Liezle's Li'l Cozy Corner

The Blind Boy

2010-11-09T23:40:00.001-08:00

The Blind Boy

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.

That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were.
The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."
I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it."

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind.
The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind.
Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Moral of the Story:

Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative.
Think differently and positively.
When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile.

Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence.
Prepare for the future without fear.

Keep the faith and drop the fear.

Attitude

2010-11-09T23:29:00.000-08:00

Something worth reading.

As much as possible I always try to be positive as I don't want to think anymore. I want everything to be easy. I wish to have this positive attitude.

***

Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

'Well,' she said, 'I think I'll braid my hair today.'
So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror
and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

'H-M-M,' she said, 'I think I'll part my hair down the middle today.'
So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed
that she had only one hair on her head.

'Well,' she said, 'today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail.'
So she did, and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and
noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.
'YAY!' she exclaimed. 'I don't have to fix my hair today!'

Attitude is everything.
Be kinder than necessary,
for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly,
and pray continually.

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
Love the people who treat you right and pray for the ones who don't.

Do you hate someone?

2010-05-11T04:30:00.001-07:00

A very nice story with a good moral.

A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag containing a few potatoes.

Each potato will be given a name of a person that the child hates,

So the number of potatoes that a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of people he/she hates.

So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some 3 while some up to 5 potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended....

The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for 1 week?". The children let out their frustrations and started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just 1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred in your heart for your lifetime???"

Moral of the story: Throw away any hatred for anyone from your heart so that you will not carry sins for a lifetime. Forgiving others is the best attitude to take!

True love is not loving a perfect person but loving an imperfect person perfectly!!

I need a...

2009-06-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

and assurance
that everything will be all right with my brother.

Then i won't ask for anything more.

are you the one?

2009-01-17T08:21:00.001-08:00

it has come to my attention that there are some people trying to do a character assassination against me but have not been successful.

i honestly don't know why these people are doing this kind of thing when i DO NOT even associate with them.

anyway...

are you the one?
if you've issues against me, why don't you just tell them to me? why spread information about me that you do not know if they're true? why spread information that came from other person and another person?

i wonder how you felt after spreading rumors about me? satisfied? victorious?

i know you are stalking my blog [i hope you'll just stay on my other blog since we adore one common person], care to let me know what made you do this? have i done something wrong to you?

you know what? whoever you are, when i learned about this, i was amazingly amused at the same time pity you.

it's new year, i suggest that you don't put too much effort trying to do a character assassination against me and invite all the negative energy on your side since YOU DO NOT KNOW THE REAL ME. why don't you just dwell on the positive side of things so that you'll get more blessings like what i'm having. ^^

btw, you still have time to change since year of the ox will only start on the 26th of january.

think...change...you'll be more blessed. ^^

one lazy saturday...

2008-09-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

i'm bored. and since i've nothing to do, i got my camera and took photos of whatever i fancy in my room ;)

there's a shadow...i should have adjusted a bit ^^

japan and korea trip

2008-08-17T23:07:00.000-07:00

it took me 2 months to post these photos.

the vacation was actually really really short. would have wanted to stay longer in japan and explore the wonderful country but our sked only permits us to be in japan for 5 days and 4 days in seoul.

japan trip was not originally included in our plan. but since bae yong joon will be in japan for the twssg premium event and kind baesisters were able to get us tickets we included japan in our trip. i met many wonderful japanese baesister, stayed at mariko's place, went to park bof, saw gosireh, went to megane store, had coffee with cloudnine, lunch and afterwards coffee again with cloudnine and jaime and of course saw yong joon [i'm quite lucky when he rode that special car] and the rest of twssg stars at kyocera dome [though very far].

i want to go back to japan again , hopefully when my bestfriend and her sister will go next year i'll tag along. but before i do that, i've to really save a lot of money. japan is really expensive compared to korea. transportation alone [not the plane but the public transpo] is already heavy on the pocket.

oh yeah, thanks so much to christy for accommodating us during our stay in japan. she's wonderful and we really had an enjoyable stay in her pad.

btw, i'm glad that i was able to try shinkansen, the overnight bus trip which was very comfortable, and go around a bit by taking the train and subway.

in korea, for 4 days all we did was to shop. much as i would like to go around, tita corinna preferred to shop since she was deprived to shop in japan due to the tight sked.

we were supposed to go to jeju to see the shooting site of twssg, but we canceled it at the last minute because we feel that we'll be really really tired after the japan trip. hopefully on the next trip to korea [which i'll definitely do again].

aside from shopping, we did go to 'gorilla in the kitchen' and 'tea loft' that bae yong joon owns. we also squeezed in our sked a visit at park bof in insadong. i miss the old park bof in gangnam, i don't like much the location in insadong.

japan may 31 to june 4, 2008 [more than 50 photos]

seoul, korea june 4 to 8, 2008 [more than 80 photos]

Red @ Makati Shangrila & Aubergine @ The Fort

2008-08-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

i went to makati shangrila last wednesday to check their Red Restaurant. I love the place! It's so chic ^^ Didn't dine but hopefully if our HK office will choose this place to be the venue for our dinner on Sept 18...wow! A set of meal averages from P2,500 to P3,500.

this is their private room. i love this!

i went to The Fort too to check Aubergine. nice place too and it's cheaper than Red. A set meal averages between P1,500 to P2,000.

weekend @ holiday inn galleria suites

2008-07-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

haven't posted my photos from my recent trip to japan and korea and here i am posting the latest photos that i have with friends when i invited them to join me for an overnight stay in galleria suites located in ortigas.

patty was about to leave so even if we all just woke up we posed for the cam for a group souvenir shot.

i was really in the mood to kid around with eve and bambie. this is a rare thing for me to be doing this poses ^^

the heart which doesn't look like a heart at all. ^^

eve was afraid that i might hurt my back if she rides on my back ^^ so we ended up with this pose that is supposedly a piggyback ride.

bambie made us do this pillow fight scene ^^

i was actually covering eve's tummy and she's doing the same thing for me ^^

hee, i slipped and landed in between eve's legs ^^

i slipped the 2nd time around and landed again in between her legs ...lol [noticed the cartoon thing in my chest? that's censored]

bambie was practicing with her camera and i'm her 'model' (0_o)v

then all of us ^^ without patty

last pose before we leave the hotel ^^

before all the fun, i first made an ocular of the hotel for probable venue of our event at the office. it's my first time to actually stay in this hotel. it's near 3 shopping malls and places where party people goes. i'm actually not impressed with their rooms, lobby, restaurant and food. but i like their ballroom that can accommodate 1,500 for a cocktail and about 800 for a banquet.

here's a slide of the rooms that we checked. [sorry if there are typo and grammatical error. haven't had the time to double check]

btw, after patty and i toured the hotel, we went up to our room in room 2003 to meet tina and eve.

and after patty left [she went back at 11pm] tina, eve and i had dinner at fab restaurant.

we left the hotel on sunday while in the middle of heavy rain and strong wind. this is the view from the window of our hotel room just before we went down to check out.

i'll be posting soon my photos from my trip to japan and korea.

it's bound to happen

2008-07-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

Since the price of gasoline is increasing weekly and my salary remains to be same, I tried to take the public transportation since last week. I plan to commute 2 times a week depending on the weather. Hee, if it rains, I certainly would not take the risk of commuting. Where I’m at, it is sooooo difficult to take the public transportation when it pours be it by cab or by train.

I made a calculation of how much my saving will be if this will be the trend for God knows until when. My gasoline allowance for a month is P5000 [$111]. If I commute for a month I will only be spending P1400 [$31]. Geez, that’s translated to 72% saving from my gasoline allowance!!!

Before I realized the impact of the price increase, gasoline used to be only P36/liter [$.80]. Today, the price per liter is P60.57 [$1.35]. That’s 40% increase! And the increase is not stopping despite the price of oil in the world market decreased from $140/barrel to $128/barrel!

There is a road that i always take whenever i go home from work. For the past weeks now, whenever i pass here, i can now practically see the asphalt. This road normally has a bumper to bumper traffic situation. Now, the traffic situation is like this even if it's raining...

Now, is it still practical to bring a car at work? Honestly, there are pluses and minuses but I don’t want to tackle on this anymore since it’ll only give me a headache.

For the meantime, since the increase in the price of oil is bound to happen again, let’s just drink…

Happy Tips.....

2008-07-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

got this from inbox today. ^^ a former colleague sent it. i like it very much ^^

***

1. Throw out non-essential numbers.
This includes age, weight, and height.

Let the doctors worry about them.. That is why you pay them.

2. Keep only cheerful friends.
The grouches pull you down.
(Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches!)

3. Keep learning:
Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.
Never let the brain get idle.

'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'
And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!

4. Enjoy the simple things

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with him or her!

6. The tears happen:
Endure, grieve, and move on.

The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourself.
LIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love:
Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.

Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health:

If it is good, preserve it.
If it is unstable, improve it.
If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips.
Take a trip to the mall, even to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
In fact why not tell them everyday?

But most of all, always look up daily & SMILE and remember that GOD Loves and cares for you more than anybody else do.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Inspiring Thoughts

2008-07-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Anger is a condition in which
the tongue works faster than the mind.

You can't change the past,
but you can ruin the present
by worrying over the future.

Love...and you shall be loved.

God always gives His best to those
who leave the choice with Him.

All people smile in the same language.

A hug is a great gift... one size fits all.
It can be given for any occasion
and it's easy to exchange.

Everyone needs to be loved...
especially when they do not deserve it.

The real measure of a man's wealth
is what he has invested in eternity.

Laughter is God's sunshine.

Everyone has beauty
but not everyone sees it.

It's important for parents to live
the same things they teach.

Thank God for what you have,
TRUST GOD for what you need.

If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow,
you have no today to be thankful for.

Man looks at outward appearance
but the Lord looks within.

The choice you make today
will usually affect tomorrow.

Take time to laugh, for it is
the music of the soul.

If anyone speaks badly of you,
live so none will believe it.

Patience is the ability to idle your motor
when you feel like stripping your gears.

Love is strengthened by working
through conflicts together.

The best thing parents can do
for their children is to love each other.

Harsh words break no bones
but they do break hearts.

To get out of a difficulty,
one usually must go through it.

We take for granted the things
that we should be giving thanks for.

Love is the only thing that can be
divided without being diminished.

Happiness is enhanced by others
but does not depend upon others.

For every minute you are angry with someone,
you lose 60 seconds of happiness
that you can never get back.

Do what you can, for who you can,
with what you have, and where you are.

14 Hectares of Paradise ~ Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu

2007-08-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

I had an opportunity to go to Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu for 2 nights and 3 days. I don't think I can afford the luxury of Shangri-La Mactan if not for the Company where I work. Hee, really thanks! Though it was an official trip [which others will not like], I still had a great time because I was in the company of good people. Likewise, we were able to enjoy some of the resorts facilities.

The Infinity Pool

Shangri-La Mactan as many would know is just one the many chain of Shangri-La Resorts and Spa. It is one of Philippine's premier five-star resort. Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa is a lush garden retreat ideal for vacationers and families, with kid's play areas, a wide range of restaurants, and CHI, one of the largest and most luxurious spas in the region. [and expensive ^^]

Situated on tropical Mactan Island in the Philippines, the resort is a short distance from the airport and ideally located for both leisure and business travelers.

The 14 hectares of lush tropical greenery resort is equipped with private beach cove, 2 swimming pools one of which is called Infinity Pool and the other one is a multi-level pool, health clubs, gyms, sauna, steam bath and massage room.

Photo courtesy of www.shangri-la.com

Recreational activities include para sailing, sailboats, kayaking, windsurfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, speedboat fun rides, water and jet skiing, golf, tennis and many more.
There are facilities for toddlers, kids, teens and adults too.

There are many restaurants and Lounges to choose from. There's Tides a buffet of international dishes. Tea of Spring which offer Chinese cuisine. Cowrie Cove where one can experience a different level of wining and dining by the sea. Acqua [yes, that's the spelling] that offers Italian cuisine in the plush modern interiors that also offers a panoramic view of the Ocean Wing pool and the clear blue ocean. There is also the Buko Bar and Grill where one can quench that thirst with fresh coconut juice served straight from its shell, sip exotic cocktails and watch cultural shows at night. And there is also the Lobby Lounge which is overlooking the lush tropical garden, the resort's multi-level pool and the horizon beyond. It also offers live entertainment nightly. There are so many things that can be done while staying in Shangri-la Mactan. You can also go to the major shopping areas and shop for souvenirs by taking the free shuttle bus. During our stay, I had the comfort of staying in Superior Bay View with my lady boss who also happens to be my photographer on the last day of our trip. The room overlooks lush gardens with a view of Mactan Bay. The décor comprises an inviting blend of traditional and contemporary Philippine styles. The room offers a private balcony with a coffee table and seating for two.

View from room 8092

On the last day of our stay, I went to Chi Spa just to look and take photos. Honestly even if I can afford the rates which is 3 to 4 times more compared to 1^st class spas in Manila, I don't think I can have a massage in Chi Spa ^^ I think it really caters to foreign guests. Btw, out of curiosity I asked if all the treatment rooms are occupied, and to my surprised all were occupied. I was told that reservations must be made in advance for them to accommodate me. ^^ Anyway, you may check here to know the rate at Chi Spa.

The resort was fully booked last week and I think about 80% of the guests were foreigners [there were Caucasians which I don't know the nationality, lots of Koreans, many Japanese [on vacation because of Ubon], Chinese and Singaporeans as well].

Shangri-La Mactan is paradise. I love the serene world that it offered me. I love the prevalent mood in which feelings were sheathed in thoughts.

What makes also the stay worthwhile is the service quality of the staff of Shangri-La Mactan. It is one of the best. They have superior service and the staff show genuine warm hospitality. For the short time that we stayed in the resort, with all the demands and changes from our group the staff were all very accommodating. I received many positive feedbacks about the overall experience our group had during our 3-day stay in Mactan. It's really amazing how they've managed to create a culture of service across the organization. It is highly commendable.

During our stay we were able to squeeze in a half day tour but unfortunately we weren't able to see all that was included in our itinerary.

First stop is Liberty Shrine which is located in Punta Engano, Mactan Island, a good walking distance from the Resort, this monument stands to honour the spot where on April 27, 1519 the first Filipino hero, Lapu-Lapu, and his warriors killed Magellan in battle and drove his troops back to the sea.

Then to LapuLapu Monument where the battle between Mactan Island Chieftain Lapulapu and the foreign aggressor Ferdinand Magellan occured in April 27, 1521 . It depicts the hero holding a bolo (large sword) in one hand and a pestle on the other. Said weapons were believed to have been used during his combat with Magellan. This monument stands as a reminder of Filipino bravery.

We then proceeded to Alegre Guitars factory. Mactan, Cebu is known for making the finest guitars in the Philippines. Cebu has a guitar-making industry. Most (if not all) guitars are hand-crafted and sell well below the price of more well known guitars. This is taken at the Alegre Guitar factory in Abuno on Mactan Island.

We were told that the more complicated the brace
of the guitar is the better sounding it is

From Mactan we went to the Cebu City which is about 45 minutes to an hour trip and went straight to Majestic Restaurant to have our lunch. The restaurant offers Chinese buffet with over 50 viands for a price of P350net!

After our sumptuous lunch we went to the higher part of the city where the astonishing architecture of the Taoist Temple can be found.

This work of art is located in the wealthy residential community of Beverly Hills about 6 km north of downtown Cebu. This temple is said to be preserving the teachings of Lao-Tse, the 600 B.C. Chinese philosopher. A soaring, multi-tiered, multi-hued attraction accessible by three separate winding routes. Attractions here consist of a huge colorful dragon, a replica of the Great Wall of China, spacious balconies offering scenic views, souvenir shops, mini library with instructional materials, and dozens of escalating steps.

Our last stop before heading back is Magellan's Cross. Planted in April 21, 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan; spot where the first Christian Filipinos, Rajah Humabon and Queen Juana and about 400 followers, were baptized by Fr. Pedro Valderema. In 1525 to 1740, the Agustinian priests built an open shrine for the cross but the natives began to take chips from the cross believing it had miraculous power so a kiosk-like structure was built to protect the cross from total destruction. To protect it further, a hallow cross of tinadalo wood was made to encase the original cross which still stands today.

Devotees line up to light a candle and make a petition outside
of the Basilica de Sto Nino in Cebu City.

After Basilica de Sto Nino, we then went back to Shangri-La. The tour was too short, there could have been more places to go to but we really do not have much time. When we got back, i immediately changed into my swimwear and headed to the beach and pool ^^

Ahhhh, life is so good!

Destination...Laoag

2007-06-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

Finally my first real vacation in 2007!

What made this vacation more exciting is that I was with Liit, Amba, Jen and Tita Yhetta and 14 more members of their family. It’s quite a long story how I met them but Liit is our common denominator. I met Liit’s almost entire family when I helped her planned the wedding of Tita Yhetta and Tito Apollo via net and as they say everything is history.

How me and Liit known each other? Well, that’s another story. But knowing her and her family is one of the greatest things that ever happened to me. I feel so welcome whenever I’m with them which I didn’t feel much when I’m around my relatives. They embraced me with warmth and love. They’re superb!

It was my the first time I’m traveling with them and hopefully not the last. Our destination…Laoag City.

May 24, 2007, at five o’clock in the morning, I woke up still undecided whether I would have someone drive me to the airport or not. I’m supposed to be at the Centennial Airport by 9am our flight is at 10am.. Because my car is coding as well at my bro’s, I decided to take the cab. And it was a wrong idea to take EDSA during that time. Anyway, I arrived at the airport a little past 9 with Amba, Alfred and their kids about to enter.

Laoag City, is 257 miles away from Metro Manila, 12 hrs on land trip and about 50 minutes by air. We were on flight PR 226 arriving Laoag International Airport at 10:50am.

It’s not my first time going to Laoag. I’ve already been there for about 2 or 3 times with family and always take the land trip. It was my first time to go there taking the plane. Actually to save time and for the trip to be more convenient to my friends since they came from San Francisco we took the plane.

Laoag is located at the northern tip of the Philippine. It is the capital city of Ilocos Norte. It is known for its bagnet [a tasty deep friend pork], sukang iloco [balsamic vinegar], tiny native garlic whose flavor is more intense than that of the Taiwanese garlic, red onions and cilantro.

Laoag is a very ideal place to take a vacation if you’re looking for a serene side and you’re ready to shift gears and slow down to almost to a full stop.

We arrived at Laoag International Airport on time. Our plane touched down very smoothly. We were greeted by a very hot weather. After getting our stuff at the baggage claim, we immediately got on the bus that will take us to where we will be staying for 4-days and 3-nights, Fort Ilocandia, the only 5-star hotel in the northern Philippines with casino. Fort Ilocandia is a Spanish Moroccon inspired villa, the resort is complete with facilites and luxuries designed to provide absolute satisfaction for the tourists.

Fort Ilocandia is equipped with 280 deluxe rooms that offers panoramic view of the resort. It has an exclusive 18-hole golf course, olympic size swimming pook, video arcade, tennis court, gym and sauna. At the beach you can enjoy water activities such as, jetski, banana boat, surfing, sailing, and volleyball. You can also do recreational activities such as horseback riding, all terrain vehicles, shooting range, archery and many more.

From the airport, it’s about 15 to 20 minutes ride to the resort. When we arrived we were greeted by local singing group singing Ilocano songs.

The trip to was full of fun. We ate, went to the beach and had fun seeing all the beautiful historical places of Ilocos Norte and Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

At Vigan, Ilocos Sur we saw the residence of famous Filipino painter in Badoc, Juan Luna. The ancestral house of the Crisologos, the town’s museum, the famous heritage where in you can see old old old Spanish-era buildings and houses.

In Ilocos Norte, aside from Laoag, we went to Paoay where the famous Paoay Church is, we also visited the Malacanang of the North. It is the house of the former President Marcos. We went to see Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos . It is the tallest lighthouse in the Philippines. We also traveled to Bangui where giant windmills are located. Those windmills are the first in southeast asia and have been attracting tourists. Then we went to Pagudpud beach, the Boracay of the North. It is famous for its white fine sand.

I would have wanted to write more but I’m kinda lazy today. Anyway, here is a slideshow of photos which I took. Enjoy!

Btw, thanks to Liit and Amba for making this trip possible. I owe you guys!

happy easter!

2007-04-08T00:18:00.000-07:00

it's a one lazy sunday afternoon and i'm not doing anything and decided to try this here. ^^

Feeling Like a Queen

2007-03-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

Yeah, that's how i'm feeling since last Wednesday when i checked in at Sofitel for our event. Why? Because I'm in a suite...not just any other suite but a Presidential Suite! As an event organizer I already know that my room will be upgraded but I never thought that I'll be given such a grand room.
Here let me give you a quick tour

This is the receiving area...

The bedroom w/ plasma tv ...

The dining area...

The bathroom which has a rain shower ^^

The mini kitchen...

And here are few photos of with me in it ^^

What's great about the room too is that I can see the ocean. I would have been great if i can take a photo of the sunset in the bay but unfortunately during sunset for the next 2 days i'll be working.
Oh yeah another wonderful perk that I have as an event organizer is that I've a free internet access and a free unlimited outside call. Btw, I love love love the curtains...they're remote controlled.

All my colleagues envy me for having this room. They want to be part of my team next time to get these perks too. But believe me, being in the Banquet and Accommodation Committee is not an easy task. Sometimes, having this kind of room does not compensate the pain, the late nights, and b*thch*ness of the guests.
Oh well, anyway, for the meantime, I'm putting everything behind and will try to live like a queen for 3 nights and 3 days.

Food Attack

2007-02-13T05:08:00.000-08:00

This is what I like about my job, Hotels, resorts and fine dining. My job requires me to plan events. Ok, before I go on, I�m not an event organizer per se. Planning events is just 30% of what I do in our company. But this is the most taxing. Planning an event for 500-1000 pax is not easy. The only thing that excites me in doing this is the elegance.

Yesterday, I had a chance to dine at Hyatt Hotel and Casino. I set I d ate from our account officer to finalize our requirement for the banquet and room accommodations of our guests.

I've already lost count as to how many times I've done events in this hotel. But every event that I do is different from the other.

The upcoming event on March 8 is full of elegance. Red carpets, string orchestra, delectable banquet that the French and Australian executive chefs concocted are the highlights. The ballroom will be decorated only by flowers.

Anyway, I'll blog about the ballroom set up next. For now, I want to blog about the treat which my taste buds had yesterday. I've to choose the best food from the choice that the French, Australian and Malaysian chef prepared for March 8.

Yesterday�s lunch literally gave my palate pleasure.

For appetizer I had to choose between, Marinated Salmon and Mango Salsa Composition of Norwegian Salmon or, Chicken Galantine with Cumberland Sauce and Salad Leaves.

Which choice I got? It�s the 2nd one. I love the Cumberland Sauce just perfect for my taste buds. I would have wanted the Marinated Salmon, but the others may not like the raw salmon. If it had been smoked then I guess I would have gotten it.

The soup is next (hee, I'm soup person). I was served with 2 kinds.

The Blue Swimmer Crab, Ginger Crab and Coconut Soup which is quite good but too salty for my taste. The crabs made it too salty. My guess is that one would have his blood shoot up if he takes too much of it.

This one is mouth-watering. Pumpkin Froth with Parmesan Brittle. Love it! I could get 2 servings of this.

Before going to the main course, I was served with �wash�. Wash normally is a serving of sherbet to wash away the taste of the appetizer and soup before going to the main dish. Wash is normally sour.

The Malaysia chef, who heads the dessert, prepared 2 homemade sherbet. The Raspbery and Mango Sherbet. The Raspberry is too sour, the Mango would not look nice in the table after serving a yellow soup. So I talked to the chef and told him if he can recommend another one. He said he will make Lemon Grass Sherbet for our occasion which is neither too sour nor sweet.

Now comes the most exciting part, the main course. Who would have thought that rich flavor of dark chocolate would blend well with beef?

When this dish was placed in front of me, it surely made my mouth water.

This is Pot Roasted US Prime Beef with Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Puree and Annatto Seed Oil Roasted Onion. Btw, that onion is soooo sweet! I had a happy tummy after eating this palatable dish. Yummy�yummy�oh so yummy!

This one is Grain Fed Chicken Bread and Tiger Prawn Nantau Sauce. I didn�t choose this because it doesn�t have the appeal to me. Though I love tiger prawns. But one is not enough for me.

Ah, what a treat! *burp* [liezle : excuse me )

Much as I would want to stop eating and just leave the decision to the chef and account executive the dessert, I was told by them�No. Sigh�.

But you know what? When the dessert platters were placed in front of me [sorry i forgot to take picture of the desserts because i was so amazed with the presentation and probably i'm already too full to think] I can�t do anything but surrender to the temptation of the sweet delights. I got a bite from each of the devilish cakes which are sinfully delicious. [ argh, there goes my diet!]

Ah, what a meal! So much gusto for lunch!

Hee, for fear of indigestion, I finished the meal off with a cup of jasmine tea.

On Thursday, I�ll be again doing the same thing as the above. This time, I�ll be at Sofitel Philippine Plaza (formerly Westin Philippine Plaza) for our March 9 event.

Geez, after this, could I still fit in the gowns that I�ll be using ? Help!

i pray...

2006-12-31T10:53:00.000-08:00

2006 is over and i'm deeply grateful for the year it was. it had many ups and downs but as 2007 comes in, i've to let everything go. i've to move on with renewed vigor and hope for another year is beginning.

i pray that i may have the wings to fly, the vision to dream, the heart to love deeply and the spirit to embrace all the beauty of life everyday for all the days of 2007.

cheers to 2007!

cute li'l james

2006-12-16T03:35:00.000-08:00

this is james in his Halloween costume. ^^

nope he is not my son. he's the son of my bestbuddy who is living in SF. james happens to be my godson. ^^ cute li'l fella, noh?

i'll be finally seeing james in may next year. the entire family will be spending their vacation here.

cute li'l james will be turning 1 next month and his mom is already planning his birthday party. how i wish that someday i'll be able to attend his birthday party in SF. [crossing my fingers]

with his cousins (^_^)

diet...diet...diet...or die

2006-12-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

Today, two colleagues told me that I’m getting fat and I agree with them. I’m really getting fat as in fat. Since I stopped playing badminton and spend so much time in front of my computer I gained so much weight. I hate it…I hate it…I hate it! Really need to do something about this. I keep on saying that it must be my metabolism, Hmp, yeah right! I know for sure that it is not. I lack the discipline to diet.

I think that the comments of my colleagues today are a wake up call. I really MUST DIET! I’m not getting any younger and I really need to watch my health. We’ve history of hypertension and diabetes and if don’t watch my health I may at the early age get hypertensive and diabetic.

So starting tonight, I’ll try my best to restrain having dinner, will start to use the stationary bicycle at home, likewise use the dumbbells and do crunches . Then will get myself to play badminton at least 2 or 3 times a week. Geez, I remember about 1 ½ years ago that I used to play badminton almost everyday for 4 hours.

Now that I’ve blogged about this diet thingy, I need to be DETERMINED. I CAN do this! I MUST do this!

DIET…DIET…DIET…or DIE.

Christmas Wish List

2006-12-03T06:47:00.000-08:00

It's the time of the year to post my Christmas wish list. I Santa will read this, i how he will grant me any of this wishes.

No. 1 on my list is this

Release Date: December 2006

Bae Yong Joon Asia Tour Official DVD-Box!

- In-depth coverage following Bae Yong Joon throughout his April Snow promotional tour in 2005 to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and other Asian countries
- Behind the scenes of Bae Yong Joon – documenting his true self
- Includes the Asia Tour DVD and OST CD with original BGM
- Three additional special items:
1) Special photo book (80 pages)
2) Postcards (12 types)
3) Special Bae Yong Joon Passport Cover (subject to change)

Limited 30,000 set release!!

Product Details
1 DVD & 1 CD (OST)
DVD Length: 70 minutes
Original Language: Korean
Region Code: 2
Subtitle: Japanese, English
(DVD player must support region code 2 DVDs in order to properly view this product.)

Produced and Distributed by Pony Canyon
* Photo is an image and may differ from the actual product.

PRICE: $84.99

This can be ordered at Broasia

No. 2 is

same as the above ^^

No. 3 is

same as the above (",)

Weird? Nah, this is really the only material thing that i want for Christmas.

So, please...please...Santa, if you're here reading this, please give this one to me for Christmas.

I love Nami!

2006-11-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

This is the day for most of us before our departure. Kinda sad thinking that this is our last day in Korea. If we could only extend our stay for a much longer period we would. But of course we could not, because we still have to earn in order to finance our next trip to Korea.

Since the day we arrived, this is the only day that we all woke up much early than usual. From the guesthouse where we were staying the bus station is about more than 10 stops. We even had to battle with the rush hour at the subway.

Btw,I had fun taking the public transportation during my whole stay in Korea. In my country, I only had the chance to take our MRT/LRT twice and I haven’t taken the bus for ages. So taking the public transport for 10 days was really adventure for me. ^^

It took us about an hour to arrive at the bus station. The bus ride was about 45 minutes. Then another 5-to 10 minutes taxi ride to the port.

When we arrived at the port, there were already lots of people and tourist buses. I’m amazed to see local and foreign tourists touring Nami Island. I thought all the while that mostly Japanese and foreign tourists visit the islet.

Since we left the guesthouse without taking any breakfast we decided to eat first buying food along the port. Then we realized that we should not have eaten the food we bought there. But instead we should have packed them and eat them at Nami, sort of a picnic. Anyway, probably next time we will do that. ^^

At the port

Our ferry arrived and we all got in. It was only a short ride, 5-10 minutes and we were already at Nami.

I instantly fell in love with Nami.

There is a kind of air that will make you fell so good about Nami. I’m not sure if it was only me who felt it, but I love the feeling and it’s different. Is because of Winter Love Song? Is it because I know that Yong Joon was here?

There were so many people around. Old, young, not so young nor old, lovers, family, schoolmates, Asians and Caucasians, everyone with a smile on their face.

Group of people having picnic were everywhere. School kids having fun with their teachers. High school in groups, studying, singing, playing, biking, taking photos or just walking.

What amazed me was when I saw a group of Japanese women (I’m assuming that they are married) riding a bike (in group). They were laughing so hard and really having so much fun. Their friends were pushing their bike up because they can’t bring their bike to go up the road.

Beautiful autumn color and it's just starting to change ^^

The best place for me at Nami is the tree line. Yes, that famous tree line from WLS. The place looks so festive with so many people coming and going and wanted to have their photos taken.

Second best place is the bench with the snowman. I love the ambiance. Just perfect for a date ^^
This kids were so funny. They were spanking Yu Jin all the time . They were probably jealous of here ^^. Anyway, one of them while i was riding the bike took a solo picture of me because according to her she likes my hair. [blushing]

Love this shot ^^

If you’re a nature lover, you will surely love Nami. For me, it’s a place to go if you want to feel young at heart again. It’s a very simple place with so many happy people.

I love Nami!

***

We left Nami at around 2pm and decided to do our last minute shopping. We went to Nandaemun and Insadong again. But Elle and Bambie instead of going with us they went to Youngstreet. The radio station where 2 members of SS501 was having their radio program. These 2 ladies are very lucky to have seen the 2 members of SS501 and the car the 2 were riding even stopped in front of them and rolled down their window.

We we got back at the guesthouse, we started to pack our things.

Amongst us, i'm the one to leave Korea earliest. My flight was at 10. Elle, Rica, Anne and Nimfa still have the whole morning to stay at the guesthouse.

***

I woke up at 6 and left the guesthouse around 7 to take the airport bus at Anguk. I'm was really feeling sad going back to my country. I've been telling myself and my friends that i will definitely be missing Korea and promise to come back again.

***

When i left, my friends decided to buy a cake to celebrate October birthday celebrants. We were planning this since the day came, but always forget to buy the cake on our way home. Since they still have plenty of the time before their departure they bought a cake and shared with the staff and other guests at SeBP.

***

Every vacation has to come to an end. This vacation was definitely one of the best I had.

Who says I didn't left my heart in Seoul? I did, I did left my heart in Seoul. It's been more than a month now since i visited Korea and there was not a single day that I didn't think of my stay there. I even have dreams and I'm not exaggerating. ^^

If only i can fly tomorrow to Seoul...sigh...

Anyway for now i say ~

Kamsahamnida, Dae Han Min Guk!

and pretty soon [crossing my fingers] when i set my feet again in Korea ~

Annyeonhaseyo, Dae Han Min Guk!

2 by 2 Off We Tour

2006-11-06T04:25:00.000-08:00

October 18 ~ Wednesday

The days seem so fast especially when you are having a great time. It has been a week already since we arrived in Korea. As the end of our vacation gets near, there was not a day when no one amongst us would say "I'll be missing Korea" or "I'll be feeling sad when we leave on Friday". It's just three more days and our vacation will be over and we feel that there are still so many things that we still have to do and discover.

Geez, not even pack on our way home and we are already planning our next vacation to Korea. ^^

On this day, there was really no specific plan as to where we are going except for Changdoekgung palace which is located near SeBP.

As I've posted earlier Changdoekgung is the palace that we tried visiting twice since we arrived but always ended up going somewhere.

Finally, the tour to Changdoekgung with an English speaking tour guide. ^^

Changdoekgung is the only palace in Korea that preserves the architectural style of the Joseon Dynasty. The garden used to be the king’s resting area where you can still see the 300-year-old trees, pond and pavilion.

Behind me is the Chinese Juniper tree
which is estimated to be about 750 years old.
It is a unique tree with trunk that twists like a dragon.

It took us about 2 hours to finish touring this palace. So by the time we were done it was almost lunch time. So, before going to the next place to visit we decided to take our lunch first.

On the afternoon of our 7th day in Korean we all agreed to tour Seoul separately. We grouped ourselves into 3 : Bambie and Elle, Rica and Anne, me and Leah. Nimfa decided to return to the guesthouse and rest instead.

Bambie and Elle went to Myeongdong, National Museum of Korea, Olympic Park, Stream something and Insadong.

Sisters Rica and Anne decided to continue the palace tour and went to Myeongdong.

As for me and Leah, we have chosen to go to ~

Namsangol Korean Traditional Village

and Seoul World Cup Stadium

this is the way to the subway station connection to

Seoul Olympic Stadium

Below photo is still at the Seoul Olympic Station, it's at the lobby of CVG. They have 2 tableaus for photo op. This cardboard dog is from the movie which i forgot the title [will edit later ^^]

And this is the tableau for Coca Cola ^^

Btw, before going to Seoul Olympic Stadium, Leah and I went to a place which i forgot the name ;) to try our luck but unfortunately ladyluck was not with us. ;)

Park BOF and Tea Loft on the 6th Day

2006-11-06T03:24:00.000-08:00

October 17, Tuesday

On this day we all decided to go our separate tours. Anne, Rica and Nimfa went out together, Bambi and Elle went o DSP Entertainment somewhere in Seocho to give their gifts to SS501 and Youngstreet. While Leah and I went out alone.

Since I wasn't able to go last Monday at Park BOF, I went back to Shinsa station and looked for Park BOF. Since I already know my way [it's the same road leading to Gorilla in the Kitchen] I didn't have any trouble locating the cute building of BOF. But this time i didn't take the cab. It's really nice that Seoul has a very nice climate. It makes walking a lot of fun.

When I arrived there were already Japanese visitors. I let them go in first before talking to the nice Japanese lady. Told her that I was supposed to have an appointment yesterday with 6 of my friends but we weren't able to come. She then checked for my reservation and since I'm alone she lets me in.

Taking photo is not allowed.

The place is so cute and clean. I can imagine how cramped the place had BOF didn't transfer office to its new building. There were pictures which i have not seen before. Clothes, glasses, gloves, necklaces that Yong Joon wore were displayed.

At the second floor is the souvenir shop. I bought a mug and snowman note holder. The famous April Snow bench is still there. Then I went to the office where Yong Joon used to occupy. I saw the bookshelf with books and a box full of message for Yong Joon. Hee, of course I left a message for him. ^^

After going around for 2 times, I then decided to leave Park BOF. But before I left i need to take some photos outside and of course a souvenir photo with me in it. Since there were Japanese fans waiting outside, I asked a young lady if she can take my photo which she did and took 2 shots with me in it.

the exit to Park BOF.
i love these wooden steps.

the cute porch

the very cute little red mail box

The gravel at the parking in front of Park BOF

Btw, when I got there I thought that I'll be seeing the Chrysler Jeep that Yong Joon used in April Snow. But it wasn't there. I wonder when did they took it? Likewise, i remember before that it was written in an article that other BOF talents' stuff are also displayed. But I didn't see any. Oh well anyway, probably it's a misinformation. But I do hope that someday they will also display stuff of other BOF's talents since the signage says Park BOF the house of BOF family. Hee, i'm not complaining or any but I think that since BOF is getting big, they might as well do it. Sort of reinventing so that patrons will come back and see new things. Likewise, The place would look good if they'll have mini coffee shop there ^^

Oh one observation that I hope BOF will look into, I really really hope that they will change the English caption on the displays. Yong Joon is a known perfectionist and I hope his staff will do something about it.

Over all the trip to Park BOF is a fulfillment. It's very near Gorilla in the Kitchen so definitely I'll be coming back to Park BOF.

After Park BOF I went to Gorilla in the Kitchen just to take a look of the place in day light. ^^

I must have been too engrossed walking along Apgujeong that I forgot the time. I was supposed to go to Lotte Dept Store to eat at Tea Loft before meeting Anne, Rica and Nimfa because we need to go somewhere. But since i don't have the time anymore, i decided then to meet up with them and went near World Cup Stadium. After doing what we have to do there we then decided to go to Lotte Dept. Store since they also didn't have the chance go there because of our 3pm meeting. Yes! I can now go to Tea Loft!

We took the Line 2 train and got off at Euljiro. Since my friends don't want to join me at Tea Loft, I decided to go alone again and met up with them after an hour.

This is at the entrance of Lotte Dept Store
connecting to the subway station

the lobby where i took the elevator to the 12th floor

Again Tea Loft is not that hard to find. Just take the elevator get down at the 12th floor take the escalator to the 13th floor then look for the elevator that will take you to Tea Loft's floor. ^^

Beautiful displays at the 12th and 13th floor.

This is the 1st thing that you will see when the door

of the elevator opens.

There weren't that much customer when i arrived [probably because it's almost dinner time]. The friendly waitress showed me to my seat and gave me the menu. Since I already have in mind what to order, i still studied the menu. I ordered Chaltteok-mali. It's a rice cake snack, with red bean mixed other fillings. It's nice and quite a heavy snack. Then I ordered banana milk juice.

While waiting for my snacks to arrive, i took some photos of Tea Loft.

My banana juice arrived first. I like it ^^

A few minutes later my Chaltteok-mali arrived hot. It smells good ^^ Would you believe that i didn't finish eating this?

The tab/bill case

the very popular table where yong joon sat and ate
when he visited Tea Loft

When I got there there were 2 ladies seated at that table.

The other side of Tea Loft going to the toilet.

Ops sorry no flash ^^ I asked the waitress
to take my souvenir photo ^^

After an hour I went to my friends at the entrance connecting to the subway. We waited for a few minutes more before heading to Nandaemun market to buy some souvenirs.

On our way home we took the subway from Shinsegae. Just like Lotte Dept i think Shinsegae is a department store [not really sure about this] that connects to the subway station.

Here are photos of the places where my other friends toured on our 7th day in Seoul. I have to visit these places on my next visit ^^

I missed eating this black paste noodle.

Rica, Anne and Nimfa had the chance to eat
this yummy noodles

Fans' Day, Dining and Walking Alone @ Gangnam

2006-11-01T02:27:00.000-08:00

October 16 ~ Monday

This is the day we tagged as "Fans' Day". Why? We were supposed to go to 3 management companies namely, BOF [Bae Yong Joon and So Ji Sub], JYPE [Rain] and DSP Entertainment [SS501] but apparently we were only able to go to 2.

Both BOF and JYPE are in Gangnam but on opposite sides. We first decided to go to JYPE to give the gifts that my friends prepared for Rain.

noticed all the bags we are carrying?

each one of us is carrying a bag full of gifts for our idols ^^

From Cheongdam subway station, we walked for several minutes just to see the landmark that we are looking for, the Hotel Prima.

First three were taken at the busy street of Cheongdam station.

We finally found it but had a hard time looking for the street where JYPE is located. Several more minutes passed and we found JYPE with fans from Taiwan already waiting outside for Rain.

The landmark we were looking for ~ Prima Hotel ^^

In front of JYPE a friend of Bambie then called the office of JYPE to go down and get the gifts for Rain. Then we were told that Rain might be coming in a short while. We waited for only a few minutes until my friends finished signing and leaving messages for Rain at the parking lot of JYPE office then we left.

The graffiti wall of JYPE's parking.

Philippine flag in gold ink written by my friends ^^

hee, see my name written there?

Before proceeding to our next stop we took out lunch first at the first restaurant that we saw in Kangnam and that KFC ^^.

While having our lunch, there was a group of middle school students crying. At first we were all wondering what happened. Then we saw a newspaper in front of them. What's that news? TVXQ's Yunho being hospitalized after a fan gave a drink which he took with adhesive. Geez, never seen such reaction from fans ^^ we thought that there was a fight or someone failed but we were wrong.

Anyway, before leaving KFC, i had to study first to map going to BOF. It could have been a lot easier if we got off from the Gangnam-gu station because it's just a cross away from the exit. But since we decided to go first to JYPE we had to walk for about 30 minutes to reach BOF's office.

Buildings, building and more building on our way to BOF's office.

When i finally saw the building I was looking for and saw the name of Key East at the signage of the building located at the right side on top of the building gave a big sigh. Finally, I'll be able to see BOF's office.

It was only Rica, Anne and I who went up to the 16th floor. The rest of my friends just waited at the bus stop for us [i think they got tired from too much walking].

When the door of the elevator opened at the 16th floor my heart was beating so fast. I'm excited and at the same time scared that someone might ask us to get down. The lobby of BOF is small and empty but it looks so clean. I then called the number of the person to call which Style gave [thanks so much Style of the number and tip] and told her that I'm from the Philippines and have gifts for Ji Sub and Yong Joon. While waiting we took the opportunity to have our photos taken at the signages of BOF and KeyEast. A few minutes more passed then a cute young lady came out and entertained us. She speaks English very well but i forgot to ask for her name. I gave her all the gifts [for Yong Joon, Ji Sub and Mgr Yang which i think she was a bit surprised] including some delicacies from our country to be shared by BOF staff.

Then i asked for her help in calling Park BOF. We were supposed to go to BOF at 3pm after JYPE but since it took us some time to locate JYPE i just told my friends to proceed to BOF since i don't want to bring back to the guesthouse the gifts for BYJ, SJS and BOF's staff. That cute young girl was very helpful, she came back to us 2 times, called Park BOF to re-schedule our visit and gave me the number to call if i'll have anymore problems. Btw, she was a bit surprised when i told her that the other bag is for the staff to share.

While at the lobby of BOF waiting, I'm surprised to see young looking staff coming and going the entrance using the electronic keypad to enter. On our way down, a tall good looking young staff, wearing a KeyEast identification card entered the elevator car we took. I would have wanted to talk t him and ask questions but i too shy to do it.

After BOF's office, I was planning to ask my friends to proceed to Park BOF since we already have a schedule there. But i can see from their faces that they're not that interested anymore so i decided to just go there tomorrow morning alone.

Monday was also the schedule day to dine at Gorilla in the Kitchen. Though some of my friends didn't confirmed to me before who will be joining me [though some did and some didn't because of the price and they're not byj fans] I didn't ask anymore. But since we didn't have any definite itinerary after BOF, i thought that they want to go there before proceeding anywhere. Until we reached again Cheongdam station that they all decided to go to 63rd Building.

Before going to Korea, i promised myself that i would go to Gorilla with or without anyone going with me. If i let this opportunity pass, when would the next time be? So even if i have to go alone, ride the subway and look for the place by myself i'll do it.

Honestly, I'm afraid to go alone to look for Gorilla but at the same time excited for this adventure in a foreign country. I think that it showed in my face that i'm scared when I told my friends that I won't be joining them. I asked one to go with me but she doesn't want to so i didn't push anymore. I know they're also a bit worried but i assured them than i can do it. So at Cheongdam station I took the other way and they headed to go to 63rd Building.

My Gorilla adventure begins.

I studied closely the subway map and went down at Shinsa station and went out at exit 4. Then which way to go? I don't know. I then went to this pharmacy to inquire. A very nice pharmacist who speaks english helped me. She called Gorilla for instruction then drew a map with hangul characters for me to give to the taxi driver.

I took a cab then in 10 minutes i'm already at Gorilla. I could have walked, which would probably take me 30 minutes or taken the bus but i'm don't know yet how the bus system works in Seoul.

When I saw the signage of Gorilla my heart were beating fast because of excitement. All my worries of being alone were gone. A tall young looking waiter greeted me and assisted me. I asked to be seated at the corner. I was then place at the corner near the open dining area at the back. I then immediately noticed JP inside the cubicle talking with 2 people.

There were many patron at the time i arrived. Almost all the table were taken and even tables at the open area were either occupied or a place card with "reserved" were placed.

The waiter gave me the menu. I carefully read what was on the menu and looked around at the table near me to see how big is the serving. I decided to order first Grilled Garlic Chicken Breast with Olive Oil. Then will decide on what to order later.

While waiting for my food i had fun observing the area and the people eating at Gorilla. Hee, I think i'm the only one in jeans and sneakers [blushing]. JP was still talking to the people inside the cubicle, then they went to the machine. So i'm guessing that JP is assessing the customer's health.

Honestly, i'm so ashamed to take photos inside the Gorilla alone. So all my shots were stolen shots [without flash]. If probably i've my friends with me I could have taken so many photos. Anyway, here are some of the stolen shots of JP and the food that i ordered.

Near the open dining area where i was seated i could see a table with a very very nice looking guy which i think is an actor and he is dressed up like a model. But i couldn't place where i've seen him. A few minutes passed he left the table with another male companion leaving 3 in the table. Then 3 more arrived and ate with the 3 who left. Geez, i was like huh? Are these entertainment people?

I stayed at Gorilla for about 2 hours eating, reading [good thing i brought a book], writing [my journal] and observing. The whole time i was at Gorilla, JP would always have visitors inside. The only time he'll be free was when i think he's assessing the paper from one machine and using his notebook.

Oh btw, at the other restaurant across the street, i was told by the waiter that Ji Jin Hee was there. I asked because I can see so many flashing of lights coming from the camera.

The Grilled Garlic Chicken Breast with Olive Oil i had is already enough for me. It's quite heavy. I like the taste of it. Just enough for my taste buds. I would have wanted to order some desserts but i don't think that my stomach can take it anymore. Btw, I finished the 2 sidedishes that was served.

I wanted to go at the 2nd floor, but how? When JP left Gorilla at around 8:30pm I then decided to leave Gorilla.

So I went to the cashier and paid for my bill, i asked for the ladies room. It's on the 2nd floor! Great! So I went to did my thing ^^. The toilet has 2 cubicles and very clear. After using the toilet I then took the opportunity to take photos of the 2nd floor. The 2nd floor was half full of customers.

I like staying at the 1st floor better because of the activities going there. And whenever people come my heart beats fast thinking that it might be Yong Joon or So Ji Sub ^^

I left Gorilla feeling so happy. At last I've seen and dined where Yong Joon and Ji Sub been. I love the ambiance and the place. I promise to be back again.

On my way home I decided to walk and look for the nearest subway station. I didn't go to Shinsa anymore, I decided to take the opposite direction which is Apgujeong. It took me 30 minutes to get there but walking alone in the Gangnam area was so enjoyable. I think being able to dine at Gorilla gave me the courage to be alone in Seoul. ^^

My feet brought me to Apgujeoung and some other places which i didn't have the chance to remember anymore.

I was looking for the nearest subway station but couldn't find any. I then finally decided to ask this young lady. Lucky she speaks in English [my lucky night indeed] and she even accompanied me the subway. Her name is YoungMin and she's a student at Yonsei University. She's very nice and friendly. She even offered me and my friends for a tour at Yonsei on Wednesday from 3-5pm unfortunately we cannot make it. We exchanged numbers and email address. I already sent her an email and hopefully that Yonsei tour will be next Spring.

I got to the guesthouse at 10pm. I came a little early than my friends who went to 63rd building. Told them of my adventure and how nice it was to walk the streets of Seoul alone. Told them too that on the next day I'll be going to Park BOF. Since i don't think they're also interested, I decided to go by myself again. ^^

It was one beautiful evening. I never thought that i could go out alone in a foreign country. If I'll have the chance to do it again. I'll do it again. I'm so proud of myself ^^.

Oh, here are some photos of my friends at 63rd Building. Though i didn't have a chance to visit the famous building, I again promise myself to visit it on my next trip to Seoul.

Discovering Seoul ~ Myeongdong, Yummy Lunch & Namsan Tower

2006-10-30T04:59:00.001-08:00

October 15, Sunday

It's our 4th day in Seoul and again we were greeted by a very beautiful autumn weather.

It's Sunday, everyone of us woke up very early so that we can hear the English mass at the Myeongdong Catholic Cathedral. It took us some time to find the church.

Myeongdong early in the morning is very different when all the stores are already open.

The steps going to the Cathedral. It's the best place
to take photo of the church.

landscape on the way up to the Cathedral

Cathedral facade

another look of the Cathedral facade

The Myeondong Catheral is currently undergoing a renovation. If you noticed, the facade is a big clothe with the painting of the Cathedral. It's beautifully done. You cannot actually notice that it's a clothe with the church on it.

Myeongdong Catholic Cathedral was constructed in1898 with OUr Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion as its patron.

a beautiful red brick building at the side of the church

pavement around the church

When we finally found the church the English mass has already ended. So we just attended the hangul mass.

stolen shot inside the church during communion

cathedral window on Myeondong Cathedral

carved stone of Jesus Christ

inside the Peace Gallery just outside of the church
where photos of the old church are displayed.
the wall is the old red brick wall of the church.

Myeondong Cathedral is the first brick church in Korea built in the Gothic style.

After hearing mass in hangul, we then waited for Cheese, a korea friend of Bambie. After a few introduction we then headed to a restaurant that Cheese made a reservation for all of us. The restaurant is located near the area of Nandeamun Market. From Myeongdong we took the cab to arrive at the restaurant.

This is the entrance of the restuarant
it's called "Choegajib" (?)

Cheese ordered for us. She ordered 2 sets of 19 kinds of assorted side dishes, rice, soup and a very delicious tea. It was a sumptous lunch we had. Hot and spicy but we love them! They're so yummy!

After having our lunch Cheese had to go for another appointment and we headed back to Myeongdong market to do some shopping.

We took this road to go to the nearest exit to go to Myeongdong market.

The Gate or something (sorry i forgot what it's called)

The Bank of Korea Museum

When we arrived at Myeongdong, there were already so many people. The place is so feastive.

Myeongdong with so many people.

At the corner store where glasses are being sold. There were people gathering around the area. We got curious, asked around because there is a camera for filming and people are holding their digicams too. We then learned the DJ DOC is filming. Who is DJ DOC? Well, I actually do not know but since my friends know him because of Rain (DJ DOC was featured in one of Rain's concert or song) we waited for him and took photos.

After that encounter with DJ DOC when went around Myeondong, bought souvenirs, cds and took photos of places where scenes from dramas were shot and photos of artists in billboards, posters and standees. Btw, we bought cds at this ajussi's store which is very very cheap. We bought Rain's CD for our friends only 12,000 won. We also bought cds of Shinwa, Fligh to the Sky, Seven, SS501, TVXQ and many more.

Where Joo Jin Hoon (Goong) had an autograph signing

I'll show you more photos later of places where drama were shot when i've collected the rest of the photos from my friends. ^^

Some street food that can be found in Myeongdong.

On our way out to go to Namsan, we saw this show by some chinese acrobats. They're awesome! The audience were clapping and oh-ing and ah-ing with almost every stunts that they did.

After Myeondong since Namsan Tower is just walking distance from where we were, we then decided to go to Namsan Tower.

from Myeongdong that tower above is where we are going ^^

While looking for the exit to Namsan, we met this two nice couple who helped usand brought us all the way up to Namsan.

This our our 2nd time to Namsan. But the first time we went up we were on a Night City Tour bus so we didn't know how to really go there by foot. It's a steep road to go to Namsan but it was enjoyable. After walking up at the steep street for 15 minutes, we had to take this stairs to go to the cable car.

parking area outside the cable car station

beautiful Seoul at night

We spent about 4 hours in Namsan enjoying the cold air and the lovely people. We noticed that almost everyone who goes up to visit Namsan are either couple or family. Not sure though if it's because it was a Sunday when we went up.

Before heading to the guesthouse we dropped by at Myeongdong Guesthouse to meet Bambie's friends from Singapore to get the new Rain cds and poster that we ordered.

The following day, which is our 5th day in Seoul was called "fans day". I'll let you know why later. ^^

Discovering Seoul ~ Wedding Re-enactment & Dongdaemun Mkt

2006-10-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

October 14 ~ Saturday

We started the day pretty late on this day but we were greeted again with a beautiful autumn blue sky ^^.

We were suppose to continue on with our City Bus Tour but we decided postponed it again because the palace near our guesthouse, Unhyeongung Palace, will have the re-enactment of the Royal Wedding Ceremony of Emperor Gojong and Empress Myeongseong of Joseon Dynasty. This only happens twice a year and we were lucky enough that it coincided with our vacation.

In front of Unhyeongung Palace

But we have a dilemma. The program will start at 2pm and we still have a good 3 hrs to spend. But going anywhere not within the 200m radius of the palace might be impossible for us to watch anymore. So we decided instead to take an early lunch, go to the nearby bookstore in Anguk station and take more souvenir photos.

Honestly i'm kinda ashamed to post these photos but anyway i wanted to share it here. These men in uniform were part of the team guarding the Japanese Embassy near our guesthouse. Well, since we are tourists, my friends wanted to have a souvenir photo with them. First they hesitated but they were convinced by Leah and Nimfa and decided to posed with us. They're actually very nice and quite young. Some of them look like students. There is a bus just outside the embassy for them to sleep, rest, eat and cook. We see them every morning and night. I think they're guarding the embassy 24/7 due to the N. Korea thingy.

Anyway, the Anguk station exit near the Japanese Embassy i noticed is the only station exit that has guards.

While going around i took a photo of this autumn leaf.

We went inside Unhyeongung Palace gate early so that we can get good seats. The place was already half full of people and staff of the program were all busy doing their thing. I went around and had my photo taken with one of the palace guard.

I look so big in this photo =(

At exactly 2pm the program started. A trio performed using different kind drums and they were very very good. I love the sound of their performance.

A few minutes after the band's perfromance, the re-enactment of the wedding started. It's a very interesting show. I actually remembered "Goong" when i saw the young actor and actress acting as the Emperor and Empress.

The show lasted for 2 hrs. It included so many ceremonies like, the proposal for marriage, sending of ceremonial gifts, notifying the bride 's family, wedding ceremony.

Btw, there was a narration done in hangul and english. ^^

After the program we all went back to the guesthouse and waited for our filipina friend, Cathy Garcia, who works as a staff reporter/culture desk for The Korean Times. If i'm not mistaken she has covered Bi, Arashi and many more. Last week she wrote 'Captivating glimpse inside "Restless"'

Cathy arrived a few hours later. After some catching up we all went out and go to Dongdaemun Market.

At Anguk station with waiting for our train.
Cathy is the one in white beside me.

Here are some photos at Dongdaemun Market. Btw, it's another place where there are so many people even at night. There were stage shows in Miglore, dotta! and another department store that made the place so lively.

My friends were all craving for barbeque so we bought here.

Cathy brought us to the tent area and she helped us
order food from this ajumma's tent.

I love this fish cake soup. ^^

bb, take note what's in front of me. it's the bingore drink
(banana milk juice) thanks for recommending it.
i love it and missing it!

In front of dotta! department store there is this place that was made for picture taking. hee, so we took the opportunity to have one (",) just before we said our goodbyes to Cathy because she has to work on Sunday.

We stayed on for a while at Dongdeamun then headed back to the guesthouse. When we arrived at the guesthouse, all of us were craving for ice cream so we bought at the convenient store just in front of our place and ate at the entrance. There is this particular ice cream that i love, it has a fudge in the middle. Almost everyday i eat ice cream in Seoul when in fact i'm not an ice cream eater.

Discovering Seoul ~ Nat'l Folk Museum & a "Rainy" Night

2006-10-28T00:17:00.000-07:00

October 13, Friday

Friday the 13th was the day when 2 of our friends arrived from Manila. Their flight's arrival was in the afternoon. So the whole morning until mid afternoon we were touring the National Folk Museum and took the City Tour Bus to go around Seoul (we know where to find the stop this time).

See the sky? Beautiful autumn blue sky greeted us
when we went out and waited for the city tour bus
to arrive in front Changdeokgung Palace.

This time since we already know where to get the bus for the city tour, it only took us a few minutes to arrive at the bus stop. Btw, remember the very long walk after we had our very late dinner? We discovered on our way to the bus stop that we could have taken 5 minutes walks instead of another 20-30 minutes. Sigh...anyway we're new here...we are tourists ^^

Won't give much details anymore on the following photos. First set is at National Folk Museum of Korea.

One of the kid (the one in red jacket and doing the v-sign) in the above photo approached us on our way out of the museum. She said "hi" and "hello" to us. Actually, these kids have been looking at us since we arrived the building of the museum. Rica said that they've been waiting until we got out of the museum. The cute kid asked where we are from and from there she talked to us a lot in English since she's half korean half american but grew up in Korea.

During our stay in S Korea, group of kids and high school especially on tour, would say hi or hello to us. We think that they're fascinated with English speaking Asians and would like to really try to converse with us in English. Since we all love kids, we would talk to them (even with boys and high school kids). They're so cute and would really say whatever English words they know. The most popular phrases are hi and hello. Others would say, "how are you?", "welcome", "pretty", "sorry" ^^ they're really cute.

Before we left the museum, we asked them to pose with us for a souvenir photo and their teacher (we guess) the guy on the extreme right on the phone, even posed with us.

After the tour at the National Folk Museum, we then went to Deoksugung.

After this palace tour we than took the bus and tour for about 2 hrs Seoul without alighting the bus anymore since we have to meet our friends arriving in a few hours at the guesthouse for a "Rainy" night.

***

Rain's Comeback Concert at Jamsil Olympics Stadium

When we arrived at SeBP, our friends were not there yet. So we just decided to rest and prepare for the upcoming concert of Rain.

After a few hours Leah and Bambie arrived. Few more hours we then left the guesthouse took the subway to Jamsil station.

Bambie and I inside the train.

The area designated for Cloud Korea and Japan. This area was
jampacked during the concert. I learned that the Japanese
had a special package tour for this event.

The mini concert of Rain was grand and beautiful. A new group, Paran, was his front act. It was my first time seeing Rain do a live performance. But my friends (all of them) are Rain fans, have seen Rain in Bangkok and Hong Kong.

Rain is sexy and good. He's now sporting a new hair, which is short and that he looks much younger in its. His production number were full of great effects. It's like watching a movie. He sang songs from his new album and few songs from his Rainy Day album. The concert lasted for 1 hour.

After the concert and having our usual souvenir photo in front of the stadium, a report introduced himself to us and said that he's from An An magazine. He wanted to interview us for his article about Rain. Geez, who wouldn't want to be interviewed? He asked us about our opinion on the concert, how we got to know Rain, what if he does a concert in our country and a few more which i forgot. After the interview we even gave him dried mangoes from our country.^^

Below are some candid shots of the interview.

After that very short interview we then went to KFC to meet our Fil-Korean friend, Jen and a Korean friend Raina (who used to work with BYJ. She's a Rain fan now but she still supports him. According to her BYJ is a real nice person).

It was a cold Friday the 13th. Not much activities but it was fun. The night ended having late dinner once again with ice cream. (",(",)

Discovering Seoul ~ Which Way to Go?

2006-10-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

October 12 ~ Thursday

What to do on your first day in a foreign country?

Since 2 of our friends will be coming the following day. We decided to explore first the tourist spots near our place. But since we are all first timer, finding our way to the nearest exit and deciphering the map already took so much of our time.

Our first stop was Changdeokgung Palace. But when we went inside to purchase our ticket we learned that the English tour is not available on Thursday. So we then decided to postpone going to this palace and decided to go instead on a hop on hop off tour (Seoul City bus tour). Since we don’t know yet the area our feet brought us to Insadong to look for the nearest Tourist Information Center (TIC). We (4 of us, one at a time) asked the staff where the nearest bus station for the city tour and all she saidto us "It's just behind the gray fence” (where a construction at the corner of the street is on going). We kept on looking for the sign for about an hour and there was no bus station sign. Until we finally gave up and decided to take a walk farther. About a 100m away from the TIC, is where we found the bus station we were looking for.

Whew! Finally!

But then since it was already mid afternoon and touring the downtown or palaces will take lots of times, we decided to postponed it and instead went to Insadong which is only 100m away from where we were standing. So off we all went to Insadong to do little shopping and took a rest at the nearest McDonald’s ^^

Insadong is a nice place with full of souvenir items and lots of people. I love its small street, cute little stores and its pavement. The few phrases that we know such as “annyonghaseyo”, “kamsahamnida” and “eolmameyo?” had been practiced pretty well in Insadong.

Not much people yet at the street of Insadong

Beautiful wooden big masks decord at the street of Insadong

assorted wooden mask display

Rica looks so cute here. She tried on a hat that has
the same color as her jacket.

another rare photo of us together. taken by a stall owner who
mistakenly thought that i'm korean ^^

sisters, rica and anne

this stall caught our attention bec of the speil that they have
when doing the wrapping of the sweet candy. from a dough they
can make thousands of strands. their speil has japanese and
english which really attracks the attention of tourists.

Btw, in Insadong, there were some Koreans who mistakenly though that I'm Korean ^^.

After Insadong, we then decided to have the Night Tour. But since we didn't know where we were at, we again relied to the bettle map the TIC provided and looked for the “nearest” Seoul City Tour Bus Station. Geez, it was really a long long walk from Insadong.

But despite the long walk to our destination, we still have the strength to pose and shoot some photos of us ^^ until we reach the bus stop that we are looking for.

Honestly, up to now I keep on forgetting to ask my friends where we’ve seen that “nearest” station ^^ But I think it’s somewhere in Jongno-ga. Finally, we where there, hopped on the bus and enjoyed the ride for about 2 hours.

The bus made a stop over at Namsan. Everyone in the bus got off, few went up to Namsan Tower but we decided to stay and comeback another day when there’ll be more time to explore Namsan. So for 20 minutes this is all what we did…took photos ^^

After the night tour, we alighted the bus which i don't know whatstation. Despite the pain that we were feeling in our legs and feet because of too much walking for the whole day, we still found time to pose for some souvenir photos at this place.

i love the marble theme of this pass

we thought that this is a chirstmas tree and it's not

well, Rica is not a KSW fan but just of the fun of it posed for this one

After 2 hours or so, we decided to head back to the guesthouse.

We were supposed to take the subway (our very first time). But when we were looking at the neighborhood map a man approached us and offered to help us find our way. We were so happy when this man offered help and told us that SeBP is only 15 minutes walk from where we are. Again, off we go, took the underpass, walk…walk…walk…until finally we realized that the 15 minutes walk is about to turn to 50 minutes walk. Huh! Whew! And Phew! Gosh our feet and legs are killing us already. When we finally reached Anguk station we found a place to eat and rest our sore legs and feet.

We sat, ordered (the never ending kimbap and bibimbap and another one which we didn't take photo anymore), ravished our food, rest for a while, studied the map once again, paid our bills then left.

After eating and had rested for a short time, we left restaurant, took the underpass to cross the street (you should have seen us going down the stairs) and last stairs going up to the main road, we were like huffing and puffing and practically dragging or feet and legs. And this is only our first day! Geez, that man duped us…15 minutes by walking! It took us 1 hour! From the restaurant to the guesthouse it took us another 15 to 20 minutes of walking (until we discovered something the following day).

That was day one adventure …discovering our way in Seoul.

Instantly Charmed by Seoul

2006-10-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

Finally my dream of setting my footprints in South Korea came true.

With her beautiful weather, great historical places, wide roads, smoke-belch free vehicles, beautiful people with great fashion sense I’m totally charmed by Seoul.

Honestly I never thought that I would ever go to Korea. About 4 years ago, I only thought of traveling to Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, China, Australia and US. Never in my imagination had I dreamt of going to Korea until I got hooked to k-dramas and k-pop. What k-drama got me hooked? You’re absolutely correct, Winter Love Song. And who’s the k-pop singer? Se7en ^^

I’ve done 2 trips this year. Amongst these trips, this trip to Korea is the best. I love the weather, the food, the children who gets awed whenever they hear us speak in English, and the Korean people who recognized us as Filipino by our language and the cute little guesthouse where we stayed for 10 nights 9 days.

Like what i have written earlier, my interest in Korea started while watching Winter Sonata which starred no other than but my no. 1 korean man Bae Yong Joon [read more about him in my blog which is dedicated to him].

A little about 4 years ago, I only had a very little knowledge about Korea. Few that i can remember are: their boxers are known head butters, the people love spicy food, and that during the one Olympics the north and south Korea Olympians marched together in the oval.

See? That's how I was uninterested in Korean then. But now? Geez, it's so funny that I even want to learn their language and culture. What is even ironic is that, I’m not only interested in entertainment news but as well as weather and politics. Isn't it amazing how one drama and a famous actor can lead me to be so much interested in Korea now?

Well honestly, some laugh at me and some are amazed on how I talk much about Korea, its people and culture. And from these people who I talked to, they only have one thing to say, they admire how the South Koreans were able to place their country in the rapid economy race in the world. The South Koreans advanced technology and digitally-connected country have helped them to be amongst the global leader in digital games, displays and phones.

Put aside the digital thingy, I think that the Hallyu Wave has put South Korea in the tourist map. Agree? I bet you do! Because this is how my 10-days and 9-nights vacation with my 6 friends with common denominator started.

First Night in Seoul

I arrived at Incheon Airport (via Cathay) 15 minutes ahead of my friends who took the PAL flight. We agreed to meet at the immigration area. I was surprised to see Incheon with only few people at the counter [well actually after alighting the plane I went to the washroom and probably most passengers have already been cleared…but still not that quite a busy airport]. After waiting for a few minutes my friends, Rica, Anne, Elle and Nimfa arrived. Then we did the usual stuff upon arrival.

4 of 7 buddies…all first-timer in S Korea.
Rica was the one taking the photo.

At 9pm our pickup service from Seoul Backpackers Guesthouse (SeBP) will be at the Bus No. 5 waiting area. Two of our friends, Elle and Anne will take the Airport Bus and will just meet them at the guesthouse. So off we go to Bus No. 5 waiting area.

When we set our foot at the door to go out to meet our pick-up, we were greeted by cool air. Oh, I love how the wind hugged and welcomed me to S Korea. Only a few minutes of waiting a tall guy approached us and he happened to be the staff from SeBP. His name is Jong [cute and nice fella] and whew, he speaks English. After a few introductions we then walked to the parking area. Btw, he might have been a little worried when he saw our big sets of luggage. But when he stuffed everything at the back of the van, all bags perfectly fit the van. Geez, but we all guessed the he might have hurt his arms carrying all our heavy suitcases. Poor Jong.

Seeing Seoul for the very first time, at night time, upon our arrival, I was really awed. With its huge highways, road structures, flyovers, bridges and still many vehicles on the road I was like “ohs” and “ahs” for about 1 hour from Incheon Airport. I love to try driving around Seou (hope to fulfill this dream ^^). All the way to SeBP, Jong must have been listening to us because I sometimes would see him smile. He must have been thinking that these Filipinas are crazy.

After an hour of ohs and ahs, we finally arrived at Seoul Backpackers. A cute little homey guesthouse near Insadong which is run by Mr Han with help from Jong, Min, Sang Min, Sang and the very very cute KC.

I’ve been mentioning Seoul Backpackers. Where is Seoul Backpackers Hostel?

Seoul Backpackers Hostel
30-1, Iksun-dong, Jongno-gu
Seoul, Korea

Tel. No. =82.2.3672 to 1972

Homepage : www.seoulbackpackers.com

The building with the yellow signage is SeBP.
The big van is the one that was used to pick us up
at the airport.

Ok, before I continue to go on with my story, let me tell you first a little about SeBP’s location. It’s a walking distance from 3 palaces namely Unghyeongung Palace where some scenes in Goong (Princess Hours) were shot (check episode 3), Changdeokgung Palance and Changgyeonggung Palace. It’s also very near the Japanese Embassy, Insadong market and few meters walk to Anguk station.

For breakfast from 8 to 9:30am, they serve (at the kitchen) toast, butter, jam, peanut butter and macaroni salad (I miss the salad which I believe is being prepared by Min). The kitchen every morning is always full of guests from different countries. It’s actually the time to get to know the other guests in the house.

SeBP's living room

cute decorations on top of the fireplace

shoeshelf at the entrance and beside it are brochures
and public pay phones

computer area that can be accessed 24 hours daily
except weekends

cute decor at the hallway of 2nd floor.
i hope that they'll relocate that fire extinguisher ^^

another cute set-up at the middle of the stairs
to the 2nd floor.

view of the stairs from the 2nd floor

wall decorations at the hallway of the 2nd floor

decoration at the wall in the entrance of our room

Hee, btw, I mentioned very very cute KC. Who the hell is KC? This is KC ~

I think KC knows that i love dogs. On the 2nd day of our stay, he would go to me for greetings, go to the entrance and fetch a slipper, he will then bring it to me and i would get it from him and throw for him to fetch again. He would do that until we leave the guesthouse or one of the staff stops him. Btw, we can't talk to KC in english so he have to learn few korean words just for him like "iriwa". Of course we can use too him words that we picked up from dramas like "anjo", "kah" and "annyeong kshie" ^^.

After settling our stuff and a few picture taking inside our room, at around 11pm we then decided to have a very late dinner. Oh btw, when we arrived at SeBP we were greeted by Min [another young staff of SeBP] and helped Jong bring our bags inside. But it was Jong again who brought our entire luggage all the way to the 2nd floor.

the very few photos that we are all together.

l-r : me, rica, anne, nimfa & elle

We found a small place to eat along Jongno 3-ga. There were several police officers eating so we thought that the food must be good there. Btw, while looking for a place to eat, we saw many tents along the street with many patrons. One of us said, “It’s for real, it’s not only in the drama.” Hee, I guess most of you would know the feeling when seeing the real thing than in the tube.

Because we are too hungry we forgot to take a photo of the bibimbap and only took a shot of the kimbap.

This is the place where we had our very late dinner.

A little over 1am we were back at the guesthouse, we took a bath/shower, arranged our schedule for tomorrow, then had our first good night sleep in Seoul. I’m pretty sure that every one of us slept with cute little smile on our face thinking that in the next few hours; little by little we will be discovering Seoul.

Day one will be next ^^

some old photos...

2006-10-06T23:44:00.000-07:00

Here are some more old photos which i took. I wish that I can still find the others to share here in my blog.

Gumamela at Greenbelt 3. Amongst the flowers
which i took, i specifically love this shot. See the dew?

Yellow flowerbed found at the landscape of GB3

Beautiful violets

heart pottery at Sonia's Garden in Tagaytay

Candid shot of a boy early morning at the bay area

Residential building in Singapore

One of the tall building that can be seen
at Greenbelt 3 in Makati.

Classy Hyatt Hotel & Casino

2006-09-24T00:43:00.000-07:00

I've been to Hyatt Hotel and Casino to attend events but my last visit was the only time i had the chance to visit their classy and elegant rooms. The high ceiling of each room gives you a feel of being at home.

Here let me take you a tour of the rooms I visited together with Claire and Mayie.

This is The Regency Room. This room has 3 sections : the bedroom, the toilet and bath and the receiving area. Those staying in this room can access The Regency Club.

The Regency Room is equipped with flat screen tv and dvd.
It also includes other amenities such as internet connection.

What I like about the bathroom of of Hyatt is that
the toilet is separated from the shower room.

The receiving are and dining. Hee , sorry we weren't albe to
get a shot without us ^^ . The one in black is Abby our
account executive.

Beautiful scenery from The Regency Room,
the Manila Bay where inyou can also see the
beautiful sunset.

The Guestroom. This is equivalent to the deluxe room of other hotels.

The Regency Club.

The Boardroom

lounge area

The dining area for those who are staying
at The Regency Room.

The Gym and Spa

The Market Cafe.
Again, another photo op for the three of us ^^ in The Regency Room.

At The Lounge at the ground floor while waiting for Abby. Of course we took the opportunity to pose for the camera again.

sumptuous lunch @ the spiral, sofitel philippine plaza

2006-09-23T04:36:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, September 11, Claire and I had a sumptuous lunch at The Spiral of Sofitel Philippine Plaza [formerly Westin Philippine Plaza].

The Spiral was newly renovated and opened middle of this year. It has many buffet station catering meditteranian, korean, chinese, western, japanese and many more.

Entrance to Spiral coming from the lobby of
Sofitel Philippine Plaza

Another entrance going to The Spiral using the elevator.

The intricate iron works of the stairs, lamps,
and decorations at the buffet stations.
It reminded me of "Gosireh" BYJ's
restaurant in Japan.

Buffet lunch or dinner is very cheap, it's only Php850++ [less than US$20]. You'll get your money's worth.

This side is overlooking the pool side and bay side.

One of the buffet station...the Chinese station.

Table for 4. Their utensils especially the knives,
are very different from the others which i've seen.
I love the water glass. Love the gree design ^^

This is the seafood station. Crabs, oysters, mussels, and many more. There are so many kinds of sauce that you can choose from.

Mountain full of seafoods...so yummy!

Mussels and crabls...delicious!

The dessert station is full of so many mouthwatering desserts too. Below are just 4 kinds of. There are creme brulles, crepes, "halo halo"[a filipino dessert with crushed ice, sweetend beans & fruits, tapiocca, leche flan, jelly, ube, ice cream, milk and lots more, really delicious] cookies, many kinds of cake, ice cream, fruits and many many more.

Dining at The Spiral, you'll even get the chance to see the beautiful sunset if you would choose to stay for a while after lunch or walk at the pool area or have some appetizer befor going to dinner.

The lunch was we had was actually a business lunch. I broung along Claire with me since she heads the Awards and Paraphernalia Committee of our NRP. We were at Sofitel Phil Plaza to have an ocular of their newly renovated rooms. And I'm so happy with the new look of the new deluxe and executive suites.

Here are some photos again~

The complimentary fruits in each room. The big
fruit i believe is passion fruit.

This is the deluxe room. I just love that
hanging capiz lamp^^

Another shot of the deluxe room. This is the twin sharing room.

The executive suite.

The love seat at the executive suite.

The plasma tv in the executive suite and the study table.

The rain shower in the executive suite.
See that tiles? I love them!

Of course the ocular will not be complete if we do not pose for the camera ^^

Claire

then of course me ^^

Just before lunch, we asked the waiter to take our photo with Pier, our very pretty account executive.
Thanks Pier for the sumptous lunch! Hope to be back in The Spiral on November.

Btw, we didn't get to take photos of the other buffet station because we were already too busy eating and we forgot all about it. ^^

a bit of a shutter bug

2006-09-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

I was rummaging thru my stuff and found some photos which i took several years back. For those who know me, aside from them knowing that i love posing in group photos they also know that i love taking photos. I love taking snapshots of the beach, skies, building, flowers, trees and rocks to name a few.

here are some of the stuff that i took in some of the trips that i've made.

in a 13 hrs rough road journey there is this beautiful beach
in casuguran, quezon where i found these cute little pebbles
washed ashore by the waves and lying all over the fine gray
sand of the beach.

On our way to vigan, ilocos sur we found this
place with huge rocks.

This is in Boracay in front of Waling Waling
Beach Resort where we stayed.

A beautiful rock formation in Boracay Island.
Boracay is one of the most beautiful
beaches in the world because of its
rich corals and fine white sand.

The beautiful beach in Casiguran, Quezon.
I just love the sky in this shot.

Another shot of the sunset in Fort, Ilocandia.
I was experimenting with my camera.

Sunset in Fort Ilocandia in Ilocos Norte. The sun was being
covered the heavy clounds. That open sea is already the China Sea.

In pug-os, ilocos. Just before sunset these kids were playing
happily with the waves. Right after I took this shot, the kids left
the water and went ashore but 2 kids were left and was taken
by the strong current. Luckily a fisherman came by
from his day’s work and rescued the kids.

This is a photo that I submitted in my photography class.
These are stones from the landscape of Greenbelt 3

we are going to seoul!

2006-09-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

yes! finally after waiting for more than a week we got our visa. yahoo! me, rica, anne, and elle will go to korean on october 11. nimfa got her visa yesterday. bambi, ziel and leah will be getting theirs by next week. the other ladies going with us i believe have already their visa.

we thought we won't be able to get an entry to korea because there are so many overseas filipino workers applying to korea. and we heard that they are kinda strict lately. with our worries of not being able to grant a visa, we were already planning of going to shanghai instead. but then our prayers have been answered. we got a 15 days single entry tourist visa. whew!

we're all getting so excited. finally we will be setting our footprints in korea. can't wait for oct 11 to finally arrive.

hee, rica took a photo of our visa at starbucks
at the ground floor of pacific star
where the korean embassy is located

as a souvenir on the day we got our visa, we took photo
of ourselves just before parting [see out big smile?].
we were at the canopy of pacific star waiting
for the driver of anne and rica. btw,
while i was on my way to my car, i happen to see
a group of cute koreans at starbucks ^^

dressing up as a cowgirl

2006-09-01T23:21:00.000-07:00

Me and my cowgirl colleagues. We dressed up for the night for our Company party. Cool don’t you think? The one is pink is tall and pretty Dea. She is so creative and talented. See the pink at the side of her pants? She sewed her dress the night before the party using pink paper. She’s a real knock-out beauty that night. The one in white boots with Julia Roberts locks is Cherry.

Hee, we got a little bored at the party for a while so we just thought of having our boots photographed.

the "hello kitty" room

2006-08-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

Last March we had our event at the office and it was held at The Westin Philippine Plaza. As part of B&A i was required to check-in at the hotel for 3 nights and 4 days. Hee, it would have been really nice if it's not work. You know what i mean? ^^

Well, anyway, in the previous years, the committee head and the assistants would normally be booked in a suite. But, this year was an exception, we were not booked in a suite but in a very special room with the name "Hello Kitty" room. [won't let you in with the details as to why we were given this room]

So what is a "Hello Kitty" room? It's a room full of Hello Kitty stuff ^^. Really cute room and it's soooo pink ^^. It's the one and only room at the hotel. We were told the room is normally being given to kids who are celebrating birthday at the hotel as package.

Here's the photo [one corner only] of the "Hello Kitty" room. [am with claire here]

I know i still have several photos somewhere in my pc at work but i can't find them anymore.

Hee, cute room don't you think? and expensive too. I think the room ranges from P4-5k.

weekend at holiday inn mimosa

2006-08-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

one good thing about my job is being invited by account executives to have an ocular in their hotel, resort or restaurant. likewise, being pampered because they know that our company will be a potential big account.

i've been doing events for years now for our company. i'm always in the B&A [banquet and accommodations] committee. the biggest event that i handled was last january with over 300 participants for a 2 nights 3 days event. the most glamorous one which i'll be spearheading will be next year and it'll probably have about 500 participants. doing events is one part of my kra[key result areas]. i still do lot of stuff at the office.

i love doing this kind of work. though at times it is a real headache especially if you'll deal with delegates who are "primadonna" or feeling like "primadonna". these kind of people give me whitehair ^^

geez, i'm not suppose to write about my work but to write about what is "attached" to my work ^^.

about 2 months ago i was looking for a venue for our event this august. my choice is to go north or south. since we've been having events held at south for quite sometime now i decided to try north this time.

so, north we go. the place, Holiday Inn, Mimosa, Clark, Pampanga. it's a 2 hrs drive from Manila. it is situated within Mimosa Leisure Estate. i asked claire and mayie [my buddies at work] to go with me one weekend.

won't bore you with details of our travel to Holiday Inn anymore but instead will just show you the photos which we took.

but before that, i learned last year that Bae Yong Joon my favore korean actor was here to play golf. actually Holiday Inn, Clark is situated within Mimosa Leisure Estate which includes the 36-hole membership Mimosa Golf and Country Club. and i believe that it was in this hotel that he checked in. there are many koreans, american and japanese who go and play here. oh before i forget, Clark used to be a US military camp. and there are many koreans and americans residing in this area as well.

okay enough blabbering and let me share with you the beauty of Holiday Inn, Mimosa.

The Hotel

Holiday Inn Clark, has 273 superior and de luxe rooms. 30 suites and 34 garden villas.

Lobby and Ground Floor

I love their furniture. They are all made of rattan and the color scheme is beautiful.

The Rooms

Though the rooms are small unlike the rooms from the other hotels, especially in Manila. They are cozy and well kept.

The Grand Ballroom

When we did the ocular, there was a scheduled wedding in the evening and we happened to see the preparation that the event coordinator is doing.

This is the 2-way buffet table

The center piece in each of the table.

The stage and i guess the tableau for the
photo op with the bride and groom.

The presidential table at the middle of the room.
I really love how the coordinator designed the whole
function room. The flower arrangements are beautiful,
colorful and so cheap. I was surprised to learn the price.

the view of the guest tables and presidential table.
Btw, in each table, the coordinator already placed
the souvenir gifts from the bride and the groom.

Coco's Spa

a wonderful place to indulge yourself with their irresistable spa package.

the entrance

the massage room

one of the beautiful native displays

the waiting area

Poolside

Top view from our room.

Copas - the bar

Rodizio

experience a brazilian style barbeque restaurant at the top floor. The food are yummy and the place is cozy. Really enjoyed eating all kinds of skewers. Love their buffet bar of salad and dessert too. The captain waiter and waiters are so funny and friendly. Service is fast that you'd turn the red and green cube to its red side for the serving to be stopped for a while.

Mequeni Cafe

Somehow, we forgot to take a photo of this restaurant. But it was another feast for us to have our buffet breakfast their.

The Villa

There are 2 choices for you to stay at Holiday Inn. You can opt to stay inside the hotel or experience living in their villa.

The villa has 2 rooms [master's bedroom and guest's room]. If you're bringing along your driver with you or helper, the villa also provides and extra room for them.

now that you've seen what Holiday Inn looks like, it's not time to share with you our photos. hee, this weekend getaway will not be complete without any of us posing for the camera.

This is at the entrance of The Rodizio [a Brazilia Restaurant at the top floor] Holiday Inn has a wide variety of wines. Actually the entrance to the restaurant is their cellar.

and the posing continues...

it was the first time for mayie and claire to join me for an ocular and both really had a grand time. we were able to relax, bond and eat so much food. because it was a new experience to mayie, she is actually asking me when and where is the next ocular.

there are more resorts and hotels waiting for me to accept their invitation for an ocular. i've no time at the moment but soon i'll be bringing along with me again my close buddies, for another holiday weekend.

p.s. liit, if you are reading this, did you notice what i'm wearing? thanks, sis! *wink*

one of those crazy afternoon at work

2006-08-22T00:33:00.000-07:00

these photos were taken in one of our meeting rooms which was converted into a studio 2 weeks ago only for the photoshoot of our top producers. it was actually late in the afternoon when edwin loyola, the photographer and former colleague, asked us to pose for him so that his team can pack up and go home since they've been at the office the whole day.

since it was already the end of the day and we are all just having some cake and ice cream because it was the birtdhay of mayie and nikka, we decided then to pose for fun and play like a model for edwin. and here are the photos which he took.

mike m with annie. these two made us laugh all the time they were having their photos taken. well, annie is really a funny lady. he and mike would flirt at times just for fun. hmm, mike is one of our young executives at the office. he used to be one of the heartthrobs until he settled down last year.

mike has been my friend for almost 10 years now [hmm, did it counted it right?] i've known annie since her philamcare day. both are very nice then and now.

this is annie with edwin our photographer and former colleague. he's very talented and had won many awards in photograpy. i think he's one of those who introduced me to photography as well.

these 2 were the birthday girls ^^ mayie [in brown] is everyone's favorite. she's fun to with and always game. kinda popular with the guys because she loves to drink ^^. nikka, is pretty in person. i love to look at her face. she has deep set eyes. she has spanish blood.

hee, this is me and claire, one of my buddies at work. she's sweet and inlove. actually she doesn't want to be photographed on that day because she's not feeling well and feeling a bit down due to some guy. but she's okay now and mayie and i think that there is progress in her lovelife. [liit if you are reading this, she's the one i was telling you about in one of our chats. we'll try our luck next year]

this one is funny. mica, me, kat, claire and annie were trying to be professional models. huh?! i guess were really not made to be one.

hmm, but i guess constant posing in front of the mirror will help. ^^ [crazy huh?]

btw, each and everyone of us have solo poses, but i don't have the guts to post my solo photos. they give me goosebumps ~^-^~

anyway, we will have another session with edwin one of this days and he told us that we've to practice our poses, put on make up and wear colorful outfit.

liit, you might be wondering, i tied my hair at the back and braided the lower half. my hair has grown so long now it's almost to my waist. i'll have them cut a little next month when it's time for me to have a hairspa. ^^

rainy monday

2006-08-21T01:21:00.000-07:00

i was supposed to update the photos of my previous entry but i forgot my cds at the office. i guess the updating has to wait for few more days.

it's monday and it's raining. good thing that today is a holiday ^^ why? well...

no. 1 ~ for some reasons i wasn't able to sleep well. i've insomnia for 6 years now. i usual go to bed past 1 everynight and last night i went to bed at 2 and cannot get myself to sleep until 4. sigh...

no. 2 ~ the cold weather just makes me want to stay in my room, update my blogs, chat with friends.

hey friends, i invite you to please visit my blog, i just made an update

Hankering for Yong Joon

no. 3 ~ i haven't gone to the carwash to have my car clean...hee, pretty bad, noh? i'm to lazy to go out and drive. i'll just have to wait for my nephew to do it for me ^^

it'll be work again tomorrow. i'm too tired to work. if only it's not my bread and butter i would rather stay home and do all the stuff that i want. hee, but i've to earn a living to support myself and those i love ^^.

geez, on friday i have to go on leave and have my car register at LTO. sometimes, it pains me not to have a guy do this for me like my other friends. hee, i'm blabbering again. anyway, i've been doing this for ages and everytime i'm done with it i tell myself, " you did well liezle, you can be without a man", ha! actually i only complain on stuff like this when it comes to my car. i hate going to the mechanic, i hate going to LTO, and i hate it when there's no one to ask to change the tires of my for me. but since there's no one around i do it myself. but the complain doesn't stop. crazy little me, huh?

oh well, rainy monday makes me blabber.

hong kong get away

2006-08-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

will be finishing blogging my hk trip later...there are still more photos to post but i've to work first and earn a living to be able to go travel again ^ ^

Spring in Hong Kong. The following photos were taken at the Kowloon Park just right beside BP International Hotel. The wonderful weather of spring when we arrived matched these beautiful flowers blomming in the middle of of the park.

I really like this decoration hanging from the ceiling of BP International Hotel. They are made of irons.
At the lobby of BP International Hotel. This is located at Austin Rd.

my li'l cozy corner

2006-03-30T17:45:00.000-08:00

i'm finally starting to feel the urge to update my li'l cozy corner here at blogspot ^^

i made this blog particulary for my trips and for other friends to know a little about me. as if it's a big deal ~^_^~

anyway, i'm just a simple lady who wants to be always in front of my computer, travel once in a while domestically or internationally and be with friends.

like i said i travel once in a while. six year ago, i love to travel domestically. i go around place with friends almost every week. but due to some personal reasons [the demise of my father, problem with work, heart, family and friends] the travelling become lesser and lesser. until there was a year that i really didn't go out of town and even stopped seeing my friends. btw, i'm the kind of person who keeps thing to myself.

then in 2002, i went back on track little by little and started seeing friends, enjoying the nightlife, going out of town with friends, and i even went to Singapore.

before i never liked computer/internet. i never thought that it'll be my bestfriend and companion high tide or low tide. today, day in and day out you'll see me here.

i met friends online who redirected my thoughts. until today, they are there and we see each other once in a while. hee, and we are even planning on a trip out of the country this autumn. we'll be blogging about this soon. *^-^*

oh yeah, what made me desire internet so much. hee, i know that most of you already know...it's bae yong joon [want to read my blog about him? click here], k-actors and k-dramas. weird? not for me...it's my life.

there are only 4 things that i love most [aside from Jesus Christ of course] at this time ~

1. my mom, nephew, niece and brother [though he may not be the perfect brother ...sob] and my dogs. in other word my family.
2. my computer
3. my car
4. and to travel

and there is only one thing that i wish for which everyone of us is wishing for ~

happiness. [in my case i'm single, if the Lord wants me to remain single, i ask him to just let me travel then it's ok for me to remain single forever] ^^

right now, i'm happy but not blissfully happy though. there are so many things that are lacking. but i'm ok. i take things one step at a time and make the most of it. there is no time to regret the things that had happened [which i never did anyway]. the past is past it can't be undone. what i love to is see the future because i know it'll be a good one.