Marikina, formerly known as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines, is now becoming quite the food hub. Alongside old-timer restaurants that serve the traditional Marikeño fare of pancit pinagulong, everlasting and puto, there are now modern food parks and restaurants that attract the foodies of Metro Manila. One of these new restos is the quaint Happon Ramen House. Located a bit away from the city center, it is quite challenging for non-Marikina residents to find it. So when in doubt, turn on Waze. One will immediately notice the well-designed and put together interiors of the ramen house. They even have their own Japanese stamp (which I love!). I was happily reminded…
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7 Reasons To Love QC
Pinay Traveller’s Guide to Quezon City I’ve lived in Quezon City (QC) almost all my life. To be honest, I can’t imagine living somewhere else in Metro Manila. To me, this city is perfect. Here are 7 reasons to love QC. Accessibility You can get in and out of QC with ease. Cubao, in fact, is the quintessential crossroads as the 2 train lines MRT and LRT 1, most city and provincial buses, and now the Point to Point buses pass through it everyday. It’s also important to note that if you’re coming here for a holiday, the city is not lacking in accommodations. 5-star, boutique, and budget hotels…
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Putting Together the Basic Travel Outfit
Note: This is a sponsored post. The Hubby and I might go to Japan in October to attend the Japan Prize for Media Education Conference. (Our visas are still in the works but hey, as they say in Pinoyspeak, i-CLAIM na ‘yan!) If the trip pushes through, we will be there at the beginning of Autumn so for sure, we will be spending a lot of time outdoors marvelling at the kouyou or fall foliage. This tradition is called Momijigari or kōyō. Although the weather will be pleasant, temperatures may drop without warning (too cold, in fact, as I’ve experienced a while back). With this…
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Off-Travel: Home Sweet Home
“How often have I lain beneath rain on a strange roof, thinking of home.” ― William Faulkner Despite my seemingly insatiable wanderlust, I am in fact a home buddy. And I’m happiest when I’m at home. One of the most satisfying things for me is spending an afternoon here in my makeshift work area in our dining room. “It was good to walk into a library again; it smelled like home.” ― Elizabeth Kostova, The Historian Sometimes, I’d take out the Japanese stoneware I have collected over the years, just to admire them. Is that strange? If I’m lucky, there are flowers. And sweets. But…
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Third Quarter Round-up and a Chance to Win a Free Trip
*This is a Sponsored Post The Hubby and I miss our out-of-the-country (OOTC) trips. As you probably know, we have been travelling together for as long as we have known each other (which is about 13 years and counting). If we have the budget and the time, we try to celebrate our wedding anniversary or birthdays abroad. But this year, things seem to have gone local. Since January, we have travelled out of town almost every month: to Boracay and my hometown in Aklan for the Holy Week in March… Bataan for a weekend jaunt with the family in April… and Kalinga and Baguio to celebrate our anniversary in…
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Beach Day in Bataan
Last weekend, my family and I had a chance to make a quick getaway to Morong, Bataan. There were 8 1/2 of us (7 adults, 1 teenager and a little boy who loves the beach). It was a rare treat for everyone to be in the same place, at the same time. And while the trip was short (just 24 hours!), we were able to squeeze in a bit of island-hopping and snorkeling before heading back to Manila. Bataan is famous for its part in Philippine history, particularly during the Second World War. Its strategic location as a peninsula facing the West Philippine Sea made it a suitable stronghold for…
