Pop Machine and Ice Cream :)

I cant believe it's almost Christmas! Yay! Been too busy with my work and I almost forgot that I have this online stuff. I'm nor sure though if i still have few readers/followers since i decided to update my blog name. 

Anyhow, our dear company had this kind o' pop party last December 8 in SMX Convention Center hosted by Nikki Gil and John Prats. It was really a fun night-- good food, music, cool hosts, great place and wonderful-pretty-people. 

With Madam UE

Cheers!

We were planning to go out and grab some drinks, but we ended up in Swensen's. Hahaha :) Blame me not, I just LOVE ice cream! We decide to order "The Earthquake"

The Earthquake

This earth-shaking extravaganza combining 8 scoops of old-fashioned ice cream and rich toppings: chocolate fudge, hot fudge, butterscotch, hot caramel, strawberry, pineapple jam, marshmallow, mixed almonds, whipped cream and cherries. 

Twas indeed a super fun night. I just love you guys :) Mabuhay Kayo :))

Your Own Truth

Today was beautiful and heartbreaking for so many reasons. 

Even on the happiest days, the grief can come out of nowhere. Man, you wouldn't believe the most amazing things that can come from some terrible lies. The more I know, the less I understand and all the things I thought I'd figured out, I have to learn again.

Anyone can tell the truth about stuff they know. It's harder when you try to tell the truth about stuff you haven't figured out yet. Here's the hardest thing to get about telling stories: it doesn't have to be true in all of the particulars. It just has to feel true.

We all do stupid stuff, we make bad decisions, wrong moves or choices-- we all experienced that right?  But you know what, sometimes, these crazy things leads us to a brighter path-- as long as we listen to our own truth. 

Ha! I think I'm feeling better now. I never lose; I either win or learn ;)  Fight!!

Little Thoughts

Sometimes, you gotta make a little mess  before you can pick up the pieces and figure  out where things belong. I'm not gonna give up. Not gonna lose hope. Everything's gonna be alright. Aja!

xx
Ash

Health-spiration

Hey there lovelies.Hows your week? Mine's good, but i had to go to the doctors for some check ups. Well, nothing serious though. I just wanna make sure that everything's fine. hehehe :)

I think good nutrition and understanding your body is just as important (if not more) as knowing how to create a good smokey eye when it comes to beauty! Beauty is so much more than the exterior. Having glowing skin, a healthy body figure, beautiful hair all comes down to how we take care of ourselves.

Basically trying to keep everything as raw and as untouched from it's natural form as possible is key. When you do this, there is no need to count calories, look at fat or sugar content etc.. If you're eating healthy natural foods - it's healthy!

YEY!

Hey there lovelies! Hows your weekend so far? well thanks to Martin Luther King for this long weekend :)

Anyway, I'll be visiting Hong Kong and Macau on Friday and I could not be more excited, YEY! 
Special thanks to my dear bosses who approved my leave, you guys are my angels..lol :)  And to you my sweet thing, you're a total sweetheart--i love you  

For this trip, I'd like to ask all of you: What's your favourite Hong Kong/ Macau spot? Coffee shop, museum, park — I'd love to hear any and all suggestions!


Cheers!

A Birthday Thought

"So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land."

                                                                                                                         ----Peter Pan.

I love Peter Pan; maybe because I want to fly too, or because I love adventure, or simply because I want to stay young.

Apart the yearning to look young is the fervor to hold the innocence we once stick into—those days when we believed that life is beautiful. Those days when we never thought that our playing field will soon be a battleground. Well, no one ever told us that though -- everyone has allowed us to enjoy and then soon after the pleasure was the surprises of seeing the astonishing part of life—Failures, world-weariness, and nuisance do exist. It is never easy to chase a dream unlike imagined.

When I was 14, I always wanted to get older. I want to be 18. I thought that it will give me more freedom, more choices, more fun—but I never thought that it would also give me more responsibilities. And now that my birthday has come ONCE again, I've realized a lot of things. Our life doesn't have rewind or a pause button--we can never turn back time.        

Growing up, at times, is something we wish we can get rid of. There comes a time when we wanted to go back to the unhindered world we once enjoyed during our early days. We sometimes long for those years when we know nothing about fear, when we ask instead of we search for an answer, when the only task that tired us was to arrange our toys in a shelf. It was a less-troubled world. We are free of responsibilities, duties, and obligations.

The  magic word we all want to hear during our  birthdays is “make a wish!”.  And today as  I close my eyes and wish, I have one thing in mind--to stay young. I guess this the first thing we could ever wish for when our hearts are broken and busted, whenever we are blamed, when we are discouraged by life, when we are disappointed by our shattered dream,  and whenever we find ourselves astray amidst of nowhere.

I want to stay young not because I'm afraid of wrinkles, well in a way yes, I hate wrinkles but what I am afraid of is not being able to do the things I used to do as a young person.

I still want to eat as much ice cream or sweets without worrying gaining weight. I still want to stay up late without feeling too tired in the morning. I still want to cry like a baby whenever I get too frustrated.

The idea of flying away to a magical world with Peter Pan is a fantasy of many because everyone wanted to stay young.  Despite my envy to him for he is embracing a world of fun, I don’t wanna live in NeverLand. Ha! Now you find it contradicting, right? I wanted some of the things Peter does not want. I want to be one responsible grown-up, I want a job, and I want a relationship. Peter pan might embrace the joy and wonder of being young but has lost sight of the purpose—that part, I do not want to happen in my life.

Everyone has a purpose and choice. I want to respect them whatever it may be. I have my own and my purpose in life is to grow up and conquer life. I love Peter Pan but I would still choose to be ME.

Peter Pan is not going to fly to my window and will not take me to Never Land. If he will, I will pay a visit into his world, just to experience a different adventure, but I will ask him to take me back to my own real world. I just want to experience how it feels to be free.

"Second to the right, and straight on till morning."  ---   Peter Pan

xx

Ash

My Borawan-Dampalitan Experience

Hey there lovelies.. Just got back home and a little exhausted--have tons of things to get done today but I'd like to share some pictures from my recent trip before I get going. I had so much fun in Borawan and Dampalitan Island-- i love it there,i sooo love the beach and the weather was gorgeous! It is definitely one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. The views were stunning and I had such a great/quiet time on the island. I've been 'lusting' to explore Borawan since 2011, matter of fact, it's on my Bucket List, so, thanks a bunch to a good friend and my travel buddy Dex for coming with me. The photos are a bit of everything, I just chose some of my favorites. Most of my friends told me that photos like this make you feel as if you were there too, so let's hop back in Borawan Island then!

Oh yeah ❤



Dampalitan Island



I want a lovely house like this...

Sweet Kisses from the Island Girl.. lol❤

If you want to disconnect and is looking for a little breather amidst of all those crowded beaches, this is a better alternative -- no electricity, no fancy accommodation  But please bring LOTS of food with you or else, you'll starve to death.. lol, you can actually ask the boatman to buy you some food however it there will be an additional charge.

oh, and by the way, there are jellyfishes-- a lot of them because of the southwest monsoon (habagat).. so take extra care.

How to get there:

-Take a bus to Lucena (Grand Central Terminal)

-Alight in grand central and take a bus going to Unisan *note: all buses are non-aircon

-Ask the driver to drop you off in Padre Burgos Quezon and tell the driver that you want to go to Borawan ; fare is 40-45php/pax, or you can ask the driver to drop you off at May Anne's store (you can contact them at +630214543137)

-Boat rental costs 1200php (Borawan-Dampalitan Island Tour)

Final Thoughts:

Don't waste the sun: Get outside and soak it in.It's like a magnetic attraction that will lift your spirits immediately. ❤ this trip made me realize that sometimes a laid back vacation is necessary to fully enjoy your ME time.

Next Trip? Stay tuned.Te he. 

Black and Blue

In my bed last night, inches from slumber, I began to cry--huge and heavy, chest-heaving-sort-of-sobs that I barely ever, if ever, experience. And in that very moment all I could think was what's happening? I think you think I want too much. That I demand too much. That I expect too much. No, you’re just enough for me—you’re enough to fill the space of all my wants and need.

Everything makes me cry now-- as in everything, a good TV series (say Nikita), a good book, a simple kindness... I have this feeling that loving me is such a shameful thing and that's a terrible truth to hold. Life has been a little vague and a little fuzzy and quite a bit of leaning into the unknown.  I feel a blow that left my heart feeling no longer bruised but bleeding... I am feeling alone. I hate the plane and despise the ocean that separates us.

Please let me feel that I am worthy of love, but thank you anyway for reminding me that this throbbing pain doesn't make me foolish or self-absorbed, but human and marvelously flawed. Yes, I am black-and blue.

hugs,
Ash

Hong Kong Trip

We had a not-so-perfect vacation but it was filled with perfect moments. We stayed at Best Western Harbor View and booked a DeLuxe Harbor View room (non smoking room) via Expedia again.  It was not as huge as our first hotel room but the view from our room was FANTASTIC! We would just sit and sip coffee/tea together and enjoy the view. Happiness really isn't difficult. It’s actually terribly, awfully, painfully simple. We opt to have a breakfast buffet as well for 2days as it was more convenient for us.

My friend asked if I wanna go to Disneyland. My eyes widened and I nodded like a kid (pabebe?!) I don’t know but I guess everyone loves to go there, right? Yeah? Great. I’ve never been a risk taker in the traditional sense, let's just say I am not the person you'd call to go sky diving or the one to go all in and bet everything. As boring as it sounds, I prefer planning/cautions. I want to go to Disneyland because of the Disney Princesses and of course Tinkerbell and Stitch.

I am not really excited about those I-feel-so-dizzy- rides. I hate heights, yes, I am acrophobic and I am not happy about it. I can tolerate the sharp twists and turns of each rides but I am telling you, I would die for a single sudden drop of a ride. Unfortunately, my boyfriend asked me to try Grizzly Gulch's mine car! Gulp! I told him I cant, and guess what, he won! So we both board the mine car -- he's excited and I am scared. My eyes were closed at first coz I was really nervous, but thanks to my dear boyfriend who's holding my hands during the entire time. Brave is saying YES to the things that matters to you. LOL :) Same fate happened when he asked me to try Space Mountain! Oh.My.Gosh. That was one hell of a ride. Wohoooo!

His time's up. Its my turn to ask him watch/experience some kids stuff. I  know it's a little boring for him, but still he patiently waited and took some pictures for me. We decided to left the Theme Park around 4pm right after the Disney Parade. I told him I wanna go to The Giant Buddha and ride the cable car. We're at the ticket counter around 5pm but we were told that cable cars will be closed at 530pm so that means we don’t have much time to at least see the Giant Buddha.  So we decided to get some Coffee and had our early dinner.

Hongkong is Love. I dont imagine myself living there, but I know I would visit the place again. And on that day, I then believe that sometimes, the most ordinary moments are the most magically profound.I felt like I was a little kid, as if the day stretched out before us, drenched with possibility. ❤❤❤

Ash B. ❤

Macau Trip

Casa Real Hotel

We spent a weeklong vacation in Hong Kong and Macau. Booked our flight online a week before our trip through Tiger Airways ,unfortunately we were told at the information counter that our morning flight was cancelled- no emails, no calls, no notification. Oh no! The lady told us that the airlines put us on the next flight which is at 8:30pm, so what are we gonna do the entire day? We're supposed to depart at 7:20am, I know it's not her fault, but the Airlines should've at least informed us. I tried to reach their Call Center to reconfirm the flight couple of days before the trip but I really cant get through. Anyway, we decided to book a new flight through Air Asia which is double the price of what we originally purchased. We just asked the lady from DG to refund the outbound flight. We don’t want to our trip be ruined.

We stayed at Casa Real Hotel,in Macau for 3days/2nights via Expedia. We booked an Elite room, one double bed non-smoking room but we were given Twin beds instead, but that's fine we actually loved it. The hotel staff are accommodating and pleasant. The hotel has free shuttle service to ferry terminal and border gate, it has a good location - the hotel has an indoor fitness and swimming pool and yes, the  room is spacious. I personally love the pillows and the bed.

Since it was my very 1st out the country trip,  everything felt so magical and surreal. I don’t have much photos as I usually do for some reasons, but let me show you some :)

Ruins of St. Paul

Senado Square

These 2 places are tourists favorite spots in visiting Macau and I guess this  is best explored at night. We never had a chance to get back here at night as we have other itinerary. We tried Turkish Ice Cream and i love it! Who doesnt love ice cream anyways? Hehehe. On that very day, we've also tried  my very first Gondola Ride at The Venetian and it was perfect.

There are much to see in Macau and I love it :) We even planned and tried to cross the border but we failed to do so. Nevertheless, this Macau trip is one of the best. 

Up next : Our Hong Kong Trip and My Disneyland Experience :)

Orange❤

2012 Timeline

Dearest 2012,

  

Thanks for the bitter sweet memories. I feel so blessed with wonderful opportunities. A year full of love, joy and challenges. You've shown me a lot of beautiful things and I couldn't be more grateful!

Love,

Orange

 JANUARY:

New Year's Celebration with our relatives (mom's side)





 FEBRUARY:

A month full of love. chocolates. flowers. and more flowers!  

MARCH:

Road trip. Lucban- Lucena.

APRIL:

Headed up north to experience the beauty and wonders of Pagudpod and Vigan. 

MAY:

More food trips with the Legacy team. 

JUNE:
 Food. Casino. Laughs. and more food. 

 JULY:

Healthy Living.

AUGUST:

My birthday celebration. 

SEPTEMBER:

Things calm down in September, so I just spent it reading, breakfast dates with Jackie and of course I had my 2nd dose of Cervical Cancer Vax.

OCTOBER:

Sheena and Ely's wedding. Went to Oriental Mindoro to witness their beautiful beginnings.

We had fun at the beach. 

NOVEMBER:

Peek-a-boo!



DECEMBER:

A-Plus Party.

Closed out the year with this incredible road trip to Baguio with friends.

A huge THANK YOU to all my friends and family and to everyone who was part of this incredible year. Of course, thank you my dearest sweet love-- you're the icing on the cake. More love for us.. Cheers!

And to all my blog friends and readers, thank you for taking some time reading my post-- that means a lot to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

XX

Orange