time to pursue it. On our way home from Tagaytay earlier, JM and I decided to check out the place since its already along the way. At first I thought it was just a warehouse that sells old stocks of merchandise but it was not. It was a mall. My first instinct is that its kind of like the Alabang Town Center of Sta Rosa.

Paseo actually means to walk outdoors. This explains the ambiance and layout of Paseo de Sta Rosa. I actually like it and its so greek!

Enough talk and I'll show you some of the snaps I took.

The only problem we had to dealt with is to look for the restroom. There are no enough signages in the area.

Here are the shops we've visited. I actually saw a nice pair of shoes from Nine West but its already damaged so I let it pass.

There's an Aerosoles and Samsonite shop but I forgot to take a photo of it. They also have a lot of restaurants in there (even the ever so famous Kanin Club)! It was actually funny that JM was the one who bought stuff from M&S and Payless. Me, I bought nothing haha. JM wanted to go back to check out the M&S pants. Oh well maybe next time.

If you are wondering its whereabouts, here's a map:

View Zong Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Laguna in a larger map

How about you, what's your latest purchase? :)

Singapore Grand Prix 2011 Tickets, Buy Now!

2011-03-25T11:41:00.002+08:00

OC mood ON.

I asked JM if he wanted to watch the Singapore Grand Prix this year (he's a big Formula 1 fan by the way!) and surprisingly he said "Nah, its okay". Deep down I know he wanted to, so I gather all my convincing powers and voila before we know it we already bought our plane tickets for September and already book our accommodation. Next thing on the list is to buy the Grand Prix tickets. I originally intended to buy at SingaporeGP site but since we have Red Rock Travels as one of the official distributor here in the Philippines it will be more simple to buy from them.

There are different types of tickets to choose from (of course different prices too), we wanted to get the 3-Day Premier Walkabout which has access throughout the circuit park. But we decided to go against it because its price is way higher than last year and we are not yet familiar as to where to position ourselves.

So we ended up buying the 3-Day Bay Grandstand tickets, which you could already choose where to sit. We choose to be seated at the dark green section because its near the turn, so the drivers would slow down a little for us to see them compared to the straight parts of the track (thanks to Hannah's suggestion).

Let me share with you the Singapore Grand Prix 2011 Circuit Map

and here's the seat map for the Bay Grandstand:

Here's the price list of the tickets from Red Rock:

When you're already decided on what ticket to get, you may call the Red Rock office at 738-66-14. They will email you your Purchase Order and their BDO account, they will usually give you a week to deposit the amount before they forfeit your order. Once the amount is deposited scan and email them your deposit slip for confirmation. They will now contact SingaporeGP office to pick and reserve your seat.

You may pick up the passes at Singapore when you get there in September (this is what we opt to do) and you can also ask for it to be delivered here in the Philippines with additional cost but this is more risky if you ask me because the passes may get lost during transfer.

Happy Singapore Grand Prix ticket picking! :)

My Colorful World of Macarons

2011-03-22T20:57:00.001+08:00

Meet my new love, Macarons! French Macarons are so colorful and so yummy! I'm looking forward to sample lots of it in the coming days :). Click here to see what happened last Sunday on the World Macaron Day 2011 Manila.

When The Moon Shines

2011-03-20T20:28:00.000+08:00

Happy Sunday! Just want to share my snaps of the super moon last night. :-). The moon makes me wanna read the Twilight Saga all over again!

Commercial Break: Shensaddiction.com's 3rd Anniversary

2011-03-19T14:06:00.001+08:00

When I started researching and reading about makeups. Shen helped me out with the basics. She taught me what every girl must know before taking the big plunge on makeup counters. Her blog is now celebrating its 3rd year on blogosphere, congratulations Shen! :). Click on the image to join her exciting giveaway!

Let's Talk About LOVE, Shall We?

2011-03-16T20:26:00.000+08:00

Disclamer: I’m not a love guru or an expert. I’m just sharing my life experiences.

Love is a choice.

Love is a decision that we make. You may agree or not but this is how I see it. So what happens when the love of our life leaves us? We stumble and fall. NO.

People come and go. One way or another, somewhere in our lives someone will leave us or we’ll leave someone. It is the truth and it really happens. I was once heartbroken myself. I could not accept it, he was my first boyfriend and I thought he was my one true love. He met my family and I met his. I thought we were perfect for each other. That was before I discovered that there was another girl. Bastard. Anyway, I’m good now. I have moved on and he’s already part of the past which is kind of blurred. I’m in a much better place now and I’m happy that we did not end up together.

I am guilty of being martyr myself. After I’ve learned that there is someone else I was ready to forgive him and take him back into my arms. I was ready to be the other girl. What a dumbass was I right? I don’t know if that was love. Now that I think of it I guess it was more of the scared feeling of being left alone or being betrayed that was thinking. You don’t want to be a charity case, do you? The “it’s complicated” part of a relationship is like being in a limbo. Either you’ll go up in heaven or you end up in hell.

Some men will tell you that they love you but they also love the other girl. Wake up! He can’t have the best of both worlds, unless he’s Hannah Montana. If it was up to me I don’t want to be the MWF or the TTHS girlfriend. Just like in a multiple choice exam you have to choose one, no all of the above.

Some men will tell you to not leave them because they need you. Need you for what? to be his nanny or his freaking atm? I’m not being selfish here but think of it as any normal person will do. Are you working your ass off for your future, yes it could be for the future of the both of you but it does not necessarily means that you should carry all the weight.

Now are we talking?

Since, there are a lot of girls seeking help on moving on in GT I decided to share my thoughts.

1. Step 1 is the hardest. Knowing that you are not meant to be and a once picture perfect relationship was all thrown out the window. Talk to him. This should be the “breakup talk” or what they call “the closure”. A lot of people say that there’s still hope since they did not have any closure. Blah. To set things straight, talk for the last time.

2. Wallow. In some dictionaries wallowing is labeled as the act of degradation. This is where you break down and cry. Cry until you fall asleep, call your BFF, reminisce the things that you love about your ex, eat as much ice cream as you like and stuff like that. Though, beware of doing stupid things that you’ll regret later.

3. Acceptance. Accept the fact that the two of you are no longer meant to be together. As to what I have learned, you may act in front of your friends and tell them that you’ve moved on but really you haven’t. No matter what encouraging words other people tell you unless you accept that you’re no longer a couple it would be hard to move on.

4. Let go. You are bound to go your separate ways anyway. Write everything that you want to say to your ex in a nice clean sheet of pad paper. All the feelings that you have had for him and all the questions that you want to ask him. The tricky part is you either keep this in a place where you will never see it or you burn it. Don’t give it to him. Why? It will likely cause confusion for the both of you.

5. The no contact rule. The no contact rule is a prerequisite to letting go. Try to divert your attention to other things. Constant communication with each other like nothing happened will just prolong your agony and will just bring you back to step one.

6. Love yourself. No one can really help you but yourself. It’s nice to be surrounded by friends and family that unconditionally love you but you can also enjoy doing things alone. Try to watch a movie alone, go on a holiday, have a full body massage, read books, try different restaurants, shop for a new wardrobe and so on. I’m sure there are still things that you haven’t discovered about yourself. You might be good at something and you don’t know about it because you were too busy about your ex-relationship. This is also the best time to replenish that bank account. I know how relationship can seriously deflate funds because of date nights here and there.

7. Be thankful. Thank God that He always guide us every step of the way. Thank your family and friends for being patient and understanding of your situation.

I guess after all of these you’ll be much closer to happiness. Being single or in a relationship requires a certain amount of effort. There are people who choose and enjoy single life. There is nothing wrong about that, I’ve been single for quite a while and sometimes I ask myself if there is something wrong with me. I guess I got my answer to that; everything happens in the right time. Do not rush it or you might miss a lot of things in your life. Love would be sweeter this time around.

This I can assure you because I found mine.

You may not agree with the things that I’ve said but it is my opinion so I would like you to respect it as much as I would respect yours. I’m just thinking out loud here and I would want to hear your comments and suggestion :).

My Camera Trick #1

2011-03-15T20:22:00.000+08:00

You can’t teach an old dog a new trick.

Blah. I’m not a dog!

I’m not good at taking photographs. I’m not putting myself down but I’m just stating a fact. I’m the lazy one when it comes to taking pictures. Though, I have always fantasized about traffic photos with long streaks of light. I don’t know but I was really amazed whenever I see one. Until, one night JM taught me how to do it! It’s as easy as one-two-three! I kid you not.

What is Long Exposure?

Long exposure is already a summary of what it is. Returning to basics, a camera has a shutter, a kind of trap-door which lets light in and exposes either film or an imaging sensor. The shutter speed can be changed; high speeds such as 1/500 of a second will freeze action, while slower speeds like 1/30 of a second will blur it. Long exposures, therefore, are photos taken with the shutter open at extremely long time intervals - 1 second, 10 seconds, even 30 minutes or longer.

Here are the tips from JM: (Thank you love!)

1. Because the camera will have its shutter open for prolonged periods of time, it is important to keep it completely still to avoid the shakes. A tripod is your best friend.

2. Set your camera to either the shutter-priority automatic mode, marked on most cameras as "Tv", or manual mode, marked with "M". This will allow you to set your own shutter speed.

On shutter-priority mode, the camera will set the aperture automatically as you select your shutter speed; on manual mode you'll have to adjust both. You want to move past the fractions and into the double quotes range - this means your shutter will be open for entire seconds.

If you have a digital SLR you can have a shutter-speed setting called "B" - short for "Bulb." In layman's terms, this is an infinitely open shutter. The shutter will remain open as long as your finger is on the shutter release button, or as long as an accessory called a "cable release" is tripped and held open. This is the way to get those super-long, 30-minute exposures.

3. Compose your shot. Find that traffic/fireworks that you want.

4. Trip the shutter via the release button or a cable release to begin your long exposure. Take care not to jostle the camera to avoid camera shake.

5. Once the shutter closes, the exposure is over. Check out your results!

Here is my first attempt to achieve bliss:

Yes I have so much more to learn so I need more practice. I'll try to show more long exposure photos when I get to shoot a decent one :). Click away!

Hop In for a Ride

2011-03-10T20:42:00.004+08:00

Being the girl that I am, I never thought that I’d also enjoy some things that men do. I was able to tag along on most of the track days that JM attended, most of which are in Subic International Raceway and once in the Batangas Racing Circuit. It’s a time attack type of race, so it’s safe most of the time, but there are cases when accidents really do happen (no one got hurt by the way).

You think I got bored because it’s a men’s club? Well it’s a big fat NO. There are actually a lot of perks that these trips gave me. Aside from being able to eat at Meat Plus Café in Subic, I also get to see a lot of wonderful cars - and I mean not just ordinary cars.

Isn’t a feast for the eyes? Some even bring their auto repair shop men to assist them in changing wheels or clearing out the passenger/back seat to make the car lighter.

Have I told you that the Subaru Impreza WRX in Red is my dream car? Oh yeah isn’t she a beauty? *drools*

A Toyota Camry would be a little out of place on a track although nothing would stop you from trying. I don’t know how it feels to be the one driving the car, but I must say that the drivers all look so cheerful when they are on track--maybe because of the adrenaline rush. Because my boyfriend is so nice, he let me ride shotgun for a few rounds on the track. Yes it was a hair-raising moment of my life but it was fun. It definitely surpasses the feeling of riding a rollercoaster. At the end of the tire-screeching action and some check engine light alerts it was a good day for my boy and for me too.

Sunday Bag Hopping

2011-03-06T14:16:00.006+08:00

One could not deny that girls love bags. That includes me. Ever since I could remember, any instance wherein I had to choose between a bag and a shoe, I would definitely go for the bag. Since I wanted to become a pediatrician when I was little, I thought that even if I’m wearing a medical scrub from any scrub store and I got the perfect bag to go with it, I'm good.

I have been obsessed with Longchamp bags in the past few months and I'm still eye-ing some more. I am also looking at different satchels and LVs but don't know whether to take the plunge now or next year. Since I haven't made up my mind yet, I want to know what you guys think.

The cambridge satchel will definitely give anyone a classic look. It may not hold most of my stuff but I'm loving its candy colors!

Cambridge Satchel

JM offered to buy me a new longchamp from a far away land where the price is not as high as the empire state, I'm thinking of getting a new everyday bag. Its either Darshan or Victoire. The problem is the Victoire I like which is in blue is a limited edition and I don't know if the far away land still have it! Its hard to choose. Sigh.

Darshan

Victoire

The Damier Ebene Neverfull MM could fit most of my stuff! Yeah even though I don't have that surgical scrub, my other stuff can easily fit in there! My camera, makeup kit, planner, book ahh just thinking about it makes me excited already! But the price does not excites me gasp!

Neverfull

Oh well I'm still on the process of pooling that emergency fund so I don't know when I could put my hands on this babies. I have them listed on my dream board though. Happy Sunday!
EDIT:
Okay, I am definitely lusting over this bag! Just don't ask how much is it :-|

via

A Quick Cebu Detour

2011-03-01T21:52:00.003+08:00

I have always wanted to go to Cebu. Due to its popularity, I even wanted to live there. So when I had the opportunity to see what its like I grab it almost instantly.

We took the Supercat Ferry from Tagbilaran Bohol to Cebu City, approximately 2 hours. This was the very first time that I rode a ferry. I was scared at first because 2 hours at sea is not a joke, especially for someone who does not know how to swim properly. Anyway, it was a smooth ride. There are some bumps along the way but it was kinda fun, just like the Vikings in Enchanted Kingdom. The ferry was clean inside just like the economy seats of a plane.

Other means of reaching Cebu City is by taking a plane. Book a flight going to Cebu International Airport if you are from Manila.

After arriving at Cebu city, we took the jeepney going to SM Cebu to have lunch. Then off to the hotel we went. I have booked a fairly new hotel, Alba Uno, which is located at IT Park Lahug. The location is a little far from the heart of the city but very accessible to the jeepneys.

Being a new hotel, their prices are a little more cheaply compared to others and you can expect a nice, clean and good room. What you see in their website is really what you get. The only problem during our stay is that we were situated at 4th floor and there are some constructions going on the higher floors. Thus, there are dusts here and there but they are very accommodating in cleaning the room from time to time. The bathroom is spacious and very elegant. It has an overhead shower and glass shower door panel.

You can easily see the greenery of TOPS (a favorite tourist destination in Cebu which is somehow similar to Tagaytay) and the Marco Polo Plaza right outside your window.

What is Cebu without sight-seeing right?
Our first destination was in downtown Cebu which is where the famous Cebu landmark is located, the Magellan’s Cross. The cross was planted due to the orders of Ferdinand Magellan after he arrived in Cebu circa 1521.

The Magellan’s Cross is housed next to the Basilica of Santo Niño. Cebu’s is also famous for their Sinulog festival. The festival is held during the 3rd week of January. The Sinulog festival honors the Santo Niño who used to be the patron saint of Cebu.

Next stop is the Lapu-lapu Shrine in Mactan Island. It was built to honor Datu Lapu-lapu who defeated Ferdinand Magellan in the Battle of Mactan.

The Food.
Around Mactan Island is a famous seafood restaurant called Sutukil --which means Sugba(grill), Tula(broth), Kilaw(eaten raw). Eating by the nipa hut in front of the sea is quiet a relaxing experience. Sutukil, just like the dampa here in Manila, allows their guests to pick their choice of seafood and they will cook it just the way you like it.
Since I was at Cebu for roughly 2 days only, there are still a lot of activities and places that I have missed. So the next time I visit the island, I’ll make sure to try out the following:
Sky Experience Adventure. Unfortunately this was closed due to Holy Week when I was in Cebu.
Bantayan Island. Labeled as one of the beautiful beaches in Cebu, I want to feel its pristine white sand under my feet!
Malapascua Beach. A beautiful beach in Cebu which is said to make you want to lie in the beach all day.
Hukad Restaurant. It was a little late that I’ve learned that this is a must-try restaurant in Cebu.
CnT Lechon. I always have my fair share of CnT Lechon --Cebu’s most famous lechon whenever papa comes home from Cebu. Though, I was not able to dine at their restaurant when I was there because (again) it was Holy Week and they did not cooked any lechons.
TOPS. Although it was very visible outside our hotel window we were not able to visit this due to the lack of time. Oh well next time.
Whew! That was a lot of places to see! I am hoping that the next time I visit Cebu, I’ll be able to see it in a new light. Happy Traveling!

*Sorry I have only a few photos for this trip. We'll be back next time. Cebu, you better make it up to me!

Say Hello to Iloilo

2011-02-26T13:58:00.001+08:00

Iloilo City is situated on the island of Panay in the Western Visayas. But what can you really expect from Iloilo? Aside from Guimaras Island which houses some of the nice undiscovered beaches in Panay, there are a lot of ancient churches in Iloilo which you can visit. There are two popular churches here that I was able to visit which are the Miagao Church and the Jaro Church.

Jaro

Inside Jaro Church

Candles inside Jaro Church

Front of Jaro Church

Miagao Church

Random church that we
passed by.

Another random church.

What I really like about this place is that the districts are connected by bridges because rivers separate each of them. Just like Manila, Iloilo City is highly urbanized. Though, the atmosphere here is somehow near the rustic old Manila feeling. Iloilo is also famous for their food. You may want to pay a visit to Villa Beach which is famous for the long stretch of restaurants which serves different Iloilo dishes.

The Food
I was able to try Breakthrough Restaurant, which is according to some locals the most famous in the Villa Beach. According to the article I’ve read, the owner of this restaurant is a marine biologist. I guess this is why you could expect that their dishes are fresh and cooked to perfection. The ambiance of the restaurant was very relaxing, though you’ll not be able to see the beach at night but you can easily hear the swooshing of the waves from time to time.

I also tried Tatoy's Seafood and Manokan. (Will be posting my reviews on SFTG soon:))

Being a city girl, there is always a part of me that wanted to visit the mall when I’m in the province. So here is a photo of SM Iloilo. This is where we ate authentic Ted’s Batchoy –sorry I forgot to take a photo since I was so hungry that time. Anyway, there’s Ted’s here in Manila if you want to try it.

How to Get There?
Easy. Just like the other neighboring provinces you may ride a plane going to the New Iloilo Airport. You may choose from CebuPacific, PAL, ZestAir or AirPhilippines.
So keep your eyes on the airfare sales!
You may also do a road trip if you want to bring your own car. See Road trip Panay.
Commuting in Iloilo is easy because of the passad jeepneys (also where Bacolod jeepneys came from). According to Wikipedia, the passad jeepneys are known as replicas of sedans or pick-up trucks.

When is the Best Time to go to Iloilo?
If you are into festivities and cultural celebrations, the best time to visit the province of Iloilo is around January especially its 4th weekend. This is the time where the famous Dinagyang Festival is held. Like any other festivities in the Philippines, Dinagyang is a religious festival. It is held to honor the the Santo Niño and the arrival of the Malay settlers in Panay.

Where to Stay?
There are a lot of hotels to choose from in Iloilo from cheap to the ultimate splurge.
Let me start of by the hotel where we stayed. The Iloilo Grand Hotel, with the price of roughly Php2,000/night for a family room (for 5 persons) including breakfast for 3 it was a good deal. The hotel is a little old which clearly needs refurbishing. The beds are okay except for the thin mattress as extra bed. The hotel also did provide bath towels, shampoos and soaps. The bathroom is also on the average side and needs an exhaust fan.

The hotel also comes with a fitness gym and a spa. The spa we get to try, would you believe that a foot and back massage will only cost you Php100?! Since we’re all tired of the entire road trip we have done, we grab the opportunity for the cheap massage. The surprising part is that the massage is more like of a full body massage. The therapist massages my tired feet, soared back and aching head. The cheap price was well worth it and we ended up giving a nice amount of tip.

There are also other hotels that you may try. The most famous one in Iloilo is the Sarabia Manor, we were able to pass by and it was huge. Though, some of the reviews that I have read is that it already old and also needs a refurbishing.

Another hotel that you may try is the MO2 Westown Hotel. We ought to stay here while in Iloilo but we had a hard time locating it and we were so tired at that time so we settled somewhere else. From the website you will be able to guest that what drives guest to stay here is the nice El Dorado Waterpark.

via

Here are some more Iloilo shots:

Its was a tiring but fun 2 days of my world! :)

A Night of Endless Music to My Ears

2011-02-21T22:44:00.000+08:00

I discovered watching musicals last year and I did not think that I’ll be hooked as I am now. Last year, I was able to catch Avenue Q, Legally Blonde and CATS. All of them were shown in different venues (RCBC Plaza, Meralco Theater and CCP). Between the three, I personally like the one in RCBC Plaza. It feels more home-y to me. The seating division usually consists of orchestra, loge and balcony. Since the orchestra area is quiet pricey for a corporate slave like me, I usually opt for the loge seats.

Anyway, I was able to catch the opening night for the public showing of RENT the musical last February 12. It was held at the C.P. Romulo Theater inside the RCBC Plaza. I was able to score some tickets for the last row loge but decided to get balcony seats because there is a very minimal difference with the view angle. I actually think that my view from the first row balcony is much better than the one in the last row of loge.

Before the show I really am completely clueless of what it is about. Yes, I have read the synopsis but I still do not understand it. All I know is that someone will die and it’s a sad show.

So the show started and one by one my questions have been answered.

“It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.” –from wikipedia

They have some funny acts from time to time but it was more of a serious show, just like I’ve expected. What really caught me was the pole dancing moves! Mimi Marquez was played by Sheree Bautista, alternating with Ciara Sotto. The show that I have seen was with Ciara and the girl could really dance. I knew she could pole dance real good because I saw a video of her while performing for the Talentadong Pinoy but seeing her performing live was really amazing. She could even sing while pole dancing and by the looks of it that was a very hard thing to do.

via

A surprising character was Angel played by Job Bautista, a drag queen. This was the first time I have ever seen a man doing pole dances in high heels (or maybe I’ve seen some in ResortsWorld but I could not actually recall it). I guess that is the reason why he has nice toned arms.

Another outstanding performance was from Carla Guevara, her is big in the theater industry. She is that good. From my point of view, she is good because she portrays her role really well. She’s funny when she needs to be funny. She’s sad when she needs to be sad. Not just because the role calls for it, you will be convinced as if she’s really that character and she’s not ashamed if she’ll look like an idiot.

So what are you waiting for? Catch it while you can :-)

You may purchase tickets via Ticketworld.

For March 5, 2011 3:30PM (last run) show you may contact Onay @ 0918.536.2116 and get a 10% discount for a minimum of 5 tickets purchased.

Do You Want Some Pad Thai?

2011-02-21T22:28:00.000+08:00

Wanna know where you could grab some of this delicious Pad Thai?

Click here.

2011 Pyromusical Fireworks Bright Lights from Portugal and UK

2011-02-20T17:52:00.001+08:00

My eyes were able to catch some glittery lights last night. We went to SM Mall of Asia (MOA) for the 2011 Pyromusical Fireworks.

I was thinking that yesterday was the best time to watch it since the Taylor Swift concert (sob sob yeah was not able to score some tickets) falls on the same day. Hence, the crowd will be divided into 2 major events. Last night it was Portugal and UK's turn to showcase their creativity. The veranda of MOA was used as the viewing deck for the show and tickets were sold for you to have a good view of the show. We bought the Silver tickets (Priced @ Php100) which is the cheapest of all. We were situated along the streets in the San Miguel Bay Area, the location is better compared to the area outside the fence which is for free. Anyway, let me share with you the photos taken by JM last night. Excuse the lamp post and some of the trees since well yeah we paid just a hundred bucks:p

PORTUGAL

UNITED KINGDOM

I like UK's presentation more because it was more of the non traditional fireworks design. Though, Portugal's finale was amazing. The blinding lights make you want to not look but you can't because it was too beautiful to miss. It reminded me of my favorite scene in Chicago (see 2:55).

Catch the pyromusical fireworks every Saturday from 7-9pm until March 12! :)

via http://flaircandy.com

http://www.pyrophilippines.com/

Relaxing Trip to Tibiao Fish Spa

2011-02-18T22:01:00.000+08:00

I grew up in a house where fish is a pet. Ever since I could remember my dad is fond of taking care of house fish, we had a fair share of having goldfish, arowana, hammerhead shark, flowerhorn and koi. But if you’ll ask me if I’m fond of touching them my answer is NO. I am scared as hell that they will bite me or whatever.

Tibiao is actually famous for being the adventure capital of Antique. So when we had the chance to pass by Antique where the famous Tibiao Fish Spa (TFS) is located, I thought this would be a good chance to conquer this fear.

The fish spa offers three different tanks that houses level 1, level 2 and level 3 therapy fishes.

Level 1 is where small fishes are housed,
mostly for relaxing purposes.

Look how tiny they are :)

The fishes in Level 2 are quiet a
little larger than the Level 1 fishes.
Its a little more ticklish compared to level 1:)

Look at the Level 3 tank:p

Bigger fishes! They say that
these fishes can even remove calluses!

My family is enjoying the spa time:p

According to their website, fish spa is a form of ichthyotherapy that uses small fish to clean the skin. The fish is able to exfoliate our skin by feeding on the dead skin layer of our skin. Yeah it sound gross but it was quiet an experience. The fishes that they used for the fish spa are mostly breed in Antique thus it is more affordable than the fish spas that use imported therapy fishes.

Once you set foot on the tank, you will see that the fishes will madly swim going to your direction. At first it was scary and a little ticklish but once you get the hang of it you will feel very relaxed. According to our attendant the more fishes comes to your way, the stressed you are.

The overall experience was really relaxing; too bad we had to hit the road before the sun sets to be able to catch the RORO trip going back to Manila. The good news is Tibiao Fish Spa already has a branch in SM Iloilo and is also looking to expanding here in Manila. I’ll be surely back to TFS when I get the chance!

Happy Hearts Day

2011-02-14T21:35:00.000+08:00

Why do we love? Is it because we want someone to hold our hand when we are scared the most? Or is it because we want someone to cuddle when the rain is pouring heavily outside our window? Or maybe because we want someone to look after us when we're old?

For me, love is a choice. Yes it comes when we least expect it, but it is still us who chooses who to love.

Two years ago, I have chosen a man whom I would like to take my chances with. We may have rock our boat a little in the beginning but managed to sail smoothly. I could go on and on about the things I love about him and the things that I like the least but it really doesn't matter -- I am truly in love.

JM,

Thank you for constantly loving and trusting me.

Thank you for holding my hand when I am scared.

Thank you for being there when I'm sad.

Thank you for keeping me awake when I needed to.

Thank you for constantly hearing me when I'm frustrated --especially when I want a new bag.

Thank you for being my mall buddy.

Thank you for keeping up with the Tagalog movies that I make you watch.

Thank you for bringing me home to your family.

Thank you for all the chocolates, flowers and gifts you've given me.

Thank you for singing for me when I want to sleep.

Thank you for driving me around.

Thank you for all the out of town trips we had.

Thank you for writing me a love letter.

Thank you for the foot massages.

Thank you for the hugs and kisses that constantly reminds me how much you love me.

Thank you for everything.

Let's make more happy memories in this lifetime.

Happy Hearts Day my love!

Love,

Mav

Shoot From The Gut!

2011-02-12T10:58:00.000+08:00

Hello lovely people of the world! Have you had your brunch already? :)

Wanna know where you could get this lovely salad? Click me.

JM and I would like to invite you to our newest baby in cyberspace our foodie blog -- Shoot From The Gut! Please don't forget to drop us some love! :).

Bacolod Oh So Sweet

2011-02-09T22:11:00.010+08:00

Bacolod is so close to my heart ~~because I love to eat~~ because it is my Papa's hometown. I've been there thrice last year alone and was able to try the True Bacolod experience. I thought there is nothing to do and see in this place but lo and behold--there are tons of places to see! Here are some of the photos I have gathered in these trips.

My favorite highway in Pinas!

Bacolod-Talisay-Silay highway

Balay Negrense in Silay

Piano inside Balay Negrense

An old harp inside the Jalandoni Ancestral House

The famous Ruins in Talisay

By the fountain shot

Mambucal Swimming Pools

View from the top of Mambucal

Hot sulfur

The bats are already out! This is around 6PM.

On our way to Lakawon Island in Cadiz

The beauty of Lakawon Island

Excuse the trash can:p

White sand of Lakawon Island.
Yes it is still incomparable to the sand of Boracay but its still beautiful as is.

Inside the Cathedral

Bacolod Cathedral

Mama and Papa posing in front of the Church bells.

By the plaza

Mourning woman during the war

Mala-Old Bacolod daw

Pure happiness

My yummy Calea treats:)

Pure happiness + pure love

Blueberry Cheesecake

Their coffees were Oh-kay.

Some other random stuff:

Look what we found inside SM Bacolod!

Mr Potato head in SM Bacolod :)

So there, I'll post some more if I'm not too lazy to resize them :)

Close Up with Seattle's Best Breakfast

2011-01-26T21:47:00.000+08:00

Sorry ladies for another foodie post. Can't help myself haha.

DearBF and I often go to CBTL whenever we want to eat something breakfast-y. The problem is the choices are not that extensive. So imagine our happiness when we discovered the lovely breakfast menu of Seattle's Best. Its a Yay-Yay-Yay moment!!!

All of them looks and taste real good:).

Say hi to the wonderful breads and cakes!

Regular Breakfast 1 (Egg, Bacon Strips, Wheat Bread and Fruit Marmalade)
Php180
The bacons are fried to the crispiest level!

French Toast and Omelette Sausage and Mushroom

Php190

Yummy sausages!

Pancakes with Sausages
Php180
There are 3 pancakes and its too heavy for breakfast:p

French Toast and Omelette Ham and Cheese

Php190

DearBF love this over the sausage and mushroom:p

Almond Mocha Joy

I'm eye-ing Big Breakfast 3* for our next Seattle's Best date!

Whew! After all that eating its time for my teeth to get a little treat too. Finally got my hands on the new Closeup White Now. What can I say? Hmmn..

Pros:

I think that my teeth really whitens a bit after 2 days of using it (Don't know if its just me or the lighting in our bathroom).
It gives me a blueberyy-ish after taste (Maybe its just me lol).
The price is affordable, I was hesitant at first to buy because I thought it would be way more expensive for a toothpaste.
The blue + transparent color of the toothpaste is quiet cool.

Cons:

It does not have the strong minty flavor that I like.
It makes my tootbrush's bristles color blue.
Its kinda weird when you're brushing and you see your mouth covered in blue foam.
Since it uses a detachable cap, it may fall on the ground and you may loose it.

How about you, have you tried Seattle's Best breakfast menu or the new Closeup White Now? What can you say? :D

*Big Breakfast 3 (Egg, Schublig, Bacon strips, Pancakes, Wheat Bread and Fruit Marmalade)

January Movies Love-Hate-Love

2011-01-25T21:47:00.003+08:00

DearBF and I was able to watch The Green Hornet last weekend. Well it was funny on a so-so way. There's nothing to review really, the story is a little bad. Though, Jay Chou is a hottie! Don't you think so?

source

Hot hot. Let's move on now before I develop a crush on him shall we?

If you like Adam Sandler or Jennifer Aniston or both of them or you simply want to laugh watch this:

Can't wait to watch it! Hiyaaah!!!

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-01-25T21:26:00.000+08:00

Just In! My second award for the year :).

Thank you carinamodella!

Since I just recently posted 7 things about me and 15 blogs I like reading, you may refer to this post Click here. Again, thank you carinamodella!

I hope you're enjoying my entries. Keep on reading :)

How Do You Like Your Crispy Pata?

2011-01-24T20:59:00.004+08:00

Food is my weakness, its the one who makes my wallet scream for its life. But heck we only live once so we need to stay beautiful and dine real good. I've been to Max's xxx number of times and to my surprise I never get tired of their menu. Just take a look how gorgeous this crispy pata is. It makes me drool all over again. The sauce is just as heaven as the crispy pata. Gorgeous.

So how do I like my crispy pata?

I like 'em CRISPYLICIOUS!

Btw, I ordered leche flan to counter my suya for all the oil on this :).

Greenier than Green. The Greentenial Run.

2011-01-23T18:50:00.002+08:00

Its Sunday night already, how's your day so far? I hope its also fab like mine:). I went to the Greentenial Run earlier (I did not join the race mind you), I was the PA of my DearBF. I woke up pretty early at around 4am because we need to be there before 5:30am. The event was pretty much organized, I saw a firefighters water truck and the warm-up exercises looks like it was well prepared unlike the one from the Animo Run last year. lol. So while waiting for DearBF to finish the race I had the liberty to take some random shots.

Here they are:

DearBF warming up. "Hey hunny not at all sleepy huh?:p"

There are a total of four timers, one for each race category (3K,5K,10K and 15K).

All eyes to the finish line :)

Sexy ladies giving out free water and Powerade.

Random shot of BHS in the morning 1.

Random shot of BHS in the morning 2.

Random shot of BHS in the morning 3.

Random shot of BHS in the morning 4.

Look who decided to drop by the race. Enchanted Kingdom's wizard!

Coach Rio was also there but I was so chicken to ask for a photo:p

DearBF post-run stretch.

Versatile Blogger Award

2011-01-23T18:17:00.005+08:00

Whoa a lot of firsts this week. I was surprised when Beauty-Addict left a comment saying that I was one of her Versatile Blogger. Thanks Beauty-Addict!

Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
2. Tell us 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered new bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and let them know they've received the award(s).
7 things about me:
1. I don't like live chicken. I don't know how it started and I don't know why. They just look creepy.
Yeah! So when you're totally pissed on me you know what to give me. Kidding.
2. I am taking up my Masters Degree, but as of now its "vacation time". Too much hard work
can cause serious problems.
3. Juanie and I are dating for two years, 4 months and 8 days today.
4. My favorite color is pink. Yep I'm still a little girl at heart.
5. I don't eat at KFC.
6. I adore absolutely beautiful things. I love bags. I love bags. I love bags.
7. I am bad at writing so bear with my entries:).
My 15 beautiful bloggers. Follow them:) :

Lootwagon

Chronicles of a Small Town Girl

Another Fucking Fashionista

J'adore Rougit

Lutong Kapampangan

Home and Fashion

How to Spot an Authentic Longchamp

2011-01-22T21:21:00.002+08:00

Do you own a longchamp? Are you a baghag? No? Or are you in denial? lol. Anyway, baghag or not there's a different happiness that a bag brings to a woman. I can attest to this one. Is it just me or there are a lot of girls like me who's going head over heels over longchamp? In a mall bathroom alone you'll be surprise that there are about 2-3 girls who carries a longchamp. Don't believe me? Try going to Rockwell Powerplant. lol again! Have you ever wonder if these are authentic or not? I did and I learned it the hard way. Before LePliage/Planètes took hype in Manila, I seriously wanted to get one. But heck on the price tag it carries, yeah for some its cheap but for me its a lot to pay for a bag! So my frugal self bought a fake longchamp in greenhills (yeah dumb). I paid about Php400 for it if I remember it right. I thought this would already satisfy my salivating self and not lust for longchamp anymore. But boy was I wrong! I did not stop salivating over the online photos of longchamp--this time real one. I kept on coming back at Rustan's just to take a look of their stocks. Yeah I was sick with frustration. I want to have one. Since I still don't want to pay a large amount of money, I settled with a navy cabas le pliage (cabas is the one that does not have zipper). ~~That was the end of it.~~ My new and original le pliage made me happy. I thought I would not need another longchamp for next X number of years. But boy yeah I was wrong again! My good friend Lee went to HK last year and was generous enough to be my personal shopper. It was a hard choice between the Special Edition Great Wall of China Le Pliage and the Raisin Planètes. I choose to go for the Planètes since I already have a Le Pliage.

Now enough with my LC drama and to the main point. If you want to buy longchamp online here are some tips on authenticating them:

Longchamp is a French luxury brand. Jean Cassegrain founded the brand 60 years ago. Its previous line of work is manufacturing leather covering for pipes. The most popular longchamp line now are the Le Pliage and the Planètes, both made of vinyl and leather. The difference is that Le Pliage is foldable while the Planètes is not. Though Planètes uses a more thicker material than the other one.

It comes with the original paper bag and care card.

The care card shows cleaning guidelines for your longchamp.

The longchamp logo should be located directly above the snap. The logo of the fake one is usually not centered. It should be embossed and its outline should be engraved on the leather. Look at the back of the flap to see the engraving of the logo. The button should say "Longchamp 1948" and also has the longchamp logo inside the circle.

The inner side of the snap button should say ORIGINAL, PRYM, 6/4B.

The zipper must have the engraved YKK.

The zipper pull varies from one model to another. This is for the Planètes long handle.

The inner pocket is on the front but this varies from model to model. Most of the special edition LePliage/Planètes have the inner pocket at the back.
The back should also have an engraving of the correct spelling of LONGCHAMP and the model of the bag (Sorry forgot to take photo).

The inner snap has a transparent plastic disc.

It should have a tag inside. Authentic longchamps are either MADE IN FRANCE, MADE IN TUNISIA or MADE IN CHINA. The series of numbers on the fifth line is the style number. There is also a care instruction on the last line.

The lining inside are cleanly sewn unlike with the fake ones.

Lastly, try to visit Rustan's (if you're planning to buy online) and take a look on the original LePliage/Planetes and notice its material because its far from the fake one. From this you'll easily spot a fake one. You'll also notice that the leather for the handles are thinner than the fake one.

Hope I help you with this one:).

*All the infos above are based on my personal experience and through research. You may visit the longchamp website for their latest collection.

Break Time Ice Cream and Potatoes

2011-01-22T12:40:00.013+08:00

I love food so much. As a matter of fact, I am eating plain peanut butter as I write this. Yumm yumm! Anyway, have you been to Robinson's Pioneer lately? Aside from Olympic Outlet which is what I know its famous for, there are a lot of foodie stuffs to try out in there (I guess because of the proximity to office spaces. Who would want to shop in there anyway? We want FOOD!).

My friends and I went there yesterday to have merienda and ended up eating here:

An ice cream parlor at the 3rd level named Zero Degrees. They serve different ice cream flavors and you get to choose your own toppings.

My friend Mike ordered mango ice cream with peaches and milk topping plus lychee sago.

I had coffee vanilla ice cream with choco chips and chocolate syrup plus lychee sago.

Price: Small bowl of ice cream Php35 + 1 topping Php20 = Php55 not bad!

My friends having a nice ice cream time. lol. The ice cream is quite easy to melt but it was good. The sago is quite intriguing, you don't chew it cause it pops in your mouth when you bite but it was all good.

Next stop is the Curlicue at lower level near the grocery. They serve potato swirls with different flavors (Cheese, Original Spice, BBQ, Parmesan and Garlic, and Sour Cream). I guess this is a good alternative to Ribbon Fries which closed down a few months ago.

How Do You Measure A Year In The Life? RENT The Musical 2011

2011-01-20T21:13:00.006+08:00

I am not good in singing. That is a fact. I love music. That is also a fact. Juanie and I started having a love-love relationship with musicals last year. We were able to watch Avenue Q, Legally Blonde and CATS. All of them we loved so dearly especially Avenue Q -- I highly recommend that you watch this because you'll really laugh your heart out.

On February 12 will be the opening night of RENT. Here's the synopsis from Ticketworld:

"Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Rent tells the story of a group of friends struggling with love and life. Among the group are the narrator - nerdy filmmaker Mark; his former lover Maureen; Maureen's public interest lawyer lover Joanne; Mark's roommate Roger; Roger's lover, Mimi; their former roommate computer genius Tom Collins; Collins' drag queen street musician lover Angel; and Benjamin Coffin III a former member of the group who, after marrying a wealthy woman, has since become their landlord and the opposite of the group's Bohemian values.

The second act is filled with tragedy as Angel dies and couples break up. But at the very end, when Mimi is about to die, Roger is able to sing one song that brings her back to life and leaves the audience with a sense of hope."

You may sing along with the RENT Manila cast here:

...now are we talking? Season's of Love is what made RENT famous.

Anton of OurAwesomePlanet.com said that he got a feeling that this will be the last run of RENT staged in Manila. So what are you still waiting for? Go and get your tickets now! :)

P.S. Am I too obvious when I say that I AM SO EXCITED for this!!!!??!!!!

*Photo from 9 Works Theatrical's facebook.

Would You Like To Sit On These?

2011-01-19T22:32:00.005+08:00

Halow dearies! How's your week so far? Mine was just as busy as ever. Anyway, lemme share with you something I saw earlier while the boyfriend and I was at Dimensione BHS.

I like the pink one! I tried to sit on it and gash it was soft.

Too bad its priced at Php19k++ sob sob sob!

This is the smaller version which is priced at Php14k++

They look fab!!!

I Actually Won!

2011-01-19T21:59:00.004+08:00

Hooray!!! My first ever internet contest prize!

I won a 2011 Planner called Sunpiology.

It showcases the photographs taken by Papa Piolo Pascual!

Thanks to Ms F of Topaz Horizon :)

*Photo from Topaz Horizon's facebook page.

Beauty: Anything Sparkly and Metallic. Tron Legacy.

2011-01-15T20:23:00.001+08:00

Don't you love to have these shoes? I know I DO! *beams*

These shoes were inspired from the movie Tron Legacy. I did not expect a lot from the movie since I am totally 100% clueless of what its about..but mind you I think I was just blown away.

*Photo credit from http://www.shoe-tease.com/2011/01/11/high-heeled-wonders-of-tron-legacy-shoes/

Beauty: Make Smooth Colorful Lips

2011-01-14T19:45:00.008+08:00

Ever since I got hold of my lipsticks I just couldn't stop swiping it...

I use Avon's Smooth Minerals in Pink Quartz during the day. I like how it gives you the "natural kissable" lips. You'll also notice how you're lips have the glittery look which is suitable for a young lady like moi :). The good thing about the Avon Smooth Minerals is that it contains SPF15 which keeps your lips protected during the day. Its also an easy-to-glide-on lipstick, I actually love how smooth it glides on my lips. Lastly, its cheap and you can easily get it by ordering through any Avon Lady :). The downside of this shade is that its not noticeable during the night so you better change shade.

If you want something darker, try Face Shop's Wrinkle Repair Lipstick (Code: RD301). I like this because you only need to apply a little to achieve a darker fuller lips. The problem is its not an easy-to-glide-on lipstick. What I do is apply a little amount on my lips and use my fingers to even out the lipstick all throughout. You may use a lip gloss on top of it to achieve a smooth finish. Its a little pricey for a lipstick (Php700++) but worth it because it last for 4-5hrs before you'll need to reapply.

Swatch time!

See how dark the RD301 vs the Pink Quartz?

Beauty: Keep the Stress Away with a BIG Apple

2011-01-13T20:49:00.004+08:00

I'm still not feeling well, got colds but still have to go to work. Bummer. To kill time while waiting for Juanie to pick me up earlier, I decided to have some body lovin'. Since I'm at McKinley Hill the nearest massage center I can go to is the BIG APPLE Express Spa at Piazza. Its my second time to have a massage here and its still all good. The place is clean and cozy plus the staff are all really accommodating.

They offer different massage types and all are affordable. They even have a "Create-Your-Own-Manhattan-Massage" wherein you choose your preferred Key Points, Massage Pressure, Types of oils and the likes. If you're on a budget and want to give some lovin' to your body I highly recommend you to visit BIG Apple Express Spa :).

*photo taken from BIG Apple Express Spa's Facebook.

Food: Have You Tried Oishi's Wafu?

2011-01-10T22:48:00.005+08:00

Here's my new discovery.

If you like Combos, this is somehow similar though its covering is more softer.

It's basically a long stick of wafer with cheddar cheese inside. Oh so yummy! Try it! :)

Thanks to my officemate, Sumie, for introducing this to me.

Movie: Gulliver's Travels. I Like.

2011-01-10T21:44:00.007+08:00

One way or another most of us have already heard the story of Gulliver's Travels. If not, somewhere somehow we have heard his name. If you wanna know more about the novel, click here.

I don't want to spoil the movie for you so I won't go into details. The movie is similar to the novel but with the added modern twist (The movie only showed Liliput and a little of Brobdingnag). If you're seriously expecting some kick-ass moral lesson or whatever sorry to disappoint you but you'll be disappointed. Though, if what you're looking for is some serious laugh time this definitely fits. What is good about the movie is its execution - plain and simple yet so funny. Jack Black portrayed the role of Lemuel Gulliver and he did awesome. I could not think of any actor that could land that role and be able to make me laugh like he did. He's not scared if he'll look stupid or something and that makes it funnier all the more. You know what's another good thing about Jack Black? Like School of Rock which featured a lot of cool songs, this movie also does.

Cue. I wanna Rock and Roll all night! And party everyday!!!

Here's the movie trailer for you to watch. Enjoy!

Tech: Unboxing the iPad

2011-01-09T19:45:00.008+08:00

One cold Sunday night, Zebrabear and Elmo are both wondering what's inside the big brown box on their bed.

So they open it up and found this! Eureka!

Elmo: We now need to download some Apps and give a proper review.

Zebrabear: Okay, you download the Apps, I play. Nice!

Beauty: L'Oreal Total Repair 5 for My Curly Locks

2011-01-09T17:51:00.005+08:00

When I was a kid I often wonder why shampoo commercials always feature girls with perfectly straight hair. I felt that it’s kind of discriminating since there are a lot of Filipina women with wavy/curly hair -- like me. During my high school days I have a super curly and dull hair, I kept it in a pixie cut for so long because I don’t know how to manage it. When I discovered hair relax and rebonding I just can’t get enough of it. Straight hair is way more manageable than a curly hair. Most people think that curly hairs are easy to maintain since it does not involve a lot of brushing (always in a bed head look)—wrong! Curly hair needs a lot of attention since it’s so massive and most of the time you’ll end up in a pony tail.

Now, I’ve grown tired of having my hair rebonded every 6 months for the last 5 years or so. This is why I have decided to grow my curly locks again. This is not an easy task, my hair is so dull and it looks so dead! 3/4 of it is straight while the roots are showing the curly signs again--what a mess! To help me with my dilemma, I started to use the L'Oreal Total Repair Line. I must admit I would not get the looks of Anne’s locks in the commercial just by using the Total Repair Line – but don’t you agree with me when I say that her hair is absolutely stunning?

Pros:

I love the smell of the Shampoo, Conditioner and the Deep Repairing Mask.

It makes my hair soft after air drying.

The price is affordable and it even comes in sachets.

Cons:

Nothing really but I have yet to try the Night Repair Treatment.

…now time to get some hair curlers!