it took me 2 months finally put my photos in my recent trip to japan and korea into slides.
anyway, the vacation was
actually really really short. would have wanted to stay longer in japan
and explore the wonderful country but our sked only permits us to be in
japan for 5 days and 4 days in seoul.
japan trip was not
originally included in our plan. but since bae yong joon will be in
japan for the twssg premium event and kind baesisters were able to get
us tickets we included japan in our trip. i met many wonderful japanese
baesister, stayed at mariko’s place, went to park bof, saw gosireh,
went to megane store, had coffee with cloudnine, lunch and afterwards
coffee again with cloudnine and jaime and of course saw yong joon [i'm quite lucky when he rode that special car] and the rest of twssg stars at kyocera dome [though very far].
i
want to go back to japan again , hopefully when my bestfriend and her
sister will go next year i’ll tag along. but before i do that, i’ve to
really save a lot of money. japan is really expensive compared to
korea. transportation alone [not the plane but the public transpo] is
already heavy on the pocket.
oh yeah, thanks so much to christy
for accommodating us during our stay in japan. she’s wonderful and we
really had an enjoyable stay in her pad.
btw, i’m glad that i
was able to try shinkansen, the overnight bus trip which was very
comfortable, and go around a bit by taking the train and subway.
in
korea, for 4 days all we did was to shop. much as i would like to go
around, tita corinna preferred to shop since she was deprived to shop
in japan due to the tight sked.
we were supposed to go to jeju
to see the shooting site of twssg, but we canceled it at the last
minute because we feel that we’ll be really really tired after the
japan trip. hopefully on the next trip to korea [which i'll definitely do again].
aside
from shopping, we did go to ‘gorilla in the kitchen’ and ‘tea loft’
that bae yong joon owns. we also squeezed in our sked a visit at park
bof in insadong. i miss the old park bof in gangnam, i don’t like much
the location in insadong.
to check my photos please click here and you’ll be directed to my profile page.
Since the price of gasoline is increasing weekly and my salary remains to be same, I tried to take the public transportation since last week. I plan to commute 2 times a week depending on the weather. Hee, if it rains, I certainly would not take the risk of commuting. Where I’m at, it is sooooo difficult to take the public transportation when it pours be it by cab or by train.
I made a calculation of how much my saving will be if this will be the trend for God knows until when. My gasoline allowance for a month is P5000 [$111]. If I commute for a month I will only be spending P1400 [$31]. Geez, that’s translated to 72% saving from my gasoline allowance!!!
Before I realized the impact of the price increase, gasoline used to be only P36/liter [$.80]. Today, the price per liter is P60.57 [$1.35]. That’s 40% increase! And the increase is not stopping despite the price of oil in the world market decreased from $140/barrel to $128/barrel!
There is a road that i always take whenever i go home from work. For the past weeks now, whenever i pass here, i can now practically see the asphalt. This road normally has a bumper to bumper traffic situation. Now, the traffic situation is like this even if it’s raining…
Now, is it still practical to bring a car to work? Honestly, there are pluses and minuses but I don’t want to tackle on this anymore since it’ll only give me a headache.
For the meantime, since the increase in the price of oil is bound to happen again, let’s just drink…
I had an opportunity to go to Shangri-La Mactan,Cebu for 2 nights and 3 days. I don’t think I can afford the luxury of Shangri-La Mactan if not for the Company where I work. Hee,
really thanks! Though it was an official trip [which others will not
like], I still had a great time because I was in the company of good
people. Likewise, we were able to enjoy some of the resorts facilities.
The Infinity Pool
Shangri-La
Mactan as many would know is just one the many chain of Shangri-La
Resorts and Spa. It is one of Philippine’s premier five-star resort.
Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa is a lush garden retreat ideal for
vacationers and families, with kid’s play areas, a wide range of
restaurants, and CHI, one of the largest and most luxurious spas in the
region. [and expensive ^^]
Situated on tropical Mactan Island in the Philippines the resort is a short distance from the airport and ideally located for both leisure and business travelers.
The
14 hectares of lush tropical greenery resort is equipped with private
beach cove, 2 swimming pools one of which is called Infinity Pool and
the other one is a multi-level pool, health clubs, gyms, sauna, steam
bath and massage room.
Photo courtesy of www.shangri-la.com
Recreational
activities include para sailing, sailboats, kayaking, windsurfing,
scuba diving, snorkeling, speedboat fun rides, water and jet skiing,
golf, tennis and many more. There are facilities for toddlers, kids, teens and adults too.
There are many restaurants and Lounges to choose from. There’s Tides a buffet of international dishes. Tea of Spring which offer Chinese cuisine. Cowrie Cove where one can experience a different level of wining and dining by the sea. Acqua [yes, that's the spelling] that offers Italian cuisine
in the plush modern interiors that also offers a panoramic view of the
Ocean Wing pool and the clear blue ocean. There is also the Buko Bar and Grill
where one can quench that thirst with fresh coconut juice served
straight from its shell, sip exotic cocktails and watch cultural shows
at night. And there is also the LobbyLounge which is overlooking the lush tropical garden, the resort’s multi-level pool and the horizon beyond. It also offers live entertainment nightly.
There are so many things that can be done while staying in Shangri-la Mactan. You can also go to the major shopping areas and shop for souvenirs by taking the free shuttle bus.
During
our stay, I had the comfort of staying in Superior Bay View with my
lady boss who also happens to be my photographer on the last day of our
trip. The room overlooks lush gardens with a view of Mactan Bay.
The décor comprises an inviting blend of traditional and contemporary
Philippine styles. The room offers a private balcony with a coffee
table and seating for two.
View from room 8092
On
the last day of our stay, I went to Chi Spa just to look and take
photos. Honestly even if I can afford the rates which is 3 to 4 times
more compared to 1st class spas in Manila, I don’t think I can have a massage in Chi Spa ^^ I think it really caters to foreign guests. Btw, out of curiosity I asked if all the treatment rooms are occupied, and to my surprised all were occupied. I was told that reservations must be made in advance for them to accommodate me. ^^ Anyway, you may check here to know the rate at Chi Spa.
The
resort was fully booked last week and I think about 80% of the guests
were foreigners [there were Caucasians which I don't know the
nationality, lots of Koreans, many Japanese [on vacation because of
Ubon], Chinese and Singaporeans as well].
Shangri-La Mactan is paradise. I love the serene world that it offered me. I love the prevalent mood in which feelings were sheathed in thoughts.
What
makes also the stay worthwhile is the service quality of the staff of
Shangri-La Mactan. It is one of the best. They have superior service
and the staff show genuine warm hospitality. For the short time that we
stayed in the resort, with all the demands and changes from our group
the staff were all very accommodating. I received many positive
feedbacks about the overall experience our group had during our 3-day
stay in Mactan. It’s really amazing how they’ve managed to create a culture of service across the organization. It is highly commendable.
During
our stay we were able to squeeze in a half day tour but unfortunately
we weren’t able to see all that was included in our itinerary.
First stop is Liberty Shrine which is located in Punta Engano, Mactan Island, a good walking distance from the Resort, this monument stands to honour the spot where on April 27, 1519 the first Filipino hero, Lapu-Lapu, and his warriors killed Magellan in battle and drove his troops back to the sea.
Then to LapuLapu Monument
where the battle between Mactan Island Chieftain Lapulapu and the
foreign aggressor Ferdinand Magellan occured in April 27, 1521 . It
depicts the hero holding a bolo (large sword) in one hand and a pestle
on the other. Said weapons were believed to have been used during his
combat with Magellan. This monument stands as a reminder of Filipino
bravery.
We then proceeded to Alegre Guitars
factory. Mactan, Cebu is known for making the finest guitars in the
Philippines. Cebu has a guitar-making industry. Most (if not all)
guitars are hand-crafted and sell well below the price of more well
known guitars. This is taken at the Alegre Guitar factory in Abuno on
Mactan Island.
We were told that the more complicated the brace of the guitar is the better sounding it is
From
Mactan we went to the Cebu City which is about 45 minutes to an hour
trip and went straight to Majestic Restaurant to have our lunch. The
restaurant offers Chinese buffet with over 50 viands for a price of
P350net!
After our sumptuous lunch we went to the higher part of the city where the astonishing architecture of the Taoist Templecan be found.
This
work of art is located in the wealthy residential community of Beverly
Hills about 6 km north of downtown Cebu. This temple is said to be
preserving the teachings of Lao-Tse, the 600 B.C. Chinese philosopher.
A soaring, multi-tiered, multi-hued attraction accessible by three
separate winding routes. Attractions here consist of a huge colorful
dragon, a replica of the Great Wall of China, spacious balconies
offering scenic views, souvenir shops, mini library with instructional
materials, and dozens of escalating steps.
Our last stop before heading back is Magellan’s Cross.
Planted in April 21, 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan; spot where the first
Christian Filipinos, Rajah Humabon and Queen Juana and about 400
followers, were baptized by Fr. Pedro Valderema. In 1525 to 1740, the
Agustinian priests built an open shrine for the cross but the natives
began to take chips from the cross believing it had miraculous power so
a kiosk-like structure was built to protect the cross from total
destruction. To protect it further, a hallow cross of tinadalo wood was
made to encase the original cross which still stands today.
Devotees line up to light a candle and make a petition outside of the Basilica de Sto Nino in Cebu City.
After
Basilica de Sto Nino, we then went back to Shangri-La. The tour was
too short, there could have been more places to go to but we really do
not have much time. When we got back, i immediately changed into my
swimwear and headed to the beach and pool ^^
What made this vacation more exciting is that I was with Liit, Amba, Jen and Tita Yhetta and 14 more members of their family. It’s quite a long story how I met them but Liit is our common denominator. I met Liit’s almost entire family when I helped her planned the wedding of Tita Yhetta and Tito Apollo via net and as they say everything is history.
How me and Liit known each other? Well, that’s another story. J But knowing her and her family is one of the greatest things that ever happened to me. I feel so welcome whenever I’m with them which I didn’t feel much when I’m around my relatives. They embraced me with warmth and love. They’re superb!
It was my the first time I’m traveling with them and hopefully not the last. Our destination…Laoag City.
May 24, 2007, at five o’clock in the morning, I woke up still undecided whether I would have someone drive me to the airport or not. I’m supposed to be at the Centennial Airport by 9am our flight is at 10am.. Because my car is coding as well at my bro’s, I decided to take the cab. And it was a wrong idea to take EDSA during that time. Anyway, I arrived at the airport a little past 9 with Amba, Alfred and their kids were about to enter.
Laoag City, is 257 miles away from Metro Manila, 12 hrs on land trip and about 50 minutes by air. We were on flight PR 226 arriving Laoag International Airport at 10:50am.
It’s not my first time going to Laoag. I’ve already been there for about 2 or 3 times with family and always take the land trip. It was my first time to go there taking the plane. Actually to save time and for the trip to be more convenient to my friends since they came from San Francisco we took the plane.
Laoag is located at the northern tip of the Philippine. It is the capital city of Ilocos Norte. It is known for its bagnet [a tasty deep friend pork], sukang iloco [balsamic vinegar], tiny native garlic whose flavor is more intense than that of the Taiwanese garlic, red onions and cilantro.
Laoag is a very ideal place to take a vacation if you’re looking for a serene side and you’re ready to shift gears and slow down to almost to a full stop.
We arrived at Laoag International Airport on time. Our plane touched down very smoothly. We were greeted by a very hot weather. After getting our stuff at the baggage claim, we immediately got on the bus that will take us to where we will be staying for 4-days and 3-nights, Fort Ilocandia, the only 5-star hotel in the northern Philippines with casino. Fort Ilocandia is a Spanish Moroccon inspired villa, the resort is complete with facilites and luxuries designed to provide absolute satisfaction for the tourists.
Fort Ilocandia is equipped with 280 deluxe rooms that offers panoramic view of the resort. It has an exclusive 18-hole golf course, olympic size swimming pook, video arcade, tennis court, gym and sauna. At the beach you can enjoy water activities such as, jetski, banana boat, surfing, sailing, and volleyball. You can also do recreational activities such as horseback riding, all terrain vehicles, shooting range, archery and many more.
From the airport, it’s about 15 to 20 minutes ride to the resort. When we arrived we were greeted by local singing group singing Ilocano songs.
The trip to was full of fun. We ate, went to the beach and had fun seeing all the beautiful historical places of Ilocos Norte and Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
At Vigan, Ilocos Sur we saw the residence of famous Filipino painter in Badoc, Juan Luna. The ancestral house of the Crisologos, the town’s museum, the famous heritage where in you can see old old old Spanish-era buildings and houses
In Ilocos Norte, aside from Laoag, we went to Paoay where the famous Paoay Church is, we also visited the Malacanang of the North. It is the house of the former President Marcos. We went to see Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos. It is the tallest windmill in the Philippines. We also traveled to Bangui where giant windmills are located. Those windmills are the first in southeast asia and have been attracting tourists. Then we went to Pagudpud beach, the Boracay of the North. It is famous for its fine white sand.
I would have wanted to write more but I’m kinda lazy today. Anyway, check my profile to see the slide show i create.
Btw, thanks to Liit and Amba for making this trip possible. I owe you guys!
Yesterday
when I was going to get my car at my usual parking slot which I have
for years now, I saw surprised to see that my lock has been destroyed. The car thief took my black Delsey overnight bag and a Ralph Lauren shirt which is inside the bag. Good
thing that before the robbery took place, I took out from that bag my
new Coach bag and wallet which is a gift from my friend.
Luckily too, that the robber only took the bag and not my car! Whew! Otherwise, I would have been crying pails and pails for tears until now and would probably not be going to Laoag anymore.
Geez,
now before I leave for Laoag for a 4-day vacation, I’ve to have my car
locks and alarm fixed. Argh, instead of using my money for the trip
I’ve to spend extra for the locks and alarm. Darn those thieves!!! I know that he’s able to get away with this crime but for sure in God’s eyes he’s not.
I didn’t log any complain anymore, though the guard said to me that when he sees the man again he’ll be able to recognize him. Filing a complain will just be another unsolved case, just another statistics. I’ll just let it pass this time and will just take some precautionary measures. Meaning, I’m transferring to another parking slot which is much farther but I guess safer. [crossing my fingers]
My car is not the first case of robbery this week; I’m actually the 2nd victim this week. I
was told that last Monday, another car’s lock was picked and the thief
got from the car a handphone, cash and some other valuable items. I don’t know when it happened by one of my colleague’s car was also a victim. But instead of picking the lock, the robber broke the window with a hard object, took the bag and ran off.
Lesson learned : Never ever leave anything [especially bag] inside the car that can tempt robbers. Even if you do not think that there is nothing worth valuable inside it won’t hurt to keep everything inside he trunk.
Hmm, could this be only in the Philippines? I wonder…
I thought that I’ll just be another night…a peaceful night…
…but then a petty incident happened and hell went lose. I feel pain in my chest after hearing words which I’m not expecting to be said by someone I care. I feel like crying but I’m trying my best to hold back the tears from dropping. I’m shaking and my head aches. Geez, dear heaven help me.
It’s 2:21am and i’m still wide awake. I’m thinking of my friends who are in Seoul.
Rica wrote a long email yesterday and we are so envious of their encounter with k-pop artists.
Ladyluck must be in the pockets of Rica and Anne. They’re sisters who were with us in Seoul last year and are now in Seoul again. They are sooooooo LUCKY!!! Geez, they’ve seen all Super Junior, Lee Hyo Ri and even SG Wannabe! Argh! Their Seoul adventure really makes me and Elle pull our hair and cry because of envy!
Sigh…we hope that when it’s our time to go back probably October or November, we’ll be as lucky as them. *liezle crossing fingers*
Dang! This post doesn’t help. I still wish that i’m in Seoul right now…argh! I really really really hate this feeling!
yes…yes…please take me back to seoul! i want to be there now! waahhhh….i so envy my friends who are there right now and having a blast!
sigh…yup 2 of my friends who was with me when i was in seoul last year is
in seoul now and they are having so much fun! waahhh take me back to
seoul!take me back to seoul! [i'm sounding like a broken record alreday] i was supposed to be in seoul too this april but due to my
sister in law who is sick, i’ve to sacrifice this trip. oh dear, oh
dear, oh dear, i really really envy them. according to them it’s so cold
now in seoul and they’ve met lots of new friends. and even the owner of the guesthouse and the staff are
very nice to them. they’ve remembered them from the last time.
likewise, they met a new friend a japanese guy who is 25 years old and
according to rica is cute. argh!
sigh again…anyway, things has to happen. i guess this trip is really
not for me to take. there’ll be more trips to come and who knows it’ll
be much much better. but then again, i missed se7en concert which was
yesterday…hu hu hu…
…and, finally i’m able to find time to write again. [hee, what's the connection?!...silly me :P]
anyway, just to update you guys on what i’ve been up to the past weeks, there’s nrp, rrp [these are work related events]
, manaoag trip, i went to cavite with my family, manila pen party and lots more. i was supposed to attend hyatt’s beatles party and a cocktail party sponsored by tagaytay vista hotel but wasn’t able to attend anymore due to conflict in schedule. [will give more details and photos later]
btw, 2 of my friends whom i went to seoul last year will be going again this year [2nd wk of april]. initially, i’m supposed to go to also this april but for some reasons, well actually due to my sister-in-law who currently sick again and needs financial assistance, i’m postponing my trip to a later date. though there is a friend who is sponsoring my hotel for this trip i still decided to move it. sigh, but i still envy them. i want to go back to seoul!
hee, i was actually joking with my cousin, Mechelle, yesterday [she was here with her mom on a 5-day vacation and left last night] to "pack" me in her bag because, they’ll have a 4 hours stop over in Incheon Airport in S. Korea. I was told by here mom, that they’ll take the 2 hr bus tour around Incheon [i didn't had the chance to tour Incheon...probably next time].
the weather gives me migraine everytime i go out. i was on leave last tuesday to check out the suppliers that i’m recommending my aunt for the linens of her restaurant in LA. boy oh boy, the heat of the sun was scorching my skin! the aircon of my car is not even enough [i think i really need to change my leather seat cover] to fight the heat coming from outside . yesterday i was on leave too. i met up with my aunt and cousin and brought them to the linen supplier and maker. believe it or not it was doubly hot yesterday compared to the day i went out to check on the suppliers. my aunt and cousin were sweltering. poor them.
next week will be holy week and there’ll be a long week end to look forward to. i didn’t plan on anything to do on that long weekend. i’ll just probably be home. i’ll do some cleaning and of course will be online most of the time. hee, as most of my friends know, being in front of my computer is my one great passion.
after holy week, i’m bringing my nieces and nephews [i'll also bring my mom if she wants to come along] to sofitel philippine plaza [formerly westin phil plaza] for an overnight stay. hee, i’ll probably just be sleeping and going online there and the kids will surely have fun swimming [see photo on the left]. then, i still have taal vista hotel and cuidad christia for them this summer vacation. we’ll just have to find the time when to go and have fun.
oh yeah, lately too i’ve been coordinating with my friends in SF who will be coming over to the Philippines this May. i’m helping them out to arrange their trips to
Puerto Princesa [Dos Palmas photo on the right
] and Laoag [Fort Ilocandia photo on the left]. ok let me shout this out…"I’m going to Palawan too!" Yahoo!!! can’t wait to see and be with them once again, it’s been 3 or 4 years since i’ve seen them. They’re so sweet and nice. and honestly, i love love love love doing stuff for them here. hee, you might be wondering why…well actually, i’m their shopping lady [as what liit said] here in the philippines. meaning, that if they need some stuff for the parties of their babies, i do the shopping for them. cool,don’t you think?
i know i already sounded like a broken record, but i honestly wanted to go out of the country this summer. i’m actually quite sad not going to s. korea this april. but things has to happen for a reason [as what i wrote earlier above]. anyway, my going out of the country this summer may not be realized now but i’m hopeful that within the year i’ll be able to travel again. number one on my list is to travel to seoul again, next is shanghai or beijing and japan. i’ve a strong feeling that i’ll be able to go in one of the countries mentioned above [unless something come up which i hope and pray will not happen]. but if i’m really really really lucky this year [i'm crossing my fingers and anything there is to be crossed] i’ll be able to travel twice this year just like last year.
Yeah, that’s how i’m feeling since yesterday when i checked in at Hyatt for our event. Why? Because I’m in a suite…not just any other suite but a Presidential Suite! As an event organizer I already know that my room will be upgraded but I never thought that I’ll be given such a grand room.
Here let me give you a quick tour
and here are few photos with me in it ^^
What’s great about the room too is that I can see the ocean. I would have been great if i can take a photo of the sunset in the bay but unfortunately during sunset for the next 2 days i’ll be working.
Oh yeah another wonderful perk that I have as an event organizer is that I’ve a free internet access and a free unlimited outside call. Btw, I love love love the curtains…they’re remote controlled.
I hope that staying here is some sort of a vacation. But believe me it’s not. Oh well, anyway, if it’s not for work, i wouldn’t be able to experience staying in such expensive room. That is why, while at it, i’m savoring the luxury and living like queen for 3 nights and 3 days.
