Prinsesa

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:53:23 PST

10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the LORD,11 and they said to Moses, "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? 12 Didn't we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, 'Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It's better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!'"

13 But Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14 The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm."

Our journey with God and his promises is never a smooth road. He sometimes allow us to go through humps when we take a journey with him. Just like the Israelites, we take a step of faith to that promise and just when we thought everything is going well, our problems (in their case, the Egyptians) will start chasing us and try to catch up with us. Just like them, we will panic and will feel like giving up. We'd rather go back to our familiar lives and just live complacent lives. But this is not the life God wants for you and me. He wants us to live a full and satisfying life and he wants to take us there.

In this passage, Moses told us that the we shouldn't be afraid when our Egyptians come because the Lord will fight for us and he will rescue us. Yes, this is true. But we must also remember what God told the Israelites after:

15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!16 Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers.18 When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the LORD!"19 Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them.

Here we see that God also tells us to "get moving!" As James tells us, Faith without action is dead (James 1:6). He also tells us to get into action and exercise that faith. Yes, God will rescue us and he will fight for us but we also must also act on what we ought to do. We can't just cry every night and then wake up to see our problems go away. Our faith causes us to be unafraid and unafraid people move confidently. Unafraid people are brave. Unafraid people move. This is God wants for your and me.

What are the Egyptians of your life? What should you do to "get moving"?

--
SARAH ALARCON CURATIVO

"Act Justly. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly."~ Micah 6:8

Blog :: http://sacurativo.blogspot.com

Twitter :: @sacurativo

Lola Lydia and Her Violin

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:04:27 PST

We went earlier to a recital concert by Seasons of Love by Key Strings where a good friend is going to play the violin publicly for the first time.

Congratulations, Ethlyn Kaye Sayson! :)

I am very proud of my friend but this post is not about her. Hehe. This post is about Lola Lydia Mondares, the beneficiary of the concert.

When Mama Bear told us about this concert, we didn't hesitate to go. We reserved tickets and blocked off the date because we wanted to support her. Honestly, I didn't read the details of the concert. This is why I was very amazed when they introduced Lola Lydia and that she's the beneficiary of the recital.

They introduced Lola Lydia as a "street fiddler with a passion for music" and that caught my attention. She humbly stepped on the stage and played Paper Roses and Atin Cu Pung Sing Sing. I was captivated. There's modesty and grace in the way she played. Both are simple songs but there's something in her music that I can't explain. I wanted to know her story and where she learned to play music. I want to know why she's in the streets.

It was only then that I learned that she was already featured in I-Witness. True enough, there's more to this street fiddler than meets the eye.

She's the fiddler on the street. Like many in this caroling season, Lola Lydia performs in crowded alleys in Manila for change. But she is an unusual sight -- she plays the violin, a lonely musician in a city where many do not recognize, much less appreciate, the sweet-sounding classical instrument.

Howie Severino and his documentary team encounter Lola Lydia in Baclaran where she is trying to earn enough from street performing so she can go home to Pangasinan for Undas to visit the grave of her mother, who taught her to play. Lola Lydia still plays the broken violin that she inherited from her mother.

The I-Witness team accompanies Lola Lydia home. But on the way they stop in Zambales where they visit the famous concert violinist Coke Bolipata, who has taught dozens of local children how to play the instrument. Lola and Coke amaze each other, and together with the community's young virtuosos perform on the beach as the sun sets. In that precious moment, Lola Lydia is no longer a lonely violinist.

Arriving in Lola Lydia's home village in Pangasinan, Howie Severino and his team discover that the fiddler has a legacy in the community which she was too modest to reveal herself.

Biyolin is a documentary about the simple joys of music and what it gives to its most passionate performers no matter what their station is in life.

From: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/236630/publicaffairs/biyolin-dokyu-ni-howie-severino

Biyolin (I-Witness) Part 1:

Biyolin (I-Witness) Part 2:

Biyolin (I-Witness) Part 3:

Biyolin (I-Witness) Part 4:

There's so much to learn from Lola Lydia's story but I want to mention one thing: appreciation for music and art. I am no artist but there's really no more appreciation for beautiful music and art nowadays. It seems that these things are just for the elite. When we see a beautiful thing, we always count how much it costs and how many hungry mouths it could feed. I agree, there are a lot of important issues our country should focus on. But this doesn't mean we should neglect culture and art because culture and art doesn't mean wasting money and denial of the problems in our country.

For all we know, our key to success might be in culture in arts! But we're so focused in trying to solve our problems the traditional way (employment, for example) that we don't see other opportunities. Lola Lydia was able to learn and teach violin on her own, what more if she was given the opportunity to study her passion. The whole barangay is playing music without formal education, I wonder what they could do if they would have the opportunity to pursue their gift instead of just trying to survive for a day.

For Lola Lydia, I pray that God would bless her more. May she continue to play her beautiful music and may she always play it for our Lord. I am believing this verse for her:

Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
For He has delivered the life of the poor

From the hand of evildoers.

~ Jeremiah 20:13

Lupang Arenda Outreach

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 07:43:26 PST

Yesterday, I had the privilege to be part of another outreach. We went Christmas caroling to Lupang Arenda, Taytay but instead of the usual asking of gifts, we were there to give gifts and bless the families living there.

All I gave for the outreach is my time and a few photo shots but after going through 7 families who graciously welcomed us in their small homes, I went home extremely tired but blessed.

We suddenly drove away from Lupang Arenda with the most luxurious red Kia car.

I changed my clothes with the most fashionable shirt.

I went home to our mansion and slept at the most comfortable bed ever.

As I lay in my bed, I asked God to forgive me for my ungratefulness and thanked him for all the blessings he gave me. I pray that he would send more workers for that family to nourish not just their physical needs but most importantly, their spiritual needs.

Moreover, I pray that He bless the people of Lupang Arenda and that he would bring his people out of that place. The place is really not safe, no matter what the government says.

Once Upon A Time (TV Series)

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:00:02 PST

Stumbled upon "Once Upon A Time" earlier today at Star World and I found it pretty interesting.

It's our usual fairy tale charcters -- Snow White, Prince Charming, the evil Step Mother, Rumpelstiltskin. Geppetto, Pinocchio and even Jiminy Cricket -- but they were able to somehow connect it to the present day.

Here's the trailer:

And the list of characters (copied from Wikipedia):

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard
Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
Lana Parrilla as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills
Josh Dallas as Prince James "Charming"/David Nolan
Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills
Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket/Archibald "Archie" Hopper
Jamie Dornan as The Huntsman/Sheriff Graham
Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold

Since I was able to watch only one episode, the one where The Huntsman died, I cannot really say if it's good or not or if it's even safe for the kids to watch. But as I said, I found it interesting and might watch another episode again. :)

Born is The King, It's Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:18:46 PST

I know it's late but I wasn't able to do a Christmas blog. Sharing with you Hillsong's "Born is the King"

More than the gifts and events -- it's about The King, Jesus! :)

Born is The King

Born unto us this day a Savior
Gifted from heaven to a manger
The hope of the world
A light for all mankind
All of the earth rejoice
It’s Christmas time

So lift up your voice and sing out His praise
It’s Christmas
Born is the King, rejoice in the day
It’s Christmas
Make a joyful sound
It’s Christmas
Let His praise resound
It’s Christmas

Goodwill to all the earth
And peace divine
All of the earth rejoice
It’s Christmas time
It’s Christmas time

So lift up your voice and sing out His praise
It’s Christmas
Born is the King, rejoice in the day
It’s Christmas
Make a joyful sound
It’s Christmas
Let His praise resound
It’s Christmas

So lift up your voice and sing out His praise
It’s Christmas
Born is the King, rejoice in the day
It’s Christmas
Make a joyful sound
It’s Christmas
Let His praise resound
It’s Christmas

So lift up your voice and sing out His praise
It’s Christmas
Born is the King, rejoice in the day
It’s Christmas
Make a joyful sound
It’s Christmas
Let His praise resound
It’s Christmas

Time to Give Back! Help Sendong Victims!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 02:24:22 PST

Just before Christmas, Typhoon Sendong or Tropical Storm Washi brought tragedy to the thousand lives of Filipinos living in southern Philippines, particularly Dumaguete, Cagayan De Oro and Iligan.

Cagayan De Oro and Iligan are the first provinces I have visited in Mindanao. It was actually one of the most memorable trip me and my friends had. We enjoyed the white water rafting and the thrill of watching the majestic Maria Christina Falls.

Dumaguete, on the other hand, is my father's birth place and we've been there before when I was younger. We also have some relatives there.

I've had really good memories of these places and it really hurts to see the images I am seeing now in TV and prints.

To date, the death toll is already 1,500 (source: Inquirer.net)

Having been a "victim" of the Typhoon Ondoy, I could imagine the horror of our friends in Visayas and Mindanao. But then again, maybe not. Ondoy was nothing compared to the damages Sendong has brought.

I'm seeing lots of organizations who are doing their best to help in any way they can and to make helping more easier. Here's a list of some of them.

There are also drop boxes everywhere where you can drop off your in-kind donations. I know one in The Columns Ayala Avenue where I am staying now. You can choose which organization you trust the most. What's important is that we get to help our brothers and sisters in Dumaguete, Cagayan De Oro and Iligan.

And most of all, let's not forget to pray for them. May they find comfort in God amidst this crisis.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

This article might also help: http://bible.org/article/when-tragedy-strikes

Jodi King - Happy

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:44:50 PST

Happiness is YOU!

Happy song on this not so happy moments.

Happy
Jodi King

All alone by myself
On my own no one else
It's a dream
I admit but sometimes
It can feel like a life
It's all I've got

Maybe cold, maybe dark
Maybe it's all my fault
I'm a girl
I admit which should mean
I don't know
what it's like to be loved

But late at night I see your face
I'm caught and found

That's when I see your eyes
That's when I feel you by my side
Happy is when I'm
Happy is when I'm
With you when day begins
With you until it ends
Happy is when I'm
Happy is when I'm with You

I was free, I was fine
Went my way, had my time
With all that I needed
I had found every piece in my life
So I thought

Now that I've found you
Now that I know
I should never return
To the way that my life was before
To the way that my life was before

Saved Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:46:31 PST

Who said Christians don't know how to party and rock?! We did it last November 26 during Saved Festival and it lasted for six straight hours! Haha. The best part of it is most of us still needed to get up early the next day to go to church with a hangover -- on God's presence. Hehe.

Thank you Lord for your grace and provision and for letting us have the VIP tickets for Saved Festival! :) (Shoutout to Joshua Nieva for the super awesome seats!)

Every centavo is worth it! I honestly don't know some of the band who'll be playing but went on to buy anyway. A worship lead by Gary V is already worth it, but I was in for a huge surprise! It was seriously a six-hour packed of singing, dancing and screaming! Haha.

But more than the music and the fun of worshiping with other believers is the challenge of the concert for "Saved" people to act like one -- to live a life with no compromise, representing Christ in this world, living a holy life.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ~ Romans 12:1

Here's a list of songs or the set list that were sang during the concert, gathered from the Saved Festival's FB page.

Gary V

Sa Yahweh
Open the Eyes of my Heart
Natutulog Ba Ang Diyos
Gaya ng Dati
Take Me Out of the Dark
Could you be Messiah
Shout for Joy

(Although we missed the introduction video, which I heard was very good, and the first four songs :( )

Quest

Party Life
Everywhere That I Go
You'll Come
Rise and Shine
I Could Sing of Your Love Forever
Back to Love

Jodi King

Breathing In, Breathing Out
I Live For You
Amazing Grace
Happy

Happy would be my favorite song for the night! :)

Sideshow

Life Light Up
Alleluia Sing
As The Deer

Parachute Band

Gave It All
Your Love
Come to the River
Our God
Living Rain
How He Loves
Mercy
Glorified

Martin Smith

Rain Down
Here We Come
History Maker
Our God Reigns
Waiting Here For You.

Starfield

Revolution
Top of Our Lungs
Hosanna
Reign In Us/The Stand
All We Need

Citipointe Live

Break the Silence
Let It Ring
Name of Jesus
Devoted
You Reign

Aside from these, we also got to hear the most awesome testimony of Pastor Steve Ruetschle and his message on the Four Men on a Roof (Matt. 9:2-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:18-26)

Thank you Lord for the faith of our friends and family. Thank you Lord for my Mom who prayed hard for all our family to be saved.

Thank you Lord for the salvation that you give! :)

I took new photos.

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:14:54 PST

prinsesa took new photos:

http://lemele.me/kahFjbG91ZGFwaS1pbnN0d2FsbHISCxIJUGhvdG9GaWxlGMfyzEoM

Happy Lemon

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:36:03 PST

We've been hearing a lot about this new drink that claims to have the World's Yummiest Drinks so we have to try it.

We've been to Happy Lemon twice, actually. I ordered Milk Tea on our first visit because I'm trying to compare different Milk Teas. Well, it's nothing special. It tastes like the normal Milk Teas.

Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese

So on our second, I tried one of their best seller -- Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese. Interesting, huh?

I was told I shouldn't drink this with a straw in order to fully enjoy it. Well, it's yummy and I've never tasted anything like it before. It's a combination of sweet, chocolatey and salty but it's more of a dessert to me than a drink.

Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese and Lemon Yakult

Rye loved Lemon Yakult on his first visit and ordered it again. I can't really taste the Yakult, so it tastes like a normal lemon shake to me.

I don't know what else is on Happy Lemon Drinks but it did made us happy and made us a little crazy. Haha.

Happy Lemon offers a lot of variance compared to other milk tea shops. Most of their drinks also also below P100 so it's also more affordable, making it a hit for many students.

It's also a great alternative to coffee but their branch in Eastwood is always crowded so it's not really nice place to hangout.

Our verdict: 4/5

Happy Lemon is located on the following venues:
.

G/F Promenade, Greenhills, San Juan
4/F Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City
2/F Archaeology Annex, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati City

For more info:
happylemon@happylemon.ph

http://www.happy-lemon.com
http://www.twitter.com/happylemonph

While I was Eating My Porkchop...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:37:20 PST

I noticed this tissue holder...

The little piggie giving me the look!

But I ate it anyway. Am I bad? :(

From LemeLeme

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 19:19:55 PDT

Real Life Outreach

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 01:29:27 PDT

Real Life Foundation is a non-profit organization that helps underprivileged Filipinos have a better future by providing an opportunity to a good education and better communities through their LIFE Scholarship, LIFE Coaching and LIFE line programs.

Here’s a brief description of each program, according to their site http://igivetolife.com

The LIFE Scholarships program provides high school and university scholarships to poor but deserving students with good academic standing who, if not for the scholarships, would have no chance of obtaining a university degree.

LIFE Coaching is the character development program of the Real LIFE Foundation which provides mentoring for our scholars in Leadership, Integrity, Faith, and Excellence.

LIFE line seeks to motivate and mobilize people to engage in meaningful community service.

One of the LIFE line programs is the Saturday Feeding Program. Every weekend, children ages 3-10 from the squatter community around Pasig and other parts of Metro Manila are fed through the sponsorship of volunteers. Last October 15, Rye and I had an opportunity to be part of this together with other volunteers from Victory Metro East.

Victory Metro East volunteers

With just P250, we were able to provide a nutritious meal for these wonderful kids and receive these cool shirts. :)

Helping others...

Never goes out of style.

What I loved most about Real Life feeding program is that they recognize not just the physical needs of the child but also the need of kids to be loved and cared for.

Games and other activities are also part of the group. During our outreach, we taught them the song Jesus Loved Me.

It was a well-worth Saturday morning spent together with these kids. I’m sure they would not remember our faces but I hope that throughout their years, they would remember the message of the song.

With the other volunteers and Real Life staff

Happy to help! :)

If you would also like to help out and have an unforgettable Saturday morning with Real Life and the kids, you can sign up at Real Life office or via this form.

For more information on Real Life, please visit http://www.igivetolife.com

More pictures on my Picasa Web - Real Life Outreach

Blueprint: In God's Image

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 05:30:31 PDT

Green Team

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 06:49:04 PDT

27th Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:28:12 PDT

I know I already said this last year on my 26th, but it's really all I can say...

I can't believe I'm 27!

Well, yeah. I'm 27 and a happy 27 year old at that. :) I'm blessed to have a series of celebration for my

birthday with my friends and family...

9.18.2011

Pre-Birthday Luneta Trip with Rye... I loved Luneta! But I'll have to talk about that on a separate post. :)

Pre-Birthday Dinner with Abbie and Das at Papa John's..

I also had a quick catch up with Ate Rose before that but we didn't get to take pictures. :)

9.19.2011

Going home on a Monday! But first, Tinapa Rice at Mesa for Dinner...

Midnight of my birthday, Rye woke me up with a birthday song and Cloud 9 birthday cake...

9.20.2011

Off to Hidalgo for my Birthday gift! :)

Test Shots :)

Dropped by UP for Moonleaf's Wintermelon Milk Tea and yummy BBQ and Isaw..

Starbucks at Ayala Techno Hub before picking up my parents for dinner..

Dinner at my favorite resto, Cafe Lidia, with family...

9.21.2011

Dress day at the office...

... and some Pizza from the September celebrants!

Also celebrating Rjam's Birthday :)

I was also flooded by birthday messages in FB/Twitter/SMS and got international call and texts from my friends abroad. :)

Happy Birthday to Me! ^__^

UP Pep Squad is 2011 UAAP Cheerdance Competition Champion!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 03:45:55 PDT

It's a back to back championship for UP Pep Squad!

Congratulations Unibersidad ng Pilipinas for winning the 2011 Samsung Cheerdance Competition.

Now for those of you who missed UP's winning performance, you can watch the video here:

Again, congratulations UP! Proud to be Iskolar ng Bayan! :)

UP Pep Squad is 2011 CDC champions!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 03:33:40 PDT

WiTribe Identity Theft?!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 01:45:13 PDT

I was very surprised when my lola handed me this letter from Wi-Tribe:

Urgent! Pay Immediately. -- Huh?!

When I opened the letter, it was a disconnection notice and a bill for a Move Up - Plan 998 amounting to Php 3233.45.

It says:

"You may have overlooked the bills we sent to your registered billing address and your listed email address, sarah_curativo11@yahoo.com. Please be advised that your account is now due for disconnection if your overdue balance of Php 3,233.45 remains unpaid by 21 Sep 2011."

First of all, I don't own that email. From here, we now know how the scammer got away with this. Aside from using my info, he (or she?) created an email address using my name and applied for a paperless bill.

This also further strengthens my suspicion that my info leaked from Citibank. Why? The only account I billed to our Marikina address is Citibank.

Rye called up WiTribe and they told them that they would cancel the account. It seems they already have a number of similar complaints. No surprise about that since they only require ID and proof of billing.

It's a bit alarming though because my identity is obviously being used by someone else. An email account with my name was created by someone else. If WiTribe did require an ID and proof of billing to be present, then it's possible that the identity thief also made a fake ID and fake bill. If WiTribe didn't really process the requirements and just activated an account under my name and address, then it'd be negligence on their part and it's just shameful. On this day and age, this kind of hassle is unforgivable. I want to know how they were able to do this.

Tried searching for related blogs or articles on this but I can't find any. I also searched the net for Philippine law related to Identify Theft and found this: Pass law to stop identity theft, Villar says, I'm not sure if this bill was already passed but we sure need stronger laws on this.

To the person who did this, all I can say is that I pity you. Kukuha ka na lang ng broadband, hindi pa sa #1 Broadband -- SmartBro.

Hahaha. :P

Cebu City Itinerary 2011 - Taoist Temple

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 08:30:01 PDT

Our trip to the Cebu Taoist Temple was quite an adventure. From Ayala Center Cebu Jeepney Terminal, we rode a jeep going to Lahug City as advised by the staff of Dessert Factory.

Google Maps said that Chinese Taoist Temple is just beside UP Visayas. So we jumped off from the jeep when we got to UP Visayas. We asked a nice school bus driver and as it turns out, the Taoist Temple is still a bit down the road and we have to take a habal habal to get there.

Credit: WikiFilipino

Ang habal-habal ay tumutukoy sa isang uri ng pampasaherong motorsiklo na binago at higit na pinatibay upang makapagkarga ng higit pa sa limitasyon ng isang ordinaryong motorsiklo. Ito ang karaniwang ginagamit na sasakyan sa mga lugar na hindi kayang daanan ng mga pampasaherong bus at dyipni dahil sa matarik, lubak-lubak at maputik na daanan tungo sa liblib at bulubunduking mga barangay. - WikiFilipino

Habal-habal? Hmmm. No thanks. I'd rather walk. After all, Google Maps said it is just near UP Visayas.

So off to walk we went until we saw a "To DECS EcoTech Center".. Yey, we're on the right track! I saw that on Google Maps. From there, we decided to get a taxi but no would would take us because it's "too near".

So off we walk again until the trail started going uphill. We realized it's not as near as we expected. And then it started to drizzle.

We asked the nice lady with a cute baby walking along with us for directions. She started talking in Cebuano with hand gestures. What's most awesome about it is we did understand. I dunno how, but we did. Hehe. She said we go straight the road until we find a guard house. The guard house is for the Beverly Hills and in there is the Taoist Temple.

After more uphill walk, we finally found it:

Before entering, the guard gave us a paper indicating the rules and regulations inside the temple. Silence must be observed and we cannot take pictures inside the temple.

The Gate of the Taoist Temple with beautiful Pagoda roof

Steps to the Temple

With one of the "Guards"

Ceiling Details

Built in 1972, the Cebu Taoist Temple is located in Beverly Hills Subdivision in Cebu City, Philippines. The temple was built by Cebu's substantial[1] Chinese community. With an elevation of 300 meters above sea level,the temple is a towering, multi-tiered, multi-hued attraction accessible by three separate winding routes. -- Wikipedia

As we know by now, there are many Taoist temples in Cebu City but this one is open to non-worshippers. It is now a popular tourist destination because of its picturesque architecture.

We didn't get to count the steps but the internet says it's about 99 steps. I also didn't notice the Great Wall of China replica. Haha. Probably because we're too tired and very wet.

Anyways, after taking pictures, we rode a taxi off to The Crossroads for our spa. :)

PS. This famous Taoist Temple is called Philippine Taoist Temple in Google Maps

Cebu City Itinerary 2011 - Dessert Factory

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 21:20:05 PDT

Cebu City - Moon Cafe
Cebu City - CAP Osmena Museum / Fuente Osmena

Since we're determined to get the most out of our quick trip to Cebu City, we went to Dessert Factory (recommended by April) even though we're already so full from our Mooon Cafe lunch.

Dessert Factory is just across the Mooon Cafe in Ayala Terraces. We ordered Blueberry Cheesecake, Cafe Mocha Blanca and Caffe Caramel Latte. I forgot how much the cheesecake is but both drinks are worth P80. They were tasty but we were a bit disappointed that there was nothing special about them.

I guess we just made the wrong choice because their other cakes look very yummy. We saw them only after we made our orders. Hehe. We'll make sure to stop by Dessert Factory again when we get back to Cebu to try them.

It rained hard when we got there so we stayed there for a bit before we went to the Taoist Temple. Thanks to the friendly staff who taught us how to get there.

---

Dessert Factory
Ayala Center Cebu
Phone Number: (032) 233-2351

Listening Skills

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 06:08:52 PDT

Got this from our TFV Manual...

L. E. A. R. N.

L - LISTEN. Listen with your whole heart
E - EMPHATIZE. Express emphaty, genuine care
A - ASK. Ask questions to understand their point of view
R - REFLECT. Reflect back what you hear them saying
N - NEEDS. Help them clarify the underlying lies.

Learn to listen, it'll save you a lot of trouble.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:05:43 PDT

SMS Conversation.

Friend: Sarah, are you home?

Me: Yup. But I'm not feeling well.

Friend: Ah ok. Get well.

Minsan kaya naisip niya na baka meron din akong problema at baka kelangan ko rin ng friend? Tapos maririnig ko na lang na wala daw ako when they needed me the most and when they are at their lowest point of their life.

News flash: the world doesn't revolve around you.

Cebu City Itinerary 2011 - Mooon Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 21:19:49 PDT

Cebu City Trip Day 1 Part 1

From Fuente Osmena we rode the jeep to Ayala Terraces.

And we're off to the next stop in our itinerary: Mooon Cafe

Mooon Cafe (yes, three O's) is a Filipino/Mexican restaurant. Been reading a lot of good reviews of this restaurant around the internet and there's no branch in Manila yet (or anywhere in Luzon) so we decided to put this in our itinerary.

Mooon Cafe was our first (of the many) meal in Cebu and we weren't disappointed. The ambiance is very festive with its colors. Our server was very nice and gave us good recommendations. Best of all, the price is very affordable and the taste and quantity is worth every centavo.

Chimichanga.Crispy flour tortilla filled with tender, mild-spiced beef, cheese, sour cream and salsa rojo. Topped with strips of lettuce and sour cream. P79

Mexican Baby Back Ribs. 500 grams Grilled Pork ribs marinated in herbs. P189

Chicken Mozarella Melt. Friend chicken fillet sprinkled with mozarella cheese, sauteed chopped tomatoes, served with rice. P159

I forgot what this drink was called but it's yummy! We paid almost P600 but it's all worth it. Chimichanga is a bit oily but that's all I have to say.

The over all experience is good and Mooon Cafe is a definite must-try. I would want to to go this Mooon Cafe again on our next Cebu visit but there are really a lot of must-try food and restos in Cebu. I think I would have to skip this and try something else next time.

Moon Cafe Menu c/o Yummy-Cebu.com

Cebu City Itinerary - CAP Osmena Museum / Fuente Osmena

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Curativo) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 21:18:00 PDT

July came and we're on our way to our Cebu weekend with Nic, Karl and Julia.

Cebu Day 1

Rye and I went a day ahead of Nic, Karl and Julia. They will be riding Cebu Pacific and we’ll be on Philippine Airlines. We have to be in the airport by 5AM for our 7AM flight but I haven’t packed my stuff until 10PM the night before due to the hectic schedule at work.

And this is what greeted me when we got to the boarding gate:

When we got to Mactan Internation Airport, we rode a multi-cab up to the Island Souvenir and Starbucks area near Mactan Econic Zone. This costs us 7.50 each. From there we rode a taxi to our hotel in Cebu City. On our way, we passed by the famous Mactan Bridge.

Roseate Pension House will be our home on this trip in Cebu. Nothing fancy but not bad for 898 per night. Owner and staff are all friendly too. They let us check-in for as early as 8AM.

After resting up a bit, we’re off to our first stop which is just a walking distance from Roseate Pension House: Fuente Osmena Circle and CAP Osmena Museum.

The Fuente Osmena Circle is a popular landmark in Cebu City. We didn’t get to enter the park but it is very similar to Quezon City Circle, although smaller. It connects different streets of the city in which one leads to Cebu Provicial Capitol. In the center of the park is the Osmena Fountain. According to CebuHeritage, the fountain was built in 1912 to commemorate the completion of Osmena Waterworks System. It also symbolizes the progress of Cebu city during the American era.

The CAP Osmena Museum is a private museum owned by College Assurance Plans. It is located along Osmena Blvd near the Fuente Circle.

After this, we rode a jeep to Ayala Cebu for lunch.

... which I will write on another post.

Cebu City Trip 2011 - Mooon Cafe