Tabi tabi po!

Coffee High?

2008-07-18T23:37:00.006+08:00

How far would you go for that caffeine shot?

Today as I was doing my routine "drop" with entrecard, I came across a blog that wrote about the famous, world's most expensive coffee harvested from civet droppings - the coffee Alamid. I couldn't help but smile and chuckle a bit even as I was alone here in the room earlier. Well, primarily because I had gone as far as actually drinking one of those just to satisfy the "gourmet" status that I had bestowed upon myself. Not that I was curious but just because I was self-compelled and self-driven to give it a shot. Duhhh...

I had first heard of the coffee in one of the Agricultural exhibits at the Mega Mall Trade Hall. However, the advertisement had this big pic of a civet and, my curiousity all struggling to get loose, I read one of those tiny leaflets that the smiling lady had handed me. Of course at that time I was too coward to even go near the booth for fear that my curiousity would overpower the nurse in me. But no, I did not take a sip then.

During one of our trips to the Bag of Beans in Tagaytay though my curiousity finally took the better of me and yes, as I confessed earlier, I took that very first sip of that hot, aromatic brownish-blackish beverage served before me during a really wet, and cold day. And how will this article end but on a happy note - yes, I did like that sip and had finished the whole cup. And with a smile I dare say, "That's a great cup 'a coffee!"

A Wild Package

2008-07-15T21:38:00.003+08:00

One of the most memorable experiences we had in the US was our visit to the Wild Animal Park in San Diego. Well, that's aside from the fact that we didn't have a local with us and had to rely on a map and my navigational skills which is 90% good and a mere 10% troublesome (I got ourselves lost a couple of times in the US).

It was the first park that I saw which had imitated the natural habit of the animals there. We were made to ride a train to see the whole park. It would have been impossible to have covered such a large area on foot. My daughter wasn't so excited at that at first. But when we got to the part where they let her pet some of the creatures, she had here grin from one earlobe to the other. That wasn't a first for her because she has had several live encounters with some animals here in the Philippines. But it was the first time she had been able to pet that much animals in one day.

Anyway, I remembered that trip because I chanced upon their website today. They currently have a package for 4 persons which costs only 88 USD. That's quite a deal.

Crayons in Your Menu?

2008-07-04T22:08:00.004+08:00

Nah, of course not. Crayons can't be part of the menu. But it can be part of what a restaurant can offer. These days where the competition gets really stiff, there's got to be some gimmick that can attract customers to get shell their dough. Perhaps one of the best age group of customers to invest in are the children. And why not? where the children go, there's got to be at least one person to go with each one of them. That would make the sales grow double instantaneously.

But what about crayons? In Manila, there are restaurants that are considered to be kid friendly. By that I mean these restaurants offer some sort of treat to the children by giving them activities that they can do while they wait. And yes, of course, crayons are vital to the activities. In Burgoo, for example, they have this huge easel paper that covers their table and there anyone specially the children cn doodle on it. Parents and children get quality time together because they can interact while the child draws. The Burgoo branch that we like are those found in Podium and Rockwell Malls.

Another such restaurant is the TGI Fridays. Unlike Burgoo though, Fridays has the regular platemat sized paper which has caricatures that the child can color. But, they occasionally give out balloons to the young ones. Ikee's favorite is the Friday's at the glorietta. She used to like their dessert treats for kids.

If I remember correctly, even Cravings at the Shangri-la Plaza also uses crayons to keep their little customers busy while waiting for their chow.

Anyway, I do hope the restaurants realize that entertaining their most valuable clients will substantially increase their profits.

Some Like It Cold

2008-07-02T20:59:00.002+08:00

Have you ever thought of what you would like your vacation to be? As for me, a trip abroad normally would consist of going to a museum or somewhere historical and a visit to a place where my daughter would be interested in. But, if I were to choose, I'd like to go to a place where it is cooler than the Philippines. You see, I like dressing up but dislike doing so when the weather is hot. So, what's your idea of a perfect vacation?

Promo Fares for the Rainy Days

2008-06-25T09:59:00.005+08:00

Remember the law of supply and demand during the economics classes in college? Now, I recall that law because it's funny how so many promotional fares come up when you don't really need them. It's past summer and classes have started. For families such as mine, we'd rather travel together. Anyway, for those who are interested here are the newest ones:

1. Promos from Airphilippines

Free return ticket when you purchase a one way promo fare offer of any of the following:

Php1698
- Manila to Naga v.v.
- Manila to Tuguegarao v.v.
- Cebu to Iloilo v.v.

Php 1998
- Manila to Bacolod v.v.
- Manila to Dumaguete v.v.
- Manila to Iloilo v.v.
- Manila to Puerto Prinsesa v.v.
- Cebu to Davao v.v.

Php 2998
- Manila to Cagayan de Oro v.v.
- Manila to Davao v.v.
- Manila to Zamboanga v.v

*Selling Period is from 25 June to 02 July 2008 only.
* Travel Period is from 08 July to 15 October 2008.

2. YEAR ROUND ALL-IN LOW FARES From Airphilippines

No hidden charges! You just buy anytime and fly anytime!

Fares to Luzon for as low as P988, Visayas for only P1448 and Mindanao, with a starting promo of P2488.

3. Cebu Pacific's 888 promo is back.

Fly to Hongkon, Bangkok, Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh from Manila, Cebu or Davao. Selling Period is from June 23 to 30 and the travel period is from July 15 to Sept. 30, 2008. As always, these fares are exclusive of taxes and surcharges.

Latest Travel Deals Asia (In the Philippines in Particular)

2008-06-13T12:43:00.009+08:00

I've been really, really busy these days. My hands have been full (literally) with things to do for my daughter's first week of school and my attendance to the Red Cross Standard First Aid Training this week. Anyway, here are the newest travel deals I've found:

In Asia:

Free Fares
1. from Siem Reap to Pnom Penh via Jetstar Asia.
$20 on - Oneway Special Promotion to Phnom Penh.

2. To Kota Kinabalu or Kuala Lumpur from Manila
To Kotakinabalu from Cebu
both are from Malaysia Airlines. booking period is from June to 22, 2008 and travel period is from July 15 to December 14, 2008.

3. To Kota Kinabalu from Manila for 280 Php via AirAsia
to Singapore from KL for 1 RM via Air Asia.com
purchase period is from June 10 - 22 2008 and the Travel Period is from 1 Jul 2008 - 25 Sep 2008.

Within the Philippines
Affordable airfares for Naga and Tuguegarao via Airphilippines.

Manila to Naga for as low as Php88++

Manila to Tuguegarao for only Php288++ per way.

MANILA-NAGA
Departure 0645H Arrival 0730H DAILY

NAGA-MANILA
Departure 0800H Arrival 0845H DAILY

MANILA-TUGUEGARAO
Departure 1350H Arrival 1440H MON-WED-FRI

TUGUEGARAO-MANILA
Departure 1510H Arrival 1600H MON-WED-FRI

Tickets for this sale can be purchased from 16 June 2008 onwards. As always, fare is exclusive of taxes and surcharges.

You may reach the Airphilippines Reservations at (02) 855 9000 or check out their website:www.airphils.com for more details. I think you can also book with travel agents.

Also from Airphilippines, fare from Manila to Boracay is being offered for as low as P88/oneway on specific flights:

MANILA-CATICLAN (BORACAY)

Flight number Departure Arrival Frequency
2P 071 1510H 1620H Daily

2P 077 1545H 1655H Daily

CATICLAN (BORACAY) -MANILA

Flight number Departure Arrival Frequency

2P 036 0725H 0835H Daily

2P 038 0805H 0915H Daily

As always, taxes and surcharges are excluded.

There are others but I've got to go elsewhere. I'll write about the other flights later. Ciao!

Disappointed with the SM Science Discovery Center

2008-06-07T17:46:00.005+08:00

There’s much hype about the SM Science Discovery Center these days. For a while I was excited to bring my daughter there because its ad said it’s the only high tech interactive museum in the country. We both love to go to museums and I, for one, am one who loves to bring my daughter to those places because I know it will benefit her. So, since it is only a few days till her classes start, I decided we needed to see it.

When we finally visited, I got a little disappointed. The fee is 330 pesos. It is rather expensive so I had expected much from it. I mean I didn’t really want to compare it to the Singapore Science Center or the Hong Kong Science Museum but for the price, it must be at par with those. But no… it does not even come close.

For one, the SM Science Center is just 2 storeys high with a floor area that’s not even as big as a single floor of the Hong Kong Science Museum. The ground floor of the Philippine National Museum is probably even bigger than the whole center. Not that the size affects the exhibit itself but you can’t put much in a birdhouse, can you? There were only a few themes because there wasn’t space to put additional ones in the first place. A little space equals a few themes equals minimal exhibits.

Another thing is that the tour guide was not so enthusiastic about the place nor was he able to talk much about the exhibits. He gave us info that we can read about in the exhibit. In fact, we were just halfway through the tour before we went to see the planetarium and were told that we’d meet up with the guide right after the show. Did we bother to show up again? Nahhhh… we’d rather have our Kopi Roti.

One good thing about the center is the planetarium. Still, with it, the price was expensive. The show, despite the fact that it came from the Museum of Natural History of the US and was hosted by no other than Harrison Ford, is just as good as the one from the now-closed Manila Planetarium.

One thing I particularly liked which my daughter and her friend enjoyed was the virtual sport where we got to play volleyball and basketball with a computer. There were a few other items which were good enough like the grossology game where 4 players can play against each other to test their knowledge on things that are gross in the body. I won, of course... against 3 elementary kids.

My friend Ruby and her daughter were with us too. Shobe liked the echo dome (a dome that produces an echo... hello?) and the the marine center where the virtual fish, Mr. T, was. Mr. T. tries to entertain and interact with his visitors, giving special attention to kids. She also liked sending herself a message into the future - something like a deferred post.

I hope the management can go see the other museums in Asia. I’m sure they’ll be able to pick up some things here and there to improve it to make it prove worthy of its name.

What'ya Lookin' For?

2008-06-04T09:15:00.004+08:00

Click here to view map
This Spot

I've found this interactive map of the Philippines. I was searching for places to go in Manila where I can bring my daughter before her classes start next week. I thought of going to the Planetarium but it's closed for the moment. When I looked for the Manila Aquarium, this map was in one of the sites. That's good. I hope you like it.

Milo Novice Swim Meet 2008 At ULTRA

2008-06-01T08:11:00.005+08:00

The Milo Novice Swim Meet 2008 was held at the ULTRA yesterday. We had arrived there before 6:30 am because we were told the warm up will be at 6:30 ot 7 am. It did go as planned. We had fun because the Flying Dolphins swimmers were happy. But there were things that disappointed me. To wit:

1. They officially started the games at maybe 10 am or so. That was so late considering the time the swimmers were asked to be there. Imagine, some of the swimmers came all the way from Malabon and Montalban who had to leave so early just to be there on time.

2. The winners were not awarded their medals. For the swimmers who have done a pretty good job of going through training and doing their best during the meet, the awarding and the medals are priceless.

We're hoping that the next meet will be better than this one. Still we'd like to thank the organizers for hosting the event.

I stil have yet to receive the names of the winners. Stay tuned.

There's Danger Ahead - Anawangin

2008-05-29T22:58:00.007+08:00

HELP! I'm drowning!

I heard someone say that as I was swimming to shore. From the corner of my eye, I saw two figures struggling to keep themselves afloat. At first I thought it was a joke. But, when the scream came again, I knew it was for real. Suddenly, I realized that the two people were our companions who were just a few meters from the shore where my family was. I tried to swim to them to help but realized I wasn't in a good shape to help and might even cause more trouble if I go nearer. As my thoughts raced through my mind, it occurred to me that Ikee had brought her kickboard with her. "Dad, the kickboard!" I shouted to my husband who immediately acted on what I told him to do although I also asked him to not go too near lest both of them drown. I kept telling the girls to swim toward shore but they were getting weak from struggling and shouting. When I reached shore, I was exhausted and felt my heart beating so fast that I thought I was going to faint myself. It was too scary. Anyway, to cut the story short, the girls got to land safely. We returned to the camp and told our story to the others. It turned out that there was another similar incident that happened that day.

After we had come back from Anawangin, Boyet and I found other stories on the net of people who either died or almost drowned. According to one person, there had been about 6 or 7 deaths over a period of two months. Some say it was the strong waves of the China sea that got so high and so strong at times that engulfed the swimmers. Or, it must have been the strong undercurrent that seemed to pull anyone out into the sea. Or it could also be the sea floor which suddenly becomes deep and entraps the unknowing beachgoer. On both sides of the cove were high stone formations and some mounds of rocks that perhaps had been fallen off the mountain. Anyone could easily be smashed into those by the waves. The fact that Anawangin is a cove and can be reached either by trekking a for 4 to 7 hours depending on the person's skill or by taking a 40 minute ride makes it almost inaccessible to any health or medical facility. What makes it even worse is even if you get to the nearest town which is Pundaquit, it still is a 30-minute bumpy ride by tricycle. Anyone who drowns has only a few minutes to survive. Thus, it would take a miracle to get anyone from danger should something happen.

Nature has its way of preserving itself and I do believe there are beautiful things and places that are best left alone. Anawangin is a good example. During the pre-departure orientation with our trip organizers, we were told that we shouldn't go far from shore because there had been a number of deaths that occurred in the area. But those girls were not even 50 meters away from the beach. Apparently, there is a deep part in the middle of the shallow waters. It caught the girls by surprise because I was even farther from shore than they were and it was just waist deep where I was.

I love Anawangin and I would love to go back to the place. But I love my family and their safety is more important than anything else. So, I guess, it will be a long, long while before we ever go back there. After the incident and after reading the stories, we might not even consider going.

A Special Article - My 100th Post!

2008-05-27T11:11:00.005+08:00

Yep, this article is pretty special to me because it is my 100th. For this blog, that is. I have been thinking of some ways to celebrate my milestone. So, maybe I'll just show you some of our blooper pics from way back. I hope you like them.

Who's there? This pic was taken at the Snow City in Singapore. We got something that looked like a rubber tire and got to slide downhill. Of course, we were too fast that the photographer, my husband, was not able to get a good shot. hehehe

Where's Mama! Well, I was supposed to stay by Ikee's side but the shot was taken before I got there. This pic was taken at the Museo Pambata.

Eating cotton candy is a challenge when it's bigger than your face! This pic was taken in Tagaytay.

Butts Up!
This pic was taken at the Tagaytay Highlands pool. You wouldn't want to know who those guys are. hehehe...

Scaring Dada?
That's Ikee's hand which got caught while I was taking a picture of Boyet making their signature on the sand. This one's at the Pearl Farm in Davao.

Well, guys. I hope you enjoyed the pics. I'd add more but blogger won't let me. hehehe... Till next post.

Jane

Exploring the Outdoors at Anawangin (Part 2)

2008-05-26T12:07:00.006+08:00

continued from part 1

It was a good thing we took the package from Voyager Adventures Club. They had prepared practically everything. Food, van to and from Pundaquit, boat from Pundaquit to Anawangin to Capones Island and back to Pundaquit, and the tents. There were a few things that were missed during the orientation like we were not told that we needed to bring our own plates, cups and utensils. Thus, we ended up borrowing the wares from the organizers (it's a good thing they had some), and had to eat with our hands too. Another thing they missed telling us was that we should have brought something to make our sleeping area softer. It wasn't our first time to camp but it was a first time for us to join an outdoor adventure group. But those are minor things which didn't affect how much we had enjoyed the trip.

So, as I was telling you guys earlier (last night actually), we went for a swim at the river. Some say it is a lake but when you get to the end of it, you'll find out that it actually drains to the sea, unlike lakes that do not connect to any other body of water. Both sides of the river had pine tree or fir trees if you prefer to call it that. This particular river has varying depths because the water level is affected by the tide - high tide equals deep water, low tide means no water.

We ate lunch at 2 pm. Everyone was just so excited to get as much of the place as possible. I noticed that the later in the day it got, the more people came in. In the afternoon, what seemed to be an almost deserted forest was filled with tents of different sizes and colors. There must have been a hundred or so of those dome type ones. It was a good thing we got there ahead of the crowd and got to pick a nice spot for ourselves. There was even a large spot in the middle of our group's camp to hold a bonfire. But of course, our organizers, being mountaineers and nature conservationists, did not really want one. Noone wanted any anyway. I guess most of us were tired.

The following day we got up at 5:30 am. The call time was at 5 but I didn't hear anyone call me. hehehe... anyway, we packed all our things and rode our boat to Capones island without breakfast. The schedule was that we'd go there for a short 1- hour trip and would proceed to Pundaquit where we would have breakfast and lunch. But our boatman, old man Amando, didn't want to bring us to a part of the island close to the lighthouse. Naturally, we walked without any idea that it would take more than an hour to get there. I didn't get to the lighthouse because my daughter tripped on some rock and I stayed with her instead.

It was already 10 am by the time my husband got back to the drop off place. He and the others were picked up by a boat from the lighthouse. I was all fumed up when I learned that it was really possible to be brought to the foot of the hill where the lighthouse was. It was even worse when we couldn't find our boatman when we wanted to leave so we contracted some other guy.

Right in the middle of the sea between Pundaquit and Capones, our boat stopped and wouldn't start. It was the curse of the abandoned boatman! hahaha Almost at the same time, we were met by Mang Amando who was trying to explain why he was late and why he had left. He was urging us to transfer but we didn't want to. In the first place, we didn't want to risk having anyone or anything fall into the water. Sensing our hesitation and stubbornness, he offered to tow us to shore instead to which our new boatman agreed since it was the only way we could get back to the mainland.

When we got to the Pundaquit beach, we paid the boatman 200 pesos just for the effort of trying to do us some favor. He was happy and we were... uhhh... happier of course that we got to land dry and in one piece. Lunch was served as soon as we got there. obviously, they were just waiting for us to arrive to start the feast. It consisted of smoked fish, ensalada of radish and apples, pork menudo, some steamed veggies but to my family, it was the best meal ever... we were soooo hungry!

An Outdoor Adventure At Anawangin, Zambales

2008-05-25T20:47:00.010+08:00

We're back from Anawangin. It's been a really tiresome and draining trip. But it was worth it. Anwangin is just as it has been described on the net... the water is pristine, the place is enchanting and appears peaceful but has some dreadful secrets at the same time.

Our trip started from the McDonald's Eastwood where we met with our trip organizers. There were about 40 or 50 persons in our group so I could imagine that herding all those was a challenge. We left the place at 12:45, 45 minutes later than scheduled. But that's the advantage of meeting at Eastwood - you can go around the place so you don't get bored.

It took about 4 hours to get to Pundaquit beach where the boats we were to take were docked. Dhang, our organizer, had pre-arranged for the boatmen to meet us. The man assigned to us was Mang Amando who is maybe in his late 50's, a Cebuano, I was told. He brought us from Anawangin to Capones Island too. But I'll tell you about it later.

Mang Amando's boat, named Leonel, is a small and sits 4 people. If you don't mind not breathing well for a whole 40 minutes, you can squeeze 6 people in. Although it had rained the day before, the sea was rather calm and the weather was fine when we got to our destination. A beautiful fir-lined beach wowed us there. It was just 6 am and there were about 4 tents pitched already. It seemed like they had been there the night before.

We were all hungry already when we arrived. However, my family and I took our nap in our tent because I didn't want them to go for a swim without having breakfast yet. The meal was served at about 10 am. It was late but the food was good. After breakfast, we changed clothes and went for a swim at the river at the back of our campsite. The water was clear, got murky when we walked but quickly became clear again a few seconds after.

- continued on Part 2

Anawangin, Here We Come!

2008-05-22T22:07:00.003+08:00

So, we've finally confirmed our booking with the Anawangin organizers last night. There was an orientation at McDo Eastwood with Dhang, our coordinator. Ikee and Len, my sister-in-law, were there with me. Some of the guys from my husband's office attended it with us too.

We discussed the time of departure, what to expect and requests for meals. Dhang answered most of the queries we had and we were assured that everything is under control. Apparently, the organizers are mountaineers and they had gone to the different sites in the Philippines. After that, they tapped the resources and established networks everywhere. Then they came up with the idea of organizing trips to exotic spots for diving, camping and mountaineering. Some of their offerings include trips to Maricaban, and another place in Batangas. We had been told that we'd leave at 12 midnight from the McDo Eastwood. Convenient. McDo there is open 24 hours so we can have some coffee or food while waiting for the others. Dhang would be joining us in the van. Tonight I learned that Len can bring their pick-up and park it at a parking lot just outside Eastwood, in the same compound where Banco de Oro is.

Dhang appeared to be amiable and jolly. I hope everyone else is. We're leaving tomorrow night. Anawangin, here we come!

How To Get To Tagaytay By Public Transport

2008-05-19T21:00:00.003+08:00

You know it's not quite known how to get to Tagaytay by public Transportation. That's seems amusing to me because Tagaytay is a really popular place but it looks like the people who go there normally just go by their own car. There are actually 3 ways I know.

The first, is to hire a cab to and fro. This seems expensive but my brother-in-law charges by the hour only. I think it costs about 300 per hour. So, if you don't intend to stay there for like a full day, and spending about 3 thousand for it, this one will be a very good option for you. I think there's a minimum of 3 hours only.

The second is to go to the Starmall, Market Market, or Glorietta fx terminals. There are some vans or fx that go to Tagaytay. I believe it would cost around 250 per person.

The third is to go to the bus terminal near the Chowking restaurant at Pasay, EDS. It's just below the MRT station. According to my source, you ride the Crown Bus (it used to be called Crow, by the way) going to Nasugbu or Tagaytay.

Coming from Tagaytay is actually the challenge. The buses just stop to pick up passengers and there is really no bus terminal. You have to hail the ones that go to Manila or Baclaran or Cubao. I would tend to believe that it is best to take it from the junction/rotonda.

So there. I hope that helps.

The New Viewsite Restaurant In Tagaytay

2008-05-17T10:16:00.004+08:00

Ever since my dad introduced us to the Viewsite Restaurant in Tagaytay, we have been going there to treat some friends or just to have a family meal. The resto happens to be one of Tagaytay's cheapest places to dine. Coupled with a view of the picturesque Taal Volcano which is what you normally go to Tagaytay for, it gives the client value for his money.

Now they've built a newer, more beautiful resto very near Josephine's. I haven't gone there myself but from afar, it doesn't seem to have any semblance to the old Viewsite. Anyway, if the management is the same, they'd still have the good food and cheap prices there just like the old one. I'd have to be the judge of that. Hopefully before the summer break is over.

Hot Off the Press: Air Philippines Zero Fare

2008-05-16T16:14:00.003+08:00

When it rains it definitely pours! My, oh my, another zero fare special this time from Air Philippines. So, if you want to go to Busuanga, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa, Davao, Cebu or Caticlan or any of the domestic hubs of Air Philippines, you'll just have to pay for surcharges and taxes. The fare is free. You may book anytime between 16-25 May 2008 and the Travel period is between 16 June - 31 October 2008.

This should be perfect for those who are planning to get married in June or those who you wish to give wedding gifts to like maybe your mother-in-law who you don't want to see for a while? hehehe

New Tagaytay Website

2008-05-16T12:15:00.003+08:00

I'm currently consolidating all my Tagaytay tips and travel pages at Squidoo. So, guys, watch out for it. I'll let you know when I'm done. I'd like to get your suggestions for it though. Like, what places interest you, what tips you may have, etc. Surely, I'll give you credit for it. If you'd like a backlink to your site, this is your chance so let those tips roll please?

I do hope you've gotten some of those airline freebies. I did't get any because when I had the chance to, we realized that Ikee might not be free on those dates plus the fact that we might go to the US in December. Anyhow, there'll be other days.

- Jane -

Cebu Pacific's Zero fare

2008-05-15T13:51:00.004+08:00

Yup! Now Cebu Pacific has a zero fare for both their domestic and international routes. Booking period is from May 15 to 18 and availment is from June 9 to Dec. 31, 2008.

So, unlike Air Asia where you only go to KL or Kota Kinabalu from Clark Airport, Cebu Pac has the advantage of getting you to HK, Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), Bangkok, Singapore, Hanoi (vietnam), Kaoshiung (Taiwan), Macau, Jakarta, Shanghai, Taipei, and Xiamen. It also flies from the NAIA 1 (unfortunately) so you don't have to travel all the way to Clark.

Let's go!

What A Life!

2008-05-14T10:42:00.004+08:00

Today I've come across a mother's blog about her family,kids,life.

The author tells us about what's going on in her family. It's some sort of a diary which a blog is supposed to be in the first place. She has a knack for writing but in one of her posts she says that she just doesn't have any idea what to write on and asks her readers what inspires them. That's being interactive in the posts which is very good. In fact, google is encouraging every blog to let their readers participate. Hmmm... seems like a good bosst for a level up on those PRs.

I love the way the website is designed. It's not heavy on advertising, is very simple but has a lot of meat in it. Well, someday, when I get the urge to focus on learning CSS, I'll probably do the same for this blog. And showcase all my photos. My, there are thousands of those. I wonder if blogger won't breakdown if I do that. What do you say BertN?

Want Free Airline Tickets? Check These Out!

2008-05-14T09:11:00.004+08:00

I've received notice that both AirAsia and Jetstar Asia are promoting their sale.

Air Asia will give out free tickets to any of their international Routes. If you're coming from Clark, the places you can go to are Kota Kinabalu or Kuala Lumpur, both in Malaysia. However, you have to book the tickets from May 14 to 16, and avail of it next year between Jan. 12 and April 30, 2009. Well, if we can get those tickets free, then why won't we take it huh?

Jetstar Asia, on the other hand, has a buy 2 take 1 promo. You'd have to book and buy your tickets between 13 - 19 May and avail of it between 1 - 30 Jun 2008. Of course, there should be a minimum of 3 persons travelling at the same time.

Well, gotta go! I've got to get hold of some of those too.

Writing For A Cause

2008-05-13T11:48:00.003+08:00

Honesty is one of the trademarks of a good blogger/writer. I admire such dedication to write for what one believes is true or valuable. For one, our readers are intelligent enough to detect whether we are writing about the truth or fiction.

The author of Teknosis is one such writer who writes about current events that are relevant and takes a stand when needed. The internet is so full of fraud and make-belief that it is sometimes so hard to find what is real and true. It is a treasure to find writers who will distinguish black from white. Who can't admire someone who speaks his mind on certain things that may actually get him in trouble? If it is just because of their culture, then so be it. It's just unusual for me find such a daring breed.

So if you want honest to goodness reviews or ideas, check the website out.

A Financial Blog

2008-05-12T11:40:00.005+08:00

Today, I've come across this blog, jacky's opinion. As you might have known, I love travelling so that one of the reasons I blog is to earn money so I can travel. With travelling, I can get to share more information which I blog about and it becomes a cycle.

jacky's opinion is one site where you can get information about financial matters. One example is how he has endorsed getting loans. To me, a loan isn't one of the options that I would consider in doing business. But jacky's Opinion made me look at the brighter side and gave me tips on how to tap the potentials of that option.

The website is well organized and I envy it. When you want to click on one idea, every blog related to it are there. I wonder if he used wordpress for it.

Looks like the author is serious in making money for himself and helping others get some too. His Opinion are practical which any ordinary person, blogger or not, can apply in his daily dealings. The information the author gives are varied and viable.

Where're You At Mother? - Mother's Day Celebration At RockWell

2008-05-12T00:23:00.004+08:00

Yesterday was Mother's Day. I had expected not to go out because we were already at the Manila Shangri-la the previous day. In the morning, both my daughter and my husband were at the ULTRA pool to swim. When they got here, Boyet handed me a red box from Becky's (a well known cakes and pastries shop) and had instructed me to put it in the freezer. They both greeted me and my mother-in-law happy mother's day. So sweet.

Anyway, I was told that we'd be out to dinner. Earlier on, I and my mother-in-law were sort of wishing we could go to Tagaytay. I had wanted so much to try out Taj, an indian restaurant somewhere near the zoo. But we had a late lunch because the two people who came home from swimming were too tired and slept a little before having the meal.

We left the house at 4:20 p.m. Both Boyet and Ikee had to catch the 4:45 pm mass at the Rockwell so we could go to California Pizza Kitchen early. It's a family holiday and we had expected the restaurant to be so full. Boyet tried to get a reservation but the restaurant said they can't give out any reservations because there were so many people.

Nanay and I waited for them at the Fully Booked Bookstore at the 3rd floor. We had some fun together because I was laughing at how she sat on the floor like I did. There was nothing else for us to do but read but it turned out that we hadn't that much time to check out the books we liked. I was looking at some internet books and she, you wouldn't believe it, was browsing some romance novel.

When we all met up, I suggested we go to Rustan's grocery first. We had bought some stuff for the house and for Nanay to bring to Montemar tomorrow. Then we went to CPK. Although there was a line, we didn't have to wait so long. 15 minutes tops. After that we were in. We had the family favorite, the Barbecue Chicken Chopped Salad, an order of white pizza and 2 kinds of pastas, the Roasted Garlic Shrimp and the Ravioli. The meal was superb. When we were done eating, I hinted to the waiter that we be given the mother's day treat. He originally said there wasn't anymore but that he'd give us some dessert. But he came back and told us that the mother's day treat is available already and that he had it made for us. Well, we had 1 additional dish to bring home on a doggie bag. The others were the left over ravioli and pizza. The meal was really good but we were just too full already.

Before we went home, I had to do a quick look at the book I had wanted to buy at Fully Booked. However, Ikee said she was already sleepy so I opted to just go home and go back for it next week. That's where my celebration ended and it was quite fun. How did you spend your day?

Running Around In Cirles

2008-05-10T18:25:00.004+08:00

Today we had lunch at the Circles Restaurant of the Manila Shangri-la, Makati. My husband was given 2 gift certificates to dinner buffets with standard drinks by his company and we paid for my daughter's lunch. It cost us about 1600 PHP for her meal. But of course it was a buffet and for Shang, being a 5-star hotel, it was reasonably priced.

I had made the reservation 2 weeks prior. The GC was going to expire on May 15 and we only have the weekends to avail of it because Boyet is busy with work and Ikee has to attend swim training on both weekends and week days not to mention her other activities such as going to kumon classes and learning HTML.

The buffet was as I had expected it to be. Circles was the former Islands Cafe of the Shang. We had gone there in the past, individually and as a family, but since its renovation, this was the first time for us to visit them. They had both western and asian cuisine, mostly Asian though. My first course consisted of Japanese sushi, sashimi, kani salad, some mussels, and others. I have always loved sashimi. But after I had taken up nursing, I've been rather watchful about what I ingest so, much as I'd like to indulge my self on those sweet, raw fish, I had limited it to a few pieces. Just couldn't resist it.

Next came the main course. I had mutton curry, some roti, roast duck, some shrimp tandoori, tempura, and a few others all in small quantities. Through the years I've learned that the technique with buffets is not to eat so fast to allow those food to be churned and digested properly. But the food there looked so inviting and seemed to call me out of my own will. Still, I had the control not to overeat.

Dessert came after that. Oooh, those sweet things were so tempting. Ikee and I tried the crepe - she had apple cinnamon and I had mango. Both were topped with vanilla ice cream and we had asked for whipped cream which the servers gladly fetched for us. The crepes were wonderful - soft but not soggy, freshly cooked and were rather bland which blended perfectly with the toppings. There was a chocolate fountain which was about 3 feet high. Ikee remembered that in one of the parties she had attended there was one such fountain. This one had some strawberries, dried apricots and figs, marshmallows and a few other fruits on sticks. We tried those too. I didn't like that so much and neither did Ikee. She even whispered that our fondue was better. I agreed. The chocolate was smooth but lacked the creaminess that we are accustomed to. I had a slice of meringue roll. It wasn't so sweet but it tasted unusual to me because it had jackfruit in it.

If you've heard of the molecular halo-halo, they have it there too. This one is made of noodle like fruits - fruits that had been blended and passed through a large syringe and dipped in water which they call cold cooking technique. The fruit noodles are placed in small glasses. Scoops of ice cream were placed above it and topped with yogurt. I had raspberry noodles with strawberry and vanilla ice cream. It was quite good.

I thought the dessert would be the last course I'd have. I was wrong. The cheese plate was so tempting that I still had to take some. There were cream cheese, emmental, picorino, blue cheese, and some others which I couldn't even pronounce. I loved the cream cheese and the other cheese which tasted like brie cheese. Both are soft cheeses. While I was having my cheese, a waiter came offering some chicken quesadilla. It mixed well with my cheese although I was full enough that I had only a small piece of it.

Overall, the meal was good. Nothing spectacular except for the desserts which really appealed to me ever since . The place? Oh, it was beautiful and the service was perfect. Every single member of the staff was just willing to please.