Goodbyes & New Beginnings

Popsy’s short vacation this year has been one of the best, I think. It wasn’t like before when we had exotic trips and activities planned down to the last second. This time, it was just an “ordinary” vacation where nothing special  was planned and all three of us just basically went with the flow.

In a way, those three weeks when we had Popsy with us depicted a future scenario when he would retire and live with us and where he can be himself, do as he pleases and not give a care about  what other people would think. He can read all day long if he wants to, sleep or watch TV as much as he wants. He is Popsy. Our Popsy and nothing else. 

And so on his last few days, we just did what we do best — hung out at a nearby cafe, binged on Chinese food and shopped when there was an opportunity (Popsy bought me my new garnet set… see at the end of this post… yay!).

  In the morning, we spent some time at Figaro. Then had lunch at Tokyo Tokyo. Popsy wanted to go to Superbowl but there was a long waiting line. So we opted to go Japanese instead.

Then in the evening, we brought him to BONA Cafe here in Alabang West Gate.
 

 
Their coffee is better than Starbucks and Seattles Best and I think a bit cheaper too.

 
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Travelogue XXXIV: HONG KONG Day 2, Part II - Big Buddha & Po Lin Monastery

We are still on our second day in Hong Kong but we are now on the second part of this exciting day. For those who haven’t read my other two posts on this wonderful trip, read them first:  Hong Kong Arrival, Hong Kong City Tour & Lantau Island Anyway, as I said on my previous post, we woke up early and made sure that we’re not late for this tour that we booked via Octopus Travel. Right afte we visited the famous Fishing Village, we immediately headed to the Big Buddha… and when they say big, it really is BIG! Humongous is the right term! 

This statue is the world’s largest Buddha statue, by using bronze, it’s 34 metres tall and weighs 250 tons, empowered in December 1993.

It costs nothing to reach the Big Buddha, however, one has to purchase a vegetarian coupon for entry into the 3 levels exhibition hall beneath the Big Buddha.”

> HK Travel 

 Click to see more of our Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery tour.

Weekend Jetsetters

How nice would it be if Peter and I become weekend jetsetters, right? I mean, not like before where we have a whole weekend planned to really travel and do stuff we’ve never done in the past (like scuba dive, surf, snorkel, climb mountains, wakeboard, white water raft, etc.). Now, we’ll just, let’s say, go somewhere outside Luzon and have coffee or go malling! Wouldn’t that be fantastic?! That’s exactly what happened to us last weekend and I almost went crazy. Crazy, coz for one … I spent Php25k (thru my visa platinum, of course) bringing our butts over there via Cebu Pacific (Me, Peter, Popsy, Tita Ching, Tita Eve, Tito Hugo)! Two… we stayed at this small business hotel, Regal, just across Ayala Mall (thank God for their wonderful little breakfast buffet and soft beds). Three… it was raining on and off and we couldn’t even go to a nearby beach or park without getting wet, ack!  But the main reason for our visit was to go see Tito Ped, who is doing a lot better after his traumatic stroke a few months ago. And hopefully do a little bit of sight seeing as well. 

Our flight was 12:10pm last Saturday. There were just too many planes  waiting to fly out of the runway because of the heavy rains that we landed at around 2:30pm. Peter and I haven’t had lunch yet so you can just imagine how famished we were.  I was also waiting for some messages from  my in-laws who arrived the previous day  but it looked like they were having so much fun just getting together (Popsy, Tita Eve, Tita Ching, Tito Hugo and Tito Ped are siblings) that they forgot all about us. We didn’t want to intrude in their quality time with each other so Peter and I adjusted and just sort of went with the flow…

 There was something funny I noticed the moment we hailed a cab and headed to the direction of our hotel… I was thinking, this looks familiar… the hotel apparently is located near Ayala Center which looks almost exactly the same as Madrigal Business Park here in Alabang. Hahaha. What do you know… we flew all the way here to spend time in a place that looks exactly like where we live! Hilarious! …Not! To top it all of, it was raining… Aaaarrrgghhh!

 And don’t forget, by then, I’ve been awake 24 hours… Nuninuninu…

So, since the situation was the way it was, we just made the most out of it. I couldn’t sleep then even if I wanted to. I obviously didn’t want to make this trip seem like I just went to Cebu to sleep. Sigh.

So, since the mall was just there across the street, we might as well go  and find a place to eat. 

 We found this Italian restaurant and ordered as much food as we can eat.

Now, here look, doesn’t this look like Trinoma? Actually, Ayala Cebu looks like Glorietta, Trinoma and Greenbelt all in one. After all, it’s owned by the Ayalas…so…

Ooohh..did I tell you I started smoking again? I’m trying to quit (for the nth time). But I couldn’t resist when I saw this particular brand, PARIS, and they have cigs in raspberry flavor. Raspberry!

Anyway, that night, for the first time, we met a fellow blogger, Midori. She’s virtual friends with TMB and it was really so nice of her to show us around. For our first stop, we went to The LOFT—  the most happening night spot in town. It’s like the Embassy of Cebu Metro.

Because the place is owned by Peter’s cousin in Law, Renault,we got free tickets! Weee!!!!

It’s been so long since I got high and drunk partying like this! I realized I terribly missed it. The smoke, the music, the fun! The feelings of total intoxication… Hehehe.

Partida pa yan… more than 24 hours na kong gising.

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Cebu, Here We Come!

It’s been a while since we last visited Cebu. The last time that both Peter and I went tripping there was year 2005 as part of our Vis-Min Trip. Oh no wait, we did go there again year 2006 with Popsy to celebrate my 28th birthday. Then last January of this year, I went there by myself to visit my sister, Tita Anne and Tito Ped. And today, at 12:10pm, Peter and I will fly Cebu Pacific to visit them again. Since I’m in a hurry to post this, let me just share with you some photos I took of Tito Ped’s house. It has undergone a lot of renovations through the years and litle by little, it is becoming a sanctuary of some sort. Actually, it’s more like a mini mountain resort for me. This is where I get some of my inspiration for creating such a lovely home of our own as well. I heard  that today, it looks even more picturesque and feels more at home. Well, we’re about to find out as we visit them again. For now, here are some photos of their house for your pleasure.

The Main House

The Garden 

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Baby Nomad

Get a glimpse of my childhood… and the clothes I wore growing up. Check out how the fashionista in me came to be…