Starbucks in Batanes

Still here in Batanes. We were supposed to be home this morning but our flight was moved because there was no flights out last November 27. Anyway, we are having a blast here!








I brought with me my laptop but... I forgot my laptop cord!! Thank God I can do work with my iPad, even though it's very minimal. Anyway, Fundacion Pacita is awesome!!! This is probably the best thing about Batanes!

I documented my entire trip here and will post a blog about it soon. I will just finish my coffee break and continue working.

Going to Batanes or somewhere without Starbucks? Bring Starbucks VIA Ready Brew (more info below)! It's available in all Starbucks outlet throughout the Philippines! No kidding, it's soooooo good! (will post more details about it)






For your flight needs to Batanes, check out Seair's website > http://www.flyseair.com/

More information below, regarding Starbucks VIA Ready Ready Brew:
Starbucks via Ready Brew Now Available in PH(2)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Palawan Vacation - Free 3d/2n with airfare by Wow Philippines Travel Agency

As you guys all know, I recently won an all-expense paid trip to Boracay from the Wow Philippines Travel Agency contest! As you can see on the left side of my blog, I've placed there the shortcut links to my Boracay blog posts.

I am now joining their newest online contest and you can join too!!! The prize will be a 3d/2n free vacation package to Palawan(w/ airfare). To know the details of the contest, read the information below on how to join and what exactly can you win by simply joining!

El Nido, Palawan

8 Energy Saving Tips PLUS Earth Hour 2011 count down

Electricity has always been a main concern of most households, as bulk of each family’s monthly funds would definitely be going to the electric company. We are very dependent on electricity as it is a necessity of everyone in this age. Most of us take it for granted and we only start saving energy only when we have to pay our own electric bills as we start living on our own. Here are a few suggestions that we could do to lower or electricity consumption.

The Real Thing Diner - Il Terrazzo Tomas Morato (Coca Cola Inspired Diner)

Other than the fad of Asian Chain restaurants opening around Metro Manila like Lugang Cafe and Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao, there's also a fad of diners. I haven't tried the one in Eastwood and Tomas Morato.

Last Sunday, we chanced upon a new diner in the 2nd floor of Il Terrazzo mall (Tomas Morato). It has a rather simple facade - not amusing.nor over decorated. Simple and straight to the point - a diner. Coca-Cola inspired diner.

The Real Thing Diner.

 

 You will notice the red and white accent which reminds you of a famous soft drink brand, Coca Cola.

Hawaiian BBQ Tagaytay - Boracay - Manila

Last September when I went to Boracay,  we ate our last Boracay lunch at the I Love BBQ store. Their servers then told us that they have a branch in Tagaytay and another one in Katipunan (not sure). Since I liked what we had in the I Love BBQ Boracay, me and my brother decided to try out Hawaiian BBQ in Tagaytay.

Looks can be deceiving as I always say. The exterior facade makes it look that the food in there is expensive.

 Inside Hawaiian BBQ

What's the Right Running Shoes for You?

Lately, I'm into running. It's not because of the running fad. It's just that I'm trying my best to be fit and healthy. I look healthy on the outside but inside, I'm not too sure, because I get tired easily. As of the moment, I can only run around 2.2kms. *hides*

My first problem was my aching knee. Running-mates attributed it to my using of the wrong pair of shoes. Well, I used my Dunlop badminton rubber shoes. I don't want to buy a new pair because it's not part of my priority as of the moment. Then, I decided to try another pair of shoes. Last December 2009, I bought a pair of Oakley trekking shoes which I have just used twice. Tried using it for running and it just got worst. Now, I have an aching knee plus a blistered feet because of the trekking shoe. Of course, a badminton shoe would be good for badminton and a trekking shoe would be good for trekking. There's a reason why they are called badminton shoes and trekking shoes.

Image from Oakley.com | Oakley Bottlecap (Mine is beige)

Problem is, stingy people like me have a hard time spending money. We all have budgets. When it comes to gadgets, I'm willing to spend. When it comes to car accessories, I'm willing to spend. That made me re-evaluate my spending habit. Why don't I invest on something for my health so I can enjoy those other investments longer?

Lugang Cafe Restaurant - Home of Authentic Taiwanese and Cantonese Dishes

My uncle invited us to eat with them in Lugang Restaurant located in Connecticut Greenhills. It was just the second day of operation since it opened its doors to the public. If I'm not mistaken, this is the first restaurant here in Manila Philippines operated by the Bellagio Group of Companies. They are well-known in the food industry in several Asian countries. By the way, Lugang is pronounced as "Lu-Kang" (pinyin: Lùgǎng) in Chinese and not literally "Lu-Gang". Lugang is a place in China. "Gang" means harbour. More info about Lugang.

Upon hearing it, the first thing that entered my mind was, "This probably is a competitor of Crystal Jade". Crystal Jade is also a famous chain of restaurants in Asia and their first branch is also situated in the Greenhills area. I can sense a new fad on the food industry.

 

My first impression when I saw the restaurant -- "Wow!" I was told that it was right besides Conti's so I entered Conti's in my car GPS. Before even hearing the "You have reached your destination" alert from my GPS, I already saw the elegant looking facade of the restaurant. Believe me, you wouldn't have a hard time looking for it and ALL the cars passing by will surely notice it as you can have a glimpse of the posh interiors from the outside as it is brightly lit inside with tall pane of glasses.

Compex - Newest Fashion Store in Eastwood

New York, Tokyo and Milan are cities synonymous with having a good taste for fashion. That doesn't mean that when you are in Manila, you can't be fashionable. Those mentioned cities are known for their sophistication and highly trendy urban living and this is what a new store at Eastwood mall aims to bring.

Compex aims to be the mecca for street culture. It hosts a wide array of footwear, accessories and apparels to help satisfy modern Filipino's fashion needs.

Cream Silk Empowering Filipinas w/ Venus Raj

What a great mission for Sunsilk. Giving chance to empowered Filipinas by providing them scholarship. They call it the Sunsilk Women Empowerment Program. It has transformed lives of women whom they see have a great potential but don't have the means.

Syd's Kitchen - Banawe Quezon City

My cousin was telling me about this new restaurant in Banawe called Syd's Kitchen and today, we finally got to try it out. We arrived 15 minutes before 11am and they were still closed. We asked if we could wait inside and they agreed. It's a small restaurant that could fit around 20 pax in the groundfloor. I wasn't able to go up the second floor but based on my estimates, it can accomodate around 20 pax also.


They have this nice neon lighted menu board hanging around the counter. There was smooth music playing complimenting the nice ambiance. It's not a big place so you could easily hear the other tables discussion (if you wanted to). Syd's also have this nice modern-looking woven placemats.

7 ways to instantly de-stress

Due to the fast-paced life that we now have, people nowadays easily get tired. Whether it’s a public or a private firm, in the family business or not, everyone should regenerate every once in a while

I understand the sentiments of most people, especially those have worked for a BPO firm, where they need to change their entire schedule – from day to night shift – just for work. Relaxation is one of the components of healthy living. No matter how stressed you are at work, it is necessary that from time to time, you sit back and relax. De-stressing doesn’t mean that you have to go to Tagaytay or head to the farthest beach (as driving could add more stress). There are a lot of activities you could actually do around the metro.

New Modus Operandi: Ketchup Gang

Recently, I’ve been hearing a couple of modus operandi snatchers use nowadays. This happened to a friend of a friend so the actual story might have deviated a bit, but fact remains, all of us commuters should be aware and be very careful with our belongings.

Bubble Tea - Revisited for the nth time

If there's one food I really like, it would be Japanese food. Italian food would come in next.

I've been a Bubble Tea fan for years now and one of the owner, Mr. Reagan knows it as well. It was first introduced to me 2 to 3 years ago and since then, I grew fond of their food and milk teas. My favorite so far is their best-selling Royal Milk Tea.









Variety of Milk Teas