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It’s been a shopping marathon. Three consecutive days at three different National Bookstore branches.

The shopping marathon started late last week. Day 1 at Crossings, day 2 at SM North, and day 3, heaven at the Super Branch.

I found out about the sale a week before the marathon began. I was buying books for Facebook’s Nurture Nature garden, an online game, and Facebook’s first-ever live garden, which I did the production/set design for. I was at the Super Branch then but was not able to go back earlier to get my own share of books. So one day when I was on my way to Wilcon in Quezon Avenue (as I was a renovation project), I stopped by at National Bookstore and ended up buying some books. That kicked off the marathon.

After three days of book shopping with Amrei, we got the books that really interest us. There are books about music, business, dogs, beads and crafts, furniture design, Asian decorations, trivia books, pop culture and of course, arts and travel. We got some fiction novels too, biographies, and a whole lot of illustrated and comic books. A total of 77 titles, or 84 books if including duplicates for gifts! I measured the tower of piled books and it’s at 154 cm, just a few cm short of my height!

I’ve never bought so much books in my life before, and I have never spent this much! I will not say how much we’ve spent but I must say it’s all worth it because there are really good books out on sale. So go now before it’s too late!

National Bookstore’s Price cut sale is up to 75%, sale is only until August 22!

Gayuma is a “Lifestyle Restaurant” originally located at Esteban Abada, Xavierville. It was a nice and cozy place. We shot the music video of Matilda’s Iyak ni Maria in Gayuma with Director Sherad Sanchez a couple of years ago. I have not been to Gayuma since after, because the place closed, rumors said that it caught fire that damaged the place.

There’s an empty building in Sikatuna that always got my attention because it looked like it’s going to be something soon. I think it was used as a campaign headquarters last election. And now, some construction seemed to be going on outside. I thought it was going to be a spa but I was pleasantly surprised to see a signage of “Gayuma ni Maria” in the building just last Sunday.

Gayuma Ni Maria, Lifestyle Restaurant in Sikatuna

Curious if it’s the same old Gayuma we knew, we went inside to check out the place. Yes, it was the old Gayuma. With some of its old menu. There’s always comfort in familiarity.

cozy dining place

wall of potion recipes

It is still a cozy place with mix and match furniture pieces and furnishings. A wall of love letters and potion recipes. Lace curtains line up the windows, and an alfresco area with a wall of painted rocks. I like the peacefulness of the place, it’s relaxing and the staff were very accommodating.

wall of painted rocks

Some improvements could be made though. I wish they change the tablecloths, and maybe they can loose the bright pink Chinese lamps in the alfresco area. I also wonder how the alfresco area would look like at night. I hope they have pretty lamps to lit up the place.

alfesco dining

When we were there, Beyonce and Justin Bieber were playing. Maybe they can play something that would enhance the ambiance. How about some mellow world music, or Kundiman perhaps?

crayola for doodling!

A lovely detail was the art-lovin’ happening in the place. There are crayons and manila paper on top of tables, as well as some paintings adorning the walls.

Chinoy in 7th Heaven

yummy avocado shake

Despite some imperfections, we had a lovely dining experience just the same. We had the delicious avocado shake, Chinoy in 7h Heaven (described as “fried chicken obra gently simmered in a concoction of Chinese herbs with a heavenly rice mix”) that has some delicious fries on the side. For dessert, we ordered the Beat Sex Any Day (BSA) cake, the new version of the Better Than Sex cake. We finished up with a cup of Arabica and Robusta coffee mix, with free refill! And we got a 10% discount, a promo for the dry run period.

Gayuma is currently operating on dry run and will fully open on July 28. Come and be in love with Gayuma ni Maria.

Gayuma ni Maria: Now Open!

Gayuma ni Maria is a few meters away from Save More, along V. Luna Extension in Sikatuna. There’s a huge (Acacia?) tree that’s decorated with yellow ribbon (yes, the Aquino branding) lanterns in front of Gayuma.

What’s on the menu?

A guest had two choices. Menu A – cesar salad, grilled pepper fish fillet with pasta. Menu B – sicillian salad, herb roasted chicken with buttered vegetables and rice. Both come with refillable iced tea or lemonade, mango panna cotta for dessert, and a charitable act of giving to a foundation that helps children with cancer.

grilled pepper fish fillet with pasta

cesar salad

herb roasted chicken with buttered vegetables and rice

Kythe “is a non-stock, non-profit organization that provides psychosocial care to sick children in hospitals.” I was invited by my friend Kiel, a generous Kythe volunteer to attend this charity dinner. I work at VitalStrats Creative Solutions, a design and video production studio that also helps Kythe in its effort to affect people to help the foundation’s cause. We are to do three videos, and design cards and packaging for some of Kythe’s merchandise. I am so proud of my company for doing these voluntarily and absolutely free despite some hectic schedules to balance. Ever since Kiel has briefed us about Kythe, I found its intentions as something angelic and unique. Any help we could give for the benefit of the cancer patients that the foundation supports is actually pretty cool. And with its menu sets, Php 500 is not bad at all!

mango panna cotta for dessert

The dinner was  held last night (July 21) at Italianni’s Restaurant at the new Centris Walk at Eton Centris in Quezon Avenue corner EDSA.

Tickets for "Eats Time to Give" Menu A and Menu B

We truly enjoyed the dinner, with the good food servings of Italianni’s, its awesome staff, and the quietness of the place, as it’s not yet crowded with people. Of course, I was with good friends too! Hi to Kristelle Tee, Amrei Dizon (general manager of VitalStrats Creative Solutions), Karla Lizardo, Nick Olanka (director of “Mukha” in the new Star Cinema movie “Cinco” starring Mariel Rodriguez (still showing at 100 theaters nationwide!) and of course, Kiel!

Italianni’s also gave out some opening treats for us! Coupons for free Pepperoni Pizza (without purchase requirement)! And free fries on our next visit!

Congratulations to Kiel Fernandez, Italianni’s Eton and Kythe Foundation for the success of the event.

So last Monday, I explored Recreational Outdoor eXchange or R.O.X. at Bonifacio High Street and discovered some things on sale that really caught my attention. I bought a The North Face (TNF) Base Camp Bento Box but left behind another bag that I also liked. So last Friday, while I still have the time (and the budget), I went back to R.O.X. to see if the orange bag that I liked last Monday was still there. Unfortunately, it’s not. But there’s an orange TNF Shifty Messenger Bag in place of the original bag that I liked, I thoroughly examined the Shifty bag if I would like it as much as I liked the appearance of the other bag. I found the other bag prettier because of the mesh design in front, but the Shifty bag looks good and functional as well. I was having second thoughts about the Shifty bag because that’s not why I came back to R.O.X. in the first place so I checked out other stuff instead, while making my decision about the bag.

I was looking at the Keen products and found a cute Mary Jane shoes. I have always wanted to get a new doll shoes again, but could not seem to find the perfect pair. I’m a little picky with doll shoes because I truly loved the last doll shoes I had – I got the pair from Maphisto when I was in high school. The shoes have thick soles with wood sandwiched in the heels, And I just loved its form, it’s good for pants, shorts, skirts, with or without socks! ANd they were not too girly at all! Gosh I missed those shoes! I wish I could find another one like that. But not after I’ve worn out the new Keen Midori MJ shoes that i bought.

Keen Midori Mary Jane Shoes (online photo)

I was just looking at the shoes in rust and green and the next thing I know, I was already trying the black pair on, walking on it, and liking it. I think would also look goon on shorts, pants and skirt. And it’s made from Keen’s environment-friendly products of organic canvas, natural jute rubber and renewable nubuck leather. The first time I knew about Keen was about three years

My pretty Keen Midori MJ shoes from R.O.X.

Now going back to the Shifty bag, I asked a stire staff to stuff the bag so I could see how it would look, and I realized how big it was. It’s like as big as a medium duffel bag when fully stuffed so I bought it because I love big, versatile bags.

The North Face Shifty Messenger Bag - Mine!

Now I’m thinking if I should just bring my Bento Box and a small backpack (maybe my Hedgren backpack) on my next trips, instead of bring my 65L TNF pack. And now I’m using the Shifty bag as my everyday bag. :)

I love my new gears and I just cant wait to go out and explore some more!

Related Posts:

Never Stop Exploring, R.O.X. Bonifacio High Street – part 1/2
My Hedgren Great American, HGA 16 Function Travelgear
Other posts under Gears and Gadgets

Recreational Outdoor eXchange or R.O.X. at Bonifacio High Street looked like it’s going to be a happy place for me and I’ve proven it just this week!

I have only been inside the store a few times and a few months ago, I went inside to look at some The North Face bags and drool on everything I see. Then discovered that there’s a registration booth on the second floor that gives out flyers for marathons and runs. And of course I picked up the reg forms for the marathons that were to come soonest since I missed Ayala’s Run for Home where my sister and brother in law joined.

Anyway, Amrei and I were in a client meeting last July 12 at McKinley Hill and decided to walk to BHS. I was wearing boots and carrying my laptop and it was a twenty-minute walk that made us sweat so much, but I enjoyed it just the same. I was so thirsty when I got to BHS but I saw R.O.X. so i passed up the drink and instead drool over some swell gears. Amrei got a beautiful TNF Surge backpack while I checked out every pack that TNF has to offer. I found myself adoring a TNF Base Camp Bento Box on sale. It’s still a bit pricey even on sale but I loved the red bag and thought that it would make for a good hand-carry luggage. I still needed to look for something else so I did not immediately buy the bag until after I checked out other stores in BHS! Save the best for last, right?

The North Face Base Camp Bento Box - Red (online photo)

I checked out some Salomon and Deuter products but I did not like their hydration items. I also checked out Nike, but did not find what I was looking for.

I have always wanted to get a waist pack or a hydration  belt because I always lose momentum in running when I have to stop to grab a drink, and my form is poor, so a hand-held bottle would tire me and make my form worse! Too bad there’s a basic hand-held bottle (with straps) at TNF at an affordable price! So since I was already at BHS, I checked out Runnr, a shop that obviously specializes in Running gears. I was lucky that Runnr has one hydration belt that has a 22 oz tumbler, since most hydration belts they sell are those with multiple 500-calorie/5-ounce flasks.

my Nathan Elite 1 Plus tumbler

I use two tumblers – one is a 1.5L tumbler which I use at work, and a 750ml tumbler that I use for jogging and shooting (like in commercials, movies, not the one with guns, ok?) and I lost the 750ml just recently at a Serendra shoot. Now though this new tumbler is the smallest I ever had, it’s currently my favorite and I use it at work as well!

Mine is a Nathan Elite 1 Plus from the Race/Elite Series, so it also has one flask. And since I’m not a hardcore runner and I don’t buy gels and the likes, maybe I’ll use the flask to put chocolate drink in it. ;-)

Nathan Elite 1 Plus hydration belt. Actual photo above, online photo below.

So after buying at Runnr and getting a power cord adapter at iStudio (because mine is already busted and over heating), I went back at R.O.X. to buy that gorgeous red TNF Bento Box. I was disappointed to see that there’s another bag on sale — an orange messenger bag with a laptop divider and mesh design in front! I was disappointed because I do not want to buy two bags at the same time and because the discounts do not make a big difference and I’m not one who impulsively buy things. So I only bought the Bento Box and went home happy.

The North Face Base Camp Bento Box (Red) - Mine!

I was happy because I can already cross out the hydration belt on my “to buy” list. Finding the TNF bag was accidental but buying it was absolutely intentional. I was also happy that I truly explored R.O.X. and the other shops at Bonifacio High Street and found out all these interesting items that they sell. I only used to check out Speedo and Stoked when I go to B.H.S., or look at tents and backpacks at R.O.X., and occasionally I would go inside the Nike store, where I found my first Nike running shoes two and a half years ago!

So R.O.X is right all along, we should go inside the store to get outdoor. And TNF’s motto is one that’s really for me – we should never stop exploring.

Recreational Outdoor eXchange / R.O.X. is located at Bonifacio High Street, B1 ROX Building, Taguig City, Philippines. Contact them at +632 8564639.

Related Posts:

Never Stop Exploring, R.O.X. Bonifacio High Street – part 2/2
My Hedgren Great American, HGA 16 Function Travelgear
Other posts under Gears and Gadgets

When I was a kid, I would always hop and skip on stairs, plant boxes, and elevated surfaces that I see. I would pretend to be in the Lara Croft RPG and slide on the hand rail of our old house’s stairs. I loved climbing up walls and windows, then jumping down, then roll if I could. I dreamt of jumping from roof to roof like in the movies. Who knew that one day, there would be an extreme sport in that form, and would be named parkour?

It was also when I was little that I dreamt of being a Traveler. Remember that show in Discovery Channel? I was young then, and now, when I ‘google’ the show, I could not find it.

The adrenalin in such adventures that I had when I was small, jumping over obstacles, was high, and enough for my young playful mind. And the places I saw in Discovery Channel made me curious to explore the awesome-ness in this earth.

Now that I am older and I can already travel to places, I was able to experience some extreme adventures, for real. Grown up style! I tried a giant slide in Samal with a 40-meter drop to open sea. Jumped several times from a high diving board to open water, and got washed under a raft while white water rafting in Davao! Too bad I did not have time to try the zip line, though I already have the ticket for it.

Now that I’ve experienced the thrills in such extreme sports, I think my ultimate adventure would be to skydive at 14,000 feet off the ground! Oh boy, oh boy, what joy! And since I have always dreamt of hiking the Blue Mountains and visiting the Sydney Opera House, why don’t I skydive in Sydney?

And while I’m there, why don’t I go a little south and try skydiving in Wollongong as well? This is going to give me a good view of the yachts docked at Wollongong’s piers!

Skydiving over Wollongong Beach

And why would I pass the chance to see the beautiful Queensland and also try skydiving in Brisbane? Maybe I’ll do it on a September so after skydiving in the morning, I could go see the fireworks over a beautiful man-made beach in the Riverfestival!

Skydiving in Brisbane

I’m sure to get high on these ultimate adventures on my mind. Dreaming is free, right? But who knows, maybe one day, I’ll be sipping cocktails in Bondi Beach, and getting ready for my skydiving adventures all over Australia!

Related Posts:

White Water Rafting in the Davao River
Giant Slide at the Maxima Aquafun, Island Garden City of Samal

The Tagudin Sundial, famous for being the first sundial in the Philippines, is erected in 1814 by Father Juan Sorolla. It is also the oldest sundial in the Philippines, meaning it still stands proud until today.

Tagudin Sundial, Tagudin Ilocos Sur

We went on a very fulfilling (full and filling!) road trip in North Luzon, passing by Vigan, Bangui, Laoag, Pagudpud, Sarrat, Currimao, Batac and other places along the route, trying out the town’s specialties, buying pasalubong and souvenirs, visiting its natural and man-made attractions, and just enjoying the beautiful North. One of our first stopovers was in Tagudin to see the Tagudin Sundial.

the dial can be seen on both sides.

It was a little weird for us, seeing the ‘dial’ on both sides. The structure was not even grand, and one would think that there are far more better sundials to see than this. But remember that this sundial was constructed in 1814, and was said to be the only sundial used in the Spanish era, so to see this small sundial in the town of Tagudin is to visit a town’s pride in Ilocos Sur, and a historical landmark in the whole of the Philippines.

Brothers Burger Hamburger Day

Who knew that there’s a Hamburger Day? Well now we have a reason to celebrate! :)

Although it says Wally World’s Homestay in the signage, the place is more popular as Wally’s World Homestay or Surf Homesstay, with its own recall due to pop culture, Walmart and London.

Wally's World a.k.a. Surf Homestay, Pagudpud Beach, Ilocos Norte

We went to Maira-Ira Point, to its more popular beach, Blue Lagoon, in Pagudpud on a Maundy Thursday night, knowing that new resorts have emerged, we hoped to be able to book a place to stay. Too bad, most hotels were fully booked, or could not accommodate the five of us. We searched the stretch and found nothing but home-stays. We chose the one at the end of the road that is Wally’s World.

Since we’re walk in guests, they did not have dinner ready to cook for us, so we had dinner at Kapuluan Vista Resort, just a few meters away from Wally’s World.

We were given a room with two big beds that’s near it’s communal comfort room. It’s a very simple and basic accommodation which was really fine by me. Besides, we were there for the great outdoors. The room had a flooring of crushed corals which extends the beach feel from the shore.

Tired from the road trip and happy with the food from Kapuluan Vista Resort, we all hit the sack before midnight.

The next morning, we were ushered by Kuya Wally himself to the beach, where make-shift tables and benches laid. It’s breakfast by the beach! Apparently, with home-stays, guests can request for food to be cooked and served at their preferred time. Fish was abundant in the area, of course. And I just love the breakfast they served us. Rice, eggs, vegetables and a bunch fresh catch! The best part is the view.

view from the dining table

We also had lunch and dinner here, some beer after dinner, and breakfast the next morning.

Breakfast on our last day in Wally's World

It was great having lived a day like this again. Simple life, simple pleasures. Away from the city. Home-cooked food served with matching soup and siding. Wally’s World took care of us like a mom. :)

Though it’s not a room of hotel convenience, everything else is perfect there. They have a store that sells almost everything. Halo Halo is available in the afternoon. The dining area is the perfect place. In front of the beach, with the cool breeze, sound of the wave crashing in the shore, the vast South China Sea that meets with the morning skies. PERFECT! I love it. I love home-cooked food. I love rice in the morning. I love enchiladas. I love the beach. I truly enjoyed it! Plus Kuya Wally’s puppies running around the shore!

I wish I could’ve stayed longer there.

Contact Kuya Wally at 0921-275-2340.

Related Posts:

Kapuluan Vista Resort, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte
Vigan Heritage Village, Ilocos Sur
North Luzon Road Trip
Bangui Windmills, Bangui Ilocos Norte
What is the Best Empanada in Ilocos?

Our journey from Manila started at around 2AM. At dusk, we were somewhere along Zambales to take photographs of the beautiful sunrise. At lunch, we were at Vigan Heritage Village, eating Vigan Empanada at the Plaza in front of the Vigan Cathedral. By sunset, we were shooting the very awesome Bangui Windmills. Note, very awesome!!! As the sun disappeared from the horizon, we continued our journey to Pagudpud. Saud, a public beach was much closer to Bangui. But I insisted that we go directly to the Blue Lagoon.

I remember my first trip to Pagudpud. We went to Saud Beach, slept on the sand overnight, the next day, rented a van to Blue Lagoon. Blue Lagoon was really blue. And from afar, we could see some surfers. I really wondered if they were locals, or tourists who brought their own surfboards. They were about a kilometer away from Blue Lagoon. There were seldom waves waiting for someone to hitch. We walked from Blue Lagoon towards the surf but was not lucky to reach the tip of Luzon. Yes, I could really imagine then that the beach break was at the tip of the left of North of Luzon.

Kapuluan Vista Resort

And I was right. It was the tip of Luzon. And there’s a resort there. A beautiful resort, actually. It’s the Kapuluan Vista Resort. It was fully booked when we arrived, and so were most of the resorts. We couldn’t find a resort that could accommodate all five of us and our requirements, so we settled for a homestay accommodation in Wally’s World. Since Mang Wally, the owner of the homestay rooms, did not prepare dinner for night walk-in guests, we ate at Kapuluan Vista Resort. These were our orders:

Yummy chicken with salsa

Adobo

Tinola

The food was good and in generous servings for PHP 150-250 (+ 5 USD). While waiting for our food, we saw Bb Gandanghari. Of course, we did not pass the chance to have our picture taken with her!

i know i look a bit starstruck here, but this one's for the community! :)

The next day, when I got halo-halo from a store, the lady who sold me Halo Halo said Jericho Rosales was in Kapuluan, surfing. We were supposed to surf that morning, but was not able to wake up early. Then in the afternoon, we would have gotten to surf with Echo on the same beach (would have been my second time since someone told me that when I attended the Surf Clinic in La Union in 2008, Echo was also there, but I did not see him since the Urbiztondo beach is always jam packed at Surf Clinics) but the waves seemed to be lazy that afternoon with very short and seldom rides. So we passed up until the next morning.

View from the outside

longboard and shortboard just lying around

resting areas near the beach

The next morning, there’s a very wild Amihan and doesn’t look advisable to surf. Though not able to surf, we still enjoyed our breakfast by the beach and I took the chance to photoshoot Ananda Kanani’s Summer Earring Collection! :)

It was unfortunate that Kapuluan Vista Resort was fully booked then. But there’s always a ‘next time’.

Resort Photos by Amrei Dizon

Related Posts:
Wally’s World Homestay, Pagudpud Ilocos Norte
Vigan Heritage Village, Ilocos Sur
North Luzon Road Trip
Bangui Windmills, Bangui Ilocos Norte
What is the Best Empanada in Ilocos?

According to WikiPilipinas, the Vigan Heritage Village is a town in Vigan, Ilocos Sur that is considered the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. In November 1999, it was placed on the World Heritage List commemorating its cultural significance.

Calle Crisologo, Vigan Heritage Village

The village was established in the 16th century, when trade and community activity started to flourish along the Mestizo River, lasting up to the 19th century. The name “Vigan” was derived from a giant taro plant “biga” that grew abundantly along the riverbanks. Most of the materials — such as adobe, pebbles, bricks and posts — were brought from Europe through the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade. The construction work was done by Chinese laborers. Thus, the village’s architecture reflects a unique fusion of Spanish European and Chinese culture.

tourists love chillin’ at Vigan Heritage Village’s wooden benches

I think it was Easter Sunday of 2007 when I first appreciated the beauty of the place. There were but a few shops selling Vigan shirts and souvenirs that time, some shops are closed, and the beauty of the “village” was very apparent. I will post some photos from way back then here.

Now two years after, the streets of the Heritage Village seemed to be a big tiangge (bazaar) place. It’s getting hard to appreciate the thick walls of the Spanish houses clad with authentic Vigan tiles, the cobblestone road, olden pavements and nostalgic capiz windows. All I saw were tourists that were checking out what the stores were selling. I wish they’d either move the stores to another block, or centralize them in one place, so that there would still be areas that are not obscured by merchandise. So that there will be areas that will are easier to appreciate, and prettier in the photos. Also, keeping the village cleaner and less cluttered would help preserve the heritage, nowadays  a rare beauty.

history and architecture in Vigan Heritage Village

Related Posts:

North Luzon Road Trip
Bangui Windmills, Bangui Ilocos Norte
WhaWhat is the Best Empanada in Ilocos?
Kapuluan Vista Resort, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte
Wally’s World Homestay, Pagudpud Ilocos Norte

According to Wikipedia, an empanada is a Spanish and Portuguese stuffed bread or pastry, also known as “impanata” in Italy. The name comes from the verbempanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Empanada is made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing. In Spain, empanadas are usually large and circular in shape and are cut into smaller portions for consumption, whereas in Portugal and South America empanadas are normally small and semi-circular (this type of empanada is commonly known as empanadilla in Spain).

In Ilocos, some towns, like Vigan and Batac, have popularized their versions of this Spanish pastry. Vigan’s version is a delightful mixture of Vigan longganisa, shredded cabbage and egg, then deep-fried to a crispy wrapper. Batac’s version, which is said to be Ilocos Norte’s Best Empanada, uses Batac longganisa, monggo sprouts (togue) and egg, then also deep fried. I think Vigan Empanada can claim that it’s the best in Ilocos Sur!

The Plaza, beside Vigan Cathedral, is where one will surely find the famous Vigan Empanada

deep frying Vigan Empanada

draining oil from Vigan Empanada

In both empanadas, a customer can request for “malasado” (egg is half-cooked). Both are really yummy, but some folks prefer one over the other. Depending on their taste for Longganisa. Vigan longganisa is a little sour due to the use of the famous Ilocos vinegar, and garlicky, Batac’s is not as sour. Preference also depends on a person’s like or dislike of cabbage or monggo sprouts.

Pricelist in Batac Riverside Empanadaan

Batac Empanada

Try both to know your preference!

Related Posts:

North Luzon Road Trip
Bangui Windmills, Bangui Ilocos Norte
Kapuluan Vista Resort, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte
Vigan Heritage Village, Ilocos Sur
Wally’s World Homestay, Pagudpud Ilocos Norte