My Birthday Week

I celebrated my 26th birthday on March 24, a Sunday, but a week before, I started posting photos on Instagram and kept using the hashtag #birthdayweek. There were just little treats I allowed myself to have since it was my birthday. But really, it was my excuse for spending money. Heehee. Here are some of the photos.

 One of my gifts to myself was a Casio Vintage watch in rose gold. I have been eyeing this model for months, but I was waiting for a good deal. I finally found one through Vintage Casio Watch, and one Saturday I met up with the shop's owner and got my watch. I chose this model because everybody else is wearing the A168 gold one, and I already have a gold watch. :)

On Sunday, I did my grocery shopping and cooked Chicken and Broccoli with Creamy Mustard Sauce. It was a very easy recipe, which I got from Pinterest (follow me!).

MAC lipsticks from the Archie Collection. I was so giddy when these babies arrived. I am an Archie fan so it was a real treat that they collaborated with my favorite make-up brand.

On Thursday after morning worship service, I went to Charlie's for a big breakfast. I got the Charlie's Platter, which included unlimited servings of buttermilk pancakes and your choice of sides. I chose two sunny side up eggs, bacon, and hash brown. It also comes with refillable coffee or iced tea. For P320, I think it's a good deal. It was so filling, I wasn't able to ask for a second serving of pancakes! If you live in the Kapitolyo neighborhood or Greenhills area, give it a try. They have other breakfast items on the menu, and they serve them daily from 7:00am until 11:00am.

Copies of Falling Together by Marisa Delos Santos and The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I've been reading e-books since the year started and I just missed reading hard copies. I know I still have a lot of unread books, but hey, you can never have enough books in my opinion. :)

A day before my birthday, I treated my office friends Marye and Ten to lunch at Kasbah, The Fort. I got a good deal from Groupon which included a set meal for four. One of us wasn't able to make it so we had more than enough delicious food split among the three of us! Then they treated me to yummy cakes (Cookie Dough and Tres Leches) from Chelsea. We looked at Chez Karine, Gourmandise, and Larry's Bar before finally deciding on Chelsea.

More shopping finds. Organic soaps and Filipino artisanal chocolate from Echostore, and my best shopping find so far this year. I was looking for a dress for Holy Supper, and also bright jeans to go with a certain summer top. While we were at The Fort, we went to American Eagle Outfitters and I almost bought "jeans" (they were actually made of cotton) that cost P2000. Good thing I didn't because I found one at Forever 21 on sale! I didn't know about it and was ready to pay the full price, but I was pleasantly surprised when the cashier told me it was marked down to P719! Such a great steal. And the fabric was real denim too!

Of course, the highlight of my week was my birthday itself. On March 24, I performed my choir duties and received Holy Supper. As a member of the Church of Christ, this was an important occasion and I feel so blessed to celebrate it on the same day as my birthday. Because my family had their own church duties to fulfill (we live far apart) and my boyfriend is currently working in Vietnam, I didn't really have anywhere to go for lunch. So I ate Rub Ribs after church, then slept until the afternoon. Then my mom called to pick me up for my birthday dinner, yay!

We first went to Solaire to check out their offerings. Now I have to tell you that my mom is a frequent visitor of Resorts World Manila (I always joke around that she's a stockholder already), and it is her go-to place whenever she has visiting friends because we can eat at restaurants and shop with her card points. But since Solaire just opened, we wanted to check it out. Well, we ended up back at Resorts World, anyway! Haha. Mom wasn't too impressed with their buffet spread and prices so we went back to her first love (I'm joking mom!).

We ate dinner at Ginzadon, which is a Japanese-Korean fusion restaurant. RWM employees Ram and Karen joined us for dinner and Mom gave them the rundown about Solaire (she was there during the opening week). Just a tip, if you want to be good friends with my mom, talk to her about casinos. You'd instantly click!

To end my birthday on a sweet note, Ram and Karen gave me a free walnut cake from Maxim's Cafe! Such a treat. It looks so beautiful and tastes really good!

Throughout the day I received text messages, Facebook notifications, Twitter mentions and Instagram comments, all greeting me a happy birthday. That's what I love most. You get one day a year when people give you good wishes and are happy you were born and became a part of their lives. They can do that anytime, but birthdays are always special. So it's touching when even people who aren't that close to you make the effort. I even got a call from an old friend, who now works in Qatar! I was so touched.

Thank you every one and cheers to being 26! :)

Dear Future Self, this is you at 26.

Health Bits: Going Back to Yoga

I told you about the Urban Ashram Deal Grocer Coupon I bought last January, and now here's how my sessions went. 

I knew I had my work cut out for me because I haven't had proper exercise in years. Sure, I join fun runs, but I do it to be with friends and for the meal we share after the event. The last serious class I joined was Pilates with my former office maters. That was three years ago. I also did yoga when I was with the UP Pep Squad, but I wouldn't call myself a yogini. I just knew the basics. 

The hardest part for me was waking up before the sunrise. The comfort of my bed and the cool weather we had were real temptations to just skip the class. But I forced myself and thought that just showing up for the first day of class was already a big accomplishment. I warmed up by walking the two blocks from my building to the yoga studio. 

Entering the Urban Ashram studio, you'd know that they're one of the legit ones, and not one of those just riding on the hype. They have ample-sized rooms depending on the number of students, and they provide yoga mats, blocks, straps, and other materials which are sanitized after every class. The Kenneth Cobonpue-designed lobby is just a bonus.

The reception area at Urban Ashram Manila Brixton Branch

They offer different classes depending on your level/skill. I chose the Flexibility Not Required classes, which are great for beginners. But don't think that the class is easy. There are different teachers for each day of the week, but all of them are observant of the students' pace, and they make sure the beginners modify their poses to avoid injuries. They also encourage you to move at your own pace, and improve your poses to make you stronger. But they are also there to push you when they know you can still give more (especially when they see you resting during poses!). 

Even on my first day, I already noticed a difference. Sure, my body was sore, but my breathing improved and I became aware of my posture. I also made sure to drink more water throughout the day. 

I attended nine classes for the duration of my 15-day unlimited pass. I'd say it was a great deal. They only offer it to first time attendees though. After that, you have the option to get flexi pass cards which are good for 12 classes a month, or the monthly unlimited passes. You can also go big and get the annual pass which comes with additional perks. 

Budget permitting, I would've gotten the unlimited pass, because I know it would be good for me. But as much as I want to be fit for this year, one of my 2013 goals is to also manage my finances and curb my spending. And even if Urban Ashram offers great deals and quality experience, the amount is still way over my budget. If you have the budget and live near Kapitolyo or the Bonifacio Global City area, go visit their site and see the best option for you. 

 As if knowing my dilemma, Deal Grocer has another great offer from Urban Ashram! This time, it's a 40-Day Unlimited Pass for all their Daytime Classes (from 6:30-4:40pm). From it's original price of P5000, it's now P2500. What's great is this deal is applicable to first-time and previous practitioners of the Ashram. I'm still on the fence whether I'd get this deal or not. But like I said, if you have the budget, then grab this deal now!

Urban Ashram Manila

High Street Branch
Bonifacio Global City
3rd Floor, Active Fun Building
9th corner 28th Avenue
Bonifacio Global City
(02) 869 YOGA (9642)
(02) 856 0130

Brixton Branch
Suite 302, 3 Brixton Street,
Kapitolyo, Pasig City
(02) 661 YOGA (9642)
(02) 377 YOGA (9642)
0917 881 YOGA (9642)

P.S. Have you noticed the different fonts in my blog entries? Yeah I'm trying to figure it out. Blogger is kind of weird. What appears on my dashboard isn't the same as the one that's being published. If you know what I should do, please hit up the comments. Thanks!

Travel Bits: Coron, Palawan (Day 1)

Summer came early for me this year. Last month, I went to one of the country's most beautiful islands, together with my boyfriend Jay and my good friend Niña. We spent four days in Coron, Palawan!

Jay and I have been to Hong Kong and Singapore, but we were with my mom and her best friend, Tita Yolly. This was our first trip together (within the country) with no "chaperones." This was also my first out-of-town trip with Niña, who has been my friend since high school. Yes, if it's not yet too obvious, I have a strict family. Hehe. 

I love beaches, and I know Palawan has some of the best ones in the country, if not the world. I haven't been to the beach since 2011 so I was really looking forward to this trip.

Our airfare was booked during one of Cebu Pacific's airfare promos. For our accommodations, a friend recommended Villa Khadine Grandvista Resort. Our 4-day/3-night stay included daily breakfasts, daily tours, 2-day picnic lunch, entrance fees, tour transport (boats and tricycle), and airport transfers. 

With my high school friend Niña

Niña and I had a noon flight and we had to wait for Jay's afternoon flight to come in at the Busuanga Airport. Because Cebu Pacific has no free in-flight meals, we had our late lunch in one of the eateries outside the airport. It was the most expensive carinderia meal I have ever eaten. One saucer-sized ulam cost P45! And one cup of rice cost P15 (the same price fast food joints charge for their rice). Later on, we learned that it's because the soil in Coron is not fit for agriculture and they need to have their rice, vegetables, and meat rationed from all over the country. But they do have abundant seafood, so stuff yourself with those when in Coron. :)

Our meal with really small servings

When Jay arrived, we waited for the van that would take us to our hotel/resort. Coron has concrete roads so it was a smooth ride from the airport. After half an hour, we were at Villa Khadine (I will do a separate post on the resort's amenities). We were welcomed by Ate Jing-Jing, who's the sister of the owner, and was very patient with all my inquiries and requests. 

We freshened up and took a short nap, then we proceeded with our tour. Because we arrived late in the day, we only had two destinations: Mt. Tapyas and the Maquinit Hot Springs. 

There are mixed information about the total number of steps going up to Mt. Tapyas (some say 718, some say 750), but it's safe to say it's around 700 steps. It wouldn't matter anyway because either number would result to the same thing: you getting exhausted. But the view at the top and the cool sea breeze make it all worth the hard climb. We arrived quite late, and missed the sunset, so these were the only photos we were able to take. By the way, going up to Mt. Tapyas is free!

Next up was Maquinit Hot Springs. It was about a 20-minute trike ride from Mt. Tapyas, and you should be prepared for rough roads. We were told that the hot springs are located in a privately-owned land, so I guess the owners haven't developed it yet. During the ride, Jay and I kept looking up at the sky. The road to the hot springs was really dark so the sky was littered with stars big and small. Seriously, I haven't seen so much stars in my life!

It's best to visit Maquinit Hot Springs at night because the water is really hot. Imagine going there in the middle of the day, I don't think you'd enjoy it. The hot springs are huge, with several small areas similar to a hot tub. They also have several cottages/huts, where you can leave your belongings or have your picnic meals. Just be sure to keep an eye on your stuff while swimming. Our entrance fee (around P150) was already included in our tour package, but we learned that there's another fee if you're going to take a shower there. So since we were roughing it, we air-dried ourselves and took a shower back at the resort (Shhh!).

Before going back to Villa Khadine, we had dinner at the town proper. After asking around, we decided to try the Kawayanan Grill Station. I loved their bamboo huts, it provided instant privacy from other diners! The food was great, but the service was really slow. The restaurant has an unlimited rice promo until 10pm, so I suggest you take advantage of that especially if you're dining with a group.

We had squid, lato (seaweed), fish, liempo, iced tea, and unlimited rice!

Happy and full on our first day in Coron!

After a satisfying meal and buying toiletries, we were back at the resort. We made arrangements for the next day, took our showers, and turned in for the night. 

Stay tuned for my Day 2 & 3 posts! :)