The Pink Tarha

Sweet/Savory Delights

2012-05-20T11:53:00.003+03:00

There are times that you feel a need to be alone. Especially us, ladies. Right? I have a lot of those moments. In Manila, it's easy to find a coffee shop or a bakeshop that I can go to and be alone. No one would wonder why I'm in this kind of solitary ~~confinement~~ moment and I can go on sipping my coffee, biting my pastry, and typing away in my laptop or reading a book. It's kind of hard to find such a nook here, unless you're a bachelor. Most coffee shops in Tahlia cater to them. The family section of a restaurant is most of the time crowded and filled with kids. I have nothing against kids, seriously, but it's hard to focus when there are a bunch of them running around and shrieking and playing, don't you think?

I found a solution to that problem. The Crepe Cafe in Thalateen Street.

I don't want to give away this secret because you might flock this place with your friends (and your kids) and I would be forced to look for another "me" nook but you know The Pink Tarha cannot resist sharing good finds! And I'd like to share this space because we, ladies, can use more lady-friendly establishments around here. Do you agree? :P

You might know of The Crepe Cafe in Riyadh Gallery. Their concept is so popular that they had to extend their dining area to the other side of the garden. And they still had a line waiting every time. The ladies and I liked Crepe Cafe there but I think we like the new branch better because it's tucked in a corner, it has wifi, and my friends and I can hear ourselves better. I bet I can even hear myself better when I'm alone and there are fewer people in this coffeeshop.

Bright interiors

French-lovin' cafe

The "me" booth I like, hehe

The bright interiors of the family area is an apt place to dine in. The food is good too. My favorite would have to be the banana caramel crepe just because it's no-fuss and simple. It's sweet, of course, but paired with bananas, this crepe is the right one for me. E tried the philly steak crepe and she liked it too. Their savory crepes are nice and fills the tummy just right. We also tried the salmon omelet and while a little bit bland, it's adequate. Our waffle-loving friend tried the ones with berries and ice cream. She was neutral on the buttery batter used. She likes her waffles fluffy and light but The Crepe Cafe's aren't. Still quite yummy though.

Picture time!

Comfort food

Yummy!

Savory love.

Lots of smoke salmon bits

All the good things in a plate

So here's why The Crepe Cafe is perfect for your "alone" time... it's quiet during non-rush hours. It has free wifi (just ask the waiter for the password). They have a nice selection of coffee. Their very affordable 'breakfast' food comforts. There are a few establishments around it that you can go to and browse products while waiting for your driver (ex. Golden Brown, Candy Bouquet, Chocolate Dream, etc.) So, you know where to go now when you're hit by a "me time" craving. Or if you and your girl friends just wanted to have a mini getaway (from the crazy urban landscape) to yourselves. ;) Of course the mall makes perfect sense too. ;)

The Crepe Cafe

a. Thalateen St., Suleimania, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

b. Riyadh Gallery, along King Fahd Road

www.thecrepecafe.com

Sundrenched

Women Entrepreneurs of Riyadh

2012-05-16T10:56:00.002+03:00

Two weeks ago (I know, this is an awfully late entry again but please continue reading and let me make up to you...), I attended the Ladies 4 Networking Breakfast at the Outback Restaurant in Localizer Mall. It was my first time to attend such an event in Riyadh and I didn't know what to expect. The invitation from Ms. Sabina, the beautiful event organizer whom we first met at the Lush event against animal testing, says that the event is a way to promote and discover products, businesses, and brands. Entrance fee is SR 15 inclusive of light breakfast from sponsors Golden Brown and Cannelle, goodie bag from Make-Up Forever and Candy Bouquet/Chocolate Dream, and short workshops.

This event is of course, for ladies' only. I arrived around 9:30 in the morning and the place is already packed! One part of Outback's bachelor section was turned into a session hall while the other half was turned into a mini bazaar where tables were set-up to accommodate ladies selling their wares. The family section was for breakfast.

Jampacked!

{Disclaimer: Dear ladies who attended, I did not take a photo of your faces. And I did not take this photo to be distributed in the intarwebs or offend anyone. This photo is to just show how many ladies attended the event.}

Before the start of the talks, prices were raffled off. I was lemming for the MUFE bag but no such luck. :P I took the time to go around the bazaar to check out the products. Here is a list of the vendors for your reference. Because you, dear readers, are fond of asking us where you can buy this and that, this list of entrepreneurs might be right up your alley! :)

Spencer W. Tart Artworks

Pieces of Arabia

So detailed!

Artist Spencer W. Tart lived in the Saudi Arabia in 1979. His works featured prominent scenes from the desert and the Middle East. His watercolor and pencil paintings have been exhibited and sold in the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar. Not surprising as his works are so detailed and captivating. Judi Mathur is the artist's local agent in Saudi Arabia so if you want these Tart limited edition prints, she's the lady to go to. Contact her at +966540613705 or jvvanura@gmail.com.

Art Classes + Moroccan Argan Oil

Are you an artist yourself or would just like to pursue your passion or interest in the arts? Then, Saida is the answer to your prayers. She offers art classes including silk painting, decoupage, porcelain flowers making, pewter and drawing techniques, and painting using oil, watercolor, pastel and acrylic. Her classes are perfect for your kids too.

The fountain of youth?

And have you heard of the Moroccan Argan Oil? The beauty world is all abuzz about this youth elixir. It treats skin, nails, and hair problems like psoriasis, eczema, etc. and aids in blood circulation. If you're interested on either the art classes or the Moroccan 'liquid gold', contact 0564005054 / saidaohaibi@yahoo.fr

Pottery, Art, and Accessories

Handpainted

Intricate details

Love the colors!

Interested in bringing home more crafts, this time in pottery and accessories? Najah Arts is the place to find them. I've seen this lady in the bazaar in our workplace and her creations are fabulous. From eye-catching necklaces to delicate ceramics, she has it. Contact artist Najah Yaiche at latunisoise@hotmail.com or 0569974814.

Alternatifs and Edens Corner

Riyadh is not far behind when it comes to recycled, organic, natural, and sustainable products. Admittedly, they are hard to find. That's why, a "Green" event supported by ladies who are promoting a healthy and environment-friendly lifestyle is a breath of fresh air.

Lovely, lovely

Edens Corner offers minerals and stones set in your favorite jewelry. Be it rings, necklaces, and even cuff links. They have lapis lazuili, meteorite (wow!), tourmaline, sapphire, peridot (my birth stone, yey!) and more. Some of their products can be found in Sada Shop.

Natural, organic skin care

ALTERnatifs is a local business that brings organic and sustainable products here in Riyadh. They sell Australian line Miessence whose products range from skin care to bosy care to hair care and even a babies' line for your sweet little darlings.

More products

In cute tins

What interested me the most in Alternatif's offerings is the Natural Patches of Vermont. These patches are more than just your ordinary Salonpas. NPV brings the therapeutic benefits of aromatherpay and essential oils. The Arnica or soothing aches and pain and the Lavender for a sleeping sleep are the formula I'd like to try next time. Contact Alternatifs manager Ferial M. Abbas at +9661201441 or ferialalternatifs@gmail.com.

Cake Detail Baking Classes

What's a ladies' bazaar without the goodness of baking? Cake Detail offers baking and decorating classes for beginners and advanced students. Their cakes on display were amazing! I didn't have time to take photos though but you can visit their Facebook page for more details. If I have more time in my hands, I'll take a class on the Wilton Method. Classes are kept small so you'll be sure to be given utmost care and attention. Contact baking and decorating instructor Muna Snobar at cakedetail@gmail.com.

Candy Bouquet

Speaking of things all good and yummy, Chocolate Dream/Candy Bouquet was also present in the event. These are good alternative to folowers. Imagine, you don't have to bring flowers and chocolates separately. They come in one gorgeous package! Perfect as gifts for all occasions! Contact Candy Bouquet at 01-4197237. They have a branch in Dabab St.

Magrabi's Lasik Technology

Maghrabi's presentation

Magrabi Hospital, one of the main sponsors of the Ladies Networking event, presented their newest lasik technology. There were doctors and several nurses on standby to check the grade of the eyes and give free consultation. Their slideshows were informative. I've always wanted to have my eyes corrected through lasik but the 8,000 to 10,000 SR price is too much for my meager income. I'll have to, ehermn, save more. For consultation, contact the Magrabi Eye, Ear, and Dental Hospital at 01-4705656.

Tchibo
Tchibo, another event sponsor, is a German company that recently opened their branch in Granada Mall. And even before I came to knew that fact, I already visited that store and found it practical: it's like the IKEA of apparel. Shirts, pants, and lingerie are available in packs and boxes at affordable prices. They also have some home stuff like pillows, towels, pots and pans, and fairy lights!

Make Up For Ever

Newest MUFE lippies; samples in photo

The highlight of the event for me was the Make Up For Ever's how-to talk. Surprisingly, most of the ladies opted to have breakfast already. I stayed at the session hall to listen to MUFE's make-up artist. MUFE trainees were there offering samples of their products. One applied the Aqua Lash eyeliner on my lids and mascara on my lashes. They instantly brightened up my eyes making it look bigger and sexier. Hello, lashes! I've always been fascinated with how Arabic women put on their eye makeup. They do a terrific job! I also tried their newest Natural lipstick, which is smooth and fine. It's my new My-Lips-But-Better lipstick.

Yummy cupcakes!

I went to the breakfast hall to find cupcakes and assorted pastries. I gobble up Golden Brown's blue velvet and banana cupcakes (my fave) and a cheesecake. Delicious! I thank Sabina for a great morning and went on my way. Ooops, lemme show you what's in the goodie bag:

MUFE samples and chocolates from Chocolate Dream

So, if you're interested in any of the activities and products above, please contact the numbers and email addresses I've provided. And don't forget to tell them you heard about their products and services from The Pink Tarha. Haha. If you're a seller or vendor and want your services and products to be featured in The Pink Tarha blog, don't hesitate to email us at thepinktarha@gmail.com.

Happy Wednesday!

Sundrenched

Mom's Day 2012

2012-05-13T08:49:00.001+03:00

I LOVE YOU, MOM! :)

"No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother's love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star."

It's your turn to tell us where you're gonna take your mothers today! Will you have dinner at some fancy restaurant or will you bond over shopping? Whichever way you celebrate Mother's Day, don't forget to show your LOVE to your mom, nanay, mama EVERY DAY. :)

All About Expats

2012-05-11T10:12:00.002+03:00

The Pink Tarha has long been a member of Expat Blog, a platform that gathers expatriates' blogs around the world and lets expats share experiences. It was created 7 years ago by Julien Faliu's passion for discovering new cultures. He launched the Expat Blog to help expatriates and since 2005, it has become a support website for expats and those who are planning of moving abroad.

The Expat Blog

The Pink Tarha has benefited from the Expat-Blog community. We read a lot of blogs of fellow expats here in Saudi Arabia. They make a good resource of first-hand experiences and learning from living in the Kingdom. The forum section, which we rarely visited before because we are not that good in maintaining a forum account, is also helpful. You can get advice from fellow expats and gain friends. We are, however, slowly getting into the forum groove and just started participating last month.

Expat Blog has launched two new sections which will further help expats, especially in Saudi Arabia. It now has sections called Jobs and Housing in Saudi Arabia.

Looking for work?

In the Jobs section, you can post or discover job opportunities in Saudi Arabia, per type of job (more than 100 jobs and fields), create your CV, and find the right job for you.

Looking for a new house?

In the Housing section, ads are available by kind of accommodation, whether you're looking for or offering places for/to rent. These new sections will surely help expats in Saudi Arabia to look for these essential needs in living and working here in the Kingdom.

Visit Expat Blog and you might just find what you're looking for. Whether you want further great reads in living abroad from bloggers' personal experiences or want to find friends or looking for answers to some specific questions you might have about the country you're in or want to get insights into a country you'll go to or just looking for the right job and the right housing... Expat Blog is your answer. And we're not just talking about Saudi Arabia. Any country you're in or any country you want to be in can be found in their directory. :)

Fancy Bags at Victoria's Secret

2012-05-02T16:19:00.000+03:00

Ola, Wednesday! You're here!

Before we jet off to our weekend getaways (as if), we're leaving you with some eye candies from Victoria's Secret. Because really, we need beautiful things to look at every day! ;)

Envelope clutch, iPad cases, and business card case

These are so classy!

Leather totes

Totes with long handles are perfect for traveling. We can totally see ourselves using this for a trip outside Riyadh paired with a weekend bag. Now, if only we have a trip outside Riyadh this weekend...

Sequined stripe canvas totes

Ooohlala, what bling you've got there! This is a usual bag type but the sequins make it extraordinary!

Nylon weekender luggage

A good friend will totally kill for this. Lol. She likes everything with animal prints so this will be perfect for her. Rawr!

These accessories are available only to Victoria's Secret Beauty & Accessories stores which are mostly found in the Middle East. You can't buy these collection from the VS full assortment stores in the US so consider yourself lucky if you have one! *wink* The Pink Tarha ladies will have to settle by staring hard at the photos for now because these don't come cheap. But they're all so pretty... sigh.

Victoria's Secret stores are located in Kingdom Mall and Hayat Mall.

Where are you headed this weekend, friends? Care to take these bags with you if ever? Take us too! Lol. Have a good weekend!!!

Btw, it's World Blogger's Day today. We didn't prepare anything fancy dahil huli na naman kami sa balita! Haha. But to our fellow bloggers and to us... happy world bloggers' day! To our dear readers, kindly visit our fave blogs in our LINKS page. Thank you!

Forever Living

2012-04-30T15:21:00.003+03:00

Whoah! Is it the last day of April already? The days have gone by so fast, don't you think? We were looking at our blog tabs and frowned when we saw this is only our fifth entry for the month! Waley! What happened to our new year's resolution to blog often? Haha. (Ah wala nga pala kaming resolutions!)

Anyway, summer is here again. Despite of the cranky weather Riyadh has been experiencing for the past few days, we all know that it's already the season of the sun. The harsh desert climate is upon us and you need to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! If you recall, Sampaguita Pride has already written an entry a few months back on how not to be a prune in the desert aka how to keep your skin moisturized. A lot of you has been asking us where to get the aloe vera gel that SP mentioned. Well, here's your answer:

Click photo for larger size.

Forever Living offers many aloe vera products so if you're interested, check the flyer above. Aloe vera does not only keep your skin moisturized, it also heals skin ailments! The Pink Tarha is not the expert on this so we're turning you to the one who can answer your questions... Ms. Verna Nafrada. Contact her at 050-7032098 or email her at forverna3@hotmail.com for your aloe vera gel needs. :)

So, there's no reason to sport dry and itchy skin this summer! :P

Happy May, everyone!

The Lush Life

2012-04-25T11:39:00.000+03:00

The Pink Tarha was invited to attend a mini event at the Lush store in Faisaliah Mall yesterday. Lush is not new to us and we're sure it's not new to you too. It's hard not to notice this store because it smells and looks good. The smell of the whole store can get overwhelming but the displays of soaps and bath bombs are always a treat to the eyes. Everything is cute, beautiful, and colorful. The aroma inside is fruity, floral, earthy... all the senses are tickled fancy in this place. Every time I enter this store, I get the urge to buy everything! (Buti na lang di ko afford lahat, haha!)

The lovely soap market!

A good turnout of lovelier ladies

A piece of cake! :P

Lush is launching their campaign against animal testing. This has been the company's advocacy ever since but they are amping up their efforts this year. Lush believes in non-animal testing policy. Most of their products are made of natural ingredients, essential oils, and a small palette of synthetics that are safe to use. Lush firmly believes in this policy that they haven't used ingredients from companies that are involved in animal testing and haven't opened stores in countries that permit animal testing in cosmetics and toiletries production.

Find our stickers! :P

Being committed to this advocacy, Lush doesn't stop from there. They want to push for concrete laws that properly protects animals rather than have other companies invent their own rules on such practices. "{Lush} firmly believes that the Lush Non-Animal Testing Policy has been a beacon, showing what a committed company can do if their heart is in the right place. Animals deserve proper protection which forces the worst of companies towards kinder behavior."

Soaps. Lush' main product.

Chop, chop!

A bestseller!

Love the combination of subtle colors

We're all for simplifying things. We applaud Lush in their campaign to protect animals and continue making fresh handmade products using essential oils, fruit and vegetables, and small doses of synthetic ingredients that are tried and tested. We also like their non-obsession on anti-aging stuff. Our generation is paranoid in having wrinkles and in aging (aminin!) and we tend to get swayed by cosmetic companies who promise the fountain of youth in their products. But we all age and the most we can do is take good care of our skin at any given age, diba? Let's not get obsessed on all these anti-aging schemes. Mas nakaka-wrinkles yata ang pagwo-worry about it! As Lush said, "Why search science for new ones, when we haven't yet used all that nature offers?"

We're all for nature!

Fizzy bath bombs!

Not edible. Repeat: not edible!

Think Pink!

LOLing.

Perfect for the summer tan! Glowing gold?!

Lovely Phoenix Rising

Pop in the Bath: bergamot and mandarin

Dorothy: rainbows, bubbles, perfume

Nice floral touches

Bliss!

I've already used products from Lush. They are quite expensive but they work like a charm. My favorite soap is called Honey I Washed The Kids (cute ayt?). It's a creamy caramel bar that smells so good I wanna eat it with my coffee! Haha. I also enjoy smelling Karma, the "scent of Lush." My face regimen is composed of putting this icky, green stuff on my face. It's Lush' Herbalism, a purifying herbal cleanser for oily and problematic skin. After using this, I can really feel that my face is cleaner. It's a great exfoliator; just don't rub your face harshly. I also like Angels On Bare Skin, a rose and lavender cleansing wash, but it's always OOS when I visit Lush. Their multi-use moisturizer Lemony Flutter glides like butter in my hands and cuticles.

Their Easter display

Nope, they don't smell like carrots. LOL.

The eggs

Lush also offers gift bundles packed with products that go well together. Perfect for special occasions, which reminds us that Mother's Day (international date) is near! So don't forget to pick up a wonderful de-stress gift for your moms!

A different kind of flowers for your moms

Adorable gifts!

Limited edition floral gift boxes

Of course, with all the other brands out there, to each his/her own. Admittedly, The Pink Tarha ladies use other brands for our skin care and make up and we often neglect to check if the brands we're using are free from animal testing or are using organic, natural products. Most of the time, our mantra is, if it works great in our skin, that's what we're using! Which makes sense actually because we're the ones who know our skin. I know my face breaks out every time I use a new product. It gradually adjusts to the new product over time. So whatever works for you, go! But if there are little ways we can do to help this world become better place for all living things (and our skin becoming better in the process too), then why not? These little acts of kindness and concern make life lush after all! :)

E at the 'we are not soap' counter

Solid shampoos that last

Facial washes, lotions, etc.

The non-soap products

Lip tints/balms/scrubs

Trying out a hand wash

What's your take? If you're against animal testing too, sign the petition today! Have you tried Lush products? What are your favorites? Visit Lush stores in Faisaliah Mall and Kingdom Centre.

TGIW!

§undrenched

The World of Hamleys

2012-04-23T17:00:00.000+03:00

Are we turning into some kind of a kid lifestyle store after this entry and now this? We'd like to think not. We would just like to tell mommies out there that we hear yahhh even if we're not yet moms. We'd like to help you keep your children in their happy places. So we'd like you to bring them to Hamleys (without an apostrophe).

Welcome, welcome! You can't miss this store.

Hamleys is one of the world's largest toy stores. Its flagship branch in London is considered as the biggest in the world, an iconic landmark that gets over 5 million visitors annually. Hamleys has branched out to Amman, Dublin, Dubai, Mumbai, and... tsaraaan... Riyadh! As most stores named with a name, this toy store is founded by Mr. William Hamley who started with a toy shop named "Noah's Ark" in 1760. His start-up business boomed into what is now a literal kid's huuuuge wonderland.

The branch in Riyadh opened in Panorama Mall, Takhasussi Street last January 2012. Eyecandy and I visited the store last month and we can assure you that this store will keep your children pre-occupied and happy. Be careful though, your wallet might take a wallop if you give in to your kids' wants. They have a lot of choices and even us, who are ehermn, kids-at-heart, are not prone to the "I want this, this, this, this, and this!" beating of our hearts. I wanted a lot of toys, especially the ones I didn't get to have when I was a kid. Hello Play-Doh, hello Bratz (aren't they scary-looking?), hello Barbie!

It's hard to come up with a reason to build a collection of Barbie dolls at this age (late 20s *cough, cough*) but inside Hamleys, every reason comes to mind: 1. It's Barbie! 2. There are a lot of Barbie dolls to choose and collect. 3. She has lots of other merchandise (hair twirler, c'mon!). 4. Future kiddos can benefit from these (as long as they don't touch them! Haha.) 5. It's Barbie! Who doesn't like Barbie? Anyway, I am wishing too much.

Here are the other toys you'll find in Hamleys and you'll surely have massive attacks of childhood longings, or your children's longings. Whichever applies. Don't say we didn't warn you!

Beyblade?

I want to hoard Play-Doh and shape them into food. Gah!

Welcome to our Barbie world! Pink is might! :P

The popular Barbie house.

She's prolly the most recognized doll ever!

My kind of doll.

Wow, she should fix her dress. Lol.

For the young-at-heart

Fun for the family

Miniatures.

Gadgetry

Lots of toys we haven't seen in our childhood huh. Ganon na kami katanda?!

For the makukulit boys.

For the kikay girls.

For the scientist/inventor to be.

Who doesn't want a rainbow in her room?

Or the moon? I'd love some moonshine please!

Best played outdoors

Playground staples

Ack, I wanna bike around town!

OMG LEGOOOOO!

There was once upon a time when Lego was banned in some Middle Eastern countries, Saudi Arabia included. We think it was about this certain 'Lego' figurine. But let's not go into this further and let's just be happy that the kiddos can now enjoy Lego here in Riyadh.

I had Lego when I was a kid. You too? Yes?

The Ferrari cars

I was telling Eyecandy that Shell in the Philippines came up with Ferrari miniatures back in the day as special prizes to those who buy gasoline from them. My uncle had a collection. We love the fiery red color of the Ferrari as well as its smooth finish. Coolio.

Small delights for the boys.

OMG, plastic balloons!

Do you remember plastic balloons? My siblings and I used to hurt our cheeks from puffing into this. They were in teeny containers like the ones above and had small blowing sticks. They sold for 1 peso in the 90s. Hamleys 'magic balloons' are bigger. I wonder if it hurts when it explodes in the face! With that size, the plastic used before might be rubber now. Lol.

Toys for all ages

Even if you don't have kids, you'll enjoy roaming around Hamleys. It sure did bring back a lot of childhood memories for me. It was fun to check out the newest toys too... you know, those toys that were not available when we were kids. (Gawd, I feel so old looking at the toys! Haha.)

Visit Hamleys now!

Play With Cakes at Marta's

2012-04-08T11:02:00.001+03:00

Happy Easter!

As a kid, I remember painting eggs for Easter egg-hunting. I loved it! I loved the painting session more than the hunting. I was always sad to let go of my "creations" especially when it's my brothers who found them and I end up finding their Easter eggs which were just covered with aluminum foil. How's that for some artistry?!

Speaking of creativity and artistry, someone tipped us on a cupcake store that indulges the sweet tooth and the artist in you. I hear you going "Oh no, not another cupcake shop! *groan*" from here but don't you worry, this time, it's cupcakes and more. Oh right, I used this tagline for another cupcake store before. Haha. Well, this cupcake store is from the Philippines. I think I couldn't get my jaw off the floor when it was our ibang lahi co-worker who informed us about it. How come we didn't know that a Philippine-born cupcake store has branched out in the desert? This desert?! Wooow! It wasn't the cupcake per se that enticed her to go and visit the store. It's the activities available for her kids. So mommies and daddies out there, listen up! Marta's Cakes is in town!

Marta's Cakes is the brainchild of Filipina Marta Matute. She made this out of her love for baking and cake decorating. For over 15 years, Marta's cakes has been a prominent fixture in weddings, birthdays, and special events in the Philippines. It's the go-to cake for those who want hand-sculpted custom cakes, cupcakes, and cookies for all occasions. They have branches in Serendra and Alabang Town Center in Manila.

How inviting can this store be?

The King Fahad Road branch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is the first franchise of Marta's Cake outside the Philippines. Their store is in Fio Marie Center, otherwise known to me as the NCB square (because the green bank is the prominent landmark of this place), located after the Novotel Hotel and before the Kingdom Tower if you're coming from Faisaliah Center. Marta's Cakes is near The Pancake House. You can't miss it especially if you're looking for its logo swathed in neon pink and green lights. One word to describe the interiors of this store is psychedelic. Like being in an Austin Powers movie just filled with chocolates, candies, and cupcakes. It's certainly a feast for the eyes; you wouldn't know where to look and what to do first. For me, it had me at its window display of towering cakes.

Wooooow!

Creative juices at work

Stepping inside, I can already feel the rhythm of sweetness and decadence strumming my heartstrings. The brightly-lit store with its bright pink and apple green decors welcomed me with a warm but sweet vibe. The walls are adorned with well-crafted cakes. The counters are filled with lots and lots of gorgeous cupcakes, meringues, and ice cream cones; atop the counters are jars of cookies. I think my fairy tale came true. Hansel&Gretel minus the witch.

Pink and green hues, couches that look like fondant icing

Nice interiors

What to choose?

How pretty! (above: marshmallow chocolate;
below: chocolate with choco cream cheese frosting)

Lalalalovely red velvet cupcakes with hearts

To say that I was enchanted is an understatement. I think it took me minutes before I came to my senses; I needed a prod of from my father to 'hurry up.' I had a hard time choosing my cupcakes and I had a hard time defending my choice of a box of 10 cupcakes because a house of three people, one a diabetic and one with a toothache (it all boils down to me actually), cannot possibly eat all of that can I, ermn, we?

My assorted box

My fave: the colorful one

And the light green marshmallow icing on this one

They are the kinds of cupcakes that you wouldn't want to touch and eat... but where's the fun in that? So I zeroed on the red velvet and in two quick bites, gobbled it like there's no tomorrow (after wiping off the sweet icing, that is). Love their pound buttercream base and their choc on chocolate cupcake (smooth chocolate fudge, yummm!). I also liked their marshmallow icing (uhummmnnn... melted mallows...). They also offer assorted teas and coffee. Milkshakes are the favorite though. Here's their price list (click photo for larger size):

Let's set aside the ready-to-eat cupcakes first and focus you on why Marta's Cakes is perfect for your kids (or the kid in you). You can decorate your own cupcakes at Marta's Cakes. Yessir! Bring your kids, plop them on the cute chairs, let them choose if they want to decorate a cupcake or a cookie or both, and let them unleash their inner creativity and artisty! You too can join in the fun of decorating if you'd like! In this place, you're giving your children the license to play with their food. Watta grown-up thing to do diba? :)

Imagine the countless hours of having to just watch your children in their little corner exploring their innate artistic side, swirling icings on their cupcakes, imitating their beloved cartoon characters' faces, and have fun. Isn't that bliss? I mean, having kids sit down for a couple of minutes already is tranquility. Right?! Right! Haha. Well of course, they can also spread the icing in their hands or faces, run around hurling sprinkles at you, and throw cupcakes at each other but you know how kids are. They can be fun and ~~annoying~~ funny at the same time. Please don't take that against them. :P

Kids can decorate cookies like these!

Lollipop cookies

What's more fun than having your kids decorate their own cupcakes? Inviting other kids to do the same! You can throw parties at Marta's Cakes. They have affordable packages that includes activities like making candy bracelets, cupcake decorating, and making cookie pizzas. Invitations, food, party hosts, banners, and balloons can also be thrown in the fun. You can also hire their decorating activity for parties in your own homes. And... you can decorate your own birthday cake if you like! For their package prices (because I know you all too well... you are going to ask), here, we scanned their brochures for you (click for larger size):

I wonder if kids-at-heart (like The Pink Tarha ladies) can also avail of these party packages. I can already imagine asking my guests to attend my next birthday party in fairy costumes. With tiny wings, please. *batting eyelashes for that cutesy effect.*

Sooo... whaddyasay? Instead of painting eggs today, let's paint cupcakes and cookies! ;)

Marta's Cakes

Fio Marie Center

King Fahd Road, Riyadh

01-4157547

§undrenched

Today's Style Sale

2012-04-05T10:53:00.001+03:00

Happy weekend, everyone!

What's a lady to do? Shop, of course! Haha.

Good news for you, ladies! Three big clothing brands are going on sale today! 30% off on the following:

Stock up on lovely blouses, dresses, and gowns from Coast, Warehouse, and Oasis for the next big occasion on your lives! Or maybe just to add a little bit of ooomph to your weary and boring wardrobe. Spring has sprung so enjoy shopping!

Is this a happy weekend or what? :)))

The Korean (K)omeback

2012-03-21T16:03:00.001+03:00

TO THE VETERANS of Riyadh, everybody knows Korean Palace like we know Batha. It's one of the oldest restaurant establishments that I can remember as a child and also one of the most patronized. Their restaurant was once long-situated along Fahad Road, a prominent position that you wouldn't miss. But a year or two ago, the signs went off and there was no ha? or ho? (or in this case, an An-yong-ha-se-yo) to be heard about the place. Rumor went around that the place was undergoing renovation, which patrons like my family, were happy to hear (since the place was old and in obvious need of a re-do). But after months and months of gazing over that side of the road to see if they've re-opened, our hearts always sank with wonder. Where did our beloved Korean Palace go?

Alas, one day while driving through the city, my uncle said that he had spotted a huge sign with the words "Korean Palace" by Takhasoussi Rd (along Euromarche) and wondered if it was the same place we used to go to. We followed his directions and sought the place out ourselves and even though it didn't seem open just yet, we persisted to ask around one of the guys who seem to be working on the area and he said that they would be opening next week. Sweet!

Since then, me and my entire family have been flocking to "KP" - mostly because of their super famous and super delicious, eat-all-you-can buffet which usually happens every Thursday after the 6pm prayer time.

BUT, before I bombard you with the buffet photos, let me feature to you first to some of their best meals. Just the other night, my mom and I couldn't resist going over there to have their food even though it wasn't a "Buffet-Thursday".

Let's start with...

Drumroll please...

APPETIZERS+SIDE DISHES

What I utterly love about Korean food (apart from the spicy-ness of it all) are their vegetable servings and their attention to side dishes. There's a vast selection of side dishes, ALL the time. I mean, you can start munching on them and slowly get full even though the main course hasn't arrived yet. Here are some favorites:

You can't say you've eaten Korean food if you haven't had Kimchi.

Pickled cucumbers.

Bean sprouts with garlic and chilli

Steamed squash with sesame seeds.

There's fresh lettuce too, which you dip in the red sauce on the left.

If you're a vegetable lover like me, you will enjoy these little plates of goodness. There are fresh ones like the lettuce but I did find the dip for it too salty for my taste (it tasted a little close to what bagoong is for Filipinos). The kimchi will be a delight to spicy food lovers and the squash and bean sprouts would be the safe choice for those a less adventurous taste buds.

SOUPS+STARTERS

Jjampong Noodle Soup, good for four.

Spring Rolls (Meat)

Jjampong is a popular Korean noodle soup made with stock, seafood, and noodles, which can be made spicy or non-spicy. What is special about KP's Jjampong is the noodles - which are made in-house and can't be purchased commercially (at least that's what the waiter told me). But I did believe him after tasting it because it surely didn't remind me of those packed noodles we usually get in the grocery. If you do order this, take note that it's a lot and it's good for at most, 4 people. It has clams, shrimps, squid, mushrooms, bell pepper, carrots, zucchini and spring onions. As for the spring rolls, they were okay (nothing really special there), but I do suggest better presentation of the dish.

MAIN COURSE

Korean Barbeque Chops

Assorted Sushi (special request for tuna+salmon only)

Fried rice

Minty iced tea!

I have nothing but praise for their Korean Barbeque lamb which was the supreme opposite of how I expect to taste lamb. For me, it was sooo well-marinated and well-cooked that I could have easily mistaken it to be beef or pork. It was thin enough to be tasty and tender enough to almost melt in your mouth. It's was the kind of grilled meat that wouldn't leave you too heavy or full and I would highly recommend that dish!

Then there's their Assorted Sushi, which we had customized to only have salmon and tuna. The glory in this one would be in their rice preparation because it was sweet and soft enough to taste like "suman" in Filipino food. Coupled with the slice of fresh fish and wasabi, mm-mm-MHMM is all I can say.

The Fried Rice would be, in my opinion, a little bit of a fail. First of all, they happened to serve it late (while the main course was already served) and I found it too packed with peas and carrots and ham and eggs and spring onions that I hardly identified the rice in my mouth. Maybe for next time, I'll stick to the plain rice instead.

AND TO TOP IT OFF:

Kiat Kiat

We were so full after the main course that we didn't bother ordering dessert anymore. They did however served us this little, tiny, cutesy orange called "Kiat Kiat", which they say will clean our palate of all the spicy food we ate.

There were three of us that night and for the entire meal+drinks that we had was at around 295SR - not bad for an intended dinner night out. We still had a lot to take home too, so that only goes to show that their servings are generous.:)

Now, onto their Thursday buffet....

The following photos were from the first buffet they had after they had opened. They charge 130SR per plate (drinks not included) and you can fill yourself up til you surrender. I believe they have a special rates for kids too. Oh, and btw, leftovers are not allowed.

Feast your eyes on these!

Crab and Corn and Hot and Sour Soup

Pickled veggies up for the picking!

Who wants to join a Kimchi-eating contest with me? :D

Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura

Sushi Selection

Sashimi Selection

Maki Rolls

Beef Bihon Noodles

Grilled beef strips in oyster sauce

Chopsuey

There are many more dishes that you can find during Buffet Thursdays. If you do have any questions, ring the resto up and trust that the Korean Manager will gladly answer your questions. Here's the info:

So judging from the pics, aren't we glad Korean Palace is back? I know I am. For the uninitiated, give it a try...it is Thursday tomorrow anyway. Other than that, my only advice is this: wear loose pants. ;)

Happy weekend everyone!

xoxo,
Eyecandy

Think TEMPUR

2012-03-19T23:11:00.003+03:00

EVER HEARD OF the story of the Princess and the Pea?

Once there was a lost princess who, under unfortunate circumstances, found herself ragged and wet in the doorway of the King and Queen's castle asking for a place to stay. It just so happens that the King and Queen's son, the Prince was looking for a princess to marry. But because of her appearance, the King and Queen didn't believe her to be a real princess. So, the clever Queen (as all clever mothers are) decided to put her to the test by placing a small pea underneath twenty mattresses and made the girl-who-claims-to-be-a-princess sleep on it. The next day, she was proven to be a true Princess when the Queen asked her how she slept, she uttered: "Oh, I am all black and blue for something hard must have been under my mattress!"

So what is the connection with what I'm about to tell you about? It's simple.

Mattresses+Royalty=TEMPUR.

Bed Quarter Co., which is the exclusive distributor of the No. 1 Mattress and Pillow brand, TEMPUR recently opened their largest showroom in the world (yes, the WORLD) along Orouba St. and S and yours truly were invited to grace the luxurious event last Wednesday. All of their big, corporate leaders were there to launch the opening, including their Chairman and Regional Director.

Actually, as S and I were approaching the entrance, the two of us were still amused with ourselves with what we had apparently gotten ourselves into (yet again!). From the outside, we could see the big balloons and laser lights welcoming the guests in, and from where we were standing, we could see the men in suits and other women clad in regal abayas standing inside. We were a bit intimidated at first, but hey, they must have invited us coz they think we're worth it, so might as well make the most of it right? And in true Pink Tarha fashion, we went in, escorted by our good friend from Ogawa, Mr. Shahid (who was the one who invited us to come btw).

The fancy decor outside was festive.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Chairman, Engr. Al Mazro and Regional Director, Mr. Nesim Majzoub

Cake-cutting was in place too, with Engr. Mazro teasing the crowd that whoever can finish the cake can take home a free mattress. Too bad I just had dinner before going to the event! Hehe.

By the time we got inside, we found ourselves shaking hands with managers, directors, media personalities and other business owners. We calmly grasped our ground, smiled and made small talk with the people we met who were also present to support the event which really, showcased the entire set of TEMPUR mattresses and pillow products.

TEMPUR has three collections of mattresses, categorized and described as follows:

We were lucky enough try out these mattresses inside their state-of-the-art "Sleep Experience Centre" - which is basically a small room inside the store that allows the customer to test their product mattresses for 15 minutes. It was a once-in-a-lifetime try for me and S so we really internalized our moment inside the room, which featured the Tempur Original Collection mattress and the Tempur Cloud Collection mattress (plus a video presentation to explain what the mattress can do, voiced by a very soothing, spa-sounding woman). At this point, I did my best not to fall asleep while the event was still going on outside. Heaven knows I wanted to spend the rest of the night sleeping on that AMAZING mattress - truly fit for a princess!

S and I (Princesses in our own worlds) trying out the Sleep Experience Centre.

TEMPUR's mattress collection (Tempur Cloud, Tempur Original and Tempur Sensation)

You have to try it to believe it!

The reason I included the word "royalty" in the equation earlier is because TEMPUR is a top-of-the-line product that really caters to a "quality" sleep experience. Most, if not all of us, tend to take our sleeping conditions for granted, but the company that developed TEMPUR believes in the science of pressure-relief technology, having acquired material that is recognized and certified by NASA and the US Space Foundation (now, that's out of this world!) and they value the importance of support, relaxation and comfort in the most basic activities of our daily lives - such as sitting and sleeping. Given the quality of their products, purchasing a TEMPUR mattress or product should really be seen as investment to good health and good living habits.

If you want to try out these amazing mattresses, you can visit their showroom at Orouba St. and/or contact them at 01-4607579 (don't forget to try out the Sleep Centre when you get there!). They also sell several TEMPUR accessories that are composed of travel pillows (from bicycle saddle cushions to car seat supporters) and home pillows for superior sitting and sleeping support (great for those with constant back pains or mild osteoporosis). For more details, you can visit their website at www.tempur.com.

So, who wants to sleep like a princess (or a prince) for life? You better think (and thank) TEMPUR for that. :)

xoxo,

Eyecandy

The Janadriyah Festival 2012

2012-03-10T18:15:00.011+03:00

It took us three years to finish seeing the whole of the Janadriyah Festival showcase. Or maybe three years worth of visiting. We started in 2010 where we saw the various pavilions of the Ministries. And then in 2011, we saw the pavilions of Jizan and Hail. This 2012, we saw the other province pavilions and a few more areas we haven't visited before. We now come full circle.

We went to the 27th Janadriyah Festival on its last week, three days before it closes. It was already a bit late compared to the usual schedule we followed for the past years. It started rather early (April last year) but it drew a bigger crowd of more than five million. Wooow! At first, we were already a bit weary because we know we'll be seeing the usual stuff. Our boss even asked us, "Aren't you bored yet?" Haha.

How do we answer that question? Uhm, yes and no. Yes because we know we'll be seeing a lot of familiar things and no because we haven't seen everything. Therefore, we can choose the areas which are new to us. Their guest country for 2012 is South Korea. (France in 2010, Japan in 2011). It has always been a must for us to see the festival because it's refreshing to see the Saudis mingle and celebrate. It's not all the time we see them in this setting. We like knowing more of their culture and tradition, their handicrafts and various provincial products. Also, it's not usual to whip out our cameras and shoot like crazy without being reprimanded for it. What did we say about opportunities? Grab it!

So we left the workplace around 4 in the afternoon. Again, the ride was ho-hum. I was sleepy the entire bus ride so I cannot, for the life of me, remember any landmark to point you in which direction you'll take to go to Janadriyah. All I know is you'll have to take one of the exits before you reach the airport. We arrived around 5 o'clock and thank goodness, the place wasn't packed yet. Ergo, no traffic in entering the site. We weren't stuck in the road waiting for a parking slot for minutes, yey!

This time, we entered through the North Gate. The same one we used in 2010. Last year, it was the West Gate. There were reports that they beefed up the number of muttawas in the place. Well, that didn't bother us. I mean, why should it? We were bothered with reports that some youth cause a raucous on the first few days of the Janadriyah festival but obviously, that wasn't enough to keep us away. So... our first stop is of course, the camel.

Hello, nice to see you again!

Why is it that every time I tell family and friends in the Philippines that I'm based in Saudi Arabia, they always primarily ask about camels? Have you seen a camel? Have you ridden a camel? Do you own a camel by now? Hello?! The only camel I own is a kikay camel! Haha. So for my friends who haven't seen a camel in Saudi Arabia, here is one. And he's famous because he's always been in the Janadriyah Festival. Say hi!!! :)

After saying hello to our friend animal, we saw this huge crowd... What's up? Eyecandy and I inserted ourselves into the crowd (more like forced and elbowed our way into the crowd, hehe) and we were treated to a musical performance by the police band. Niiiiice!

Our tour guide was talking about the provincial pavilions and he was suggesting we go find the ladies' pav and the Eastern province pav where there were flowers (yey, roses!!!) so we set out looking for them. I was telling Eyecandy we should visit the Madinah and Makkah pavilions too... if we can't go to the real places (because we are of different religion), maybe we can enter a portion of them right?! We noticed one pav packed with people so we decided to go there first.

Enter the Al Madinah Al-Monawarah Pavilion...

So glad we found the Madinah pavilion first. It was a wonderful pav, which proved to be one of the most popular areas of the festival this year. I was surprised we haven't seen this before. The design of the place was truly like a market or town from long ago, where merchants sell their wares on the side and people mill on the center of the paved roads. We stopped for a while and inhaled the souq atmosphere.

The souq of Arabian nights vision

Love, love the experience. This is what I was looking for in an old Arabian town. Something charming, quaint, traditional... like this! I imagined I was in old Arabia (or in Morocco, haha). The supplies in the stalls are said to be flown in everyday from farms in Madinah. We tried the fresh honey which sells for SR200 a bottle. Wow, that expensive huh! We also tried a grape drink in a stall that has huge containers filled with juices of various colors. There were freshly-baked breads too and of course, dates. What's a Janadriyah without the dates? Oh so much to see and buy!

I'm not a honey lover but this one offered by the friendly vendor is really good! It's delicate and smooth. The roses are for tea. It enhances the aroma and flavor of the drink. What's an Arabic market without the mahmoul (date pastry)?

After that, we proceeded in looking for the Abha pavilion (because we thought we heard our tour guide suggest it). We were looking at this map in the middle of the road. Bummer, everything was in Arabic! Haha! We decided to enter this pavilion with a fortress...

Sights and sounds of this year's Janadriyah

This is the Baha Pavilion, the best pavilion last year. There was a performance going on and the visitors seemed to be having so much fun swaying to the rhythm. This is where the folk art performances were held. During the past Janadriyah, we stayed to watch sword dances, known as the "ardah," but this time, having seen it before, we just roamed around the area and found this huge portrait of King Abdullah. From afar, it looked like a painting but it's actually made of buttons! Amazing, yes? We also saw the entrance to the Qassim province but having seen it last year, we just took our photos, haha.

I realized I was carrying a pink bag and E wearing a pink scarf. Pink tarhas talaga?!

We came to an information booth a few meters away and the security or police or guide got frustrated when we kept on insisting that he point us towards the Abha pavilion. He finally, fortunately, handed us a map. After all these years, this is the first time we got ourselves a map of the festival. And we found out there was really no Abha pavilion. Haha.

The nearest stop where we were was the Ladies Pavilion. Camera and photography were not allowed so I'll just have to story tell what's inside. There were booths and stalls manned by women, of course, that sold traditional Arab dresses (not the abaya), trinkets, veils, etc. All women stuff. Outside, there is a courtyard that sold food. The popular one was the Arabic bread, khubz. We spent a few minutes watching an old lady traditionally bake the bread in a tannuur (tandoor), get a warm one, slather on a generous helping of butter and za'atar, fold it, and hand it over to the kids waiting eagerly. There were a few dishes made of sticky rice, vegetables, and chicken all mixed in. Like an Arabian version of paella. When we went out the door of the pavilion, we saw a lot of men standing there waiting for their wives. Some were getting impatient. Lol. The ladies pavilion was interesting and we're glad we visited it this year.

We went inside the South Korea Pavilion next. There was a stage outside for music performances but we didn't catch any of their shows. The line was unusually long inside the pav. Turned out there was a movie theater inside showing... we didn't know. Haha. We did not want to wait that long so we immediately went to another area where huge earthen jars were displayed.

The jars were amazing. The opening had a television with "water" on it. You have to wave your hand over the "water" for the short presentation to start. E and I were wondering how they did it; even imagining how they actually managed to fit a television inside this round jar. And a round television at that?! How amazing is that? Hahaha. What's your guess? Click here to see the jar in 'action'. I hope the cinemagram I made is working in your browsers.

We finally asked one of the Koreans around and he told us that it's just a projector from above. That got us! Around this time, a group of ladies asked Eyecandy if she was Korean. Well, with her chinky eyes, sige na nga. Papasa na! :))) Sana sinama namin si Sampaguita Pride! Hahaha. E wanted to have a picture taken with the Korean guy near the exit but the women and children were all over him. I mean, they were taking his photo the entire time. We didn't get our chance!

After that, we went to the Asir Pavilion (Abha, btw, is the capital of the Asir region). In the last two years that we went to the Janadriyah, we always bypassed this pavilion because there were too many people inside. It had a stage where musicians perform and a lot of monoblock chairs. The tower became a playground for kids so it really drew the crowds in. This time, we braved the crowd and entered.

The pavilion was a little bit small compared to the Madinah pavilion, but it still featured the best of the Asir region. I saw this miniature Arabian tent and it was creative! The paintings and photographs exhibited in one booth were phenomenal!

Outside the Abha gate, we came upon this group of bedu ladies having fun with the stuff they were selling. One of them wore this huge ribbon headband and we asked her for a photo. She was so shy she took this huge chopping block to cover her face and just show the lit-up headband! Haha.

There's a woman behind this, swear! :P

We were deciding what to do next when the last salah for the evening came. We bought our shawarma and fries before settling into this bench in the middle of the food area. I also bought some red velvet cupcakes and cookies from the Munch Bakery stall. While E was waiting for me, a Yemeni woman came up to her and asked her if she wants a henna tattoo done in her hand for SR10. Perfect timing! We want!!!

The girl drew flowers and hearts in our hands. We waited 15 minutes for the henna to dry. Yes, we had trouble eating properly having to mind the tattoo but we still ate! We removed the flakes after and the tattoo looked real in our hands (as opposed to temporary, that is). Until now, while I'm writing this entry, I can still see the faint trace of the design in my right hand. (I swear I wash my hands many times a day! Haha!) It was just hard to remove and I'm not really in a hurry to remove it. It looked really pretty. Astig pretty.

While eating our quick dinner, several kids came up to our bench askinng what our nationality is. They asked E if she was Korean and E played along saying "Anyong haseyo" a couple of times. Haha. The kids were impressed and asked us a lot of things... in Arabic. E is the Arabic-speaking one so she was answering for both of us. They went as far as asking us if we were Christians. Yes, our dears, we are. We bid the cute little girls goodbye when the salah was finished and the exhibits resumed.

We went to the Public Market in front of the Bayt al-Madinah and saw booths of handicrafts complete with demos on how to do them. There was one man weaving hats and baskets, another molding pots. There was one making swords. There was a lot of things going on! We watched a game being played in one of the pens. It was like a combination of our luksong baka and dodge ball. The boys looked like they were having tons of fun. We were so engrossed we didn't take a photo!

I was looking for something to munch on again when I saw Poto King (watta name!). Are you familiar with this long, huge potato stretched to twirl in a stick? Well, I like those and good thing, there were a lot of Poto King stalls in the festival. On the first stall we went to, there were a lot of people. I was craning my neck to see how the potatoes attain their twisted state when E was approached by two Saudi women who wanted to take a picture with her. Haha. Her Korean streak was really popular! After her encounter with the sweet ladies, I told E that we should just open up a stall there and charge SR10 for a photo with her. :P

The men of Janadriyah

We didn't get to visit the Makkah Pavilion where the rose carpet was. It was made of 6,000 roses!!! It was the display of the Bait al Taif. Sigh. We didn't have enough time to see it.

Remember our somewhat disastrous exit at the Janadriyah last year when our bus left without us and we were so lost on what to do next because 1. we were faraway from the city center and 2. we couldn't take a public taxi? (FTR, our bus came back for us much to our embarrassment and gratitude for good Faris!). Well, we couldn't have a repeat performance of that so we were 30 minutes early in the pick up point. Early birds na kasi ayaw nang mapahiya. Hehe. We sat on one of the benches outside the North Gate and marveled at the irony of the country. Wow, deep.

Our bus finally came and we saw our busmates carrying wares and handicrafts they bought from the markets. Others were wearing garlands on their head and some, like us, were sporting brand new tattoos. E had a headband with commemorative pins on it. The kids were extra hyper after their Janadriyah adventure while their mothers looked extra tired. We couldn't blame them. As for E and I, we enjoyed the festival again. We were rather calm this year; not running from one pav to the other hoping to visit every thing in one go.

We missed this year's camel race. Again. So next year, you can bet we'll be there to watch that spectacle! We'll move mountains and deserts to see a camel race! Promise!

So folks, until the next Janadriyah! We hope to see you there. :)

§undrenched
(Wow, I'm quite talkative in this entry! Hehe!)

A Day at Ogawa

2012-03-04T08:04:00.003+03:00

The Pink Tarha was invited to test out a product line called Ogawa, a Malaysian brand that specializes in health and wellness products for a stream lined clientele. It’s an international brand with branches in Asia and is considered the number one company for massage equipments in Australia. It is a winner of various brand awards like Super Brand, Golden Bull and Putra and they have 5 branches in Riyadh and more across the Kingdom. It is now part of the Bed Quarter, a premium mattress and related products retailing company in the Kingdom.

Ogawa is an international health and wellness company being introduced in the Kingdom.

Upon arriving at the Bed Quarter & Back Care showroom, we were toured around the King Koil and Tempur showroom – sister companies of Ogawa. We especially enjoyed testing out the memory foam mattresses of Tempur. As it goes, Tempur uses materials that NASA developed for astronauts. They had a “space room” that allows you test the mattress. You could lie there and really get a feel of the mattress and your back's position.

The Tempur Mattress brand is used by hotels and resorts

Luxury Mattresses worth half a million pesos, wooow!

Finally, we were led into Ogawa showroom. Ogawa means stream in Japanese, a perfect word that sums up the Ogawa experience. A stream denotes relaxation and listening to the soft gushing of its water provides instant stress relief. The Ogawa showroom already lays out that kind of calm with its minimalist and light design and ambiance. Oh, we loved the “grass ceiling” design! And we love one of the sayings in the wall: "The first wealth is health." Indeed!

Luxury massage chairs and equipment found in the showroom

Ogawa product manager Mr. Shahid Ghafoor showed us the amazing products that they had starting from versatile small massage pillows that knead through your back while you’re sitting, foot massagers that rolls out the aches after a day on heels, hand held massagers, eye and head massagers and their magic slimming belt for weight loss. They even had executive chairs that had built in massagers. Perfect for workaholics who need to de-stress as well! Yes, they can de-stress while working! ;)

The portable massage equipments

E and P getting their foot massages. Bliss!

S trying out the executive chair with built-in massager.

Ogawa's Magic Slimming Belt... what we need!

We were especially interested in the Magic Slimming Belt that uses infrared and pressure to tone belly muscles. The eye massager, called Eye Tune, was a treat as well. E enjoyed the slight pulses and pressure from the headgear. It’s great for people who often get migraines and eye strains. We all want one!

Works as an eye and head massager.

We also tested the gaming chair! Oh yes, gents! They’ve got gaming chairs too. This one comes with speakers and docks to connect your MP3, DVD players and gaming consoles. It’s curved so that it allows you to rock back and forth while it massages your back! This is one of their most popular products. At just SR750, I think it's worth every penny! This would look perfect on a recreation or entertainment room with a really wide TV! I would probably recommend this to my gamer and movie-holic friends.

This gamer's chair comes with built in speakers and connects to most consoles.

P on the gaming chair

Then we tested out the Zero Gravity massage chairs. The concept goes that by elevating the lower part of the body, the weight and strain is reduced to almost zero. I tested out a product that was 2^nd to the newest. What can I say, but WOW! Sitting back, the machine adjusted itself based on my body’s length and weight. As I looked at its monitor, I could see exactly which part of my body it was working on.

The monitor indicates the settings and the type of massage the machine is performing.

The machine used 40 airbags to move my legs and squeeze my feet. I could, literally, feel my blood circulating on my feet! On my back, the machine kneaded and then pounded the aches away. I also loved the heat therapy that came with the massage. I could feel the chair twist my hips this way and that, that I felt that every inch of my back was kneaded and squeezed just so. I must admit that I really enjoyed this as I had a month’s worth of stress and tension up on my back. After just 15 minutes on the chair, I am now a fan.

E and P on the Zero Gravity Massage Chairs with Mr. Shahid explaining the chairs' functions

Eyecandy and Sundrenched tried the Smartaire 3D Zero Gravity Massage Chair, the latest product of Ogawa. They thoroughly enjoyed their indulgent experience at the chair. Just 15 minutes and they were sold! Sold on the idea that it's the best massage chair they've ever tried in their life. The holistic approach and various massage techniques employed by the SmartAire 3D are astonishing. The Ogawa chairs relaxes the spine, relieved muscle tension, and improves blood circulation in a snap! Who needs to visit a physical therapist?! :P

After an enjoyable visit, the management gave us a sample hand massager to tryout. We even received some discount coupons for our readers, so if you're interested to try and buy anything, we can share more info and coupons with you! We would like to thank Mr. Shahid for graciously inviting us to their showroom and for a wonderful day at Ogawa! We loved everything!

A thumbs up from S!

Visit their showroom and try their products for yourself. A free 15-minute massage in their best chair is waiting for you. ;)

Rowdah Showroom

Contact Mr. Shahid Ghafoor at +966 509 404 802 or shahid@bedquarter.com for more information.

Bahrain Bound

2012-02-21T17:57:00.002+03:00

Bahrain's Skyline

ANYBODY IN SAUDI ARABIA who's ever craved for a drink, a night life, a movie date and most importantly (for most Filipinos) a plate of pork, knows there's only one place to go to and find all of that. It's in Bahrain.

Unfortunate as it may sound, it is the sweeping generalization of what Bahrain is for most of the locals here in KSA. It's an open country and there are a lot of things you can do there that you can't do in Saudi Arabia, much less in Riyadh. But I hope that by writing this, we can all come to see beyond what Bahrain has to offer.

Bahrain is the friendly neighbor of Saudi Arabia, situated almost a stone's throw away from the city of Al Khobar. The two countries are connected by a giant causeway -- a gift from the late King Fahad bin Abdulaziz bin Al Saud (rightly named as the King Fahad Causeway). Coming from Riyadh, it's a six-hour bus ride via the SAPTCO V.I.P. Bus Service, which is what I rode when I went over there last weekend. You can also go by car or by plane (if you want), but since I was on a "budget" then I opted to go with the bus service, along with two of my friends, K and Doc D. :)

How to get there:

What the ticket looks like. Make sure you don't lose it. If you do, it's going to cost you another 150 SAR.

Of course, you have to get an exit/re-entry visa first. And, if you'd like to travel by bus like me and my friends did, you can go to the SAPTCO V.I.P. Office by Olaya St. (Contact No: +966-1-462-9939) and present your Passport along with your exit-re-entry visa to purchase the ticket. It's 225SAR for a round trip ticket and 150SAR for one-way. Advanced booking is advised. The usual trips leaves Riyadh during Wednesday afternoons and returns on Friday evenings. So it's a total weekender if you want it to be.

The end of the Causeway where you officially "land" in Bahrain.

What Can You See:

In the heart of Manama (Bahrain's capital) are many notable buildings. The premium hotels are located in this area and it's quite easy to navigate around it since essentially, the entirety of Bahrain is significantly smaller than the whole of Saudi Arabia. Here are some spots you wouldn't want to miss.

The beautiful mosque right along Bab Al Bahrain.

An old-feel of souks in Bab Al Bahrain (but they do have new buildings now.)

Behind K and I is the prominent Bahrain Financial Harbour Building.

This is Bahrain's World Trade Center. The propellers in the middle are responsible for producing 15% of the building's energy. :)

By the Corniche, where you can enjoy a great view of the city's skyline.

Beyond the city proper are also must-see sights like the mystical Tree of Life, which is an hour ride away from Manama and the Bahrain International F1 Circuit - where Formula 1 fans can gather and cheer on their favorites. Bahrain dubs itself as the Home of Motorsport in the Middle East, harboring major car companies within the country, like Toyota.

The Tree of Life, Sakhir Desert

According to the locals, this Tree of Life is mystical because it happens to survive in the middle of the desert - whether in the chill of winter or the heat of summer. And it is the ONLY tree that you can find in that entire vast land and it will really make you wonder why it has come to survive through all these years. Others advice the visitors to make a wish, or rub their hands over the bark to be blessed by it's "powers". Other write their names on the tree trunks. It was a very serene place and it kind of reminded me of a scene from "My Sassy Girl". I think it's a perfect place to meditate and/or get married. Char! That's a different story....moving on!

Formula 1 Race Track

A view of where the seats are.

We arrived at the Bahrain International F1 Circuit and it wasn't open for any race day or anything but we were allowed to roam the Welcome Center, which gives us an idea of what to expect should a real race be ongoing. They have particular dates set for visitors who wants to experience the whole F1 thrill and you can view that schedule on their website.

So after a little look and see, we went into their gift store and purchased some much-deserved memorabilia:

F1 shirts go for as low as 15BD each.

Are there any fridge magnet collectors out there? This is a good buy at 4BD.

We also wanted to visit the renowned Arad Fort, which is an old castle in the opposite side of these two locations, unfortunately, it was also closed at our time of visit, so I can only leave you with a photo of it from the outside.

There will concerts held here come March and April. :)

Okay so by now, you hopefully have an idea of the sights to see around Bahrain apart from the scantily-clad band girls inside the corner bars of the city. In that light, don't forget to get souvenirs as well for the friends you left back in Saudi Arabia. The souks in Bab Al Bahrain will give you a good price with their items:

Head bands and bookmarks for 1BD each.

It looks like Riyadh isn't the only one using the Kikay Camels. ;P

I debated with myself on whether I should still put photos of the rest of the "contraband" that's available in Bahrain (since here I was trying to put a different spin on the place). But, I figured, if it will help convince you to take a trip there, then why not right? The important thing is that I've shed a different light to what can be done in Bahrain (nagmamalinis much? :P) and there is a lot to enjoy in that neighboring country, six hours away. So, here it is:

Movie lovers will enjoy their state-of-the-art cinemas at Bahrain City Center Mall.

Who loves BreadTalk in the Phils? They have it there at BCC too!

The obligatory "pork overload" at Hot Pot. From L-R clockwise: Sinigang na Baboy, Crispy Pata, Sisig and Inihaw na Liempo.

And there you have it! Oh and before I forget, yes, there are a lot of "reports" on current unrest in Bahrain and that it may not be safe to go (at the time of writing) but when I went there (which was Feb 15-17), everything looked normal except for some road closures and visible police presence. In my own experience, I didn't feel afraid or anything like that since everyone else seemed to carry on quite normally. Just to lessen your risk, I would suggest to ask someone who actually lives in Bahrain, regarding possible unrests. Other than that, I think you'd be just fine.

Enjoy the city and what it has to offer. It's a good place to unwind and relax in a not-so-distant manner from Saudi Arabia. :)

I'll see you again Bahrain!

Until my next travel,

xoxo
Eyecandy

PS.

Special thanks to Ms. Virgie and her husband, Mohammad for being our gracious hosts during this trip! :)

How to Register as Overseas Absentee Voters

2012-02-04T07:51:00.001+03:00

When I was on vacation in the Philippines last November, my sister handed me an envelope that arrived a few months before. It contained my absentee voter's ID. Wow, finally, another government ID that I can present whenever an official ID is needed (hindi na lang passport ang official ID ko, yey!). In fairness, I didn't expect it to arrive at all. Looking at it, I remembered the day I dragged my father to register for the absentee voting here in Riyadh and the day I get to vote again, It was my first time to vote outside the Philippines. How time really flies.

It was in 2010 that we elected the Philippines' president, vice-president and 12 senators. What do you think of their performance now? Do you like it? Abhor it? No comment? If you want to have your say on the next legislative elections on 2013, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has opened the OAV Registration last November 12, 2011 and it will go on until October 31, 2012 . If I were you, I won't wait until the deadline to visit the embassy to register. Register now! Habang maaga pa at wala pang pila, gooo! :)

Here's how (madali lang 'to, promise!):
1. Visit the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh on Saturdays to Wednesdays during working hours (8:00AM to 5:00PM) or Thursdays (8:00AM to 12:00Noon).
2. Bring your passport or iqama for registration.
3. Look for the registration booth and follow their procedures.

You can only register if you are:
1. a Filipino (syempre)
2. at least 18 years of age on the day of the election (May 13, 2013)
3. not disqualified by law
4. registered overseas absentee voter with approved application to vote in absentia
* If you're a registered absentee voter who didn't vote in the 2007 and 20120 elections, you need to register again because your name was already removed from the National Registry of Overseas Absentee Voters.

Fast and simple! You'll be finished in no time at all. Read my experience in 2009. It's probably more or less the same.

Once registered, you'll be able to vote in the senatorial and party-list representaive election. For more details and information, contact Attaché Maribeth T. Ferrer at telephone number 01-480-1918.

Here we are again convincing you to register and vote. You might wonder, "Why would I waste my time in going to the embassy to register and then to vote in 2013 for a government that doesn't exactly know I exist or a doesn't take care of me or is corrupting my country?" First and foremost, this is not a waste of time. Like what I said to my father when I was convincing him to register in the OAV, we are given the right to vote. We should claim it! This is one of life's free things that gives us the power to decide what we want and who we want to lead and serve us. It does sound nationalistic (chos!) but it's true. Your government doesn't know you? Well, it's time they should! It doesn't take care of you? Well, it's time to choose people who will! It's a corrupt government? It's time to clean house then! When you register, vote, and see the performance of the people you voted and did not vote, you can brag of their achievements as leaders ~~or can tease your father (who voted differently) for voting such a corrupt official. Hahaha~~.

Even if we're far away from the Philippines, we are given a chance to 'say' something about our government. The OAV gives is that voice. REGISTER NOW! :)

A Date with The Pink Tarha

2012-02-02T13:55:00.018+03:00

Hello, lovelies! We celebrated The Pink Tarha's third anniversary last January 24. We actually kind of forgot (eeeep!) that's why the girls and I didn't have a proper celebration. No dinner. No clinking of (Saudi) champagne bottles. No fireworks. Echos, parang meron naman noon (as if there were before).

So anyway, we'd like you to celebrate with us! We're treating one of you to a dinner at The Noodle House, one of our favorite restaurants in the city.

We know we offered this before when we were chairing the Where The Heart Is Photo Contest. However, we didn't get to pick a 'liker' because we became busy with work, with extracurricular activities, and with vacation. So, we're amping up our prize this time. We'll really treat you nicely and bongga-ciously! :P But due to some limitations, this is available to LADIES WHO ARE LIVING IN RIYADH ONLY. Please take note of this as this is really important. We don't want to send a different message especially in using the words "dinner DATE". This is an all-girl date. Okay? (FTR, we are not a dating site, haha!)

So, here's what you have to do:

STEP 1. Visit The Pink Tarha's Facebook page.
STEP 2. If you're still not a fan, please like our page.

For those who are already fans, proceed to step 3.

STEP 3. LIKE this photo.

And that's it! Easy peasy! All you have to do is LIKE this PHOTO!

LIKE!

We'll choose ONE winner (from among the likers) by using an online random raffle generator. Or, we'll write all the names of the likers in pieces of folded paper and pick from there. Don't worry, for transparency and honesty, we'll show you how the winner is chosen. We'll choose the winner on 12:00PM (KSA time), February 14, 2012. So you have all the time to 'like' from today until Feb 14. :) The dinner will happen on a date and time we'll agree upon so we can accommodate everyone's schedule. If you're our personal friend (as in we/one of us know you), you can join. :)

Again, ONLY LADIES WHO ARE LIVING IN RIYADH CAN JOIN. If you have any questions, just comment here.

Don't worry, ladies, we don't bite. Haha. We'll have fun! :)

The Hidden Valley

2012-02-01T07:00:00.006+03:00

After three years, I found myself in Hidden Valley again. Not lost, mind you, but appalled at how much garbage had been thrown and graffiti had been written in the place through the years.

Let me backtrack a little... Hidden Valley is the next stop to a Red Sand weekend trip of Filipino family and friends in Riyadh. Remember this post I wrote about Red Sand three years ago? At the end of the entry, I promised a Hidden Valley entry next but much like missing Pink Tarha up next posts, I never got around to writing it. My sisters, who are visiting Riyadh for the first time, gave me another reason to visit the place and finally, as in finally, write about it.

We went to Red Sand last Thursday. The weather is perfect. It was a little bit cold for my liking but I like the sun's warmth when we were already climbing the hill. Nothing much has changed. There were lots of Filipinos and there were still the makukulit Saudi youth who kept doing acrobatics in the sand. One of them even removed his shirt and began chasing Filipinas wanting to give them a group hug! His friends subdued him (good for him because other Filipinos were already throwing him dagger looks). Anyway, after a while, we went to the Hidden Valley.

The path to Hidden Valley (mind the tires).

It's beginning to look like a construction site.

Not much has been said about the Hidden Valley (must be because it was hidden? Chos!). It's where most Filipinos have their picnic after walking up and down the red sand hills or riding ATVs. When we first went there in 2009, I was amazed with the rock formations surrounding the place. It creates a dramatic backdrop to a desert experience. Filipinos and other expats climb the rock walls and hills to get an amazing view of the dunes and Grand Canyon-like scenery afar.

A trail up to the sand mountain.

What I did not fail to notice though are the graffiti on the wall. Seriously? Must this be a wall of attendance or a bulletin board of love announcements?!

Are those writings on the wall? Trash on the floor?

I was expecting a better Hidden Valley this time knowing that this place is already an established picnic ground so visitors might have cleaned up after they eat or hang out on the place, right? After all, many expats come here and see this as somewhat like a tourist spot. Oooohkay, that thought bubble burst immediately when I saw the place again. It was dirty. Trash littered everywhere.

Plastic everywhere!

The dry river bed running on the side (part of the Wadi Nissah), is filled with paper and plastic plates, plastic bags, empty cartons, mineral water bottles, chip bags, and a lot more.

If this dry river can talk...

*speechless*

If that river is not dry, it might have looked like Ilog Pasig by now. Plastic bags hung on the branches of the desert bushes. The walls were covered in more graffiti. Names of visitors were proudly displayed. As in talaga namang ineffort nila masyado ang pag-akyat at pagsusulat! I wonder how they did that. Spiderman much?! Did they bring paint just to write on the rock walls?!

There are more to these on other walls, kaloka!

The sisters were snickering. "This is a tourist spot? You brought us here to see trash?," they said laughing. I was embarrassed. "It was better before!" I claimed. To somewhat steer them away from the trash-filled scene, I told them to pose making the rock formations and mountains as their background. Those magnificent rock formations are salvation.

You're still here! :)

Closer, closer...

I must admit I didn't begin picking up trash right there and then if I'm THAT concerned. However, we all know that there's no excuse in not disposing trash properly. A lot of Filipinos go in Hidden Valley and in Red Sand; make it picnic grounds, even take naps on carpets under the desert bushes. There are no official caretakers of this place. I think only us Filipinos and some other expats know of these places as tourist spots (Saudis usually go to Thumamah for their desert camping trips). Let this quote be our reminder, not only when we go around Saudi Arabia, but when we go everywhere: "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time."

With that, have fun exploring Saudi Arabia! :)

Much Love,

§undrenched

Coron: Paradise Found {3/3}

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000+03:00

I'm now down to the last entry on my adventure in Coron, Palawan {Part 1, Part 2} and just like what I felt when I left Palawan, I have a separation anxiety going on here. I love talking about my Coron experience because it's one of those travels that I did not expect to live up to my expectations, and go beyond it pa. Coron was a random choice my friends made when a promo seat sale came and boy am I glad their finger landed on this island.

Our view from Ralph's Pension Lodge

I'm sure you're wondering about the accommodation and the food and the souvenirs... very touristy! :) Well, the good news is, accommodation and lodges in Coron are very affordable (bordering on cheap pa nga). The semi-bad news is for picky travelers. The very affordable price comes with basic amenities. There are no grand hotels here that will give you five-star service and amenities. My friends and I are not picky travelers and we can even rough it out if the going gets tough. We had a decent stay at Ralph's Pension House in the town proper. They gave us a competitive package that has everything we need for this vacation (thanks A for arranging everything!). They were easy to talk to and they made sure requests were taken cared of. Here's our room good for five.

The Babydoll Room: 2 queen beds and 1 single bed.

There were towels and a clean bathroom in the room.

Climbing the steep, roughly-hewn steps to get to our room

We paid around P5,000 each for the accommodation, tour, and meals. Speaking of meals, their food are awesome and more than adequate for the five of us. They gave in to our request of seafood on our last night in Coron. I super duper love their huge crabs! And their shrimps too. Even their simple adobo and chopsuey were tasty.

What's for lunch?

Oh my goodness, ~~cholesterol~~ dinner is served!

If you're not satisfied with the food in your accommodation, you can try a lot of restaurants in Coron. There's Lolo Nonoy's Food Stations, Kawayanan Grill, Coron Bristro and Bar, etc. They mostly serve house-cooked meals (lutong bahay). If you're not sure what to order, go for the grilled meat and seafood in the menu. As for the nightlife, hmnnnn, restaurants close rather early. After all, this is still a sleepy town in the middle of the sea. There's one 'bar' though known as Subasco.

As for souvenirs, either go for the tried and tested key chains, ref magnets, t-shirts, and displays at the shops in the town plaza or buy their kasuy (cashew nuts) and daing (dried fish). I picked a few colorful fish key chains for my collection, pairs of pearl earrings for my grandmother, packs of cashew nuts, and a kilo of daing. You can buy them in the stalls near the harbor plaza.

Coron shirts

The usual pasalubong; nothing beats a key chain! :)

Ooooh lovely colors! So summer lang ang peg.

For the cashew nuts, you must go to Coron Harvest. The proprietess is a legend in cashew nuts.

Nanay Lita of Coron Harvest

Nanay Lita has been interviewed and photographed countless of times already because she sells the most awesome kasuy nuts ever. I think I finished two packs in a few sitting. Hindi nakakaumay! They were supposed to be pasalubong for my sisters but I ended up eating them. Haha, guilty!

Once you stop munching, you'll never stop!

Coron's dried fish is a little bit different from the daing in Manila. Theirs is not too dry and not too salty. It's crunchy but still has soft meat in it. We loved it as 'dasilog' (dried fish-garlic fried rice-egg)... perfect breakfast!

Saraaaaaap!

After a hearty breakfast and a walk in town, we went back to Ralph's to prepare our things. With our bags packed, we bid Coron goodbye and headed back to Manila.

Goodbye, Coron! Thank you for an awesome vacation!

Aside from what I've written in Part 1, 2, and on this entry, here are some tips more for future Coron travelers:

1. Pick an accommodation that is near the port like Coron Gateway Hotel (it's the nearest) or those hostels that are in the town proper, esp. when you just come for the usual island tour. It's easier to go to the port and meet your boatmen and guide.

2. Pick an accommodation that is on the other islands if you want to have a peaceful, relaxing vacation away from the hustle and bustle of it all (ie. honeymoon). They're far from the town proper and are usually 30-45 minutes away from the Coron port. Talagang 'middle of nowhere' ang dating. Survivor Series with the amenities! Haha. I recommend Chindonan Resort and Dive Center (a separate entry on it soon).

3. Bring a lot of family and friends so you get cheaper packages with everything included.

4. For divers, try Sangat Island Resort. They're nearer the wrecks of Japanese boats sunk in WWII and really specialize in diving. They have the complete gear and equipment for it.

5. Bring your own snorkel and water shoes if you have so you won't have to rent.

6. Bring a waterproof camera (or rent one in Coron). It's a must!!! (I regret not bringing/renting one!)

The whole Coron experience still feels surreal for me. Was it really possible that I've been to paradise? On earth? In this lifetime? Ahhhh... I couldn't believe it but I have the photos to pinch myself with.

So, what's your travel plans for 2012? I promised myself that I'll travel outside Saudi Arabia this year. I mean, aside from going to the Philippines, I will have a RUH-(somewhere)-RUH itinerary. I'm thinking Morocco or UAE to visit friends. Hmnnn... Maldives is beckoning too. Where are we going next?! :)

How To Keep Your Skin Moisturized in the Desert

2012-01-28T22:47:00.001+03:00

I really love beauty products especially natural and organic ones. I also like to try new things on my own. I make my own facial masks and color my own hair. *yes, it's actually easier than I thought.*

I was already a lotion junky in Manila. Even though it's really humid I would still wear lotion. Why? Because I've seen the long term benefits of moisturizing your skin. My grandmother had the smoothest skin and even at 50, her skin was still supple. She didn't have a lot of wrinkles and if she did, it was only visible when she smiled.

The skin is the largest and most exposed organ in our body and we should remember to take care of it. Beautiful skin really glows and makes one look youthful. And I would gladly endure the lagkit factor (though I don't really feel it) if it will ensure that my skin will age gracefully.

When I moved back to Riyadh a few years ago, I had to slowly change my beauty regimen to fit the climate. You see, in Riyadh, regardless whether it's summer and winter, it's always dry... really dry... so I really had to double my efforts to take care of my skin. Here are my tried and tested natural remedies to dryness.

For the body:

To lock in moisture, I use olive oil! Yep, olive oil. Right after I shower, before I towel dry, I lather on some olive oil. When I'm done, I use the excess olive oil on my face and massage it for a minute. Then I towel dry and put on some lotion on my body. I find that lotion glides on smoother when I do this and it keeps me from re-applying.

Virgin Olive Oil at our local bakala

Don't forget to wear lotion with SPF 15 to protect your skin from sun damage! This is actually the key to taking care of your skin. I usually apply a mix of sunblock and lotion on my arms, the back of my neck, my feet and wherever else my skin is exposed to the sun. This is the best way to maintain your fair skin and avoid further sun damage like darkening, sun spots and sun burn. Wa-epek lahat ng whitening creams if you don't use sunscreen. Do remember that even though it's winter, you still need the SPF. The sun is still there... no matter how cold it gets.

For the face:

After I wash my face, I apply a mix of Aloe Vera gel, SPF 15 lotion and my liquid foundation. This combo helps prevent makeup from looking "caked on". During the evenings, I use Vitamin C serum or Aloe Vera Gel before hitting the sack. On weekends, I prepare a yogurt facial mask for deep moisturizing. ^_^ (I use full cream natural yogurt, it's only 1sr per cup at any bakala or grocery store.)

For the hair:

Oh let's not forget our hair! Conditioning is really important if you regularly blow dry, curl, iron or color treat your hair. And because I color my hair, it's really important for me to keep it moisturized to prevent split ends. I use shampoos and conditioner specifically for color treated hair. Apply conditioner from the middle down to the tips to avoid product build up on your scalp.

Almarai natural yoghurt for 1sr.

On the weekends, I use a mixture of yogurt and olive oil on my hair and leave it on for at least an hour. Then I wash it off. The yogurt hair mask has the consistency of coconut milk minus the smell. Plus natural yogurts are cheaper here as compared to buying gata at the Pinoy market.

So what are you waiting for? Bring on the TLC!

xoxo,

Sampaguita Pride

Coron: Paradise Found {2/3}

2012-01-25T09:46:00.001+03:00

Hola, readers! It's cold in Riyadh... how are you coping? I'm coping by looking at the photos of Coron. It's summer on this entry as I pick up where I left off in my Coron, Palawan post. (I'm one with the Filipino people in promoting the Philippines especially after the launch of our "It's More Fun in the Philippines" campaign. And just for fun, here's a It's More Fun in the Philippines meme generator. Make your own! :)

Read the first part of my Coron adventure here.

My friends and I were really excited for our Day 2. We had an "island hopping" trip the whole day. This is what we missed hiking the 700+ steps to Mt. Tapyas for. We conserved all the energy we had to enjoy our day trip to . Yup, all in a day's ~~work~~ pleasure, folks!

Seeing Mt. Tapyas from the port

The Hollywood-like sign of Coron

The day was clear and beautiful. It was the perfect day to bring out our sunnies and summer dresses (kahit na November na!). The sea was amazingly calm and blue and the sights were all so green.

Boats are so ready for tourists!

I had to pinch myself a few times to remind myself that I'm not dreaming. I'm really seeing nature at its bluest and greenest (as opposed to its brownest in the desert). You'll notice in the photos on this entry that blue and green are the dominating colors. So inspiring! I was on high!

Our first stop is Kayangan Lake, known to be Asia's cleanest lake and when they say clean, as in crystal clean! Este, clear pala! :) But before we reached the lake, we needed to go up and down roughly-hewn, slippery stone steps. For me, who's been bingeing on junk food and avoiding exercise for 2011, it was a nightmare. I was puffing and huffing after 10 steps. Exagg! Haha. Good thing, there was a bench halfway. And the gorgeous scenery renewed my energy. Parang walang nangyari after!

Coron, Palawan

It's the most known scenery in Coron (and I'll be disappointed if you don't know that this is in our beloved Philippines). This is the photo you'll find advertised in travel agencies, travel brochures, and DOT campaigns. I can't blame them for picking this. This photo best captures the things Coron has to offer. It looks amazing yet mysterious at the same time. You're seeing a lot but you'll be surprised more of what these photograph doesn't show you.

This is the huge limestone that you see from above on the photo^^.

We decided to head down the lake...

Time for a dip, don't you think?

The clear blue Kayangan lake was surrounded my limestone cliffs. There was a man-made bamboo bridge to walk in. The first dip in the cool water was amazing! We spent an hour just swimming and snorkeling in the lake (life vests came free with the tour package; goggles can be rented at P50.00/ea). There was a small cave but we were too afraid to enter it. It was dark and the water was rising. After a while, the lake got crowded with students on a field trip so we bid Kayangan Lake goodbye and went to a less crowded lake.

Will we see a barracuda?

Enter Barracuda Lake. Can you guess the reason behind the name? Naman! A huge barracuda fish lives on this lake. Our guide said she's seen it. I had mixed feelings about seeing a barracuda so huge it can probably swallow me whole. Haha. Good thing, the barracuda was a no-show. It wouldn't come to the shallow surface. The photo above is the deep part of the lake as you can see from the color of the water. It's too dark blue/green.

The lake stretches to the other side.

We had the lake to ourselves so we enjoyed this lake better than Kayangan. It was so serene and lovely. We got hungry, of course. So our boat team suggested we eat lunch after Barracuda Lake. They took us to Banol Beach, a slice of 'Boracay' in Coron. It's a small strip of white sand with a few huts where most tourists eat their lunch. Our guides prepared some grilled fish and meat for us.

Sino ba naman ang hindi gaganahan sa pagkain with this view?!

After lunch, we went to the much-talked about Twin Lagoons.

The entrance to the lagoons.

Here's the thing about these lagoons: the bigger one welcomes you with open arms while the smaller one is a little bit mysterious. We needed to make a choice between two ways to enter the smaller, inner lagoon. One is wading in this very small, low tunnel and the other one is to climb a rickety, wooden stairs and jump to the other side. The former seemed a better idea so off we went! {I'm sorry, I didn't have photos of the small lagoon. It's part of its mystic you see. You should go to see it. That, and I didn't bring a waterproof camera with me.}

Which option will you choose?

The unusual thing about the small lagoon is the temperature of the water. It changes every feet or so. One minute you're wading in cool water, the next minute it's lukewarm. Or hotter. Or colder. You wouldn't know what to feel unless you're already there. Fascinating!

It's time to head off to a snorkel site in the area called Twin Peaks. There were so many fishes and beautiful corals in this area. Our boatman opened his stash of bread and offered it in the water. The fishes swarmed and I photographed them like crazy!

Hungry much?

Come here fishy, fishy!

We had a good time meeting the fishes.

Meet n' greet! :)

After that, we went to Siete Pecados, another snorkel site. Siete Pecados is called such, not because of bad things (seven sins), but because of the seven islets dotting the area. It's filled with colorful fishes and long stretches of coral reefs. Sayaaaaa!

The last pit stop.

Even from the boat, we can already see the corals and fishes

My friends and I waited for sunset in this area and it's one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen in my life. Promise!

The sunset at Siete Pecados

These are the scenes on our way back to the port...

So nostalgic...

A burst of color

Sunsets... what a perfect way to end this marvelous day.

This is one day in my life that I'll never forget. I saw a lot of beautiful places that still tugs my heart at this very minute of writing this entry. I learned and experienced a lot. You see, I don't know how to swim and being in the water is obviously my waterloo. Even with life vests on, I cannot for the life of me, trust myself not to do something stupid and prolly drown. Well turned out, I worry too much and I don't believe in myself enough. With the help of my friends and our very friendly, funny guide Ate Tin, I conquered different kinds of fear. The beauty of Coron helped a lot. I wouldn't pass up this chance to not swim in the very blue, clear waters of Coron. And so, I managed to snorkel and wade in the water without screwing up. I managed to enjoy in my very own waterloo. That to me is an achievement. So really, I encourage you to go to Coron and experience a life-changing place. You'll be mesmerized and amazed and inspired and awed...

Okay, I'm waxing nostalgia again. Haha. The best of Coron food and products on the last installment to this travel series. :)

Happy Wednesday!

Much Love,

§undrenched

PS. I'm not blogging from MNL anymore. This tarha is back in Riyadh, haha.)

Q&A Portion 12

2012-01-18T11:34:00.001+03:00

Hi dear tarhas! How's January treating you? It's still cold in Riyadh and a Saudi officemate told us that it'll reach -7 degrees this weekend. Oh my! Let's all bundle up then! :) Anyway, we know we owe you a lot of entries and hopefully, we'll be able to recover from all those 'silent' weeks. You'll be hearing more from us in the next few days.

Orayt then, let's begin!

It's been a long time since we had the Q&A Portion. If you notice, we tend to create a series of entries and then ignore them. Like hello A Photo A Day, Collage Week, and Q&A Portion?! Where are you now? Haha. (We also forget to write entries, imagine?! Haha!) Yes, yes, we tend to write according to what we feel like writing and not go within a scope within a schedule. So, anyway, we'd like to revive the Q&A Portion and this time, we have a "Where Can I Find...?" edition. We've been asked by readers and likers in our FB page where we can find some stuff. Some blog readers might have not encountered the answers in our FB page so we're sharing them here too.

Where Can I Find...

1. An eye mask/sleeping mask

The easiest and most convenient place would have to be Claire's. They have this funky-designed eye masks suited for children and adults trying to be children. Sometimes, we see them in lingerie shops too. If you want it free, ask a stewardess for eye masks when you're flying to Saudi Arabia or anywhere. And nick keep them. We're sure they wouldn't miss it. Qatar Airways and Etihad Airlines give their passengers free loot bags with travel necessities in them. ;)

2. Jeffrey Campbell shoes/bags

There are no JC stores here in Riyadh. You can only buy them online. Shoegarfreeruby almost always go to Solestruck.com for her unusual shoe needs. Sometimes, we also use Envishoes and Nasty Gal. Sundrenched warns you against using the latter though because she didn't have a good experience shopping with them.

3. Kikay Camels

This is probably the most asked item in the blog. Where did we get these cute keychains? We got them from a bazaar in our workplace. The bazaar has long been gone so we don't know where they are now or if they have other branches in Riyadh. What we do know is these kikay camels, along with Saudi Arabia souvenirs (mugs, photo frames, magnets, etc.) are fairly easy to find. Gift shops in the city carry them. For example, there's a perfume/gift store carrying this near Al Rajhi Supermarket (beside the Military Hospital).

4. BB Creams

For those who are encountering this for the first time here, BB (Blemish Balm) creams are all the rage in Asia in 2011. They act as moisturizer and light foundation in one. There are a lot of BB creams brands in Korea and the Philippines but we haven't seen them here in Saudi Arabia. Maybe because it's not made for the Middle Eastern market. Remember that we have different types and colors of the skin so what works for Southeast Asians might not work for the Middle Easterners. A reader asked us about the Missha brand. It's not available here in Riyadh. Your best bet is online shopping, of course.

5. H&M Cosmetics

They're here in Riyadh! While not really known for their high quality makeup line (ala MAC), H&M carries very affordable cosmetics that are best for those who are just starting to build their kikay kit or those who just wants to add something new and versatile in their kits. Sundrenched hoarded their lip glosses and eyehadow palettes just because. Haha. The H&M branch in Granada Center carries them. (S haven't been to any other branches since she got back from my vacation in the Philippines.)

6. Organic Products

When we were trying the Master Cleanse (major fail for S), we scoured the city for organic stores that might carry pure maple syrup (not the ones we pour in our pancakes). We found Bio-Best in Olaya (across Al-Akaria Mall). We called them first to find out if they have the item we were looking for and good thing, they did. They offer a variety of organic foods, organic beauty products, and even natural supplements (herbal medicines). There are two more shops in Oruba Road that offer organic products but we failed to get their names. We usually pass them when we go to Tokyo Restaurant. In the Kingdom, there's Al Watania Agricultural Company, which uses organic fertilizers on their produce and natural feeding on their animals. Their products can be found in Tamimi and Azizia Hypermarkets. These huge supermarkets (also Lulu) also offer imported organic brands so be on the lookout on your next grocery shopping day.

7. Beauty Products and Salon Supplies

In the Philippines, we have Hortaleza or HBC for our salon products needs. In Riyadh, we have Nazih Trading in Olaya Road, just in between Centria Mall and Habitat. They offer a lot of beauty products (hair care, skin care, makeup, nail treatments) and salon supplies in more affordable prices (as opposed to going to the salon and paying SR150 for a hot oil treatment for instance). You can even buy salon furniture here if you want to build your own in-house parlor. Sosyal! We found O.P.I., one of the leading nail polish brands in the world, here.

Do you have other questions? Do you want to find anything ( we don't do missing passports or cellphones, okay?)? ASK us by commenting in the blog, visiting our Facebook page, tweeting your questions @thepinktarha, or emailing us at thepinktarha@gmail.com! :)

Hello 2012!!!

2012-01-02T14:54:00.000+03:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Cheers to a more productive, beautiful, and fun 2012!!!

(And hopefully more entries from us too.)

(Digital) Scrapbooks and Memories

2011-12-27T09:41:00.004+03:00

As the year draws to a close, we've had our fair share of happy and memorable moments. (Not to mention loads and loads of photos in our hard drives....) so what would be a good way to commemorate and re-celebrate each of those moments again? How about scrapbooking? Better yet, digital scrapbooking!

Yep, I love scrapbooking! As I child, I would cut out photos and turn them into collage sheets. Unfortunately, time ages materials and I've grown weary of cutting and buying scrapbooking materials that I get to use only once. Good thing Sundrenched introduced me to Digital Scrapbooking! Now with the advent of technology, we can fully customize and create beautiful scrapbook layouts. We can share them online or even print them as glossy Photobooks!

Digiprint can turn your scrapbook pages into coffee table hardbound photobooks. These are especially good for wedding and baby albums because these are printed on acid free paper, so you'll know it won't fade as the years go by.

I personally love digital scrapbooking because it allows me to be creative and at the same time, I can help sustain our environment by not having to cut and paste actual paper. The digital elements can be resized and reused for future scrapbooking projects!

Here are some of my personal scrapbook pages:

Here's a scrapbook page of my Lolo's 70th birthday party.

Some highlights of my trip to Manila that year


Photos of The Singapore Flyer

Some memorable photos at Sentosa

So? Are you ready to make your own Scrapbook layouts? How do you do this? First you'll need the following:

1. Computer know-how (Photoshop, Illustrator or MS Powerpoint will work but I personally use Photoshop because it gives me more control over effects, layers and image size. Note: If you use MS PowerPoint, the image output will not be as crisp and clear as it would if you used a dedicated photo program like Photoshop or Illustrator. So if you already know how to use Photoshop, I would suggest that you practice with that program. I'll try to make a separate Photoshop tutorial as well.

2. Digital Scrapbook Elements (there are tons of freebies you can download online. Here are some websites to get you started: Smitten Blog Designs, Peppermint Creative, Raspberry Road Designs. They also have even better kits for sale for low prices.)

3. Photos that you want to re-cherish!

Getting started:

First thing you should do is look at Scrapbooking websites and download the kits that you like. Try to visualize what motif you want for your scrapbook page and what photos you want to include. Once you've downloaded your digital scrapbook elements and digital papers, you're ready to go! In this example, I used a freebie kit from Smitten Blog Designs, a stock photo of some random family and MS PowerPoint.

Sample Scrapbook Page

I personally like my scrapbook pages square. If you want to do the same, just set your paper size to 8x8 inches (click design; page setup; then input the desired size on the fields for height and width).

Resize your "canvas"

I then pick out the photos and elements that you want to use. Choose a background "paper". I like to layer prints so I usually pick 2 background papers.

Add all the photos and elements you want in your scrapbook page.

Now arrange and resize the photos, papers and elements to suit your taste. This is where your creativity can run amock! Though in my opinion 1-3 photos are easier to layout. Hehehe...

Layout and layer as you see fit.

Once you have the general layout, you can start adding shadows to give your scrapbook a layered feel. You can do this by double clicking on a photo or element until the "format" tab appears on the toolbar above. Then click on Picture Effects and then choose an effect that you want to use for that particular photo. You can also add your own words on the scrapbook page.

Add some shadows

Once you're done and you want to share your creation online, just save your work as JPEG and upload it. Or you could save it and have it printed as a glossy coffee table book at Digiprint in the Philippines.

Don't forget to save!

There you have it, a basic guide to digital scrapbooking! So what are you waiting for? Let the creative juice flow and start sharing those wonderful memories :)

L-O-V-E,
Sampaguita Pride

Coron: Paradise Found {1/3}

2011-12-18T12:33:00.002+03:00

When OFWs and expats come home to the Philippines for vacation, we usually spend most of our time with our family and friends in our hometown. There are some, like me, who use the time to explore the other provinces of the Philippines and travel like there’s no tomorrow. I find it liberating, especially after being stuck in Riyadh for a year (not that it’s too much of a bother; believe me, I rarely complain of my life in Riyadh), and fun because I get to spend quality time with my friends who I missed so much. I think it’s a good way for OFWs and expats to unwind. You will not see these scenes in other countries. Only in the Philippines talaga!

This vacation, I tagged along with my college friends to Coron, Palawan. We spent more or less 8,000 pesos in this journey. Just 800 riyals to see paradise? Count me in! And after I tell you what went on with my adventure in Coron, I’m sure you’ll be inserting it in your itinerary on your next vacation! I hope this travel entry can also encourage our foreigner friends to visit the Philippines. I tell you, Coron that took my breath away. Hindi pa ako nakakauwi, gusto ko nang bumalik!

This Coron journey started a few months before the real trip. My friends kept tab on airline promos, which make air travel from one province to another so affordable. They saw a fare promo that fit their budget… P2,700 to go to Busuanga, Palawan, the gateway to Coron. So goooo! They told me about their plan a few months after they bought their tickets (they didn’t know I’m going home on November). They have also booked a package (accommodation+food+tour) in one of the lodges in Coron for P4,500 per person. How can I say no to such inexpensive deal? I’M INNNN!

TIP: Here are the sites of low-cost airlines flying to Busuanga: Cebu Pacific Air and AirPhil Express. Make sure to sign up in their newsletter so you receive email alerts when they go on sale. CebuPac's SMILE Magazine is also a good read. You'll be enticed to book to other provinces and other South East Asian countries pronto!

Back to my story... We’re taking an early flight via Airphil Express, one of the budget carriers in the Philippines at the NAIA Terminal 3. It's a relief that we're using Terminal 3 now. It's cleaner, wider, and more well-lit than the old NAIA terminal, which huge international carriers still use. There were a lot of people but checking in was a breeze.

Our flight *excited much*

A mini bus had to take us to where the airplane was parked. We're using a Bombadier Q400 for this flight. The plane is a little bit small, my first time to ride something like it. The weather is fine and we were in the air in no time at all. Snacks are not served for free but you can buy them from the attendants. They’re too pricey so better eat in the airport if you’re hungry.

[For some reason, the photos which should be vertical are automatically made horizontal by the settings of my laptop/system. I will correct them soon. Thanks for reading! :)]

The view from my window... still on the ground.

The inside of the aircraft

G'bye for now, Manila!

A welcome sight to the last ecological frontier of the Philippines!

We arrived in Busuanga on time. For a little bit of info on the island, head on over to this link. Busuanga is the largest island in the Calamian group of islands. This is the jump off point to Coron.

Landed on a clear, sunny day

Arriving at the Busuanga airport

The Francisco B. Reyes Airport, named after a mayor of Coron during the Commonwealth era and located in the Yulo King Ranch, is small and the process is no-fuss. We got our luggages and head on out the door. A van from the Ralph’s Lodge, where we’ll stay is already waiting for us. Travel time from Busuanga Airport to Coron town proper is 45 minutes. Views of hills and meadows will greet you while passing through the ranch, one of the largest in the Philippines. The sceneries are so serene and laidback. You’ll be glad to see the cows and horses grazing in the road side and just lounging around looking so lazy but serene.

I was already inhaling deep and pinching myself. Am I really here? How did time fly by so fast? From the desert to the meadows… how very interesting! Well, it does get more interesting in the days that follow so make sure you visit The Pink Tarha site again in the coming days.

This view gives a glimpse of what awaits...

And before I forget, (advance) Merry Christmas po, mga kabayan!

Sundrenched (blogging from MNL)