city girl diaries

Congratulations Talk N Text!

2012-02-07T01:07:00.000+08:00

This team has been very close to my heart...and I'm just so happy that they made it again! Back-to-Back Philippine Cup Champions!:) They've been the best All-Filipino team since last year. After this conference's Game 5 (Jan. 29), they became champs again!:)

I'm so proud of these guys because I know how much they have worked hard for this. Through this conference, they encountered a lot of injuries and dilemmas which have almost stopped them from running, but they never gave up! They kept fighting, kept believing, kept the faith and worked harder as a team. They really have THE HEART OF A CHAMPION!

Congratulations to the team, the coaching staff, the management, their families, friends and fans. I'm just so honored to be a part of this family. Congratulations also to Larry Fonacier for winning this conference's MVP!:)

TNT Nation in full support!

woot! confetti galore!

Ali got emotional in his interview (after all he's been through)

must be the team's lucky charms lol

Larry = MVP

super cute Liam, Larry's son

Ryan Reyes taking the net off the ring

our traditional championship photo :)

friendship :)

And so our tradition continues...victory party at Dads/Kamayan/Sambokojin, Ortigas after the awarding ceremonies, then Bugsy's Fort for the after-party. It's just so AWESOME!:)

with our idol Jimmy and the soon-to-be-engaged JD

with the forever late, Aaron

with our next conference's import Ohmar

with the 6-time Champ Coach Chot

PROUD TO BE TNT!:)

Looking forward to more championships! Heart and soul for the game. Keep the faith!:)

A Taste of History

2012-02-07T00:08:00.000+08:00

Because of my job which gets me around places, I was able to have a stop over at one of the most important places that's been a part of Philippine History...the house of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the first President of the Republic of the Philippines. It's located in Kawit, Cavite. This house was where the Philippine flag was first raised and the Philippine National Anthem was first sung, during the declaration of Philippine independence on June 12, 1898.

It's nice to see that it's well-preserved by the local government. It is now a park where people, most especially kids hang around.

House of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo (taken via Instagram app)

Gen. Aguinaldo's Memorial (taken via regular iPhone cam)

Old church in Kawit, Cavite (taken via Vintage Camera app)

Our country is so rich in history, and looking back is just so sweet!:)

SINULOG 2012!

2012-01-22T23:53:00.001+08:00

January 13-15 - It's my very first time to attend a Festival in the Philippines...so it's also my first time in Sinulog!:) All I know about Sinulog is that it's crazy haha! A lot of my friends have been there and they have been telling me the same stories.

At first, I was hesitant to go because I wasn't able to book early so flights were really expensive. But 3 days before the Sinulog weekend, I realized that a lot of my friends were going there and so I found myself booking a Php5000+ worth of Round Trip flight via Air Philippines. Actually there's also a connecting flight via Bacolod so I went Manila to Bacolod and Bacolod to Cebu.

I took half day at work 'coz my flight was at 3:40pm. Since I had to rush a lot of work in the office, I was only able to leave Quezon City at 2pm and I found myself rushing to the airport. I arrived at 3pm, 10 mins earlier than boarding time, but I had to go through a lot of stops before getting to the boarding gate. It was another Amazing race moment for me! The worst part...flight was delayed! Due to runway traffic, we're an hour delayed. Around 40 minutes of that was spent inside the plane waiting for our plane's turn for take off. Good thing I saw a friend there who chatted with me while waiting to board the plane.

We landed in Bacolod at past 6pm so I didn't wait that long for our connecting flight to Cebu at 7:20pm. The plane from Bacolod to Cebu was so small, even smaller than a bus. No aircon at first, but it was turned on as the cabin doors were closed. It was so funny 'cause 15 mins after our take off, the pilot announced that were already on our initial approach for landing; so we were only inside the plane for 30 minutes haha! When I got to the Mactan, Cebu Airport, I waited for my bestfriend who flew in from Manila the same time I left Bacolod. However, since all flights from Manila were delayed, i waited for her for 1.5 hours. When she arrived, we took a regular meter cab to our hotel, The Hotel Elizabeth.

instant room! haha

While checking in at the reception, there were performers at the lobby, doing the Sinulog dance. They were entertaining. We proceeded to our room, which was actually sponsored by PLDT. It's an executive room originally good for two since it only had 1 queen-sized bed but we converted the sala into another room for two by adding two single beds. It was so cool! haha! Got 2 flat screen TVs, 2 T&Bs, an office desk, and a dining area. After resting for a bit, we had dinner at the restobar across the hotel and went back to the hotel to prep up for the party. At 12:30, we went to Vudu for the PLDT WiFi Zone launch. Yes, Vudu is offically a PLDT WiFi Zone now!:) We got a table somewhere at the corner but the club was too crowded and smoky so after a bottle of Vodka, my bestfriend and I went ahead and proceeded to Penthouse to meet our friends and arrived there past 3am. The event was hosted by Styles Entertainment, with DJs Ace and Scratchmark, sponsored by Smart Netphone and Vans Philippines. After partying for a bit at the DJ's booth, we left before 5am and had pizza and pasta at Mamma Mia's. And finally at 5:30am, we're reunited with our beds! The best feeling ever!:)

Vudu

Penthouse

Unfortunately, I had to do a bit of work while I was there; though it wasn't actually required. I was just OC for my upcoming event in Cebu on February. haha! So I had a meeting there around 11-11:30am then we went to Casa Verde (the original) where they serve the best steak in Cebu.

After lunch, all roads were already closed for the solemn procession along Fuente Osmena Ave.; so we had no choice but to walk. Along the way, we bought hats and accessories, took photos, and kept laughing haha! When we got to Basilica de Sto. Nino, people were not allowed to enter. So, we just had lighted candles outside the church. Then we decided to see the Magellan's Cross. It took us more than an hour to get there since there were lots of people and lots of closed roads. Plus we took a 30-minute rest at a food stall where we just played iPhone games haha! After a minute of taking photos at the cross, we're off to SM to watch the fireworks. It was so hard to find a cab, even a jeepney! So we had to walk again, trusting the directions that we see on Google maps haha! Then after more than 30mins of walking, we finally found a cab! However, on our way to SM, my friends realized that they have an event/meeting so we just dropped by another accessories store and went back to the hotel; and that involves a lot of traffic in between!

pat bought a hat, watta rhyme!:))

scary masks haha

black Sto. Nino

what can you say to their "coldiest" beer haha

wow!

praying...

Basilica de Sto. Nino

Magellan's Cross

After dinner at Chikaan, where the meeting happened, we went to The Terraces in Ayala. Our friend from Smart, Abbie, treated us to dessert in Casa Verde. I love their 'Death by Chocolate' ice cream cake! After a fun girl bonding, our friends from Vans picked us up then we proceeded to Vudu again for another PLDT Wifi Zone night! This time, super VIP! We had the biggest table with lots of couches and of course, sponsored drinks!:) So cool that Gerald Anderson and some PBA friends like James Yap were also there. So I got back at the hotel at 5:30am and went planking on the bed haha dead tired!:))

Death by Chocolate

Thanks Abbie!:)

Vudu VIPs

Gerald Anderson and Young JV

James Yap

I woke up at 9:30am 'coz I didn't want to be late for my 12:15 flight. After fixing up, we had breakfast buffet at the hotel and I left for the airport at 10:30am. Good thing there's no traffic and the way to the airport was on the opposite side of the Sinulog parade. I love arriving at the airport early 'coz it gives me time to relax. That time, I had a "ME" time in Bo's Coffee haha! Flight was delayed for 15-mins but it's okay. I finally landed in manila at 1:30pm and immediately headed home to sleep!

I just wished that I have stayed 'til Sunday night so not to miss the parade. However, I had no choice but to work on a Monday. But at least, I was able to experience the festival even just a few days; plus I got to bond with my friends too. Next year, I'm SOOO gonna plan an ultimate Sinulog (Cebu)-Dinagyang (Iloilo) trip! haha!:))))

VIVA PIT SENYOR!!!!!:)

FASTBREAK Charity Game

2012-01-22T00:35:00.000+08:00

This is probably the funniest basketball game I've ever seen! And the best part...it's for a good cause!:)

It's more than just a basketball. It's entertainment! This charity basketball game is a bright idea of Kiefer Ravena, the Ateneo cager, MVP of UUAP, and son of former basketball player and currently Talk N' Text Coach Bong Ravena. Kiefer, together with his friends in basketball (some are celebrities), and Ignite Media worked on this project with less than a month of preparation. With the common goal of helping the victims of Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City, this team cause-oriented people were able to put a great show.

There are also a lot of company sponsors who contributed to this cause. The voluntary presence of different male celebrities are also of great help to the team. And when it comes to ticket sales, well a lot of girls were actually there so I believe the game has raised enough for Sendong victims. haha! The San Juan Arena seemed to be a bit packed.:)

So there were two teams: Meralco Red and Smart White. To name a few players of Smart White were Kiefer Ravena, Chris Tiu, Jhong Hilario, Rico Blanco, Luis Alandi, Marco Alcaraz, Champ of Hale, and Jose Manalo. For the Meralco Red were John Hall, Nico Salva, Thirdy Ravena, Jai Reyes, Young JV, Gab Valenciano, Tado, and Gerald Anderson. Yeah, it's indeed a starstudded line-up! However, I was expecting Xian Lim to be there as he was originally a part of the line-up. Also, I just need to mention that Vice Ganda came to the event.

the teams

glad that my girls came :)

Gerald took a photo w/ the sick child in front of us

For the halftime, Maynilad sponsored the 3-point Shootout wherein the winner receives Php 5,000.00 cash to be donated to the Sendong victims as well. Those who took part in the 3-point shootout were Chris Ellis of NLEX Road Warriors, Mark Zambrano, James Yap, and Allan Caidic. The winner was Allan Caidic! And I was the one who awarded him haha! Also a "Teach Me How to Dougie" dance contest was conducted wherein participants came from the audience. Some of the players also showed a "sample" of this dance craze. Another halftime game was conducted and I don't know what it's called. They come in pairs and must be able to shoot the most with their partners at a given time. One pair had Chris Tiu and another pair had Bong Ravena. That was probably the longest halftime break ever!

3 point shootout winner Allan Caidic and other contestants: Chris Ellis, James Yap, Mark Zambrano

Then the craziness went on in the 3rd Quarter. Jose Manalo finally arrived. Just when I though that the craziest part of the game was finding Jhong Hilario tumbling first before shooting the ball, I was so wrong! Because when Jose Manalo came, we enevr stopped laughing! He took the microphone and acted like "Budoy", the role of Gerald Anderson in his primetime teleserye. Then Gerald faced him and they both acted like Budoy! Super funny!!! LOL!:)) And it didn't stop there. Towards the end of the 3rd quarter, Jose grabbed the whistle of one of the referees and he acted as if he's one. So there, it started the SO NOT SERIOUS game! Shot clocks were stopped, and the referees just let Jose do the calls. Since Smart White was way behind the score of Meralco Red when Jose arrived, Jose decided to manipulate the game to make his team win. He made really funny calls! Like when Chris Tiu made a 3-point shot, Jose signaled that it's 4, and so the barker reannounced it saying "Chris Tiu FOUR!!!" Jose also gave a lot of free throws to his teammates. Another part of the funny game was when Kiefer passed the ball to the opponent intentionally and took the ball into the basket. That was a cool game! How I wish PBA could be that cool too haha!

FAKE Budoy VS REAL Budoy

he's really a referee! LOL!

Kiefer thanking everyone who became a part of the event

two crazies!:)))

Anyway, Smart White won. But the best part of the event was having a lot of people enjoying the game, and having fun together, while at the same time, helping the victims of Typhoon Sendong. I'm so proud that I've been a part of such a good and inspiring enadeavor. Kudos to Kiefer and the whole team who worked on this!:)

KSP's Hollywood-themed Year-Ender

2012-01-16T02:07:00.000+08:00

It's our barkada tradition to have a themed Year-Starter every night of January 1st. But since this year, January 1 fell on a Sunday, and most of us got work the next day, we decided to have a year-ender last December 30th instead. The themes we had in the the past were Formal and Rockstar; so this year, we have a agreed to a Hollywood theme! Each of us was required to come looking like a Hollywood star. And here are our crazy photos...

here comes the Men in Black

Paris and BF haha

and we were really putting much effort on this

Circle of Death survivors! haha

On the red carpet...

Kristen Stewart, Paris Hilton, Josh Duhamel

Fredie Prinze Jr., Rain, Mike Posner

Bruno Mars, Tyra Banks, Josh Duhamel

Zhang Ziyi, Leighton Meester (Blair Waldorf), Sandra Bullock

when I used the iSwap Faces app! haha

another Zhang Ziyi attempt haha

We also tried my new video app discovery from my iPhone, the VideoStar app! It's music video-making app that's so easy to use! haha! I have uploaded them in my Vimeo. Check these out:

KSP Welcomes 2012! from roycie salen on Vimeo.

KSP Moves Like Jagger! from roycie salen on Vimeo.

We're so happy that our tradition lives on. The group keeps growing, and we're glad to welcome new guests every year who were able to experience our craziness too!:)

bye 2011, hello 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!:)

Christmas Means Sharing

2012-01-16T00:33:00.001+08:00

I apologize for the late post. But I know it's never too late.

It's been my KSP barkada's tradition to celebrate our Christmas Party with underprivileged families, most especially with kids who look forward to a fun and exciting Christmas. This year, we held our Christmas party at the same venue as last year's, at the NCE 1 chapel. This time, it was a different set of families from Payatas whom we shared our Christmas with. We were also thankful for our friends who helped, plus some company sponsors: Toby's and Pepsi.

Again, it was an afternoon packed with games for both kids and adults. Besides the meals we provided, we also gave Noche Buena bags to each family. At the end of the day, we were tired yet happy to have helped.:)

thank you!

longest line!

pink!

they're singing for us :)

Noche Buena bags

artwork winners

PLDT WiFi Zone Launch

2012-01-10T01:41:00.001+08:00

Dec. 17, 2011 - Another launch event of PLDT in Republiq! This just means new awesome products/services and free flowing drinks from PLDT!:)

The launch event actually meant that Republiq was officially a PLDT WiFi Zone! But of course, not only Republiq, but even the other establishments in New Port City and all the other establishments in the metro. PLDT DSL users just type in their existing username and password into their devices upon detecting the PLDT WiFi in the establishment they're in. To learn more about this, just visit www.pldtwifizone.com.

Besides the free drinks and crazy PLDT friends, NBK also performed live, which made the party more fun!

BFFs

crazies :))

the girls :)

please remove the waiters behind me! haha

And since I got a new iPhone 4s, I took a couple of photos via Instagram:

Super Late Post: Smart iPhone 4s!:)

2012-01-10T00:59:00.000+08:00

When I've read about the news that Smart will soon be carrying the iPhone 4s, I believed it was great news! Upon checking its website sometime in early December, I signed up, not to reserve a unit, but just to get some info about the upcoming launch. But 2 days before the launch, I got a call from Smart confirming my reservation. Then I realized, it's probably time for me to get a new iPhone! Well to give a bit of a background, I lost an iPhone 3Gs 32GB some time in June, 2 weeks after I bought it from a friend who sells slightly used phones. Anyway, so there, I confirmed getting an iPhone 4s 16GB white! However, I've been busy at work those days so I failed to submit complete requirements via email. I just decided to go to the launch event to take my chance of getting a unit.

It was on the night of December 15th when Smart invaded Rockwell overnight! A lot of people were there, and there were a lot of them whom I know. There was a smooth process of purchasing an iPhone - ordering, verification of requirements, postpaid line approval, payment and releasing. Well of course, there were long lines because of the great demand for the 4s, but Smart was prepared to serve them all. Lots of celebrities were also there, including Smart's model, Anne Curtis. I don't think any of the guests got bored because there were lots of things that were there to do for FREE! continuous screening of Mission Impossible at the cinema, coffee and juices at Starbucks and Coffee Bean, unlimited gaming at Power Station, meals at Cibo, etc. Also, alcohol was everywhere! At the ground floor was a party event where Jermaine Dupri and Lupe Fiasco performed. The show was hosted by the country's top radio DJs/hosts like KC Montero, Sam YG, Andi9, etc.

It was a crazy night! Unlimited drinks and party! Plus lots of prozes were given away through games and raffle. Some items include, Macbook Air, Beats by Dr. Dre, X-Box, and the grand prize, Subaru Impreza! Despite having lots of possible prizes, I wasn't able to win any. Haha! But it's fine because I still had fun since I got lots of friends and acquaintances who were also there; and that made the night crazier!:)

Lupe Fiasco

with Bettina and Angelia

Jermaine Dupri spinning

DJs/emcees

photo from Bettina's new camera

friends and acquiantances

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get an iPhone that night since I didn't bring a credit card with the required credit limit. However, the next day, I brought my grandma to the nearest wireless center and I used her credit card so I could avail of an unlimited data plan for iPhone 4s worth Php 2000 plus Php 2500 cash out! It was awesome! I finally got Siri! And all I can say is, I almost forgot I still have my Blackberry Bold 9700 (in white also). Haha! Well it actually contains my line from the rival network provider.:p

truly, the most amazing iPhone yet!:)

#SmartiPhone4s

MOONLEAF - Don Antonio is now OPEN!

2011-12-20T00:46:00.000+08:00

I'm so happy for my friends in their new venture -- franchising a Moonleaf Tea Shop Branch! It's one of the fastest growing milk tea shops nowadays.

After two weeks of construction, the place has officially opened! A Christian blessing was conducted, followed by a ribbon cutting, then lunch! I got so excited about this that I personally bought a ribbon from the bookstore for the ribbon-cutting! Since I arrived earlier at the shop, I also doodled on post-its which I posted on the bulletin board.

Php 5.00-discount was given to all who purchased on the opening day. There's also a free photo booth and lots of post-its!;)

Amber's!

Anyway, it's so nice to see our friends and families in full support of this new venture. I really wish my friends the success of their business, and hopefully, they get to put up the next branch the soonest!

first 3 customers!

Location: 2nd flr EK Bldg. Holy Spirit Drive, Don Antonio, QC

Pitbull in Manila

2011-12-14T00:43:00.000+08:00

Nov. 29 - Smart-Araneta Coliseum

We got free passes from our friend who works there. We were at the center of the Big Dome, which was turned into a dance floor. At 8pm, a Cebuano Dj started spinning club music; and at 9pm, Pitbull came out! In fairness, he's hot! haha!

Everybody on the floor were dancing to his songs. The place felt like a huge Republiq. There were lots of familiar faces there, including PBA players and some celebrities. However, Pitbull's actual performance run only for an hour, which made us all feel "bitin". But still, that was a fun HOUR.:)

with the girls

while waiting for the show to start

Cebuano DJ

Pitbull!!!

when we moved at the back

Boracay November 2011 (Day 3)

2011-12-12T22:42:00.002+08:00

Day 3 (Nov. 26, 2011) - It's the Wedding Day!

Wedding was supposed to start by 8am, however, due to a rainy weather, it was delayed. We woke up late, and got dressed kinda slow so even if the wedding was moved to 9am, we were still late! haha! Not much though 'coz we arrived around 9:15.:)) The wedding was at Asya Premiere Suites. When we got there, all of the guests were wearing hats! Too bad we're late, so we're not able to get the beach hats.

the fans contained the program

what a perfect couple!

"you may kiss the bride!"

our group: "college friends" haha

Vicky and Haroun

cocktails after the wedding ceremony

the girls :)

Anyway, the wedding ceremony was done quickly because of the threat of rain. After photo ops, there were cocktails by the beach. Then for the reception, we all proceeded to the restaurant. As we entered, we were given giveaways (woven bags) and starfishes which contained names of guests and their table numbers. The program opened with song performances by some of the couple's churchmates. Then the bride and groom entered riding a golf car, and did their first dance. Videos about the bride and groom were also presented. After that, we all lined up for the lunch buffet. Gosh, there were lots of food. One long table was for salad, seafood, dessert, while another long table was for 10 different courses! And everything was just so yummy!

souvenirs and seat assignments

starfishes containing the names of guests

cute souvenirs :)

our table number!

i finished all of these :))

After the sumptuous lunch, the couple's parents and aunts/uncles also danced. The ceremonial slicing of the cake was done next. Then came the time to throw the bouquet and the garter. But this time, there's a twist! To choose the guy to get the garter, all single guys were asked to line up in front. they were given balloons which they blew up themselves. Then they lined up from the biggest balloon to the smallest one. The bride was then asked to pick a number and she chose 8. Luckily, it was our friend who was on that spot! haha! When it's time to find out the girl who should receive the bouquet and the garter, the single girls were blind-folded. They were tasked to find one safety pin each from the top/polo of the guy. The one who wasn't able to find a safety pin was the girl to whom the guy shall put the garter on. They were so shy about what they were doing haha!

the boys

the girls (oh btw, its our friend Almeric who was the chosen guy)

and there's a new pair!

just trying it out haha

It was at 2pm when we went back to our rooms to rest. We originally planned to take a nap and swim during sunset then buy "pasalubong" after. However, we all woke up late! The sun has already set when we woke up so we went straight to D Talipapa to go shopping. I bought a lot of pearls for my girl friends. Then we decided to go for a night swim at Astoria Hotel, where some of our friends have checked in. We took a lot of photos and crazy underwater videos!:))

after shopping

new hotel

cute modern hammock

underwater with flash

i like the auto light adjustment setting of my cam

After taking a shower, we're supposed to attend the post-wedding dinner of our friends but we were already late so we just had dinner at Bite Club. I super loved their burgers! For our last night in Boracay, we chilled at Epic. Their drinks were kinda pricey but it was so entertaining outside, as we were moving to the beat of hiphop. while we're seated haha!

We went home at 3am, and it was a big pressure on me 'coz I was the one who has the earliest flight! Plane will leave at 9:30 so I had to leave Boracay by 6:30am to make it on time in Kalibo International Airport. But wanna know what happened? Check out my next entry.:)))))))

Day 4 (Nov. 27, 2011) - Back to reality...

The next morning, we're off to Manila. I will surely miss Boracay! Can't wait for Summer 2012!!!

Boracay November 2011 (Day 2)

2011-12-08T01:09:00.000+08:00

Day 2 - Skimboarding!

We woke up kinda late 'coz of the rainy weather. We we're off to swim when some staff of Astoria Hotel talked to us and invited us for a free lunch buffet in exchange for a 90-minute presentation. Well of course, we availed it. We listed our names, and while waiting for lunch time, we just walked by the beach. Then we encountered someone who's so good at skimboarding. We got curious about it and he offered to teach us for Php 300. However, we haggled to Php 200. So he lent us his skimboard and taught the three of us just for that price haha!

1 hr, 1 board, 1 instructor, 3 newbies = Php 200!:)

it's fun! (even if I fell of the board thrice! LOL)

cousins

cute Korean kid ;)

love the background!:)

After more than an hour of skimboarding, we went back to Astoria for the free lunch buffet. After lunch, the manager talked to us and offered us certain packages which really attracted us. However, we were not able to avail it because it has to be paid right then and there either in cash or credit card. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to pay off my card before leaving for Boracay and I didn't bring that much cash also. But the good thing was, the hotel manager only talked to us for 15 mins and not 90 mins! haha! So what a FREE buffet lunch that was!:)

After lunch, we went back to our room to rest for a bit. Then we went out to swim 'til sunset! We were just at the beach swimming and taking lots of underwater photos. It was really fun and relaxing!

1st try FAIL haha

they were so good posing underwater!

underwater breakdance!

haha bully!

mastered the skimboard

After swimming, we went back to our room to take a shower and rest. It was raining that time so we can't go out. When the rain stopped, we left our place and headed to the pre-wedding dinner of our friend Haroun and her fiance Vicky. It was held at the place of the girl who's originally from Boracay. Everyone who's attending the wedding the next day were all there. A compatibility game between the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be was also conducted.

Almeric didn't wear a top and remained ashamed the whole night!:))

yummmeeehhh!

dinner

compatibility test

few messages from the couple

Since the dinner ended quite early, we headed to Juice Bar to end the night. It was a very relaxing night, while sitting on bean bags and sipping cocktails. We also enjoyed people watching, most especially those who've been drinking the flaming tower also known as the "F*ck You Archie". haha!:))

ccccrrraaaazzzzyyyy!!!

And at 1:30am, we all decided to go back to our rooms since the wedding the next day would be so early. However, when we got back to our room, we chatted 'til 3am! So again, we were not able to sleep a bit earlier. haha!

Boracay November 2011 (Day 1)

2011-12-08T00:15:00.000+08:00

It has been my tradition to go to Boracay twice a year. One during Summer and another before the year ends, usually on the weekend nearest to the Bonifacio Day holiday. This time, my Boracay trip was totally different from my previous trips. I can say that this was my most extreme Boracay experience. Extreme in the sense that it's the most relaxing, yet the most stressful also. Wanna know why? Then read on...

Day 1 (Nov. 24) - Arrival

It's my first time to fly via Zest Airways. I've always been scared of it since it used to be the same franchise as the Asian Spirit which never had a good record. Anyway, I booked my flight 18 days prior to my departure. It only cost around Php 1500 roundtrip! I was supposed to fly with my other girl friends, but certain circumstances kept them from leaving Manila, and that's why their tickets were gone just like that. So i flew alone. My flight was at 7:50 am so I left the house at around 5:30am. I arrived kinda early. Our flight was on time too.

nice plane :)

So I was at the airport at 9am, waiting for my friend who's from Kalibo/Boracay. He got stuck running errands and was able to pick me up only around 1:30pm. Imagine how long I have waited! Good thing i brought my Netbook which allowed me to watch my homework video for my class. When my friend arrived, he drove me to the shuttle/van terminal. First time to ride a van without an aircon from Kalibo to Caticlan. Instead of paying Php175 (w/ a/c), I only paid Php 100. The driver was fast so it took us an hour of travel only.

Upon arriving at Caticlan, I asked the van driver to take me to Boraland, a port for passenger boats for Boaracay locals. These were just small boats which can hold around 5-10 people only. Life vests were there but were not required to be worn. It only cost me 20 bucks! haha! It was just a 5-minute ride. Then I took a tricycle to the guest house which was being owned by my friend's Aunt. I only paid Php 25 for the tricycle. Anyway, the staff of the guest house met up with me along the road and we walked to the beach front where the room was located. So I stayed at the Vera room, 2nd Floor of the Sunshine Place in Station 1. While waiting for my other friends who took a later flight, I decided to take a nap. But because it rained hard, I got into a deeper sleep.

it was only at 9pm when my friends arrived. We had dinner at Smokey's in D Mall, went back to our room and watched TV. After an hour, we went out to meet our other friends. We had a couple of drinks in Guilly's Island and checked out Juice Bar. But since it's about to close, we moved to Summer Place, where we only had grilled isaw and hotdog. Since our night started late, we were only out for a few hours. We were already home at 3am and not tipsy at all. It's a very rare Boracay experience for me. haha!

we really thought this kid at Smokey's was a boy, until we realized she's wearing a skirt!

with our couple friends in Guilly's Island

with my roommates, cousins Maze and Almeric

and we capped the night with "isaw" haha

Eventful November

2011-12-04T22:53:00.000+08:00

It has been an eventful November for me! It's been a busy month at work, plus there have been lots of event invitations outside work. Here's a rundown:

Nov. 4 - Send-off for the athletes in the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia (Ultra) and Co-worker's Post-birthday Celebration (White Plains)

Nov. 12 - Smart HTC Beats Launch and Friend's Post-birthday Celebration (Republiq Club)

Nov. 15-18 - Philippine Meteorological Society Annual Exhibit and Convention (House of Representatives and Bureau of Soils and Water Management)

Cong. Belmonte

Nov. 19 - World Vision's 12-hr Famine (Ynares Sports Arena)

Nov. 20 - 11.20.2011 Run for Pasig River

VIP tent

Nov. 21 - MVP Group of Companies Careerfest (SM Megatrade Hall), Pitoy Moreno Tribute Gala (Isla Ball Room, EDSA Shangri-la Hotel) and Nokia N9 Launch (Prive Luxury Club)

cute diorama

Voyz

Pito Moreno's terno

Sam Milby

Gary V. sang during the bridal collection

National Artist and Asia's Fashion Czar, Pitoy Moreno

Thanks to Meralco for the ticket :)

Nokia N9 Launch

w/ a new friend, Marie Digby:)

Nov. 22 - UP College of Engineering and Maynilad's Signing of Deed of Donation (Sid Consunji AV Room, UP COE Bldg.)

Nov. 23 - MVP Bossing Awards (Meralco Theater)

fan girl haha

i love the outfit!

hey Phil!

Nov. 26 - Haroun and Vicky's Wedding (Asya Premiere Suites Boracay) - More photos in my next blog entry (Boracay November 2011)

Nov. 28-29 - Small Water Service Providers Conference (Hotel H2O, Manila Ocean Park)

he's feeding the fishes

Nov. 28 - Rich and Nanie/Kyla's Wedding (NBC Tent)

the girls w/ Maricar

with Ryan

with Harvey and Kelly

with Japeth

with our dude Ali! we missed this guy.

Don and Joyski

with Lamont and Marie

after a week, we met again...and she remembered my name!:)

Nov. 29 - PLDT-ABAP's Salute to Filipino Boxers - PSA Forum (Dragon Gate Restaurant), Talk N Text vs B-Meg PBA Game, Friend's Housewarming

Filipino boxers

party room

lights and sounds are synced

More events soon! I love being busy...minus the stress haha!:p

Fun in BALER, Aurora

2011-11-20T22:29:00.000+08:00

I have been hearing about Baler from a lot of my friends, most especially the surfer dudes. But I have not really though about going to that place anytime soon. But last long weekend, Nov.5-7, my friends who have planned a trip to Baler invited me to come with them. However, I didn't promise and I was totally undecided 'coz I really wanted to rest that weekend plus it's my grandma's birthday on the 7th.

Spent the day with the same group, and my thoughts of not joining them was overpowered by the calling for a break! Just realized I got too stressed at work and would really deserve a break. So that Saturday night (Nov. 5), we left Manila at 10:30pm and headed North. We're not really able to sleep along the way because we're too tight inside the car. We made all 6 of us fit a Toyota Vios haha!

It was really a tough journey going to Baler! The roads had no lights, and there were a lot of rough roads in between cemented roads. And unfortunately, it's raining quite hard on our way there. The worst part, we needed to go down the car every time there's an uphill rough road or high humps. We got wet and really felt cold. There were also a lot of landslides that sort of blocked the way. It took us 6.5 hours to get to Baler.

DAY 1

When we got there at around 5:30am, it was raining really hard. And since it's a beach front, there were really strong winds. Worst part, we didn't have any reservations to any hotel. All of the hotels were fully booked that time. We also got rejected in Bayler-view Hotel where we stayed for a couple of minutes to figure things out. But while my friends were resting inside the car, I went to Bahia de Baler to check if my friend who's staying there that time was able to reserve a room for us. Unfortunately, we were not booked. Come 6am, a group of surfers came to check-in. They were able to book two rooms. Luckily, they won't be using the other room, and that room was automatically given to me! So cool!:)

I called my friends up and we headed to the room. It was an economy room worth Php 1,200.00 per night, which has three beds. We made ourselves fit the beds (2 persons per bed) and took a nap before hitting the beach.

We were so tired that we woke up in time for lunch. We had lunch at Bay's Inn. Then came my friend Paula who's working for Senator Angara. She invited us to the Senator's private cove which was a 15-minute ride away. While my other friends chose to stay there and surf, I went with Paula to meet Senator and to swim and tour around his private cove in Dika. We rode a coaster then a van.

I saw such a breath-taking view of the cove! It got really clear water and an off-white sand, very far from the dark gray (almost black) sand and muddy beach in the surf area where we came from. I was able to meet Sen. Angara and had a little talk about the people we both know. He also toured us in the Artists' Village which was still under construction. After that, I was accompanied by Paula at the beach.

Sen. Angara showing us the Artists' Village

pardon my fatness...was just trying to show the lighthouse under construction :))

i seem like a castaway

After some photo ops on the huge rocks,I did a bit of swimming in the sea. Then after that quick swim, I headed to the stream which was leading to the sea. The water was very clear and cold. I dipped myself there so to avoid itching from salt water. Then we went back to the hut where other guests of Senator were staying. After some chitchats, we finally rode the van which took us to the coaster; and we rode the coaster going back to the hotel.

stream leading to the sea

that's where I swam!

After taking a shower, we headed to the Bar & Grill of Bahia de Baler. We were introduced to its manager, who's a surfer girl who recently won in the beginner's category. My classmates from graduate school who were also in Baler at that time, came to the same place for dinner. Paula had a "raisin-flavored lambanog" plus pulutan treat! The boys even had Red Horse after the lambanog, which got their worlds turning around. haha! In fact, some of them threw up secretly! It was such a fun night!

grad school classmates

DAY 2

And because we had a lot of alcohol the previous night, we woke up late. We had tapsilog worth Php 100 for brunch in Bayler-view. Super worth it. The meal even included coffee!:) After brunch, I finally decided to learn how to surf. I got an instructor worth Php 300 for an hour. He taught me the basics for 5 minutes, and we spent the rest of the time in the water. the instructor took me quite far from the shore, but the water was still low on that spot. As we were on our way there, the coming waves hit my face every now and then, and those quick waves almost got me falling off the soft board.

So what happens is: my instructor pushes me to somewhere quite far from the shore as we go against the coming waves, then we wait for the right wave (just right speed and force), he turns me and my board around facing the shore, and when he says "ready", I position myself (hands pushed down against the board), and finally when he says, "tayo!", I push myself up and try to balance myself on the board while riding the wave! So fun! Unfortunately, not all rides were successful for me. In fact, I fell off the board in most of them. But I was so proud of myself when I was able to balance on the board while riding a wave with a long duration before reaching the shore. But I think I was able to do it twice or thrice only haha! It was so hard! It's very time consuming also to get to the right spot from the shore, and to wait for the appropriate wave. too bad, I left my camera's battery in the hotel room that's why I never had a photo while riding a wave. That would probably suggest that there's definitely a next time! Can't wait to be back in Baler and master those surfing skills haha!

Surf's Up!!!

Anyway, after surfing, we had snacks (light late lunch) in Bay's Inn resto while we were playing Monopoly Deal. There we saw a couple of friends from Manila. Super small world!:) After that, we took a shower, cleaned up the room a bit, and played Monopoly Deal while waiting for our friends whom we asked to convoy with us. After some photo ops, we finally left the hotel at around 3:30pm. I rode with my other friends who brought a bigger ride so the Vios wouldn't suffer that much anymore.

Bay's Inn Resto

Bahia de Baler

playing Monopoly Deal

We were trapped for awhile along the way as a bus got stuck in a one-way bridge. But luckily it was pulled away by another bus. After a couple of hours, we finally got to NLEX where we had dinner. Other friends went ahead so I went back to the Vios. We're back in Manila before 9pm!:)

good vibes only

since the bridge has so many humps, they had to go down the Vios :))

nice view of the Canili Dam

It was such a fun and really affordable trip. My total spending: Php 1,500.00. All worth it! plus thanks to my friend Paula who treated us for drinks and pica-pica, and who was able to connect us to people who were able to give us discounts and other free services. It's really nice to be friendly!;) 'Til the next surf trip in Baler!

Fun Halloween w/o the Costumes!:))

2011-11-08T22:58:00.000+08:00

It was a long weekend during the Halloween! So thankful for that 4-day break from work and quality time with my friends.

I was supposed to attend the Halloween Ball in Republiq Club, but after a whole afternoon of searching for the perfect costume, I failed! So I just decided to settle at my friends' place where her sister was holding a karaoke party. But on the last minute, our girl friends texted us for a nightout. So we drove to Garage 88 at The Fort, where we sort of crashed a private halloween party.

partying with the girls

because of our outfits, we're the Olsen Twins lol

Then we went to Distillery Fort for another round of drinks. Had a great time people watching, dancing and singing to the beats of the 90s haha!

the gang

what's with the double tank tops? haha

The next day, I was invited to my friend Elke's birthday dinner at Conti's Katipunan Extension, then we proceeded to The Distillery Eastwood for wine. Great bonding with some of my high school friends.

with the birthday girl (rightmost)

w/ my besty in HS

high school relived

The next night, we had a Pink birthday party for our friend Denise. I was wearing white and a light pink scarf. When I got there, most of them were wearing hot pink! lol! That was a funny night. We played Charades girls vs boys, and Pinoy Henyo jackpot round. We just can't stop laughing at ourselves!:)))))

addicted to card games

they say, "tough guys wear pink", and i don't believe lol

bully guys during the charades

why is my pink scarf so unnoticeable? haha

oh yeah, grilling like a sidewalk vendor haha

them...while I was busy watching teleserye inside the house lol

That was indeed a long weekend well-spent! I really look forward to lots of long weekends due to holidays!:)

David Foster and Friends in Manila 2011

2011-11-08T22:04:00.000+08:00

I was so excited when my BFF got us free VIP tickets in the David Foster and Friends concert here in Manila last 25th of October at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. Well yeah, it's the same time as the Black Eyed Peas concert; but I was perfectly fine going to David Foster's because it's very classic! I just used to hear those songs in karaoke and my parents' music collection when I was young, but now, I actually had the chance of experiencing it live!:)

Every love song that I like was surprisingly composed by David Foster. He's such a music legend! The artists who performed with him were Russel Watson, Ashanti, Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind and Fire, Charice Pempengco, and of course, Michael Bolton.

Our VIP seats were upgraded to SVIP. We're actually on the 4th row and we're surrounded by fun people. haha! We super enjoyed the show. One of the best!:)

before the show

David Foster

Russel Watson

Ashanti

Martin Nievera was invited on-stage

Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind, and Fire

Charice (and her lovely stilettos!)

Michael Bolton

Michael Bolton's medley

Charice & Michael Bolton had a duet -- The Prayer

all of them -- supposedly FINALE

one of Charice' fans was able to perform w/ her on-stage

with the Hizon couple who were on front row

Autumn in Beijing Day 3 - SUMMER PALACE + SILK MARKET

2011-11-01T15:20:00.000+08:00

It's our last day in Beijing. Morning 'til lunch was spent walking around Xidan trying to find authentic dumplings, however, we didn't find any. We ended up having early lunch in McDonalds. Then we took the subway to Xiyuan station, the station near the Summer Palace.

Xidan mall - look at what each floor is called

longest escalator in Asia (and probably in the world)

McDonald's - Chinese style

Before going to the Summer palace, we had lunch in Pizza Hut, located right outside the Xiyuan station. We loved their Peach Fruit Tea!:)

finding a food place

super love! Peach Fruit Tea!

After lunch, we walked going to the Summer Palace. It was really a huge castle! There's a lake inside the huge compound, and there were lots of rooms. It really felt like we're being toured through history. There were also a lot of tourists there, and we were so happy that we saw a group of Filipino tourists...for the first time in our 3-day vacation there! haha!

outside the palace

that's really huge inside

so many Lotus plants

woods effect lol

sorry...lots of photos of me haha!

set the camera timer and this was what we've got!

boats that move around the lake

For some reason, we didn't know who's dressed appropriately haha!

It was a tiring yet interesting tour. We headed to the Silk Market for our last-minute shopping. But when we got there, we decided to have dinner first. We finally found a dumpling restaurant! After dinner, we only had an hour to shop since it's about to close. We bought some souvenirs like fridge magnets and shot glasses. And for "pasalubong" to our friends in the Philippines, we went to the grocery to buy Pejoy (green tea sticks) and Jasmine tea. But just a tip in shopping, don't believe in the first price that a vendor gives you. You can keep haggling 'til you get satisfied with the price. After that quick shopping, we rushed back to the hotel to pack our stuff and catch our flight back to Manila.

Silk Market (like 168 Mall in Divisoria)

we finally found a dumpling resto

pretending that we got scotch (when it's actually soda lol)

lovin' Authentic Chinese Cuisine!:)

We took a cab from the hotel to the airport. Unfortunately, we got down at the wrong terminal so w had to take the free shuttle going Terminal 2. We made it just in time! However, after 30 minutes of waiting, we were informed that our aircraft had problems so we had too wait for 4 hours for another plane to arrive. yes, our flight got 4 hrs delayed! Well, that's the downside of riding budget airlines like Cebu Pacific. We only got noodles/sandwiches and softdrinks/water from the company while waiting. It was such a nightmare! Thank God for the free wifi and charging ports in the airport that saved me from boredom.

planking in the Executive Room of Grand Mercure

Autumn in Beijing Day 2 - OLYMPIC GREEN

2011-10-30T15:16:00.001+08:00

After the 2-hr bus ride from the Great Wall to the City, we took the subway to the Olympic Green station. These were the stuff we saw when we got out of the station:

i don't know what this is haha

huge musical instruments

And since we were so tired and hungry, we headed to one of the Chinese restaurants in the area.

the utensils were actually sealed

We had so much for dinner! It was so authentic yet very cheap! So worth it!:)

old Beijing restaurant

Beijing is the home of the 2008 Olympics. It's amazing how Beijing has transformed a huge piece of idle land into a perfect venue for the Olympics.

Olympic Pagoda

lights are changing colors

the huge Olympic torch

At The Bird's Nest (Beijing National Stadium)

good architecture

I love this place!

the Water Cube (Beijing national Aquatics Center)

It was a tiring yet productive day. We headed back to the hotel in the middle of the cold weather. Had so much fun walking while seeing all the city lights.

Autumn in Beijing Day 2 - GREAT WALL OF CHINA

2011-10-26T22:51:00.000+08:00

Sept. 17 - It's our 2nd day in Beijing! We got up early 'cause we got a long day ahead. Out on a cold weather, we braved the streets to find our way to the Beijing North Railway Station. Good thing a friend's co-worker was able to write down in English and Chinese characters, on a sheet of paper, some sentences asking for directions to the Great Wall, which we brought along with us. It really helped us a lot!

So we took the subway and went off at Xizhimen station. There we tried to ask a vendor in a mini grocery where the Beijing North Railway Station was. He understood what's written on our paper but he didn't know how to communicate his response to us. It took us "charades" to figure out! LOL! Then we found the station but all signages were in Chinese characters. But because we got a paper guide, we were able to buy ticket easily. Then we waited for the train. When the train was there, it took 15 minutes to unload 'coz it got so many passengers. When gates were opened, everybody ran to the train. We didn't know what's going on so we also ran! HAHAHA! So funny!

In the train, there were people selling Great Wall entrance tickets but we couldn't understand them. My seatmate got an iPhone and she's translating our conversation via Google Translate. Then two college girls overheard our English conversation. Luckily, they're Chinese girls who can understand and speak English! We became friends with them and we decided to make them a part of our group. They've been such a relief for us!

So we went off at Badaling Station. We bought snacks before going up the Great Wall. After a couple of hours there, we went down by riding a sliding car that's like a mini rollercoaster. Then we saw bears at the exit. We walked going out trying to find the railway station, but we found out that we went out at the wrong exit and the only way for us to go back to where we came from was by riding a bus. Gosh it took us two hours plus traffic and hot weather to get back to the city.

while in line for tickets

ticket prices

i love the Great Wall!

Indeed a World Wonder!

With our 2 new Chinese friends

sliding car (when you;re lazy to walk down lol)

bears

Our Great Wall experience was so rewarding! I really enjoyed it. It's not everyday that one gets to see one of the World's Wonders, and I'm so lucky to have seen one at the age of 24!:) I wish to see more of the 7 Wonders soon!!!

Once I was a Fan :))

2011-10-15T19:06:00.000+08:00

I knew they were coming back here in the Philippines. A few months before their concert date, I've been seeing their posters around the Big Dome. I missed their past concerts here because those were the days I knew I still couldn't afford concert tickets 'coz I was still a student. But even if I knew about their upcoming concert here in the P.I., I didn't bother to look for tickets because I realized it's ok if I'll miss this concert. Two days before the event, I asked my source for complimentary tickets and he didn't promise.

September 29, just a few hours before the concert, I was informed that I've got 2 free Lower Box tickets! Then another friend called inviting me to join them in Upper Box A. But since I've got another friend joining me in the Lower Box, that's where I stayed. And when I got to the concert venue, I saw a lot of friends! Haha! See, I wasn't the only supporter!:))

Are you ready to know whose concert was this??? Uhm...WESTLIFE!!! lol! Yes, it's Westlife's Gravity Tour 2011 haha! It's been my favorite boy band since my grade 6 days! I even sprained my ankle in 2nd yr high school as i was jumping for joy while watching their newest music video that time! And everybody in school knew that because I was absent in class the next day! haha! In fact, when they learned about Westlife's concert here, a lot of them posted on my FB wall reminding me of the concert!:))

Well now on the bests part...I really had fun! It's probably one of the best concerts I've seen. uhm, maybe because they sang a lot of songs, plus I enjoyed the enthusiasm of the crowd. A lot of girls and gays were screaming for the boys to the top of their lungs haha! Westlife even chose a couple of fans holding interesting posters to join them on-stage! Lucky people haha! Yikes, it's been 14 years, yet they didn't look that old; though Mark definitely gained weight! LOL.

Nicky's hot!:))

Shane's still the same

I loved their outfits which got a theme every segment. And those outfits were matched with the songs they sang for each segment. I also like the fact that they were taking photos and videos of the crowd and sharing it via their twitter accounts. And the boy band effect was just so alive! Super cool! They got a perfect opening song, which was "When You're Looking Like That" haha! They sang songs chosen from each of their albums. They also did a mash-up of Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas' songs.

they're taking a video of the crowd

their RnB/Pop Mash-up - and fat Mark! haha

so near yet so far haha

and another set of outfit!

the crowd was asked to turn on their mobile phone's as they sing "You Raise Me Up"

I was also touched when they sang one of my favorites, "Flying without Wings". Like every other show, the concert has come to an end. Their finale song was "Uptown Girl"...and it was really appropriate! I super enjoyed the show!:)

Uptown Girl - the finale

This night definite made me relive my high school days!:)

Autumn in Beijing Day 1 - COSMO

2011-10-02T22:13:00.001+08:00

Part of our first day in Beijing was getting lost somewhere in Wangfujing and accidentally ending up at one of the most popular shopping places in Beijing, the Oriental Plaza. There we encountered the 2nd Beijing Wangfujing International Brand Festival. There were a lot of shops, and a lot of items on sale. However, we were not really up for a shopping spree since we're on a budget. Though fall and winter clothes were kind of expensive since the season was on transition from summer to fall.

welcome arch

the long shopping strip

huge golden abacus

At the end of a long day of walking around Beijing, we spent some time at the hotel lobby to use wifi! Facebook and Twitter are banned in China but good thing I got those uploaded as my mobile apps in my Blackberry, that's why I was still able to use them. I finally got in touch with my friends in the Philippines as I got my BBM and email working too.

this aquarium was so relaxing

outside the elevator doors

reading the hotel rules

After relaxing for a while in our hotel room, we're off to have dinner at Houhai Lake. But before that, we headed first to Xidan Shopping Mall and shopped for scarves and shirts from H&M. It's the usual thing we do every time we go to a country with H&M, since we don't have one here in the Philippines. I just hope we can have it here soon!

encountered these Kung Fu performers at the hotel lobby on our way out

walking on a really cold weather

huge overpass/walkway

they said that's the longest escalator in Asia

It was so hard to find a cab so we decided to just take the train from Xidan to Ping An Li. Just by referring to our map, we walked to find the Houhai Lake. We knew we were there when we found this map:

We were at the Northwest part of the lake. Our friend Pam couldn't remember what side of the lake they went to the previous night so we just kept walking. we walked southward on the west side of the lake. However, when we couldn't see much bars, restaurants, and lights on that side, we went back up north and decided to walk southward on the east side of the lake. We kept on walking even if it's drizzling because we were so hungry and we just wanted to arrive to the cosmo place. Then we finally found a series of bars and restaurants. We chose to have Thai Food at Lotus Blue.

service was fast and dishes were yummy

dinner was quite expensive compared to our previous meals in the city

After dinner, we walked for a bit and tried some street desserts: fruits on stick coated with sugar and huge cotton candy. Then we all got sugar rush! haha!

Starbucks Chinese Version

Then we headed back to the hotel. However, it was so hard to find a cab because there were a lot of people waiting for a cab also, and there's no line...well yeah, we did it the Filipino way. But the worse was, no cab wanted to take us back to the hotel because it was kind of far from the area plus they couldn't understand us. Even if we're showing the business card of our hotel (with map), they still wouldn't take us there. It just so happened that there's this private car driven by an old man with his wife on the front seat, offering to take us back to the hotel. However, he's offering an expensive rate. We didn't agree, and we moved farther from them. But he didn't leave. He approached us again and bargained. Finally, we agreed to a certain rate and we finally got a ride back to the hotel.

We got home before midnight because we needed enough rest for our next day's destination: Great Wall of China.

Autumn in Beijing Day 1 - CULTURE

2011-09-27T17:57:00.000+08:00

This trip was booked 3 months ago. After a long time of waiting, it's finally time for our Beijing trip! Our accommodation and meals were covered by our friend Pam, who was sent there by her employer for a bit of work.

Currency Conversion:

CNY 1.00 (Chinese Yuan Renminbi) = PHP 6.78

Our plane left Manila at 7:35 of September 15 and we arrived in Beijing International Airport at 12:05am of September 16.

Tip: Go where the bulk of people are going. There's a long line getting a cab but it's fast moving. Don;t let other cab drivers on the side fool you. Flag down rate that night was CNY 11.00 and meter was CNY 2.00. We paid CNY 100.00 upon arriving at the hotel.

Essentials:

Map of the hotel and its business card

Beijing map w/ Subway guide

A list of helpful vocabulary written in Chinese characters

We stayed at the Grand Mercure Hotel. Our friend got a free upgrade from a Deluxe Room to an Executive Room, which was at the topmost floor (10th) of the hotel and can only be accessed by the elevator upon swiping the room card.

We slept for a couple of hours and woke up at around 9am to prepare for a long day of walking around Beijing. Since Pam was at work, only my bestfriend Dianne and I toured the city together for the day. Our map didn't let us down! It was fun walking around in a bit cold weather and a clean surroundings.

nice flowers we saw along the way

happy BFFs!:)

THE EGG (National Grand Theater of China)

It was just a few blocks from the hotel. We referred to our map and we ended up passing by the inner streets that were a bit scary haha. Then we reached The Egg, however, they said it's better to go there at night because of the nice effect of its lights.

The Egg at night (a photo from Pam)

THE FORBIDDEN CITY

From The Egg, we're supposed to go to the Tian'anmen Square. But we kinda lost our way and entered the street on the left of the Monument to the People's Heroes. Then we found a garden on our right where we entered. We paid CNY 3.00 to get in. We kept on walking 'til we saw a gate full of tourists. As we entered, we saw a huge "plaza" and realized that it's the gate to the Forbidden City.

We bought tickets at CNY 60.00 each. Since it's kind of expensive, we just chose not to rent audio guides anymore at CNY 40.00. It's a gadget that tells you the story of the Forbidden City in your preferred language as you tour around. We actually tried finding a group of English tourists and free-ride on their tour guides but we didn't find any 'coz most tourists were Chinese speaking also.

at the entrance

it's just so awesome!

After an hour of walking around, we finally reached the exit. We rode a bus headed to Dongzhimen and we went down somewhere along the way to have some authentic Chinese late lunch. We were so delighted that we got really good service. There were a lot of choices from the menu! Thank God for the photos of the food haha. They also served food fast. And the best part was, we only paid CNY 59.00 for everything we had -- roast duck, soup, fried rice, soda!:)

After lunch, we walked going nowhere 'til we found the Oriental Plaza, which I will discuss on my next blog entry. So after there, we tried going to the subway. We're supposed to go back to the hotel and go down at Xidan but we accidentally went down at Tian'amen haha!

TIAN'ANMEN SQUARE (Gate of the Heavenly Peace)

So there, we're surprised to see the Mao Zedong Mausoleum, which actually led us to the main entrance of the Forbidden City. It took us a long walk to have such discoveries haha.

Then we walked going to Xidan station where we road the train to Xuanwumen, which was just a few meters away from our hotel. It has been such an awesome day of experiencing ancient Chinese culture. We may be tired from walking, but we're happy on how our day turned out.:)

I Missed Resorts World!

2011-09-06T22:47:00.001+08:00

I've been a bit away from the night scene since I started working and studying in QC. Months before I started with my new job, I used to go to Resorts World at least once a week, particularly in Republiq. But probably, more than the far distance I have to travel, I just don't enjoy clubbing anymore, that's why I don't often go there anymore. I just go to resorts World once in a while when I get event invitations. So the last time I was there was during Republiq's 1st year Anniversary in June.

But just last September 2, we got an invite for the Uno Alpha Photo Exhibit Launch. It's an exhibit of photos of the men who were previously featured in Uno magazines. These men are those who have created a name in their own fields. The cocktail event took place in Genting Club in Resorts World Manila. We were so late 'cause we got caught in the middle of the traffic jam, which was probably caused by heavy rains.

Luckily, we were able to catch a bit of food before the buffet was closed. And since one of the waiters happened to be my bestfriend's neighbor in the province, we got some VIP treatment. We were served lots of drinks on our cocktail table -- iced tea, Coke, bottled water, beer, vodka tonic. Spoiled! haha!:)) A band was playing good music as we eat, drink, and chat. We didn't socialize to other groups since we're so preoccupied by our food and drinks haha!

We left the event before it's done. We window-shopped for a bit and chatted over crepes. After a bit of girl bonding at the mall, we proceeded to Republiq. Thanks to my friend DJ Ace for the last-minute guestlist!:)

Anyway, it's good to see a couple of friends inside the club. I missed that place! I missed dancing! I missed having so much fun! But the best part was, being able to bond with my girl friends while dancing and laughing at a lot of jokes! It wasn't an intense "girls' night out" but it was just right. Not too much and not too less. At least we got to rest our feet every once in a while as we watched crazy Korean boys and girls playing around haha!

We went home a bit early; tired but happy!:)

Saying NO to Stress.

2011-09-06T00:56:00.000+08:00

Since I'm busy with work, I don't go out as much anymore. But every once in a while, I try to hangout with friends and have fun. This way, I get to relax and do away with stress.

I usually spend my Wednesday night (when I'm not tired) in Blue Onion where a band performs. It was the drummer whom I became friends with from other gigs, then he introduced us to the rest of the band, and one of them was Vince Alaras of South Border. He's got such a nice voice, and I can't deny that I've been a fan of his music way back in the old days. The best Wednesday night I've spent there was last 25th of August. A lot of friends came, plus a couple of Eat Bulaga celebrities were also there for a birthday party. The jammers were really talented.

the band

Julia Clarete

Kimpee De Leon

Joyski and Pauleen

Joyski and the band members

the drunkards lol

and I in smart-casual attire lol

I also enjoy watching movies. It's one of my stress relievers. Just during the long weekend, I watched "One Day" with my bestfriend in Shangrila Mall. I finally got to try Sango, and I must admit, they got good food. And the best part of the day, I was able to buy my very own deck of Monopoly Deal from Hobbes and Landes. haha! Then we went to Distillery Eastwood for a bottle of Fragolino Blanco (but I actually wanted Rosso) and some cheese sticks while playing Monopoly Deal on-on-one. haha!:)) Capped the night with midnight snacks from KFC.

after trying out Sango

my part 1 birthday gift for her

say NO to stress haha!

what a perfect combo!

final pic for the night

And at random days, after office hours, my co-workers and I are lounging at our boss' office, where we play Monopoly Deal and watch TV. We also do a lot of eating after work, almost trying out all the food stores in Katipunan and in Teacher's Village. And our comfort drink: Moonleaf!

It's really perfect to hangout once in a while to take away the stress and the bad vibes.:)

PBA 37th Season Rookie Draft

2011-08-29T01:22:00.001+08:00

So it's that time of the year again. It's just been a week since the PBA 36th season ended. And now, we're up for the 37th Season! After the Rookie Camp last Aug. 24-26, the time of the revelation of the draft picks finally arrived! Held on August 28 in Robinson's Place manila, the event was attended by the rookie draftees & their respective families, the PBA management, all of the PBA teams (w/ a few players and coaches), sponsors, and other special guests. And there were a lot of fans who were there to witness the event. It's also the first coverage by AKTV Ch. 13 (TV5) and it's just as perfect!

the mechanics

A few weeks before the draft, I got really sad of the news that most of the Smart Gilas boys would be applying for the rookie draft. However, the idea that it's gonna be for their own growth and success in their career, made me understand and accept their choice. Now I'm really happy for them, most especially because they were all a part of the 1st round draft picks!:) Two thumbs up for Jvee Casio for being the overall 1st draft pick!:)

Jvee

Chris

Marcio

Mark

Here's the list of this year's draft picks:

1st Round

1. JVee Casio (Powerade)

2. Paul Lee (Rain or Shine)

3. Chris Lutz (Petron)

4. Marcio Lassiter (Powerade)

5. Mark Barroca (Shopinas)

6. Mac Baracael (Alaska)

7. Jason Ballesteros (Meralco)

8. Allein Maliksi (Barako)

9. Reil Cervantes (Ginebra)

10. Dylan Ababou (Barako)

2nd Round

11. Magi Sison (Shopinas)

12. Pamboy Raymundo (Talk 'N Text)

13. Eric Salamat (Alaska)

14. Julius Pasculado (Alaska)

15. Ariel Mepana (Alaska)

16. Brian Ilad (B-Meg)

17. Gilbert Bulawan (Meralco)

18. James Martinez (Ginebra)

19. Ken Acibar (Barako)

20. PJ Sorongon (Barako)

21. John Marc Agustin (Powerade)

3rd Round

22. Marc Cagoco (Shopinas)

23. Filemon Fernandez (Petron)

Then the picking stopped after all the teams have PASSED. Unfortunately, there were a couple of draftees who weren't able to make it. I felt sad for them, but I hope they still have a future in basketball.

For the Talk 'N Text, they're still together. However, Mark Yee was traded to Meralco Bolts. New additions to the tropa were Japhet Aguilar (Gilas), Shawn Weintein (Meralco), Bam Gamalinda (Meralco), and the 12th draft pick Pamboy Raymundo ()San Sebastian & NLEX).

And for the other teams, Powerade got Josh Vanlandingham and Doug Kramer. Dondon Hontiveros was acquired by Petron. Yes, he's back to his mother franchise. And lastly, Willie Miller was back to Barako. Yikes, now I really am confused! I don't know if I can still cheer 100% of my heart out for Talk 'N Text now that a lot of the players who have already become my friends were all over the PBA teams. I guess this time, I would hate the other teams a lot less...and no more shouting bad words at the games haha!:))

It's gonna be an exciting season. I can't predict who's gonna be on Final 4 because all of the teams seem really stronger now. Congrats to all the rookies and see you at the games!:)

Rich and Japs looking like Twin Towers

Angelicopter with Mark Barroca's girlfriend

w/ YR and Ranidel of TNT

Jvee will always be our IDOL!

so proud of Dylan, and his Guidance Counselor image haha

taking so long...in the making! haha

It's ok to be SECOND.

2011-08-23T22:55:00.001+08:00

August 21 - Talk 'N Text didn't go Grandslam as Petron beat them in the Game 7 of the PBA Governor's Cup Finals. The team seemed really tired and Petron really excelled, most especially their import, Grundy. The Tropang Texters did not win, but winning 2 championships this year wasn't bad at all. I really admire how they were as a team. Win or lose, they're still WINNERS for us; and we'll support them all the way! I know that they're still happy because at least now, they'll get to rest, take a vacation, and spend time with their respective families. Most of them will fly within this week to the States. And I was happy to have spent some time with them after the game, and before they leave for the US.

last game for Nina. She left for the US during halftime.

TNT Nation

super cute Tristan -- Ryan Reyes' baby

we believe

i thought we already had the chance

woah!

and confetti was all over the place

Congratulations Petron

no matter what happens, we won't miss our traditional photo

playing Monopoly Deal in Johnny Rockets Eastwood

with the two "abs" boys: Aaron and Charles haha

great gang!:)

love these girls!:)

with my idol Jimmy and Bora bud Harvey

August 22 - No sleep yet and I had a long day. After the weekly division meeting, we went to Eastwood for our Department's planning and a bit of team-building. We had lunch, played bowling, listened to the words of my idol who also happened to be our surprise guest Jimmy Alapag, and had a brainstorming of our plans for 2012. It was such a productive and fun day! It didn't show much that I haven't got any sleep yet haha!

our special guest! what a coincidence haha

Team Advocacy & Marketing w/ Jimmy Alapag

I'm such a fan!:)

score board at the end of the game

My last stop that day was at the Smart Club Championships in Rizal Stadium. Unfortunately, Smart San Beda FC lost to Teknika, which scored 3-0. But it's not bad winning second. I got the chance to take good shots of the Younghusband brothers before everybody else came near. Special thanks to their manager who's also a very important part of all MVP's teams, Father Ed Africa.

the field

the crowd

trophies

good job guys!

cute!

Let's go Smart San Beda FC!

Finishing SECOND isn't bad...but it will always be the best to be the FIRST!:)

Updates on the Sports I Love Watching: Football, Volleyball, Basketball

2011-08-21T02:29:00.001+08:00

FOOTBALL

Last August 16, I was tasked to bring bottled water and to set up banners in the football field of University of Makati. I didn't know what's gonna happen there until I saw the football players of Smart San Beda came out of the dugout...most especially the Younghusband brothers: Phil and James. They're up for a game against Smart Bro Stallions from Iloilo. I left the game at halftime with the score of 2-0 for Smart San Beda, and I believe they won that game. The crowd was just so awesome so I really had fun!:)

This was followed by another game the next day but that I wasn't able to watch anymore. The Smart Club Championships will happen next Saturday (Aug27) in Rizal Stadium.

VOLLEYBALL

This V-league Season, I support the Maynilad Water Dragons. I've seen them win once against Perpetual Help. I missed their last two games - Aug. 16 (vs. Navy) and 18 (vs. Air Force); but I watched their 2 games prior to that (vs. San Sebastian and Army), wherein our team lost. The Maynilad players did well but probably not enough.

Maynilad lost against San Sebastian

Maynilad lost against Army

watching from the ringside w/ my friend Pat

playin' hard

And to find out who's gonna take the last slot in the quarterfinals, Maynilad shall face Perpetual Help later this afternoon at The Arena. I hope Maynilad wins!

BASKETBALL

It's 3-3 now in the PBA Finals. Petron won over Talk 'N Text last Aug. 17 (Game 5) with a score of 93-80 led by their import Grundy. It was 3-2 by then and everybody thought TNT's bid for grandslam was in major jeopardy. However, with the comeback of Moe Baker (as replacement to Scottie Reynolds) and the injured Jayson Castro, the team's energy leveled up and kept the grandslam dream alive! TNT won with a final score of 104-78 which kept the balloons from falling down that night. All the TNT fans were jumping for joy! Unfortunately, I wasn't there live. I chose to stay home 'coz I was reviewing for my exams and my face looked kinda tortured 'coz of the facial session I had the previous night. LOL

I stayed only during the 1st quarter of Game 5

in my heart, they're #1!!!:)

Game 7 is coming up later tonight. I'm soooo nervous! A simple mistake could drive away the grandslam. TNT really has to keep the energy they had in Game 6 and continue to focus and work hard. They played a good offense the previous game but they really have to sustain that tonight and improve on their defense. They gotta do something to stop Arwind, Denok, Danny I and Grundy. Lord, we offer this game to you. Your will be done. Our team's victory shall always be Yours!:)

PLDT-Smart launches the JUMP Experience Center!

2011-08-19T01:24:00.002+08:00

Last August 10, I was invited to the exclusive launch of JUMP Experience Center in Cyberzone, 4th Floor of SM Megamall B. It's the first high-technology experience center in the country and that's what PLDT and Smart Communications are so proud of.

At the entrance, there are 3 screens. We were instructed to create an avatar on the middle screen, then it was projected on the third screen using something that looked like a cardboard that's placed right in front of the camera -- this was called "projected reality". It's so cool!

my avatar being projected on the screen

my friend Vida emailing her avatar to herself

The Arena

We posed for some photos in the photo booth. Then we had some cocktails served by Hizon's catering. After a short while, the program started. The stage, which was at the center of the room was called "The Arena". Some futuristic looking dancers performed. After that, there was some introduction about the place. Two bloggers were invited to try playing Angry Birds in the 82-inch screen, and were given prizes after.

futuristic dancers

Angry Birds

Then we were toured around by "the experts". They were very knowledgeable about all the products and home/business solutions that were found inside Jump.

while checking out the new telpad

looks like a plaque/award!:p

After the tour, there's a short Q&A portion wherein the bloggers got to ask the PLDT-Smart representatives more about Jump. After that, we had a texting game, wherein we're asked to text our name, company/blog to one number. That phone's screen was being projected at the big screen so we got to see every message that came in. Then the 10th and the 21st (originally 20th but it was the caterer's waiter that's why the person next to him was chosen next) texter were each given an HTC Chacha. Lucky people! haha!

Q&A portion

the txt contest

the lucky winners of HTC Chacha

After a bit of chatting with friends, I played Angry Birds in the huge screen, then we had our last few shots taken in the photo booth. Fun!

trying my skills on this huge screen lol

PHOTO BOOTH!!!

If you wanna know and experience the latest in mobile technology and home & business solutions, JUMP is the perfect spot for you!:)

2-2: A Tough One!

2011-08-16T00:26:00.000+08:00

So I missed 2 games of the Finals. One was last August 10 in Tubod, Lanao del Norte where Talk N Text won over the Petron Blaze Boosters. Another game I missed was last August 12 at the Big Dome, wherein Talk N Text won over Petron 132-105! I couldn't skip class 'coz I got a group report.

I didn't wanna watch last August 14, but a friend of mine forced me to...so I did. But I was happy because I was able to witness the Leo Awards wherein the top players of the conference were awarded. I am ok with the result of the awards, but my most favorite was the MVP Award received by Jimmy Alapag of TNT! He really deserved it. He's a good man and he's a role model not just for his teammates, but for all the other basketball players too. Congratulations to the awardees!

Ryan Reyes (TNT), John Wilson (BGK) as part of the All Defensive Team

Jason Castro - Most Improved Player of the Year

Rabeh Al-Hussaini won Rookie of the Year

nice team composition

and this is perfect

Jimmy Alapag got the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award

one of our 'makulit' buddies Marc Pingris won as part of the All Defensive Team

However, TNT lost to Petron as the game ended105-83. This just showed how tough the succeeding games will be. Both teams really want that championship! Now it's 2-2. It's not easy to tell who will dominate. But TNT gotta win grand slam, so please help us Lord!:)

Governor's Cup Finals Game 1

2011-08-09T19:02:00.000+08:00

Aug. 7, 2011 - Petron Blaze Boosters VS Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters

Petron with 4 injured players

Talk 'N Text with high hopes for grand slam

TNT stayed on the lead until the last 22 seconds! But with only 17 secs left on the clock, Petron was able to consume the remaining time and manage to shoot a 2-pointer courtesy of Danny Ildefonso. Thus, game finished at 88-89 for Petron Blaze Boosters.

1-0 for Petron; but they will need 3 more victories out of 7 games to be this conference's champions. However, Talk 'N Text won't make it easy for them; as these defending champs are vying for Grand Slam victory.

Keep watching the Finals LIVE on Studio 23. Cacth the 2nd game in Tubod, Lanao del Norte on Wednesday, Aug.10.

Mocha Girls

w/ my friends who I met through TNT games

the girl who sang the National Anthem committed a lot of error in the lyrics

fight!

I got this from the entrance gates and forgot in the bathroom haha

w/ my friend Betsy from TNT Marketing team

yellow!

they have their own customized "I <3 TNT" shirts

just when we thought we're lucky...

last few instructions

...and Petron got the last shot!

That's just Game 1...the next 4 games shall decide. Let's pray for a 1-4!:)

1st in Shakey's V-league History

2011-08-09T01:10:00.001+08:00

Last 4th of August, the Maynilad Water Dragons, on their 2nd game in the league, has made history! In the 8 years of the Shakey's V-league, it was only the first time that the 5th set reached 28-30! Perpetual Help and Maynilad Water Dragons played probably the best game in Shakey's V-league history, and I was so glad having witnessed this LIVE in San Juan Arena.

Maynilad Water Dragons

with supportive co-workers

we finally got the WIN!

and that was history!

Congrats Team Maynilad!

You may read on the full feature here.