City Lights and Starry Skies

Boracay Summer 2015 Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 03:13:00 +0000

Boracay has always been so beautiful! Everything is picture perfect! I am very thankful that I was able to go back to this beautiful place and will definitely go back again in the future. For the mean time, if I were to schedule a beach trip, I would go and discover El Nido and Coron Palawan next. What 'ya think? Hmm..

This time, I went with my workmates Joy and Dafny. If I'm not mistaken we planned this trip last January and we're actually having a hard time to find a cheap package as peak season is fast approaching. All the rates go from P6500 and up. Luckily, I found a cheaper package online and therefore scheduled our Boracay trip! Woohooo. For me, it's very maasikaso as I am the one who deposited the payment (I can transfer it via BPI mobile banking but well, it's safer to deposit since the app doesn't show the account name. Mahirap na magkamali, right?) I also took care of our seat arrangement and online check-in for the airline.

So you know now, before this trip was pushed through, we had to go through a lot.. We need to be at the airport as early as 6:30AM since our flight is 9AM. I was of course running late again and guess what I forgot! my SHADES!!! I was sooooo sad when I remembered I left it. I was hesistant to tell manong driver to go back just to get the shades. That's the OOTD essential when in beach you know! Fast forward, we waited for our flight which is lucky for us 25 minutes early. I also had this dilemma that my sunblock and skin essentials won't be allowed for my hand carry. Luckily, pwede naman siya. Sayang kung maiwan. Sun blocks are not cheap.

Upon arriving in Kalibo International Airport, I thought we're close to see the white sand but it's the other way around. I didn't know that we still have 2hrs and 30 mins to go. KLO Airport is so far from Boracay island. Our airport transfers are also included in the package we availed so it's less of a hassle for us. We rode the van for like 2 hours then rode the boat in Caticlan Jettyport. And another land transfer to our hotel. We're super mega hungry upon arriving in Boracay buti na lang checking in was fast. It's like I could my workmates alive ang peg sa sobrang gutom! Next time, when going back to Boracay, I should make sure we arrive in Caticlan Airport not in Kalibo. Huge difference!

Different boats at Caticlan Jettyport

And because we're starving, and didn't know yet the price lists of the food.. we had this huge mistake we can never forget for the rest of our stay in Boracay. We had this lunch in D' Mall which costs us P1200. Just for 3 dishes. It could already go to a dinner buffet in beach front! I know it doesn't sound like a big money but for people like us, who are always broke, 400 each is already a nightmare for just a meal that's not even appetizing and not special. Of course the menu shows the prices of the dishes, we just couldn't believe this is how it looks and taste. We did our research but when you're starving, you could do things you will eventually regret. Sad reality about food. :(

Does this look like P1200.00? Hell, no.

After eating, we rest for a bit in the hotel and enjoyed the beach in the afternoon. The sunset in Boracay as always is very stunning. But since it's summer, moss are almost everywhere in the shores.. and it's low tide. But nevertheless, you can still enjoy the beauty if it.

Mirror selfie muna!

Boracay sunsets are one of the best.

There are many tourists at that time since it's summer. There also many manongs who will offer you sports activities like parasailing, flyfish, jetski, and many more. The trick to this is to never settle if you think it's still expensive. Haggling like a pro is the best way to go! Our activities will be posted to our Boracay day 2. :)

Before our first day in Boracay ends, we tried Pubcrawl or should I say I asked my workmates we try pubcrawl. I almost couldn't beg them to join but since it's Captain Jase who let us signed in (Hello Captain Jase!!!), ay wala. My workmates got sold. Lol. and what's Boracay without night life right? The reviews in tripadvisor are also awesome! Mostly 5 stars.

So here's the thing.. You could join in the group for as low as 690 for girls for early birds and it gets expensive once the early bird slots are all taken. You'll have free shirts which you can style according to the way you want it. You also have free baller and a shot glass! Also, exclusive discounts for the bars you'll be hopping in for the night. The group will go to 5 bars around boracay (not the cheap ones but high end bars mind you!), get free shots for every bar and 5 more free shots from the captains. And what's more fun is you get to meet new people! As their slogan says, 'Turn Strangers into Friends'.

Our first game was to meet 3 different people and remember anything interesting about them. also, if you're caught drinking on your right hand, you have to drink it bottoms up! Pubcrawl sure has a way to make you oh so tipsy! But don't worry, we didn't order any drinks. LOL Just the free shots from the captains and bars. We also weren't able to finish the whole thing as my workmates are already dead tired from the whole day. So yeah, we're only up until the 3rd bar. We did still had fun though! All the captains are amazing and very friendly. You won't get left behind. :)

So when you're in boracay, don't dare miss this! It's a MUST!

There goes our day 1. Day 2 is all about the activities we did and this seafood buffet I was so happy about but ended up ruining my stomach. Boracay day 1 is fun indeed. :D

For now, here's a gelato to beat the heat. :D

For more information about Boracay Pubcrawl, see their website and facebook page below.

Boracay Pubcrawl Website

Boracay Pubcrawl Facebook Page

*Some pictures are from Dafny and those photos with Boracay Pubcrawl watermark came from their Facebook page.

Summer Excited 2015!

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 10:45:00 +0000

Hello everyone!! I know, I know. I'm such a lazy ass bloggah. I keep on telling to blog religiously but I just can't live up to it. There are times that I'm not really in the mood to write. I'm not even active on facebook and twitter this past months. The only platform I'm updating is my instagram (like once per week). Creative juices are not flowing and I'm busy planning my summer. But you see? It really paid off. There are so many things I'm excited about this summer!!

And to make it up to my blog, and to start writing again, I promise to write here my summer getaways. I am just freaking excited for this summer!!! ughhhhh. I can't wait. Boracay with workmates, Baguio with boyfriend and sister, Tagaytay Staycation at Discovery Country Suites with my college bessy, andddd... Ho Chi Minh City with mother and sister. The downside? Magastos! Lol.

But anyways, travelling is the only thing that's worth all the money. Experience is far valuable than any material things, right? So after summer, ipon muna ulit! But well, I'm conquering 2015. I know this is my year. I am still looking forward to one more travel aside from those I've mentioned though. Hopefully I could travel with my father this year either in Batanes or Thailand. Hopefully.. Cebu Pac? Hello.. piso fare naman diyan please! :D

So how about you guys? Have plans? This is now the right time to plan and bond with our loved ones. I just can't wait.

Lawiswis Kawayan

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 14:06:00 +0000

It's my Sister's birthday last week, and of course.. celebration is a must! Lol. So how are you guys? Busy about Undas and thinking about your christmas shopping funds? Well.. we're kind of in the same page right now. :)

But before Christmas comes my sisters bday then my birthday, then it's Christmas! so yes, my sister's celebration was planned by my mom. Ever heard Pinoy Biggest Loser Doubles Edition?? Who doesn't know about this is such a weirdo and is so much outdated. If you watched it regularly then you would see their sponsors flashed on the screen.. one of which is Lawiswis Kawayan. This is where they stayed during their whole transformation process. This is their so called 'camp'.

Lawiswis Kawayan is situated in Calumpit Bulacan.

To be honest, we were kind of disappointed in this place. Although no doubt about its beauty, it's really beautiful but the services are not so nice. We came all the way from Pasig just to be relaxed here. Upon entering the premises, there's no one to greet us. No reception area. We even have to find a personnel who can assist us.

We had trouble checking in because the one my mother talked to in the phone booked us a room and told us that the kitchen was included in the package.. but to our dismay, the staff said that the room that has a kitchen is different from our booked room. All we know those times is that we have our own kitchen so we brought food with us so we can cook there. That it was included in our payment because that's what the reservation personnel told us. It's kind of frustrating because all we ever wanted was to relax and it took us so long before it was all fixed. Though the staffs are friendly, it's just that we didn't expected this kind of service expecially that this place is known and always seen on TV.

The place is nice and beautiful but it's just small. This is their only pool and upon arriving, no one would dare swim here because it's freaking dirty! We still had to complain before they cleaned it. Geez. I really don't know if they're after their profit or what. This place is just good on photographs but poor on customer service.

No wonder there's an ongoing photoshoot after we arrived. And before we head home, there's another wedding photoshoot.

I believe one of the reasons they don't satisfy or they don't get in par with other resorts in terms of customer service is because they lack people. With the whole resort, there are just six of them sharing all the work. One of the staff said that they only hire more people when it's peak season. Although it is a good cost cutting strategy, I'm afraid they're also heading down to less profit and sooner or later won't attract anymore customers. If they do, it's probably because of the free advertisement they get from TV shows

As I said, the place is nice but the furniture are dusty, some decorations are dirty and wasn't maintained at all!

As for amenities, they have different kinds of room. If you want your room to have it's own kitchen, might as well tell it in advance to the reservation person. Also, I suggest you bring your own food as they sell food but I don't think it's really a good choice to buy there. They also have karaoke machines, billiards, and sungka on their recreational area. On the positive side, I love their relaxing music heard all over place. They do really promote relaxation.

The verdict: 5.0/10.0

Will I go back to this place? No.

I don't recommend this resort. Though if you just wanr to have your photoshoots look nature -ish, then this place is for you. I don't know how their service differs from peak season to just normal days but I'm hoping they improve their services.

Mongolian Buffet at Mee Noodle Bar and Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 13:03:00 +0000

For those of you who didn't know, I'm a proud foodie (that's why recently my post are about food reviews.) If I could switch places with Anthony Bourdain then I wouldv'e done so years back. All I ever wanted is to taste life's greatness, which includes food sampling. I'm a sucker in trying out new stuff but unfortunately I wasn't able to blog those new stuff these past months. But moving forward, I want to share this Mongolian eat-all-you-can buffet my boyfie and I tried last Wednesday at Mee Noodle Bar and Restaurant.

If I'm not mistaken, this restaurant is just fresh and is still making its way to the restaurant limelight. It is located at LeGrand Tower 1, Eastwood City. The place is quite not yet popular so it's struggling to get people's attention to come and try their dishes. So yes, thanks to their flyers, we learned about this place and set a date when we can try their mongolian buffet.

What can I say? It's super sulit! Of course they have their regular menu and I heard their noodles are delish. But we're not there to try their noodles. It's all about the buffet. Since during weekdays, their buffet starts at 9pm, we first stroll around Eastwood and make ourselves hungry so we could uhmm, you know, maximize that 199 bucks. lol. The place is not crowded that time and I believe it hasn't been crowded yet since it just opened last June so people are not yet aware of their existence.

The interiors are so-so. Fit for a noodle bar.

Since it's not yet popular, we enjoyed the quietness of the place.

The staffs are friendly and accommodating.

So here is what's included in the buffet. Since it's Mongolian buffet, you make your own choices. They have a wide variety of toppings. You can choose between rice, sotanghon, and bihon as your base then it's up to you which veggies, meat, and sauce you would like to add. If you don't have any idea how this works, just think of hongkong noodle style, only that this one has more variety, has more choices and you can make your own. You can have more mushroom if that's what you want or you can have more corn if you want to, you can ditch the green peas and bell peppers, no pressure. It's all your choice. And know what's even cooler? You can have as many servings as you want! Talk about a great find! More chicken? more beef? Have it your way!

They also have different kinds of sauce. Though I didn't tried all of it because I just stick to Oyster sauce the whole time. Lol.

As for meat, they have chicken, beef, pork, and fish.

My first try. Consists of sotanghon, toge, chicken, beef, lots of onions, peanuts, oyster and korean sauce. Believe me, it tastes so good. It just doesn't look like it on this picture because I'm not good in taking photos you know!

Second bowl. Still a good combination for me. :) If you're not sure which tastes good together, do a random research first so you would know what to try. I didn't do my research and wish I had but I guess I'm just so good with food that this tasted so yummy. Lol. If you're not convinced then ask my boyfriend! =))

This is how it looked like after cooking.

Verdict for their Mongolian Buffet: 9.0

Will I go back? Definitely!

This is good for barkadas who wants to pig out. Just for 199 you get to stuff yourself with all the weird combinations you can think of. I haven't tried their noodles yet but I'm looking forward to it. Heard they're serving kare kare noodles! Hmm.. Should definitely try that.

For more scrumptious pictures of their menu and for more info, you may visit their Facebook Page. :)

Little Tokyo Makati

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 14:44:00 +0000

Hola! Let's not talk about my long hiatus and how I've been telling I'll be a religious blogger but failed many times. This time, I won't promise anything, but rest assured, my blogging hormone is now back. Yey!

This isn't a come back post but rather just a start of a better blog. lol

So yeah, after work last Sunday (Yes, I have work on Sundays. It sucks but I kinda accepted it already), I headed home as fast as I could so we can make it to the 6pm mass. And you know typical Filipinos, right after mass comes the Sunday family bonding, which for us that day was in Little Tokyo Makati. My mother saw this Japanese compound featured in KrisTv. Just like me, my mother wants to try something new most of the times so I'm kinda thankful she brought us there to see what's this Little Tokyo all about.

At first glance, nothing special yet. Looks a little Chinese to me rather than Japanese. lol but when you go inside, you'll remember those typical anime setting. For me, I could imagine the whole Uchiha clan living here before Itachi killed the whole clan. (I have that wild imagination. Sorry guys. Naruto fan since grade school)

Little Tokyo is in Chinos Roces Makati. Most of the restaurants found here are owned by Japanese people who have made Philippines their second home. It is a compound consisting of different restaurants ranging from sushis, ramen, teppanyakis, okonomiyaki just to name a few. For me, this is the most authentic I've tried yet. Well, I've eaten authentic Japanese food but this one is different, the experience is just so different.

I cannot give a list of restaurants on where to eat and what to eat. Perhaps you could do a little research on what you would like to eat and see which restaurant offers that kind of food. For us during that night, we ate at Urameshiya Yakiniku. Just by the name itself, yakiniku, you would already know what it is.

Upon entering inside, what caught my attention first is this pile of manga. I'm in awe. If you know me very well, you would know that I used to love mangas and anime, and that's what made me love japanese culture more. I got excited when I saw these!! I just wasn't able to scan it because I don't know if the owner lets their customers read this or it is just for pure display.

As for the menu, I had a hard time understanding what they are actually offering, the server just offered us set meal which I think is a good deal if you're about 3 to 4 people in a group. Also, if you want other japanese food which are not in the menu and by any chance other restaurants around the compound offers it, then they will be the one to order it for you. As for us, we're crazing Okonomiyaki but unfortunately Urameshiya isn't offering it so instead the server called the server of Kagura (the restaurant which offers Okonomiyaki) so we could order to them and at the same time dine in Urameshiya. It's a win-win situation! Ugh, the foodie inside me rejoices when I was able to experience both food.

Fish cakes. Nomnomnomnomnom.

Okonomiyaki from Kagura. An order is good for 3 to 6 people. I didn't know that this is really big because my tito used to sell this and is only good for 1 person. This totally nailed it. Our cravings were satisfied.

As the name would suggest it, Yakiniku means bbq. So our menu set consists of different kinds of meat, a salad, and kimchi (Since this is Japanese cuisine I don't know why it includes kimchi).

Gyoza, from other resto as well.:)

I used to just see this kind of set up on TVs and on animes. Never knew this actually exists, in PH at least. this is sooo cool.

I highly recommend this place especially to those who are into Japanese food. Not only the food is authentic as well as the experience. There are a lot of Japanese people eating here wanting to get a taste of home. I would definitely go back. Price is not cheap but is reasonable. So the next time you plan your food trip, make it here. I promise you won't get disappointed. :)

There are a lot of japanese food choices and even those who are not into japanese food would enjoy! It's a must try. I feel like I found a hidden food treasure. Just imagine, it's in the heart of the metro and yet you get to enjoy these authentic Japanese food. I salute the people behind this concept.

Momarco Resort x First hurrah for Summer '14

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 06:06:00 +0000

Hola! Summer is nearing its end, have you spend time with Mr. Sun already? If not, it's not yet too late!! Anyway, we don't planned anything big for summer unlike those who're enjoying Boracay, Puerto Galera, you name it.. Maybe because it's the busy schedule of the grown ups. (grown ups talaga? hihi) If I remember correctly, the resort is situated at around Tanay area. For first timers, the place is hard to find especially that the route is very confusing. But once you see the place? It's definitely worth it.

What makes this place different is it is not crowded unlike other resorts. Here, you can unwind and have quality time with your family.

This is their main lobby. Since they also offer accommodation for overnight stay, they have their hotel rooms ready for guests. The place kinda looks sophisticated.

The greens and blues! The resort doesn't have many pool but it has a man made lagoon whom children mostly enjoys. It also has a mini zoo, and mini game room where guests can play table tennis and billiards. The resort also have a basketball court and if I remember correctly, it's for free as long as you notify the staffs.

The resort has their "ihawan" ready for people who loves to make ihaw during outings. For us, we had tilapia and liempo. yum yum! :)))) Aside from the hotels, people who are only for day trips can rent their poolside huts which come in different sizes depending on how big your group is.

And that's me.. nagpapacutee. heehe

Mini playground for children

The place is nice. And it's good for photoshoots as well because it is very nature -ish. They also have a bike park. And for those who just want to cherish the nature, they have a view deck where the whole resort is seen. For more information, and if you're interesting in having your next outing here, you can check their website here. You can check their website for the rates so you would know how you can handle your budget wisely.

The Perks of Being a Graduate and Having your first Job

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 06:36:00 +0000

Well, what can I say? I'm still in awe and probably not yet ready for my first real job. It just happened so fast. One day, I'm in school doing all the requirements, being busy with deadlines, cramming for our thesis, documenting our SAD and SE projects, then one day I'm shaking hands with the dean and being applauded on stage. I must say, my college life wasn't easy, and who among you had it easy? I'm sure no one would even dare say they had it easy in college. The feeling? Mixed emotions. I mean just minutes before my name was being called, I'm not yet thrilled, I didn't even felt excited! Was it just me? All I'm thinking about that time is "whooaaaa, graduate na ako today. And so what?" But just when our department head called my name and I was in the middle of the stage shaking hands with the dean, the asst. dean, my professors, and my terror professors, Oh my.. I just can't help but smile. 16 years in school. 16 years of hard work all for that diploma.. all for that degree.

And that was fast. It took 4-5 long hours before my name was called.

Just weeks before graduation, my friends are so busy making their resume and finding their first ever job. While me, I was pressured at that time. I didn't want to work yet, I want to rest first, I want to have a vacation, but I don't the gold, I'm not excited about graduation, but I'm afraid of what lies ahead of me after I graduate. I have my dream company on mind and I badly really want to pass their exams and of course, got accepted but it's not what had happened. Graduation season means job fairs for employers. I took advantage and submit my resume to every company that I know would accept me. So there is this one company that had their exams at school and without expecting anything from it.. I passed.. And fast forward, this is where I work now. This is not my dream company but who knows? It's my first job anyway.. I have all my life.

And yes, I wans't able to rest that long, I didn't have a vacation and just 3 weeks after graduation, I had my first day at work. The perks? For starters, of course you'll have your own salary, which means more budgeting on your side. Except of course when your parents still gives you allowance even after you had your first salary. You can buy that stuff you've been eyeing all your college life. You have lunch outs with so many colleagues, and you just know that you're a grown up human. But that's just it! It all boils down to your salary alone. Since you have your salary, you can buy this and that, you can go here and there. But what's the catch? You have to say goodbye to your night person self, you have to commute with all the people going to their respective offices with matching tulakan, init ng araw, and unahan sa sakayan. Not mentioning those people riding lrts and mrt's. After successfully going to your office without being late, you start working 9 hours each day, but for me.. it's 10 hours per day. Right now, I'm not yet doing anything crucial. I just sit all day and wait for the time to pass.. and it's hard. It's better to cram than to do nothing you know? I can even prove you that I'm typing this blog post in my email.. and guess where? In our office.

Aside from that, you won't have discounts anymore with public vehicles unlike when you were a student. You won't experience suspensions when it's raining so bad. You have to go to work no matter what! And having your work here in Manila is making it worse.. you have floods everywhere, there's traffic here and there. Public transpo sometimes are not enough to accommodate all the commuters. And it gets worse everytime.

And now I understand how easy was my life 4 months ago, when being a student is all I need to do. When studying is all I need to do. This blog post shouldv'e not even entitled "The Perks of Being a Graduate and Having your first Job" because all I really did was just rant how having your first job sucks. But anyways.. maybe I'm just writing it now because I'm not yet experiencing real life and real industry deadlines or I'm not deployed to a project yet so I'm not yet sure if I'll enjoy it or not. And besides it's just a month and half since I started working. Hopefully better things are yet to come. After all, we all just have to be contented and happy because not all are successful in their job hunting. Some graduates are still unemployed, and some are only receiving below the minimum wage. We just have to feel blessed. But really, it's a very big change. Especially when I see students commuting. Student life is just the start yet. And graduating doesn't mean your ready for what's out there. But since you're thrown out there not yet fully equipped, might as well use the weapons you gathered during your student days. And if there's one thing I most certainly regret is I didn't explore other opportunities before signing my contract in my current company. I mean don't get me wrong, I have this wonderful office, the pay is good, the benefits are good but I shouldv'e explored other opportunities and weigh in which company will I grow as a person and as well as my career.

So for those graduating students this year, make your last year count, make it memorable and enjoyable because after school, and when you start to work, you'll know that it ain't easy. It's a whole lot different from school. And once you start looking for a job make sure that you apply for a job post that you're really interested in doing. Money matters but being happy with what you do is the most important thing in looking for your dream job.. and dream company. You just have to be patient. :)

December Baguio Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Sat, 03 May 2014 16:26:00 +0000

Hola!! I know, I know.. I'm such a drop dead lazy bloggah. And no, I'm not that busy but some things are occupying my mind and well.. I'm not in the mood to blog. So posts are getting piled up but I'll try to update the soonest as I can. For now, let me narrate our Baguio December 2013 trip (super late like it's so 3 months ago. -___-) I know everyone's going gaga about summer and their summer vacay (Laboracay.. ahem ahem. hehehe who's enjoying the white sand now?) and mind you I also have my summer post lined up just not laboracay of course. :)))) I don't want to skip into that without having my our December vacay trip first. My blog is just soooo outdated about the happenings in my life. Oh well.

So yes, if last year we went to Sagada (Check it here, here, and here) for our year ender trip and stop by at Baguio for just a short souvenir shopping, this year we really intended to spend our December in Baguio. I must say, my mother is really a fan of cold weathers during December. Unlike most of the tourists going to Baguio who drives their own cars to get there, we, just commuted and always rode a bus going to Baguio. For the record, I lost count on how many times did I already went there.. whether it's December or Summer, Baguio is surely in my mother's list for vacation go to places. If I remember it correctly, our trip schedule is 11pm of December 27th so we could arrive there early in the morning to enjoy the cold breeze.

And guess what our eyes saw after the long drive?

It was all foggy and cold. I remember when I was still a child here in Baguio, I was so amaze on how a fog comes out of my mouth whenever I speak, feels like I'm in a foreign land like Korea or Japan. We arrived in Baguio before 6am and our check in time is still 2pm so yeah.. we have no room yet but we left our baggage in the hotel so we could start our touristy vacation.

Whenever we're in Baguio, we always stay in Hotel Veniz because the hotel is near to every place a tourist shall visit whenever they're in Baguio. The rooms are very nice.. hot shower water, clean surroundings, the staffs are very accommodating and friendly..

This is their lobby. Just across the hotel is Burnham Park and if you wanna go to the market or find a dining place in session road, this hotel suits you very well because it's just walking distance to like.. everywhere. You can see the Christmas tree up there because apparently it was December that time. Lol

Upon going to the hotel to leave our bags, we also decided to have our breakfast in their cafe. Cafe Veniz for me, is not something fancy. I'm not satisfied with their menu and of course just like other hotels, their food is kinda expensive.

I had french toast with bacon.

Before I continue, let me just remind that this vacation is just good for 2 days and 1 night. Why? Well because we had nowhere to go. :O Like we already visited every tourist spot and every place we can. Although we visited this one place called Tam-Awan village and it's our first time there, and that's for separate post because it's kinda deserve a new post. hehehe.

So anyway, after having breakfast we walked around Burnham Park to get some sunshine and just like what we do there everytime we visit.. biking!

Excuse my face LOL

Our mandatory Burnham Park picture. Hehehehe. Love that Transformers Shirt. :)

Forgive me if I can't narrate it well. :)

After some biking session and a massage session for my mother, we decided to go to the Lourdes Grotto which is famous for it's hundred steps. Souvenirs are also lined up and for those who are not capable of taking the stairs, you can ride a cab or drive your car way up.

Right after the grotto, we went to Pink Sister's Convent. Nothing much is special around this convent only that the nuns are wearing pink nun clothes. The church also is very strict inside and is really quiet. They're really maintaining a harmonious holy ground.

Before heading back to the hotel, we also ate our lunch in Burnham Park. Which is also somehow pricey relative to the serving we had.

Of course who would forget about pasalubongs and all? The one and only place is Good Shepherd for authentic and delicious ube jams and lengua de gato. They have various products and I must say, all that I have tried yet are tasty and worth your money.

Dinner in Don Henrico's Session Road.

Uyyyy.. sino katext? Hehehehe

This is how we end day 1. Just a stroll in the park, just enjoying the cold weather. We didn't even bothered visiting other places such as the Botanical Garden, Wright Park, Mine's View Park, Strawberry Farm. We're not into that anymore. Although of course for first timers, I recommend you visit those places. :)

On our second day, we went to Tam-Awan village which will be later posted as another post. Hehe. It's our first time there and the place is not famous unlike other Baguio Tourist place. And although the place is not that famous, it's somehow a very good place to go since it's very refreshing in the eye as well as you would learn many things about the igorot. We also went to see how weaving was done.

Fast forward, after Tam-Awan village, it's like a tradition to my mother to go the public market to shop for some fresh veggies and fruits because it is way cheaper here. Everything's a bargain. My mother also makes sure she buy a new sweater every time she went here.

This place is not as crowded as it is before.

This vacation may not be long or not really into seeing new things but it is what we needed that time. To at least breathe fresh air outside Manila. And also, who wouldn't like to experience the Baguio kind of weather. If I could just bring home the cold breeze. It will be like free aircon everywhere. :')

Please do wait for my Tam-Awan post as it is also connected to this one. Also, I'm very sorry for being a lazy blogger and not posting on time. Please do bear with me as I am adjusting to my new lifestyle now. I'm adjusting to my first ever job so once again, I might not be very active but I'll try to update the soonest I can. I hope everyone is enjoying their Summer. Have fun under sun! :D

Tamagoya Noodle House

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:45:00 +0000

So far, how is 2014 for you guys? Well, for me.. nothing fancy yet. Although at most times I am thinking and daydreaming about my future or to be exact, what lies ahead of me after graduation because just by thinking about it makes me scared.. but that's for another post I guess because if I continue, this post will be something else. For now, let me share with you my ramen experience at Tamagoya Noodle House.

This place again is something my boyfriend wanted us to try, although he already ate here once, he wanted to share the experience so we went here to eat dinner after our Sunday mass. Aside from the fact that I love animes, Tokyo (even though I haven't been there YET), and that I'm not an avid fan of sushis, my love for Ramen isn't something as high as other Japanese food. And to be honest, I only sometimes eat ramen because my fave anime Naruto features this specific Ichiraku Ramen where of course, cannot be eaten in real life because it's only in that show. If you would take me to a restaurant, I would most likely order a rice meal even if there are other menus. But that depends also on what type of restaurant we are eating at.

So this certain Tamagoya Noodle House is located at #2 Soliven Avenue, Mayamot, 1803 Antipolo Rizal. I can't describe how we got there because even myself doesn't know. I just relied on my boyfriend's knowledge on how to get there.

It was Sunday and going there for dinner is already planned earlier that day so we really pushed it through even there are nearer restos around the church, especially that SM Masinag is just around the vicinity. At first glance, even though we're 50 steps away, we could already see the people waiting to be served. And we're like (or is it only me?) WTF, are we going to push this through because there are so many people waiting to be seated. But of course, we're already there. And so at that fact alone, I knew "Ay blockbuster pala 'to!" You will already get a hint that this place offers something different that's why people are patiently waiting just to eat what they are serving. I can also hear people conversing in the Japanese language. And other people talking about grabbing pictures.. another blogger probably?

It didn't took us long to be seated. Maybe 15 to 20 mins? People are constantly going in and out of the place so more customers are being entertained.

The place looks so Japanese. From wooden sliding doors to their tables.

The place is small but it has 2 floors. I just wasn't able to take photos of the 2nd floor because we were seated at the ground floor. Upon my research, the 2nd floor is somehow more attractive and has more seating capacity.

The menu book isn't fancy but it's the food that matters right? :)

Their bestsellers are Stamina Ramen which has a spicy base soup and Gomoku Ramen which has mixed vegetables and seafood.

Yaki Gyoza 6pcs. P98. Pan fried japanese dumplings. They also serve fried gyoza. Well cooked and you can really taste the meat inside. The sauce is also a perfect match for the dumpling.

Gomoku Ramen P178. One of their bestsellers. I wanted to try their Stamina Ramen but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to tolerate the spiciness. I'm not into spicy food but just for the sake of experience of course. This ramen is somehow different from the others because of its rich thick sauce. The noodles are plain but still you can taste the flavor. It's mixed with different vegetables, mushrooms, seafood, and pork.

Katsu Don P148. Nothing fancy too. Served with Japanese rice.

The servings are worth the price and very generous. I can't even finish my bowl of ramen. I just wish they maximize more of what they can serve. They could probably add sushis to spice up their menus. Or even japanese drinks.

Overall verdict: It's highly recommended for Ramen lovers out there. Authentic and somehow there's a Japanese vibe. They're even playing Japanese songs in the background! :D

Additional info: They're close every Mondays. Open from 11am-2pm and 5pm-9pm.

So for Ramen lovers, this place is a must try! :)

PS. I suck as a blogger, and even much more as a food blogger. Do I? -___-

IG Diaries: December 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 02:19:00 +0000

Holla! I would like to make my 1st 2014 blog post as a new segment on my blog called IG Diaries.. wherein well.. I guess you know already.. will post my instagram photos for a certain month. And yeah, I'll start with December 2013 since I've been active on instagram last December. Lol how funny is that I'm using the word "last" before December as if it was months ago when in fact it was just 2 days ago. Lol. Anyway.. I hope you guys had an awesome Christmas and New year's eve. As for me, same old same. :)

So, these pictures are what made up my December. We'll do this from left to right, then the 2nd row from left to right.. and so on.

Top Left most column 1, row 1: A picture with my sister going to the mall to do some christmas shopping. I wasn't sure though if it was taken last December or last week of November. Lol.

Column 2, row 1: UST Christmas Decoration for Paskuhan 2013. The stars are scattered around both fountains beside the arch of the centuries. It was really nice seeing it that time.. as if the Christmas spirit is surrounding me. (What?)

Column 3, row 1: My obligatory selfie after chopping off my bangs and therefore making it full bangs.

Column 4, row 1: Kenny Roger's for dinner. Dinner date with boyfie at Robinson's Magnolia. He was trying to find me a gift for my birthday but we ended up eating since I can't find anything I want.

Column 1, row 2: UST's Christmas tree. Because Boyfriend and I are competing whose phone camera is better. And I ended up winning. ;)

Column 2, row 2: Me, Atheena, and Ton at Starbucks' Robinson's Manila. 1st time hanging out again with Ton in a long time because she just went back from Singapore as an exchange student.

Column 3, row 2: My selfie again using Ian's phone.

Column 4, row 2: Selfie with boyfriend before going to Space Superclub to attend out block's Christmas party sponsored by our thesis adviser.

Column 1, row 3: Forever 21 gift cards. Given to me as a Christmas present.

Column 2, row 3: A throwback from Paskuhan 2012.

Column 3, row 3: Angus Beef noodle? Can't remember the exact name but it was from Next door noodles by North Park.

Column 4, row 3: French toast and bacon for breakfast upon our arrival in Baguio.

Column 1, row 4: I like the quote written on it. Hehe. The block is beside the statue of a saint in Pink Sister's Convent in Baguio. I will write more about our Baguio Trip the soonest I can.

Column 2, row 4: Another selfie because the weather's oh so coooool.

Column 3, row 4: Instaweather showing Baguio's weather for the day.

Column 4, row 4: My last selfie for 2013. More to come on 2014. Mehehehhe.

Whooooa. That's a long list up there. Well, December has been good to me. It really is one of the best time of the year. :)

Follow me on Instagram: ayawillgoplaces

2014 with a Bang!!

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 05:02:00 +0000

In less than 24 hours, we'll be saying our farewell to 2013 and will welcome 2014 with gratitude and positivity.

To be honest, 2013 isn't like 2012 for me wherein I was so lucky all year round. I have my fair share of sadness, depression, anger, negativity as well as happiness, thankfulness, gratitude, and joy. It was a like a roller coaster ride because at some days I'm happy and at some days I feel like it was the most horrible day I've had. But don't get me wrong, I don't hate 2013. Because even there are many more hard times, there are many things I am thankful for that happened within 2013.

As I was reading my last year's blog entry about new year, I came across with my horoscope and now that the year has ended, I couldn't agree more. It was oh so true! That this year is hard because of our thesis, SE, and OJT. I'm also somehow lucky in finances, and more importantly I found my other half through out the year! It's been a good year after all. :)

It wasn't perfect but at least I get to do all my new year's resolution too! To make myself stronger, better.. To save up and to budget wisely. To study harder.. Make better decisions. As we all know.. I'm not good in decision making that's why I'm practicing my skills even more. This yet is still in progress though. I also did try again my luck in love which is now one of the best decisions I've made. Although one thing that wasn't fulfilled was again my attempt to go on a diet and be fit because instead of losing weight.. I gained!! So again, it's still in progress.

But fairly enough, 2013 also taught more life lessons. And even made me stronger by living independently. I also got to travel, not overseas but locally which is a good thing because it's better to know your country first before emerging in other cultures.

My new year's resolution??

1. To be a better person. There's always a room for improvement.

2. To work for a notable company and get my dream job.

3. To save and save and save. and budget wisely.

4. Do good in my work.

5. Do not dwell too much in my emotions.

6. BE FIT. LOSE WEIGHT.

7. Travel.

8. Try new things.

9. Blog more often

10. Be happy, live life to the fullest. <3

It's not yet too late to start over. Remember that new year is a chance given once a year to renew, reinvent, and make ourselves better than what we are yesterday. It's a transition of new beginnings. Sometimes, I am scared of what could be in store for me after I graduate. I don't know what will happen in 2014 because there will be a big change that will happen in my life soon.. and it's an opportunity to put into action all my hard work for the past 16 years of my life.

Let's just all hope for the best. 2014, I am ready to conquer you!!

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."

- Oprah Winfrey

Chubby Chicken - Katipunan

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 18:11:00 +0000

As a pure blooded Tiger, I am not familiar with the culture of Ateneans, and that includes their dining preferences, and where they mostly eat and dine in. Ateneo used to be my dream school but now I already realize how lucky I am to be a Thomasian. But that's not the point of this post. Lol. As I was saying, I'm not familiar with Katipunan, the restaurants, and hang out spots it has to offer. I only know that there's Mcdo, KFC, and Zark's Burger where we usually eat at when we're in Katipunan. But I got tired of eating burger's and bacons so I asked my date if we could eat in Chubby Chicken instead because I want to try their infamous chicken which when I google searched, some bloggers rate it better than BonChon's Chicken. Also, my date said he likes it and and for a change naman sa Zark's.

Chubby Chicken's Facebook page say's that it is located in 1B Xavierville Residences Esteban Abada cor. Alvero Loyola Heights Katipunan QC. As a mode of transportation, my date and I usually ride jeepneys along Marcos Highway going to Cubao and we'll take off at Petron Katipunan. From there, we'll ride a trike going to our preferred date place. And tonight, it was Chubby Chicken, where in at first glance the place is almost empty probably because it's weekend and people are finishing their Christmas shopping.

The place is not big but just enough for business that's just starting to make a name. Upon looking, I know right there and then that this place is famous around the area and students are mostly the customers since it has a big cork board wherein notes and pictures are posted, just like the ones I see around some of UST's nearby kainan and tambayan. There are doodles scattered, love notes, phone numbers, pictures, and other handwritten crush notes.

The place has also been featured in some magazines. You can check out Spot.ph's review about Chubby Chicken here. For starters, I think the price are reasonable and affordable especially when you're looking for something that's somehow close to home-style cooking. The prices are student-friendly, no wonder this place has been travelling its way to many people through word of the mouth.

2013 Christmas Wish List

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 15:52:00 +0000

It's really funny how time flies so fast and how I just realized I wasn't into my casual self the past months. This year is almost coming to an end but it's only this past month that I had snapped back to my usual self. And sorry readers for that because I know it's one of the reasons why I have been so inactive for this whole year of 2013. But let's not get into that. I have many posts coming up so yeah, I hope it makes up for the times I've been away from blogging.

Moving on.. let me introduce to you my 2013 Christmas Wish List! As I was reading my 2011 and 2012 wish list, I knew right there and then that this year, my wish list be all so different. I've changed some of my preferences but still, I'm still the super introvert me. I can't believe that it's already December. I haven't done my Christmas shopping yet because I'm broke as of the moment. Christmas is actually one of my most favorite holidays, feels like everything's going so good, everyone is so kind and giving, and jolly, and enthusiastic. And of course, Christmas parties everywhere, exchange gifts here and there. Though, it's kinda "magastos", it's not necessary that we give expensive gifts, as the old saying goes.. "it's the thought that counts".. So for those who are wondering what's on my wish list this year.. ladies and gents.. I give you the list:

1. iPad 4.

If last year and last, last year, I wished for iphone 4s and iphone 5, this time it's not iphone 5s or 5c but ipad 4. Weeks ago, I'm looking forward to recontract with globe and avail their iphone forever plan wherein I will switch my iphone 4s for an iphone 5c, but I'm not the one paying my bills and I decided that I will recontract after I have a stable and decent job which I hopefully want to achieve this upcoming 2014 after I graduate. I want the phone to be part of my hard work.. And instead of the phone, ipad 4 na lang. Hehehe. As if namang may magreregalo, right? :)

2. Forever 21 Gift Cards

And who wouldn't love to receive this??!!! Actually this isn't part of my list but my ever so loving boyfriend suggested and asked if he could just give me one of these on Christmas. At first I was hesitant but after some time, I realized it's a great deal. I couldn't be any more excited about this!! After some massive research, I found out that this was just launched later this year.. and I am so lucky my boyfriend thought of asking me about this. Happy girl here. :D

3. Tricia Gosingtian's 150 Style Essentials for Every Girl

I'm absolutelyyyyy a fan of hers! And any of my twitter followers would know where my 'ayawillgoplaces' username came from. She's one of the reasons why I tried blogging (only that mine's not a fashion blog) and write on the world wide web because I like how she express herself through blogging and through the clothes she wears. Her travel entries also makes me jealous that my japan travel fantasy should be pushed through the soonest as possible.

4. The Bro Code or The Play book by Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother.

I'm such a fan of HIMYM. During those times I'm not so busy, all I do is watch and find clues about the mother. I love how it gives life and love lessons, real life scenarios that will be so much helpful. I want to see what's really inside the Bro Code since it's the infamous book Barney always incorporate with his bros Ted and Marshall. Also, the playbook. I want to know if it will really work. :))

5. A gift card to any salon where I can dye my hair ligher!! I always want to fasten the growth of my hair so that I could style and dye it the way I want. But since I am oh so broke, anyone can treat me to a hair dye session to any salon? Pretty please? :)

6. The girly stuff. You know 'em. :) Uhm.. nail polish, accessories, MAKE-UP, skin care prods. :)

7. Nothing more but prayers and help to the Yolanda survivors. I'm not the kindest or nicest person on earth but I know, through all the suffering and pain the survivors are going through, they deserve to have a merry Christmas. I wish they can go back to their respective everyday life faster and that the city that were damaged be recovered faster. It's really heart breaking how these people are trying to live despite the fact that they have lost everything they have. They were indeed very strong. More prayers to the Yolanda survivors.

Christmas, the time of sharing and giving, and reuniting to our loved ones. Let just all remember that the true essence of Christmas is not the material things we give and receive, nor the snow, or even Santa. It's all about celebrating the birthday of our Savior and Almighty father none other than Jesus Christ.

So how about you? Have you thought of your Christmas Wish list already? It's not yet late to start and write one. Go now and tell everyone what you want to receive this Christmas! Happy holidays, everyone! :D

Catching Up with Life

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 16:09:00 +0000

Hi there! This post is nothing to do about anything other than my rants. Oh yess, you might say I'm just a heavy rant -er not a blogger. Booo me.. I know I've been such a drag lately and I'm trying to cope up. This past months is veryyyyyy stressful. And no, I'm not exaggerating. Since this will be my last post about how stressful my life was for the past months.. let's talk it over. Ready? Go ahead and pop your own popcorn.

School has been so *insert utterly more stressed word than the word stress here* lately. Especially first sem where we have to be an intern, do our SE project, and thesis at the same time. Plus classes. And during the first months of school, I was up from 5:20 am to 11:00 pm and most of the time my sleep is only 5 hours per day. Imagine how tiring it was. After class, we still have homeworks to do, thesis and SE documentation, and work the next morning. So now you probably understand why I have no life this past months.

But that's not the only source of stress.. you can gladly put other things in between life family, friends, love life (yes, a lot. :)))) ), and if you're reading my blog religiously, you'll know that I'm living independently for nine months because my father's in another country, so aside from those I've mentioned above, you can also add to that the stress I have for cleaning the house, doing my own laundry, thinking and getting my own food, and all other living-on-your-own stuff.

I also notice that I am no longer active with my extra-curricular activities and I lost all the enthusiasm I have for attending seminars and going out with my friends and yes, blogging. Probably because of all the things we have to do all at the same time. The time that should be spent with friends are now spent for sleeping and and calling it my alone time.

Butttttt!! that was over. All the hard work is now over! OJT done! SE done! and most especially, Thesis approved and done!! With my sincerest apology, I promise not to neglect my blog again and find something that will amuse me and go back to blogging again. This is now more possible because of the convenient schedule I have. But please be patient with me.. I'll try to catch up with blogging but I may uhhh.. you know.. forget once in a while...

So yes! 1 more sem to go and I can finally step outside of the Arch of the Centuries. 1 sem to go and all my hard work and puyat since day 1 of school will now make sense. Ahhh.. I can't wait. But before that dramatic moment.. I want to make the last 5 months of being a college student a memorable one. This marks my countdown 'til graduation. :))) yeyyyy batch 2014!

To end this, here's a copy of our hard work..

Loud and proud.

BDJ Fair 2013 x Catching up date with Queen

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Sat, 19 Oct 2013 14:27:00 +0000

Hi readers! This is so far the longest hiatus I've been since day 1 of being busy. But I have good news for yew!! But let's get to that later. For now, I'll be writing my comeback blog post. Haha! Yuuh, comeback blog post. In 3, 2, 1..

I suppose you guys already know BDJ Fair because I've already wrote about the fair a year ago. But if you haven't yet, no worries.. even though you're not that much updated or what (LOL kidding).. you have to see this post first. For those who don't want to click the link, here's a brief description.. BDJ Fair is organized by the famous Belle De Jour power planner that gives inspiration and empower women on what they do. In short, the planners are awesome and chic. Plus you also get to have lots of discounts and freebies from the coupons found inside the planner. But for those aren't as kikay as me, there are other planners that they also sell depending on your preferences..There's this planner called Navi for travel enthusiasts.

So yes, the fair was held at MOA Music Hall again last October 13. My buddy this time was Queen. I set this day to be our catching-up-with-each-other-date because it was ages ago when we last saw each other and we really wanted to hang out but we're both busy with academics. And that was the perfect time.. Sunday and sembreak.. you know the drill. ;)

Just like last year, there was an email sent to us about the fair. This fair doesn't only launch their 2014 planners but the entrance fees proceeds will all be dedicated to RockEd Philippines, Ang Bata at Kalinga - Volunteers for Children's Welfare Inc, and Bahay Bata Center. Entrance to the fair is actually free for all but if you want to make the experience more fun and freebie loaded, all you have to do is avail the 100 peso VIP Charity Pass which as a I said earlier will be dedicated to the charities I've mentioned above.

The 100 pesos is all worth it!! It's inclusions are bungee jumping, wall climbing, tarot card reading, and free coffee from CBTL. Also, don't forget the loot bags full of freebies!!!

The freebies. Love the Yves Rocher and Celeteque sample products. :)

If last year we signed up for Tricia Gosingtian and Patty Laurel's blogging and travel blogging topic respectively, this year we signed up for "Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful" by Xeng Zulueta and "An Inspiring Journey to the Crown" by Venus Raj. Entrance to the talk is also exclusive of the 100 peso VIP charity pass. I liked Xeng's talk about make-ups and how you can be your own kind of beautiful even with less make-up. From the right color to which products should you use.

That's Ms. Xeng Zulueta. Sorry for the low quality of the pic.

And Ms. Venus Raj. The only thing I hate about the talk is Venus Raj only stopped by for I think less than 10 minutes and that's it. A dermatologist from DermClinic took over the talk and discussed the layers of the skin which I think doesn't have to do on how to make your skin more glowing because she hadn't given any advice or what.

HAHA! Okay, that's the board where bellas can write their plans for 2014. Mine, I wrote "To graduate and work for my dream company." I forgot to wrote, to travel more. :)

Remember how me and Atheena scored a free Freefish shoes last year? Sad to say I haven't won any shoes this year because I didn't play any games aside from the booth of The Cream Factory Ph.. but, but, but guess who got lucky from the raffle? hmm.. Aside from the freebies, I was also able to bring home a bottle of The Cream Factory, bath cream in Almond flavor and a *drum rolls* Brazillian wax from Strip. Haha!! You read it right.. brazillian wax worth P1250, I guess. Do I have the right to make reklamo pa about the prize? It's cool! Hahahaha. And about the bath cream, their game is cool. All you have to do is like the page in Facebook and you can choose which game you want to play. Either the smelling game or the guessing game. For the smelling game, all have to do is remember the smell of each of the flavors of the cream and match it with the right flavor name. If you get 4 correct answers, you have a prize. And for the Guess Paris, there are pictures related to Paris, you must have a partner so your partner can give clues or keywords about the picture. In order to claim your prize, you have to pick a paper in the fish bowl and whatever is written in there is your prize. So for me.. the bath cream. Talk about being lucky. Others only win cookies! Haha!

Moving on..

The booth for buying the discounted planner and BDJ box.

Wall Climbing. Haven't tried it yet.

Look how crowded and overloaded the area is. Too many bellas!!

And the blockbuster Tarot Card Reading booth. If last year Atheena and I wasn't able to try it because of the long queue, this year, Queen and I still.. wasn't able to try it again. The line's too long and it's getting late already and I have another errand that day so we didn't pushed it through instead we just roam around the mall.

All in all, the fair is just the same as last year, only better and more organized. I've got to learn more from the speakers and I was able to meet catch up with Queen. With the time we spent that day, we already talked about our love life, school stuff, friend stuff, and other things in between. It was such a fun and tiring day.

My date for the day. :)

Anddd the picture of the stuff I won from the fair. :)

Caleruega x IS Batch 2014 Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 03:44:00 +0000

Yayyy! Prelims are over, the only thing we're worrying about right is our defense in our SE project next week. Well never mind that, it's still next week. Still I'm busy as hell because of our OJT and for some reasons I don't know why I can't seem to finish the required hours as early as possible. Hopefully next week I can finish it already. And again, I'm sorry for the hiatus. It's been a while. I know you're all tired of me ranting how busy and toxic the school was. I just have nothing decent to blog about so yes, I don't know what to write. I'm not yet a full blooded blogger. Haha!

So as the school is heating up because of our thesis and SE project, yearly, the graduating class always has its retreat in Caleruega situated at Nasugbu Batangas. Usually the class only has recollection every year and the last in year college is where they set the retreat. It wasn't a long drive, just 1 to 2 hours drive, of course depending on the traffic. And since we have 4 sections, we occupied 3 buses.

The place is so nice and very relaxing, very calm. Very nature -ish. A place where you can really reflect and have a peace of mind.

Close to Nature, closer to God.

It is indeed true. During our whole 3 days 2 nights stay in the place, our bonds with our colleagues got much stronger, and of course with God which the whole retreat wasn't possible because of Him.

We stayed at a dorm where it can hold up to a hundred people, I guess. It was so huge. The beds are all double decks you can see everybody in the room. Aside from reflecting, activities, and other stuff, the part I didn't like is the takutan part. Always. I'm not a fan of that. They said that there are a lot unknown creatures roaming around. Even in the girl's and boy's dorm. They even have this "forbidden bed" in which I don't why they call that certain bed forbidden. But anyways, I haven't felt anything strange or whatever during my whole stay there.

Nothing but green.

The activities of our retreat includes those of love to thyself, to friends, and to God. We had this activity where we have to think about a thing that represents us, a 6 word memoir which describes our life right now, and a life line where it represents at which age we are happy and sad the most. And who would forget about the retreat letters? After doing the activity, we placed it in an envelope and hang it on the wall so our friends can send in retreat letters to our envelope.

Caleruega Church. Do you know the saying that if it's your first time to enter a certain church, you are entitled to have a wish! And so I claimed mine. :)

The best section! :D

The night of our first day, we are tasked to explain those we drew and write in our first activity which are the 6 word memoir, the life line, and the one we drew that represents us.

On the second day, we had our session, and later that night, we had mini program, we are grouped randomly and we have to present a cheer, and we had a mini pageant which is for the sake of tawanan and bonding. And afterwards is the bonfire where it wasn't that nice because it rained but we just pushed through the lighting of sky lanterns.

Before we went home, we had our last session for the day which we we made a time capsule, and in our case, I wasn't able to make one that time because we still need to take a bath! For some reasons, I don't know why the time wasn't enough for us to take a bath. Hehe. And yes, until now, I haven't organized my time capsule yet. Either I'm too lazy or forgetting to organize it whenever I have my free time. So after the time for making time capsules, we took an oath.

The last part is where we can roam around now in the place and have pictures taken. It's really fun because even those people I'm not talking with, this retreat gave us the chance to mingle with them. And my not-so-favorite part but I think helped us a lot is when we have to say something good to a certain person for 20 seconds. We are grouped by section, formed a circle, there are those who are seated on a chair, and there are those who are standing. Those people who are seated are those who will hear what the people standing have to say to them. Every 20 seconds, the person standing will go to the next person seated and repeat the instructions until all the person seated are done. After doing so, the people seated and the people standing will exchange places. The activity will end when you all had the chance to talk with each other. And also, you can do it with people those who are not from your section.

Our diets was also ruined! We ate every 2 and a half hours. Our meal is always complete and our tummies are the ones complaining during our stay there.

All in all, that retreat was super awesome. I have more memories to remember now. Yes, college is very hard, stressful, toxic, but at the same time, it builds us the person we are today. It prepares us for the next real thing in our lives. It prepares us for the career we want to take. And though college is not the happiest place on earth, this is where you will usually find the people that will stay in your lives forever. This is where you'll meet your lifetime friends, and for some, even their lifetime partners. And this retreat just made our bonds stronger. It made us closer to God.

Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur Photo Dumping

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 16:09:00 +0000

As promised!! Finally, already had the time, and ze mood to blog, well not actually blog but photo dump our photos during our Ilocos trip. It's been 3 months, I know. Better late than never. :)

And by photo dumping, don't expect me to give you a detailed blog post because it's already past 11 and I really had a long day. My mind isn't functioning like a blogger at this point in time. All I can think of is the Zzzzzzz's I will after I hit the publish button.

Warning: May contain grammatical errors and not so good construction of sentences.

Because it was already ages ago, I surely won't remember everything, not at this time of the day so forgive me but I'll just try to type everything I can remember.

If I remember correctly, we leave for Ilocos Friday night at around 9 pm, and we arrived there 6am. So just imagine the travel time. The thing I hate the most about travelling by land is sleeping through the long drive. It's one thing I can't cope with. Our first stop was Vigan. I admit it! I was amazed! I only saw Vigan through post cards or when a travel or lifestyle show would feature it. And when I finally get to see it real up close, the Spanish era like streets, it was like, hey! I finally get to see it up close. In my opinion though, the place would be much better if they would just preserve it like really a residential place because they made it a commercial spot where the stoned and wooden old style house were already turned into souvenir shops. There are even fast food and banks scattered around the place. It would have been better if they let the place stay as it is.

We then headed to different places on our first day in Ilocos Sur. We visited the Baluarte which is like a zoo. We then visit the famous church in Ilocos Sur which I forgot the name. We also visited the museum of Ferdinand Marcos but wasn't able to go inside because it was still closed when we got there.

After a tourist trip around Vigan, we headed straight to our main destination.. Pagudpud! also known as Boracay of the North. There are many beach resorts located around. Pagudpud for me is the place to be when you really want to relax yet still wants a perfect view. If Boracay's too mainstream for summer, try Pagudpud! The ambiance is really accommodating. The white sand, which when compared to Boracay's, Boracay's sand is still more "pino" and whiter. The sunset was also breathtaking. Instagram worthy!! :D

After a day and a half in Pagudpud, we visited the famous Windmills of Ilocos, which I just see in the idiot box or pictures from friend's travel to Ilocos. We roam around the town and also visited Cape Bojeador. Cape Bojeador is famous for its lighthouse. We also visited this certain place where there are many rock formations. I forgot the name of the place. And lastly, before we headed back to Manila, we went back to Vigan to buy our souvenirs and pasalubongs. Ilocos is known for its Chichacorn, empanada, longganisa, and bagnet!! Of course, don't forget the keychains and souvenir shirts. :)

And there you have it. That's all I can process right now. My eyelids are already dropping. Ilocos is definitely one of the places I would love to go back to someday. Their rich culture is something to be proud of.

Expected to be a Grown Up in Less Than 24 Hours..

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:10:00 +0000

..or should I say in less than 12 hours? or 6 hours might also be applicable. How am I supposed to do that? Alright, panicking won't do anything and I was informed about this weeks ago and only tonight did it all sinked in.

I. Will. Be. Living. Independently. For. 9. Months.

Or not totally because I'm living with my mother during weekends. My father is leaving for Thailand tomorrow 6 am and I am expected to behave, to be responsible, to be independent, to be more mature, to live on my own, and to act like an adult effective tomorrow morning. Don't get me wrong, living independently is awesome and has its perks but what's bothering me is that I am not used to live in our house without my father because since grade school he's the one I'm living with, he's the one I'm going home to.. and now, I will be going home to no one but my bed, the t.v.,laundry, dust, cockroaches, and other non living or annoying things. Just by thinking about it makes me sad, and emotional at the same time.

Before, I sometimes think what would it be if I live independently and somehow I wish I am. But now that it's coming to real life, I think I am not yet ready and that I can't handle all the big responsibilities I will have. And that responsibility isn't just by taking care of myself because no one would now but also I have to take responsibility of the unit, make my own food, pay bills, do the grocery, clean the whole house including the bathroom which is not my favorite thing to do, to change defective light bulbs, and even to be at ease when there's a black out and the storm's raging. Truth to be told, I hate thunders with matching black outs, it makes me scared and nervous and imagine a lot of things. I also hate it when I'm going to sleep and I can't hear the tv downstairs because I feel alone knowing no one's there watching now.

Those are just my little sentiments right now and hoping in days or if not, in weeks, I'll cope up with my issues and fears of living alone. This is also the exact time it's sinking in that I'm already 19! In few months I will be leaving my teens years and enter adulthood. This might just be the warm up of everything, or probably the introduction to adult life? I have my choice in going home to Pasig everyday so that I don't need to take responsibility to all of these, but what makes me want to stay in this set up even though my father's set to leave for Thailand tomorrow is because this unit is my personal space. I feel at ease, at home, and this is my comfort place that whenever I feel sad, this is the place I always go to. This is the place where I think and reflect most of the time.

Teaching in Thailand is a great opportunity for my father, and I know he accepted it because he knows he can trust me and I'm a grown up woman already. He knows I can already handle myself. And that's why I won't disappoint him.

It's true that it may be hard and it requires me to take charge of big responsibilities, but hey, I know I can. It's just 9 months, no big deal. Anyway we have the world wide web, skype, wechat, and other modes of communication. I will surely miss my father. Even though we don't talk that much, he's still the strongest, most caring, understanding, and supportive man I know. Fyi, he's techi -er than me. :))

So starting tomorrow, things will be a lot different. Change is really the only constant thing in this world. We have no choice but to be strong and cope up with those changes. I don't know what will happen in those short 9 months but the only thing I know is that everything has a reason. This is one of those times where I should trust God's plan. Everything will be fine.

Everything has Changed

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:06:00 +0000

I've have been listening to Taylor Swift since she started singing way back when I was in high school. I was a fan of her Teardrops on my Guitar and never knew that soon after she'll be famous for writing break up and heart felt songs. You know what they say, whatever you feel, it always has a Taylor Swift song counterpart. I've listened to her Our Song and Another Picture to Burn countless times when no one else knows her except me and my mp3 player.

And I've become a total fan when I was given a free ticket to her Speak Now World Tour concert in the big dome. It was really funny that time because the tickets are getting sold out and I really don't have any plans on watching but the night before the concert, I was surprised to have 2 tickets for the concert. Talk about being lucky. ;)

And up to this day, I'm still a fan. I've heard a lot of rumors or probably facts that are not so nice about her but hey.. her music is what I like and the little things she does like donating whenever there unexpected calamities.

The bottomline of this post? Nah, I just want to share that for the past days I've been constantly listening to her Album Red, countless times. My favorite on the playlist? Stay, Stay, Stay and Everything has Changed. Oh wait, include there her single Red and 22. :)

Thank you to Grooveshark for letting me play her album while coding or doing nothing in the office. And just now, I can't stop listening to Stay, stay, stay. Sadly, there's no music video of it yet but I want to share my another favorite in the album which is Everything has Changed. Not only is the song nice but the music video is also cute. :)

Dalitiwan Resort: Not your typical Laguna Resort

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:06:00 +0000

As promised! This is my Summer ender getaway post. Since I've been ranting about my busy schedule for almost all my blog post since March, let me emphasize it again. Hehehe. During the whole 2 months of summer, my daily routine would be home, eastwood(OJT), home. And during on weekends, you'll see me roaming around Gateway every Saturdays, and home-church-home on Sundays. So you see, I really don't have time for other stuff in between. And so, this getaway in Laguna was the only out of town I had last summer aside from Ilocos Norte of course, which I will blog soon.

This was my mother's birthday celebration slash family outing. It was also planned weeks before because of our busy schedules. During the hot 2 months of summer, the best way to relax was of course swim, swim, swim. For other's, their destination would be Boracay or Puerto Galera or other mainstream beaches. But for us, it's Dalitiwan Resort located in Majayjay, Laguna.

What's unique and different on this resort from the others is that their main attractions are not pools nor beach. You will be relaxed on their river which the water was straight from the springs of Mt. Banahaw. They also have a pool, but the water's all fresh, and unchlorinated.

But! Before I show the main attraction, let me first narrate how we got there. I was surprised to know that there's a way going to Laguna via Antipolo and Tanay. I thought the only way to go to those places on the south was through SLEX. I didn't know that Antipolo has a secret path way. Oh well. So obviously, since it's Antipolo, the views would be mountains and lotsa mountains. Nature -ish na naman ang peg namin. :)

I'm not sure about the name of that mountain.

My mandatory sitting-on-the-road photo. :)

If I am not mistaken, That's Laguna de bay up there.

My sister's It's More Fun in the Philippines photo campaign ad. :))

Different stores of Walis Tambo, baskets, and other woven things. There are also vendors of fresh fruits like Watermelon and pineapple. Vendors of different nuts like Pili and Kasuy.

And after 4 to 5 hours of travel, which what I hate the most when travelling by land because I can't really sleep well during the trip, we arrived at Dalitiwan resort at around 3 in the afternoon. The place? Really worth the pagod on your ride. View pa lang, tanggal na pagod mo. :)

And that's what makes the patronizers of the resort come back. The cold water straight from the springs of Mt. Banahaw.

The resort also has a mini falls which let's you massage your back. You should never miss this when going there, you should just be weary about the cold water. It's freezing cold especially at night.

Dalitiwan Resort is a great getaway spot not only because of the breathtaking views and spring but also it has amenities you can use for family bonding like grilling area, cottages for overnight and day trips stay. They also lets you rent a karaoke machine for 1k. You can also choose what cottage or room you want to rent. The only thing I hate about this resort is their service and rooms. I'm not sure about the name of that room where we stayed in because I am not the one who reserved it but it has lots of different insects, even the bathroom's not pleasing. Call me maarte or whatevs but that room ruined my stay in the resort. There are ants everywhere, higad, and even anay.

For those who are planning on going to this resort, you also have to bring your own food because there are no restaurants nearby. You can bring cooked food or you can cook or grill your food in the resort on the spot. The resort also offers Henna tattoos which price ranges from 100 and above depending on the design you want to be inked.

My verdict: 8.0

I would love to go back to this resort but not for overnight stay or should they clean the rooms and get rid of the insects, then I would be happy to extend my stay. Still, I would like to suggest this resort for family bonding and barkada trips. Para maiba naman. Not always beaches and pools. :)

For reservations and inquiries, contact 09279956231 or you can visit their Facebook page for more info.

Cobo bonding

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 04:49:00 +0000

Hi ladies and gents! After 3 light years, I'm back from the hazardous, over toxic life of doing our SAD, thesis, and OJT this last summer. Summer's officially over and I haven't blogged anything decent for the past 2 months. I must say that I'm freaking busy and tired as always to even open the computer. And now that I'm officially a 4th year student, expect longer months of hiatus from me. Nah, em kidding, I will be double busy this time because OJT2, thesis 2, and Software Engineering are all in one sem. Still, I'll try my very best to update. I think that from all I've experienced from the last 2 months, I'm sure is entering the life of adulthood. Uh-oh, work and school at the same time.

So to make it up for the 2 months I've been MIA, I'll try to blog about the things I'm busy about. I'll post about my Ilocos Norte trip as soon as the time permits me, My Laguna trip, and other things in between those hot days.

But for now.. for my come back post, Here's a short review about a new milk tea me and my friends discovered. This isn't your typical wintermelon milk tea shop, their bursting bubble is so unique you want to try other flavors.

Presenting to you! *drum rolls*

"Cobo is the Most Innovative Bubble Tea & Desserts shop in terms of product offerings." - as written in their Facebook page. I don't know how many branches it already has but the one we tried was near Robinson's Manila.

Their menus consists of different milk teas, ice coffees, ice creams or snow ice as how they would call it, and snacks to complement your chosen drink.

Peach Mango with Strawberry bursting bubble. Really a must try!

Taiwanese chicken and Squid Wedges. I must say their Taiwanese chicken is a bit dry and lacks in flavor compared to Serenitea's Chicken chops. Their Squid Wedges on the other hand is like a pina -sosy na squidball.

Where the tea wonders are created. I was amazed by their tea shakers. Hihi. :)

And of course their cute interiors with matching doodled walls and nice ambiance for barkada get togethers. The place is also spacious unlike other tea spots where you are only allowed to take out your drink or you're forced to seat in a not so nice ambiance place. Call me maarte or what but for me a tea experience includes the coziness of the place. And Cobo has that cozy feeling. ^___^

Of course this wouldn't be possible without my BFF's. They're the bestest of the best. :)

The Verdict: 8.5

Cobo's kind of really an innovation from classic milk teas but I'm still looking for more tea possibilities. I liked their bursting bubble but I think it's not really their own idea because I've tried something like that before but I wasn't able to blog out. Still, it's a really nice place and a fresh taste for milk teas.

Also, finally after weeks of being busy, I was able to hang out with my high school besties. After that bonding, I think the most possible time we could see each other again is after this semester. I'm really scared and excited at the same for this sem because this will be the hardest of all. It sure won't be easy but I know it'll be worth it in the end. Soooo, that's it.

I will really try my best to blog once in a while. I really miss blogging.

Seok Chon Korean Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:23:00 +0000

I wanted to blog about this Korean restaurant so long ago but I can't. As usual, I have difficulties in taking photos before. But now.. Looks like the odds are now in my favor (medyo connected naman, right? HUNGER games. Haha!) You better get that, or else.. ay nako.. :)))

So! This authentic Korean Restaurant is located in 1506 M.H. Del Pilar Street, Ermita, City of Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines. Complete dapat! ;) near Robinson's Ermita and Hyatt Hotel. Hmm.. First off, let's talk about the area. When you see the place, you wouldn't know it's a restaurant until you come in. There are Korean letters written outside the resto but it isn't pansinin probably because the letters are not attractive or whatsoever.

The ambiance inside is well.. just a so-so ambiance. Not impressive but also not dull or dirty looking, if you know what I mean. Anddd.. for the food. We wouldn't go back to this if we didn't like it the first we tried eating there. Meaninggg.. the food's glorious and the servings are very generous. They even serve 6 to 7 side dish, plus a soup if you request. The side dishes alone can make you feel you're in Korea. :))

Apparently, when we're eating here, it is Jon who always make the order and we eat whatever he orders. Sooo, I really don't know what these dishes are called. Hahaha! My apologies. I'll let you know when we get back.

The one in the top left is one of my favorites. It's a very, very spicy pork dish that's mixed with vegetables. On the bottom right, you'll see lettuce and pork. It is eaten like a roll. You first need to roll the pork, rice, put a little oil that also comes with order, and another sauce that's like a bagoong in Korea as to how Jon would describe it to us. You can also add your preferred side dish, wrap them together and.. bite! :) Flavors mixinggg. :)

The price range from 200 to 500. It is quite pricey but it is definitely worth the price. The servings are very generous and even though we only ordered 2 dishes, it made us bloated! Or probably it's the water that made us bloated because of the spicy taste. Well, whatever. My verdict: 8 out of 10. :)

I still would want to try other dishes from their menu. Next time, when we get back. :))

Unboxing my 1st BDJ Box

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 15:35:00 +0000

I am soooo excited for this. Since the day Belle De Jour announced they're having this box having all the cute sample products, I knew I wanted to order right away! But you know me, I'm the sigurista type of person, I first read reviews about the box before I ordered one for myself.

And for those who doesn't know this awesome box, BDJ Box is from the creators of the awesome and girly planner Belle De Jour. They made this box to let the bellas out there lessen the pain of trying out expensive products which in the end is not suited for their skin type. BDJ box includes 5 to 6 sample products which will help you decide whether you like the product or not. If you like it, then voila! good for you. If not, there's nothing to worry about because you can subscribe for the next box and try other products. Andddd, the good part is you don't have to spend a big amount of money just to try it. And not only that, every box is another surprise. You won't know what the box has until you open it. Hmm.. what do you say? :)

And so after months of reading reviews about this, I finally ordered my 1st BDJ box. And I feel so lucky because this is also their first exclusive box.. meaning, the box contain products from one brand.. and this month's brand?? ..

You read it right, products from Shiseido! 5 products from shiseido for only 480 pesos! How great is that? And not only that, it also has 3 discount coupons for shiseido products. I just feel so lucky that this is my first time to try the box and yet this is what I get. :')

Because I want all of you to know how awesome this box is, I will give you the breakdown of what's included in the exclusive Shiseido BDJ box and so you will have an idea on what mainly the box contain. :)

1.) Nippon 5-Minute Touch-Up Kit (150 pesos) - This one is not a product of shiseido and let's just say that this is an added bonus. This touch up kit has lip brushes, lip gloss applicators, eyeliner brushes, mascara wand brushed, dual cotton tips and wedge sponges. This is perfect for busy girls out there and those girls who are on vacation or travel.

2.) Shiseido White Lucent Intensive Brightening Mask ( 3200 pesos for 6 sheets) - The mask has a concentrated brightening and hydrating benefits. It reduces dark spots for a more flawless looking skin. The box contain 1 sheet for a sample product. And when divide 3200 by 6, it'll cost you 534 bucks. So just imagine it, this mask alone can make you see how tipid you'll get when trying out products from BDJ box. ;)

3.) Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick (1250 pesos) - a perfect shade for every occasion. This can improve the condition of your lips with regular use. :)

4.) Shiseido Benefiance Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam (2600 pesos for 125ml) - the box has this with the size of 30ml. It is formulated with Yuzu Seed Extract that balances skin moisture. No need to worry that this might run off quickly because a little squeeze results to luxurious lather. :)

5.) Shiseido White Lucent Intensive Spot Targetting Serum (5650 pesos for 30ml) - Need I say more? This product can diminish your dark spots in 10 days!! The box has 2ml sample.

6.) Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Resist24 Night Emulsions (3250 pesos for 75ml) - This visibly reduce wrinkles and can let you achieve younger-looking skin. ;) The box has 15ml sample. :)

7.) Bonus Gift Cards.

Now that you have the breakdown, what do you say? It is like getting more than what you pay for! Will definitely get more of this box in the upcoming months. Not only that it helps you save by giving you samples to try out before buying the actual thing, it also helps you discover brands and products that suits your skin. a very big help. :))

I suggest you get your own box now!

Things that made my Week :)

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 07:54:00 +0000

We're all so busy we didn't know that it was already Engineering Week. Meaning ~~no classes for the whole week!!~~ and there are tons of events going on. We even have a dress code to follow for every day during the whole week. Me, who hasn't have any class on Mondays, went to school for our thesis interview. Last Monday, we we're asked to wear Grey, because Engineering's color is grey. uhmm.. isn't that too obvious to explain? =))) in the end, we weren't able to conduct an interview and instead played billiards.

Did I already told you guys that I'm currently attached to billiards? Well I'm a newbie and I'm not like Efren Bata Reyes and I don't think I'll ever be close enough but I'm improving!! I just need more practice and a good mentor. :)) Thanks to my friends for introducing to me this sport. The only negative effect of this new found love is the budget!!! It gets harder and harder to save every time we play! I'm a woman of budgeting and everything I spent on is already budgeted, so if there are unexpected gastos, my whole budget will get screwed up. So yes, no savings for this whole week. Uhhhh.. that's so sad. Need to budget wisely and include billiards on my daily expenses. lol kidding, that's too much. prolly 2-3 times a week will do. :)

So last Monday, after playing billiards, went to my good friend's school to watch Silent Sanctuary live. It was their school's anniversary and Atheena and I went there para makinood ng Silent Sanc. :)

Silent Sanc never fails to make us feel in love and broken hearted at the same time. Some of the songs they played are of course, the walang kakupas kupas na Ikaw Lamang, Kundiman, and Rebound.

Tuesday, we were asked to wear our department's color, which in our case is Orange. :)

Past forward to Ash Wednesday, I had my prevalentine's date, a post before this one. :)

Thursday, no classes for the whole day and I just stayed at Damzel's unit with my thesismate, afterwards, billiards. :)

Friday, AUSAID event, which was an event by the dean's office. I was tasked to be one the man powers and we're supposed to wear corporate attires. So the night before the event, I don't know how to pull off a corporate look because I really don't have a corporate attire, my father and I went to SM to buy a blazer. The look? Okay naman but not corpo -ish. :)) We also attended the Faculty Showdown at PICC forum where our professors show off their hidden talents. Mind you, this event only happens once every two years so it's a very anticipated event. Imagine just how us, students, wanted to see our professors take the center stage. :)

After the showdown is the awaited Urbandub and Spongecola. Actually I'm not a fan of Urbandub and I don't know any song of them. Spongecola on the otherhand is the main event! They're awesome! And although I already had my encounter with Yael few years back and even though we already had a picture, a part of me still wants to have a picture taken with him again!! He's kinda different when performing. I won't forget my encounter with him in Greenbelt when I was a 3rd year high school student. Summer pa noon and I'm with friends strolling while holding a cup of frappe when just out of nowhere we saw him with this pretty woman. And even though we look like nakakahiya or whatsoever, nagpapicture pa din kami. hello? It's a once in a lifetine experience no?! Imagine just how popular they are back then and up to today. Walang kupas. :)))

And Saturday? Nothing. Just had a meeting with our thesis adviser. :)

I miss this feeling, yung papetiks petiks lang because for sure, next week, back to normal and the usual. SAD and Thesis. school works, assignments, etc. Aaaaah. Student life. :)

Tong Yang Prevalentines Date w/ Girlfriendsss

noreply@blogger.com (Maaya Legaspi) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:44:00 +0000

It has been a very busy week for all of us. Oh wait, change that, not week but week -S or should I say month? We haven't seen each other in a veryyy long time and by that I mean almost 1 and a half month. And because of the busy schedules we all have, we all decided that we need to see each other soon. And the perfect timing?? Valentine's day because we're all like single. And I'm not saying it in a negative but rather in a medyo-bored-but-okay-lang-coz-mr-right-will-come-soon way. And apparently, Vday is a Thursday and I have my class 'til 8pm so that's not possible, I guess. And yes, we moved it last Wednesday, the prevalentine's date of the single ladiesss. :D

And remember those post where I always ALMOST tried to eat at Yakimixx but always ended up changing plans? This wasn't an exception!!! It feels like my cravings for it will not be satisfied until *insert unknown date here*. It's our plan to celebrate our prevalentine's date there but but but.. there's a very long queue waiting for us outside. We're so excited we forgot to make a reservation. Plan B? Tong Yang Robinson's Manila. :)

Unlike other eat-all-you-can buffet, drinks are already included in your 585 bucks. Sounds cool, eh? :) Tong Yang in Rob Manila, for me, is just a so-so eat-all-you-can buffet. Tong Yang in Quezon Ave. for me is more sulit! The food choices are veryyyyy broad unlike the ones in Rob Manila. Although yes, the shabu shabu part can still be experienced, the food choices are limited.

But who cares? It's Valetine's and it's still eat-all-you-can. Magrereklamo pa ba? It's a total major cheat day. Diet's screwed up but hey, we all deserve this. :')

The awesome part? You can choose how you want it to be cooked. You can even choose what soup you want. :)

It was also a day I looked forward to because it's the first I've seen Queen since the last time we saw each other, which was November of 2011. My debut. She hasn't changed a bit and yes, a part of our bond is somehow getting rusty. I no longer know everything about her unlike when we're in high school where everything that happens to us is updated to each other just like a twitter account. At least we got to see each other again after a very long time.

And also, my Monggi girls. Through thick and thin. Even our relationship status' are the same! That's how we love each other. LOL. =))))

T'was indeed an awesome night! If we weren't broke by that time, we would've stayed longer and went to probably Starbucks or Timezone to extend our date. But since we're all on a tight budget, busugin na lang sa pagmamahal at kwento. ;)