A: How I made the most out of my vacay in the Philippines!

If thinking happy thoughts would really make you fly, then am pretty sure I would’ve been up in the air after I booked our flight going to the Philippines. I have gone back home twice since I started working abroad, and the amount of excitement coming home is the same if not even greater this time.

I had everything planned right away. Well, I can say that the "planning"  part is easy; you choose the dates, book flights, buy pasalubong, and pack your bags. It's  making the most out of my limited time back home that gets quite challenging. But having learned many lessons from my first trip back home, I now know the to-dos and not-to-dos when coming home for a vacay. 

So many loved ones, so little time? Not anymore. Here are some tips on how you can maximize your time when visiting home:

Tip #1: Make a schedule

Coordinate with people you want to meet. Create a time table for all the meet-ups you will have, and this should include the place. 

If you are going out with a group of people, make sure everyone is aware of and have agreed to the date and time of meet-up, this way there will be no room for sudden changes in plans.  If you have a group of friends who prefer to chit chat while eating, and another group who prefers to do just the same but over a couple of drinks, then set a lunch date with the former, and a dinner date with the latter. With schedules starting quite late, you can even inject some shopping time in the morning. Find those filipino goods you missed while you were away from home. 


Tip #2: Too much of anything is bad

Unless you are meeting friends over their 1-hour lunch break, then the tendencies are you all would want to stay and chitchat longer and enjoy more food or more drinks. And this is why it is not advisable to schedule a meet-up with three different groups of people in a single day. The last thing you want to do is check on your watch every minute and worry that your other friends might already be waiting for you.


Tip #3: Location location location!

Ask your different sets of friends to meet you in places that are near each other.  This gives you enough time to enjoy every second you have with your first “date” and not worry that there could be heavy traffic on your way to your next meeting place.

Plus, I bet the people you will want to meet are your really close friends, and with that being the case, am sure they’d be willing to compromise. 


Tip #4: Take the level of drunkenness to a 0!

Remember that time when you went out drinking with friends, you had so much fun you downed all the alcoholic drinks you got your hands on? Then the following morning you woke up perfectly fine, all energetic, and ready to go malling? Yeah, neither do I.

We all know how bad hangovers can get after a night of all-out partying. And although letting lose with friends can be a lot of fun, it will not be so entertaining while you try to drag yourself in to the bathroom so that you can start preparing for another day out with friends. It also can be heartbreaking when you know you will not get to leave the house because you're still dizzy from last night's drinkathon and you cannot leave your bed.

Depending on your alcohol tolerance, a couple of bottles should be okay. None of us wants to be that KJ (kill joy) balikbayan who only wanted iced tea, right? Have a good time, but make sure you will still be strong enough, if not sober enough for the following day's agenda. 


Tip #5: Always be on time

It’s simple, if you get to your first schedule on time, then the chances of you becoming late on your next meet-up is very small. If you really want to spend enough time with people you want to see, then you should stick strictly to your schedule.
 
These are the tricks that worked for me on my last trip in the Philippines.We would also love to hear how you make the most out of your time when you go back home or when you visit places. Please feel free to share them with us on the comment box below.

Now this is the part that I'm excited about the most. This is how it all went down during my 7-day vacation in my country.

HELLO PHILIPPINES!

Flight back home: We booked the 1:20AM / February 7, 2013 flight and we were happy that we landed on time. Smooth flight and comfy seats. Thank you, CEBU PACIFIC!


Day 1 / Feb.7.2013 Thursday:

Sunrise!

Our first stop was of course, at that fast food chain with a red-and-yellow-striped bee! :D Popo’s mom and dad had no idea he was coming home, so needless to say, they were both surprised to see us early morning in their house, with Jollibee breakfast meals!

Teatime!

We went to SM Mall Of Asia (MOA) later that afternoon and did a little shopping. Oh I missed looking at that globe. We also finished what needed to be done at BDO. They really find ways! Special thanks to Mr. Ryan Bautista.

All the walking got us tired. How about some merienda? RAZON’s! Ooohh you got to love their halo-halo!

Sunset!

And of course, what better way to end our first day back home but by having dinner with our families at Seaside Dampa! Julie’s Ihaw-ihaw provided a wide variety of grilled meals and all-Pinoy dishes. We savoured their Sinigang na hipon, buttered shrimp, ensaladang mangga, baked tahong, grilled liempo, and calamari. Oooohh just typing these meals makes me hungry. And for dessert? The White Hat Italian fro yo and Chatime milk tea!

Day 2 / Feb.8.2013 Friday:

Sunrise! 

I woke up Friday morning feeling really happy. I'M HOME, B%^#CHES! :D For breakfast, mom bought some creamy pandesal.Yuuuummm! I started to finally unload the things inside my luggage before I prepped for another day of gala.

Teatime!

We made sure we pay our "college mommy" a visit. We stayed for a couple of hours, and just did some catching up over ice cream and juice. Haha! Here's our photo with our mommy Chil in Letran. Love her!


Sunset!

After Letran, I went straight to Greenbelt to meet my drop dead gorgeous high school girl friends. We enjoyed our dinner at Gerry's Grill Greenbelt 3. Our dinner was followed by a few bottles of beer, and then some coffee. I have never, in years, laughed so hard, and had much fun as I had with them. We met around 8PM and were in Greenbelt area until 3AM. I am crazy about these girls!  

(Notice that I changed my outfit? I met my mom at Glorietta first and bought a different top before I went to see my girls. Haha! I can’t help it.)

 
Day 3 / Feb.9.2013 Saturday:

Sunrise!

Usually, I get grumpy when I only get 3 hours of sleep, but not this time. I got home from my Fridate past 4 in the morning, slept around 5:30, and I was up prepping around 8:15.

I visited some some friends from my previous work in Mandaluyong. It felt weird to wear a visitor's ID. Haha! We headed to Hap Chan after some chikahan in the office. :) 

Teatime!

I spent the entire afternoon with another close friend, my ate Tine. I enjoyed this part of the day so much. We had so much catching up to do, and we did that over shopping. Even more fun huh? I got to buy so many items for very reasonable prices, all thanks to Fashion Market at Market! Market! If you live near the mall’s area, you should drop by and visit their four floors of all-affordable goodies; native delicacies, clothes, gift items, house displays, and furniture. You can find many nice items with good quality, and practice your bargaining skills at the same time! 

Sunset!

My amigang Yka would have seriously demanded we go to a bar in Timog had I not explained to her I really have somewhere I need to be early morning the following day. Haha! She loves me! So instead, we enjoyed dinner and a few bottles of beer at Giligans Glorietta 5.

I have one question though, Giligans. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? We had this old metal table that leaned to the side and wobbled. So you can just imagine how careful we tried to be when pouring pork sinigang in our bowls. The place was dead quiet. It was nothing like how it was before. 

Good thing the girls I was with were anything but boring. I love these girls, and I will always have a day/night dedicated to being with them when back home. It's funny how we "attacked" the mangga't bagoong served to us? Hahahaha!

Day 4 / Feb.10.2013 Sunday:

Sunrise / Teatime! 

We were at Jollibee SLEX a few minutes after the sun rose on my 4th day home. After munching in on our breakfast meals, we were back on the road. Next stop: Tiaong, Quezon; home of the Dipasupils!

My lola (grandmother), native chicken, and fruits picked from our trees backyard, are just some of the many reasons why I always visit Tiaong.

 
Sunset!

And as if we haven't had enough Chinese food in Singapore, dinner at Chowking! Well, Popo and I still enjoy Chinese food cooked the Filipino way.

Day 5 / Feb.11.2013 Monday:

Sunrise / Teatime!

Remember our first joint entry? That would fall under this day. Bebi J and I spiced up our Monday.

Photo taken at Conti's Greenbelt 2. Love that Mango Bravo!

 
Sunset!

With my college/org friends that night for some good old peer bonding.

Day 6 / Feb.11.2013 Tuesday:

This day is specially for my mom. I really miss going shopping with her, so this day is for some mother-daughter bonding.   

Sunrise!

Photo not taken in the Philippines. Just wanted to show you my mom! Haha!

We went back to Market! Market! and shopped a little, then waited for my cousin, kuya Joel before going to Max’s for our (late) lunch. 



 
Teatime!

With time still in our control, we went back home first to drop all the things we bought and freshen up before leaving again for Makati.

Sunset!

It was our last night in the Philippines. After buying all we needed at SM Makati, we headed to Conti’s Greenbelt 2 for our family dinner.

Day 7 / Feb.13.2013 Wednesday:

Ensaymada, caramel bars, happy peanuts, dragon sid, Oishi Cracklings, Tomi sweetcorn, sour sampaloc, and some processed goods. Yes, our bags are packed. Bound for Singapore.

- A (02.24.13/11:00PM)

A&J: No valentine? No problem!

It’s not everyday that we get the chance to spend time together and shop. So this month of love, we made sure that we get to set a date for bonding, shopping, and a whole lot of best friend time!

We both love to shop for clothes, hair accessories, shoes, among many other things that shout “I’m pretty!”, but unlike when we were in college, we don’t get to bring along our girl friends anymore to shop with us and judge our choices.  And we know for a fact that having someone on the next fitting room ready to check how the dress fits you is always helpful on deciding whether or not an item is worth losing a few bills in your wallet. So we were both excited to know that we will again get the chance to shop like how we used to do it; together. We didn’t waste any second while we were together. All the chika and all the shopping we did. Legen… wait for it… dary! :D

Before proceeding with the main event of the day, we first filled our sexy bods with some delish dishes from Conti’s, and of course, what else for dessert but MANGO BRAVO.

We visited SM Makati, The Landmark, Greenbelt malls, and Glorietta malls on a Monday. Why Monday? We both do not enjoy shopping in crowded places (this only applies to bigger malls, we both love Divi and Greenhills) so we met on a Monday!

We both didn’t have anything specific we’d want to purchase. We touched and tried everything that caught our eyes. We bought quite a number of small items and of course, some clothes. It’ll be too many (and not to mention too boring) if we share with you, friends, all of the things we bought, so let us show you our top 3 favorite purchases from our best friend Valentine's date.

Bebi A:

AAAWWW:  Bebi J can do her make up really well. She can transform herself from very chic, to rock and roll diva, to “I’m an actress who doesn’t know how to act” (Haha! She did a Kristen Stewart make up before).  Bottom line, she knows how to handle those brushes and palettes. And she sure looked nice when we met at Greenbelt; made me wonder if she forgot it was only ME she’s dating that day.

So since I was with her, I took that chance to have her help me choose the right lipstick for me. She gave me some really nice suggestions on which shade I should use, and which brands I should go for to get good quality lip stick. I went for Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suade in Cotoure shade.

 The stick itself is more pink than red, but once applied gives you a reddish tint. A light dab gave my lips my desired natural-looking reddish/pinkish look. And it really lasts. The sales person didn’t lie to me when she told me it can last up to 16 hours. Lips still reddish after you have brushed your teeth, is that good or bad? You be the judge.

I LIKE: I stopped by at The Landmark a few days before bebi J and I went there. On my first visit, I saw this lacy dress that I fell in love with. I fit it, and it looked good on me (Yeah, you read that right :D ), but I didn’t buy it. But when Bebi J and I saw it again on our visit, I immediately asked for a new stock, and purchased it. Her remark, “Bi, this will look good on you.” gave me THE push.

This corset top dress will go well with a nice earth-color boyfriend jacket and closed heels for a more chic corporate look, and of course, can be worn alone plus some bright pumps for a date with the boyfriend. This baby all for a very cheap price of Php299! And I know a dress like this will cost me around $40-$50 in Singapore. Money well spent!

I SUPER LOVE: There is one difference between Forever 21 Orchard Exchange (Singapore) and Forever 21 SM Makati (Philippines); I have never gone to the former with my best friend. I have found myself wandering around Forever 21 in Orchard way too many times, but never have I purchased a single thing. There was just nothing that enticed me to buy anything, not even the ones I really liked (it happens to me a lot when shopping alone, for added proof, refer to the lacy dress story at The Landmark again). But when we got to Forever 21 SM Makati (Philippines), I just went mad over some shift dresses. And this time, I didn’t just fit dresses, I actually bought the one that I liked.

 And I just love how this shift dress can make me look longer than 5’1”. I also bought some half nude half red pumps (Parisian) to go with the dress. I feel very Audrey Hepburn-ish in the outfit. Oh! And let me just add, I’ve already worn this in the office, and I got compliments from almost everyone, including the big bosses. Made me feel so puhreetey!

Bebi J:

AAAWWW:  I am on the plus side of the fashion spectrum, and though they have a plus size section in The Landmark, the choices are still limited and kind of outdated, so I wasn’t able to buy new clothes from Landmark, but I was more than happy to suggest some cutesy dresses for Bebi A. We also bought some super cute and colourful mini hairclips to hold our fringes! Because every lady with fringes knows that it can get really irritating sometimes. ;D Then we went to the mall’s ground floor and that’s like a slice of heaven for me; MAKE UP counters everywhere!!! I immediately switch my make up sniper vision on and located VMV Hypoallergenics to buy “Skintangible Faintation: Skin Refining Skintelligent Non-Makeup”! I love VMV so much! In fact I am using they’re whole “Re-Everything” skincare line!

 

 
(L-VMV Hypoallergenics' Skintangible)
It is a skin brightener and it’s like a foundation but it’s not. It’s so light on the skin and it already has an SPF! I use this to achieve the dewy skin effect, not oily. It just gives the face that healthy glow!

I LIKE: And then we head on to my favourite high street boutique here in the Philippines; Forever 21! I made my way to the Plus Size section right away and found this very nice blouse top and a Navy-inspired black striped dress.

I purchased both of them, but I really like my new Navy dress. I’ve been looking for a dress like this for quite some time now. I love how its simplicity paired with a colourful skinny belt can remind me of Paris or if you match it with a black belt, you automatically can rock an Adele inspired look!

 
I wore this with a black skinny belt and my Tory Burch Black Jelly Reva Flats, and then Voila! A date night or night-out-of-the-town-with-friends look! Or, exchange the flats with red stilettos for a more vamp and sophisticated look.

I SUPER LOVE: And, then after a long day of shopping in Makati we went to the SM Mall of Asia to meet up with some college friends for dinner. On our way to the resto, we saw this store called Club Princess, a very cute store which has a lot of, well for the lack of a better word, princess things, feather boas, pink and everything cute! I found this zebra print headboard that is shaped like a crown with pink ribbons across it used to hold notes or pictures and it is the cutest thing!

I have been looking for something like this for quite some time now as well. I even tried to DIY this but, obviously, I failed immensely. LOL. I love having pictures or memorabilia of my loved ones by my bed that's why I put so much positivity in this board plus it's really cute so a +1 for my room's aesthetic! ;)

That day couldn’t have gotten any better! Food, Shop, and Chika! What else can two female best friends ask for on an ordinary weekday?! And we cannot even begin to describe the things we will do to get that kind of bonding again. Obviously, one day isn’t enough for all the cute items we can get our hands on. But though it’s just one day, we’re glad we had that chance. Who knows, maybe our next Vday date will not be in the Philippines anymore? ;)