Random Thoughts

While Hubby and I were talking over the weekend on what he are the things that he wanted to buy for this year, we would want a brand new car. He said that our car has been with us for quite a while already that he wanted a new one. And besides the gasoline expense is already taking too much of our budget! With a brand new car comes of course auto accessories and then the maintenance and then insurance. Wow! If he reaches this goal, all I can say is that this is going to be an expensive year!

After our SUPER fun trip to Oceanpark, Hongkong we headed back to Macau. We had dinner first at the mall beside the ferry terminal and then took the 10pm ferry going back to Macau. Talk about a hectic sched! Everyone was sooo tired when we got home.

We realized that it was colder in Macau than in Hongkong. I can't forget Alex who was shaking so hard (while she was sleeping in the stroller) because it was sooo cold that night we got to Macau. So what we did is we let her wear Hubby's jacket (so that means she is wearing 3 layers of clothes!) to make her feel warmer. Hubby on the other hand didn't feel cold at all. Oh yes, he was just wearing a shirt! Me and the rest of the family we're almost running on the way to my brother's pad. LOL! I will never forget that night.

We called it a night as soon as everybody was settled down and prepared to sleep. It is going to be a long day the next day. Long day because the day was alloted for SHOPPING - my most favorite part of the trip! LOL!

Hubby and I had been talking about this day for months. He said that he wouldn't want Alex to be at the mall while we shop. He said that Alex wouldn't enjoy it anyway, so he suggested to just stay home with Alex for the day. I asked him a hundred times if it would be ok, he said yes he will appreciate it more than go to the mall and shop. LOL! (It just goes to show how much he doesn't like shopping...)

We left the pad around 10 AM. I prepared Alex's stuff before we left, milk, bottles, food, clothes, etc so Hubby won't have a hard time. And then the rest of the family went to ZHUHAI China.

Here are some of our photos while we were waiting for the bus on the way to the border.

With my youngest brother!


It was so cold!!

You see, we had to get a visa just to enter the border. (Thanks to my brother for paying for our visas!) Zhuhai is just a few minutes from Macau. We just took a bus, paid MOP 2.50 each and then we were in China already! Of course we had to line up for immigration, had to fill up some forms, had our passport checked, etc, etc. But it was all worth it.

Our shopping in Zhuhai was the best! It was probably because I planned to shop for myself more (this year) than for pasalubong. Since last year I was too busy shopping for other people that shopping for myself was not enough. LOL! I got 3 bags, 1 sneakers, 3 long sleeve shirts, 1 white vest, shades, and 1 black bolero. Happy, happy, happy. The rest of the things that I bought there are for the in-laws. I also bought 1 pair of jeans for Hubby. He liked it by the way. I got it only for Y80 which is only p400. It was a nice pair of jeans for 400 pesos.

Although shopping in Zhuhai is tiring because you have to haggle, haggle, and haggle. Just like the shades, my mom and I got, from Y80, we got it for Y20. We got a lower price because we bought 2. Here's my photo with the p100 worth shades. LOL!



Good thing I was with my Mom who was so good at haggling! She can really get the item in a low price!

After a long shopping we decided to have dinner there since it's already getting late. I was worried for Hubby and Alex because we only left them food for lunch. Good thing my Hubby can manage. (Naks! Congrats Hon!) I was so happy to see that they had KFC. So I brought some chicken and sidings for Hubby too.

Everyone enjoyed the shopping. Although on our way home the lines at the immigration on the way back to Macau was looooong. We realized that it was a holiday that's why. So if you plan to go to Zhuhai, make sure to go there on a weekday or an ordinary day. And always make sure that you HAGGLE.

My sister and I had a few shots of the border.


I'm already using one of the bags that I bought from Zhuhai!



This was actually our second time in Zhuhai but shopping was better! I guess it gets better every year. LOL! We got home around 11pm already. I was happy that Hubby and Alex had a great time together. They watched Barney DVDs (from Abie, thanks uli Abie!), they slept thru the afternoon, watched a few shows on TV (a few shows only because most of the shows were in Chinese) and played all day.

Again, thanks Hon for offering to stay with Alex while I shop. I appreciate it so much. I'm sure Alex had so much fun with you that day. :)

At first we really didn't want to go to Hongkong anymore. But when my sister told us that they are planning to go to OceanPark, I immediately said yes. When I went to Oceanpark last 2000 with my Mom and Dad, I had so much fun. And so I thought that Alex would appreciate it more than Disneyland. Hubby and I just thought that she is too young to enjoy Disneyland. Maybe a couple of years from now.

And we we're right! She just looove it there! The fishes were amazing, the sea jelly spectacular were indeed worth seeing, the tower ride were Alex loved so much and of course the cable car. Too bad though we weren't able to check out the lowland area where kids rides were located. I guess we (adults) were too excited to check out the rest that we realized that kids' rides were located in a different area.

Anyway, Hubby and brother get to ride in three most scary rides, congrats to you both! Me and the rest were happy with the tower ride (that you get to line up for almost an hour and enjoy the ride for less than 5 mins). LOL!

Ok, I will stop babbling now and let the photos speak. Check out how much fun we had at Oceanpark Hongkong!

Welcome to OceanPark!




Daddy and Alex with the Flamingoes




At the famous escalator of OceanPark


My sister, Dad, brother, and little brother ;)


The Mine Train Ride (Scary!)








The Spectacular Jellies




The famous Cable Car


Lovely Christmas Lights at night


Our adventure ended with a nice 20-30 minute Ice-skating show. I loved it!

The weather was just alright, it was a little bit cold, but not too cold to ruin the day and just enough for us to explore the entire park. Yes it was a bit tiring but it was definitely FUN!

On the 27th, the day after Cesar and Ercs' wedding, we packed our things again for another adventure in Macau/Hongkong. This is our second time here, we actually spent our Christmas last year in Macau. But this time it's different. My brother is working in Venetian Hotel and he has his own place already, so this trip is more exciting than ever! Not to mention cheaper. LOL!

Our flight to Macau was 7pm. We were warned that we needed to be there early because lines could get so long in the check-in counter as well as in the immigration. We were there around 2:30pm. And everything was a breeze! We realized that being early is really a good thing especially if it's traveling on holidays.

We were able to have our snacks/light dinner while Alex explored the place. She was running around and was so excited.

Anyway, the trip was a little bit delayed. Maybe around 15 minutes delayed but we still got there on time. The flight was short, around 2hours and good thing Alex slept through the flight. Too bad we got a seat in front of the emergency exit, so we couldn't recline our seats!

The weather when we arrived was not too cold. We were expecting a very cold weather but it was manageable. My brother Dandy fetched us and then we went straight to his condo where my parents, sister, and brother is waiting. We had dinner again when we got to his condo (thanks to my Mom for cooking!) and then we called it a night.

Our Day 1 started on Friday and it was our trip to Hongkong. We took the ferry to go to Hongkong. Our trip was a breeze, it was only around 1 and 1/2 hours travel time and the ferry was clean and nice. Trips are usually every 15mins and it is available 24 hours. Cool huh!?

While waiting for our departure to Hongkong...



We had lunch at the mall beside the terminal as soon as we got in Hongkong. Lunch was great! After lunch, we started our adventure!







We rode the MTR on the way to Jordan where Nathan Road is and from there we will find a hostel where we can stay for overnight. Yes! We went to Hongkong without any hotel reservation on a holiday! God is good because He led us to a nice and clean hostel and there were 3 rooms available. Perfect for us!




Settled in the hostel

We rested for awhile, unpacked some stuff and then we headed to the mall. We were at the mall when we realized that we NEED to rest more. So Hubby and I decided to go back to the Hostel with Alex and my sister. We took a nap and recharged for dinner afterwards. Alex slept thru the afternoon. I guess she just loved the cold weather! Me on the other hand couldn't sleep. I don't think I could live in a very cold weather like that. I kept on staying in our room because it was warm there. LOL!

We finally decided to have dinner and headed to Jordan night market.









There were a lot of choices at the night market. But since we were too hungry, we opted for the first restaurant that we saw. LOL! We had shrimps, fried rice, bamboo shells, and beef. It was yummy!

After dinner we had a little bit of shopping at the market. I was able to buy Chinese dolls for pasalubong. Prices were a bit high compared to Macau (this is according to my Mom). So I saved my pocket money for shopping in Macau. (*wink*)

After shopping we called it a night and headed back to the hostel. On my next post, our second day at Ocean Park, Hongkong!

Our flight from Bicol arrived at Domestic airport around 10 AM. I was so disappointed because it was raining so hard. Good thing there were umbrellas that we can use from the plane to the terminal.

We were still on time for Cesar & Ercs' big day. It started at exactly 3:30pm at Mount Carmel. Unfortunately we were a little bit late (Sorry Ercs!), we had to unpack some stuff, had to prepare Alex and bring her to Lola's house, then Hubby had to change his Barong the last minute - This one is a long story. But anyway, we were still on time for our part which is the Bubbles part. Hehehe!

The ceremony was so intimate. I loved it! I just can't believe that Ercs is now a wife. Wuhooo! So happy for them both.

Reception immediately followed at The Oasis. The place was nice and intimate too. And the food was catered by Bizu which I loooove so much! Way to go guys! They also had cocktails before dinner and the much-awaited dessert buffet. It was heavenly.

We really had fun during the wedding that we were able to take only a few photos.

with the Newlyweds!





Congratulations again Cesar and Ercs! May you have lots of kids in the future! God Bless you both!

One of the things that Hubby and I took for granted is our car. You see, we keep on forgetting to bring it in a car wash and all we usually do is ride on it and we hardly even remember change oil or over haul repair. So this year, as one of our new year's resolution, we promised to make it as our priority. You know, car wash every week, make sure that car insurance is paid, change oil every 3 months or so, etc. Car is a necessity nowadays. It's no longer a luxury so we have to take care of it really bad.

Before the days go by and January ends in no time, I want to post my December monthly roundup.

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
- I don't know how she does it by Allison Pearson
- Good Housekeeping Dec 2007
- Kerygma Magazine
- 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich by Bo Sanchez

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?
- Top Chef finals
- GA Season 3 (still not done watching! aaargggh!)
- Survivor (too bad I missed the final episode)

What special days did I celebrate and how?
- Mage's birthday
- Dad's birthday
- Ercs and Cesar's wedding
- Lots of Christmas Parties

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
- I got a lot of Christmas gifts from family and friends

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
- Colds, colds and colds

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
- We went to Bicol to celebrate Christmas and then went to Macau to celebrate the New year

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
- Lots of Chinese food in Macau and Hongkong

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
- I bought Hubby a PSP for Christmas
- We bought Alex a nice kitchen set

What were this month's disappointments?
- none

What were my accomplishments this month?
- We were able to survive a VERY hectic holiday schedule and managed to have a great time. LOL!

A few months ago we were told that MIL is having a reunion in Bicol with her family so they will be spending Christmas there. Since last year our Christmas was spent with my family we decided to join them this year. Our ticket was bought months before to avail the Cebu Pacific promo. So I was anticipating this trip for months! I got so excited because I was hoping that Alex would be able to go to the beach. Unfortunately it was raining from the second day we got there so we just stayed at home.

Our flight was in the afternoon, good thing my Mom was still free at that time so she brought us with Kuya to the airport. We were early so there were still no lines in the check-in counter. We were so relaxed and I'm glad because that's what Hubby liked when traveling.

We arrived in Bicol around 3pm and then headed straight to the Tiyos in Sorsogon to have snacks. It was a sumptuous snacks full of kakanin and all other food that you only find in Bicol. Alex on the other hand was enjoying the duyan at the backyard while everybody is eating!



After snacks we headed home. We had to rest for awhile and then prepared for dinner. (By the way, I'm warning you, this post will entail a lot about eating and sleeping! LOL!) We unpacked our things after dinner then called it a night.

On our second day we went back to Legazpi to eat Halo-halo. It was one of the things that I looked forward to. The resto was in front of the Pacific Mall so you won't miss it. Lunch was good but Alex didn't eat a thing! :( I guess it's just hard to feed her when we are traveling.

We got home just in time for mass and then we joined forces to put up the Christmas decor and tree. Hubby and the boys were assigned to put up the decors outside the house while me and the rest were assigned to put up the tree. Look what we've done...











Our Third day was spent at home since it started to rain. We just slept and ate thru the day. Haaay, it was relaxing! We get to bond with the rest of the family and I was also able to catch up on my reading. I just love vacations like this!

My in laws prepared a nice dinner for the balikbayans the same day. Food was overflowing! We had lechon, fish, prawns, pansit, fried chicken, salad, embutido, and dessert. Everyone was so full and happy after.







The most awaited Christmas eve arrived. As expected, Alex was sleeping. She was even asleep right after dinner so she wasn't able to join us for the noche buena. But it's ok because we thought that she would enjoy the opening of the gifts more if she was not sleepy. Hubby and I got such wonderful gifts. Thanks everybody! :) We were also glad that everyone liked what we got for them. After noche buena and opening of the gifts we then called it a night.

We woke up so early on Christmas day to hear mass at 8am. Good thing Alex woke up too so she was able to wear her Christmas dress and was able to hear mass with us. Hubby said that it would be nice to start our own tradition from now on. I guess it would be nice to hear mass first on Christmas day then eat breakfast together and then open the gifts. I'm just not sure if Alex could still wait that long to open her gifts. LOL!











Here are some photos of Alex while she opened her gifts from Lolo, Lola, Titos and Titas.













We just spent the whole Christmas day at home and then headed to the reunion for dinner. Oh it was fun! We had a taste of a Canadian Christmas dinner with wine/cheese/grapes/prosciutto kind of food. I loooove it! I didn't want to eat the real food anymore. LOL! We also got some stuff from Canada like coffee, towels, clothes and toys for Alex. We loved it! Thanks again everyone! :)

After a long night we started packing again since we were leaving for Manila the next day. It was a long day indeed but we had so much fun. Alex had a grand time playing with her cousins. Although again she didn't eat a bit while we were at the party but she had fun running around, saying hi to everyone and playing.

We had an early flight back to Manila on the 26th just to be able to join Ercs' wedding at 3:30pm. It was raining again when we got here in Manila. Haaaay, I just hated it. I was expecting a nice weather since it rained in our entire stay in Bicol. But we were still blessed since we had a very safe flight and that we got home in time for the wedding. Thank God for that.