Driver's License Renewal

It was my birthday last month... And that meant... LICENSE RENEWAL! I know you’re probably thinking these things: HASEL, BUONG ARAW KA DUN, SERYOSO KA BA. Haha! I know, I know. But license renewals don’t need to be these things if you only come in early. Yup, you read that right! So to help you out on your LTO journey, I’ll share the step-by-step process as well as some tips you might find useful. I always renew my license at the SM North LTO Office because it's the nearest one from our house. Not sure about the specifics in other offices, but I think it's more or less the same.

First things first. What should you bring?

1. Your current/expiring license
2. License receipt (for safety, but not required)
3. Black pen
4. Money - P600 should be enough if your license is still valid
5. Water and candy to tide you over - not sure if food (as in burger/sandwich, etc) is allowed
6. Book or a smartphone (Candy Crush, anyone?)

Step 1: The early bird gets the worm seat. (9:40am)

Not sure about how other offices look, but the SM North office was very cramped so you might want to go earlier so you can have a seat. I arrived at 9:40am and there were very few seats left. All LTO satellite offices are open from 9am to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays, except holidays.

Step 2: ID submission. (10:00am)

The windows were numbered so it'll be easy to know which one you'll need to approach first. Or so you'd think. Window 1 was empty but almost everyone seated were filling out some sort of form. I had to ask someone where to go first. Turned out there's this small table on the left corner where you submit your expiring license. I hope they put up a notice next time. Once you've submitted your license, you wait for a few minutes to be called. Mind you, there's always a LOT of waiting in government offices so best to follow step 1.

Step 3: Pay up. (10:10am)

The guy from step 2 gave me my license back and asked for P100 for the medical exam. He also gave me a number and 2 medical forms to fill out. They're not carbonized because according to the guy, 'naghihirap na kami'. Haha! He's a chatty old guy who greeted me a happy birthday when he saw my license. :)

Step 4: Medical exam. Not. (10:20am)

The same guy called out 5 succeeding numbers for medical  exam and asked me to sit on a separate bench.

Step 5: Real medical exam. (10:25am)

The doctor called out my number for the actual medical exam which lasted for, like, 5 minutes max. She just asked me to step on the weighing scale, threw a few questions like 'Have you always been thin?' and the like. Then she asked me to read the optical board and that's it! No more drug test, by the way. Yey to that! :D

Step 6: License form. (10:30am)

The doctor asked me to submit my medical form, license and receipt to Window 2. Window 2 officer gave me the license form to fill out. You just have to give back this form to Window 2 once you're done.

Step 7: Photo op. (10:40am)

Window 1 was the photo op window. Now, my tip is to always be prepared. Who doesn't want to be pretty in IDs? Before, I always ended up looking like an escaped convict. But now that I know better, my ID pictures look so much better (and I look so much happier in them too!)! The trick is to fix your hair and add color to your face, be it your cheeks or lips. Their cameras serve up washed out/bland pictures (which have NOTHING at all to do with us by the way) so these are important. Flash your most disarming smile and you're good to go!

Step 8: Pay up! (10:45am)

Window 3 officer asked me to pay P418 for my license.

Step 9: Photo finish. (10:50am)

Window 2 officer gave me my license and receipt, and I'M DONE!

Can I just say, I'm so relieved they scrapped the drug test because it was a waste of time and money. It's not even effective! I mean, obviously, if you're an addict and you wanna pass a drug test, you simply don't take drugs before the test and it'll turn out negative. I don't understand how this didn't even cross their minds. Or maybe it did, but they still pushed through with the test because it's another money-making medium. Anyway, I digress.

I finished my renewal in less than 2 hours and paid a total of P518 for my license that's good for 3 years. I hope your LTO experience is just as efficient, if not more.

Travel diary: Malaysia in 3 days

I LOVE, LOVE, LOOOVE traveling. Every time I travel, I always learn something new about myself, my companions, and the world - cultures, traditions, cuisines, governance, fashion. Because of this, I made it a point to travel at least once or twice a year. Last year, I was blessed to have been able to visit Puerto Princesa, Hong Kong, Boracay, and Malaysia.

Our Malaysia trip last October was supposed to be a couples trip: me and my boyfriend, and J (check out her blog here) and her boyfriend. Unfortunately, we found out 2 months before the trip that my boyfriend had to attend a wedding in the US at around the same time. *sigh*.

In this post, I'll share with you our itinerary, my budget, and some tips. I'll also post some photos of our trip in my next posts.

Ticket. We bought our roundtrip tickets from Cebu Pacific at P3,897, inclusive of 15kg baggage allowance. This excluded airport fees: travel tax P1,620 and terminal fee: P550. Such steep prices, considering we don't have ample CCTV cameras at the airport, huh?

Itinerary.

Day 1: Melaka/Malacca

Day 2: Kuala Lumpur: Petronas Twin Towers, Menara KL, Dining in the Dark

Day 3: Kuala Lumpur: Be Tourist Tour, Batu Caves

Budget. I carved out P20,000 from my savings, but only spent P18,323, all-in. This already included my airfare, hotel and airport fees! So happy I was able to stay within my budget and even had a few savings. Ooohhh, the power of frugality, self-discipline and a go-for-experience-and-not-things mentality. The exchange rate at that time was MYR1 = PHP13.53.

Tips.

• It's better to exchange your Philippine Peso (PHP) to US Dollars (USD), then USD to Malaysian Ringgit (MYR). The conversion rate is much better. Best to also exchange your PHP to USD in the Philippines and your USD to MYR in Malaysia.
• Before traveling, I always make it a point to research about the country's weather. In Malaysia, you can be sure that the weather is almost always hot with occasional rains. Thankfully, it didn't rain when we were there but best to be prepared as well. I suggest packing these essentials:
• Sunblock (super important if you don't want nasty sunburns!)
• Off! Lotion to fight mosquitoes
• Cover-ups such as cap, sunglasses, cardigan (light enough to lug around when you're touring but thick enough to keep you warm indoors)
• Comfortable footwear (I always bring my trusty Converse or Keds)
• Water bottle (major tipid tip!)
• Vitamins and medicines (mostly for headaches and stomachaches)
• Research, research, research! Print out maps and addresses. You might also want to research estimate fares since there are cab drivers who target innocent tourists. You should also research must-try dishes and restaurants, and must-visit places so you can make the most out of your trip.
• Fill your water bottle at the hotel before you leave so you don't have to buy outside.
• It's always a good idea to talk to the locals. You can learn so much history you can't get from Wikipedia. They're also your best source on must-try (and dirt cheap!) restaurants. These are sometimes hole-in-the-wall restaurants you won't normally see on the internet.
• Don't be afraid to try new things or taste new cuisines. To be perfectly honest, most of my favorite dishes from this trip didn't look appetizing (or clean) at all. LOL.
• ENERGY! Every single second is important so always make the most of your vacation.

Watch out for my next posts on our Malaysia trip!

Miranda Kerr

My friends know how much I looove Miranda Kerr. I love her face, style, body... She's just perfect! I even love her adorbs son, Flynn! I'm just sad the she seemed to have had breast enhancements. This observation is just based on her past and present photos, but I'm not sure... Nothing wrong with breast enhancements, but she's been such a strong supporter of "loving yourself" and all things natural that the enhancement somehow contradicts? Anyway, here's a collage of some of my favorite photos of her, gathered from various celebrity websites.

I've got more of these photos, but I don't wanna creep anyone out. Teehee. :) Aside from these superficial factors, I also like that she's into organic food and skincare, and really breathes holistic wellness. She created her own brand, KORA Organics, a certified organic skincare line made in Australia. It's quite expensive, but being the fangirl that I am, I went ahead and bought myself the Exfoliating Cream worth AUD54.95. Convert this to Philippine Peso, add the taxes, and shipping and customs costs, and you get a whopping P5,681.58. For. Skin. Care. Wow. Not one of my smartest buys, I know. Here's my take on the product.

Photo: KORA Organics

Product description (taken from KORA Organics website). "KORA Organics Exfoliating Cream contains a unique blend of organically grown Oat Flour and Bamboo to gently buff away dead skin cells helping to reveal a smoother, softer complexion. KORA Organics gentle and effective exfoliant is filled with Essential Oils to nourish and cleanse the skin and is gentle enough to be used on all skin types including sensitive skin.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Pros:

• Smelled good
• Nice texture with lots of granules
• My face was glowing after use. It felt really nice and soft
• Very gentle
• Lasted me for about a year because I only nedeed a very small amount to cover my face, neck and chest area. I exfoliate 2x/week
• Certified organic with great ingredients

Cons:

• Expensive!!!

Would I recommend this? For girls like me with financial limitations, probably not. It's great and effective but it's just way too expensive. :(

So far those of us who can't really afford to buy designer goodies and expensive skincare... Well, I've put together my top 3 tips on dressing up and taking care of your skin. Hope these help!

Style:

1. Dress for the occasion. If you look at Miranda Kerr's photos online, you will see that she's always dressed appropriately. She may be ultra glam in events, but when shopping or taking out baby Flynn, she's always in casual outfits. Casual doesn't necessarily mean drab. You can make your casual look stand out by injecting color or using accessories like a necklace or scarf.

2. Dress for yourself. Don't follow trends blindly. Know what works for your body type and wear clothes you are comfortable in. People might be sporting animal prints or cropped everything, but if you're not comfortable, might as well not join the bandwagon. Wear what you like. Even if other people say what you're wearing is so last season, if you like, go flaunt it. It's your life after all.

3. Confidence is key. In anything you do, confidence makes a big difference. You may not be the most stylish person in the room, but if you're confident, all eyes will zoom in on you. It all boils down to how you carry yourself. Nasa nagdadala yan, hindi sa uso o sa presyo o sa dami ng accessories.

Skincare:

1. 4-step process. Cleanse-tone-moisturize-exfoliate! You expose your skin to harsh elements every single day so you have to take extra care of it. It's your biggest organ after all, and at the end of the day, no matter what you're wearing, if your skin's bad, sayang lang ang designer get-up mo.

2. Be reliious. Never, ever miss out on item 1, even if you get home at 3am.

3. Drink water. It's very important to be and stay hydrated the whole day. Try to tearget at least 8 glasses of water in a day.

4. Apply sunblock. Yes, even when you're not going to the beach.

There you have it! Holler at the comments section if you've got other tips you wanna share. :)

Travel diary: Bacolod

I love traveling. I realized that it's really one of my passions. While I love being home, being in a different place just gives me a very light and happy feeling. It can be a local destination, an international one, or even just another city that's an hour away from home. My family really loves overnight stays and with all these crazy deals online, our family escapades have become more frequent. Aside from my family, I also love traveling with friends and my boyfriend of 6 years (yey!). Again, this is just a re-post from my old blog. I'll be going to Bacolod again this coming September so I'm pretty excited to see these places again after 3 years.

My boyfriend and I went to Bacolod for my birthday celebration 3 years ago. I know it's a long time ago but I just want to share our itinerary and experience with everyone. :) Anyway, it's a 1-day trip 'coz my parents are pretty conservative haha! Honestly, I don't think I'll be doing that kind of trip again. It's very, very, VERY stressful (yes, it deserves 3 "very"s). It's like playing Amazing Race under the scorching heat! It's fun, yes, and an adrenaline upper but I don't really recommend it, not just because of the stress factor because that I can handle. The thing is, I think it wouldn't have been as stressful if we were able to leave the airport on time. That's really one of the things I super hate about our airlines. Flights are almost ALWAYS delayed. For 1-day trips like this, it's more vital to really leave on schedule because an hour makes a huge difference. Anyway, enough about this and on to our Bacolod adventure circa 2011! Hahaha! :D

obligatory airport shot

We arrived at the Silay International Airport at around 10:30am, an hour and a half delayed. There was no time to waste ranting though. Tricycles, cabs and jeeps can easily be found outside the airport so getting around was a breeze. We went to Talisay and headed for Manukan Country where the authentic and best Chicken Inasals are found. Chicken heaven! Being a chicken lover, I made sure to include this in our list of must-dos. Best paired with toyo and calamansi (for some, with a hint of sili).

authentic chicken inasal

We didn't know any of the shops so we just picked a random one because there really was no time to dilly-dally. The food was really good! They made Chicken Inasals in Manila seem like rip-offs. :( Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take note of the store's name, but I'm sure any of those are good. Based on online reviews though, they say Aida's Chicken serves the best.

From Manukan, we went to San Sebastian Cathedral. It was well-maintained and had this really grand aura to it. After saying our prayers and taking photos, we went strolling at the Central Market and the public plaza. These 2 places were packed with people, it was crazy! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take photos of the 2 latter locations. :(

We were supposed to walk to our next destination but we just couldn't find the right street. We also had a hard time communicating with the locals since many didn't speak Filipino and/or English. Since we were running out of time and patience, we just rode a cab to ANP Showroom. ANP stands for Association of Negros Producers and sure enough, this place was a pasalubong haven. They had statues, keychains, pens, food and lot of other knick-knacks. Of course, maskaras of different sizes and colors were everywhere. For those who don't know, the MassKara Festival is one of the more popular festivals celebrated in the Philippines. From Wikipedia, "The word 'Masskara' is a portmanteau, coined by the late artist Ely Santiago from mass (a multitude of people), and the Spanish word cara (face), thus forming MassKara (a multitude of faces). The word is also a pun on maskara (Filipino for "mask"), since a prominent feature of the festival are the masks worn by participants, which are always adorned with smiling faces." Here's a wonderful display of the maskaras.

colorful maskaras

From there, we took a cab to The Ruins. Just a brief history from this site: "The mansion was built in the early 1900's by the sugar baron, Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson... The mansion was the largest residential structure ever built at that time and had in it one of the finest furniture, chinaware and decorative items..." The structure was burned down in World War 2 by guerilla fighters but to this day, the structure, albeit burnt and "ruined", still stands beautifully. Looking at it, you can't help but be awed. A lot of pre-nup photos are taken at this very place. It's breathtakingly beautiful. Definitely a must-visit. To enter, you just have to pay P50, which most probably goes to maintenance.

After The Ruins, we went to Balay Negrense. It was a house built in 1897 and was turned into a museum in 1990. It housed interesting items from the old times so it was really kind of an inspiring place, for me at least. Walking around, it made me feel blessed and at the same time sad to be living in this time. Life seemed so easy back then... Although I really couldn't imagine living during those times with the war and all that. Plus, no gadgets! How shallow! hahahaha! Of course, being in an old place, we couldn't help but feel creeped out. I was a bit scared to go through my photos from this place, for fear of seeing something or someone that shouldn't be there haha! I'm such a chicken. There's just a minimal fee of P40, again, probably for maintenance. Here's a bunch of photos from the house.

The whole time, I was dreading to see something scary. Haha! What can I say, I just find old places really spooky. I mean, just look at these photos!

Final stop: El Ideal Bakery. This was a pretty popular place and it was listed as one of the must-visit places in Bacolod. It's quite near from Balay Negrense and the airport so we decided to grab a quick bite before heading to the airport. Their most popular dish was the Guapple Pie. Sounds weird, I know. It's like apple pie with guava. Hmmkay. I still prefer apple pie but for a unique experience, I think you guys should try it as well.

For foodies out there, here are 2 other places we weren't able to visit but also had great reviews: Calea's and Felicia's. They're both located in Lacson Street so if you have time and are staying for more than a day, try to visit these as well. Let me know how their food is!

After El Ideal, it's back to the airport for us! What a day! Vans that take tourists to and from the airport stop near El Ideal so it's very convenient. These vans are likely your Bacolod version of Manila's UV Express.

That's it for our 1-day getaway! Hope you enjoyed this post. :)

Travel diary: Hong Kong 2013

Last year, I visited Hong Kong in April with my officemates. This year, I went to Hong Kong again with my family. Obviously, I could never get enough of that place, even if I've been there numerous times. This post is about last year's Hong Kong trip - a repost from my old blog. Hope you like it!

As I mentioned, I went there with my officemates. Good thing my old company allowed all of us to go on leave on the same day. We were 7 in the group so it was fun, sometimes stressful, but most of all, memorable. :)

 

Here are photos of what we did and where we went to in our 3-day trip. 

1. Airport Camwhoring

It was our first time at the Clark Airport, Pampanga so we went camera-crazy.

That's me with my college-work buddy/image consultant (haha!)

With J. Check out her blog here.

2. Hotel Camwhoring

Look at that cute carpet! So colorful. The lobby also had a beautiful wall that's perfect for impromptu photo shoots and #selfies haha! We stayed at Newton Hotel.

3. Din Tai Fung - very much recommended! 

Food: ★★★★★ || Price: ★★★☆☆ || Ambiance: ★★★★☆ (we felt somewhat rushed) 

Quite expensive but the food was delicious. My favorites were the drunken chicken and xiao long bao. Offhand though, some people said the food's better in Singapore. Haven't tried it yet, but I was able to go to their branch in Taipei 101. Same delicious food. :D

From top left clockwise: logo, xiao long bao, drunken chicken, fried pork chop (I think). We ordered other dishes, but we weren't able to take photos.

4. Hullett House and A Symphony of Lights 
I highly recommend this. Going to Hong Kong, you automatically think: Shopping! Food! Disneyland! But there's more to Hong Kong than just those. They have hidden gems that are not your cookie-cutter tourist spots. For example, have you guys heard of the Hullett House? It's a very beautiful place - pre-nup shoot kind of beautiful. :) Here's a brief description from their website: "Situated in the colonial white-stucco building that was formerly the Marine Police Headquarters on Canton Road, Hullett House comprises an intimate design-led heritage hotel, five restaurants and bars, a souvenir store and a performance area specially created as a venue for showcasing traditional festivals and celebrations." One of the restaurants, Stables Grill, was an actual horse stable before! Cool, right? The waiters were kinda strict so we just sweet-talked them to let us in for a quick photo op. Haha!

From left to right: Hullett House, guy doing some exhibitions on the street

5. Lan Kwai Fong 
Street par-tay! The street was full of people of "every color and every hue..." (I'm singing now haha! Only Filipino readers will get this though.). If only people were like this every single day, there would be no wars, hatred, crimes and discrimination.

6. Compulsory Tour

The tours I joined in the past were different from this one so I actually enjoyed.

Golden Bauhinia Square

Aberdeen Harbour

7. DISNEYLAND!!!

I LOOOVE Disneyland. It's the best place to be at! Whenever I'm there, I always feel free and alive. I also got teary-eyed with the different lands and all the shows. I was transported back to my childhood. Life was so easy back then... not much computer games and all that. Just good ol' Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Barney and the like... *sigh* Moving on...

8. Ocean Park

I also love this place,. Obviously, I love Disneyland more with my all-caps and exclamation points haha! The pandas were so cute! Buhay baboy, kain-tulog hahaha! 

Overall, it was a great experience for me and this trip made me fall in love with Hong Kong... so much so that I went back again this year! Watch out for that post! For now, I'd like to leave you with some tips to make your Hong Kong stay stress-free and more enjoyable. 

1. Canvas and book in advance 
From airlines to hotels to tours, you should always canvas to get the best price. First off, you should decide if you want a packaged tour or DIY trip. DIYs are definitely cheaper but you've got to be prepared to do everything yourself. For packaged tours, you're paying for convenience. Don't worry though. There are already many travel agencies that offer very affordable rates that are almost at par with DIY ones. You can check out Google. For this trip, we booked with Alisto Travel & Tours. Our package, which costs around PhP12,000, includes the following:

• Roundtrip tickets via Seair
• 3D/2N stay at Newton Hotel, Kowloon - Recommended if you're not that picky about location. It's cheap, but kinda far from tourist and shopping places so you really have to weigh your options. Which is cheaper and more convenient for you: staying in a cheap but far hotel (higher transportation costs) OR staying in an expensive but very accessible hotel that's a stone's throw away from your favorite go-to places?
• Compulsory tour
• Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center with the Golden Bauhinia Squar
• Hong Kong Jewelry Factory - They sell really nice pieces so it's a good stop for those who are into quality jewelry. Before they let you inside the actual store, they first have a short lecture about the place, what their most popular pieces are, where they source their precious stones, and who their most famous customers are. After which, there's a mini quiz where you can get a prize! Being a freebie lover that I am, I listened intently and raised my hand at the first question. I won a garnet stone! Woot! The only catch is that it's really just that, an effing stone. You have to pay extra for the pendant version. It's much cheaper than the actual selling price so I went for it. I still don't know what to do with it haha!
• Sampan ride in Aberdeen - This is where you can see actual boathouses with TV sets, aircons, hanging laundry, and the like.
• Outlet store - Not impressed with this one but it's a nice experience for first-timers. They also sell cheap Disney merchandise that's great for pasalubongs.
• Daily breakfast at McDo
• Roundtrip transfers to and from the airport
• Disney tickets

You can contact Alisto Travel & Tours at +632-4742683. They offer many affordable packages, both local and international. Check them out and look for Janice Santos, she's very nice and effy. 

2. Know where you're going 
When traveling in big groups, there's a high chance that you have different interests. Instead of feeling disappointed and sulking at the sidelines, best to research in advance, go your own way and just decide on a specific meet-up place and time. 

3. Always be on time 

People in Hong Kong are very particular about time. NEVER, ever be late especially when you're part of a tour group. It's very irritating because while you apparently don't care about your time, you're wasting other people's so please BE CONSIDERATE at all times. Unlike in the Philippines where being late is the norm, in Hong Kong, they can actually leave you if you're late. I mean honestly, if you were in their place, won't waiting for late, inconsiderate people annoy you? 

4. Follow local rules and practices
Be respectful. If you see a stop sign, then please stop and don't embarrass yourself. Walk fast if you don't want to experience hard bumps and irritated grunts. When riding escalators and you're not in a hurry, always stay on the right side. Don't hog the whole space. 

5. Octopus card 
If you're going to visit a lot of places, I suggest getting the Octopus card. It's only HKD150, I think, and almost all of it's refundable except for HKD6 or 9 for processing. Aside from MTRs, you can also use the Octopus in buses, convenience stores and other restaurants. It's very useful. Side note: Don't you ever wonder why they call it "Octopus" card and not, say, MTR card or, I don't know, Panda card? If you know why, hope you can comment on this post and let me know. :)

6. Other places I suggest you visit

• Madama Tussaud's
• Ladies' Market or Temple Street Night Market
• Avenue of Stars
• Victoria Peak
• Soho, IFC Mall, Granville
• Ikea

 Also, don't leave without eating in authentic Chinese restaurants (unless you have freebies, of course): 1 fine dining and 1 hole in the wall restaurant. You can always eat McDo in the Philippines, or wherever you are hehe!

'Til the next post, y'all. XO 

PS. Some of the photos are from my friends. 
Photo credits: Mili C., Jean Q., Ben E.