So here’s the start of my (hopefully not too) long “rant” about our Gigantes trip.

 Hmm, this isn’t totally a rant. Haha! Let me just share with you our experience so you know what to avoid if ever you’re planning to visit the island. Also, I’d like to share this hoping this could reach the LGU or resort owners so they could be aware of these matters and avoidable unfortunate circumstances.

DISCLAIMER: The accommodation and boat transfers were arranged through a 3rd party -- a relative from Iloilo. We did not, in any way, book directly through the resort or boat owners. 

Here are our initial booking agreement:Overnight accommodation for 10pax (March 28-29)  - PHP 4,000Boat transfer to and from Carles Port + island hopping - PHP 5,000Total = PHP 9,000No other expenses were discussed with me despite repeatedly asking for breakdown of expenses. Of course we had a separate budget for food and we also had spare budget for unexpected expenses.

My relative informed me that he won’t be able to personally attend to us instead someone named Nono is already in the port waiting for us. Upon meeting this Nono, that’s when he started discussing with me that the boat rental is PHP 6,500 instead of PHP 5,000 because the boat is for 15pax (trust me, that boat is too small. I don’t think it could fit 15 tourists excluding the bankeros).

  He said we’d have to give PHP 1,000 as initial payment to buy diesel and the remaining PHP 5,500 will be paid the next day, once we get back to the Carles port. I was asking him what should we do next or where should we go but he just can’t answer me straight up and he kept going around.

Before heading to the boat to leave Carles port, we paid PHP 75 per pax. I think it’s the “environmental fee”? Not really sure. Also, I think PHP 75 is the discounted price because I saw a notice in the port that regular fee is PHP 90 per pax. I’m not so sure if they offer student discount or senior citizen discount.

Upon arriving in the resort, that’s the only time Nono told me that he won’t be our tour guide since he has to go back to the Carles port for some emergency meeting, our new tour guide will be Raprap, our reserved room is still occupied, and that the lunch meal costs PHP 200 per pax. Oh you have no idea how hard I tried to remain calm and not snap at him for telling me all these just now. Lucky him, I was with Barry’s family and not mine.

  I also couldn’t reach my aunt and our relative to clear things up because there wasn’t any phone signal on the island. 

We stayed in Se San Beach Resort wherein we reserved the Root House which costs PHP 4,000/night for all 10 of us and our scheduled arrival was Wednesday, March 28. Due to some misunderstanding (I was so clear when I coordinated our arrival sched), Root House was occupied so we had no choice but to get the Penthouse instead which cost us PHP 6,000/night for 2 rooms.

  Each room had 2 queen-sized beds with a shelf in between for the guests’ stuff, 1 medium-sized bathroom, and 1 ac unit. There was no television and aircon can only be used from 3PM to 6AM. If ever you’re planning to “cheat” on ac usage, you definitely can’t since the ac’s breaker is located outside the room so the resort staff can turn it off manually. No need to worry tho since they regulate usage of ac only and electricity is available 24/7 so you can charge your gadgets.

I was a little agitated when we arrived so I didn’t bother taking photos of the rooms anymore. You may visit the resort’s Facebook page to see their official photos. For me, the rooms are better than I expected. We all know how island accommodations really are like but our rooms in Se San were really clean and comfortable. Plus the bathroom’s also tidy but it doesn’t have water heater (tho I think it’s really unnecessary since the water from the shower’s warm enough already). Trust me, taking a bath without hot water is like torture for me so when I say water heater’s unnecessary, it is unnecessary. Hahaha!

Since our ETA in the resort is around 1pm, I asked our contact person if he could arrange lunch meals for us and we’re willing to pay extra. We could actually bring raw meat with us and just ask the resort to cook it but we didn’t want to wait. He said that food will actually be set already once we arrive and I was like “Wow, that’s great!” and I assumed it’s part of the room rate already. Again, we’re willing to pay extra but it wasn’t discussed with me that we’d have to pay PHP 200 per pax. No amount were discussed with me at all. 

  If I had known, I would’ve asked for complete details like what’s on the menu because duh, of course I’d make sure that what we’ll be getting will be worth it.  Imagine, we paid a total of PHP 2,000 for little amount of food that’s so not worth it. Also, beverages were not yet included in the PHP 200 per pax rate.

  In all fairness, the scallops barbecue was really good. That’s the only food that I liked. HAHA!

After eating and cooling my hot head down, we decided to do land tour since island hopping isn’t advisable because it’s already late in the afternoon. Our tour guide, Raprap, was the one who arranged the land tour for us. We each had our own habal-habal/motorcycle ride. We went to a cave, lighthouse, and to a local store where we tried scallops burger. PHP 200 per pax is a good price already. It’s really worth every penny. The habal-habal riders were all nice and one of them was our guide during our hike to the cave.

 The Bakwitan Cave is just one of the many caves on the island. Not too long ago, our country was hit with supertyphoon Yolanda and Carles was one of the places where the typhoon took a landfall. Our guide said 98 people went to the Bakwitan Cave for shelter hence its name.

 It’s my first time to enter a cave so I really enjoyed it. I saw stalagmites and stalactites in various formations for the first time and also fascinating shadows forming Mama Mary and what seems like a girl praying or kneeling.

 You’ll have to pay PHP 300 per group if you want to go to the cave. We’re lucky we’re the first group to enter. When we were done, about 2 grps. were on their way in and it’s a little too crowded already.

It was also my first time to go see a lighthouse! We paid a “donation” of PHP 50 (for our entire grp) upon entering. Going up the lighthouse is strictly prohibited. But were we able to go up? Hmm...all I’m gonna say is THANK YOU, RAPRAP! Hahaha

Our last stop for the tour is at a local burger store. If I remember it right, it costs PHP 40 each. They also sell regular burgers and fries but of course we gotta try the scallops burger. It was like Mcdo’s crispy chicken sandwich actually. It tastes good! It’s not bad for PHP 40. I highly recommend that you try this. 

 Just a reminder, please do include your habal-habal drivers if ever you’re going to drop by here for some snacks. It’s a simple gesture as a thank you to your drivers for taking you around the island and for waiting for you while you’re touring and taking touristy photos.

After the land tour, we went back to the resort for dinner and drinks. We weren’t the only guests in the resort but it seems like we were the only noisy ones. HAHA!

  We stayed up but until 12mn only since we gotta get up as early as 7AM the next day. I would like to commend Raprap for not leaving until we're done. It’s like we have our personal butler! He was just there ready to deliver what we need. The least we could do is let him join us for a few bottles of beer.

 I swear that was one of the most fun nights I’ve had in a while. Non-stop laughing and exchanging stories and two cents. Definitely one for the books.

We got up as early as 7AM the next day for breakfast, to pack our stuff, and check out before leaving for island hopping. We had to check out before leaving  because after island hopping, we’ll be heading straight to Carles port while still in our rash guards and trunks. Raprap told us that we don’t need to worry about getting our fresh clothes wet again in wading the huge waves on our way back to the port because there are actually shower rooms in the port that’s only for PHP 20 per pax. I was in such a hurry that I didn’t have time to take photos of the shower rooms or vlog about it but I assure you that it’s really clean and new.

  No water heater but the water’s not ice cold at all. You just gotta bring your own towel (duh!), shampoo and soap.

 Kuddos to the LGU!

Just make sure that you have change with you because you’ll have to pay fees as you get on an island during the island hopping activity. I think we paid PHP 50 per pax on the first island we visited, then PHP 40 each on the next, and PHP 20 each on the lagoon or what locals call “tangke”.

For lunch, there’s an island where you can buy 2 trays of scallops for only PHP 100 and 2 trays of wasay-wasay (it’s like oyster) for PHP 100 also. They also serve grilled fish. We also paid a rental fee of PHP 50 for the table. Don’t expect to be able to order pork or meat here because again, it’s a remote island. In fact here on this island, you’ll have to pay PHP 85 if you want fresh “buko” or coconut juice.

  If you wish to have pork for lunch, make sure you coordinate this with your tour guide or contact person so they can bring raw meat from Carles.

That’s all for our Gigantes Islands trip. Overall, it was a “pleasant” trip. Will I recommend Se San Beach Resort? Most definitely.

  Why? Because the rooms are big enough and really clean especially the bathrooms. The 3PM to 6AM ac schedule didn’t bother us at all. Maybe this will only be a problem if you have infants or ac-dependent toddlers with you. The resort is by the beach and the service is commendable. Just make sure that you’ll book directly through them. Make sure that your meals arrangement are clear. Also, request for RAPRAP to be your guide! I’d give Raprap 5 stars for his service.

He’s really nice and I must say that he’s a blessing in disguise. I’m thankful he was our guide and not that guy named Nono. Please also make sure that your boat transfer arrangements are clear. Clarify if you will have to shoulder the boatmen’s meals. This was one of our issues during the trip as well. Nono did not inform us that we’ll have to shoulder the boatmen’s food (dinner and breakfast + lunch the next day). Although I believe that this is totally not the tourist’s responsibility anymore.

This is the only photo I have of Raprap. Haha!

  I believe you can see him cameo in my vlog so wait for it. I swear you guys, I can’t stress enough how Raprap’s service is highly commendable. So yeah if ever you’ll go to Gigantes, do yourself a favor and book at Se San Beach Resort and request for Raprap.

If ever you’re wondering what happened to Nono or worrying that you’ll be assigned to him if ever you book at Se San, don’t fret. Last I heard, he was fired by the owner of Se San Beach Resort for the following lapses: Poor service to us, corrupting money from us (he asked for ‘tip’ before leaving for his ‘emergency meeting’. We gave him PHP 500), and corrupting money from the boatmen (the PHP 1,000 initial payment for the boat’s diesel was his “cut”. The only money the boatmen got was the PHP 5,500 we paid after they dropped us off at Carles port).

After our Gigantes trip, we spent the remaining days of the Holy Week in Batan, Aklan. We had yakiniku by the beach (yes, portable stove was brought to Aklan all the way from Cavite. All for the love of yakiniku hahaha!). We went to countless family gatherings and reunions in a span of 4 days, all held in Batan.

That’s all, folks! That concludes my “The Great Visayan Tour”. It’s now time to polish my vlog and share it with the world. I hope you found this lengthy blog post helpful especially if you’re planning your Gigantes Island trip.Tune in for my vlog! Thanks for dropping by. ‘Til my next blog post!Ciao!

When we got to Bacolod, Ate Leah and her boyfriend were already in the pier all set to welcome us. Ate Leah is also Barry’s older cousin. She and her boyfriend are our designated tour guides during our entire Bacolod trip. How lucky are we to have 2 doctors as hosts! They took us to all great places, restaurants, and pubs. I have these two Docs to thank for my new found love which is Bacolod.

In my mind, I was already planning my next Bacolod trip even though I haven’t even left yet.

We didn’t have any other place in our itinerary aside from Lakawon. We spent the entire afternoon on the island, just lounging, catching up, and living the life. We went there on a Monday which was perfect because everyone’s still busy at work so it’s like we rented the entire place just for us.

What I love about Lakawon is it’s only an hour drive from Bacolod city plus a 15min boat ride from the pier. The food and drinks at the TawHai floating bar weren’t pricey at all. There were also a few water activities that I’m sure will give you so much adrenaline.

Every corner of the resort as well as the TawHai Floating Bar were all instagrammable. The water? IT’S SO FVCKING CLEAR AND INVITING. The white sand is super fine. Lakawon Island actually reminds me so much of Calaguas. The crystal blue waters, fine white sand, and super relaxing environment are what will make you want to go back here again and again.

On our last day, we got a pretty hectic sched. First on our list is lunch at Punong Gary’s. When Barry told me to search for this place because we’ll be going here for lunch, I was literally like “Noooo! I don’t eat almost everything that’s in their menu!”. But based on their Facebook photos, the place seems really nice and  most importantly instagrammable, so this veggie-hater had to suck it all up and just do everything that I can to prepare my tongue and tummy. HAHA!

But when they started serving food to us, one course at a time, lo and behold I looooved everything! I actually found myself wanting more. I ate eggplant, cucumber, carrots, string beans, among others. I wiped out all the plates handed before me! Punong Gary’s must really be a magical place. People who personally know me are very much aware how huge of a carnivorous I am and how much I hate veggies. Haha I know I might die early because of this.

You know what’s the best part? I actually ate and loved turon that has jackfruit in it! Here in the Philippines, we call it Turon with Langka and uuggghhh I can’t even express how much I hate langka. Even just the smell of it! I guess the chef/cook in Punong Gary’s did some voodoo magic in their food that he got me so mesmerized.

This is the part of Punong Gary’s that Barry loved the most. He was actually super looking forward to meeting this good boy. This cute doggo was a little fat, he kept on napping like a cat almost the entire afternoon. Haha! Look at those cute sleepy eyes.

If you wish to visit this instagrammable, highly magical place, make sure to secure a reservation first because they do not allow walk-ins. They have a number of rooms/suites if you want to spend a few nights here. I strongly recommend this place. 5 stars!

After spending the afternoon in Punong Gary’s, we headed to The Ruins. I guess you can’t say you’ve had a Bacolod trip and not went to The Ruins. LOL!

There’s an entrance fee of PHP 100 per person. There’s a souvenir shop inside the house or “the ruins” and there’s also a small cafe outside where you can chill and eat while appreciating the beauty of the house. I highly suggest going here in the afternoon and waiting for the sunset. The Ruins looks so beautiful at night thanks to the lights that add so much drama and effect to the place.

Based on the photos displayed on the walls as we were waiting in cue to pay for the entrance fee, I think you can actually book the entire place for your wedding or other events. Photo shoots are definitely allowed as long as you coordinate properly with the management. There’s also a really wide area, I think that’s more or less 1 hectare, which I think would be perfect for a garden wedding set up. Ate Leah said that part is new. There’s a Stonehenge-ish structure that could be your altar while witnesses and family members are just right behind you and other guests could be positioned in the lower part.

Oh the party coordinator in me was sparkling with ideas while I was there. Too bad I was busy imagining things that I totally forgot to take a photo. All I have is this photo with my love.

I noticed that there were a lot of pubs offering locally made beers or craft beers. What you must also make sure to visit when in Bacolod is the Trapdoor Tasting Room. Their entrance is like a hidden door which made my mystique heart so excited. Their waiters know a few magic tricks and we were lucky enough to have been graced with magic tricks by the owner himself. The owner’s a young entrepreneur who has a huge resemblance to JC Santos. Ladies, you might really wanna visit this place. HAHA!

Also, I think I must warn you that you might wanna be cautious who you go here with. If your friends are a little trippy, then I highly suggest not going to the restroom alone. You might end up storming out with your pants down while screaming in fear. LOL! Kidding. #ChuckyDollHiddenThereSomewhere

If you’re going to ask me what I admire most with Bacolod is its City Hall. Yep, the city hall. See that White House-ish building shown above? That’s not even the provincial capitol, that’s only their city hall. There are live fishes in the water fountain, there are people actually walking around the area, a lot of vendors were there selling toys and Bacolod souvenirs, and the best part is, there are families having picnic there! 

My camera was already dead batt that night. I would have taken tons of photos of the families exchanging stories, laughing, eating, and parents bonding with their children. The area was well lit, I wouldn’t even be so worried about being robbed or getting my bag snatched. 

We even had a small tour inside the city hall! Mind you, it was already around 10 in the evening when we went inside. Yep, the city hall is open to the public. We saw all those who served as Mayors from past to present as well as the very fascinating story and history of the late Don Fernando and his wife. 

If only city halls are this safe, well lit, well maintained, open, AND CLEAN, the Philippines would definitely be a better place. Oh my very statesman dreams are fueled once again.

I don’t think I gave justice to how beautiful this place is so I suggest that you put Bacolod in your travel list and experience all these first hand.

Last but not the least, don’t forget to drop by Calea! Aside from their fancy door, their cakes are seriously TO DIE FOR. Trust me! Visit Calea and you’ll definitely have problems with your cravings once you go back to Manila or wherever you’re from. I’m still dreaming about their cakes ‘til now. HAHAHA! Visit Calea and you can thank me later.

 Also, do not forget to try Bacolod’s No. 1 pride, their chicken inasal! Kuya Anthony and Ate Leah took us to Aida’s for our inasal fix. I can’t even begin to describe how delish their chicken inasal is! If there’s one thing I’d go back in Bacolod for, it’s the Aida’s chicken inasal. HAHAHA

All those months of dieting, turning my back on Mcdonald’s, and not having rice for dinner, Bacolod made me gain everything back in just 2 days. Bacolod, you are truly a gem! From food, to the scenery, those long roads with nothing but sugarcane farm on both sides of the road, the people, most especially THE FOOD! I can’t wait to come back!

To Ate Leah and Kuya Anthony, a.k.a. the best hosts ever, thank you so much for making us love Bacolod! Thank you so much for your time and generosity. I believe that if it’s not because of you guys, we wouldn’t have enjoyed and loved Bacolod as much as we did. I can’t thank you enough! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

That concludes the first part of my great visayan tour. I’ll be posting the 2nd part hopefully this weekend and as for the vlog, I’m already working on it and hopefully I’ll be able to finish it this weekend too. Stay tuned! ‘til the next!

Ciao!

In 2017, our clan lost 3 loved ones. My grandmother being the 3rd and last one. I wrote about her in my previous blog post so you can check that out or you can just CLICK HERE. 

I have felt great and incomparable pain last year but I still won’t consider it as the worst year. In fact, I’m not holding any grudge towards 2017. I’m actually  grateful for it’s the year that has opened up my eyes to reality. I just tell myself, no strong sword can be made without being beaten and plunged into immense heat. 

Family is superior than all others that you consider close to you. No amount of money can equal blood.

People come and go but family, no matter how many times and intense you fight, you can’t escape that kind of knot. You may lose everything but you will never lose your family.

-- Got annoyed with their attitude? You can rant about it. Go ahead and voice it out. But try bonding with them afterwards. It’ll be like you’ve got nothing to complain about and you’t got nothing to wish for because your family is perfect as it imperfectly is.

-- Got a close relationship with your boss? It all ends there. When it comes to your boss’ family, you step aside. Give the family some respect and most importantly, have respect for yourself.

Value your children.

Your children will be the best definition of the kind of life that you have lived. Value your children, prioritize and take good care of your relationship with them. Teach them your ways, give them all you’ve got so that someday, they will give importance to your life’s work and continue your legacy. 

How did I end up with this kind of realization, I don’t have any kids yet? Well, the 3 deaths I have witnessed last year made me realize a lot of things including different kinds of love and relationships. Most especially when I lost my grandma. 

What I admire most about my late grandmother is her ability to love unconditionally. Her love for my gramps. She took his side, defended him, forgave him, and loved him until her very last breath. It’s the kind of love we’d all wish we’d have. But while being an amazing wife, she was also an amazing mother. When she was already really ill, one of the things she made sure her children will not forget is to keep an intact and good relationship among their kids.

Who will be there when your hair turns gray? When you don’t want to take a bath? When you can’t even feed or clean yourself? Will your money be there? No, but your children will be. So don’t praise your work or your partner like they’re some saint and instead, create a bond with your children. A bond that no earthly trial, not even death, can separate.

Let me end this part with this reminder...ALWAYS MAKE YOUR CHILDREN FEEL INVOLVED. Make them feel that their views and opinion are valued. Whether in your family business, small family decisions, make sure your children never fails to feel that they’re part of the process.

Relationships, regardless of its kind, are definitely complicated.

Imagine this: Your relationship with your neighbor is highly valuable to you. You give them the best that you can offer whenever they come over, you immediately respond to their text or call when they need you or to their last minute dinner invitation, you support their business even though you are aware that they’re pricing you overboard...you think the feeling is mutual then one morning, you wake up to the pettiest, shallowest, most disgusting social media rant of all time. You’re slapped by the reality that you aren’t as worthy as you think you are. Feeling sick? You’ll feel disgusted if that happened to you, that’s for sure.

If there’s one thing that life has taught me, it’s relationship towards other people apart from family, IS TEMPORARY AND FRAGILE. They could get easily broken because again, people come and go. Disputes within the family can and must be settled. Make truce and continue the good connection.

But disputes outside the family must be treated differently. Forgive even though no one is asking for pardon, move forward, and burn that bridge. Giving importance to acquaintances, colleagues, or neighbors must not be included in your priorities list. If one person becomes toxic, then flush that sh*t out. 

GOOD RIDDANCE.

CONTENT IS LIFE.

This 2018, one of the mantras I’d like to live by is “content is life”. I can’t help feeling disappointed with myself because I’ve been in the blogosphere since late 2010 but I was able to reach only a few steps away from the starting line. How terrible! So this 2018, I’ll definitely work harder to religiously post here on the blog and on my Instagram. I’ll try to curate more sensible and relatable posts and try on vlogging as well. Wish me luck and I hope you join me in this adventure!

Have the courage to leave everything, may it be good or bad, in 2017 and welcome with open arms what 2018 has to offer.

2017 will now be nothing but a memory. Let’s keep all the twists and turns in the memory lane and bring with us all the lessons learned as we go through 2018.

Early this year, I stumbled upon the “Bucket List” page as I was going through my 2018 planner. I usually find bucket lists cliche but I thought why not try it out? Lo and behold, I ended up enjoying filling those blank spaces up. I never thought I actually have a bucket list! LOL! 

My list includes changing my body clock and trying to be a morning person, eat healthy and drink more water, having an extravagant flower arrangement for my grandma’s 1st anniversary in heaven, going on a trip with all of my cousins (just us, no parents), spend a day in an orphanage or “home for the aged”, and the list goes on. Through the help of Beginner’s Luck, I hope I’ll be able to tick everything off my first ever bucket list.

All the lessons learned that I have written here are most likely what will guide me throughout the year. I can’t wait to make my list longer and learn and experience some more. I pray that may He guide us in all the things that we’re planning to accomplish this year. May we all see how great this year is ahead of us! Let’s all enjoy this roller coaster ride because we only got one shot on this.

Lastly, may we all be able to remember to always see the good even during the worst.

Love, love, love!

Ciao!

I admit, I haven’t moved on yet. It’s been 2mos since we lost her but the pain is still fresh. I don’t even know if I can actually move on from this. Maybe I won’t? Maybe I’ll be living with pain for the rest of my life. It’s a pain I’m more than willing to feel.

I still remember that day when my aunt woke me up with so much worry and sadness in her voice. Just by the way she talked, even though I was half asleep, I immediately knew what was wrong. I still remember that moment when my mom’s phone rang, when she started shouting the word “Ano?!” followed by “Manay Ining!” and a loud banging on our cabinet, I knew it. It’s over. My heart crushed into a million pieces and I know it can’t be whole again for a piece of it has already been lost.

The more I try to tell myself to “let her go”, the more I drown in pain. The more I realize she’s gone. And I just can’t handle it. Maybe I haven’t really let myself grieve that’s why I still have this heavy burden inside me. Maybe I just need a good cry and I’ll be better. All these maybe but I still can’t think of ways on how to ease the pain. On how to take the first step which is acceptance. 

Sometimes when I’m having a really nice dream and I suddenly wake up, I can go back and continue that dream by forcing myself to sleep again. The other night, I slept for good 12hrs. My Mama Ambe was in my dream. She was so beautiful. She looks exactly like how I remember her but this time, her skin was so radiant. No wrinkles at all. She looks healthy and happy. 

In my dream, Mama Ambe requested for our entire family to attend mass. We obliged and we were all wearing white. I was the one pushing Mama Ambe’s  wheelchair. While hearing mass, we all took turns to hug her and say goodbye to her. I was the last one to talk to her. When it was my turn, I knelt down and hugged her as tight as I could. She gave me the sweetest smile. The same smile she would give me when I kiss her on her forehead, tell her I love her, before I leave for Manila. Then I told her “But Mama, I don’t want to let you go.”. I was crying my eyes out. She smiled at me again and said “You know, I don’t want to let you all go as well.” I can see the sadness in her eyes as she was saying this. Her face lights up again as she assured me “But don’t worry. I will surely find a way on how to make you feel that I’m still with you even though you’re all in Manila already.”. Then she slowly turned her back on me and slowly disappeared. 

I woke up at past 1 in the afternoon. Just about the same time that she passed away. Once again, same time as that sad afternoon on October 13th, she left me. 

I have said this many times before but I’ll put it on record. Accepting her passing will maybe be easier if only her last days were not as cruel and as painful as it was. She’s such a great and loving person. She was never greedy or selfish. She’s been wonderful until the very end. She did not deserve any of the physical especially emotional pain this cruel world has given her.

I know my aunts and uncles, my mom and dad, will be great in-laws and grandparents as well because they all have her as their role model. I can’t wait to let my future children meet Mama. I have a lot of great stories to tell.

Rest well now, my dear Mama Ambe. I promise, I will be okay. I’m glad that you’re no longer feeling any pain. I know you’re with me anywhere I go. You’ll always be in my thoughts, prayers, in my heart. I will always love you and I will always be wishing we had more time together.

I will always be the same Kaye. That little girl that you helped raise. That teenage girl who brought you countless headaches. That same girl who will always shout “Hi, Mama!” “I’m home, Mama!” “I love you, Mama!” whenever she arrives in Cabatuan. That same girl who would always ask you to “siksik” her hair even though she doesn’t have kuto. That same granddaughter who made you laugh by telling you you need to live a little longer because you’ll be taking care of her babies.

Mama, Kaye will always miss you and love you and long for you.

It’s only my 2nd time to leave the country. My first was back in 2012 wherein I also went to Hong Kong. I was with my family back then (but went home solo, ahead of everyone) but now I went with my love, his cousin – Ate Karen, and his cousin’s boyfriend – Kuya Mark. It’s by far the fanciest double-date I’ve ever experienced. HAHA!

Fun fact: It was my love’s first time to leave the country! Was he nervous? Well, I could tell that he was but he was really good at hiding it. (LOL Hi, Love!).

I experienced a lot of firsts in my second time out of the country. First in my list is financing my entire trip expenses – from plane tickets to pocket money. I’ve always had my parents pay for everything all my life so you have no idea how fulfilling this trip for me is. 

The main reason why Barry and I decided to go on an out-of-country trip was to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. We chose Hong Kong because since it was Barry’s first time flying out, we wanted to go somewhere one of us has already been to and where at least one of us personally know a resident or a local. I’ve already been to HK and my Tito Bobet has been working there for – if I’m not mistaken – a decade now (he’s one of the first dancers in HK Disneyland!! Cool, right?) so obviously, HK is the only option! LOL

Plus, I really think that it’s the perfect and most convenient “practice destination” for Filipinos who are flying out for the first time. No change in time zone, the weather and neighborhood are pretty much the same, so on and so forth. 

Barry and I arrived first in Hong Kong. Our flight was at 7 in the morning while Ate Karen and Kuya Mark’s flight was in the afternoon so we just met with them at the hotel. We stayed there for a total of 5 days and 4 nights. For our itinerary, it was entirely a DIY made by yours truly. I made sure that our itinerary isn’t that full because I don’t want us to be running like headless chickens because we have a train or a bus to catch. I wanted us to have ample time to enjoy every tourist spot in our list.

First that Barry and I made sure to settle was our hotel room. We booked our rooms through www.Booking.com. We didn’t know how to reach our hotel for confirmation so we just put our full trust on Kuya Mark since he vouched that the website’s legit. LOL!

Luckily, it really was. Another website added on my travel-trusties list!

(for full itinerary details, please wait for my Hong Kong blog post Part II)

We stayed in Silka West Kowloon Hotel. It is located in Anchor St., Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong. About 10mins away (by walk) from the night market and about 3mins away (by walk) from the Olympian MTR station, Olympian City Malls, and the HSBC Centre. The neighborhood was fine. It felt like we were only in Binondo and it was like we’re living like a local. Just a block from our hotel, there’s a Shell gas station, 7-11, Mcdonald’s, and lots of really good local restaurants.

Our agenda for the first day was just settle in in our hotel and familiarize ourselves with the neighborhood and most importantly the transportation. And of course, gain all the energy and tons of good vibes that we will be needing for the entire trip. HAHA!!

We also went to check the night market on our first day. It was quite a long walk and we only had a map (yes, a traditional a.k.a printed map that we got from the airport) to help us since most locals aren’t so good at communicating in English. Unfortunately, stalls were closed that night I think because they’re preparing for the peak of the ghost month which is the next day, Sept. 5th. There were incense and fruits on every corner and on every stall in the night market.

The night market with stalls on the street is located in the same area as the one shown in the photo above but in a different street, it’s in the Tung Choi Street. It’s a looooong stretch of stalls. It was super duper tiring to go shopping in that kilometer of stalls. I swear I could hear my feet cursing me when we went there. LOL! The one in the photo above, it’s the part of the night market that I like. We had to keep coming back here almost every night because Ate Karen and I can’t help ourselves with all the makeup and skin care products! My personal favorite is the Sasa store! So many super affordable products. I think I hoarded a lot of face mask sheets. LOL! The stores here are open until 11pm. The “Sneaker Street” is also located here. Just be careful when buying shoes though. There are a lot of replicas which really look a lot like the original shoes.

As for the stalls in the Tung Choi street, it’s very much similar to our very own Divisoria. I didn’t bother buying clothes there because we got better shops here in Manila and it’s also the same price, some are even much expensive.  If you’re planning to go shopping in the stalls in the night market, I got a lot of tips for you. Let’s go on the positive first.

NIGHT MARKET TIPS!!

1.       Make sure you’re wearing super comfy shoes. I was wearing my go-to sandals and I thought they’re gonna break right then and there.

2.       Put your haggling skills to test! If you don’t know how to haggle, then you better bring with you your master-haggler friend. I thought my haggling skills are already major but my competitive boyfriend just can’t help putting up a good fight. He was able to buy a 150 HKD bag for only 20 HKD!! Ugh.

3.       Always have a change with you. You can’t haggle and say “no more money” or “not enough money” or “out of budget” and hand the seller a 500 HKD bill, right?

4.       Every seller is your Pengyou (Pangyaw)! Every seller is your friend! I noticed their bright smiles and positive reactions to tourists calling them Pengyou. Besides, it’s a plus if a foreigner knows a word or two in your language, right?

5.       To my Filipino readers, listen to this. They know the word “Ate”, “Kuya”, and most importantly, “MAHAL” and “MAGKANO”! So you know what to do? Hehe don’t fail your haggling ancestors!

Now let’s go to the cons side. You better keep these in mind.

1.       As much as possible, don’t ask for the price of the product if you’re not so decided to buy it. Of course we would want to know the price first before buying, right? But the sellers easily get pissed off. I got told “Always ask, always ask! Don’t buy!” and got the hand gesture of being told to go away. Yeah, kinda rude.

2.       A number of sellers were – sorry for this – rude. Some are really really rude. In my experience, I was checking on these cute purses and the lady seller were saying something in Chinese and was putting the purses inside the plastic bags I was carrying. When I told her that I wasn’t going to buy a lot, just one, she didn’t take this lightly and got a little mad and told me to go ahead and buy somewhere else.

3.       Here’s my scariest experience in the night market. Barry and I were looking at a really nice toy (Barry’s a huge toy aficionado. He got a huge toy collection). When we found it too pricey (we forgot how much it costs exactly), we just smiled and politely said “Okay, thank you.” (this is what we usually say if we’re not going to buy) and walked away but the lady got so furious! She followed us and grabbed me on my right arm, saying something in Chinese and dragging me back to her stall. All I could understand is “How much?! How much?!” I think she was asking me how much would I like to haggle for the toy. But since I was already scared of her, I repeatedly said no and this got her more furious. She held on my arm much tighter. For a moment, I felt weak because I was shocked. My arm was really red for a while but I got no bruise. So to those of you who’re planning to go shopping in the night market, please be really really cautious.  

4.       This isn’t my personal experience but it’s something that Ate Karen witnessed when we were shopping in the night market. Another tourist (she’s not sure of the nationality) was shopping for slip-ons. The lady was trying the slip-ons on display first and asked for a new stock of the pair that she wants to purchase. After checking the new stock handed to her, she gave it back to the seller so the seller could put it back in the box and put it in a plastic bag. Ate Karen saw the seller put the on-display slip-ons in the plastic instead of the new stock while the lady tourist was busy checking out other slip-ons. The poor lady had no idea that the pair of slip-ons handed to her wasn’t new at all. So please be mindful when shopping in the night market.

After all, I guess we always have to be extra cautious when travelling, right? Just always bring with you an open mind when travelling. Keep in mind that their culture could be different from yours so as a tourist, you’ll definitely have to adjust at all cost.

Day 2: DISNEYLAND!!

For our 2nd day, we allotted this entire day just for Disneyland. We booked our tickets through www.Klook.com. I was kinda hesitant to try Klook since I haven’t tried it before and I don’t personally know anyone who has already tried it but since I’ve been seeing a lot of good reviews online, I tried my luck. Plus, Barry’s sister said that Klook’s office is in the same building as their office so that’s added security for me since I know where to protest once I get scammed. HAHAHA!

If you’re planning to go to Hong Kong Disneyland anytime soon, I highly and strongly and seriously recommend that you book your tickets through Klook. We were able to avoid the long ticket ques and went straight to the entrance of the park. We just showed a printed copy of our voucher and into the funland we go!  

You can either print your klook voucher or save it in your mobile phone.

We all felt like we were 10yrs old again. Bestest double date ever!!!

  They say 1 day isn’t enough to tour the entire park but since I got an architect with me, it’s expected that he’s really good at “planning”, so he plotted our entire Disney itinerary on-the-spot. He just has his map and his marker. We were able to try all the major attractions in the park. Can’t wait to post my Disneyland photo diary!!

Magical place with my “magic”. (Only the two of us know the really cheesy reason why he’s my magic. Haha!)

It’s a dream come true! A huge fill to our #BaKaiteList. Can’t find the words to describe how I feel. My tummy’s filled with rainbows and bunnies and butterflies.

Will save up all my Disneyland stories for the last leg of my Hong Kong blog post series! 

We ended our 2nd day by having dinner at a local restaurant just a block away from our hotel. We were all tired and starving, we didn’t bother documenting our dinner. Bad blogger, Kaite! Bad blogger! HAHA!

But thanks to my memory for serving me well and of course to my dear friend, Google, I was able to find out the location of the restaurant.

I was able to remember correctly the name of the resto, it’s Mak’s Kitchen! It wasn’t fancy but it was really nice, clean, and the food was to die for especially their iced milk tea!! For the price? It wasn’t expensive at all! Just 40-50 HKD per meal, the average price per meal in Hong Kong. The serving was huge too, per meal was good for two. Big serving per meal is actually usual in Hong Kong. Just like other local restaurants, the attendant wasn’t really good at speaking in English so you’d have to point the photo of the food you’d like to order but we didn’t have a very hard time since the attendant was nice and the (we think) owner was there to assist. We all highly want to recommend it also because the owner was so nice! He actually gave us free desserts.

It’s located in Li Tak Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong.

That’s it for the first leg of the Hong Kong blog post series! I’ll try my very best to finish the part two ASAP for those who are messaging me regarding our trip budget, itinerary, expenses, etc..

Hope you liked Part I! ‘til the next one!

Ciao!

My initial plan was just to have a simple dinner at home with my family. Spending my birthday in my mom’s hometown, Buhi, Cam. Sur, wasn’t on top of my list since it’s not what I usually do. The first and only time I celebrated my birthday in Bicol was 22 years ago, my 2nd birthday. So what changed my mind? I badly wanted to see my grandmother who’s no longer in a very healthy condition. Luckily, my birthday fell on a long weekend all thanks to #SONA2017 so without any doubt, off to Bicol we go! 

We took the night bus trip going to Bicol and it almost gave me a heart attack so I wasn’t able to sleep the entire night. Upon arriving the next day, my birthday, I had to sleep almost the entire day so I didn’t have much time to cook and prepare. I just had a super small merienda celebration with few of my friends and cousins.

Cooking for my grandmother was the highlight of my birthday. I’m so glad she was able to eat a lot since she usually has Ensure only and very few solid food.

The next day, Barry and I decided to have a staycation in Camarines Sur Watersports Complex or CWC and I asked Jay, my younger cousin, to join us since I know he hasn’t experienced it yet. We didn’t have any reservation at all but it’s okay since it wasn’t peak season so we just walked in and booked a room on-the-spot.

We stayed in the Small Wood Cabin which costs P2,725 per night. I think it’s a little pricey since the room was good for 2 only, no breakfast included, separate payment for the amenities like the pool, and there wasn’t a tv inside the unit as well. It could fit a group or family of 4 since it has 1 bedroom with 1 queen size bed and a living room area with 1 queen size sofa bed that’s super duper cozy.

We went to CWC on a weekday and there was no wakeboard competition so it was like we had the entire place for ourselves. I can say that going to tourist spots on a weekday is really the best thing to do if you want to avoid the huge crowd.

No queue in the wakeboard area, no other groups playing in the Lago del Rey so we played and laughed our hearts out! We definitely had the time of our lives. This trip was undeniably one for the books. I was able to give my cousin and Barry memories to cherish and that’s always been my life goal. They have nice stories to tell other people and because of that, my heart is full. 

This birthday trip may have been quick, somehow spontaneous, but it’s nothing short of fun and love-filled. I wouldn’t have celebrated my 24th birthday any other way. I realized more how blessed and loved I am and I’m so grateful for everything God has gifted me. 

I’m currently working on a vlog about my birthday trip and I’ll post it right away once I’m done.

That’s all for this post! Tuned in for the next ones.

Ciao!

Since my best bud, Janine Cham, introduced me to the world of blogging back in 2010, I’ve already had about 3 different blogs (I’m currently on my 3rd one) and different registered domains. I haven’t really been so satisfied with how my blog looks when in terms of layout, the way I write, or my blog’s title. I’ve spent quite a lot of money already just to have my own personalized layout (but still no good. boo! ). When I’m already fed up or bored with my blog, I create a new one since I thought getting a new blog is much easier than fixing the current one. I was already getting tired of it all to the point that I was already thinking maybe the blogosphere isn’t really for me.

It wasn’t always a gloomy day. I’ve had a lot of great experiences and opportunities brought by blogging and maybe those are the reasons why I kept on holding on despite the brouhahas I kept giving myself. I was invited to a number of events, met bloggers with genuine hearts (Hola, Ate Shai of LoveChic!) received a lot of emails from readers, even got recognized so many times, on different occasions, as “Enticing Mishap” or “Beautiful Disaster”. Oh you have no idea how kilig I was whenever people would address me as such and actually ask to have a photo with me and tell me how they love my write ups.  

My “Journey To The Top” (yep, that’s my blog’s tagline!) isn’t a smooth one. It isn’t even done yet. So many blogs, domains, layouts, I never thought I’d come back to my very first baby, The Beautiful Disaster. For the first time in 7 long years, I can confidently say that I personally love and I’m so satisfied with how my blog looks like. For the first time, it looks exactly like how I want it to be.

Yes, my first blog is officially back and YES, I HAVE MY OWN REGISTERED DOMAIN ONCE AGAIN!

I am now so proud to say that www.enticingmishap.com is now live and it’s here to stay.

I’m still working on a few things like my permanent blog header, logo, and my Facebook page but we’ll surely get there. I currently  have about 5 backlogs (some things never change. LOL! ) and 1 giveaway waiting to be finished and published. I hope y’all stay tuned for those! For now, please like The Beautiful Disaster on Facebook and follow me on Instagram @KaiteMariz. 

That’s it for now. Show me some love by leaving a comment below and/or by hitting the thumbs up on FACEBOOK. Do watch out for my YouTube channel also! Will be posting vlogs there about anything under the sun.

Hope to see you here on the blog again soon!

You may be wondering what’s the resting period I mentioned above? It’s when I cut my nails really really short and I also don’t put nail polish to let my nails breathe. I do this every 3 or 4 months or sometimes even longer. This timeline isn’t based on some scientific study, this is just what I personally do.

Hopping from one nail technician to another is a big NO-NO for me.   I have a strong feeling that my nails have a mind of their own. If my nails crack easily or gets broken easily, that means I had my nails done in another salon thus having a different nail technician. My nails kinda hate it when different people handle them that’s why Bench Fix, Trinoma is my go-to salon when it comes to my manicure. I go here every 2 to 3 weeks. Ms. Jo, my favorite nail technician, definitely takes good care of my nails. She knows just what to do in order for my nails to grow longer without being brittle. And to maintain the square shape as well.

People usually ask me some tips about how I maintain my long and strong nails. What I can suggest is you invest on them. Have a manicure regularly, and invest on good nail polish brands. My favorite brands are Orly and Maybelline.

I have my own collection of nail polish. Sometimes I bring my own polish with me when I go to the salon for my regular manicure sesh. Yes, manicures in salons like Bench Fix, Dashing Diva, Beauty and Butter, Nail-a-holics, could be pricey compared to your neighborhood parlors but it’s the service and products you are paying for not only the cleaning. The above-mentioned salons apply branded coating polishes first before applying the nail polish in order to prevent yellowing of your nails. Also, to let your nail polish last longer.

I am highly satisfied with the service of Bench Fix in Trinoma but I would be a lot happier if.......THEY’D HAVE ORLY NAIL POLISH IN COLOR GRAY!!   I’ve been going here for years and I’ve never seen the color gray nail polish in their rack. The one featured here in this post is the closest I can get to the color gray. It’s like periwinkle but in lighter shade. The silver polish I used on my ring fingernail is from Orly as well.

Well that’s it for now. Hope this quick #FancyNails post was able to help you. If you have any questions, please feel free to message me or comment below. I’d highly appreciate that. Thanks, loves!

‘Til my next one!

Since I was a kid, I’ve always loved organizing parties (AND SURPRISES!!!) so I don’t think I can forgive myself if I’ll let my mom’s big day be a flop.

I was really pressured though because my mom is a HUGE critic. She always has something to say in just about anything so the last thing I want is for her to tell me the things I should have done to make the party even better. LOL! If you’ll ask me what’s my favorite part in organizing this party? It’s doing all the planning and buying and MY DAD DOING ALL THE PAYING. Hahaha!!

Curating an event isn’t an easy task but once the party’s already on-going then done, nothing can top that feeling of fulfillment. I’m going to share here how I personally put together my mom’s surprise birthday bash and all the things I think are essential in organizing a party in general.

Disclaimer: I am no events connoisseur nor will I ever claim to be one. Events organizing has just been my passion since I was a kid (Yes, a kid. I’ve been organizing surprise parties since 5th Grade).

ESSENTIAL NO. 1: BUDGET PLANNING

You cannot make a tree stand tall without its roots. The roots of every party is of course the budget! Set how much you’re willing to spend first. Just a tip, don’t go all-out when it comes to budget. Set aside a few more bucks “for emergency purposes”. There’s a high probability that there will be unanticipated expenses as you go through your event planning. Being “zero” when this time comes will be the least you’d want because God knows how much stress this may cause you.

ESSENTIAL NO. 2: VENUE

Venue doesn’t necessarily have to be aligned with your event’s theme because it will be up to you how you’re going to style or set-up the venue in accordance with the theme. In organizing my mom’s party, I took into consideration the venue’s distance from our house (my dad hates driving) and from most of our guests as well. Also, I made sure that my guests will not be having a hard time in looking for or going to the venue.

Thank heavens my aunt convinced me to consider Luxent Hotel. I loved everything from the place, their crew, the food, everything! Thank you so much, Garden Cafe crew for being so patient and for accepting my dad's request if we could extend for an hour. That meant a lot to him hehe

If you're having a party anytime soon and haven't decided on the venue yet, I highly recommend Garden Cafe in Luxent Hotel. 5 for them!

ESSENTIAL NO. 3: FOOD

Food is a huge factor in every event because it is what the guests would usually remember. The venue may look simple or unfinished but as long as the food is superb, all is well. Also, keep in mind that it’s better to have excess food than run out of food to serve (WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!). Just a tip, catered food are usually lesser than the number of pax you’re paying for. For example, you’ll pay for food good for 50 pax but what you’ll get is more or less for 40-45 pax only.

So what should you do in order to avoid either running out of food or paying excess? Throw a party in a buffet restaurant! The Luxent Hotel’s Garden Cafe buffet restaurant is such a heaven sent. Our guests (most importantly my mom) loved the food so much. My cousins, being shrimp tempura addicts, all died and went to tempura heaven. HAHA!

ESSENTIAL NO. 4: ENTERTAINMENT

This, for me, is what made my mom’s party a memorable one. It is I who planned everything from the venue, the setup, and the program flow. Since it was just a very intimate celebration, I opted to have just a simple program. I just prepared 1 avp, 1 song number c/o me, my brother, and cousins, then of course messages from friends and family. The problem about a simple program is you must have an excellent host so your event won’t be boring. And who do you call when you need an awesome host? None other than Mr. Guggles Reyes!Oh thank heavens Guggles exists. He saved my life and my mom’s party. LOL! The party was so lively, seemed well-planned, and most importantly F-U-N FUN!

To Guggles, if ever you’re reading this, I swear I can’t thank you enough. Not only for accepting my invitation tho it’s short notice but also for initiating the “surprise” welcome for my mom. And for entertaining our guests while I wasn’t in Luxent yet because I was stalling mom! Haha! Our guests had SOOO MUCH FUN especially dad. He still has a huge smile on his face when he remembers you. Hehe

Thank you for making my mom really happy. Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!

ESSENTIAL NO. 5: PHOTOGRAPHER

To immortalize my mom’s 50th birthday celebration, I hired my cousin, Joshua Tamayo, to cover the event. My mom couldn’t contain her excitement the moment we received the photo album together with a disc that contains soft copy of the photos. We’re so happy with the photos! I love how Joshua was able to capture a lot of different emotions and reactions especially my mom’s reaction when we got in the venue! We’re so happy how all the photos turned out. Also, I trust Joshua so much because he’s been working with his dad in covering all our family events since we were kids so I already know that they’re really good. I’ll be posting a photo on instagram on how the photo album looks like.

Thank you so much, Joshua, for not giving me any reason to stress out regarding the photos! haha such a big load off my chest.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make mom’s party possible.

Tita Thess and their side of the San Jose Family for mom’s delish and really classy cake.

Mommy Grace and family for helping out with Luxent Hotel and for the flowers.

Joshua Tamayo for covering the event. The photos are really awesome! You were able to capture lots of different and genuine emotions/reactions!

Of course Shanna’s Cupcakes for the really beautiful (do I have to mention how yummy the cupcakes are? Ugh. Heaven!) cupcakes and Louis Vuitton cake toppers. Thank you for accommodating my order even though it was a little last minute! My mom loved all the cupcake flavors (and those Louis Vuitton cake toppers. LOL! )

As mentioned earlier, thank you so much Guggles Reyes for being the usual awesome host that you are! You made my mom’s party one for the books.

Lastly, thank you so much, Daddy, for doing this for mama. Thank you for being so generous as long as it's for mama. Your love for mama is unquestionable. You really are the best.

To my mom's officemates, our neighbors, relatives, and everyone who came, a huge THANK YOU to all of you! Thank you for making my mom feel very loved. Special mention to my mom's high school friends, thank you so much for coming! I hope in our next event, all your other friends can make it but nevertheless, you made mom's day a lot more special. She was really surprised!

How will I forget? Thank you so much to my boyfriend, Barry, for all the help, stressing out with me (LOL!), and for driving & stalling Mama on the day of the party itself! Couldn’t have done it without you.

The 2-Page invitation I personally curated. It’s supposed to be Garden Cafe though, not Garden Buffet. Hehe!

Let me end this lengthy blog post with this heartwarming photo of my mom and her siblings. Seeing this photo really melts my heart. Everyone, meet (from L-R) Mommy Grace, Tito Frank, Mama, and Daddy Rickie. Did you know that all these 4 selfless people worked together in raising me? I am what I am now all because of them (and my stepdad, Daddy Cheng, of course). This photo is one of the highlights of my mom’s 50th birthday party. This makes me think “Good job, self! *pats on the shoulder*)

So I guess that's it for now? Hope you enjoyed reading this lengthy post! 'til the next one! Ciao!

PS. Hello to my good friend, Miguel Zamora! I promised him that I'll be mentioning him in my next blog post since he said he's an avid reader. LOL!

                                      In Dating A Professor….

I’ve always been so curious how dating a professor feels like. I would always imagine how my professors/teachers are like when they’re with their special someone. LOL Am I the only one who does that? Please tell me I’m not alone.

Dating a professor isn’t something I imagined happening to me but I must say I am enjoying every bit of it. It makes me more matured and responsible on how I act especially if I am in the South since his students could be anywhere haha! My mom would always tell me “Kaye (that’s what my family calls me), your boyfriend’s a professor and he’s professional, watch what you post on social media. Don’t do anything stupid that would ruin his image.”. Do I have to mention that my mom’s a huge #TeamBarry? LOL! I’ll keep that in mind, ma!

I enjoy the death stares some of his girl students give me whenever Barry brings me to school (HAHAHA!! ), I enjoy bugging him whenever he’s checking his students’ plates, and I also enjoy when his students would somehow ask me to back them up so Barry will move the deadline of their plates haha! So sorry, guys. As much as I would love to help you, I must really not interfere with his work. But I’ll try to help you sometimes. HAHAHA I’m #TeamStudents always!

                                      In Dating An Architect….

An architect is a busy man. Actually Barry is a busy man in general. LOL When he has projects or site visits, our dates would sometimes be sacrificed but I don’t mind because that’s his job and I refuse to compete with his job.

What I love about Barry is he never makes me feel neglected even during his busy days. He always makes time for me and always makes sure that I feel I’m also his priority. What he does is he hits two birds with one stone by bringing me to his site visits and that kind of date is what I really love! It’s because I love watching him do his thing. I never get bored watching him do his work. When he would bring me to his meetings or site visits, I call it “Bring-Your-Girlfriend-To-Work Day”.

To my guy readers, that’s what you must keep in mind. NEVER MAKE YOUR GIRL FEEL NEGLECTED. It doesn’t require much energy and effort (OR MONEY!!!) to make your girl feel that you still have time for her despite your busy schedule. Your time (or text message or call) is enough, trust me.

To the ladies, always remember NOT TO BE DEMANDING. Don’t be such a baby. Don’t ever compete with his job or his school works. Yes, you are a priority but NOT the top priority. Be understanding. Remember that his success is also your success, his achievements are also your achievements. A guy needs the best support system so be the best support system.

                              It Still Feels Like The First Time…..

Last Saturday night during Barry’s birthday celebration, I had this cute conversation with his sister, Ate Inday (she’s been with their family for a really long time now so she’s like family as well), and two of his students. I was sharing with them how our “love story” started, how I never imagined being as clingy and madly in love with Barry as I am now.

We’ve been together for almost two years now but you know what? I can confidently say that nothing has changed since Day 1. Barry is still super consistent with being full of effort and being ultimately sweet and I thank God everyday for that. Our relationship isn’t perfect, we also have fights but I love the way we make up after each fight. None of us can stand not talking with each other so reconciliation is always a unanimous decision.

I love how Barry reciprocates my “clinginess”. His consistency is what makes us much stronger as days go by. He takes care of me, gives me 101% of his time and attention, he’s super duper patient with me (being with me requires tons of patience. LOL), and he just makes me feel his love in every way possible. There’s nothing I can really complain of or ask for more.

In return, I make sure that I do what I think is one of the most essential things in every relationship: APPRECIATE THE SMALL THINGS. By doing so, it makes me be more head over heels when he does something extravagant. And by doing so, it makes me not demand for anything, his presence is literally more than enough for me.

You know what I think also contributes a lot to our getting-much-stronger relationship? FAMILY SUPPORT. Both of us are very much welcome to each other’s homes.  I’m close to his family and he’s also close to mine and that’s a huge deal. Our families are very much alike actually. Our families’ continuous support to us is one of the millions of things in our relationship I thank God for everyday. Every bit in our relationship is a big blessing for me and it makes me thank my old self for whatever right thing I have done before to deserve all these.

Hi, my love! I know you’re reading this with your eyebrows meeting each other, intensely creased forehead but smiling because you’re kilig. HAHA! I hope you liked this write up for and about you. Just wanna let you know that I am super grateful for having you, you effortlessly make me more and more in love with you everyday. 

It’s now your second birthday with me and I hope you’re also looking forward to celebrating more birthdays and special days with me. I can’t thank you enough for all the things you do for me. I hope I make you feel loved everyday, the same way you’re doing with me. 

I hope this post was able to let you know that you’re doing a great job being a boyfriend and that I appreciate you so much. Never ever change, continue being you because just like what Bruno Mars said “you’re amazing just the way you are”.  No word can fully express how much I love everything about you. Happy happy birthday and stay young-looking forever.   Looking forward to more adventures, vacations, and family trips with you! Let’s overuse the #BaKaiteList

Barry’s wearing: Top from Giordano | Shorts from Regatta | Shoes from Sebago

That’s all, folks! Ending this cheese bomb blog post now. LOL! Hope this made you feel in love or much more in love.

My friend’s mom said that it is just normal for people my age to feel confused or lost. It’s because of the curse of being “young”. We can do anything and everything to the point that we no longer know where we must really put ourselves. 

If you are not feeling the same confusion as I do, then bless you, you lucky creature.   But if you are feeling lost? Dude, you’re not the only one. I believe that we know what exactly it is that we have to do, we just don’t know where to start.

I tend to become so irate and hot-headed whenever I think of the next step that I gotta do with my life now. Maybe I am pressuring myself a lot? Or maybe I am being too hard on myself already (because I feel like I need to really pressure myself ‘coz I ain’t getting any younger). Whenever I get to this point, I pray. Not being like a pastor here or something, okay? It’s the truth. Prayer really makes you feel lighter and of course better.

This afternoon while walking to Trinoma, I had this random thought. “You have all the time in the world, do something meaningful with it.”. It’s been stuck in my head since then. I mean, it’s damn right! I am still young, I have all the time in the world, so might as well do something wonderful with it? You know what they say, You have the same time as Beyonce. Also, don’t forget those two quotes I posted above.It helps me big time so I think it can help you as well.

I (or we) may be confused now but I should do something about it, right? I must not let myself be stuck in this “confused” stage. It’s never too late to be what you might have been. Whenever I’m feeling down because I feel like it’s already too late for me, the more I force myself to get up and start working. After all, a little work is much better than none, right? Baby steps, Kaite. Baby steps. That’s what I keep telling myself always. I may be far from what I want to become but who knows, maybe I’ll get there much sooner than I thought.

As for my outfit, this is what I wore when I had to work on a Sunday about two weeks ago. I did a few styling stints that day. 

To clear things up, I am “funemployed” for a few months now and still counting. I’m working on 2 businesses (mostly online) and also working on an event which is set to happen this summer. Wish me luck!

Btw, don’t you just love my heels? It was my love’s christmas gift to me and I got to wear it just now. I don’t think I’ll be wearing them often since I don’t want them to be worn out and look old! LOL

I was wearing: Non-branded leotards from Landmark / Skort will be available in Gaunch Manila SOON / 2-layered necklace from Gaunch Manila / Watch from Casio / Shoes from Zara / Bag from Louis Vuitton 

Please don’t forget to HYPE this look on LookBook and VOTE for this look on Chictopia. 

If you are on the same boat as me (feeling confused and out of track as well), let me know and let’s talk by leaving a comment below! 

Ciao!

Just like other teenagers, I was “lost”, “misunderstood”, “rebellious”, and quite distant with my family. I chose to spend more time with friends than with my younger cousins and brother.  Now that I’m really close to them, they always tell me how annoying and hot-headed I was before. HAHA! I‘m actually very much aware of that.  Now my cousins and brother are very clingy to me. They always ask me if I’ll be heading out and if I was, they always insist to come with me. I know, I know, I am such a cool Ate. 

In photo: (From L-R) My cousins, Camilla, Jayvan, Ate Guia, Tito Frank, Tita Thess, Sophia, Bianca, Daddy Van (uncle), Mommy Grace (aunt), and me. (At the bottom) My brother, Chelsea, and our big baby boy, Ethan.

Since my cousins and brother are now in their teenage years, I want to make sure that I’ll always be there for them. They always ask for my opinion before buying things, or what to wear, or basically anything under the sun. This makes me feel like I have the responsibility to be more cautious with my decisions and actions because they look up to me. It’s like I gotta be that good role model to them. 

I want to be the kind of Ate that’s cool and always up and game to any “adventure” or spontaneity that they want to do. I want to be the kind of Ate who will be like their human diary. They can always tell me anything that they are not comfortable to tell their mothers (I actually think I know them better now than their mothers. LOL Hi, tita and mommy! ). I will let them have fun and collect memories but at the same time I will teach them how to have control and when to know if something’s already enough or too much. I’m sure y’all get what I mean. 

Sometimes when we’re all together and bonding, I can’t help stopping for a little while and just watch them. In my mind, I’m like “Oh look at them all grown up now. I used to babysit and carry them in my arms now they are all towering over me.”. Oh shoot! I think I’m gonna cry! *wipes tear*

I am not saying that I’m the perfect person for them to look up to and I will never claim to be one. But I can confidently say that I can give them just the right advice (no better than what their mothers will tell them, of course) because I have been there. I have done that. And I don’t want them to be there. I have once been the problem child and thankfully I have gotten over that hideous phase and I have learned from all those unfortunate events that being in the rock bottom has taught me. To some people, my “change of heart” was like a magic. HAHAHA! Maybe that’s why I’ve always believed in magic? 

So basically, I just want my brother and cousins to have someone whom I wished I had back then.

**********

Look at these adorable creatures. LOL  They’re imitating the 2 giddy girls emoji. You did a great job, guys!

It was our second time to try this ride. psssh piece of cake! HAHAHA Seriously tho. It wasn’t as scary as it looks. Maybe because we still remember how it felt the first time we tried it so now we knew what to expect? Still the awesomest ride tho. 

Meet our celebrants!

Who wouldn’t want to live in an environment like this? How I wish this was real. This is what I love most about being in Enchanted Kingdom or Disneyland. They feed my child-like imagination.

We stayed in EK ‘til their closing time which is 9pm. We were able to witness their fireworks display but I was a bit disappointed because I didn’t see it very well. I was in front of the Rio Grande ride.  But all in all we had such an amazing time. Another one for the books moment for my entire family. Indeed, you can never buy an amazing experience that can be cherished for the rest of your life. Just like what they say in EK, “The magic stays with you” 

Meet Camilla. She’s the one who patiently takes my outfit photos when Barry isn’t available. Yay to her! HAHA Love you! 

Outfit details: Long top with slits and Gray neoprene shorts available SOON at Gaunch Manila || 2-Layered necklace from Gaunch Manila || Personalized drawstring bag (gift) || Sunnies from Aldo || Sneakers from Tretorn || Watch from Casio

That’s all for my long personal blog post! Thanks for reading and please do let me know what you think by leaving a message in the comments section below. 

Ciao! 

Sorry but I’ll pretty much be flooding you with photos of me in a bikini. LOL

They also have layered necklaces available in Gaunch Manila! Yep, like the one I was wearing in the photo. This 3-layered necklace is only P160. Definitely a great buy for an affordable price!

Please do support my blog’s first ever giveaway and my first collaboration with Gaunch Manila!

Winners will be announced on February 14, 2016 via Instagram (@KaiteMariz & @Gaunch.MNL) and Twitter (@KaiteMariz). Thank you so much!

Why is my mind a little too crowded right now, you ask? Because I have to do paper works and creative designing for an event that I am organizing, constantly check on my shop in Alabang, do products for scheduled delivery on Tuesday for my first food business, and do products as well and create an account for my other food business. I’m joggling about 3 businesses at a time, that’s why! HAHAHA

Now that the year 2K15 only has a few days left is making me cringe. I literally have so many things to do yet I have so little time! Oh, do I have to include SO MANY THINGS TO PAY FOR YET SO LITTLE MONEY? HAHA! Yep, being an entrepreneur is not always rainbows and bunnies.

Since I already mentioned about jumping onto another year, I just want to share how I can’t wait to finally get a clean life canvas. It may be cliche but I am actually starting or pressuring myself to finish all that I have to do in the soonest possible time because I want to start 2016 in a more organized manner. I have been experiencing quite a few bumps lately and I am certain that there’s no other one to blame but myself. I have been procrastinating and wasting a lot of time lately and that has caused me a lot of opportunities and worst part is money that has gone with the wind. No more spending too much time on self-actualization and it’s already time to take action.

For those who are still looking for the perfect christmas gifts for their girlfriend, sister, or bff, follow Gaunch Manila (@gaunch.mnl) on instagram or LIKE them on facebook!

Looking for a gift for your goddaughter or newborn godson as well? Visit GAUNCH MANILA! They have crochet shoes and dresses that are perfect for your little one.

Gaunch Manila also has the trendy layered necklaces that are available at P150-P180 ONLY! Great news, yes? Then follow them on instagram now, like their facebook page, or hit them up at (0927) 375 6543.

Photos by: Mary Frances Bracamonte