Kill Time at Resorts World Manila

Too early for your flight? No problem! Here's a short side trip if you have some hours to kill.

PLAN: Go to Game Zoo and Have coffee while watching a live band.

Bought a card at Game Zoo for P150 (P50 refundable upon return of card) (Time: 2-3pm)

Shoot some hoops, kill zombies, ride a motorcycle, hammer some mushrooms.

Feel like a race car driver, and play the most disappointing game EVERR. The price to catch was quite tempting though-- Magnum and Cornetto ice cream =) 

Release your stress with Penguin Paradise or if you have a friend with you, play ice hockey. =)

The price for each game was quite expensive if you would compare it to Time Zone, but I liked that it was not too crowded and it was very clean.

I'm sure you got a little tired. Now, its time to relax and unwind. Go to the casino area, order some drinks and enjoy the live band. (Time 3-4 pm). At first the band was playing some good old songs and later on they were singing new songs from Lady Gaga, BEP, J. Lo and even Carly Rae Jepsen (Call Me Maybe). If you know the songs, you can sing along (well, I did haha). 

I had so much fun that I almost forgot about my flight. I immediately rushed to find the the shuttle to T3 and catch my 6:30 flight. =P My major booboo was I missed the shuttle and took the cab instead and my flight was not at T3. Major panic!! But that's another story. =P I'll be doing this again soon =)

33rd Manila International Book Fair

Admitting I'm a bookworm, this was definitely an event, I didn't miss. Thanks to Ching I was able to score passes and thanks to my dad for driving me to SMX even with the bad weather. Too bad I was only able to go during the last day of the event that 90% of the books in my must-have list were sold out boohoo. =(

Books everywhere!!

Interactive promotions for kids and kids at heart =P

From local authors to international bestsellers, classic archie comics, everyone's favorite Where's Wally, newly released books and more more books =)

There were also some office supplies as well. Oh how I love pens =)

I got this super cute postcard from OMF Lit's booth where I bought my John Maxwell book =)

Almost all booths offered 20% off in their books. There were even religious books below P10.00. It must have been wild during the first few days. I can't believe David Levithan's books got sold out. I only ended up with a few items. Surprisingly, my dad was the one who went into a shopping spree and brought home 2  eco bags full of books and planners. Apparently, he bought it as gifts for Christmas (good idea!). Oh well,  I'll just wait for the 34th MIBF next year and I should really (and I mean REALLY) finish all the books I have on hand. I always get distracted when there are new ones =P See u 2013. 

Weekend Eye Candy: Floral Heels

floral pumps at Payless shoesource

Chocolate Cake by Urdu

Thanks to my Marian that I got to try this awesome chocolate cake.

Why I love this chocolate cake:

1. Very moist

2. Not too sweet

3. Caramel filling in the middle

4. The feeling that the frosting is melting in your mouth with your first bite

5. No unnecessary add-ons

6. Perfect with coffee

7. Can be shared by 10-15 people

8. Reasonable price (P 450) for a huge cake

This super yummy chocolate cake is from:

Too bad they don't have a website, but they do have a facebook account.
Thanks again Marian =)

The Happy Bakery

You must know by now that I'm a sucker for bread and desserts =)

A lot of yummy treats to choose from but only was chosen to pass the taste test.

And the chosen one is ...

Their mouth-watering yema cake (P65). The chiffon cake was so soft and the melted yema was not too sweet. I wasn't a big fan of the white icing on the side but over all it was good =) Will I buy again? YES! =)

The Happy Bakery is available at Philam Tower, GT Tower and PBCom Tower (all in Makati CBD)

Quick Fix

Noticed something different about my Starbucks planner? Take a closer look.

The left side of my planner had a little mishap and the part with the paper got torn huhu =( Being the OC person that I am, I wanted to put it back together but the "injury" already had a scar. To cover it up, I decided to use my decorated scotch tape which I bought from Landmark. For it not to look like a freakin' band-aid I covered the whole left strip haha. 

I know it looks a bit weird but at least I wouldn't be bothered by the scar. The cute design, bright color and its peculiarity is just so me. Now I'm the only person with an amped SB planner =)

Love it or hate it? Share your thoughts!

Seoul Garden Hotpot

Craving for good Korean food? Here's a new restau at Robinsons's Galleria that you would truly love!

For starters they offered free appetizers: raddish namul, pickled cabbage and cucumber namul.

I didn't like the pickled cabbage just because I'm not a fan of pickles period haha.

I was so busy checking out the menu, everything just looked good. I was even checking out the other table (copycat).

Beef Bulgogi Bap (P189) was one of their bestsellers so I had to order this. It was very filling and the combination of the ingredients made it really tasty. I would rate it 3.5/5.  The beef bulgogi could be better.

I wanted to try their noodles so I ordered Stir Fried Korean Tang Hoon (P119). Looking at it from a distance I thought it would taste like "pinoy pansit" but it was quite different. It was unsually good. 

Simple and clean interiors. Good food and affordable meals. I would definitely go back and try their hot pots and desserts. 

Weekend Eye Candy: Vintage Luggage

Vintage Luggages at Shoppesville Greenhills

Marian Exhibit

In celebration of Mother Mary's Birthday (September 8) our parish held a short exhibit.

Location: Santuario del Santo Cristo Parish

Theme: Mga Larawan ng Birheng Maria sa Puso ng Bawat Isa

Happy Birthday Mama Mary! Thank you for always bringing us closer to God. 

Saturday Trade Fair

I think this is the only trade fair attended by 5 people, but this is one of the best I've ever gone to. I called it a 'trade fair' because we got to exchange books, movies, series and whatever we had =P Remember the days when we trade up stationery and stickers? (aww.. i miss those days * reminiscing*) It was exactly like that. Plus a time to catch up, relax and plan for our October trip =) We met up at Army Navy BGC and had our burger lunch. It was my first time to try their burger and it was really good. I got worried the black sesame seeds would get stuck in my teeth (not good for photo ops and cute guys alert haha!). My friend Kai was also happy with the burger. (Thanks Gian for suggesting this.)

After lunch we decided to go to our next door neighbor (Starbucks), to chill, have coffee and plug our gadgets =) I was really amazed with the beautiful interiors of that branch. I think it's the first "Filipinized" Starbucks.

Then we became busy checking out what each one brought. While the girls were happy chit chatting, the boys played with Magic cards. 

I also borrowed Kai's book which made me look crazy (laughing alone in one corner). I'm so jealous she was able to get her book signed! =P

I'm a big fan of TMR. Kai and I are planning to visit them one day =) 

A fun-filled Saturday with my folks: Kai, Gian, Steph and Vic. It seems 5 hours is not enough haha. Can't wait for our trip =) See you guys soon =)

Loco Over Casio Retro

I’ve been borrowing my brothers’ stuff ever since I can remember. From shirts, to caps, belts, accessories and anything that I would find interesting. Every time I don’t feel like wearing anything in my closet, I would just go to their room,  and  check out their stuff haha =P They end up wondering why the top I’m wearing seems so familiar (haha sorry!). Then, I started noticing my older brother’s peculiar collection of old watches. I knew they were already out of style but I still borrowed it to complete my usual casual and/or sporty look. Surprisingly, he’s not the only one who is fond of retro watches, even my office colleagues are also part of the vintage-lovin’ bandwagon:

Let me start with my older brother's stuff:

(From left to right):

A. Casio Vintage Retro Gold Digital Watch A168WG A168 

B. Casio DBC-610GA-1DF Gold Retro Databank Watch

C. Casio Retro Style Digital Watch F-91W

This is my younger brother's watch which he just bought two weeks ago:

Casio Databank / Calculator 437 438 Black

A lot of watches from my boys right? Here are more awesome watches from my cool colleagues:

That's PD wearing his shiny and brand new silver Casio Retro A168 watch 

Meet Lovely. She's wearing a Casio 643 A300U "World Time" which was handed down from her mom =)

and last but not the least,

meet the ever-stylish Draco wearing Casio Databank (DBC-610A-1) metal band in silver

I know I don't have the eye for vintage stuff but while I was preparing for this post, I was surprised to know that my very own watch was also a Casio classic:

Mine was a Casio W800HG-9AV. It's quite big because it's for men haha. I like big watches and I'm one of the boys =P

I think this is the newest fashion trend. I visited a Casio store recently and I heard they are getting a lot of orders for these kinds of watches. They said it would take a while for the orders since they would get them from Japan. If I'm not mistaken, I think these watches are also being sold in Hong Kong because I saw some of these when I went there last June. =) Unfortunately, there are limited shops here in the Phil which offer vintage models. I got mine from an old watch store called "Citizen Emporium" in Manila a few years ago. I wanted to go back but I heard from my dad that they already moved (boohoo). Most of these watches were bought online.  So if you're digging this look, you can check Ebay or Multiply. You can also ask around because there are some people who directly sell these stuff. Prices range from P900-P4000 depending on the seller. =P Not bad right? Also, Casio is known for its quality that's why it would really be worth it. So, are you joining the club? =)

Hotspot: Robinsons Magnolia

A lot of my friends were checking in at Robinsons Magnolia and everyone just keeps talking about it so I decided to check it out last weekend. It was very accessible for me since it was only 1 ride away. I got out of the house, took the San Juan-Cubao jeepney right in front of our gate, hopped in and stopped at Hemady Street and I’m there! 

The main entrance is at the Aurora Blvd. side so I walked a few steps since all the side doors were all closed. 

The majestic hall reminded me of Greenbelt 5 because of the dazzling chandeliers and marble floors; and when I turned to see the stores, it was really like Greenbelt. 

Most of the stores were still closed but you can already see the “coming soon” signs of branded shops like GAP, Miss Selfridge, Topshop, Muji, Beauty Bar, and the most-awaited Cotton On etc. While the mall is loaded with chic stores, their department store is really small =( Since I’m not really up for branded stuff, what would lure me back to this place are the yummy restos like Buffet 101, Yabu, Big Better Burgers and the new Ramen Bar which I’m really excited to try. 

Even their food court is quite upscale seeing Pepper Lunch! =P I would also like to try the new seats of their cinemas with some free popcorn haha =P  Lastly, I would like to reminisce my childhood days at the new but smaller version of Magnolia House to have some dessert or merienda and possibly have a short walk along the grass-covered area to burn the calories haha. 

Can’t wait for all the shops to open! This will definitely be a new hangout place for QC/San Juan peeps =)

What I'm Lovin' Now: Melona Ice Cream Bar

I've always wanted to try this ever since I first saw it at Saizen. Thanks to my friend Ching's birthday treat, I got the chance to finally taste it. I thought it was an ordinary melon-flavored ice drop (like twin popsies) but upon my first bite I was surprised that it was not "icey" but instead it was really creamy. It was really an ice cream bar on a stick! I loved the flavor (melon) and it had the right level of sweetness that would not make you sick haha. I could actually have another one but I was already freezing to death in the office=P
I can't wait to try the other flavors, I heard they are also good =)

Ching bought this from Rada Mart at P25 =) Melona ice cream bars are available at Korean convenience stores and certain supermarkets. Prices also range from P20-P40.

Bizarre Bazaar

Welcome to MSCI's first ever bazaar. This encouraged entrepreneurs in our office to showcase their own products and at the same time help raise funds. Even though I was only able to attend the first day, I'm glad I was able to try a lot of delicious food. =)

There was a booth that offered packed lunch but unfortunately I wasn't able to try it. It sold out after a few minutes before lunch time =P There was also a booth that offered cool shirts for men =)

 

Another sold out booth is Jaja and Sunny's "Yummy Treats". Good thing I was early and I got the chance to try their yummy red velvet cupcakes and their cheesecake bars =)

My favorite booth would be Tippi's corner, which had polvorons and the ever famous Blondies =) A lot of fanatics were already waiting for her delicious pastries before she even arrived.

That's Tippi or commonly known as Trish. Not only did she sell sweet pastries but it was also sweet of her to donate the proceeds to the victims of the recent 'Habagat'. 

Just before lunch time, a booth opened to sell different kinds of pasta. Since I was a pasta freak, I really wanted to try all (takaw lang). Since I know I couldn't finish everything, I just decided to try the penne and it was really good. =)

Congrats to the organizers for a successful event! Happy Shoppers and  Happy Sellers =) Looking forward to MSCI's future happenings =)