tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104866502009-11-21T19:19:10.821+08:00yada yada yada ...christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.comBlogger235125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-73986240448209461912009-10-02T03:20:00.002+08:002009-10-02T03:25:06.204+08:00

People from all walks of life, everywhere, helping, giving even when they themselves don't have much, so grateful even when so desperate. It's so moving. The supermarkets are full of people wiping out the shelves, not to hoard but to donate. People of all ages tirelessly involved in relief and rescue operations. I feel truly blessed to be a part of it.

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-44054628480541250222009-06-30T12:47:00.000+08:002009-07-02T13:09:28.950+08:00

Yay yay, another published article! I am extra thrilled this time because like my last article on Santorini, this one also made it to the cover! This time I wrote about Yogyakarta in Indonesia and the temples of Borobudur and Prambanan. It was an experience I won't soon forget, and I hope I did it justice.I love this issue (Lifestyle Asia Travel, June/July) because it is the Asia issue, so you

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-4148481504267626062009-04-29T01:42:00.003+08:002009-04-29T10:35:22.340+08:00

Shopping was the main order of day 3 in this city known for its microbreweries and more importantly, tax-free shopping! Surrounding downtown Portland is a cluster of neighborhoods each with it’s own distinct character and the shops and restaurants to go with it. Suffice it to say, we did some major damage.It was the morning of day 4 and, sadly, time to say our goodbyes to Therese and to Portland.

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-54622021313073625332009-04-27T23:13:00.001+08:002009-04-28T15:20:30.919+08:00

Back on the road, I noticed many cars towing speed boats or carrying canoes as well as an ever-increasing number of motor homes. On 101 you’re never too far from the ocean or one of the many state parks. As I pondered the idea of renting a motor home for my next road trip, Therese announced that she was hungry. And why wouldn't she be? It was 3:30 pm! Almost immediately, my tummy growled in

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-48075378304963036362009-04-26T13:11:00.001+08:002009-04-27T12:10:45.360+08:00

From this point, Highway 101 takes on a new nickname, the Redwood Highway. So named because it snakes the rest of way through northern California’s redwood empire and all the way up to Josephine County in Oregon. About 20 minutes west of the Redwood Highway is the Point Reyes Seashore where we hiked over the sand dunes and spread out some blankets for a light picnic lunch of cheeses, fruit,

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-17026940867593933742009-04-25T13:07:00.002+08:002009-04-27T10:47:34.132+08:00

This is the unedited version of the article I wrote for Travelife about my road trip on the Pacific Coast Highway, from San Francisco, CA to Vancouver, BC Canada. I've been meaning to post about that trip so this is a good way to start, and an even better way to save me from having to write it all up again. :)It’s late at night on a Friday, one of many typical Friday nights during the salad days

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-25137663497393930482009-04-17T11:46:00.003+08:002009-04-17T12:07:06.448+08:00

This is so exciting for me. Not just because this is my 4th travel piece that's been published (2nd in a row with Lifestyle Asia Travel, with another in the pipeline for the next issue) but more so because it's about a place I dreamed about since I was a little girl. Being in Santorini was such an extraordinary experience for me. Making it even more wonderful was the fact that I went with one of

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-32382948818389983522009-04-01T20:45:00.000+08:002009-04-01T21:08:27.180+08:00

Oeufs en Cocotte. Such a fancy name for such a simple dish. I can't even begin to pronounce it, so when my family asked what I was making, I simply said "eggs baked in ramekins" as that it is precisely what they are. Ouefs is the French word for eggs, and Cocotte for ramekin.I have a fondness for eggs, especially the small farm-fresh organic eggs delivered by our friendly organic farmer every

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-17208431488998074612009-03-27T10:09:00.007+08:002009-03-27T10:34:52.475+08:00

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming. So please don't forget to vote. :)THIS SATURDAY28 MARCH AT 8.30PMYOU CAN VOTE EARTHBY SWITCHING OFF YOUR LIGHTS FOR ONE HOUR- EARTH HOUR.~~WWF is urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-11577054511250041152009-03-25T20:16:00.002+08:002009-03-25T20:39:16.962+08:00

A poolside BBQ and swim party is something my friends and I love to plan all year round. Usually we just throw burgers and sausages on the grill then lay out the condiments and whatever sides we decide to make that day. Sometimes there's a casserole of some sort or a pasta dish. Drinks are always aplenty. The beers are chilling in the ice box and a pitcher of iced tea and various soft drinks are

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-78626606966439484182009-03-17T18:28:00.001+08:002009-03-18T16:12:39.653+08:00

Over some terribly lousy feijoada at a recent Brazilian festival (the churrasco and capoeira entertainment at least made it worthwhile), my friends commented on my energy level which they had decided was superhuman. I'm assuming the basis for this conclusion would be the seemingly crazy amount of non-work related activities and out-of-town trips I take part in despite a full-time job and a small

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-87727308013634088722009-02-13T12:28:00.005+08:002009-02-13T12:57:55.053+08:00

I'm sorry to do back-to-back posts where I'm tooting my own horn, but I'm just tickled pink about the fact that two of my travel articles were published simultaneously in two different travel magazines!The Feb-Mar 2009 issue of Lifestyle Asia Travel magazinecontains yet another article about Mexico written by me. But while the one published last year focused on the capital, Mexico City, this one

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-25341745620214270672009-02-09T17:50:00.007+08:002009-02-09T18:21:31.152+08:00

I believe it's good juju to start my 2009 blogging with some awesome news on my part. I'm once again thrilled and over-the-moon that another article of mine has been published in the Jan/Feb '09 issue of Travelife! Yay! Toot-toot! :) (It was also this same time last year when my first ever article was published in the same magazine. )It's a 6-page story I wrote about the road trip I took from

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-18298668829205191052008-10-30T05:44:00.003+08:002008-10-30T06:02:37.917+08:00

nataliedee.comI'm off to Kuala Lumpur tonight with some friends and will be there until Sunday morning. Just a short and quick weekend adventure with the girls. :) I'm really looking forward to all the amazing Malay, Chinese and Indian food waiting for us! I've been to KL once before, but it was for work and I didn't have much time do anything else. But I do remember loving every non-fastfood

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-3479667871818310632008-10-25T19:40:00.000+08:002008-11-06T14:28:14.231+08:00

Create your own word cloud here! :)

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-40757981227772030692008-10-14T15:25:00.006+08:002008-10-16T23:13:38.405+08:00

When my sweet friend D offered to send me a sample basket of her organic produce, I expected, well , just a small sampling. Instead, I woke up to the super generous and colorful bounty you see in the photo above (there's a lot more in the basket you don't see: more potatoes, onions, kalamansi , another head of broccoli, another head of cauliflower, a zucchini and more tomatoes)! Don't they look

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-58637978046388474972008-10-03T10:59:00.004+08:002008-10-03T11:06:17.261+08:00

This has to be the best commercial ever made. I love it! And I love sharing the stuff I love, so here it is for those of you who haven't seen it yet. :)Our world really is just awesome! :)

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-61484063920286725012008-09-26T01:09:00.015+08:002008-10-16T16:11:46.721+08:00

Canvas Mother Earth BagsHello? Anybody out there? I hope you all haven't given up on me and left me alone. :( I'm a scaredy-cat. Sigh, but I don't blame you. I broke my promise, about being back to blogging, and about blogging on the road and I'm sorry. But I tried! Turns out, blogging on the road, is kinda like, well, doing a commentary on bungee jumping while you're airborne. Have you tried

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-37751523193104145372008-07-08T00:51:00.002+08:002008-07-08T01:21:33.928+08:00

I'm really so sorry for neglecting my blog for as long as I have (more than a month already!). But between work, 2 new projects outside work, a friend visiting from the US and other stuff, I haven't had as much free online time as I used to. I always get home too late or too tired to do more than check email or new photos or friends' updates on Facebook, if I even turn on my laptop at all. I

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-66598193847173802042008-06-02T12:12:00.011+08:002008-06-03T11:03:58.804+08:00

Two WS entries in a row with nothing in between, ayayay I'm slacking again. I need to get cracking on my backlog of posts.But for now, here's my entry for Weekend Snapshot #39, a photo of the brew we ordered for a beer-tasting party. It wasn't one of those formal beer-tasting events with the survey forms etc., just a group of fellow beer-loving friends sampling different varieties of imported

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-63264209721226541652008-05-26T20:49:00.005+08:002008-05-26T21:30:28.716+08:00

I forced myself out of bed earlier than usual last Saturday morning so I could make it to Agrifina Circle in Rizal Park by 10 am. I've been to the Louvre, the British Museum, many other museums in foreign lands, even the Egyptian Museum! But I had never, in my 34 years as a Filipino, ever been inside the galleries of our very own National Museum. I know, right? Sad! It boggles my mind that this

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-14201859367644881652008-05-14T09:14:00.004+08:002008-05-14T13:57:41.126+08:00

I've gone on many of Carlos Celdran's walking tours, some more than once, which I highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about the Philippines or who simply wants to be entertained for a few hours. Because much more than just a tour guide, Carlos is a highly-entertaining street performer.Save for the photos I've taken while on his tours, this post isn’t going to be about that. If

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-69282294779205170522008-05-12T14:34:00.005+08:002008-05-16T15:08:39.032+08:00

My dear niece turned three last weekend and we had a nice intimate party for her at her my sister's garden. There was all the good stuff of birthday parties including games, prizes, presents, and yummy party food. After she blew out the candles on her cake, and as soon as night fell, her uncle brought out a torch he made especially for her, which when lit glowed a beautiful number 3 for the

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-29679127736171179042008-05-06T00:03:00.001+08:002008-05-06T15:10:03.921+08:00

How many of you were told time and again not to play with your food? There you were, still a little munchkin, sitting at the table with your mind on other more interesting things than what's on your plate. You're pushing the peas around with your fork and there's a bored look on your face, which is likely resting on the palm of your left hand, when the stern reprimand comes. Sound familiar?Yes,

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10486650.post-66812807576684925092008-05-05T11:20:00.005+08:002008-05-05T14:02:49.350+08:00

I'm still enjoying the 'hangover' of yet another wonderful weekend at the beach. Because Thursday was Labor Day and hence no work, a group of us took Friday off as well and headed out to a friends farmhouse by the ocean. There we lounged around in the pool, played with the kids, cooked paella outdoors under the rain, feasted on gorgeous Filipino food on banana leaves, chased crabs, picked fruit

christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.com16