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December 30, 2009 by ajay
Truth to tell, Coron in Palawan was the most memorable place I visited this year, especially if you count the uber-turbulent flight we had there on bad weather. I also couldn’t forget this place since this is where we made Baby Z, tee hee. I guess it was the powerful combination of nature and nurture that did us in 
Coron foremostly entices you with its lush beauty. One major activity here is island-hopping where you can enjoy the sea, the mountains and the islands in their full splendor. Must-visits are the some of the town’s famous nature spots:Siete Pecados, the Twin Lagoon, Cayangan Lake, Barracuda lake and Maquinit Hot Springs.
For a fee of P1,300 or so, a boatman and his team will take you to the islands for a day on an outrigger boat. Be prepared to shell out extra because entering each island will set you back another P100-200 which they charge to tourists as “environmental fees.” Before setting off to the sea, you can also choose to have the boatman buy fresh fish and produce in the wet market, and they will grill it for you when you have your lunch stopover (we ate in Banol Beach, a small stretch of a beach maintained by the Tagbanuas, a native tribe.)
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Category Road Adventures, Travel | Tags: Barracuda Lake,Bistro Coron,Calauit Safari,Cayangan Lake,Coron,Coron Gateway Resort,Coron Palawan,Coron travel tips,Culion,Maquinit Hot Springs,Sea Dive Resort,Siete Pecados Coron,Twin Lagoon | 6 Comments
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December 30, 2009 by ajay
Due to insistent popular demand, here are some important dates to mark on your calendar in the coming year 
January 1 (Friday) – New Year’s Day
February 14 (Sunday) – Valentine’s Day
Chinese New Year
April 1 (Thursday) – Holy Thursday
April 2 (Friday) – Good Friday
April 4 (Sunday) – Easter Sunday
April 9 (Friday) – Araw ng Kagitingan
May 1 (Saturday) – Labor Day
May 9 (Sunday) – Mother’s Day
May 10 (Monday) – national elections in the Philippines
June 12 (Saturday) – Philippine Independence Day
June 20 (Sunday) – Fathers’ day
August 23 (Monday) – Ninoy Aquino Day
August 30 (Monday) – National Heroes’ Day
September 10 (Friday) -Eid al Fitr
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Category Holidays | Tags: 2010 holidays,holy week 2010,list of 2010 holidays | No Comments
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December 25, 2009 by ajay
Each year, the family tries to uphold certain Christmas traditions which makes it a much-looked forward to occasion among the kids. In the past, we’ve either spent it in a hotel or out of town. This year being meaningful enough, we’ve chosen to spend it at home. Meaningful because it’s the first Christmas I’d spend with Mr. Z (since knowing each other in 2007) and it’s his first time as well with the kids. We certainly left no stone unturned in loading the house with gifts, food and laughter.
I started Christmas Eve on a high note, with a list of dishes for the noche buena. The only problem was my energy would taper off later in the day. Still, I was glad to finish my main course beef dish (tender-cooked beef mechado, simmered for four hours or so), the mac and cheese, and favorite chicken-potato fruit salad. The rest of the feast was store-bought, like the cookies and cream cake from Red Ribbon, the CDO whole cooked ham, the dinner rolls and some sweets from Dunkin’ Donuts.As they say, don’t sweat the small stuff, even during Christmas
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Category Family & Friends | Tags: Baby Alive,CDO ham,Christmas traditions,happy holidays,holiday greetings,noche buena,Tiffany bracelet | 5 Comments
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December 20, 2009 by ajay
image credit: whattoexpect.com
I’ve gone through my normal blog duties the past few months, but I guess some of my friends and readers didn’t know what was going on behind the scenes as well. Mostly, I was feeling the pangs and adverse symptoms of first trimester pregnancy which had me feeling unwell on most days, sleepy, and easily tired.
For a while there, I thought I lost my sense of taste too and so refrained from making any food/restaurant reviews to avoid being unfair to my chosen subjects. I can only remember being attached to kimchi during the first few weeks. I simply had to have it, even if it meant dining alone in my fave Korean restaurant.
Of course, I can only thank the husband, who has chosen to stay with me till delivery, for bearing with cranky old me. It was just as good, because I really couldn’t imagine driving myself to and from work, even at just four months. This is simply one of the my hardest pregnancies ever.
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Category Baby & Pregnancy | Tags: first trimester,pregnancy,pregnancy symptoms | 6 Comments
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December 20, 2009 by ajay
As of 2:30 p.m. today, December 20, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has raised the warning for Mayon Volcano from Alert Level 3 to Alert level 4. This indicates that a major Mayon eruption won’t happen by New Year, as earlier predicted. Phivolcs now says a “hazardous explosive eruption is now possible within days.”
As a result, the government’s seismic and volcano agency has further extended the danger zone to 8 kilometers from the summit at the southern sector and 7 km at the northern sector.
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Category News | Tags: Mayon,Mayon extended danger zone,Mayon Volcano,Mayon Volcano albay,Mayon Volcano eruption,PHIVOLCS,Phivolcs latest bulletin | No Comments
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December 19, 2009 by ajay
Photo credit: Manila Bulletin
It’s Christmas in barely one week, and I feel for our countrymen in the Bicol Region, specifically those in Albay province, who are having sleepless nights over the possibility of a Mayon Volcano eruption. We don’t think, at this point, that they’re rejoicing over the holidays.
As of the latest bulletin from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) today, Dec. 19, humans and human activity are still not allowed in the identified 6-KM radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) as well as the 7-km Extended Danger Zone (EDZ). In addition, areas that are within 8 kilometers of the crater have been warned to look out for “increased volcanic activity.”
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Category News | Tags: Alert Level 3,Mayon,Mayon Volcano,Mayon Volcano albay,Mayon Volcano eruption,PHIVOLCS | No Comments
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December 15, 2009 by ajay
With Christmas just around the corner, demand for mobile phones is skyrocketing again. It’s certainly out there as one of the most in-demand holiday gifts. Parents, youngsters as well as young professionals are all saving up for the shiny new phone they can parade around just in time for Christmas.
Like most people, I’ve tried almost all cellphone brands. It was a long time ago since I’ve owned a Samsung. ’twas a slider phone to be exact. I had a great time being reacquainted with this brand again over the weekend. They had invited the media for an event launching three new phones of their Samsung Corby line which is geared for the youth and young professionals. They’re colorful, they’re sleek, they look hip and they’re all affordably priced, which is what matters most of all.
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Category Technews | Tags: price of Samsung Corby phones,Samsung,Samsung Corby,Samsung Corby B3410,Samsung Corby specifications,Samsung Corby TXT B3210,Samsung CorbyPRO B5310,Samsung mobile phones | 4 Comments
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December 12, 2009 by ajay
Update: Miss Gibraltar, Kaiane Aldorino is crowned Miss World 2009. First runner-up was Miss Mexico, Perla Beltran Acosta while second runner-up is Miss South Africa herself, Tatum Keshwar.
Image via The Times of India
Photo credit: globalbeauties.com
The Miss World title has been elusive to the Philippines, for the most part. In decades of joining the pageant, our Binibining Pilipinas-World candidate still has to be acclaimed the fairest of them all. Still, we send our representative year after year, and this year it’s the turn of DLSU College of St. Benilde tourism student Marie Ann Umali. I have to admit she’s really lovely and has in fact been named a favorite by some internet sites. Question is, how will she fare with the rest of the 111 beautiful contestants in today’s Miss World 2009 finals at the Gallagher Convention Center in Johannesburg, South Africa?
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Category Beauty | Tags: Johannesburg South Africa,Miss World 2009 | 2 Comments
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December 12, 2009 by ajay
A few months ago, this humble space announced the holding of the Crazy for Crocs online video challenge. Time indeed flies so fast because the competition has ended and its wake are happy, contented winners who are holding their high-ticket prizes just in time for Christmas, thanks to Crocs.
Congratulations are in order to the following monthly winners of P100,00 each: Jeric Herrera, Jamielyn Ira Dy and Kimberly Tan. Crocs customer Priscilla Roco likewise won a brand-new Honda Jazz in the grand raffle. The others won Canon PowerShot cameras and Samsung LCD TVs.
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Category Happenings & Events, Shopping Etc. | Tags: All Condition Gear Phil. Inc.,Crazy for Crocs,Crazy for Crocs winners,Crocs sandals,Franco Limjuco,Jamielyn Ira Dy,Jeric Herrera,Kimberly Tan | 1 Comment
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December 10, 2009 by ajay
I have been a fan of the local YUMMY Magazine for the longest time. I always make it a point to buy the latest issue from the nearest Ministop or 7-Eleven, and have gotten a kick from trying out some of the recipes as well. I have just one complaint from this magazine: viewing its pages never fail to make me hungry. The pictures seem to leap from the confines of colorful paper and ink, looking ready to be eaten! My friends agree as well
That is why when the invite from Yummy came for their media Christmas dinner (thanks Fran and Ro!), I was excited to attend. The venue was the elegant Tosca Italian restaurant of the Dusit Thani hotel in Makati which had this impressive wine cellar.
The menu for the night: Potato Sour Creme Soup with Lemon-Grilled Shrimps and Tarragon; Chicken Breast Filled with Marinated Apricot, Orange-Cinnamon Couscous and Green Asparagus. For dessert, we had Trilogie of Vanilla and Red Wine Creme with Caramelized Mango. The chosen dishes didn’t really remind me of Italian food (as I know it) but I must agree with the others that the dessert was heavenly.
I also had fun taking pics of YUMMY editors and staff who make the magazine exciting and worth reading issue after issue.
In this table: Angelo Comsti of yummy.ph, Chef Aileen Anastacio and editor in chief Becky Kho.
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Category Happenings & Events, Munchin' | Tags: angelo comsti,becky kho,dusit hotel makati,dusit thani hotel,tosca dusit thani manila,tosca italian restaurant,YUMMY magazine,Yummy recipes | 1 Comment
