All grown up: July 2011

Katniss and Gale

I meant to blog about one of our many food trips but I got sidetracked by this latest still from The Hunger Games:

I have been and will always be rooting for Katniss and Gale. There's too much history between the two. My heart broke when they didn't end up together. It also doesn't help that they chose a hotter actor to play Gale. Good luck, Peeta Mellark.

Missing the island

It's raining non-stop for the past three days and at times like these, I can't help wish I'm on the beach with the sun beating down on my face. Which reminds me, I keep forgetting to blog about my most recent trip to Boracay with the family last month. It was a blast bonding with my cousins for four straight days. I'm also proud to announce that I survived a one-hour plane trip sitting between two kids who were constantly fighting. I'm like a pro with kids now, I can definitely work as baby-sitter.

It was raining when we got there so the kids had a grand old time swimming with the waves and playing in the sand. We stayed at Station 1 so they all got to enjoy the wide shoreline right in front of our hotel.

We walked all the way to 'D Mall for dinner and I must say, Lemon iCafe's Mango Madness is worth the fifteen-minute walk!

And because we were a bunch of kids, we spent the whole second day trying out water sports at Bolabog beach. It was my first and LAST time to try the banana boat and the helmet diving. I'm a scaredy cat and it was pretty traumatic trying to hold on for dear life while a crazed boatman zigzags and drags you around on a flimsy banana-looking inflatable boat. Also, no one told me that helmet-diving requires a huge amount of guts and insanity. It's not made for idiots, I tell you. One wrong move and you can drown underwater. I was too scared holding on to my helmet to appreciate the awesome sight underwater. I managed to pull off a couple of poses for the cameraman, though. Grace under pressure my ass.

Since Two Seasons provides a free shuttle service for guests, we took every chance to explore the other stations. My balikbayan relatives loved D Talipapa. We spent a couple of times there buying fresh seafood and you can ask one of the restaurants to cook it however you like. Look at that lobster. Rawr. And of course, no Boracay trip would be complete without Jonah's, the kids enjoyed it. It was pretty funny walking on the beach at night with two kids running in the dark just to get to Jonah's.

We went island hopping on our third day. I took off my life vest a couple of minutes into the water coz I love to dive when I'm snorkeling. This shot was taken before that and before my cousin decided to ride me piggyback style while I had no life vest on. Hello, second life. Haha!

And of course, it's not a Boracay trip if I don't get to go to Puka beach. There's something magical about that place for me. I'm too in love with the shells and the blue water. The sun shone merrily that day and I was way too tanned at the end of the day but who cares?

We spent the rest of the day lounging outside the hotel or by the pool hoping to catch a glimpse of the sunset. Instead, we walked all the way to the grotto to get our Jonah's and Loco Frio fix.

<3 My little partner in fashion and crime

Woke up the kiddos with a heavy heart on our last day :(

I loooove Two Seasons' beach front cabanas. What I would give to lounge by the beach again.

We went for a quick stop at Station 2 so I can order calamansi muffins as pasalubong at Real Coffee. Check out the sights, that fierce Chihuaha's too cute and we all bought matching Hawaiian flower barrettes <3

The sun was too tempting so we spent the whole afternoon out on the beach while waiting for our call time to Kalibo It was a tough choice between a massage or a mango shake and we ended up sitting there and sneaked in some last-minute tanning.

I miss the island already.

The Whimsy at Cafe 1771

The boyfriend had a brilliant plan over the week, he was craving Cafe 1771's organic chicken and proposed to eat dinner there last Friday. I'm not a fool so I said yes and made dinner reservations right away. Cafe 1771 has three areas, the Winebar, the Lounge, and the Whimsy. We already ate at the Winebar and the Lounge so I was thrilled when they told me that the secluded, cozy area of the Whimsy was available. Typically, the Whimsy's the busiest area of Cafe 1771 but I've been eyeing the quiet corner by the huge French windows beside the stairs leading up to the Winebar for a while now. It's the perfect spot for a romantic dinner.

Anyway, just to compare, here's the Winebar. It's the perfect place for a quiet dinner with a hushed and secluded ambiance.

This was taken last year. Ever since I saw that perfect spot at the landing I just knew we had to eat there.

And here's The Lounge, with its pretty bookshelves and giant couches.

My favorite area's still The Lounge. But the little girl in me will always love The Whimsy with its blue and fuchsia interiors and wild whimisical patterns. I especially love the studded giant chairs. Since we were in a pretty secluded corner, Jake and I had a blast (well, I did) taking pictures and pretending to fall asleep in the giant chairs.

Our secluded corner:

So comfy you can sleep:

Pretty, pretty, pretty.

I am totally having French windows for my future house.

And studded giant chairs.

I won't elaborate on the food since as always, it was perfect and totally worth every penny. We ordered the organic chicken, vegetable lasagna, squash soup, and caramel Vahlrona chocolate mousse.

And this is why I want to live in Boracay

Frank151 just released a book about our lovely country and there's a chapter dedicated to give the readers a gist of the island life of former city girls who chose to live the bohemian life in Boracay.

What I wouldn't give to work by the beach and to just forget the hustle and bustle of Metro Manila.

Three years, self. Make it happen.

Post-Potter Depression

For a girl who has read all seven books a million times over and knows all the characters like they exist in real life, the last installment of the Harry Potter movies was pretty hard to take. I was already holding back tears a couple of minutes into the movie. If it weren't for Jake who kept whispering "crybaby", I would have been a tearful mess by the time the last scene ended. Yes, my pridenosity successfully saved me from myself. I may be a drama queen but I still refuse to let my boyfriend see me cry over a movie. He will only tease me for the rest of our lives.

My heart already broke when I read the last page of Deathly Hallows and I never thought it would be this hard too to let go of the movie adaptation. It's like breaking up, getting back together, and then breaking up again.

Now, like all the losers out there, what am I to do with my life without a Harry Potter book or movie to look forward to? I'm already anticipating the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games. Maybe that will tide me over for the next three years or so.

Photo from Etsy

(More) confessions of a shopaholic

Can I just say that I am so happy about the fact that I'm halfway through replenishing my wardrobe for the second half of 2011? Yes, I'm bringing out the shallow, shopaholic girl in me. This month's end-of-season sales for Topshop and Zara have made me a very happy, albeit poor, gal. After my Singapore shop-til-you-drop fiasco, I restrained from shopping for three months (save for some ~~uncontrollable~~ necessary purchases to last me for the fasting period). So yes, I'm back with vengeance! And yes, I just witnessed my boyfriend throw a bitch-fit at Topshop last weekend after I made him wait for an hour!

Although, I just realized I'm more inclined to buy more practical pieces now. Gone are my strawberry prints and crazy florals, I have been buying simple pieces with understated elegance (weh?) or should I say, a more neutral and relaxed look. I'm into mixing and matching offbeat pieces now, wearing separates you wouldn't normally think of combining but actually works.

I've always said that Zara will always be my first love but I do hate the fact that most of their items on sale are loose, thin white shirts with prints. Last year's SS collection was so much better. Surprisingly, I found more neutral pieces at Topshop (a big boo for their P599 rack though, those items went through THREE sale seasons already, new lines please!) but I'm more in love with their non-sale items--all baby scalloped collars and sailor themes. Too yummy and tempting.

And to quote Alanis: I'm broke but I'm happy.

Until the next weekend, Topshop and Zara!

Dolphins and sea urchins

Our last day was probably the most exciting part of the trip: DOLPHIN WATCHING! We set out at 6-freaking-am to catch the dolphins swimming in the open sea. It was kind of hard to spot them since there were a lot of boats and they get scared easily, but we had our fill of the playful creatures since they were on their way to the open sea from the island of Balicasag. It was hard to take pictures, though. The waves were crazy!

Top from Cotton On, shorts from Zara TRF

After snorkeling in one of the best coral spots I've seen yet, we headed off to Virgin Island where you can eat fresh sea urchins! I've always been scared of urchins but I never knew how yummy they are! Nom nom. And also, we got to experience dining on urchins and fresh buko juice in the middle of the sea because the sandbar connects two islands together. Awesome! Only in Bohol!

Living in the countryside

It's too easy to fall in love with the charming town of Bohol. Everywhere you go, people are friendly and warm. The countryside is full of rustic cottage houses, bamboo fences lined with colorful flowers, narrow roads bordered by trees, and breath-taking views of the hills and mountains.

For once in my life, I did not spend my entire vacation frolicking on the beach. We took a whole day trip to explore Bohol and yes, we were left amazed and I had a particularly insistent nagging feeling of wanting to grow up there--in a place where there's no rush and stress, maybe grow my own garden on the outskirts of Panglao. Maybe.

Our jam-packed itinerary had eight stops, and every single destination was worth the time and money. Enjoy the lovely views of Bohol. :)

On our way up to the highest peak of the viewing deck, it was mentally and physically exhausting--especially if you're clumsy. Haha!

The view was worth it, though.

After a tour of the butterfly sanctuary, they took us to the man-made forest where you are literally surrounded by giant trees forming an arch over the road.

We braved two hanging bridges made entirely of bamboo stilts and a couple of steel pieces for support just to get to the other side. The view of the river and surrounding mountains distracted us from the reality of what we were doing. :-)

Our reward! On the other side of the bridge is the Buko King of the Philippines! World-famous for his talent of skinning and holding a buko with his bare teeth! He's touring Europe next month. I know.