Still Needing a Halloween Costume

It's been a month or so since I started thinking about Halloween costumes and I still do not have one! I really need to get this done because I just cannot show up without a costume this time around. Come to think of it, I have always been bad with Costumes.

I already shared that story about being new in my current job and being the only person on the team NOT wearing a costume for Halloween. Going further back in time, I cannot remember a single time that I had a great costume. When I was in college, I would hide in my dorm room because I did not want to socialize and I didn't have a good costume of my own.

Oh well, things change and thank God I have found Costume Cauldron. They not only provide cool costumes for all occasions - Halloween not exempted - but they also pay special attention to halloween costume safety. This is particularly important for me as, if you have any idea about our company, our parties can get quite wild.

People at work love their alcohol and know how to party. Even without alcohol, things can get really wild. Add wine and beer to the equation and you can just imagine the possible accidents that may occur. As such, safety in costumes is paramount to enjoying the evening fully.

Another thing about this site that I liked is that they have a special section for plus size costumes. I know I am incriminating myself but what the heck - I was just really happy to see this section. I was expecting just a few items to choose from but I got a nice surprise - there were quite a lot to browse through. Check out some of my choices:

So they're both fairies - one is just darker than the other. Which one do you think would be a better choice?

July 4th at Home

I know that Jerry misses some things from the US even if he does not really complain much about these things. That's why we were supposed to go to an "American" restaurant tonight. The rain changed our minds about going to Makati, though. For sure, the cab drivers would be even more difficult than usual.

Anyhow, we decided to have pizza and pasta at home. We just called a Veneto and had them deliver the food. We laid out his table out on the balcony (Jer's Place we call it) and hung out. Our neighbor, Jeremiah hung out with us for a while also.
We had no fireworks but the food was good!

Baconcheeseburger pizza

Lasagna - the cheese is awesome!

Jer taking a big bite

Happy Fourth of July! (I didn't realize that I was still wearing my office ID - talk about loyalty.)

Pacquiao-Diaz Fight And Las Vegas

After the long day we had yesterday, we didn't really feel like doing anything today so we spent most of it in front of the TV. At noon, we watched the much-awaited Pacquiao-Diaz fight on local TV, which provided a free telecast. After the first few rounds, I didn't think that Pacquiao was going to be able to knock Diaz out - the guy was one tough *#$! Manny found his sweet spot, though, and knocked him out, making history.

Anyhow, watching the fight made me think about going on vacation again. I know I probably would not be able to go and have a vacation anywhere in the United States until we actually go there for good (which would take a long time because of the visa processing) but the footage of the fight in Las Vegas made me want to have at least one Vegas experience.

Las Vegas vacations are well known all over the world to be quite an experience - something that would probably hard to equal. It could be quite expensive but the good thing is that you can find lots of good deals on offer most of the time. I am sure that when the time comes, I'll be able to utilize sites like Shermans Travel to plan a more affordable trip to the city that never sleeps.

I'm rambling...anyone here have any experience in Vegas?

Find a Coffee House Wherever You Are

Whenever we travel, one of the first things we look for is a good coffee house. Even if we just visit a new mall, that's one of the first things that we look for. After an hour of walking around, there is nothing like sitting down at a nice coffee shop, sipping a great cup of joe.

Of course, it would be easier if there were some kind of database which you can check for coffee shops, right? I came across a web site that does just that. Want Beans is a site which helps people find a great coffee house. The good thing about the site is that it does not only list down different shops, it also allows users to create their own reviews about the shops, providing relevant information that can help you determine which coffee shop to visit.

I think that coffee lovers everywhere should pitch in and write about their favorite coffee shops and discover new ones along the way. This site would surely lessen the work for all of us!

When Wanderlust Hits

As a little girl, I liked to day dream about visiting various places in the world. I think that of all the places that I read about, I had two dream cities. These two cities really captured my interest and I remembering promising myself that one day, I would get to visit them. One is Paris and the other is New York.

I guess wanderlust hit me early on. The only thing that kept me (and keeps me!) from going is time and money - plus the fact that I was only in grade school when I felt the urge to discover the world.

Today, I can say that I am starting to live my dream. I have traveled to a few Asian countries and some areas in the Philippines. I haven't had my New York City travel or my Paris escapade yet but I am sure that they will come.

For now, I'll settle for a week in Singapore and Malaysia - if all goes well, this plan will push through in September. I do hope we'll get to go - the travel bug is nagging at me again!

Food Tripping in Puerto Galera: Luca's at Talipanan Beach

When I first heard of "the other side" of Puerto Galera, one of the things that stuck to my mind was Luca's. A colleague told me about this little Italian restaurant at the end of Talipanan Beach. He insisted that if there is one place we should eat at, it was Luca's.

Of course, being the lovers of Italian food that we are, we were hell bent on going there at least once. We were fortunate enough to have met friends on our first day at the beach - thanks to Jerry's extremely extroverted nature - and Jerry got them all excited about Luca's as well.

What we didn't know was that Luca's was quite far from Tamaraw Beach, that is if you take the road, which we did. I imagine that it would have been easier and faster if we could have walked on the beach but there was this huge boulder in between Tamaraw Beach and Talipanan Beach. So, unless we wanted to swim around it, we had to take the road. Anyhow, the resort offered their van. Since there were 8 of us, the PhP400 fee was not bad. I am glad that we didn't take the tricycle as we originally planned. The last part of the road was VERY rough. I don't think a tricycle could have taken us all the way!

So what about the food? Luca is Italian and according to him, he has found his place in this world - in Talipanan. I am just glad that we found his little place on the beach - the food was fantastic! I would have to say that it was the best Italian meal I have ever had in my entire life! I love Avenetos but it is nothing compared to Luca's pizza and pasta.

The funny thing was that in the beginning, Luca didn't seem too friendly at all. When we first got there, there was a bunch of men at a table. Jerry and the other guys approached them and asked if they knew where Luca was. This guy shrugged asked them who they were. So introductions were made and it was only after a few minutes of chatting that they guy said, "I'm Luca." Hmmm...

It doesn't matter - he was friendly enough to make baked ziti, which was not part of his menu. Not only was it delicious, the servings were so big that we were able to take home some of it!

I think the dish that I liked most was the seafood marinara, though. (Thanks, Moncho, for ordering it!)

The stromboli is something else as well - I will forever be comparing it to Fazoli's (which is the nearest place I can get stromboli at).

Sorry about the lighting - we had to turn the lights off due to the insects!

Oh, and it was at Luca's that I had my first taste of grappa. I have heard of this drink from my Italian learner but I never thought that it was going to be that potent! Moncho, our new friend from Spain, bought us all a round of grappa. I was so embarrassed because I was not able to finish mine - lightweight!

Was there anything negative about our experience at Luca's? Nothing with regard to the food. We could have done away with the insects that came in droves when darkness fell, though.

Of Caravans and Mobile Homes

Lately, I have been feeling cooped up and restless. Perhaps it is because I have just come back from a vacation - I always yearn for something different at the end of each trip. Yesterday at work, a colleague and I were talking about finding a different place to live, somewhere closer to nature and out of the big bad city.

I've always wanted to try living in a mobile home. Jerry used to live in one. I still remember Nikki's little boo boo about that when Jerry first came over. We were watching TV and the show featured those homes. Out of the blue, Nikki said "Jerry, don't homeless people live in mobile homes?"

You should have seen Jerry's face!!! Nikki's face, when Jerry told her he used to live in one, was even better!!!

Anyhow, I want to look into an extended trip - maybe a month or so - wherein we could live in a caravan. If things work out right, Static Caravans in Europe (North Wales in particular) seem to be a wonderful choice. For one, these caravans are set in very scenic places - I am sure I'll get the ambiance I am looking for. More so, from the pictures I have seen, the caravans are quite comfortable - even luxurious, by our standards. I should start setting aside the money now if this dream is to come true.

Thinking of Travel Insurance for the Next Trip

Now, I am not sure that my back pain was brought about by something that happened on our vacation. All I know is that I felt excruciating pain on the 3rd day of the trip. It went away when I took pain killers but it came back with a vengeance several days later.

It's been a little more than a week now and the pain is still there. It has subsided a bit - it only hurts when I sit in a certain position or when I move suddenly. Still, it is hindering me from functioning normally.

This led me to thinking...maybe next time, I should get travel health insurance. I don't really want to be pessimistic but you never know what might happen. Next time, it might be more than back pain.

Food Tripping in Puerto Galera: Tutti Frutti

The sound of the gently crashing waves, the warmth of the sun, the slightly pungent smell of the sea air, and the mouthwatering smell of pizza - our senses were treated to these each time we visited Tutti Frutti. We heard about it from Jerry's friend, Ali, but we didn't really go out of our way to find it. It was thus a pleasant surprise when we stumbled upon this little restaurant right next to Tamaraw Beach Resort.

We had just finished swimming for the night and were enjoying each other's company when the bright lights and the thumping beats of a fire dancer's show caught our attention from a distance. We decided to walk over and see what it was all about. It's a good thing we did - we saw the store and Jerry mentioned needing cigarettes so we headed over. That's when we saw the sign Tutti Frutti and we remembered what Ali was talking about.

It was way too late to have a bite so we decided to go over for lunch the next day. One meal and we were hooked. Their pizza has a thin crispy crust and a very light tomato base. It's not ready made tomato sauce, mind you. You can taste the freshness of the minced tomatoes with each bite!

For picky eaters, you can ask Raphael - the owner of the restaurant - to make a half and half pizza. I like everything on my pizza, Jerry only likes the meat. So each time we ordered a pizza, we had one side bare and had all the other toppings on the other side. The Margherita Pizza captured my heart (or stomach, rather). Pizza prices range from PhP200++ to PhP300++.

If you like adding a little kick to your pizza, forget about the regular hot sauce or pepper flakes. Try their garlic sauce instead - olive oil with garlic and crushed chili peppers.


The Weiner Schnitzel is a must as well. For around PhP300, you get two large slabs of pork and a nice serving of french fries.

Going to Tutti Frutti was not just all about the food, though. Raphael is a nice guy. He sits there and makes conversation with you. He's been in Puerto Galera for 15 years - you'd envy this guy's life! Oh, I shouldn't forget Tutti, Jerry's favorite buddy. Tutti is an 8-year-old monkey that Raphael bought from the natives. I think Tutti and Jerry made a connection - see for yourself.

Monkeys notwithstanding, you should make it a point to visit Tutti Frutti if you ever find yourself in Puerto Galera. Here's Raphael himself inviting you to come over and say hi - and eat his pizza, of course!

In Search of Good Luggage

Though Jer and I may not travel as much as other people do, we have had our fair share of traveling over the past few years. As a result, our trusty pieces of luggage are starting to show the effects of wear and tear. The black carry-on bag Jer normally uses has a broken wheel while the duffel bag I usually carry has torn zippers. It's time to get new luggage, don't you think?

I have been looking on the Internet to see what options we have and Swiss Army luggage has caught my eye. They have a very wide selection - various styles, colors, and sizes. I have to check them out at stores pretty soon before we go on our next trip.

Tamaraw Beach: An Island Paradise

You know how you see those small patches of beaches on TV with no people in it? That's what Tamaraw Beach seemed like to me - except for Saturday, that is.

We arrived there on Thursday and stayed till Monday and I can say that we found a keeper! As I mentioned in the last post about the beach, the sand is not really white - nothing compared to Boracay - but the ambiance of the place is something else. Plus, for the price they charge you for the rooms, it is really worth it.

There are two general types of accommodations at the resort - the hotel rooms and the cottages. We wanted the cottages but they were all booked for the weekend so we had to make do with a room on the third floor of the hotel. I was not disappointed, though. The room was big, with two double beds and 2 extra cots. It was obvious that they cater to families but couples will certainly enjoy the extra space. In our room, we had a nice and clean bathroom with hot water (no bathtub though), cable TV, and a personal fridge. The balcony had a perfect view of the beach and the horizon as well. They supply bath soaps, toilet paper, and bath towels.

Our hotel room

Perhaps what took away a little bit from the experience is the service and the price of the food. There is this little hut on the beach where we liked to stay. It is within sight of the restaurant but we hardly got service at all. More often than not, we would have to go to the restaurant and get our own drinks.

Our hangout

The biggest drawback for me is that their coffee was instant coffee - I really missed my brewed coffee in the morning! Their food was quite good - we didn't really eat much there but for our first meal, Jerry ordered a tanigue steak (PhP 300!) and I had pork sinigang (PhP160). I thought it was quite pricey but the servings were huge and we got really full.

For breakfast, we normally had the American breakfast (about PhP180) and a big breakfast (I forget the name) for PhP200. Overpriced, I think as you get only one egg. If you want another egg, that's another PhP55. What I really liked was their fresh fruit platter. For PhP100, you'll get a huge chunk of watermelon, pineapples, mangos, and sometimes, papaya. Needless to say, that's what we had most of the time.

Look at that!

Food and service aside, the beach is perfect for relaxing. Our routine was to get up in the morning, have breakfast, and then go swimming for an hour or so. We would then sit on the numerous lounge chairs scattered around the beach. Most of the time, it was peaceful - Jer would put on some music and I'd read my book. After an hour or so of just lying around, we'd go up to take a shower and then head on to neighboring Tutti Frutti or White Beach for lunch (more about these places in another post).

Reading Robert Jordan at the beach

The water temperature is perfect at this time of the year - we even went swimming at night! One thing I could say about this vacation - I actually went swimming on my own! I don't know how to swim, really, but the water is perfectly safe - no riptides and the depth is just right. There are often lots of waves but they just add to the fun - try riding a big wave and you'll know what I mean.

Swimming at night with Ann

I really like Tamaraw Beach. Their service was kind of redeemed at the end of our stay when, upon checking out, the girl gave us a flat rate of PhP1,500 for our room instead of charging us PhP1,800 for the weekend nights, which is their published rate. We ended up saving quite a considerable sum because of this! I think we'll go back in August with the whole family - they have apartments for rent with kitchenettes where you can cook (more savings!). These fit 10 people max.

If you live in Manila or nearby areas, Tamaraw Beach is perfect for a weekend getaway. You can call Cynthia at 0927-597-5588.

Destination: Puerto Galera (Tamaraw Beach)

I had my doubts about going to Puerta Galera for this vacation but time and financial constraints didn't leave us with too many choices. As it turned out, it was one of the best vacations we've ever had!

We stayed at the Tamaraw Beach Resort - found it on the Internet and was subsequently recommended by friends. The beach is located in between two other beaches - White Beach (the more popular location in PG) and Talipanan Beach. The sand is not white, but neither is it black - let's say that it has a brownish hue. The waves were relatively huge, especially when compared to Boracay and Baras (in Guimaras). The resort itself, though, is something to be quite happy about. (more about this later)

First view of Tamaraw Beach Resort

So how did we get there? We took a bus in Cubao - the bus station is behind Ali Mall. Christene, a friend from work, suggested taking the bus line Alps. It took us directly to Batangas Pier and the bus ride took about 2.5 hours. It would be faster if you had your own car - they have secure parking at the pier. The bus ride cost us PhP153 per head.

Upon arrival at the pier, we were quite surprised at how nice and modern (relatively) it was. It actually rivals some of the provincial airports that we have! Unfortunately, there does not seem to be much of a difference when it comes to keeping to the schedule. We had to wait for about an hour for our boat. It wouldn't have been so bad had we not been starving (we left at 5.30am and the boat didn't leave till 10.30am).

On the boat

If you want to go to Tamaraw Beach or Talipanan Beach, you should take the boat line we took (Commandos) as they can take you there directly. The other lines go to White Beach only. I liked how everyone got off at White Beach, leaving only Jer, myself, and another girl - in my mind, that meant no people at Tamaraw! (As things turned out, we made friends with that girl -again, more about this later). By the way, the fare is PhP250 per person, one way. They can also pick you up at the same beach for the same price, just let the people at the resort's reception area know.

(More on the resort in the next post)

Welcome Back To The City

The past 5 days have been spent in a newly discovered paradise. For many, I think Puerto Galera is not an attractive place to visit anymore. However, the place we went to for our summer vacation was, for the lack of a better word, great. We have just gotten back home so I will put off writing about the vacation later on when I have settled down - I have TONS of material for blog posts!

Anyhow, what I wanted to write about is the huge difference between the city and the province. We never had a stressful moment at the beach - even with the vendors bugging us left and right and more than one person trying to rip us off. On the other hand, we hadn't been in the city for more than several hours when we had one of the most stressful encounters with a cab driver (of course, what can I expect?).

Here I am dreaming of the beach again...

A Day At The Manila Ocean Park

I have been meaning to write about our little family trip to the Manila Ocean Park for more than a month now - just didn't have the time to do so until now. I was told not to expect much by Livi. She went there with her husband and baby daughter and said that it was just "ok." I still thought a trip would be nice, especially since not one of us had ever been to an ocean park - with the exception of Jerry, of course.

So how was the experience? I have to say that the park itself was nice. It is true that the fish were still small. The sharks were quite disappointing, actually.



Still, Silas and Sam were awed by the whole experience so it was worth it.


Isn't that beautiful?


My beef is this - the park has absolutely NO system when it came to touring the premises. They just let people in in droves. As a result, we were all squished and pushed like sardines in a can. I hope that they will do something about that. We just might go back for a visit when there are more sea creatures on display and when the sharks get bigger.

Give Me Motivation, Please!

It's summer time and we all know what that means - time to hit the beach! We are actually going to the beach for a week (that's why you may not see updates for the next few days) and since we started planning the trip, I have been telling myself to ride my exercise bike every day. I got this elliptical bike months ago but it has not been used much lately.

Ellipticals are much better than the regular exercise bikes because they are easier on the joints. For me, though, it is not the comfort that is the problem - it's the motivation. Even going to beach didn't seem enough to push me! Help?

There Goes My Vacation?

PLEASE NO! I only take major vacations twice a year. I look forward to these times as I work hard year round and it is only during these breaks that I can totally forget my work load. Work hard, play harder - totally cliche but true as well.

Anyhow, you saw the DHL post I had earlier. We had a box shipped from the U.S. last Wednesday and according to the agreement with DHL, it should have been delivered today (3 days express shipping). Of course, being the eager beavers that we are, we constantly track the status of the box.

The last update? 2.56 this morning.

Status? Clearance delayed.

Countless calls to DHL have yielded nothing. First it was this: "Oh it's a routine check by Customs. It will be released soon."

Then it became this: "Customs has it, there is nothing we can do. We cannot assure when the box will be released."

Then Jerry called and got a teeny bit of info - the name and number of the Customs Agent who is supposed to be handling the issue (WHAT ISSUE? THE BOX HAS VIDEO GAMES, TOILETRIES, CANDIES, AND LINGERIE FOR GOODNESS' SAKE!!!). Of course they gave the name after 6 PM - no one was at the office when I called.

What do they want? How long does it take to examine a small box? There is no bomb there, nothing illegal, nothing dangerous. Oh, did I forget to mention that "small" matter of a certain PS3 game that was released on Wednesday? A Special Edition one, by the way. Yeah, it's in the box.

(Apparently this clearance delay experience we are having is not unique. Migs from Davao experienced something similar earlier this year.)

So what has this got to do with my vacation? We are supposed to leave for the beach on Wednesday. If we do not get the box before then, Jerry does not want to leave. It is understandable - what if the box arrives when we're out? We're supposed to be away for 5 days. Darn DHL. Darn Customs. Can someone explain to me why it has to be this complicated?

Saturday Shopping

I've never been one to shop.  In fact, I think it is one of those weird things about me.  I don't like going out.  I don't like going to the mall.  That is yesterday was one of the longest days of my life - we went to 4 malls in one day!  I also ended up spending a lot of money, which I didn't really want to do but I think it was worth it.

Jer and I bought some personal effects - bags, clothes, etc. and he got a couple of PS3 games.  That was the pampering part - the other part of the day was that we spent some more time with Mom and Dad and Silas and Sam.  We had dinner at Cabalen (Trinoma) - Dad has been wanting to eat there for months.  Sadly, the buffet was less than mediocre.  The food was cold and Dad's cooking is way better than their fare.

Anyhow, it was still a good time.  The AC is installed now, we got our stuff, and it's back to work this week.

Holy Thursday/Good Friday

Growing up indeed changes many things.  When my sister and I were single and living with our parents, it was a given that we spent these 2 days together, usually in church or some other related activity.  This year, I spent Thursday working.  It was pleasant, though.  There were only a few of us at the office and we got some things done - albeit not very efficiently as it simply not a day when we felt like working. ;)

Friday, the whole family went to Manila Ocean Park.  We were originally supposed to go to Batangas but our plans fell through.  The Park was quite fun though, especially since among us, only Jerry had been to any other ocean park before.  Silas and Sam had a blast - and so did Mom and Dad, I think.  The only drawback was that there were so many people it got irritating after a while.  After an hour or so, we got out of the Park and looked for an open restaurant - only to end up at McDonald's as everything was closed.

It was a fun day - we were so tired, though, that we fell asleep in the afternoon and I just now woke up.  Back to writing!  Tomorrow is a long day - shopping and more eating I guess. :)