2013 year-ender post

2013. WOW. Looking back, this year has been one hell of a roller coaster ride for me. I laughed, cried, gained new friends, people who left and who came, felt stressed, angry, afraid, confused and a whole lot of emotions but what's important are the learnings that I gained along this 2013 journey.

WORK/CAREER

At the start of the year, I felt really blessed to be starting work at a hospital because I can finally practice my profession even for only a year of contract. I worked at Valenzuela Medical Center as RN Heals (program of DOH for nurses). I learned a lot from a year's experience of being a nurse. I overcame my fear of numerous procedures and was proud that now I can do it on my own. More than that, I met my workmates that has been more like a family to me. I am thankful for because of them, work has been fun and less stressful. :)

HEALTH

It was also this year that I felt like I was given a second life. It was around April when I experienced a severe allergic reaction that resulted to very swollen eyes and to almost anaphylactic shock. Thankfully, I was at the hospital that time and my co-nurses were very quick to respond. My asthma was also triggered (last asthma attack was in high school) I think maybe because of work that I almost quit my job. But thankfully I was very okay now with the help of meds and rest. Health is wealth so we must really take good care of our health.

TRAVEL

For the whole 2013 I have only travelled once because of my busy sched at work but I swear it is one of my most memorable trips ever! My bestfriend, Joanne and I went to CEBU with a limited budget but we were able to enjoy it to the fullest! Getting away from the city and all the stress from work and school for Joanne even for just a few days is pure bliss. Exactly what we needed. :)

RELATIONSHIPS

My relationship with friends and family this year has been healthy. I was able to maintain that strong bond among my closest friends and catch up with friends that I rarely see. I also gained new set of friends from work which became like a family to me. :)

 On the other hand, I guess I'm not too lucky with romantic relationships this year. Hehe Two heartbreaks in a year? Tough. But I guess that's God's way of helping me realize who's worth keeping and who's worth letting go. It might be hard but still thankful that I have experienced the most difficult and most heart-breaking heartbreak in my 24 years of existence. I learned lessons I would never have learned if not for that. :)

MONEY

Money... come and go. Hahaha :))

It's so nice to reflect once again on how my year has been. Mixed emotions in going through all of the things that has happened may it be good or bad, it shaped me on who I am today. 2013 may not be my favorite year but this is definitely the year that made me stronger and made me get out of my comfort zone. The year that made me the happiest career wise, but then the saddest because of the people I lost along the way. What's important is that I have no regrets on one single day that has happened.

And with this, 2014.. I'm so ready. :P

Bar-B-Skew: Eat All You Can Skewers Buffet

The busy streets of Manila is not complete without vendors selling street foods almost anywhere. I remember back in my college days, after watching an el cheapo movie (Php25 only!!) we would go straight to eating street foods such as isaw (chicken or pork intestines), kwek-kwek ( quail eggs wrapped in orange colored flour batter), fish balls, kikiam and many more. Simple things that make us happy. Hehe

Speaking of street foods, a Southeast Asian inspired street food restaurant opened recently along Tomas Morato with its very catchy name Bar-B-Skew owned by Wero Doma. Upon entry, the place looks stylish with built-in pipes on top of every table. It looks neat and well-furnished.

They have the buffet counter which serves different kinds of dish to fill in your stomach while waiting for your chosen Bar-B-Skewers to grill. From isaw, barbecue, cream dory, liver,  marshmallows, vegetables and fruits. I just wish they have more choices though.

 Each table has its own built-in charcoal grill. No need to worry about the smoke because it all goes up to the built in pipes located above each table.

My pick! Chicken and pork intestines, barbecue, liver and marshmallows. :)

 While grilling, you have to bask your skewers into different choices of flavors that I miss to take a picture. Anyway, they have a variety to choose from such as ginger sesame, sweet, sweet and spicy, garlic butter, and hot pepper. I chose the sweet and spicy.

The restaurant is an eat-all-you-can buffet ranging from Php299 to Php349. Lunch Buffet starts from 11am until 5pm for P299. Dinner Buffet starts from 5pm until 12am for P349. Midnight Buffet starts from 12am for P299. Perfect for barkada! You can Bar-B-Skew all day long. :)

I enjoyed a lot that I can't wait to bring here my barkada and workmates too. It's just a perfect place to hang out, catch up while waiting for our bar-b-skewers to grill. :) Check out the links below for details.

Facebook: Bar-B-Skew

Instagram: bar_b_skew

Address: UG03 CTTM Square 68 Timog Ave Cnr Tomas Morato, 1103 Quezon City, Philippines

Contact Number: (02) 4128661

Operating Hours: 11am-2am Monday to Sunday

Pamper time at Luxe Aura Nail and Face Studio

Ever since I started working as a nurse, stress has been a part of my everyday life. Giving care to loads of patients is very rewarding, but can also be really exhausting most specially if you are working in a public hospital. Having a shifting schedule can be hectic too that's why sometimes I can't squeeze in a day to go out and have a "ME time" as what they say. So having been invited by a friend to spend a day full of pampering is definitely what I needed to hear! Even if I came from an 11pm til 7am schedule that day and I have no decent sleep, I still said yes. :)

The place responsible for my very relaxing afternoon is the Luxe Aura Nail and Face Studio located along Dona Soledad Ave. in Paranaque. The interior of this nail salon looks simple. It gave me an elegant and classy feel. The owners, Dr. Angel and Eric Bandola came up with this design so as not to scare the males (who would like to pamper themselves too) with furniture and ambiance that looks "too girly and kikay".

I noticed that their staff was too polite and all smiles. They made us feel really welcome. Ms. Dolly was assigned to me and she is too kind to answer all my querries. I like her. :)

I was offered to try the Espresso Foot Spa. Oohhh I smell coffee! :) 

Because the owners were doctors, they were very particular about sanitation. The nail files and other things used for manis and pedis were sterilized. Being a nurse, that's a plus for me and more reason to come back here. :)

The Espresso Foot Spa is a 7-step process which includes the Callous, Scrub, Mask (for 15 minutes), Cleanser, Oil, Butter, and Mist. 

Ahhh I loveeee it! I felt so relaxed and finally my feet feels fresh and free from callous! Hehe They also offered us coffee/tea. I lack sleep so I chose coffee.

I love how they have colorful sets of nail colors to choose from, plus different brands too. :) Some of these were Zoya, OPI, Morgan Taylor and Magnetto.

Since I'm a nurse and we're not allowed to have nail polish on our nails, I decided to be a little pasaway and tried OPI's liquid sand in light pink. I love it! My nails felt like they have sugar on them. Haha

I chose a beautiful blue color for my feet but because I have ugly feet, no pictures to share. Haha :) They also let me try their Muscular Foot Paraffin. I was not prepared because it's too painful but very rewarding by how your feet feels so relaxed after! No pain, no gain as they say. :) 

My tired hands and feet from everyday work finally had their chance to be pampered. They also have other services in reasonable prices so you might want to check their page on Facebook. :)

Facebook: Luxe Aura Nail and Face Studio

                Dona Soledad Avenue Better Living, 1711 Paranaque

                Open from 10:00 am until 10:00pm

         

LIFE GOES ON.

Have you ever loved and lost somebody?

For the past years, I was a normal girl contented with life. I have my family, work, friends.. and the love of my life. Everyday when I wake up, I woke up inspired. Despite getting sick a few months back and somewhat depressed, I still find the strength to go on with life because I am happy and contented. I never knew that that happiness will soon be taken away from me.

I never posted anything on my blog about my love life. I guess I wanted to be kind of discreet about it. But yes, I've been with this guy for 3 years and I've never been this happy. For once, I believed that dreams do come true. Because this guy, as cheesy as it may sound, was once a dream I never thought  I will  ever have the chance to be with. So you could just imagine how happy I am to officially be with him. :) My once happy life became happier. I felt butterflies in my stomach just by seeing him even when we were already together. I am inspired everyday because someone inspires me. Just when I thought I forgot how it felt to be in love, I eventually did. It's a refreshing feeling. 

When you know that you have someone to just talk about anything with. Happiness, sadness, ups and downs.. you're both in it TOGETHER. It's like I have a boyfriend and a best friend at the same time. 

Someone who makes me smile whenever I feel down. Someone who could easily make me laugh and I can go crazy with. Someone who pisses me off but knows how to make it up to me again. Someone who may not be your typical boyfriend who's really sweet and showy, but sweet enough for me. Someone who's thrifty but doesn't hesitate to spend when it comes to me. Someone who despite how busy he is, will still make time just to be with me. Someone who will lend his shoulders for me to sleep on while on a bus. Someone who will sing to me over the phone, then asks me to sing for him too. Someone who will go to your house whenever you ask him to despite the distance. Someone who's proud to introduce me to his family, friends and work mates.  Someone who may not do grand things for me, but rather the smallest things that I learned to appreciate more. Someone who loves and accepts me, flaws and all.

For the first time in my life, I felt what true love is. 

Pure bliss. I thought it would never end.

But then, so much for that happy ending.

About more than a month ago.. my once happy heart got broken. 

Although it's a cliche to say that people who go through a breakup mostly could not eat nor sleep, I suffered from those. Days when you felt like you were empty. When you felt like your source of happiness is taken away from you, and you couldn't do anything about it. Days when you just lay in bed and stare at nothing. You couldn't sleep and when you eat, you just eat for the sake of putting food into your stomach. Foods became tasteless and not appetizing. Days when you felt like you couldn't force yourself to go to work. I did not expect to go through all of that. Akala ko sa movies lang. I never thought I would be able to stand back up. I was too shattered, too heartbroken to get on with life. I cried until I was empty. I called all of my closest friends and told the story over and over while constantly crying. I felt like I cried more than a bucket full of tears. Its just so hard to let go of a person who has his own flaws and may be different from you in a lot of ways, but you still find amazing. A person who gave you so much things to remember.

I always ask my self, why does this have to happen at the time when I was at the peak of loving a person? Just when I finally felt what true love is. Just when I know I still got so much love to give. 

And then one day I woke up and realized, I can't go on forever like that. I have to help my self.

No matter how hard it is, I did. I went to work. I became closer to my work mates. We went out nearly  everyday after work. I went out with different set of friends. I went to shop for clothes and fixed my self physically too. And step by step, inch by inch, I started to feel better. Every night I always pray for God to heal my broken heart. 

I learned to accept things. I learned to appreciate my self more and the people around me. There are days when I wanted to forget everything and to not feel pain in a snap because it's just too much. But there's really no shortcut to forgetting someone. You have to do it everyday, over and over again.

Some things may never work out the way we wanted, but maybe God has His own purpose. I don't know how long this will take me, but what's important is I am slowly moving forward to find that happiness back. I still don't know what's bound to happen. But whatever it is, life goes on.

Watsons is “Looking Good and Feeling Great” with its Brand Refresh

Watsons, Asia’s largest health and beauty retailer is set to deliver a totally fresh retail experience as it unveils a dynamic brand revamp and launches More Value, More Life campaign in the Philippines.

Asia’s No 1. pharmacy and drugstore brand*, with an international presence of over 3,200 outlets in 12 Asian and European markets, is rolling-out a refreshed brand “look and feel” and service promise. The brand refresh invites customers to explore and experience Watsons’ extensive quality product range, carefully selected to make them “Look Good. Feel Great.” every day. 

The revamp also includes a modified Watsons logo, store interiors, brand visuals and new store front. Store zoning is improved with more prominent displays and enhanced categorization of store areas for beauty, personal care, health and pharmacy.  The roll out in the next months also include new staff and manager uniforms together with enhanced pharmacy, health and beauty counseling for customers, delivering a new level of personalized shopping.

 “Watsons, as a brand, stands for contemporary living,” explained Robert Sun, Watsons General manager. “We conducted extensive research with our customers and, based on their feedback, we are evolving the Watsons brand to a more contemporary, attractive and engaging retail experience.

“Loyal customers said they loved Watsons because they enjoy browsing and discovering new products and new experiences. But it was very clear in our research that our existing customers expect us to exceed their expectations.

“We have therefore evolved the brand to express its positive attitude, in a fun and energetic way while respecting the heritage that is part of our DNA.  The brand refresh projects a new vision of health and beauty retailing, and reinforces Watsons’ leading position by redefining the rules of the health, wellness and beauty retail market.”

More Value, More Life!

In the Philippines, the campaign is supported by a “VALUE” marketing campaign that emphasizes Watsons’ commitment to deliver the BEST VALUE to its customers:

§  Great Savings from Exclusive Products – switching to Watsons label allows shoppers to get quality product at great prices

§  Exclusive Member Privileges – SM Advantage cardholders earn bonus points and exclusive free gifts from featured health & beauty products every month

§  More Choices  - get the widest selection of health and beauty products – personal care, skincare, hair care, cosmetics and a lot more conveniently under one store

§  Fun Freebies – have a fun and rewarding shopping experience with special gifts with purchase, fab make-overs, health check-up and more

The campaign is made even more exciting with additional brand ambassadors who have personally found great value at Watsons --

Shamcey Supsup is beauty and brains extraordinaire. Who else can claim to be an Architectural board topnotcher, Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Architecture from UP and a Ms. Universe 2011 3^rd runner-up?

Shamcey shares, “I always believe in aspiring for excellence and sometimes we have to challenge ourselves to go beyond our comfort zone. I never had a beauty pageant experience before but when I decided to join Bb. Pilipinas, I gave it my all. I started with the basics -- I took care of my skin and hair to build my confidence”. She further added “These days, it’s easier to look good and feel great with Watsons. The new store is so inviting that I end up choosing products not just for myself but for my loved ones too”.

Venus Raj, another beauty queen-achiever, was part of the first wave of Watsons Value campaign that highlighted health offers for her and her mom. Now, Venus is joined by her real life best friend Marie Ann Umali who herself is a beauty queen (Bb. Pilipinas-World 2009). 

“I met Venus during training and since then we have bonded by sharing beauty tips even after the pageant season. It’s more fun and colorful sharing beauty stuff with your girl best friend” says Ann. Venus giddily adds, “When we go to Watsons, we head straight to the make-up area and test our favorite brands. You can’t go wrong since there are beauty consultants always ready to give advice or suggest alternatives…we always feel extra beautiful after shopping!”

Finally, Fatima Rabago is an in-demand model and a regular fixture in the fashion and advertising world. She has graced countless campaigns and runways shows but if you ask her, her favorite role is being a mom to her lovely 2 year old daughter, Daniela. Proud mommy shares “Daniela is a fun kid, as early as now she is showing strong signs of being a model and posing for the camera. She likes putting on lotion, smelling fresh and even playing with make-up! We enjoy shopping in Watsons especially for our personal care products, we just love to keep things fresh and fun!”

                                                      

With Watsons making you look good all the time, feeling great comes naturally! For more information, simply log-on to www.watsons.com or visit www.facebook.com/WatsonsPH.  

Sale-riously Super Sale this coming May!

Whitespace (2314 Chino Roces Ave. ext. Makati City) this coming May 17 – 19! Get the cheapest deals on the following brands such as:

• Antec
• O+
• Armaggeddon
• Asus
• BenQ
• Black Berry
• Cooler Master
• Creative
• Epson
• Fuji Xerox
• Gear 4
• HP
• HTC
• JBL
• LG
• Nokia
• Ricoh
• Samsung
• Sandisk
• Sennheisser
• Sonic Gear
• Sony
• Arc Mobile
• Toshiba
• Western Digital

You can get deals for as low as 70%! And not only that you can also take home some amazing freebies from some of our participating brands!

Australia as Top Study Destination in IDP Fair

Australia is highlighted once more as among the world’s best education destinations in the next education fair organized by IDP Education Philippines this month.

The Australian Education Exhibition 2013 will be held at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao on Friday, May 17.  It moves to the Dusit Thani Makati the following day, culminating with its Cebu staging at the Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu on Sunday, May 19.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Institute of Statistics reports that Australia ranks among the top five destinations for tertiary education among the world’s mobile students.  In 2010, it received 17% of the total number of students hosted in the East Asia and Pacific countries, second only to the United States.

From July 2011 to June 2012, there were 2,633 Filipino students who went to Australia to study, making it the Number 1 study destination of Filipinos.

Students prefer to go to Australia for diploma, certificate, training and further education (TAFE) because the country offers many benefits, foremost of which are internationally recognized qualifications, part-time work opportunities and higher post-graduation employability potential.

Changes were made in March to the Temporary Graduate visa allowing recent graduates the opportunity to spend more time in Australia (to gain practical experience) following completion of their bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees.

As it continues to host students from different cultures, Australia is also able to offer an increasingly diversified cultural environment.  Graduates then have the advantage of being exposed to a variety of cultures and building an international network of contacts which they can tap into once they enter the workplace.

IDP Education Pty. Ltd. is the world authority in Australian education being 50% owned by 38 Australian universities.  It is the world’s largest student placement and English language testing services provider.

IDP Philippines opened in 1996 and has since provided free admissions and visa counselling to place thousands of students in colleges and universities in Australia, the US, UK, New Zealand and Canada. The annual Australian Education Exhibition brings representatives of Australian universities and TAFE colleges to the Philippines for direct consultations and admissions facilitation and is considered the best means for students to consider available education options, providing information on courses and programs, admissions requirements, costs and living arrangements.

Filipinos are on the brink of becoming a significant player in the international market. The deployment of the young abroad to achieve not only a better understanding of other people but also advanced systems can only enhance the advantages they now have. There is no block or hindrance to achieving international recognition except for the reluctance to try. Filipinos, forge ahead!

Pre-registration is required for the seminars.  Register online at idpdavao.eventzilla.net, idpmanila.eventzilla.net or idpcebu.eventzilla.net.  Like IDP Philippines on facebook or call 236-2758 for daily updates and promo information.

For Inquiries contact IDP Education Pty Ltd at their address

at 2/F Pioneer House Makati

108 Paseo de Roxas cor. Legaspi Street

Legaspi Village, Makati City 1229 Philippines

Phone: (+63 2) 816 0755 local 114

Fax:      (+63 2) 815 9875

Email: marty.deleon@idp.com

IDP Website: http://www.philippines.idp.com/

Who’s afraid of SM Aura?

 SM Aura Premier, located at the edge of Bonifacio Global City, is finally opening its doors to the public this Friday. The curved superstructure built by the Miami-based Arquitectonica and the Philippines’ own WV Coscolluela & Associates, marks a first for the SM Group which, for this project, has taken an out-of-the-box approach – creating an innovative recreational and leisure space complementary to BGC’s fast-changing landscape.

With a mall, an office tower, a convention center, a premier trade hall, and other features that make up a civic center for the city of Taguig, plus a trade and investment forum,  Aura fosters lively activity with its wide-ranging facilities designed for the convenience of itspatrons. SM Aura, a breathtaking combination of indoor and outdoor activity, keeps a strong focus on design and sustainability, offering a complete experience to upscale residential and office tenants. It is confident about getting a Gold LEED certification from the US Green Building Council – the first commercial center in the country to do so.

At the top of Aura is SkyPark, an expansive and lush green space for lunch break retreats, al fresco dining and leisurely walks.  Aura’s seven floors of retail space include apparel brands such as Uniqlo, Forever 21, as well as retail and dining space. Setting up shop for the first time in the Philippines are Stefanel, Paul Boulangerie, the Food Hall by Todd English, and Asia’s first NBA Café. Anchors SM Department Store and SM Supermarket have also leveled up their design and merchandise offerings for the thrilling new space. The SM Group is also stepping up its game for recreation. Not only does Aura carry four new digital cinemas and an IMAX Theater, its strong focus on becoming a great place for friends and family has also paved the way for a modern chapel named after Filipino saint Pedro Calungsod as well as the Samsung Hall, a dome designed for events, exhibits and performances. From morning coffee to happy hour, from every day to holidays, Aura promises to be a center of convenience with a total pleasure experience that is both light and fulfilling. Getting there, however, is particularly difficult. At the edge of the BGC lays a long unpaved portion of McKinley Parkway, incidentally right on Aura’s doorstep. A barricade wards off pedestrians on their way to Aura. It’s a pity since Aura is an exciting space suited to the lifestyle of those who reside and frequent BGC. Otherwise, getting there should be easy. But why isn’t it? Who’s afraid of Aura?

Salaminkera: Tales from the Looking Glass

When was the last time you looked at the mirror and talked to it with all honesty? This predicament is a tale as old as time for women everywhere; echoed by the immortal line, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”

What makes a mirror special is its appeal to your vanity. It does not just reflect your physical state but also your inner emotions; even your mental state. So simply looking at the mirror could give you an overview of how your total well-being could be – inside and out!

With this, comedienne Giselle Sanchez brings to life “Salaminkera,” a mirror that actually talks to you and tells you about your career, family life, and love life. After all, Salaminkera is inspired by the magic mirror of the evil queen from the timeless tale of Snow White; and provides honest answers to any question.

Giselle Sanchez is known for being a witty stand-up comedienne who can also sing, act, and host. Her body of work spans theater to mainstream TV and cinema. Aside from her solid career in show business, she also writes for the Manila Bulletin and the online portal pep.ph.

Coined after the term “salamangkero,” a Filipino word for magician or wizard, Salaminkera is like the best friend next door who you love for not mincing words and always saying the truth. And with her over-the-top sense of humor to boot, you can’t help but talk to her even more.

The one-act play will have a preview  on May 30, 2013, 11:00 AM at the Rigodon Ball, Manila Peninsula and the regular run will be on June 8, 2013, 3pm at Glorietta 2, Makati City. Expect an enjoyable magic mirror ride as Salaminkeratakes everyone to an inside look at the world of Filipinas. With insights coming from Giselle’s personal experiences as a woman herself, expect jokes and laughter to also contain bits of wisdom that will tickle both the funny bone and the mind.

This show is a collaborative effort between Giselle and Sangobion, the organic iron supplement with vitamins and minerals. Sangobion empowers and gives women a boost in their everyday lives by helping combat the 3 signs of iron deficiency: looking pale, lack of focus, and fatigue. With the help of Sangobion, Giselle hopes to inspire and give a boost to women everywhere thru this show so that they can always remain beautiful and successful as a mom and a wife, and still enjoy a career of their choice.  

A mirror never lies to you. What you see is what you get. Thus, if you show signs of iron deficiency – looking pale, feeling of fatigue, lack of focus - your mirror will definitely reflect it back to you.

For more information on Sangobion and the many benefits it brings to women, simply visit www.sangobion.ph

Vanilla Cupcake Bakery

The moment I saw Vanilla Cupcake Bakery inside Glorietta, I immediately fell in love with the place because this quaint little pastry shop looks so pretty and girly! So I was extra-happy when I found out that they have a branch in Trinoma (inside Kamiseta). Since my best college buds (Dhebz and Lya) and I need to do some catching up, I suggested that we go to VCB. Their Trinoma branch is small since it's located inside a store but still has a warm and comfy feel.

The chairs make you feel like a princess. I found out that they were designed by Daphne Oseña Paez.

There's a wide selection of cupcakes and cookies that will surely satisfy your sweeth tooth cravings.

What we ordered:

Banoffee cupcake P95

Chocolate Nutella cupcake P85

Tiramisu cupcake P150

The cupcakes were delicious! When you take a bite, it is rich and moist and flavorful in your mouth. Based from how they taste, for me the cupcakes are reasonably priced. :) I especially love the Banoffee cupcake. It has layers of graham crust, bananas, cream and caramel oozing with sweet goodness. We had a great time enjoying the food and our endless chatter that we stayed there for more than an hour! I blame it to their comfortable chairs and relaxing ambiance. Hehe Now my friends and I officially found our feel-good-catching-up place. :)

Belle de Jour afternoon.

It's been a long time since I last attended an event and I have to be honest that I missed it. So when my blogger friend, Josephine Arce invited me to her event under When In Manila.. I did not hesitate to go specially when I've known that the event is held by Belle de Jour. Belle De Jour planner has long been one of my favorite because of its uniqueness and how artistic every page is. Personally, it is not only an average planner for me. Belle de Jour is designed to empower women. Various pages has its "to-do list" that will surely make you busy all year.. plus discount coupons from different stores and restaurants too! What a steal right? :)

The event is held in Mall of Asia Ground floor Atrium. Jo, Bea and I were all excited to get prettified that afternoon.

Here are some of the activities.

Some of the booths that's bound to prettify us girls. :)

We also attended the 3pm talk about getting fit and fab by Bam Mogato.

We also got loot bags and have our photo taken at the glam booth. :)

It's a given that girls love being pampered and prettified. the three of us had a glamorous afternoon! :) Plus with the loot bags that we got, it's already a bonus. :) And yeaaaa, my love for Belle de jour never faltered. :)