Tuguegarao for once.

One of the highlights of my budding work career came last quarter - I flew alone for the first time to meet up with a prospective client (And a hoard of representatives). Honestly, I can count on my fingers how many times I rode on a plane and I am thankful that this will add to my travels (Happiness much hehe).

Thought what really made me happy is that my boss and other big boss had entrusted me to do such a complicated task. In the past meetings we had, I would only accompany assist my boss. Now it felt that the ball is in my hands. The funny thing is, my boss and I were weighing who should go to where (There were two special meetings we need to attend at the same time), and only one line made me choose immediately:

Boss: “Oh gusto mo ikaw humarap sa kanila?”

Me: “Ah ma’am sige po. Ako na lang ang magtratravel”

Aside that it was an important meeting, the chance to travel alone and outside Manila (Hey, this is way farther than Baguio) made this a milestone for me. On the day of the travel, I feel so liberated. Walking around the airport while strutting (Fumafasyon? Haha) my luggage; it came as a great feeling that I can actually make anything I set to on my own (Of course with God’s guidance).

Anyway, this was also my first travel using Terminal 3. I can say that out of all the terminals I've been to, Terminal 3 would be the one I consider as the cleanest and widest. So, while I was waiting for check-in status to be available, I went on to take a few photos of Terminal 3.

All alone.

So where did I travel? Tuguegarao, baby! I choose to stay at Hotel Roma, considered as one of the best in the city. My big boss and the client recommended this hotel, so what does an obedient employee does? E-mail them to know the rates.

I took the lowest rate they had, thinking that I would only be there for work and nothing much. My thoughts on Hotel Roma:

• Transportation: Travelling by plane is the fastest way to go to Tuguegarao. If you are the adventurous one, you could opt to travel by private car or by bus. Just be sure to travel safely, I’ve seen news about vehicular accidents along the way to Tuguegarao. Upon the airport, you may ride one of the transportation means they have – tricycle. Sorry to inform you, but taxis are not available in Tuguegarao (As what I’ve seen and been told by the Hotel Roma staff). The tricycle rate is usually 10Php to 50 Php (Depending on how far is the travel). There is a 20 minutes approximate time from the airport to Hotel Roma. There are also horse-pulled carriages available within the city proper if you want an idle commute.
• Fees: The rate for the standard room is 800.00 Php/night. You may call them or e-mail them to ask about their rates.
• Room: The room was adequate for one person. The bed was tolerable but they need to stock up on new pillows. I only got one thin pillow which cannot even support my back when arching on it while watching TV. There is a cable TV but when I entered the room, there was not even a remote control provided. I have to contact the concierge in order to have a remote. You have to watch out for ants if you plan to eat inside your room. Though there is a trash bin, ants will be able to travel up to your bed if you are not careful. Good thing I called at the concierge to pick up the trash from my room. Why do I have to always call? Well, my room is located on the highest floor so it is reasonable to just call than to go up and down in the flight of stairs.
• Washroom: The bathroom was decent enough with hot and cold water available.
• Food: There is a restaurant inside the hotel where you can ask it to be delivered at your room. I ordered beef with mushroom and their garlic rice. Upon serving the food, I was surprised that it was enough food for two (Well I can actually eat for two haha). If you do not dig the menu, you can always go out for the usual Mcdonald’s or other restaurants available.
• Security: Our client said that Hotel Roma is one of the safest hotels there is. I can vouch for that. It was also good for me that there were events that took place during my stay, making me sure that I was not the only person inside the hotel (Talking about paranoia haha!).

Here are some photos from Hotel Roma:

Goodbye Tuguegarao! All the people I've meet here are nice and warm :)

Oh by the way, I bought a dozen of milk candies (35.00 Php to 40.00 Php depending on the number of contents), native tea and milk pastillas as pasalubongs.

Until next post!

Ciao,

Maddie

Un-packing.

I’m gently opening my luggage; gathering the strength to organize the things that were once scattered while I was on my flight. I needed to finish this or else, there will be no other time.

You might think I have been independent and started living on my own. Nah! Not a chance (At this year or so). What really happened is I just came back from my first ever vacation with a friend. I came back with a mishmash of emotions – refreshed, harried, disappointed but happy. I’ll explain once I post my recent trip.

For now, I want to share how it has become a breath of fresh air not to write for how many weeks already. It’s not that I have ton of readers, but having to agonize for the first few weeks since I stopped, that I have not been able to write makes me lethargic at work (Seriously). I think the sense of doing tasks at the same time (Writing a draft while answering a client call and making mental notes of what your boss instructed you to do hahaha) energizes me to no end. So how did it end up good hiatus for my blog? Well, there is this mysterious feeling to experiencing stuff without having to worry that you need to write before you go to bed. For the agonizing part, it was gone before I noticed it since work got really busy (Alam na, naghahabol sa target dahil 4^th quarter na hahaha!).

Having the [imposed] freedom was actually good. Looking back, I observed how silly my ideas were on how to ‘just’ present my posts; how tiresome it is to stare blankly in my screen because my brain (and eyes) were heavily shutting down on me (Kailangan matapos itech bago mag-12 a.m., ang drama ko haha); how it always seem rushed to me whenever I randomly write stuff for the sake of posting something.

I finally realized something – the reason for me starting this blog. It is not to attract millions of readers – but to share my experiences, my literature and my thoughts. It is not to gain popularity – but to tell a story based on my style. Heck, I’m not a professional blogger, just an amateur who wants to write in the digital world.

Now, I’ll revert to my un-packing of stuff.

Until next post!

Ciao,

Maddie

Adieu.

The moment my mother brought home an ohh-soo-goood tub, I know that it was a special one. It has this creamy texture combined with the right flavour; creating a prime after taste. Over the years, I take delight in buying it whenever I can, and when it opened its cafe here in the country, I really made a point to eat in there.

Sadly, in this case, not all good things will last until we can no longer eat. I first saw the news through a tweet. I immediately searched for it, and bang – there it was.

Photo cropped from my desktop screen.

I contacted their marketing department (feeling close lang haha!) to verify the details. Their marketing team explained to me, that I can still buy Haagen Dazs products at S&R market.

Phew! At least there is still a way to get a hold of these babies. Well, I soon learned the truth. I immediately made plans to specifically dine at their Shangri-la branch, but because stuff at work and at home caught up with me – needless to say, I forgot my plan.

One day, before heading to the MRT station, I saw that the cafe is still standing and selling! I immediately told my BF that we need to eat there after doing some errands. When we finally got there, we saw that only two remaining flavours were sold and that the crew were taking ‘farewell pictures’ of all sorts.

I also asked the crew on whether I can still buy Haagen Dazs at the grocery. But they told me that the ice cream won’t really be available anywhere. True enough, the proof was seen when I checked out their horizontal freezer – all remaining products were reserved.

In the end, I am happy that I was able to eat one last time at Haagen Dazs. If you happen to pass by now, you will see an empty space where the cafe used to be. I know, someday I can eat again one scoop of that memorable ice cream.

Note: When I passed by a Hobbes and Landes store, I saw freezer containing Haagen Dazs products. Do check it out when you spot one, my eyes might be playing tricks on me.

'til next food post!

Ciao,

Maddie <3

Shiny & Shimmering sh-Nails!

The last time I went to Eastwood Mall, I was attacked by a very aggressive salesperson. And to emphasize- a very aggressive one – she would not stop even though we walked past her already and politely declined to listen to her. I was thinking, “Can she not understand English or Filipino?” (Good thing I was not alone and was able to counter the attack by letting my BF face her instead (Talk about being a user haha). So what was this woman selling out of the blue in such an insistent manner? Encyclopedia? Shoes? Samples (Are they even for sale? LOL)?

She was actually blabbering about nails grooming in an instant.

The brand Oro Gold might not be familiar to those not really into nails grooming or into unfamiliar beauty brands (Heck, I do not even know it exists in Shangri-la though I usually drop by the mall). Back to her blabbering, I managed to deduce that she managed to utter five (5) 60-seconds commercial in a minute. Talk about hard-pitch selling. She took my BF’s hand and while we were slowly walking (Yes! We were still TRYING to leave past her and continue with our relaxing walk), she kept on explaining - this and that, which I could not already remember.

Given that she held on my BF’s hand firmly, we decided to let the whole act finish. We were impressed with the result, though. Shiny and shimmering sh-nail! (It was only the thumb that was used during the demo hahaha) “Bagay sa iyo teh!” I exclaimed to my boyfriend. He paraded like one proud mam - - I mean man LOL! The woman then directed us to their stall. It was that moment where I sternly (But still polite) said we have other matters to attend urgently (Hello, I was looking forward in continuing our stroll haha!); thus the end of our encounter with Oro Gold.

Flash forward to the following weeks, my BF proudly showed me something. All that gruesome man’s labor, cleaning his place, typing all day at work and the daily abuse of your nails: they are as they were the last time after our Oro Gold experience – shiny and smooth looking nail. I then began thinking when could we return to Eastwood to ask if we can only buy the nail grooming kit and for how much.

The universe then conspired itself. I found Ms. Frances Sales blog about Oro Gold. See her Beauty for a Living's post. I can relate to how she reacted toward their sales person. I suggest to Oro Gold, that they should not continue with this strategy as it will only create a bad publicity for them in the long run. Oh but well, a bad publicity is still a publicity as they say. Anyhow, I found out that you need to pay 2,000PhP for a set of the nail grooming kit (Which by the way is only a two-piece kit. Getting more for what you pay for?). I stopped planning on going to Eastwood for the sole purpose of Oro Gold. Frugalista kasi eh haha. Months have passed by, while at your local beauty store, I suddenly remembered that there is a similar product out there that does not spell S-P-L-U-R-G-E.

Ladies and gents, I present to you ‘the cube’ (Moniker I invented) from Cutex: 

NOTE: I do apologize for not properly groomed-looking nails :)

Vs. 2,000 PhP? Bought at a Watsons branch.

Nails were already files on the sides.

Step 1 finished product. Dust particles to show the effect.

Step 2 is used to remove the dust and remove remaining bumps.

Step 3 is rubbing the nails to prepare it for polishing.

See those shiny, healthy looking nails?

Tips for using Cutex Multi-purpose Nail Buffer:

• While using each side of the buffer, you may try to hum the Alphabet song per side. This will allow you to time each step properly.
• Faster movements will let you see much shinier nails.
• If using the buffer alone, you may direct the movement in a portrait way to make sure that the sides of the nails are covered.

Enjoy having your nails look so shiny without having paying big bucks!

How about you? Have you used Cutex?

Do share, love :)

'Til next post!

Ciao,

Maddie

7 p.m.

News spread like wildfire as the social networking site Multiply, announced that they will be changing their platform - focusing on e-commerce for their Indonesia and Philippines market. Since then, I have seen many blogger and friend who began to bid adieu to their photos and memories of yesteryear (Excuse me for sounding too melodramatic LOL) with Multiply. 

As for me, it was a good three years (I think) and it had let me experience blogging at an early stage (Though I'm still a newbie considering the lack of posts I make hahaha!). To date, I am still in the process of removing all contents from my multiply site. 

I managed to write some decent posts over the years with Multiply, and thought of sharing this poem I wrote in my account. Inspiration rushed inside me as I was writing this poem.

Here my poem, entitled '7 p.m.', to tickle your fancy :)

in the silence of the road.

embraced together. heated.

asleep. awake. whispering.

the night of our elopement.

we utter the words of love.

lust and excitement rushes.

the decision to go on

or not is still on a blank

counting time, its speaks of five.

we're still on the go running

with two more hours to spare with

inevitably wishing none

aha! the coast is clear. yes!

us. walking past everyone.

pacing faster. running fast.

to share an innate bonding

finally it ticks seven

chained. my bella. he murmurs

and soon passion took over

the night of elopement came

clashing together minding

not even the state of dark

holding other's silhouettes

until not one can hold back

forgetting it will not be

its his. its hers altogether

and shall continue to bloom

‘til we near the marriage bliss.

Will upload other relevant stuff in the process of cleaning my Multiply.

'til next post!

Ciao,

Maddie

After.

It has been a dreadful and long week for Filipinos living in the north (Luzon).  I just thank God that the sun painted the sky today; and continue to pray for those who are greatly affected.

They say that we Filipinos still find beauty amidst chaos (Check the photos of fellow alumni Paul Quiambao), so while I am about to doze off waiting might as well share these two (2) photos which are a “burst” of beauty to my eyes. 

Note: Clinking on the photo will lead you to the source. - Oops! Sorry, it did not work. Photos are from TIME Magazine.

Stay safe and be alert guys!

'Til next post.

Ciao,

Maddie

London Calling for Work!

If you want great, flawless and celebrity-ready fashion styles peg, I highly recommend that you subscribe to Rachel Zoe's website. I will no longer elaborate who is Rachel Zoe (Again, I highly recommend you search for her!), because her name alone is already a trademark (Uyy, google agad kung sino pinagsasabi ko haha!).

As I was checking my e-mail, I saw this latest collection from her. My jaw literally dropped (Sa totoo lang, ganun talaga panga ko sa mga bonggang becky stuff hahaha!) when I saw the combinations she pulled this time. Well, some may be of old mix and match idea, but she managed to take it into a new level: bonggang becky office attire. Very work appropriate (Warning: Do not heed my suggestions. It will make your bosses fall off their chairs at work hahaha).

Grand entrance for work!

You can always make an excuse that we live in a tropical country.

FOR CLIENT MEETINGS! Winner haha

NOTE: All photos sourced from here.

I made a mental note (A strong one!) to hunt for similar clothes here in the country. I am my own stylist (Yan ang aking motto for today).

Do share if you see any similar clothes here :)

'Til next post!


Ciao,

Maddie

The Slimy Cleaner.

When using my laptop, one of the things I really hate is to see small dirt and dust pile inside the keyboard. My plan is to use a keyboard guard similar to that of Mac. However, after countless trips to stores not even one caters to my laptop model.

My BF suggested that I buy a clear plastic cover that sticks nicely in the keyboard. But, it is not aesthetically appealing for me and at the same the comfort of typing would be changed (Yuck, OC much? haha). After a few months, I totally forgot my plan

On a lone day inside a DVD store, while looking for some titles for my cousin's project, I chanced upon a neon green product hanging beside the cashier. My curiosity got ahead of me as I ended up buying Pursuit of Happyness DVD (which is what I came for) and that neon green product.


Here are the photos showing how I used it:

See all those dirt and dust? Btw, meet Candy my pink-colored laptop!

I love the zip lock part!

Gooey is the term!

Upon opening, you will be greeted by a minty, alcohol and medical scent. Not bad, since it really makes you smell that it will deliver results as it claims. But did it really? Sad to say, it was not of help to the dust and dirt that sits on Candy. I think this one will be applicable to PC keyboard instead of a laptop.

If you have a PC then give this one a shot! Though I would not really recommend it to laptop users.

'til next post!

Ciao,

Maddie

Win some Celeteque goodies!

One of my top choices for drugstore brand is Celeteque; it really never fails me with my skin care routine. Over the years, through their scientific research and dedication, they managed to address women's skin dilemmas in an effective way.

I have been using Celeteque Facial Wash even before their DermoScience line came out, and I can attest to the effectiveness of their products. That is why I am really hyped when Ms. Shen came out with this contest. However, I am really having a hard time choosing which line to take. Currently, I have two major skin problems that I need to take care of, so I need my total sense of judgement here LOL.

Want to see if Celeteque is your skin’s saver? Join now!

‘Til next post!

Ciao,

Maddie

Snapshots # 1

Last weekend, I got really excited of the plans to see my friends. Well, sadly, it didn't turn out the way I have thought of it. 

It was a weekend - I don't want to go home early. So, I patiently waited to be rescued from total loneliness (Cheesy noh? haha).

The tragic nail polish hahaha! TFS Nail Polish :)

Yep. I love how it is so durable yet functional.

Through my eyes - glasses that is.

Lakas maka-becky! Fenk kung Fenk. Charles and Keith.

This post is titled #1 since I am thinking of doing these random snapshots. Let's see :)

'Til next post!

Ciao,

Maddie :3

PFW 2012: Brands

Now that the Philippines Catwalk has finished showcasing truly remarkable Filipino talents, why not I share to you what caught my eye this year. I'll be focusing on the brands that gave us a preview on what's in store for us and to make this post challenging (for me), I'll decide on only one outfit that is a stand-out for me. Other deciding factors would be: I'd look great in it (Good vibes, come this way!).

*Note: All photos are from the StyleBible.ph.

Avon: Black will always be this damn sexy. 

Michael Cinco: There is no harm in teasing.

Rajo Laurel: Eye candy.

SM Ladies Wear: Neon on rain.

SM Parisian: Bright footsies.

The Ramp Crossing: Jazz that work attire.

Bravo to Philippines Fashion Week!

'Til next post!

Ciao,

Maddie