Blogs from Metromanila, Philippines, Asia

“Love your PARENTS. We are so busy growing up, we often forget they are also growing old.” When I found this quotation circulating in Facebook, it hit me like a ton of brick. I was guilty. Not that I don’t love my parents, my Mom, in particular (my Dad is a totally different story). I was just busy living my life, working and raising my son that my Mom quickly became a figure left on the sidelines. So, when I read this quotation, I made one hard look at my Mom. She’s getting old. And now that she’s retired from work, life is (sort of) passing her by. And it dawned on me that I needed to be with her more often, no matter how busy I get. My Mom and I weren’t really close. In ... read more

DAY 1- 1/4/12 Just Landed in Manila Airport...its 5:45pm, so tired even though its the same time-zone as perth, must be just from flying all day. the airport is pretty small and smells weird, like old people, now i have to grab a taxi and check into the Hotel, the hotel i booked into is the Dusit Thani Manila Hotel, its 4 and a half stars. the total amount i have to pay is PHP 5,160 thats like $144.44 australian dollars thats really cheap! while i was checking in i couldn't help but notice the beautiful greenery outside the hotel's garden, so i went to show the bell-hops my room number 123 and while they organised my luggage i wnet to explore the hotel... then i went down stairs to the lobby to check out the ... read more

YEY!!! We’re so happy! We’re so happy! We’re so extremely happy! If you still don’t know, Mokong (that’s my son!) and I usually have our epic trips with a couple of long-time travelling friends during the Holy Week. Yes, it’s that week-long Christian commemoration from Christ’s crucifixion to His resurrection. Instead of sitting around at home and bumming around, we make use of the looong vacation as an opportunity to travel somewhere. Since 2007, all our Holy Week epic travels have been out-of-the-country. And this year’s trip is no exception. But unlike the previous ones, I had an extremely difficult time securing the requirements of our tourist visas. Not that the requirements were hard to get, but since I resigned from work, well, things have been a little bit complicated. I’ve been so stressed about it ... read more

We checked-in at Joya Lofts and Towers at Rockwell to celebrate Adriel’s belated 5th Birthday last Jan.28, 2012. We were accommodated on a 1 Bedroom Executive with a living room with beautiful interiors; fully-equipped kitchen and also a balcony where the view boasts of the tall buildings surrounding the Makati area. We really liked the place because it has so much space(60sqm), good for family or friends. The Powerplant Mall was also just right in front of Joya, you just have to walk not very far to go to the mall if you want to relax, go shopping or eat out. I bought an angry birds cake at Conching Sabale’s before we went there and I’m really glad that Adriel liked it a lot. Before we sang Adriel the customary Happy Birthday, we went to sample ... read more