Tulip garden near Seattle, WA.
Yogyakarta, Indonesia (July 26 – 28, 2013)
This is my first trip outside of Singapore with my bestfriend, Edward. Thanks to the invitation my college roomies who also live in Singapore.
First stop, we checked in at our hotel – Royal Ambarrukmo.
Purawisata
Had dinner at Purawisata where they also showed Ramayana ballet in their open air theatre.
Ramayana Ballet
Prambanan
Stopped for some fresh buko juice before heading out to our next destination.
And got myself a hat from this lovely and friendly old lady
Kesuma Restaurant
Thanks to the recommendation of one of our college friends, Kelvin, who visited Yogyakarta before, we tried this secret restaurant that serves delicious local cuisine.
The French owner was very friendly and took the time to explain to us what’s on the menu. They apparently change the menu once a year and they have limited copies of it.
Since we were the only guests at the restaurant, the Chef, who is also the wife of the owner, came out to chat with us. They even had pictures with us. Such great hosts!
Borobudur
When we got to Borobudur, we tried to catch the sunset at the top of the temple. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy.
We checked in at the Saraswati Hotel, an old but very pretty boutique hotel near the temple.
We woke up at 4:00 AM the next day to catch the sunrise on top of Borobudur temple.
There was probably over a hundred people eagerly waiting for the sunrise.
From afar, we also caught a glimpse of Mt. Merapi which is one of the active volcanoes in Yogyakarta.
We went back to Saraswati around 7:30 AM for a quick breakfast before going back to the city for some quick shopping before our flight back to Singapore.
Singapore
Back in Singapore, we had a quick seafood dinner in East Coast with my friends before I flew back to Manila.
A Beautiful Boracay Wedding (April 13, 2013)
Back in Boracay after 6 months!
Was blessed to be invited by my good friend, Bucky, at his wedding in Boracay this weekend. Bucky was my batchmate in college at the Ateneo de Manila University and we both stayed at the college dorm, Cervini Hall for the guys and Eliazo Hall for the girls. When he mentioned that the wedding will be in Boracay, didn’t think twice about it! I immediately booked my flight and hotel.
I arrived in Boracay last Friday night at 11:00 PM, two hours later than expected. The plane could not leave Manila because of some congestion in Kalibo. Apparently, flights to Caticlan were redirected to Kalibo because of some event. So, I did not get a chance to meet with dorm friends who were already in Boracay.
The wedding was not until 2:00 in the afternoon. So, I decided to have a relaxing morning by the beach. Got my simple breakfast at One Crescent Place before heading out to the beach. In my beach bag was a book, sunblock, my phones, phone charger and, of course, some money. I planned on having a massage at some point by the beach. Yes, massage by the beach. And it only costs PHP 400 at most (around US$ 10).
When I got to the beach, this was the sight that welcomed me.
While walking by the beach to look for a good spot to hang out, I accidentally saw Roldan, another dorm friend from Ateneo waiting for his breakfast at Jony’s. Then we were joined by Albert who was checked in at Jony’s along with his fiance, Cor. Albert is also from the dorm. We went to Jonah’s for some fruitshake. Their milkshake is a must-try. Albert got an avocado milkshake, I got a mango milkshake and I think Roldan got a banana-mango milkshake.
Since we still had time, we decided to get a massage by the beach. We went back to Jony’s and they helped get a masseuse for us.
By the time Roldan and Albert were done with their massage, the water has reached the table. It was high tide!
The Wedding
Got to the Holy Rosary Parish church a little bit before 2:00 PM. It was so cool to see these cool Cervini guys again. Back in college, there was a group of 15 guys in Cervini who called themselves the ‘Lonely Hearts Club’. Their goal was to make sure all of them find the one for them and get married someday. Bucky was the President. He is now officially resigned, the third to the last to get married 🙂
A few minutes later, we were all asked to take our seats. The doors were opened, and the radiant bride walked in.
Father Lito Mangulabnan, SJ, who was our Head Prefect for a period of time at the dorm, officiated the wedding. He knew Bucky well. During homily, he assured Kaye that she was marrying a really good man.
Cocktails
The newly weds served cocktails at Sea Wind. Wong hosted the event along with one of Kaye’s lady friends. Wong was hilarious! I think he did a great job making the program fun for everyone.
After cocktails, we were asked to join the newly weds for some pictures with the sunset in the background.
Dinner
A section by the beach was setup for dinner.
Got this beautiful shot of the reception area and the bluish sky after the sun set and the little moon came out.
We welcomed the newly weds to the party with sparklers!
Kaye’s bestfriend opened the party with a heart-felt message to Kaye and Bucky. Then, he surprised them with a number from their friends – a dragon dance! According to Wong, the dragon dance was for prosperity and fertility! 😉
I was just telling the guys at my table that I wanted to watch a fire dance by the beach. Then, these wonderful people came in! According to Wong, the fire dance was also for fertility! Lol
During dinner, Kaye’s father asked if he could sit with us at our table. He was overwhelmed by the entire thing. But he was very happy for his daughter. He went on to share with us how they brought in the butchered cow that was roasted on the spot for the wedding. They hired a boat from Bacolod to Aklan. They brought all the stuff they needed to roast and the men who will do it.
Dancing ensued after the dinner and program. Fun times!
It was so warm that night that the guys, led by Wong, took off their white shirts and danced the night away. Even the groom took off his shirt! Haha! By the way, Wong – as Bucky asked throughout the event, how did you get that physique? ;D
Unfortunately, I could not stay long at the party since my flight the next day was at 9:30 AM. I had to leave the hotel at around 6:00 AM. Boracay is about two hours away from Kalibo. I needed to take a 15-minute boat ride to Caticlan, then another an hour and a half land trip by van to Kalibo airport. There is also an airport in Caticlan but the flight I got was in Kalibo.
One Crescent Place
This boutique hotel was not on the beach front, but it was right behind the church and was only 3 minutes away from the beach on foot. Found it on Expedia. Why I picked it? The rates were reasonable, the reviews were good, and it was close to the church. I actually did not know where the church was except that it is in Station 1.
It was a very neat place and the room was cozy. But, what I liked most was the service. When I told the guy during check-in that I will miss breakfast on Sunday, since it is normally served at 7:00 AM, he said they can serve my breakfast before 6:00 AM. And they did, and they made sure I was already awake to take my breakfast at 5:45 AM.
https://www.facebook.com/onecrescentplace/
http://www.onecrescentplace.com/
Singapore Visit 2013 (Feb 22-25, 2013)
Had a quick visit to Singapore to get some ‘stuff’ from my good friend, Edward, and to meet up with good friends I have not seen in a while.
This time, I chose to stay with another good College friend, Hazel.
Since I was arriving on Friday noon, Edward decided to take the day off to accompany me during the day. Edward picked me up at the airport. We left my bags at Hazel’s place first then went to get late lunch at a Japanese place.
We went around the mall to look for Singtel to inquire about their iphone 5. My sister’s been bugging me to goto Singapore to buy one for here. Edward offered to use his renewal plan to get the phone for free. My sister can pay him at a much lower rate.
Dinner with College Friends
At around 7pm, we went to look for Artichoke – Hazel’s pick for dinner.
Gail wasn’t able to make it to dinner, but glad Aldhel made it.
While waiting for Gail, we decided to go get some dessert.
Lunch with SVI Friends
The next day, met up with my girlfriends from SVI – Rege, Chris and Ela.
Singapore Flyer Ride
After three hours of eating and sharing stories, went to ride the Singapore Flyer
After the ride, we had some Authentic Singapore snacks.
Marina Bay Sands
Then we went to Marina Bay Sands, my first time there as well.
A few minutes after 8 PM, we went out to watch the light show.
After walking around Marina Bay Sands dor hours, we decided to have a late dinner at Kraze Burger.
At Hazel’s Place
Supertrees Dining
Passed through this artsy tunnel on our way to Supertrees to have lunch with some College friends.
These Supertrees generate natural electricity!
Zoe’s Birthday Party
At around 2:00 PM, I got ready to meet up with Chris to attend Zoe’s birthday party at Hard Rock Hotel in Sentosa.
Dinner at Dian Xiao Er
Met up with Edward for dinner at Vivo City before heading home.
Lalaine and Russ: A Beautiful Wedding in Napa (Oct 2012)
Getting There
I arrived in Pleasanton the day before from my week-long trip in New York. As soon as Jazel arrived from Seattle, she picked me up at my hotel, we had a quick lunch at Stoneridge Mall, then headed out to Napa in time for the 4:00 PM wedding rehearsal. We can’t be late or else the beautiful bride will not be happy 🙂 We had a fun ride catching up on things. Well, I did not have much to share, not much has happened to me. Jazel had more exciting things to share that I cannot share here (nor with anyone else… haha, nang-intriga pa) 😉
The Venue
Beautiful, isn’t it?
Dinner with the family, close friends and entourage
After the rehearsal, the group went to this elegant Italian restaurant. Shared stories with old and new friends.
Bridal Shower
After dinner, Elaine suggested that we give Lalaine a bridal shower since many of us are from far away places (Jasmine from LA, Jazel from Washington, Aileen from Virginia, and me from the Philippines) and could not get together weeks before. We decided to meet at Crush (and we got lost going there, haha!)
Pictorial before the Ceremony
At the Ceremony
Could not take pictures, but snuck this one 🙂
Married!
Pictorial again after the Ceremony.
We tried to catch some of the light. Had a hard time going up and down the hill in my 3-inch heels. Well, Lalaine had a much harder time in her 4-inch heels! I should not be complaining.
Cocktails
Outtakes
What we did before going to Meritage for the preparations for the wedding.
Jazel, Aileen and I took a walk around the area and took some silly pictures, haha! We decided we need some exercise!!!
My Weekend in Baguio (May 5-6, 2012)
A few weeks ago, I made a promise to a few friends, especially to Ariel, that I will meet with them in Baguio for dinner and drinks on May 5 to compensate for missing out on Ariel and Allen’s special day last February 4 (It was all because of this).
After a night at the movies with my archu-friends, I went directly to the bus station to get a ride to Baguio. Got on the 3:00 AM trip and arrived in Baguio at 10:30 AM. Ariel and Odo picked me up at the terminal and took me to Hale ‘Opua Bed and Breakfast where we spent the night (more on this later).
FOREST HOUSE
I didn’t know a lot of good restaurants in Baguio. So, I turned to Foursquare to get an idea of popular restaurants around the area. As soon as I spotted Forest House in the list, I knew it was a place I wanted to visit. None of my friends have been there but I heard it was a must-try place. I went ahead and placed a reservation with them.
What a quaint place Forest House was! We were welcomed by this impressive fireplace.
We were led to a corner table with a window. Nice!
And look at what was on the table. Yes, this is definitely our table.
While waiting for my friends to arrive, I couldn’t help but walk around the picturesque place and take pictures!
From the deck, I saw a yard below which got me curious. Apparently, below the restaurant was bed and breakfast.
By the time I got back to the restaurant, the place was already filled with diners. Dan, Ariel and Allen arrived as well. Immediately, we ordered food!
While eating, we were treated to some wonderful music by this trio.
And, of course, here is the group
More information about the Forest House Bed and Breakfast, visit www.foresthousebedandbreakfast.com.
Part 2 on Hale ‘Opua Bed and Breakfast to follow 🙂
Postcard from an old friend
Finally connected with a good, old friend last Sunday through Yahoo Messenger. It was a long shot. Was pleasantly surprised to get a message back from him. I probably should go online more.
Here’s the postcard he sent via e-mail after I sent him pictures of me and our old friend, Dicky, and our godson, Miguel Luis.
I miss the old days.
Stacey’s and Dilbert
Judy Gallagher and Kathy Kelly took me to lunch at Stacey’s. It’s a cute little place located on Main Street in downtown Pleasanton, California serving Fresh California Cuisine.According to Judy, the owner of the place is also the author of Dilbert, Scott Adams. No wonder, the menu has some funny anecdotes and side comments. Just read their philosophy:
Our Philosophy
No matter how finicky you are, our servers are trained to resist the urge to slap you senseless. Feel free to ask for changes to your meal. We can add garlic, delete spices, remove meat if you’re a vegetarian, whatever change you like as long as it’s legal. And if no one is watching, we’re flexible on the legal thing too.
A sample from their lunch menu:
They were also selling Dilbert dolls.
Judy got one for me!
Miche!
Kevin sent me an IM today at work and gave me their house number so I can call Miche. It was so nice of him. I even forgot that Miche is already here. Called her after dinner and had a fun time reminiscing things with her and updating her with what’s happening in Philtech. We might have a sleepover at their house when Elaine and Jaja arrives.
