Our first Airbnb experience: Citiland Tagaytay Prime Residences

In celebration of my parents' 28th wedding anniversary, I booked us a place at Tagaytay via Airbnb. For the unaware, Airbnb is "an online marketplace that enables people to list, find, and rent vacation homes for a processing fee" (from wiki). Pretty much like an online hotel booking system, except you're not booking from hotels, but from locals. I highly recommend it because it's a cheaper lodging alternative, and if you get to rent a nice condo with complete amenities, and a trustworthy host with good reviews, I swear it's better than staying at a hotel.

Looking for the best place to stay at Tagaytay wouldn't be so hard if I weren't so maarte with the interiors. Most of the listings I saw are filled with surplus couches and horrible draperies, so I skipped those. Char. In fairness to Tagaytay, there are tons of places to choose from if you're not as maarte as I am nga. But anyway, it didn't take me long to find the perfect place, I enjoyed gawking over at Airbnb naman and filling my wishlist in the process hehe.

We stayed at Norman and Joanna's unit overlooking Taal (Citiland Tagaytay Prime Residences) and boy was it worth it! The photos are nice, the reviews are good, the view is amazing, and the room is complete with everything we needed and more, even bath towels are provided. Also, the price point for a Sunday is really affordable at ₱2,000/night (varies depending on the day and season) so that's really sulit for the four of us. :D

Orayt, pic spam!

Cabled TV, wifi, and landline phone: check. That wall was actually a major selling point for me, and I wasn't even disappointed when I learned it was just wallpaper.

Another angle with the bedroom divider in view. The unit is some 30sqm big, spacious enough for four adults. My parents slept in the bedroom, and my sister and I stayed at the sofa bed. My goodness, that sofa bed easily became my favorite part of the stay because you know what? It extends to queen size without having to push the sandalan! Soooo perfect, you know those sofa beds that are a pain against the wall 'cos they can't be flattened against it, and when you want it turned to a bed you have to push it forward to give space for the sandalan to be reclined? Gaaaahd, not for me.

This sofa bed, which I learned is actually an IKEA Karlstad 3-seat sofa bed, is my dreeeeaaam bed. Unfortunately, the model is already discontinued and only the sofa version is in stock at their warehouses. I became so obsessed with it because look how functional it is:

It starts off as a big boring couch

But when you pull out the underside,

It reveals a slatted bed base that also doubles as a storage compartment for bed linens

And when you fold out the seat cushions, you get yer bed!

Now just lay out the sheets and throw in some pillows and you're ready for a movie marathon. I love this sofa bed huhu. Any ideas where I can buy one or have one customized?

Okay, back to the room tour.

Here's the bedroom. My parents loved it.

Kitchen: check! Ref, microwave, electric kettle, single top induction cooker...

Pots and pans, rice cooker, cooking utensils, 16oz imported looking Starbucks mugs (char)... check, check, check! I mean they're not really in my checklist but you get my excitement? haha

The kitchen may be small and I wish we had more countertop space, but it's good enough for us. My mom was able to cook nilagang baka for dinner, and I was able to prepare tapsi for breakfast (na pinag-puyatan ko 'cos I had to tenderize the beef and cook it in boiling water to make it soft). We're that family who likes to bring baon and buy fresh food from the market whenever we go out of town. For this trip, dinner and breakfast is courtesy of Mahogany market yey.

Another angle

Aaaand the bathroom! I love how the toilet and shower areas are separate but are essentially in a single room divided by a half wall.

Clean and cute, and with heated shower yey.

And now, the view.

From the balcony

From my selfie stick, struggling to get a wider view of the living room. Don't you love that fake brick wall? 

At the viewing deck, 24th floor. You can also jog here or simply chill out watching the sun rise or set. I was busy preparing breakfast so I wasn't able to watch the sunrise but my parents did and it was sooooo foggy. Sige romantic na rin daw. :P

I came to the deck after breakfast and was glad that the fog has cleared out already and the lake is visible na. So pretty.

Here's the view from back side of the condo, facing Tagaytay Executive Village. Still a pretty sight if you ask me specially if you're on the higher floors, and units are significantly cheaper than the lake facing ones. In case you're interested in getting a condo unit haha.

As for amenities, there's not much aside from the viewing deck, only a decent sized 4ft deep pool that's good enough for a light swim. That's all. Not complaining though 'cos even if they had more areas to play with, we wouldn't have the time to try them all. On our next visit, we're probably gonna try SMDC Wind 'cos they have bigger pools and lots of courts haha. Yep, will check-in longer too!

Overall we enjoyed our stay, it's even bitin cos we checked in at 2pm and next thing we know, we have to check out already at 11am. The only downside is the TV wouldn't recognize my hard drive or any of our USBs. I'm figuring it's a format issue but oh well.

Now, if you haven't tried Airbnb, go ahead and sign up so we'll both get incentives hehe! Sign up using my link: www.airbnb.com/c/ybirog and get ₱850 off when you take your first trip worth ₱3,500 or more! :)

Tip: you need to have a credit card to pay for your accommodations. But if you don't have one (like me), and is only travelling locally, you can ask the host if they accept offline payments. Mine did, so I paid via bank deposit and they blocked the date for me. Downside is, the trip will not appear on your profile. :)

Lately, Airbnb has become my new Pinterest for interior design pegs. Will probably share my wishlists soon! :D

Have you tried Airbnb? How was it for you? :D

Taiwan Excellence Experiencing Zone at SM MOA on July 8 to 10

Do you want to experience some of the most exciting and innovative products from Taiwan?

Source: www.twexcellenceusa.wordpress.com

Come visit the Taiwan Excellence Experiencing Zone at SM City Mall of Asia Atrium on July 8 to 10, 2016. Organized by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) under MOEA of Taiwan government, the Taiwan Excellence Experiencing Zone will showcase Taiwan’s most dynamic brands, which bears the Taiwan Excellence seal that confirms their high quality and product superiority. Covering the ICT, Home and Living, and Sports and Leisure industries, mall goers will get the opportunity to discover Taiwan's best brands and purchase from a wide selection featuring more than 200 products from 54 brands like Acer, ASUS, D-Link, Sakura and Transcend.
For this mall event, variety of Taiwan’s sports and fitness equipment will also be showcased including KYMCO’s motorcycles that redefine transportation means; Pacific’s bikes that continuously provides inventive ways to make biking more exciting; and Johnson’s fitness products that can be your partner in maintaining your personal health.

For added excitement, there will be a dance group performance by Coven PH and a fashion show to keep you entertained while going through the assorted items on display. Watch Daryl Ong, Morissette Amon, and KZ Tandingan as they render a show-stopping performance. Model actor Mikael Daez and cosplayer sisters Ashley and Alodia Gosiengfiao will also be present to greet exhibit guests.

Join the booth navigation tours and brand presentations, and see how the featured products can complement your lifestyle. Brands such as Asus, Heartway, and MSI will offer their products at a discounted rate. There will also be games and lucky draws, wherein prizes will be raffled off to lucky guests.

Save the date and discover the possibilities that Taiwan brands can bring to your life!

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About Taiwan Excellence
The symbol of Taiwan Excellence honors Taiwan’s most innovative products that provide tremendous value to users worldwide. All products carrying this symbol have been selected for specific Taiwan Excellence Awards based on their excellence in design, quality, marketing, Taiwanese R&D and manufacturing. Initiated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), R.O.C. in 1992, the symbol of Taiwan Excellence is recognized by 100 countries.


Organized by Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), MOEA
The Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), R.O.C. is responsible for implementing policies and regulations governing foreign trade and economic cooperation. Established in January 1969, the BOFT's role and position have been adjusted regularly to meet the needs of the ever changing international economic and trade environments. The BOFT has been guiding and working with the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) in numerous promotional trade projects and activities both internationally and domestically. Having worked closely with TAITRA for many decades, the BOFT continues to commission TAITRA for various critical government projects relating to business, trade and investment, while promoting Taiwan internationally.


Implemented by Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA)
Founded in 1970 to help promote foreign trade, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) is the foremost non-profit, semi-governmental trade promotion organization in Taiwan. Jointly sponsored by the government, industry associations, and several commercial organizations, TAITRA assists Taiwanese businesses and manufacturers with reinforcing their international competitiveness and in coping with the challenges they face in foreign markets. TAITRA boasts a well-coordinated trade promotion and information network of over 1,200 international marketing specialists stationed throughout its Taipei headquarters and 50 overseas offices worldwide. Together with its sister organizations, the Taiwan Trade Center (TTC) and the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC), TAITRA has created a wealth of trade opportunities through effective promotion strategies.

Fat issues

I never thought it'd affect me like this but I guess I wasn't too affected considering my laziness to get in shape. Earlier though I felt a different kind of disgust with the way I look. I was having a terrible headache and I suddenly thought of buying some ice cream, specifically espresso gelato from Caramia, to relieve the pain (like it would, but you know). It didn't take long for me to decide on it. In a matter of minutes I was out of the resto with a larger than usual cup (bought medium), relieved at the taste of coffee in my mouth, and at the same time surprised at how big the cup is, how much ice cream is in it, and how pathetic a fat girl like me looks like holding a big cup of dessert like she hasn't had enough stored in her body.

Then I felt ashamed. Sure I was overthinking, and it was all on me. I may have graduated from not caring about what other people think, but have I just entered a more terrible phase? I'm kindof hating myself right now. For all the choices that led to a 10 lbs heavier me. Oh great, 10 lbs isn't that much, even though I was already overweight before that. But because I couldn't bring my sorry ass to exercise regularly and eat properly, here I am. Turned my body into a nice big cozy abode for fats. If I could only charge em rent, I could've saved enough for a liposuction. The irony.

So what gives? I don't know. Should probably start motivating myself to lose weight again. Arg. I'm so bad at this. Last week I was excited to start this 30 Day Challenge my colleague showed me, told him I'll start right at the first of July but heck all my resolve started to drain when I craved for donuts and cakes. Lord, help me.

There's something about Mondays and the first of every month that makes you want to start something. I wonder why it's more exciting that way, starting something at the start of something. But then when it passes and you've done nothing, you get the illusion you have to wait a week or a month before restarting or doing something else, instead of getting back on track immediately. First of July has left me. Now it's the 4th and it's a Monday. Wonder what'll I do.

Life Lately and GoT's Battle of the Bastards

Reading: Still Before We Were Strangers. I don't know if it's my attention span but I couldn't seem to hold reading a book for 30 minutes. I like the story though. :D

Watching: Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 9: Battle of the Bastards. It was sick, brutal, gut-wrenching, violent, epic, and, and, okay I'm quitting the thesaurus. It was incredible. This is probably my favorite episode as it had my heart pounding so hard the entire time the camera spanned the battle at Winterfell. It's too epic for small screen. Thank you producers for giving us the battle we've been waiting for, though for a while I thought it was gonna be reduced to a one-on-one brawl after that pre-war chatter.

Listening: To the unusually peaceful hum of the airconditioning vent

Thinking: About why Rickon didn't think of running in a zigzag/side-to-side to avoid being aimed at more accurately. It's the most painful thing to watch. His death was expected, sure, but it still threw me off and I cried when Ramsey's freaking arrow pierced through his chest. He did it on purpose, right when Rickon's about to reach Jon's hand. The misses were all for show, that bastard. And then the Bolton archers let loose and more arrows came raining down the kid's dead body.

And oooh, Sansa's kindof a breakthrough character this season. Her transformation to a pitiful damsel in distress to a lady of calm vengeance is noteworthy. Figures what three failed marriages can do to you.

Finally I can breathe, good riddance to Ramsay, though I must give it to him how excellent and brutish his military tactics were executed. 

Just one episode left for this season and we're off to another painful year of waiting.

Smelling: Nothing

Wishing: For a sturdy wireless full keyboard and mouse. So I can use my laptop on stand/tent mode and look cooler haha. Also, the keyboard layout on ultrabooks are messing with my muscle memory.

Wearing: Some pants and a striped shirt

Loving: That I was able to drive and park alone already! The week after I got my sad excuse for a driver's license, I asked my dad to accompany me everyday to the office. I drive to, he drives back, also because I didn't know how to park yet. That weekend I studied parking and drove to the mall with my sister, braving Fairview Terraces' level parking and successfully backing in on an empty spot. Thank God there were no other cars around, and I specifically chose the lot next to a post hehe. The following day, Sunday, I drove alone to Jeckie's place. I was confident 'cos I only had to park on the side of the street haha! Then on the way back, Jeckie accompanied me.

And now! After getting impatient waiting for the tricycle to fetch me, I decided to drive the car to the office, thinking I'll just look for parking when I get there. I wasn't really nervous. I texted one of my friends if he could accompany me while parking, I didn't get a reply so I just took it to my own hands to park alone. THANK GOD I was able to! And this time, with two cars beside me, I'm so proud of myself.

Thank you so muuuuch Lord for keeping me safe! :D Also, I love you daddy! <3

Wanting: To uhm, finish my writing assignment today. Blog, don't jinx.

Needing: Parking and gas funds. Hay.

Feeling: The sense of urgency for this writing job. Deadline's looming! XD

UberPool now available in Manila!

GIF from newsroom.uber.com

Last week, Uber introduced UberPOOL- a ridesharing option that lets you share a ride with others booking from the same area, heading at the same direction. If you're cool with carpooling with strangers, go ahead and try this newest from Uber! It's up to 25% cheaper than UberX 'cos you're technically splitting the bill with a maximum of three others, and it also aims to decongest the road by promoting carpooling.

Still on beta phase, it's set to be available on the app by June 15.

How does it work?

If you're already familiar with requesting an Uber ride, it pretty much follows the same booking procedures.

• Open the app and select UberX, then under that select UberPOOL option
• Key in your pick-up location and destination. A fare estimate will be available at this point.
• Request a ride and enjoy the lower rate and potentially new friends ;)

What are the details?

UberPOOL is set to be available 24/7 starting June 15, 2016 and will cover the entire Metro Manila. Riders can book up to two seats per request. A maximum of four can share a ride.

How different is it from uberHOP?

Very. UberHOP is a scheduled rush hour shuttle to major business districts in Metro Manila. It follows a schedule, a flat rate, and a specific pick-up and drop-off point. It's not on demand like uberPOOL.

Excited to try it?

Be one of the first to try it as it rolls out today and let me know how your experience goes! I'm wondering though if all common UberX cars are allowed to rideshare, a Mirage and an EON may be too small to sit 3 comfortably at the back (and I'm fat) haha #arteLungs

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Not on Uber yet? Register using this promo code: UBERNATICS to get free credits for your first rides. If you're afraid that you need to have a credit card to sign up, don't worry 'cos Uber accepts Visa/Mastercard prepaid cards as payment option. I, for one, am using a Visa prepaid card from BPI. :)

iWantSeats: Real-time Online Bus Reservation

Why wait in line when you can book online?

Photo from www.dreamersadventureph.com

iWantSeats is an online bus booking platform in the Philippines. Currently offering deluxe trips to Baguio and Baler to and from Manila via JoyBus, more routes will be added to serve you!

Booking your bus ticket has never been as easy as booking your hotels and airline tickets! With just a few clicks, you can reserve and confirm your seat and just go to the terminal on the day of your trip.

Explore new places, or travel to and from your city without having to wait hours at the terminal as a chance passenger.

Leave the booking to iWantSeats and enjoy more of your trip.

Book to Baguio or Baler now at iwantseats.com.ph.

Watch out for new trips coming soon!

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To show you how easy it is to book seats using this new platform, here's a quick guide!

Photo from www.dreamersadventureph.com

1. Sign up and Plan your trip

Choose the origin, destination, date of trip, and number of passengers then hit 'Show Trips' to retrieve all available results for your query. Note that at this point you can only reserve one way trips, meaning there are no round-trip options yet. If you want to reserve two-way, you have to book for another trip.

Once the list of available trips has loaded, choose your preferred schedule by clicking the 'Reserve' button.

2. Enter Passengers

Add multiple passengers by entering their information on the form on the screen. You may save as many passengers as you want and select only those you want for a particular trip. This way, you don't have to keep on entering their information every time you book a trip. Neat!

3. Choose Seats

My favorite feature 'cos it shows you the layout of the bus and you're free to choose where you want to be seated. I personally checked JoyBus' own online reservation system and found that they didn't have this option, so this is a big plus for me. :D

Click on the name of the passenger then click on the desired seat number. The page will refresh and your chosen seat will be marked in red.

4. Review Itinerary and Payment

After choosing your seats you may view your itinerary on the next page and go back to update information as needed. Once satisfied, you may proceed to payment.

Note that there's a reservation fee of ₱30 for every person travelling. Cancellation is free and available until the indicated date.

Modes of payment available are bank deposits via BPI, BDO, EastWest Bank, and also DragonPay, GCash, and M. Lhuillier ePay.

And that's it! After completing your payment, send proof to payments@iwantseats.com.ph and wait for an online voucher to be emailed to you. Present this along with a valid ID to an officer on the date of your travel and you're good to go!

I'm very excited to try this out. In fact, I'm already planning a Baguio trip haha. :D

BUT! The site is kinda slow and is experiencing frequent downtimes lately. Happened twice already this day. Hope they fix this performance issue, super sayang the potential customers who want to browse the site. :)

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For more information visit www.iwantseats.com.ph

Life Lately and Smart and PLDT's Logo Change

I think I totally missed the point of Sunday Currentlies (Currently's?). In the strictest sense it should be about how my Sunday is, but somehow I keep on doing weekly recaps instead. I mean, how can I focus on just a specific day where nothing much usually goes on except Church in the morning, window shopping in the afternoon, and badminton at night. Oh wait, there's actually more activity in there than in my weekdays combined. Anyway, let's just go with Life Lately's na lang lol.

Reading: Before we were Strangers by Renee Carlino. It's interesting and I like the characters! :D

Watching: 2 Broke Girls Season 4 again, before I start with Season 5 which I just downloaded. :D

Listening: No particular playlist this week but I just downloaded BP Valenzuela's The Neon Hour, an electronic pop album that sends off interesting feelings to me idk why. It's depressing, uplifting, and nostalgic at the same time. Listen to it!

Thinking: About our future home. Ever since Jeckie and I decided on getting a condo, I've been very excited scouting for appliances and furniture, pinning interior design pegs (specifically with black walls and light wood flooring), and considering various space saving layouts for our humble studio. I already have a 60k washer/dryer and a 20k fridge in mind haha. And when it sank in how expensive those are, I kinda resented resigning from my previous company, where I could've easily gotten those for Christmas. Oh well papel. Can't wait for better opportunities and 2018! :D
Smelling: Nothing

Wishing: To get used to driving in tight places. Earlier, I drove my way to the office (with my dad's supervision). I was nervous cos it just rained and it's dark so it's specially harder to navigate around, not with my window completely fogged out, and my apparent ineptitude at turning on the proper signals. It's so stressful having to remember to turn off the wipers, lower the headlights, and redirect the aircon, all while trying to stay in line and avoid colliding with oncoming traffic. Practice pa more.

Wearing: Jacket, shirt, and jeans. Not a very corporate Monday.

Loving: That I got to cook garlic butter prawns this day and my family loved it despite my sister being allergic and mom highblooded hehe. Cooked it for breakfast, then cooked another batch for may baon this night. My batok hurts but I could be overreacting cos I'm already anticipating the possible highblood but, uhm, now my head hurts too arg.

Wanting: To get a manipedi session cos I relapsed. Again. I'm so weak when it comes to this. #NailBiting

Needing: Uhm, for swelday to come around faster

Feeling: Bad about Smart and PLDT's logo change. What's with firmly established brands getting complete logo overhauls? Uber, Instagram for instance.

It totally takes off the feeling of familiarity. At least the first two logos were familiar to each other, retaining how the A looked like and the color blue. But now it looks alien, generic, and cold: appreciate the designer's thought process on this.

I can quite forgive PLDT 'cos it remained red but I personally think the first icon is better. Anyway, considering how the Philippine market is run by these oligarchs, it's not like we can afford to bail out of their services just because their new logos lack appeal.

Hm, it could just be my natural aversion to change and my attachment to Smart's second logo that's making me (and others?) feel this way. I mean I worked at Smart two years ago and was proud to wear anything sporting the light blue logo even though I couldn't make sense of the eight randomly placed dots on it haha. Perhaps this new logo made more sense symbolically than the Verizon-ish first and the curiously dotted second, still, it doesn't feel right. 

What do you think?