XiZhao Temple Hotel in Beijing, China

When I was planning for my upcoming business trip to Beijing, I was told that I will be staying at the Marriott City Wall Hotel. With that in mind, I planned my itinerary around the hotel knowing that there's a subway station nearby making it accessible for me to sneak in some quick shopping trips in between our official visits and meetings. I've been growing through the Marriott City Wall website a lot of times that I knew the look of the hotel by heart. Thus, when the luxurious black Mercedez Benz (a.k.a. my ride from the airport) made a left turn into a small road and stopped in front of an unfamiliar looking hotel, that got me really confused. I was already too confused with the non-stop Chinese conversations thrown my way as I tried to answer back with my very rusty broken Mandarin and now, I began to question myself if this was really the Marriott Hotel and not as what was I saw in their website.

My confusion immediately disappeared as my Chinese counterpart explained that they had to change our accommodation arrangements at the last minute and here we are at the XiZhao Temple Hotel (formerly known as the Beijing King-Talent Hotel).

It's a small complex that's just 4-storey high. We entered the very Chinese looking lobby and there were more Chinese counterparts waiting for me with a huge bouquet of white roses. Sweet!

I was told that there's a temple located adjacent to the hotel. That would have been great news for my FIL or Amah who are both devout Buddhist. In fact, I learned that the hotel used to be a historical temple and they renovated this to turn it into a hotel but maintaining the classical Chinese look.

From the lobby, I was ushered to the 4th floor where my room is located. Really, I wasn't expecting anything more than a spacious deluxe room with a king size bed or perhaps two queen beds that hotels normally offer. One for me to sleep on, another to dump all my clothes on. Perfect!

Definitely I was not expecting to see THIS. A huge room with a spacious living room, a flat screen LED TV and an electric mahjong table at the far end of the room. There's also a powder room and a pantry where I ended up placing all dirty plates in. Yes, even while abroad, I am very much still an OC.

As it turns out, I was given the Duplex Suite (approx. $216) and its a two-storey room! Yes, there's a small spiral staircase in one corner.

Going "O, Wow!" with Oishi!

Look what greeted me the moment I stepped into our house the morning that I arrived from Beijing, China!

It was a six-foot tall box that simply has the phrase "O, Wow!" in front. Our helpers were so excited as they have been wondering for days what was inside. As you open the tiny square hole, this apparently is the magical access to close to a hundred of Oishi assorted snacks! From my favorite Kirei to Pillows; to what most 80s kids love munching on, the Prawn Crackers, to the new Baked Potato Fries and a lot more! Everyone in the house excitedly sorted out the bags of chips as Paul and I packed them into tiny plastics to share with my in laws (especially the two kids), my grandparents and of course to my ever reliable helpers, driver and our beloved Manang. This truly placed everyone in a happy mood as they all exclaimed "o(h), wow!" as they got their bags of Oishi goodies!

Onboard China Southern Airlines (Manila - Beijing - Manila)

I'm finally back!

After recovering from such a tiring travel for a day, here I am back at the daily grind yet totally excited for the upcoming weekend. My trip to Beijing was short but nonetheless very interesting and inspiring. It was for work and what I love about being able to join work-related functions wherein I get to meet our fellow counterparts is the fact that I get to learn a lot from them. It always gives me that drive to do more for my brands..it keeps me inspired and motivated. That's always a good thing, right?

Well, as mentioned in my earlier post, this was the first time that I traveled on my own. I'm happy to report that I came back in one piece. Though, I sadly caught a bad case of cough and colds from the change in temperature and probably from those white cotton-like particles that were flying around Beijing all four days but I'll be okay hopefully in a few more days. Loading up on Vitamin C and H2O!!

One thing that I look forward to when traveling is the airplane food! Among my favorites include breakfast at Philippine Airlines, the meals from Delta Airlines and the Hong Kong-style noodles from Cathay Pacific. Thus, I was really excited to try the meals served by China Southern Airline and since I'll be flying to Guangzhou before heading to Beijing and to Xiamen before I come home to Manila, I realized that I'll be having a total of 4 meals all throughout the trip. Since I was alone, the ground stewardesses were so kind to give me nice seats. Mostly giving me the aisle seat by the exit row allowing me to have a bigger leg room and the ease to move around every so often.

Service was good as the plane a pretty small. Just about the same size as our local Cebu Pacific with most planes having just six seats in a row. It was only during the Guanzhou-Beijing leg wherein I rode the 747 and we had the 3-4-3 seat layout. Sadly, there was not much in-flight entertainment that's why I just made use of my iPod to keep me entertained all throughout the flight.

Let me share with you what I had during my flights with China Southern Airlines:

Our first meal (lunch) during the Manila - Guangzhou leg

Chicken with colored rice topped with Chinese Petchay

sidings: bread with unsalted butter, chicken veggie salad, trio of fruits

The chicken meat was tender while the rice was pretty *blah*. I tried a piece of bread which was too hard perhaps because it was already cold and the butter really didn't helped perk up the flavor as it was unsalted. I liked the Chicken Veggie Salad though which I added into my rice to make it more delicious. 

Our second meal (dinner) during the Guangzhou - Beijing leg

Braised Beef with Radish with White Rice

sidings: round bread, spicy pickled radish, veggie with meatloaf salad and sliced dragon fruit and pineapple

The beef pieces were so few! It had more radish and just about 4 pieces of beef. I loved the Veggie Meatloaf Salad, fruits and their hot tea too! It surely helped ease my nausea during this leg.

I arrived at Beijing a little past 8PM and immediately found my 3 happy counterparts who warmly welcomed me to China. After going through the thorough security check and changing some of my dollars ($) to yuan (Y), we headed out to the carpark where my ride was waiting for me. I got to say, our host really took care of us by making sure our schedules were filled up and we were shuttled from one place to another.

Bitten by the Travel Bug and The BIG Summer Outlet Sale!

Off I go again!

For the next four days, I'll take another break as I go incommunicado to a not-so-far-away-land for a short business trip. Here,  I look forward to enjoying the majestic structures that has been standing for centuries, to indulge in the richest and yummiest food and to somehow reconnect with my roots. Yes, I'm flying off to Beijing, China and believe it or not, it will actually be my first trip abroad that I'll be on my own. No Paul, no family, no friends or colleagues to be with me.

I'll surely miss Paul as he would automatically hold my hand as the plane takes off and lands on the ground. How he would take care of packing our bags and carry all of them while leaving the lightest baggage for me to pull around. How I wish he'll be there to experience Beijing with me. Without him, all the more I'll strive harder (and save more) for us to be able to visit China soon. ♥

Click here to learn how to apply for a Chinese Visa.
 
Don't you just love to travel? I always treasure the learnings that I get in every trip that I take. The things you see for yourself, the experience you'll only get as you immerse yourself in a new culture, the food that never fails to blow me away. My first ever trip was when I was 7 and despite getting airsick then, that never stop me from feeling all giddy and excited whenever talks about traveling comes up.

Another thing that I love about traveling is the fact that I get to have a good reason to shop. I must admit my shopaholic self has retired years ago but deep within me, the spirit is still there. I know it. The way my heart leaps whenever I get to score a good deal or how my eyes would expertly scan the shelf for a promising piece. I'd say, once a shopaholic...always a shopaholic.

The BIG Summer Outlet Sale is HERE!  Save the date -- April 27-29,2012 (Friday-Sunday) from 10AM to 9PM at the SMX Convention Center, Hall 1.

I love sales. Who doesn't? The fact that you get to purchase really good items for a fraction of the regular price, isn't that enough to make you feel triumphant after spending hours of haggling or going through stalls after stalls of shoes, bags or clothes? One bazaar that I always make sure to check out is the BIG Summer Outlet Sale organized by fellow blogger and friend Jean. This particular sale would push Paul and I to wake up extra early on a weekend to be one of the early birds who hopefully will score great deals and cool items. Last time, I brought home a cute purple USB speaker that I use for my work presentations. Paul loved his new pair of shoes and some shirts that he got for more than half the price. We were so happy that we even signed up for a BPI credit card to ensure that we get free entrance all the time.

Once again, entrance is FREE for ALL BPI cardholders (with a valid ID). In addition to this, BPI cardholders get special discounts in select stalls too! For those who do not have a BPI card, entrance fee is only Php. 50. Check out the kind of discounts that BPI cardholders can enjoy during the sale!


See you next weekend at the BIG Summer Outlet Sale! :)

 venue map

Lovin' Myeongdong in Seoul, Korea

In every country, there is a particular district that I have grown fond of. There's Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong and Raffles City in Singapore. As a result, I would tend to book hotels within these areas as I find myself most comfortable and at ease when staying in these places. Both districts are considered highly commercial areas as they are filled with lots of shops and restaurants making it so convenient for Paul and I to eat, shop and walk around at any given time of the day.

After all, being in a foreign land, it's important to still feel safe to be able to fully enjoy and maximize the trip. As we got to our hotel in Korea, I immediately fell in love with Myeongdong. I love the fact that the entire place is filled with retail shops, food establishments and a lot more. There are a number of malls present such as the Lotte Young Plaza, Migliore and the huge high-end department store called Shinsegae.

Just around our hotel, there are a lot of beauty shops which were perfect for all the girls in our group. The ladies hoarded on make up, BB creams and face masks while little Lauren enjoyed buying bottles of nail polishes. What makes these beauty shops really attractive is that sales ladies would wave free gifts to entice you to enter their shop. The fun doesn't stop there as they would willingly offer discounts and more gifts when you purchase items from them.

I visited Nature Republic after hearing raves about it from my colleague ML. After buying two bottles of BB creams (which were on a buy-one-take-one promo, by the way) and a pot of blush, I got more facial masks and a special discount too! The prices here are really reasonable making you think twice about purchasing these items here in Manila knowing exactly how much they just cost in Seoul. 

When it comes to food, there are numerous choices available in busy Myeongdong. Restaurants offering international and local fares are there. Same goes for a number of food stalls selling all sorts of street snacks. Normally, I wouldn't even dare buy street food for fear of catching a nasty stomach flu or the worst case of diarrhea on a trip. However, in Seoul, the sanitation seems to be  notches better thus we tried a couple of snacks and were really happy with it.

Hotel Skypark 1 in Myeongdong, Korea

After arriving at Korea and making our way via the Airport Limousine Bus, we arrived at our hotel -- Hotel Skypark 1 -- located right at the heart of busy shopper's haven, Myeongdong.

Since we got to the hotel a little past 10AM, we were told that our rooms were still not ready and we sadly had to go back at 2PM to check in. Not really a big problem for us as our hotel was strategically located beside retail outlets like Uniqlo, Mango, Gap, Skin Food and several food establishments like Lotteria (more on this later), Smoothie King and a lot more.

Not quite satisfied with our airport meal, we decided to head out to search for a place to have coffee and some snacks. Koreans must really love coffee as you'll see a lot of pretty coffee shops everywhere! The more popular ones being Cafe Pascucci, Starbucks Coffee, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Caffe Bene.We chose Cafe Pascucci which is located a few blocks away from our hotel.

Paul and I shared this cup of Strawberry Juice which was so refreshing! We partnered this with a box of fresh Korean strawberries (W5,000) which everyone in the group enjoyed very much.

Going back to the hotel, we finally checked into our Standard Double room which I got from Agoda.com for only $119.29 (approximately Php. 5,358.298/night). Quite on the pricey side but we really wanted a hotel that's accessible to the subway and is located in a shopping district thus the choice to get Hotel Skypark 1 was the unanimous decision. The room was small. That's the only description I can really give for it as compared to past hotels that Paul and I have stayed in, this has a narrow walkway and there's hardly any space for us to put our luggage on.

Seoul, Korea 101

Annyeong haseyo!


I'm back from my week-long break in chilly Seoul, Korea! With the temperature ranging from 5-12 degrees celsius, I spent most of my stay wrapped in my comfy fluffy jacket, gloves and thermal wear to keep me warm.  My friends Richard and Irene were right..thermal eventually becomes your best friend as the temperature drops and as the icy cold wind hits your face. Armed with my daily dose of vitamin C and a new pair of comfy rubber shoes, I joined The Food Club as we visited the various sites around Seoul and ate to our hearts content!


Oh I just love Korean barbeque, Bibimbap and Kimbap! I had them almost every single day! The highlight of our stay was that we were able to catch the full bloom of the cherry blossom trees. So pretty and breath-taking indeed.

Before I go on and on about our trip, I'd like to open this Korea travel series with some basis Korea 101! The Food Club was able to grab a good deal with Cebu Pacific when it had its seat sale back in September last year. Our ticket amount to a little over Php 5,000 each with luggage allowance and our chosen seats too. Not bad as a normal airfare to Korea can cost you more than Php. 10,000. Note though that flights from Manila to Incheon via Cebu Pacific is normally during the midnight or at ungodly hours of the morning so be ready for a red eye flight. This worked for us as we wanted to fully maximize our trip. Luckily, I was still able to nap for a few hours during the flight.

Prior to our trip, we prepared our Korean Visa and made sure to pack in some thermal wears, thick warm jackets and the right footwear. I've been monitoring the weather weeks prior to our flight to keep everyone informed. I got to admit, my boots failed me on the second day of the trip thus giving me a perfect reason to buy a new pair of rubber shoes. *yay!*

As we arrived at the beautiful Incheon International Airport, the first thing we did was to exchange our dollars ($) into won (W). I always like changing my money at the airport as I find the rates to be fair and safe. After which, we headed to search for a place to eat. Sadly, food at the airport wasn't so satisfying. Well, good enough to fill our tummies given that most of us had little to zero sleep.


There are various ways on how to get to the city from the airport. You can take the subway which has a stop right at the airport, there are taxis which can cost you quite a fortune or like us, we took the Airport Limousine Bus for only W10,000 per head (W8,000 for kids). Not bad as we get to sit comfortably for an hour and if you lucky, the bus will stop right in front of your hotel.


For us, we stopped at the hotel nearest to Skypark Myeongdong 1, our home away from home for the next 6 days. The walk was short so we all didn't mind.

Applying for a Korean Visa in the Philippines

This is it!

All our bags are packed and in less than 10 hours, we are ready to go! Frannywanny is taking a week-long break in Korea! I'm so excited to enjoy the cold weather wrapped in my winter outfits and to see lots of cherry blossoms too! Our itinerary is set and together with some members of The Food Club, we are taking Korea by storm through our tummies! We're ready to eat, eat and to eat some more!

While we were lucky to be able to grab a good seat sale deal thanks to Cebu Pacific, we all know that preparing for our trip doesn't end there. Entry to Korea requires a travel visa and luckily, the process was pretty simple. Actually the simplest that I've had compared to preparing for my US or China visas.

Follow these simple step to apply for a Korean tourist visa for all Philippine passport holders:
1) Download the visa application form and fill all spaces up.  Refer to the second page of the file for a step-by-step guide on how to fill the form up properly.
2) Attached your photo on the form with a glue. Please don't tape or staple your photo as the embassy won't accept this.
3) Gather the following documents:
- Passport (with at least 6 months validity and enough pages to them to stick the visa on)
- Photocopy of the front page of your passport
- Photocopy of all visas from any of the OECD countries. See list here. (Note: this also includes expired OECD visas less than 5 years)

- For employees: prepare your employment certificate (original), personal bank certificate (original), latest ITR (photocopy)

- For entrepreneurs: prepare your personal bank certificate (original), business registration from the SEC or registration from the DTI and Mayor’s Permit (photocopy), and ITR (photocopy)

- Other documents you might also want to have on hand:
- marriage certificate : especially when your passport still has your maiden name
- business permit (photocopy)

Sunrise Buckets at The Grove by Rockwell in C5

There are just some things that I don't think I'll ever get tired of eating...ever-- nachos, cheese, pasta, sushi and buffalo wings. These are my comfort food of choice that I just love to indulge on after a crazy day at work. While there are a lot of restaurants that specializes in buffalo wings, only a few has really made the cut and in my book, this includes Sunrise Buckets.

I've previously mentioned how I first learned about and was able to try Sunrise Buckets up until the time wherein they finally opened their first store in Madison Square which prompted Paul and I to pay them a visit a few months after. Fast forward to 2012, we were invited to their second branch at Rockwell's newest development in Pasig called The Grove. It's located right across Tiendesitas and is along C5.

hmm.. a bucket for my sister?

Together with friends Richard and Irene, we got to The Grove ready to chow down buckets after buckets of Buffalo Wings! Since there were four of us, we agreed to order a bucket each and share this amongst ourselves. That way we get to try four flavors at a time. Our first batch of wings comprises of: Sunrise Original, Bourbon, Honey Mustard and Smokin' BBQ.
All flavors were delicious as I happily munched on the tender meat and cleaned the bones out till they were sparkling clean. However, I personally enjoyed the Sunrise Original and the Smokin' BBQ the most. The Bourbon had a sweet flavor which was pretty okay but it was the two flavors mentioned earlier that have left a lasting memory for me.

Maundy Thursday : Lunch at the Chens

It's Lent and the Philippines is now having a 5-day long break allowing us to reflect, repent and to remember what He has done for us. For me, I'm spending this 5 days to do all those and to relax, tp catch up with friends and to prepare for my upcoming trip as well.

Today, I had lunch with a couple of good friends from high school. Since my good friends Angie and Dave are expecting their little bundle joy soon and Ge was advised by the doctor to just stay indoors; thus, we decided to have a simple potluck lunch at their lovely home instead of eating outside. I observe Lent as I stay away from meat until Easter. Luckily, all the dishes that we had today were meat-free allowing me to enjoy every single one!

Let me share with you what me and my friends brought to lunch today:
Even if she said she won't be cooking anything; Ge, who can double as Martha Stewart, couldn't help but prepare this yummy Spinach Dip with Crostinis.
She also had a plate of Asparagus with Creamy Dip too!
We also have a bowl of fresh greens with Sesame Dressing which was prepared by Ange's yaya

Applying for a Chinese Visa in Manila, Philippines

Traveling to China soon?

Let me share with you this step-by-step guide on how to apply for a Chinese Visa for all Philippine passport holders. When I first learned that I will be flying to China for work in a few weeks, I felt my heart do cartwheels and a few somersaults here and there but after that I went straight to business. Since I will be flying out to the land of bulgogi and bibimbaps before my China trip, I knew that I can't afford to dilly-dally and waste precious time in applying for my visa or else I face the consequence of not having my passport in time for the trip or worst, not having a Chinese Visa at all.

Did a little research, I was happy to find some websites that were really helpful as I prepared for the documents needed for my visa. The good thing is, I've had a Chinese visa before therefore cutting down on at least half of the documents needed to be submitted to the embassy. Nonetheless, let me share the full list here with you.

First step: Download the Visa Application Form here.
Read the instructions carefully and fill all boxes up. For those that are not applicable to you, fill the box in with n/a. I made sure to use a black pen and wrote in block all caps letters as indicated in the form.

Second step: Attached your passport photo (white background) on the box provided.

Third step: Collect the necessary documents

For Travel/Tourism Visa (L Visa type) --
- Applicant's passport with blank pages and at least 6 months validity left before expiration.
 - Your accomplished Visa Application form
- A copy of the round-trip plane ticket
- Hotel reservation / invitation letter with a copy of the inviter's valid Chinese residence visa and passport information page of inviter's or Chinese national identity card.
- The emergency contact information page (last page) in the applicant's passport should be filled out and photocopied. This is really important! I've seen a lot of applicants who were requested to go back or were turned away as they do not have this available.
- Photocopy of the first page of your passport
- Previously used China visa in old or new passport (Only visa stickers will be accepted. Those with stamped visas must submit additional documents for first time China visa applicants. Please refer to the list below.)

For first time applicants to China (Philippine passport holders, 18 years old and above), they are required to provide the following:
a) original NBI clearance valid for travel abroad
b) original bank certificate with receipt or original passbook, updated within the month that you are applying
- If a company will sponsor the trip, provide the company's bank certificate, sponsorship letter from the company and the company's business registration. - If an individual will sponsor the trip, provide his bank certificate, sponsorship and invitation letter, copy of sponsor's valid residence visa and passport information page or Chinese national ID.
c) If you're employed, provide the following: an employment certificate, company ID, SSS ID and contributions, TIN ID and latest ITR
d) For students, also submit your valid school ID
e) For businessmen, provide business registration of company, TIN ID and latest ITR
f) Personal appearance is required for those who are 16-21 years old.

 For those who are applying for a Business/Employment/Student or other types of visas, please visit this site.

Sa Kanto at the Podium Mall

Hello April!

Time seems to be zooming by so fast this 2012! I can still remember how Paul and I welcomed the New Year with lots of sweet round fruits and a bowl of noodles with my in laws. Now we're a few months away from my birthday which means we're nearing the middle of the year! Hold on 2012, don't go by so fast as I'm definitely having a blast!

Back when Paul and I were still university students, we look forward to the summer break as this means we can hang out more often than usual during the school year. Summer break means impromptu road trips, afternoon movie marathons complete with a bag of popcorn and soda, and quick trips to the mall. On days when we just want to laze around the house and eat, we would excitedly wait for the mid-afternoon where we would go around our neighborhood in search of some yummy street foods!

To be honest, I grew up never having a taste of street food. With my Dad who gives so much importance to hygiene, my sister and I were firmly told that we were forbidden to buy from the street vendors outside school. Oh how we enviously watch our friends enjoy some dirty ice cream, fried fish balls, cups of taho (tofu with syrup and sago) and a lot more! Finally, when I reached college, Dad became more lenient and just allowed me to buy provided I take full responsibility for my health. Still, I proceeded with caution but celebrated with a plate of fish balls from the famous Mamang Fish Ball who told us to just call him "Jabar" no idea why though but we complied. I will never forget that day wherein I had my first stick of fish ball covered with sweet sauce. It was the day that I fell in love with our local street food and I never turned my back from it since.

However, I got to admit, every single time I take a bite of street food, I say a little prayer that my tummy won't go wild. How I wish there's a place for me to be able to enjoy plates of local street food without the fear looming over my head.

Welcome to Sa Kanto.


A few months ago, Paul and I visited Sa Kanto which is owned and operated by the same group as Borough and Il Ponticello. Together with some members of The Food Club, we were given the chance to try some of their best-sellers. We had a feast that night but what really made our meal memorable were the plates of street foods now made available in a cleaner environment.


We began with some Crispy Crablets that were deep fried to perfection that we just dip it into the bowl of vinegar and munch away. It's important to keep these crablets crunchy and crispy as the shell can really hurt then you bite on it the wrong way.


This was followed by my personal favorite guilty indulgence -- Chicharon Bulaklak (Fried Pork Intestines). I must have went way beyond my calorie quota for the day week but believe me, take one piece of this and I'm sure you'll find it so hard to stop.