Apple finally makes the iPad mini compatible with the Apple Pencil! I got really excited when I learned about it. I almost immediately wanted to get one. Key word: ALMOST. We all know I've got no money to spare for unnecessary things like that. Actually I just have no money, period. Haha
I'm still good with my Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8 with S-Pen, even though I hardly use it to sketch nowadays. So see, it's not like I'm gonna love drawing again when I get my hands on an iPad. I bought a tablet with stylus for the purpose of reading and sketching, but the stylus isn't quite fit for the latter, and tablet too heavy for the former. Then again, maybe I'm just not that talented, and not much of a reader too. It's not about the tool right? It's what you make of it. Anyway. Peso power of the wifi only variant plus the first gen apple pencil rounds at ₱30,000. Hmmm....
To celebrate my parent's 31st wedding anniversary, I booked a staycation for the family at Kasa Luntian, Tagaytay. We all enjoyed our stay, and wished we could extend but oh well, we'll just come back next time!
The Serviced Residences at Kasa Luntian is part of an Alveo Land development located along Tagaytay-Calamba road. Kasa Luntian is part hotel part residential area, with its hotel services managed by Hospitality Innovators, Inc. (HII).
The best thing I liked about the place is really the ambiance and how the suite is designed. The interior is soooo beautiful. Love the layout, decor, and patterns used in the room. The one-bedroom suite we booked looked super big at 55sqm, considering it has a fully equipped kitchen, a dining area, spacious shower and toilet, and a balcony you can actually chill at.
Check-in
Check-in at Kasa Luntian is okay. The front desk is situated at The Lanai building, which is different from where your actual unit will be. So once you get your key card you have to move to another building.
The front desk area is super lovely! What it lacks in space it made up for the beautiful design. Welcome drinks (pandan juice) is a nice touch too!
There's temporary parking beside the reception area and after check-in you'll be given a car pass you can use to drive in and out of the property. To check-out you also need to go back to the font-desk area. Mild hassle right but it's fine if you have a car. Plus, walking around the place is such a delight! It's quiet and serene and the landscape is truly relaxing. The guards are also super nice and polite.
There's free open parking for hotel guests available beside each building. Covered parking is reserved for residents only. You can probably get in, but only to drop your luggage by the elevator. The Lanai also has a few restaurants and shops like 7-Eleven, Nailandia, and Taza Mia.
Before I move on to the things I liked and didn't like about our stay, here's a pic spam of the amenities and our room!
Amenities
Very relaxing ambiance.
Gorgeous pools, which reminds me of our condo lol. There's some serious DMCI vibes to this place, considering it's built by Ayala lol. Maybe because there's a resort theme to it.
We didn't really roam around that much so we only saw the pool and this small playground for kids. I'm not sure what else is there but I know there's a function room somewhere hehe.
One-bedroom suite
Now onto our room...
Oh this room is soooo lovely!
There's a fully equipped kitchen enclosed with a counter-top. There's an electric stove/oven, exhaust, set of knives (which needs sharpening), cooking utensils, a pot and pan, microwave, kitchen sink with sponge and dishwashing liquid.
They also have this complimentary glass bottle of drinking water, which they will remind not to take with you, both during check-in and check-out. Yeah. Apparently, guests keep on taking it with them because it's cute lol. There's a tabletop sign beside it which we didn't read lol. Perhaps it contained a note not to take the damned bottle, that it's not a hotel hoardable if you know what I mean hehe, but guests probably don't pay attention so management resorted to just keep on reminding everyone? Kinda condescending. For a while it felt insulting, being reminded TWICE, not to take something from the room. Sorry if I probably look like the kind who would request for extra bottles of shampoo lol, but heyy, you didn't have to imply it.
So. Can you request for extra water? That's 150 for you lol. There are better ways to remind your guests not to take the bottles with them, and drinking water should always be complimentary in the hospitality industry. If they care so much about losing glass bottles they should stick to the good 'ol plastic ones. Urgh.
What else. They also have four sets of eating utensils, as well as bowls and plates. We loved the kitchen so much because we brought in a lot of food and cooked a lot as well! They have glasses and teacups too, complimentary instant coffee and tea, and electric kettle.
I loved the living area. There's a big flat-screen smart TV equipped with cable. You can also watch Netflix and Youtube as soon as you connect it to the wifi (which wasn't setup properly, I had to call the front desk to fix it). The daybed is amazing, I actually slept in it!
Dining is perfect for the four of us. :)
The bedroom is separated by a sliding door. The balcony is spacious enough you can actually hang out outside.
That's fake turf by the way.
Closet space is enough for a staycation, there's also a safety deposit box, hair dryer, iron, and ironing board. There's an extra hidden storage behind this wall painting beside the bedroom door. Just slide the artwork aside and it will reveal more storage space for you.
Here the view from our balcony...
The pool is probably their greatest feature so I specifically requested to get a pool facing view, and also a high floor. Latter wasn't granted but it was fine cos the pool view provided such a nice backdrop during breakfast!
Price point
We stayed overnight on a Saturday and our bill totaled to around ₱8,500. Which is too much, so I don't recommend staying here on a weekend unless they have a promo. I mean if you're gonna charge me 8k+ for a night you better submit to all my requests, but that didn't happen so I think it's overpriced.
For the quality of our stay, I'd say ₱5,000 tops. Room plus taxes cost us around 7k. Then remember they charged us for extra people so that's additional 1.6k. The weekend rates can get really steep so I'd recommend staying from Sunday-Thursday if you can.
Price varies of course but Saturday rates are the worst.
Okay. Now down to the things I thought needed improvement:
For some reason our room smelled like paint. Anyway, we quickly got used to it.
There's an apparent lack of mirrors in the suite. The only mirror present is in the vanity area, and the lighting is bad over there. Can't glam yourself up and take OOTDs. Sad. Hope they get a full-body mirror in a well-lighted corner hehe.
Hairdryer cannot be plugged near the vanity area, where the only mirror is. I guess this was deliberate to avoid accidents? So at least add more mirrors diba so we can properly fix ourselves lol.
As mentioned, I didn't like how they remind guests to leave the glass bottle behind, both during check-in and check-out. Reminder during check-in is enough, then they could charge any lost bottle from the security deposit. But to ask us if the water bottle is still there when we checked-out? I really find it insulting. Could've just put a note on the bottle's packaging instead or highlighted it on the tabletop sign you know, something like "Take the water, but not the bottle". Anyway.
Extra drinking water will cost you, so just bring your own.
The flooring is elevated as you enter the room, so be careful. I fkn tripped twice on my way in and hurt my nails. Arte no.
The TV remote control is makunat. Ang tigas nung Enter and up arrow haha!
No extra keycard.
Not really something they should improve on but they're really strict with extra persons and guests. We're 4 adults staying in a one-bedroom suite with a capacity of 2 adults and 2 kids, and we were charged 800/per extra person. Not like most hotels where you can sneak in more guests lol. Fair is fair so next time, we'll just come in pairs. Visitors are only allowed until 10pm and they need to register at front desk before meeting you. Hmmm...
Hopefully they offer breakfast and other amenities too like a spa! That would really complete the serviced residences experience :D
If you booked online via 3rd party agent (Agoda, Booking, etc.), check-in time is 3pm. You can probably request to check-in early though. We came in around 1pm and had to wait until 2:30pm to get our suite ready. We just happily waited at one of the gazebos. But srsly, if I hadn't called front desk to follow up on our room (they said they would call), they'd probably let us wait 'til 3pm. That's how I feel about the girl who attended to us lol. Parang ayaw nya kami pagbigyan sa kahit ano lol.
And to sandwich my feedback...
I'm probably coming back despite the mild annoyances and hopefully they've improved by then (ie. mirrors).
Their official online photos did not disappoint!
We all had a good night's sleep! Bed and linens are comfy, daybed in the living area is super comfy too.
I wasn't able to swim because I got my darned period but their pool looks really awesome there's even jacuzzi on one level. Plus two of the levels can be heated, I guess it depends on the weather. It wasn't on the morning my parents swam.
The guards are super nice.
I really really enjoyed the TV haha. Netflix should be a standard in Hotels you know. As in. Nobody watches cable anymore.
I loved their bathroom essentials. The handwash, shampoo/body wash, and conditioner smelled sooo sooo good!
Toilet has bidet, hooray!
Place is perfect for 2 adults. More than that and your bill will make you feel unwelcome lol.
Finally, here's short video tour of the place! Enjoy!
Hope you liked this post! I'd say Kasa Luntian is great for couples and those with at most 2 kids only. Hoping they'd considering catering larger groups but I would understand if they can't to preserve the serenity of the place lol, after all it's also a residence. Looking forward to our next stay.
After weeks and months of trying to take our fitness routine to the next level, we get into a rut. It might be because of tiredness, especially if we have been pushing ourselves too hard. Or it might be because we are bored with whatever activities we engaged in. Whatever the case, we can get stuck in the rut, and once we're in it, we can find it difficult to get out of again.
So, what should you do if this happens to you? Here are some useful suggestions.
#1: Ease your way back in
After taking a break, the last thing you want to do is anything too strenuous anyway, as you might do yourself more harm than good. Therefore, take part in those low-intensity activities that will cause you less strain and get you back into exercise. So, you might head to the leisure centre and take a swim. Or you could purchase some Pilates mats for your home, and practise these low-impact exercises in your living room. Or you could go for a gentle jog around your local park, working your way up until you can regain your usual speed and running distance again.
#2: Grab a workout buddy
If you are struggling to find the incentive to exercise on your own, grab (not literally) a friend who is (or was) keen to keep fit and do something together. So, you might go for a run or a bike ride, for example, or you might both sign up to local exercise or dance classes at your leisure centre. Consider engaging in a little friendly competition with each other too, as this will give you both the incentive to work harder. You might both purchase a Fitbit, for example, so you can see who has done the higher number of steps within a day. Or you might challenge each other at the gym by using one of the many exercise machines that are available to you.
#3: Hire a personal trainer
To give you some much-needed motivation (and probably some tough-love too), hire a professional to get you back into shape. They will encourage you to push yourself further, even when you can't be bothered to try, and they will also guide you on the best workout for you, so you might start to see more results during your keep-fit sessions. Be sure to pay for your training sessions in advance too, because as you will have paid somebody to coach you, you will be less likely to back out as you would only be wasting money if you did.
#4: Take the routine out of your exercise routine
Once your exercise routine becomes chore-like, you are more likely to give up and do something more enjoyable with your time instead, such as playing Candy Crush on your smartphone or watching your favourite box sets on Netflix. Therefore, do something to liven up your routine. You might want to mix up your regular workout, so you aren't always focussed on the one thing. You could work out to music to make whatever it is you are doing more enjoyable. Or you could ditch your usual workout and do something completely different, perhaps by taking part in a sport or hobby that will max up the fun factor alongside your fitness levels.
Finally
So, if you're currently stuck in a rut, probably with your TV remote in one hand and the television guide in another, think about what you could do to get out of it, perhaps by using the ideas we have suggested in this article. You will feel better about yourself if you do, and you will start to get back on track with your workouts. Let us know what you think, and if you have any further ideas for our readers, be sure to let us know.
Blogging on Sundays just doesn't work for me anymore as I'm mostly out with family. The only time I get to blog is when it's down time in the office, which you know, happens quite a lot lol. So I'm sure to always have time hahaha, thing is, when it's kinda lax at the office, what am I gonna blog about? Hehe
I haven't gotten time to make reviews too. I guess I have a couple pending in my drafts but I don't think they'll be up, ever lol. I gave up reviewing beauty products because I gathered it isn't too helpful reading someone's opinion on makeup, you need to have a face to show for it too, and I'm not quite ready exposing my bloody face to the world. I'm also done reviewing restaurants after realizing I suck at being a food critic. Everything either tastes good or bad to me and I can probably say I like this resto better or not. But to expound more on the matter?
Which is probably why blogging, in its written form, has died. People have moved to other, more suitable platforms that don't require them to write paragraphs to express approval or distaste over something. Where visual content is the main product and captions don't need to relate to it. Urgh.
It's cool though, suddenly the blogosphere is back to its original form. A small community of those who like to overshare through writing.
ANYWAY. Before this turns into a bitter account of how "influencers" have littered the blogosphere with bad captions and unacceptable grammar...
Reading
Sophie Kinsella's I've Got Your Number
Funny, so far! And I'm enjoying my new PDF reader, Foxit, because it integrates with Google Drive where all my ebooks are stored. Couple that with reflow, night mode, and customizeable themes and I don't think I'm getting a Kindle anytime soon!
Writing
Uhh, this
Listening
To the loud hum of the fans in the server cage
Thinking
About my parent's anniversary celebration! I booked a one-bedroom suite at Kasa Luntian Tagaytay, after failing to find suitable accommodations at Nurture Wellness and Narra Hill. I guess it's about as much "nature" as I can get given the 2 weeks notice. Tagaytay is just so frkn booked. I'm quite hesitant about Kasa Luntian actually, mainly because it just looks like our current condo with the way the pools and outdoor amenities are designed. But oh well, it's probably much better than Citiland, Serin, or Wind lol.
Smelling
Nothing
Wishing
I had so much money right now. Don't we all.
Watching
Alternating between Youtube vlogs and Netflix's Instant Hotel Season 2
Loving
That I was able to salvage this bridesmaids dress I'm gonna use for my friend's wedding in 4 weeks. It's a mint green chiffon infinity dress that's not very flattering because of its super short wrap.
There's not much cloth you can use to style it with so unless you're okay with plain strapless or awkward halters, it's gotta be improved.
It's also very flimsy. First time I tried it on, the zipper broke. Next time, the corset boning shot through the fabric. Argh. I had the zipper repaired, managed to hide the boning, then I bought a long-ass fabric in a similar color and tried to make a shawl from it.
Now I'm okay with it!
I used the super long shawl as a wrap-around and did an off-shoulder style. Yey.
Whenever I get a new desktop, whether at work or at home, I always make it a point to setup my computer according to my specifications. This includes installing 3rd party productivity tools, tinkering my start bar, creating keyboard shortcuts, and keeping the desktop clean at all times. I try not to keep stuff on the desktop, whatever's originally there can stay (My Computer, Recycle Bin, and other proprietary company software that persists upon restart that there's no point in removing them) and I'm not adding to it. I hate stickies and basically anything that clutters the wallpaper haha.
Organizing my computer helps me work faster and more importantly, keeps my PC performance optimized. I'm a big keyboard user and as much as possible I try to use shortcuts for everything. Clicking on Start, typing Calculator, then clicking on the Calculator to launch it is a pain for me. I'd rather type Win+R, Calc, then Enter to launch the damned calcu.
So here's what I do when I get a fresh PC:
Request for admin rights (if it's a company PC). Easy for us in the tech team to get clearance for this. Important for installing software.
Setup my Taskbar. Small buttons, enable labels, never combine. Classic.
Cleanup Start Menu by removing the live tiles. They're annoying. Here's how.
Create a personal folder inside my user profile, like this: C:\Users\username\Personal Because items directly under your user directory can be run automatically from the Run dialog.
Create a Notes file. Basically an Excel file where I jot down my work notes. In my line of work, notes aren't really necessary but I like to keep em for future reference. I usually create a new tab per project, then add 3 columns namely Date, Item, and Description. Every tab is color coded according to Pantone's Color of the Year hahaha. This helps me keep track of the projects I've worked on per year, which is crucial when it's time to work on our annual performance report. Every time I work on a project, I add notes to it.
Install productivity tools
Notepad++ because it's the best code editor, supports several languages, has session backup, and pretty themes.
Screenhunter because I don't like the Snipping Tool lol
WordWeb because I need a dictionary hehe
WinRar because it's more reliable than Window's default compression software
WinMerge for diff-ing code changes
Google Chrome because duh
Adobe Photoshop Portable for fun hehe sssshhh
Create shortcuts for my most used apps. Shortcuts are run dialog keywords I use to launch a certain app. Because it's easier for me to type Win+R, ie, then enter to launch Internet Explorer instead of navigating using the frkn mouse. Here's how. I create new shortcuts for the apps I installed, and also edit those I think are hard to remember
sh for ScreenHunter
sb for Secured Browser
winmerge for WinMerge
npp for Notepad++ (originally: notepad++)
ie for Internet Explorer (originally: iexplore)
excel for MS Excel
word for MS Word (originally: winword)
ppt for MS Powerpoint (oringally: powerpnt)
remote for Remote Desktop Connection (originally: mstsc.exe)
chrome for Google Chrome
notes for my excel Notes file
ps for Photoshop
ai for Illustrator
Create a todo.txt and open it in Notepad++ so it stays in the current session It's a habit of mine to launch npp every time I start my machine. I use Monokai theme and lay out my text files these way, To-do on the left, and random notes on the right
Yeah, so that's pretty much how I setup my PC for maximum utility. How about you, how OC are you with PC? :D
This afternoon I picked up my glasses from Sarabia Optical and I have to say, holey moley what a wonderful world! I never really had problems with my vision, I thought I have a pretty clear sight. I just wanted to get glasses to protect my eyes from the computer. Turns out I also have astigmatism so uhm, yey for getting diagnosed.
This cute plastic frame is by Calvin Klein. It damning how these frames cost so much. Price ran to 7k in total. Still cheaper than Owndays lol. Thank God for our optical reimbursement I only have to pay less than half yey!
I thought it would be hard adjusting to life with glasses, but I'm enjoying it. Everything is frkn clearer. Love it.
After being on waitlist for 3 months, I've given up any chances that I might make it to Planit. After all, I sucked at the technical exam. It's just that I get easily hung up on thoughts of a greener pasture, especially this one, because it's abroad, and they'd take care of you and your dependent's visa. It's the most alluring package I've ever seen. I'd get on board with anything that would ship me out of this frkn country, for free, of course.
Anyway. Just recently, I've come to accept the fact that I may not be the candidate they're looking for. And that there's really no opportunity for me with them. My experience doesn't quite cut it. My mishmash of skills isn't getting me anywhere. And the competition barely leaves me breathing. I don't even know where to put myself in this industry anymore.
But since I'm past the grieving phase lol, I'd like to share this timeline of how it went on my first try, yep cos there's a brief next one haha...
December 20, 2018 - Submitted job application online (Software & Technical Testing Opportunities - Relocate to Australia & New Zealand)
December 26, 2018 - Invitation to complete one-way video interview
January 1, 2019 - Submitted one-way interview
January 11, 2019 - Passed one-way interview. Got scheduled for a Skype video interview.
January 16, 2019 - Skype interview
January 21, 2019 - Passed Skype interview. Got invited to SG roadshow.
January 25, 2019 - Exam details sent
February 1, 2019 - Technical interview and assessment details sent
February 11, 2019 - Exam date
February 14, 2019 - Technical interview and assessment date
March 8, 2019 - Results out, supposedly. No call/email yet
March 11, 2019 - Still no news.
March 12, 2019 - Still no news. Sent follow up.
March 13, 2019 - Received regret email. I'm put on waitlist for the next 6 months.
March 18, 2019 - Some people on waitlist were emailed for a Skype interview. I'm not one of them.
April 4, 2019 - Another set of people on waitlist emailed for a job offer. Now everyone I know on waitlist has been offered a job. Still not one of them.
The application process with them is frkn strenuous. I went though a lot only to fail. But it's okay. That 4 months has been the dreamiest. The thought of a new country, new people, higher salary, new surroundings, fresh air, fresh produce. I never thought of leaving the country until this opportunity came along. It really made me want it so bad. But it's not for me. And I understand hehe.
Anyway, I'm feeling slightly annoyed though. Not with the application, but with some people. Because everyone I know on waitlist has been given a slot already, some people on the group chat have been urging me to keep on following up, never lose hope, it's definitely coming, so don't worry. As if I'm worried. As if they truly cared. As if I'm craving for reassurance. They're only saying that because they were offered already, see. Urgh what toxic optimism.
Waitlist period isn't over yet when they posted new relocation opportunities. I couldn't wait, so I tried my luck at Automation, even though I know I'm not cut out for it.
June 4, 2019 - Applied for another relocation opportunity (Automation Testing Opportunities - Relocate to Melbourne!)
June 5, 2019 - Received invitation to complete one-way video interview. Here we go again.
June 7, 2019 - Submitted one-way interview
June 13, 2019 - Failed one-way interview
I wasn't surprised, really. They're looking for automation testers and I offered myself as an RPA developer. I'm that thick. Plus I can't commence with them until 6-8 months. So there, let's end it. The longer I wait, the longer my experience gap becomes. The smaller my confidence grows. But it's fine. I'm at a good place anyway. ｡◕‿◕｡
And well, just when I gave up on this, one of my former colleagues asked me if wanted to work with them again. Agaaaain. The last time they asked, I went through the interview and vetting process alright and got a dreamy offer. My current manager countered, and I stayed. Now they're asking me again, considering my request for an onsite position. But hey, it's all a big blur. If only my previous manager would hire me directly and not have me go through consulting again!
