Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Hongkong Family Getaway


It was February of 2010. When we had our first ever family out-of-the-country bonding. Though we are not complete as a family it was the most awaited moment of my life.
FEBRUARY 7- Departure from our NAIA terminal 1 via HONGKONG EXPRESS. The usual picture taking....
While waiting for the counter to open
My Mom: sleeping while standing and waiting called multi-tasking
My Dad: Can you turned on my roaming
My brother


                                 
       
My Dad is tired of waiting
My brother proudly present the scale
And of course: Yours Truly while waiting for the gate to open!!!


Of course Picture in the airplane!!!! Weeeehhhhh!!!!


Amazing view Mom?
Mom: "Look it's our house!"

At exactly 10AM, we arrive at the HONGKONG
Angas pero first time!
Welcome to HK!!!

Lovers in HongKong!!
Tourist!
 INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Since I am not yet fond of DIY TOURS we avail the usual package tour from T and J travel and tours. While waiting for our Guide of course we will never forget to take pictures. 



Check-in time at PANDA HOTEL. Me and my bro in this twin room. Then my mom and dad in the double room.

At night, freetime..We ate at the restaurant beside our hotel since it's raining pretty hard.
CHOWTIME.

After munching the chicken chao fan. we decided to go to the mall and do some groceries for our rooms snack. I was really shock how expensive their snacks (but of course i converted it to peso). Then the non-stop picture taking occurs inside the mall.

sleep time.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

How to get a Korea Visa in the Philippines

K-Pop Invasion. Isa ito sa mga dahilan kung bakit maraming Pinoy ang gustong pumunta at mamasyal sa bansang Korea. Ngunit isang bagay ang kinakailangan upang makapasok sa bansang Korea. Ito ay ang Korea Visa.
Hayaan niyo akong ibahagi sa inyo ang aking karanasan sa pagkuha ng Bisa sa Korea. Bago ang natakdang araw kinumpleto namen ang kailanganang papeles para sa pag apply ng visa.
REQUIREMENTS FOR TOURIST VISA TO KOREA
Ito ang mga papel na aking hinanda.
1.) Application form (with Passport size Picture)
2.) BIR Form 2316 (2010)
3.) Bank Certificate (Pesos and dollar account)
4.) Clearance Certificate from previous employer (dahil kakaresign ko lang)
5.) Photocopy of first page of passport
6.) Latest Passport 
Noong Disyembre 12, ako at ang aking kaibigan ay nagbalak kumuha ng Bisa para sa aming nalalapit na paglalakbay sa Korea. Dahil hindi kami pamilyar sa lugar nagdecide kami magtaxi pero sa kasawiang palad hindi din alam ng driver ang embassy (o baka nagoyo lang kami). So from three world building sa upper mckinley. Nilakad namen hanggang Korea embassy. At dahil wala pa kami picture ay nagdecide na lang kami mag greenhills at bumalik kinabukasan.
Pero hindi pwede si Monica kaya kinabukasan ako na lang ang nagbalik.


December 13, when I decided to go back to embassy to file my visa application. Hindi ganun kahaba ang pila at ang mga gwardiya ay friendly. To make this easier to understand I'll enumerate the steps.


1. Isulat ang pangalan at mag-iwan ng valid ID sa may harap ng embassy.
2. Pagpasok ng office sa kanang bahagi may malaking lamesa lumapit at humingi ng numero. (Tatanungin ka muna kung may visa ka na from OECD Countries)
3. Umupo at hinataying tawagin ang numero (magfflash sa taas ng windows ang number, kapag nag flash it means kayo na ang kasunod nun nakaupo sa window).
4. Ibigay sa Consul ang requirements. (sagutin ng tama kung may tanong ang consul)
5. Kunin ang iaabot na slip na naglalaman ng date kung kailan kukunin ang inyong visa.


In my case ganito ang nangyari. Pagpasok ko ng embassy binigyan ako ng numero. Hintay tawagin. Habang nakaupo double check ng mga requirements. Biglang tinawag ng guard by 10s ang number so pila. Pag-upo ko sa may window 2 inabot ko ang requirements ko at ibinalik nia ang car registration ko. Sabay tanong "So, you don't have a job?" ang sagot ko naman ay "No" sabay bigay ng white slip at babalik ako ng December 20.


So December 20 na ang releasing time is afternoon. Same process Nag-iwan ako ng ID sa gate at inspection ng bag habang naka smile si kuya sabay sabi sa akin "Manlibre ka ma'am for sure approve na visa mo". Buti pa si kuya positive ako hindi (dahil nga wala akong work). Binigay ko ang slip sa same table at binigyan ako ng numero. More hintay matawag ulit. Window 1 pangalawa ako sa pila (hindi naman ako masyadong excited). Pag bigay ko ng number ko sa consul tinanong nia ako kung ano pangalan ko sinabi ko naman at sabay inabot niya ang passport ko. Pag-scan ko ng passport tumambad na sa akin ang susi patungong South Korea. 


Abangan ang aking SOLO Trip sa SEOUL OF ASIA. (one of the best trip ever).














Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Getting ready for the Winter

Isang buwan na lang at magsisimula na ang aking Seoul-Searching Winter Madness. First stop Winterhaus at Cartimar. I've read a few blogs about this shop selling cheap winter clothes so I give it a try.

Actually sobrang dami nilang winter jacket and they are making their own jackets. They also accepting made-to-order jackets, shirts, coats, etc. Meron din silang second-hand jackets for sale all you need is patience to look for a jacket you want. I saw this red bubble jacket on top of the rack when a lady grab it (when I found out isa siyang PEXERS, no hard feelings naman). Buti na lang lumapit si ate at may dalang kaparehong jacket sabi nia tinatahi pa daw nia kasi un strap. Then ikot ikot muna sa shop check ng thermal clothes, gloves, scarf at marami pang jacket. Nang matapos na ni ate ang strap ng jacket at nakapili na din ako ng mga bibilhin. Ito na ang total:

Bubble Jacket: 1,500
Thermal: 800
Gloves/mittens: 350

Php 2,600 ang binayaran ko may discount pa akong 50 pesos. Hahaha. Dahil wala akong budget for very expensive boots nagdecide akong mag ukay na lang. So wait na lang for further information about this madness. Parang kung mag ukay ako malayo ang mararating ng 2,600 ko. nevertheless okay na din yun kesa wala.

Ito nga pala un picture ng jacket at mittens. Un knitted shirt sa tatay ko yan hihiramin ko lang at un money bigay ng kuya ko. hahahaha..



Minsan excited minsan hindi. Pero at least may progress na ang gamit ko.


Sunday, January 1, 2012

Winter Seoul-Searching Madness

So here I am again. Trying my very best to finish my itinerary for my first ever solo international trip for 2012.  So many things to consider, so many activities to do, so many places to go and I still need a good winter boots. I still need to update this blog for our S.E.A. trip last year and. let me just organize my thoughts and I will get back to you.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

From TP to BS

So I am trying to transfer my blog to Traveller's point to Blogspot. I really don't know the reason why. Or maybe I will just try to maintain both blogs. Bahala na si Batman pero mukhang mas user friendly ang Blogspot for beginners like me. Beginner daw o. Harhar. So watch out nlng sa aking mga paglalakbay. Magrereminisce ako ng aking nakaraang paglalakbay. Sana makatulong sa iba at tulungan niyo din ako sa aking mga hinaharap pang gala. 


So mga Dorang makakating paa humanda na!

Wanted: Travel Buddy

HOPING AND LOOKING FOR A (THROUGH THICK AND THIN) TRAVEL BUDDY



It's been months. I wasn't able to update this blog. The reason? Hmmm, Series of unfortunate events. But I'm okay now. 


Ang reason kung bakit ako nagsusulat muli ay dahil kay NILO PILLOW. Hopefully pagbibigyan nila ang isang noob blogger na tulad ko na padalhan ng NILO para sa aking first-ever international solo backpacking trip sa February (kasama na sa unfortunate events kung bakit naging solo ang trip na ito). On the lighter note, I think si NILO na ang aking long awaited travel buddy na hindi ako iiwan (unless siya ang maiwan ko). Anyways walang bayad ang pag-advertise ko nito but since it's proudly PINOY made check niyo na lang ang details sa mga sumusunod na link:


Who is Nilo Pillow? This is a proudly pinoy character. Just click the links:
www.nilopillow.com
www.facebook.com/nilopillow
www.twitter.com/nilopillow


Sana lang may nagbabasa nito. But I will try my very best to update this. Sisimulan ko na ulit ikwento ang aking S.E.A. trip at ishare ang Seoul-Searching trip ko.
Sana din mapadalhan ako ng NILO PILLOW.. Harhar

Monday, October 31, 2011

JC is testing my F.A.I.T.H. (part 2)


MY SOUL SEARCHING EXPERIENCE IN H.O.M.E. (HAVEN OF MEDITATION AND ENRICHMENT)
As I've said before this is a long awaited blog. So my previous blog (dated Oct 2011) actually happen around March of the year. At ang promise kong pagbalik ng Tierra de Maria ay nasundan ng October. Kung hindi pa nagaya ang Malditah kong kaibigan malamang hindi pa ako pupunta. So 7am ang usapan namen ni Monica Andrea (a.k.a Malditah) para sunduin siya sa Patindig Araw, Imus, Cavite pero 6:30AM na ako umalis ng bahay pero sakto lang din naman ang dating ko.
At exactly 7:00 AM binaybay na namen ang kahabaan ng Emilio Aguinaldo Highway papuntang Tagaytay.
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masayang paglalakbay patungo sa malinis na kalooban
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Naghanda ng payong baka kasi umulan
At around 9:00 AM kami ay nakarating na sa aming paroroonan
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Tierra de Maria (before Picnic Grove)
Isang lihim ang aking natuklasan kay Monique isa pala siyang relihiyosa. Haha! Bago ka pumasok ito na ang sasalubong saio.
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50 foot image of Mama Mary
I don't have the images bago pumasok ng chapel pagbalik ko nalang ulit doon. But this is the image courtesy of Moniq inside the chapel.
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Our Lady of Guadalupe and Jesus in Crucifix
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Our Lady of Manaoag
I really don't know what's happening but that day when I was inside the chapel but I felt that there is something I need to do but I don't know what it is. Ang hirap pala ng ganitong feeling may something pero wla akong idea kung ano. Pero kung ano man ito eh malalaman ko din.
Nakita nga pala namen so DORA tahimik na nagdadasal.
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Dora and her backpack
Humawak kayong mabuti ang Malditah humihingi ng forgiveness at inner peace.
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Malditah on her knees
After our encounter with H.O.M.E. we went to ALABANG because it's CHOW TIME AND MOVIE TIME.
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Gutom na kami
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No other woman
Check their website: Tierra de Maria