My Love for Travelling.. and the blunders of it..

Somewhere in Switzerland..

So much to do right now.. Sad to say, I'm in no mood.. :(

I need to unleash something within me that I've been pondering on since this morning.  That is, my mind is now nagged with the thought of my love for travel.. and well, the spontaneity and adventures that comes with it.  Even just quick hopping from one place to another, just enjoying the view, the sceneries, and the serenity, I would be happy and be contented with that.  Even if I'm alone..

Avenue of the Stars, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Yes, travelling alone is better than being with someone whom you do not share passion for mobility with while expecting and accepting that bloopers might be bumped somewhere along the road.  Things might not turn out the way we expected it to be but it should not have hindered us from savoring every moment of the journey, no matter how perfectly imperfect it may be..

Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon, Vietnam

That's why I just love to travel alone.  If anything goes wrong, I have no one to blame but myself.  And because I so love myself, I don't physically and mentally torture myself, make a big deal out of petty issues concerning it, waste time fussing about it, and eventually ruin everything just because I made a mistake.  Instead, I just laugh it off and continue making sweet memories out of it.

Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy

Just sayin'.. :(

P.S.  To set things straight, the person I was with during my trips abroad, such as that in the photographs above, is a great travel buddy.  I am looking forward to our next travel together sometime soon! ;)

I Kept the Change - My First GrabTaxi Experience

No, it's not a typographical error.  It is indeed I, not the driver, who kept the change.  But before you let your creative mind do its job, let me explain first.  You see, I had been longing to go to Noel Bazaar located at the World Trade Center, which is just a few kilometers away from where I live.  I already knew that today is the last day of the event and if I miss this chance, I will have to wait for another year.  Hence, I googled and checked its FB page, and voila!  This ad caught my attention:

Photo Credit

I have never used the GrabTaxi before although I had the app downloaded to my phone about a year ago when I joined the 2013 Blogapalooza last year.  So, as a first time user, I dialed their customer service contact no. at 845-0943 and inquired on how to avail of the promo.  I was instructed that, upon arrival at the venue, the driver should drop me off in front of the GrabTaxi booth.  Accordingly, the GrabTaxi in-charge will be the one who will facilitate with the payment and I could just walk away without paying anything since my estimated taxi fare would be less than the P100 refund.

Hence, when we arrived, we immediately looked for the booth, which were nowhere to be found.  We were already about 15 meters passed the entrance door when we chanced upon the security guard who told us that the booth is, unfortunately, inside the building.  I had no choice but to walk back to the entrance door while the poor driver was being hushed to park at the far end of the area.  When I approached the booth, the in-charge then requested me to show her the online booking.  I was a bit impatient at first as I was concerned of the running taxi meter but I immediately relaxed when I realized that my taxi fare is just a few pesos more than half of the P100 refund.  To my surprise, the in-charge handed me the P100 bill without even asking how much my taxi fare was!  I was so happy that I did not bother "dancing" my way back to the taxi for another 15 meters, gave the driver the exact amount of fare PLUS a tip, and of course, I kept my change. :)

What more, I got a free GrabTaxi t-shirt for downloading the app:

front print

And did I not mention that I availed of the free entrance to the Bazaar because of GrabTaxi?

And as if that was not enough, I was not charged of the P70 booking fee.  I was just instructed to type the word, "hohoho" in the promo code space of the app and got a confirmation of the zero booking fee.

back print

Also, true to the front text print of the Grab Taxi t-shirt, I should say that the taxi was fast enough that it was already parked beside the gate when I hurriedly went out of the building.  I was wrong when I thought that getting a taxi through a taxi app would take much time, which was the reason why I was not able to avail of GrabTaxi last year.

I missed that chanced.  Nonetheless, I am just one happy GrabTaxi rider, for now.

My View of The Legal Wife

Photo Credit

As if anybody cares! ;)

Seriously speaking, I just can't help but speak my mind while watching the 2nd to the last episode of "The Legal Wife" and.. consolidating an audit report. :(

I watched the much-talked-about tv series during its first few episodes but I stopped when Adrian was about to betray his wife.  Don't ask me why. ;)

I only resumed subscribing the show after learning that Monica had already discovered the affair and they were in the process of sorting things out.  But I stopped watching again when the querida was found out to be pregnant.  Unlike Nicole, the mistress I know back then is a married woman and decided to betray again her husband (who, by the way, is from PAF) by having her unborn child bear his surname.  What a pitiful sight..

If I were Monica, I would accept Adrian once again.  That is what an ending should turn out to be.  Ideally, happy..  But sadly, happy endings usually happen only in the movies and in tv series.  In real life, it is not that as easy as it seems to be.  As Kris Aquino pointed out, sometimes you just have to let go and sweep it away rather than pick up the broken pieces lest you get hurt in the process (especially when it keeps on breaking).

Moreover, saving the marriage for the sake of the child, according to Diane Paez, is a recipe for disaster.  I couldn't agree more.  I myself witnessed how a friend had been suffering from her philandering husband just to keep their marriage intact as she was so concerned of their children.

Trust, once broken, can never be the same again.. unless, a miracle intervenes.  By then, perhaps, a brand new life begins..

The Power of Now..

printscreen source: Ms. Reyes' Instagram post

I know this is not the right time for me to update this blog.  Albeit the exit conference had just been concluded, humongous tasks are yet to be done, e.g., finish the annual audit report and organize working papers (agencies of both my regular and special assignments), among others.

It is just that, I could not resist featuring immediately in my blog of what I have been pondering on since I read it from the post of Christine Reyes in her Instagram account just yesterday.  What I was referring about was what I think to be an excerpt of The Power of Now book, quoted below:

"So many of us have acquired and taught of the notion that happiness is a destination that we must work and pay with our bodies hours of work to live and acquire unnecessary material desires that we must work hard for the future with our reward always just around the corner or just up the next step.  Everything was for tomorrow but never came.  Then we realize we never really lived at all.  We are all trained to be racing all the time.  Everything was for the future.  Why wait?  When we can be truly be at peace right now?  Why wait to be forgiven?  When we can forgive now?  Why wait then to be happy?  To be with each other?  And to be alive?  Right now is the best time to love, to forgive, to be with loved ones. To be alive.  Nobody in human history has ever in a death bed and requested to see their diplomas, cars, money or accomplishments one last time!  We always ask to see people for our last request.  Embrace.. Kiss them now.  Your true power is NOW."

Agree? ;)

My Samsung Galaxy Note 3!

Oopps! I did it again..

It's been almost three months had passed and I still could not believe that I, again, allowed myself to indulge in what I call as, "a taste of a lavish lifestyle".  And every time I take a look at my credit card bill, my heart still palpitates.. :(

Well, I just consoled my frugal me that I guess I deserve a treat once in a while.  And the best of it all is that I do not have any regrets with my decision.  In fact, I am enjoying my new phone! ;)

The sad part, however, was, I was not able to avail of the promo for the discounted S View Flip Cover.  Samsung's store outlet in SM Megamall did not have any stocks when I purchased my phone then.  I finally bought my S View Flip Cover at SM North just last month, only after I squeezed myself through Christmas traffic in going to SM MOA and found out that they were out of stocks. :(

But that's okay.  I just wish I had more extra time to explore my Samsung Galaxy Note 3.. 

Looking Forward to My Magical Christmas Treat!

It's been five years since I last watched a live magical show.  It was the Wanders of PAGCOR which up to this day, I could still recall how the child in me was so mesmerized with those amazing acrobatics being executed by the international and local performers alike.  If given the chance, I would want to watch it all over again.  But then, it is no longer possible.  Wanders had wandered off somewhere. :(

Well, here's the good news!  The internationally-acclaimed Circus Vargas troupe, one of the world's biggest travelling circuses, will be arriving in Manila!  This extravaganza of magical proportions will be held at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City and will run from December 25, 2013 to January 1, 2014.

What to expect?  Well, I was told that, Circus Vargas will be showcasing a gravity-defying flights, flashy costumes, fun dance routines, and other deliriously delightful antics, among others!  Also, charismatic illusionist Patrick Gable will be performing his mystifying illusions that are guaranteed to impress, astound, and make everyone in the whole family a believer of MagiKaria.  Who is Patrick Gable and what is MagiKaria all about?  There's only one way to find out, that is, to watch the show!

Are you excited as I am?  So, what are you waiting for?  Tickets are now available at SM Tickets, SM Cinema, and Snack Time outlets.  For inquiries, call Tropical Productions, Inc. at telephone no. 519-8984, or email info@tpiguam.com, or visit www.circusvargas.com.

My First #Blogapalooza Experience

It has been almost a month now since I attended my first ever #Blogapalooza experience at SM Aura Convention Center.  Until now, I seem to have not gotten over it, not to mention the fact that I have been haunted with loads of information and freebies that I took home that night.  In fact, I am so much looking forward to attending the succeeding Blogapalooza events, if given the chance..

my passport to the world of opportunities

I could still remember that I started my day on November 16, 2013 with getting myself ready for the event.  I was running late already and I decided not to avail of the GrabTaxi promo as I was just less than 10 minutes from the venue then.  Too bad, I would have been able to experience this innovative way of taking damsel-in-distress (especially!) out from those too long taxi queues in the metro.  Good thing, I have their app installed in my smartphone as I might find the need to use it sometime soon.

my soft gel nail polish

I believe I was one of the first few bloggers who arrived early at the event as I was the second lucky gal to get pampered of a soft gel nail polish treatment from Lulu Nails and Dry Bar.  I swear, my pussy red-color nail polish lasted for almost three weeks!  And I must say, while I was having my nails done, Mikey Bustos passed by and gave me his sweetest smile.  Donning an angel costume, he said he just had a fight with Satan. Hehehe!

Food and drinks were practically overflowing that day.  While I was still drinking a cup of coffee from the famous Figaro coffee shop, I was offered to taste the slimming Nice Day coffee.  I got to taste two different coffee varieties in a day!  What more, I took home with me a Brownbag fresh hand crafted coffee, which by the way, is so aromatic that I got used to smelling it every now and then.

i should have filled up this plate to the brim. lol!

And as if that was not enough, I gulped on a wheatgrass juice which, surprisingly, tasted yummy.  I later learned that I drank the honey flavor.  I also got to munch on delectable foodies from Plato Wraps, Chef's Noodles, Hungry Juan,  Gavino's Donuts, Chooks to Go, and of course, lunch courtesy of Flavours of China.

I was fortunate also to try a machine from N.Y. Theraspine which vibrating motion stimulates healthy body.  Accordingly, only two of said machines can be found in the country - one in St. Lukes Hospital and the other, in N.Y. Theraspine.

The Mind Museum at the event also offered trivia games.  Although I was not able to give the right answer, still I was happy enough.  I will be visiting The Mind Museum soon, courtesy of The Mind Museum! ;)

I'm also excited to use the discount coupons and membership card distributed by enjoy philippines.  I just  wished I had won their trip to boracay giveaway. :(

Megaworld, Gurkka, Fujidenzo, PRC, Inc., Slenda, Lazerxtreme, RichPrime Global, Inc., among others, gave also their share of freebies.  Many thanks to them!

Lastly, embarrassing at it may seem, I admit, I learned to use Twitter because of Blogapalooza.  Thanks to the organizer, wheninmanila.com, for giving me the opportunity to get encouraged (special mention to the speakers) in honing more of my blogging skills.  Congratulations on your successful endeavor and more power! :)

kudos and thanks to you, Vince!