Kalookalike!
Dec 26, 2013
My sister and I are the bottom picture and our daughters are the ones above! Yep, we look-alike!
Our Love Story
Dec 23, 2013
All love stories are beautiful, but ours is my favorite. It has been 16 years, and while not everyday is perfect, it is all worth it. Some years have been difficult than most, but I know that I will never, ever regret ever having been married to you. We have our problems like any other couples out there, but ours is worth fighting for. The three kids that we have been blessed to have all these years is a testament to this. I know that I have not always been the perfect partner, but please remember, I love you and I will keep on working on us.
Happy 16 years! I hope to finally get married to you in church in 9 more years! By that time, sana payat na tayo!
UPCAT 2014 Results
The much-awaited results of the 2014 UPCAT is now out! You can check it out here: Main site, mirror site 1 and mirror site 2.
Unfortunately, my son did not make the cut. But I hope that those who deserve it the most did get in. Congratulations to the UPCAT passers! And please, do give back to our country!
Wednesday Happy Thoughts!
Dec 18, 2013
1. Our Zumba group party after our last session for the year! Exercise, then eat. Not bad!
2. Going to Divisoria with my kids and sister and spending way too much!
3. All the goodies at the office!
4. Just 2 more days to go and the kids are free from school work for the year! Yey!
5. Almost done with my work load. Almost.
6. School is done for the year for me too, and I am finish with my two reports as well. Yipee!
7. Counting down to our Cambodia-Vietnam trip next year!
8. And we have hotels booked already.
9. New clothes, hahaha!
10. Looking forward to the long Christmas break!
To see how this started and for credits on the image, click here.
Conquering Mountains: Mt. Talamitam
Dec 13, 2013
Last November 30, we went for a hike at Mt. Talamitam in Brgy Aga in Batangas. We now have a group, the Nasugbu Adeventure Club, and together with some new-found friends, had a lot of fun climbing this 'easy' mountain. But let me tell you, the climb was not easy!
The sun was nowhere to be seen and we were thankful because we were on open, rolling hills and farmland. The wind was strong and there were occasional rain showers. here was a long assault before the summit and the wind was blowing so hard. We keep on losing our caps! But the view on the summit was priceless!
After a long photo session and once we've had our coffee, we went down a lot faster than we went up, hahahaha. We also had a sidetrip to Layong Bato (or Layong Bilog) where we had a dip on the cold river to rest our tired legs. The river was deep, maybe 15 feet or so and the water was so cold it immediately eased the soreness on my legs. We left after maybe an hour or so.
The jump-off to Mt. Talamitam is in Bgry Aga in Nasugbu. The bus and van drivers knows this place well. There was a registration fee of P20 and a guide fee of P300 for a group of 5 or so.
This is said to be an easy climb but again based on my personal experience, no climb is really easy. The more mountains I climb, the more humbled I become when I reach the summit! And the more mountains I climb, the more mountains there are to climb. I so love it!
A Parent's Ultimate Joy
Dec 6, 2013
I have never known how to truly love until I became a mother. And I have been a mother to this sweet, sweet boy for 11 years now and I love every minute of it! I am truly blessed to have him call me mom! Happy, happy birthday my dear Danniel!
Note: His birthday was last November 24 but I am swamped with work and school stuff that blogging has taken a back seat!
Wednesday Happy Thoughts
Nov 13, 2013
1. Finally enrolled for the 2nd semester of my MBA class.
2. Playing Candy Crush. I know, hahaha.
3. Done reading Allegiant. No spoilers here.
4. My sister Kris has a job now, but we don't get to see her much anymore, no thanks to her crazy schedule. I'm just happy that she is happy with her job.
5. Finally able to say goodbye to first sem after submitting our group thesis last Saturday! Yey!
6. Had my first class last Sunday and the instructor was good and let us go home early. It's a good sign, hahaha.
7. Zumba!
8. Sad for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda, yet happy for the strong Filipino spirit.
9. Signed up for some runs for the Yolanda victims.
10. Agreeing to cancel office Christmas parties and donating the money instead.
To see how this started and for credits on the image, click here.
Conquering Mountains: Mt. Pico De Loro
Nov 11, 2013
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| At the summit of Mt. Pico de Loro, after climbing the monolith |
Last November 3, we were finally able to push through with our supposedly last mountain for the year, Pico De Loro in Batangas, and I tell you, this is one beautiful mountain! And climbing that monolith was a defining moment for me. With focus and determination, I was able to overcome my fear and do it! And what a reward it was to be stand on top of that rock and say, "I did it"!
How to go there:
My friend Ehms and I left met at 4am in Pasay Rotanda, at the bus station behind McDonalds. Then we rode a van going to Nasugbu where we met our friend Teng, her husband and 2 officemates and our two guides from the Nasugbu Mountaineers. Fare was P180. We traveled to the jump-off point in the DENR and started our hike at around 9am. It was an 'easy' hike but I don't know who make the classifications but for me, it was not easy. But it was fun! Herbert, our guide, gives us time to catch our breath and we took out time taking pictures!
The weather was good for the climb as it was not too hot. Below is the beautiful view even before we reach the top!
After our lunch, we were ready to go up the monolith. I was really scared, but I said to myself, that I was there anyway and might as well do it, and so I did.
Focus! All photos at the monolith are from Herbert Endozo, our guide.
On top of the world!
Roy, Poli, Teng, Stanley, Monet and me at the top of the monolith. Herbert was at the summit poised to take our photos!
Thanks to Herbert for the wonderful photos!
After an hour, it was time to go down and scale the summit. Going up and down that monolith was an all-together different experience and I live it up to you to challenge yourself. But if you ask me if it was worth, oh hell yeah!
'It's not the mountain that we conquer but ourselves!
Marriage Isn't For You
Nov 5, 2013
No, a true marriage (and true love) is never about you. It’s about the person you love—their wants, their needs, their hopes, and their dreams. Selfishness demands, “What’s in it for me?”, while Love asks, “What can I give?”
Thor 2: The Dark World 3D Movie Screening
Oct 31, 2013
Super big thanks to Globe and Nuffnang for the 3d movie screening of Thor 2 last night in Resorts World Manila. It was awesome! The movie was awesome, and though I didn't win the Samsung S4 after tweeting 1oo times, I did enjoy myself!
Excited to watch Thor!
That's me and my son wearing our 3D glasses a while before the movie starts!
And my friend Ehms who also got a chance to watch, thanks to Teng! We also brought home a Globe tumbler as our loot for the night.
Drexelle did enjoy his first 3D movie screening at Resorts World!
The movie was awesome and I can't wait for the sequel! #TeamLoki!
Wednesday Happy Thoughts!
Oct 30, 2013
1. The Thor 2 movie screening tonight with Drex, thanks to Nuffnang and Globe.
2. Encouraging my kids to be active and to diet, thanks to our Biggest Loser contest at home.
3. The Energen Run last Sunday, with free singlets, thanks to Havas PR.
4. And the free Energen drinks that I am having for lunch daily.
5. Officially enrolled for the the 2nd semester of my MBA class.
6. The coming Pico De Loro climb this Sunday.
7. Our new Uratex foldable matress. Yey, happy sleeping!
8. Watching Now You See Me. I love Mark Ruffalo!
9. New Kindle Fire games for the kids, and not getting my hands on my Kindle anymore, hahaha.
10. The 50-min brisk walking session with my daughter this morning! Yey!
To see how this started and for credits on the image, click here.
I Am Watching Thor 2!!!
Oct 29, 2013
Thanks to Nuffnang and Globe, I am watching Thor 2 tomorrow at Resorts World Manila! This is for the Globe GoUNLI30 contest that I joined last week! I am so excited!
Our Very Pleasant Stay at House of Big Brother, Palawan
Oct 24, 2013
We went to Palawan last week and we all had a great time, largely because we stayed at a very nice hotel: the House of Big Brother. This hotel is located conveniently at Manalo St. in Puerto Princesa City which is just a tricycle ride away to all the destinations in the city tour. It is also a stone-throw away from Balinsasayaw restaurant, which is a very popular restaurant in the city and a 5-minute ride from the airport (P50 fare in tricycle). Now that you know how convenient its location is, let me now tell you why we loved it!
Below are the pictures of the hotel lobby, the cute swimming pool with Jacuzzi and water fountain and the common lounge. There is Wifi in the lobby and the common areas, and the light in the pool changes color at night from blue to red to green which was a hit with my kids. It is also right in front of our room and they have strict instructions for the guests to register, and shower, and not to spit while at the pool and common areas to enforce cleanliness. The lounge, while not air conditioned had several electric fans which made staying there quiet nice. There is also a hot and cold water dispenser for all the guests. The guests were not noisy because there were several discrete signs and reminders to be considerate of other guests.
Now let me tell you about our room. I reserved the family room with three beds in the pool side area. It comes with 3 double-sized bed, a very clean bathroom with hot and cold shower, its own kitchen with ref, microwave, rice cooker and convection cooker as well as eating and cooking utensils. The table was able to seat all 7 of us comfortably, and the water pressure at both the bathroom and at the sink was good. We had a big LCD wall-mounted TV and the aircon was very cool. There were many clothes hanger and there were 2 cabinets and a safe. I was able to cook our breakfast and dinner for our 3 nights at the hotel. They also have a grill which my husband used to cook 2 nights in a row! The beds were more than enough for the 5 of us and there were 2 pillows and 2 throw pillows each for each beds so we had more than enough. I really, really loved our room, and I was even able to get a discount! Talk about value for money! It was well-worth it!
Below is our happy family during our stay. The staff was very helpful and friendly. I had no problem at all with them from booking the hotel room and anytime during our 4-day stay. My kids were very happy with my choice of hotel, and they love the pool and the wifi. My husband love the TV and I love that it was equipped with a full-functioning kitchen! I was even able to ask for another cooking pan when I had 2 dishes to cook on our last night! The reservation desk was able to answer all our questions regarding tricycle fare and other places of interest. I really, really love our stay here and I highly recommend this hotel to everyone!
House of Big Brother
108 Manalo Street, Puerto Princesa City
bigbrotherhotel@yahoo.com
SMART: +63918-936-7767
GLOBE: +63917-88-22-44-2
Puerto Princesa PLDT Landline: (+63)(48) 723-5088
Wednesday Happy Thoughts!
Oct 23, 2013
1. The Palawan trip with the family! Super fun! Very thankful for this blessing and we hope to do this again next year!
2. The action shots of my kids during our city tour and Honda bay tour. Fun!
3. The nice Big Brother hotel room that we had! With a cute pool too.
4. Cooking for my family, and saving a lot too!
5. Tuna, shrimp and crabs in Palawan. Yummy!
6. My sister Kris is now officially employed. Yehey, magkaka-internet na kami!
7. Bakers Hill's hopia. Wish I bought more!
8. The very relaxing Honda Bay tour. And we weren't as burnt as I was afraid we were gonna be. Thanks to the rash guard we were able to rent.
9. I am now enrolled for the next semester. Well, almost. Just need to pay my tuition fees.
10. Work load is now back to normal!
To see how this started and for credits on the image, click here.
Air Asia Zest Brings You To A Destination of Your Choice!
Zest Air is now flying with AirAsia, the World's Best Low Cost Airline and with this AirAsia Zest brings you to a destination of your choice! And I am always on the hunt for low quality fares so that I can travel with my family especially now that AirAsia Zest can take us to our destinations at affordable prices. I even dare you to compare prices! Thanks to AirAsia Zest, the Right Way to Fly!
My Destination Wish List
Domestic
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| at the Baclayon Church Bell Tower |
1. Tagbilaran-our first ever family travel was in Bohol in 2008, and it is our most memorable travel yet. Despite the recent earthquake in Bohol, the city remains beautiful, and they need all the help that they can get to get back to their feet! And what better way to help Bohol than by helping in the tourism industry! AirAsia Zest flies from Manila to Tagbilaran daily.
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| by the white beach of Boracay |
2. Boracay-our family love the beach and my kids had an unforgettable time in Boracay! There is something for people of all ages to do and we sure would love to comeback! There is no beach more beautiful than Boracay, and once you see the sunset there, you will love the place for sure!
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| At the Magellan's Cross |
3. Cebu-my family loved the food and the places in Cebu. We were lucky to be able to see the Sto. Nino and to be blessed in His presence. We would also love to comeback if only for the lechon! Hahahaha!
International
I have only been out of the country once but these are the places that I want to visit with AirAsia Zest: Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Shanghai, Incheon. I will surely love to travel Asia with AirAsia!
1.Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: To see and have my photo taken at the Petronas Towers, one of the tallest building in the world!
2. Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia: I am a wannabee mountaineer but I would love to dare myself and climb Mount Kinabalu!
3. Shanghai- see the Puodng Skyline and marvel at how the Chinese people have become!
4. Incheon-Take a walk at Jayu Park and see the statue of Douglas "I Shall Return" McArthur preferably while the flowers are in bloom!
PRESS RELEASE:
Zest Air to be rebranded as AirAsia Zest
Offering Filipinos more choices, better value and enhanced services across a combined, larger network
MANILA, 20 September 2013 – Zest Air is now flying with AirAsia, The World’s Best Low Cost Airline. The Civil Aeronautics Board (“CAB”) approved “AirAsia Zest” as the new brand name of Zest Airways, Inc. CAB also approved the new logo of Zest Airways, Inc., wherein the Zest name has been incorporated into the iconic red hot circle, which is the signature logo of AirAsia.
AirAsia Zest Chairman Mikee Romero said, “We are excited to introduce AirAsia Zest, and what it represents. With our alliance, we are well positioned to offer our guests the strength of our combined network of domestic and international routes and unrivalled daily low fares, proving a world class travel experience that every Filipino deserves.
We hope this brand new look is the first of many steps towards making AirAsia Zest an airline that continues to revolutionize air travel in the Philippines. We are geared up and committed to ensuring that AirAsia Zest lives up to the same incredibly high standards of AirAsia,” Romero said.
Following this approval, the airline is currently updating its records with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to include the new business name “AirAsia Zest” in its permits with CAAP.
OneRepublic LIVE in Manila #OneRepublicMNL
Oct 22, 2013
I am not a very big concert fan but for OneRepublic, I will be making an exception! I can't wait to watch them live for he upcoming OneRepublic Native Tour on November 6 and I am so excited! I love their songs and I look forward to seeing them perform my Top 5 OneRepublic songs:
Apologize
Stop and Stare
Counting Stars
If I Lose Myself
Good Life
Universe, please make this happen!
One Semester Down!
Time really fly so fast! I have already completed 9 units of my MBA degree and I only have maybe, well, a lot more! The past weeks flew by so fast, what with all the requirements for my 3 subjects. I am thankful that I was able to complete my requirements in time, including several papers and final exams. I am happy to announce that though it was easy to find essays online, I didn't need it yet this semester. I have friends at work that helped me with completing my papers and I have them to thank for the quality of my work. They critique it quite capably, and I was made to understand the topics more because they are practitioners in their own field. It is really very easy when people around you are helpful and objective at the same time!
I am currently enjoying a few weeks of semester break and I am going to enjoy my weekends with the family! I missed this, but despite giving them up to complete my MBA, I know that it will be worth it in 3 years once I have completed the course! And this is going to be one hell of a personal accomplishment for me!
Real UnliCHAT Experience with Globe’s GoUnli3
Oct 14, 2013
How does Globe GoUNLI30 give you the REAL UNLI chat experience?
You get the REAL UNLI chat experience from Globe GoUNLI30 because it has everything that you can ever need from a phone, and all, as in all, your social media needs for just P30 a day. What else can you ever look for? My sister and my son both uses Globe and it makes it so convenient that we can get in touch with each other all the time, and at no extra cost! When my son has a homework and he needs my help, we just chat or send messages over Facebook. For my sister's job hunting tips, we share them over chat! There is really no reason why we can't all be connected, and it's only for P30 a day!
- With GoUNLI30, subscribers get unlimited texts to all networks, unlimited calls to Globe/TM, and unlimited chat with the best messaging apps like Viber, Kakao Talk, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat, Line and the telco’s very own messaging app GMessage without the need for Wi-Fi or additional data charges. Available for only P30 valid for 1 day, GoUNLI30 gives you no excuse to stay out of the loop and connect with more than 1 billion users around the world regardless of mobile network or location.
- Go all-out unlimited with GoUNLI30 and UNLICHAT25 now. Register by dialing *143# and then choosing GoSAKTO on your Globe mobile phone or texting GOUNLI30 or UNLICHAT25 to 8888
So yeah, I am switching to Globe today and you should too!
Friday Letters
Oct 11, 2013
Dear Reaction Papers and Take-Home Final Exam, I am finally done with you! Goodbye and I hope not to see you again until next semester! Dear MBA, Remind me again why I even started with you. Dear Palawan Trip, its only 5 days and despite my hectic schedule and deliverables, I am so excited and I just can't hide it! Dear Fat, You only have 10 days to stay in my body then I promise to get rid of you for good! That is a challenge! Dear Sense of Smell, it's good to have you back thanks to medications! I really want to enjoy our coming trip, including the food. Dear Money, never mind! Thanks for nothing! Hmmmp! Dear Thesis, I am ignoring you!
Wednesday Happy Thoughts!
Oct 10, 2013
"Keep an attitude of gratitude!"
Happiness is:
1. Being busy at work and with school projects, and still having some time to blog!
2. Going to my ENT and getting much needed relief (and medicines) so I can smell again. May opt for surgery though if one week of treatment doesn't work.
3. Can't smell a thing, but still eats well, too well! Ha ha ha!
4. Cadbury chocolate.
5. Putok ni Arnold. Arnold is this guy who sells putok in the office, and our boss buys the whole bunch for us to eat.
6. Our thesis is almost done!
7. The excitement of our Palawan trip is in the air and the kids are having a countdown!'
8. My pedicure, thanks to IShi!
9. Sardines with Kalamansi. Yummy!
10. Almost done with my papers and setting a time table to review for another Finals tomorrow. Now, if only I can stop blogging! Hahaha!
To see how this started and for credits on the image, click here.
Eden Christmas: #DamangDama 2013
Oct 9, 2013
I couldn't help but cry. So touching and it captured my heart! It's just so beautiful. We need more of this.
Durian!!!
I have been to Davao, but I have not tried the Durian fruit! There is my confession. I bought that fruit in the picture as pasalubong but mom tried only a little and she threw it away! Hmmmp. But I have tried the Durian shake and Durian ice cream and candies and they don't taste bad, hahaha. My friends keep telling me that its because I haven't had the 'full' experience, meaning I can't smell it! But after I tried the Durian shake, my mouth did smell bad, hahaha! I promise to try eating the fruit one day, when I can smell something so I can tell honestly whether I like it or not. Ayan ha, promise yan! (Yey, one reason to go back to Davao!)
Downtown Davao
Oct 8, 2013
After our lunch at Blue Carabao, we went around downtown Davao on foot. We went fruit shopping at Magsaysay fruit stand, at Chinatown then at Aldevinco's. We stopped by for some photo-ops in front of the imposing Marco Polo hotel, and then at some other Pasalubong centers. We discovered Davao, and that we would love to come back for more. The city is clean, and the people are friendly. I love Davao indeed!
Wednesday Happy Thoughts!
Oct 2, 2013
Happiness is:
1. Done with hotel and tour bookings for our Palawan trip on the 15th!
2. Watching Runner, Runner courtesy of Nuffnang and Globe.
3. Booked our El Nido trip for next year with the Superfriends! I know I said no more travel for next year but I have so little self-control when it comes to Piso sale, hahaha!
4. Winning P500 Travel Club GC from Travelbook.ph This will for the staycation I plan this December, hahaha. I know! More gastos!
5. Enjoying my MBA but super panic for my finals in Statistics! I WILL GET OVER THIS! (say 1000x times!)
6. Can't wait to see my ex-boss tomorrow! She is one of kindest person I have met and I have learned a lot from her.
7. Our Ministop raid last Sunday! Hahaha, we bought Fried Chicken, ice cream, hotdog and kariman. And we were supposed to buy only ice cream after going to mass! Ang tatakaw talaga!
8. Eating at Silantro last Friday. I can still imagine the delicious food!
9. Penoy with sukang maanghang. Ako na ang diet!
10. Carbtrim! (sabay bawi!)
To see how this started and for credits on the image, click here.
I Won Travel Club Vouchers from Travelbook!
Yehey for small blessings! I just won P500 vouchers from Travelbook.ph through their Facebook contest! All you have to do is to like their FB page, and comment and you can be one of the lucky winners of their contests, just like me! And they do have great promos for hotels all over the country so do like their FB page and visit their website!
List of 2014 Holidays
Oct 1, 2013
Be informed so you can your trips ahead! Here are the list of holidays for 2014 per the recent announcement. The Muslim holidays (Eid El Fitr and Eidul Adha) will be announced later.
Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina: Yummmyyyyy!!!
Sep 30, 2013
Once in a while, we haul our lazy butts off the office and eat outside for a change. And this was well worth the trip to Kapitolyo from our office in Ortigas on a rainy Friday afternoon! Our friend Jana swear that the food here was good and she was right! I loveeee everything!
We had beef tacos, quesadillas, chicken wings, all of these to share, and then we each had either the burger or the soft shells tacos and the dalandan juice. Apologies for the photos, but we were really hungry and the food was really, really great! And with all that, our bill only came to about P1,300! Not bad for such great food!
Silantro Fil-mex Cantina is located at 75 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig.
