Filo Pride

Photo from CNN.com

Congratulations to Efren Peñaflorida for winning the CNN Hero of the year 2009!
Read the article here.

Project Ailema: Philippines

I am extremely embarassed, I've travelled in Europe but I don't even know my own country. The goal for next year is, to travel as much as possible in the Philippines and go to as much as Festivals as I can.

Here's my target places to visit:

1. Boracay. We have this planned for December. We may be the last family to visit the place. I am excited to see the famous pristine white beach and experience Boracay's active night life. :)

Photo from Wikipedia

2. Marinduque. My mum grew up in this Island. I've been going to this Island for years but I haven't really explored it. To be honest, compared to Boracay, Marinduque is way cheaper. Holy Week is the best time to go to Marinduque. Very very cultural.

Photo from marinduqueislandparadise.blogspot.com

3. Bataan. Not a very touristy destination but it is very accessible from Manila. According to my dear brother who has been, it only takes 2 hours from Manila to Bataan. I can do a day trip for a change of scenery. Thank God I discovered the joys of travelling alone.

Photo from google photo search

4. Panagbenga Flower Festival, Baguio. I've been to Baguio quite a few times with friends and families but I haven't been to this particular festival.

Photo from philippinecounrty.com

5. Palawan. Papa Jack's recommendation. He met his ex wife here. LOL!

Photo from lakbaypilipinas.com

There are so many places to visit in my country. Hopefully, just like my mum, I get to see the whole country. I just need to find a job that will enable me to travel for now. :)

Ninja Assassin

Has anyone heard of the film Ninja Assassin which stars Rain? I never thought Rain would do an action film. He is after all, the Korean Usher. LOL!

I am tempted to do a film review but I can't be bothered now. If you love video game gore(read: Conan), violence, non-stop blood squirting and sword fighting, then this film is for you. Think of Shoot 'Em Up - Crazy scenes with bad story line. Bonus for girls, you'll get to see Rain's buffed body.

Tawaen Beach

With nothing planned for the rest of the day, I went to Tawaen Beach. To be honest, I have low expectations with this trip. I just wanna be away from Central and my B2S library. Hahaha!

What I saw along the way:

Isolated Island

Fishing Boat. I love them!

Naban Port

And The Might 7-11!

I was pleasantly surprised with the beach. It was nothing like I've expected. I mean, Samae Beach disappointed me and according to the articles that I read, Samae is better than Tawaen. I beg to differ. Tawaen is wayyyy better than Samae, less crowded, cleaner water and kid friendly. You can actually walk on the seashore without bumping into the sunbeds.

Lesser Sunbeds and Umbrella

Bigger Swimming Area

Clear Water

Pretty Wooden Bridge

Fine White Sand

And Me. I gotta have my self portrait. I was alternating between reading, listening to the ocean with my eyes closed and eating. It was fun! I love going to the beach! It relaxes me. :)

There are two ways to go to Tawaen Beach depending on which time you depart. First is the Pattaya(from Bali Hai Pier) to Naban Port Route. You must take a Baht Bus located in front of 7-11 to Tawaen Beach. Second one was the direct Pattaya - Tawaen Beach Ferry. I took the first one cause I miss the direct Ferry. Returning from the beach is easy, they have every hour ferry service from 1PM til 6PM.

The Port

Going to the Ferry is a bit tricky. We were asked to cross between Ferries to get to our actual Ferry. Good thing I am young and fit. :P

No actually, I am not fit. I wanna try this but unfortunately, I got no upper body strength. LOL!

This is the cheapest beach trip I've been. All in all, I spent less than 150 THB. Here's the breakdown:

Fare to Bali Hai Pier - 10 THB
Ferry to Naban Port - 20 THB
Baht Bus to Tawaen Beach - 20 THB
Sun Bed - 20 THB
Food/Fruit - 20 THB
Ferry to Pattaya - 20 THB
Baht Bus to Soi 5 - 20 THB

For a grand total of 130 THB for a day of relaxation on a beach.

B2S

In the past week, I've been spending a lot of time in the B2S bookstore. I might have carved a spot in between the architecture/interior design section and the articrafts/DIY. As you all readers know, I'm in the process of pimping the old apartment. Hahaha! Everyday, whenever I open a book, I find inspiration on how to improve our place. Hopefully, I finish everything this year so I can focus more on job hunting.

Yesterday, I browsed through The Sartorialist and Practically Posh books. Both books gave me joy. :)

What I wore yday:
Dress from JJ Market - 320 THB
Sandals from Topshop

Feel Good Songs

Currently listening to:

Pantene 3 Minute Miracle

I love DIY home pampering treatments. I do my own, from head to toe. I recently discover the beauty of Pantene 3 Minute Miracle. I've been using their damage repair hair treatment cream since I return from England and so far, I like the result. It leaves my hair manageable and soft. Using the 3 minute miracle is even better. I have a confession, I only brush my hair twice a day. Once in the morning when I dry it and once at night before I slept so imagine the accumulated tangles through out the day. :P The 3 minute miracle leaves my hair tangle free, super soft and manageable. It looks even better the next day. Try it! :)

JJ Market

I love shopping! I love bargain shopping even more. There is no better place to go to in Bangkok but in the Famous Chatuchak Market. I've only been there once in 2005 with my family. I wasn't working then so my mum financed my shopping which means, I only bought limited items. On a budget of course! :P I also remember my dear sister ruining my shopping experience with her panic attack. We didn't know she had one until Bangkok. Imagine my horror when everything was cut short. I sound selfish I know but we didn't have much(financially) then and I didn't expect to go back to Bangkok 4 years later.

Luke and I spent 5 hours browsing and shopping. It was a perfect Sunday for me but probably the worst for him. He went out with the boys the previous night, got home at 3:30 AM and didn't sleep 'til 5AM(I think) cause I wouldn't let him. Poor Mr. Banks!

Our lunch. I love cheap restaurants. I felt like it is more authentic to eat at random restaurants. It may not be as hygeinic as the high end ones but I love the experience nonetheless.

Look at these yummy cakes!

We took the bus back to Pattaya and I finally convinced Luke to put mudpac on on his face. Two totally unrelated topics. I know he will kill me for posting this pic but I love it. Sorry Khun P. Kill me later. :P

Wow! Looking like Zoolander. LOL!

Samae Beach

I have to admit, I like doing things alone. I can leave anytime I want to and decide how long do I have to stay on a certain place. The only downside is, I have noone to take my photo. As a filipino, having a photo as a souvenier is essential. :P

Luke has been asking been what I am gonna do today. I told him that I am going somewhere. I bet if I told him that I am going to Koh Larn he is gonna ask his driver to drop me to the Pier. Don't get me wrong, I like being taken care of the best but sometimes, I have to do things on my own especially if the task doesn't require any help. But Thanks Babes!

On our way to Samae Beach.

Sun Beds

And More Sunbeds

The swimming area.

Oh God, I must have a self portrait moment. This is the best that I can do.

From the Ferry, we were transfered to a smaller boat which took us to the beach itself.

I had to walk to the Walking Street strip as I can't find a Baht Bus. It looks normal at daytime.

Koh Larn is 30 minutes away from Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya. My fare costs 150THB return from the Pier to Samae Beach. There is a cheaper fare, 20THB each way, which drops you to the Naban Port. You can take a tuktuk from there which will take you to the other beach of your choice. I took the hassle free one as this was my first trip ever. Anyway, prepare 50THB for the Sunbeds. It ain't free. As soon as you settle into your position, thai people will ask for sunbed fee. It wasn't that expensive but they made it sound free as soon as you leave the small boat. You'll know when you get there. As for my thoughts on the beach, it was okay for me. I only want to see the beach and had a proper tan. For beach lovers, you might hate this. It is very very crowded. Remember the sunbed photos? The beach stretch is covered with sunbeds!!! You may only have less than a yard to walk to on the seashore. Food are quite pricey too. I had magnum for whopping 80THB! They have a lot of water sports too and clear water for swimming. I can't swim and water sports are best enjoyed with company and I was incapable of both. LOL!

Floating Market

I finally learn to do things on my own and I love it! I love the freedom. I love doing what I want without waiting or consulting for anyone. At the end of the day,I only have myself to depend on. Might as well enjoy my own company. :P My trip wouldn't be complete without eating. I should really be on a diet now. I weighed myself yesterday and I am 5kgs over my maintaining weight. Stretch Marks here I come! (Status: Worried :( )

I love this outdoor restaurant. I love the fact that it's cheap, quick and you get to sit on the floor. Yesterday, it wasn't crowded in the Floating Market, few tourists here and there and I was able to enjoy my meal. I eat slowly this time. :) I had beef noodle dish for 25THB. Possibly the most simple noodle dish that I saw here. Few Kangkong chops, bean sprouts, garlic, beef, vermicelli and beef broth. It is very tasty though.

Then I had this, Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie for dessert. It was very light and refreshing. Very good for the hot weather.

And had this crepe like dessert on my way home. It is made of dough and cooked with butter. It had condensed milk and sugar as a filling. I don't know what it's called though. It is written in Thai.

I had 3 hours in the Floating Market so I went for a head and shoulders massage for an hour. Wrong move! It was the most horrible massage experience that I had. Her massaging my temples felt like she was screwing something on. I was hoping that she wouldn't do it again but she did it like 3 times!!! When she proceeded to massage my back(mind you, I asked for shoulder and head massage), I prayed hard to God that she wouldn't leave me paralysed. She kept on hitting my lower spine and it hurt so bad. She had a hand fit for a wrestler! I won't go there again and risk not walking. LOL!

Sorry for the bad photo. I had to sneak this shot. Anything for this blog.

Loving the Batiks. I bet you guys noticed how I love prints.
Lorraine, stall was closed.

Of course, my day wouldn't be complete without a trip to Central. I love this Christmas decor! They put up their Giant Christmas Tree as well.

This is what I wore today. I was looking for something similar for Lorraine but unfortunately, the stall wasn't there. :( Hopefully, they sell the same thing on JJ Market.

Oishi Ramen

Oh God, this is turning into a food blog. I think, I maybe in a food addiction phase. It is not necessarily a bad thing as long as I eat in moderation right? :P Last night, Mr. Banks and I went to Oishi Ramen in Central. Central is becoming my second home here in Thailand. Haha! Whenever Luke isn't around, I either read a book by the pool or go to Central for late lunch or both. I am living a very easy life. I owe the Lord for everything. Thank you Papa Jesus!

My Tom Yum Seafood Ramen. It was spicy but I love my food spicy anyway. The squid was chewy. Think they might have overcooked it. The serving was massive, enough for my big tummy. Overall, it was a very good meal(cheap as well) and I want to go again. What a fatty!!!

Mr. Banks ordered Tom Yum Beef Ramen but he asked for less spicy which turns out to be no spice at all. For my sensitive palette( haha!) his soup was bland but I don't know with the rest of the ingredients.

BUT, we BOTH FINISHED ours. Here's the proof. :)

Where's your favourite Ramen House people?

KT <3 PD

I love fashion and I love designer pieces. I love supporting local talents. What I love more are designer collaboration with local Filipino brands. I didn't realise that Kate Torralba collaborated with Paper Dolls until I browsed into the stylebible website. I loved KT eversince her first collection. Loved her bold colours and patterned clothes with hint of vintage feel to it.

Tessa Prieto Valdes working the KT x PD collection.

I wonder if this comes in separates cause I have a top similar to that. I just need to buy the long skirt. :P

For my undying love for maxi dresses. Don't you just love the colour and pattern in this dress? I need you for Christmas! :)

Everyone, run to the nearest SM Department stores! I know I will when I get back from my Thailand trip.