Our Retro-Cool (Temporary) Home in Baguio

I had a bit of a blog "hiatus" last month. This post should've been written a while back. But work somehow got in the way. Now that I'm freer and have a lot more time in my hands, let me try and make up for it. Let me begin with this Baguio City blog series. ;-)

Over the Labor Day long weekend, I went to Baguio City with my husband, his sister Daisy, and her whole family. There were 7 of us in all. Daisy took care of our accommodation since she has a friend who is renting out her resthouse there.

To be honest with you, I didn't have such a high expectation. We were, after all, going to Baguio mainly for the sights. We didn't plan on spending too much time indoors. Any accommodation with a comfy and warm bed would do. So we didn't really fuss on that aspect of the trip. We didn't ask Daisy about it and we just kinda followed along.

After a 5-hour road trip, we finally arrived in Baguio. We were going to drop off our stuff at the house first and freshen up before heading out again to Camp John Hay and what-not.

When we reached our home for the next three days, this is what greeted us:

I was a bit frightened because I thought it was the house on the right. It looked like an ancestral home of some sort and a haunted one at that! Oh no. But thank God, it wasn't it. Go on further. It's actually the house at the end there -- right underneath the Forest House and Grill Restaurant.
Again, we weren't expecting much so we didn't end up being disappointed with what we saw. In fact, we were glad to see a restaurant on the top floor. How convenient huh? ;-)

Just when we were getting off the car, Jojo's nephew, having been there before, told us that the house is very unassuming. We didn't quite get what he meant by it but we just left it at that and went in.

From the door, we found this receiving area on the left side.


To the right of the door is this room. It's being rented out on its own as well. It has a tiny living room, a bed, a small kitchen and dining area, and a large glass window with a great view. Sorry for the mess. We were asked to wait in this room while the rest of the house was being cleaned. We arrived earlier than expected and another family just checked out.

At this point, we hadn't seen the rest of the house yet. But wow, we were already impressed! We knew exactly what Jojo's nephew meant by what he said. What a huge surprise! This place is beautiful! The two things that got me excited right off the bat was the red door and these cool chandeliers!When we finally went inside the main area, our jaws just dropped. Daisy told us that the owner is still renovating so in a month or two, it would be ten times better. But we were really happy with the house just the way it was! We love the fusion of the log cabin "look" and touches of retro all over the place.

The house had two floors. To the left of the door on the main floor is the dining area and further down, is the kitchen. A few steps more and you'll find the fireplace with a seating area. To the left of that is a game area. The table was made for mahjong, I think. Or maybe even a game of Poker. It even had a tiny drawer on each corner. Neat! ;-)


The main floor has two of the bedrooms -- each with its own bathroom. Each room also has a double-sized and a single bed. One room is perfect for a family of 3!

If you walk further to the right, you'll find the living room with a television, a piano, and another large glass window with a great view. Another washroom is there and right beside it, the staircase which leads to the basement.

The basement is where the "young ones" stayed -- ie: Jojo's 2 nephews and niece. The other bedroom is there. It also has two double beds, a separate bathroom, and a pool table -- which has, again, a large glass window with a great view!

We rented the whole house. Altogether, that's two floors and four bedrooms (this already includes the room right by the main entrance). And it only cost around P7,500 per night! I don't know if the rates will go up after the renovations are done. The place is still needing a large LCD TV and an upgraded stove. The one they have there still cooks but it's looking a little worn out. Nonetheless, it's still a great deal don't you think? If you rent the whole house, it can easily fit at least 12 people. And up to 20 even -- if people are willing to sleep in the couches and a few sleeping bags. ;-)

The house, by the way, is located near Camp John Hay. It's on Loakan Road. If you're interested, just leave me a message here. I currently don't have the contact info on me.

Well there it is. We had a wonderful stay in Baguio because of our "kick-ass" accommodation. ;-) After leaving Baguio, we definitely learned one important lesson: Never ever assume. Oh and don't judge a book by its cover. ;-)

Kultura Filipino Graphic Shirts

I think it's becoming some sort of tradition or ritual. As usual, Jojo and I were at the mall again still on the hunt for home accessories and essentials. We were at the Glorietta Shopping Center. And as always, instead of finding something that we could use for the house, I find something else instead. It's something that I'm not looking for but end up buying, anyway. ;-)

This time, we're talking about Kultura Filipino's graphic shirts. Every SM Department Store has a Kultura Filipino section. And I didn't notice this before. But they really do have kick-ass shirts! In the apparel section, you'll be greeted by souvenir shirts that have "Baguio City," "Boracay," or "Philippines" written all over them. If you get the larger sizes, I suppose they could be used as comfortable sleepwear. I found some really cheap ones for P100. Not bad.

But these are not the type of shirts that I went gaga over. Walking a few more steps, I found these colorful graphic shirts under the brand name "My Philippines." One came in purple, black, and peach, I think. On the left side of the shirt and continuing to the back, it listed all the Filipino dishes that we're known for. In huge white block letters, it said "arroz caldo, pancit, adobo, lechon," and so forth. Another shirt had Manny Pacquiao, Ninoy Aquino, and Jose Rizal in the front with the caption saying "Are you one of us?" I'm telling you, really neat stuff! There are a few other variations. For instance, one shirt had just the map of the Philippines right in the front. Another just simply said "I was in Edsa." Aside from these, there are sooo many other shirts to choose from -- all coming in different colors, sizes (men and women's sizes), and price ranges as well. The smaller the shirt is, the cheaper they come, I think. The price of each shirt ranges from P299.75 to P379.75. Something like that. It's really very cheap compared to the Team Manila Shirts right next to it. Their shirts start at P500.

I ended up buying two shirts (the red one above and the black one below). I got the red shirt in small (they have American sizes) for only P299.75. The black "Got adobo?" shirt is from the "Love Manila" line. It came rolled up in this transparent, plastic container. This one cost me a little bit more at P399.75. Their shirts come in white or black and aside from "Got adobo?," they can also choose from "Got sisig?" or "Got balut?" ones. I was really going to get the "Got balut?" shirt but they just ran out. ;-( By the way, other than shirts, the Love Manila line also has the same text in mugs and aprons. Soooo quirky. I absolutely love them.

Albeit, without the home accessories that I wanted on hand, I'm now I'm ready for Independence Day though. ;-) I've got the nationalistic graphic shirts that I can wear on the 12th. How about you? ;-)

David Choi's "Only You" Album

David Choi is another of Jojo's discoveries online. Korean in nationality, he's apparently lived in LA all his life as a singer and songwriter. He won a bunch of contests, namely the John Lennon Song Writing Contest and David Bowie's MashUp Contest. But it was his Youtube videos which brought him popularity and made him a sensation. I would classify his music and voice as a mix of Jason Castro, John Mayer, and maybe a bit of Jason Mraz too? A more apt description would probably be calling him the male counterpart of Colbie Caillat.

His music has that indie vibe and are mostly accompanied by a guitar. The songs are cute, heartwarming, and overall -- just "feel good" music. Kinda like the songs that you would hear as background for Korean movies like "Sassy Girl" or something. ;-) Currently, his songs are filed on my iPod as "biking music." The kind that I enjoy listening to on a sunshiny day, while on a bike, without a care in the world. ;-)

Check out the Youtube videos below to get a taste of his music. I honestly love all of the songs. But from the 14 songs in the album, I would say these two are my "favoritest": ;-)





Are you loving David Choi yet? If you are, I found this SITE where you can download his whole album and a few extras. Enjoy!

Cute Japanese Battery-Operated Fans!

Our house still needs a lot of revamping. So lately, Jojo and I have been frequenting stores that have anything to do with home decor, furniture, and accessories. While at the Mall of Asia, Dimensione is one of these type of stores that we visited. Their pieces there are very modern, posh, and artsy! I love the stuff that they have there. Sadly though, I think they cater more to those with huge or at least, loft-type homes. Ours is a lowly 2-bedroom condo so whenever I'm at Dimensione, all I can really look at are the accessories.

It's a good thing, actually. Because amidst all the "large-ticket" items there, they have the neatest gadgets and novelty items that you can easily miss! We're talking cute Japanese knick-knacks that you know you don't need but will somehow find use for. ;-)

One of these that I quickly grabbed is this cute Japanese battery-operated fan. I already have one similar to it which I bought in the Bugis Junction Mall in Singapore. It's in the shape of some unknown superhero character. ;-) I bought it in 2006 and I remember it cost $10 SGD. That's about P300. It's kinda steep, if you think about it. But it was just soooo cute! The fan below is the one from Singapore. How can you possibly resist buying it? ;-)

After this trip to Dimensione, I just realized that I was ripped off in Singapore! The fans at Dimensione are soooo much cuter! They come in different designs as well as in different colors. And for only P99.75 each! You can't beat that. I wanted to buy them all! But I knew I only needed one so I had to stop myself. After the pain of having to only choose 1, I finally went for the red fan. Isn't it just sooooo cool (no pun intended)?

This will definitely come handy for our upcoming trip to Vietnam. And in the mean time, for these brownouts that often accompany the rainy season. With this fan on hand, I think I might not mind them so much. ;-)

Talking About Secrets...

There's just something truly liberating when you share a secret that you've kept so long with a friend. Or there's just something totally liberating with sharing them. Period.

Or if you're on the other end, there's nothing more intriguing than being told a secret to. You think you know people. But all of us -- at one point or another, really aren't how we make ourselves seem to be at times. Our thoughts are our own and facades are brought out when we relate to certain individuals.

People are complex creatures and I really don't think that anyone can say that they live mundane lives. I believe that beneath the facades, inside our homes, and deep within our hearts, we all carry secrets. These can be silly secrets, shocking ones, juicy, intriguing, or even painful. But the reality of it -- whether good or bad, these secrets can be a burden to carry. Now, cyberworld has thought of creative ways to let the whole world in to your secret. That is, without letting them know who you are. Liberate yourself and at the same time, stay anonymous. It's an interesting concept.

And for all of us who enjoy intrigue and juicy secrets, it's a great way for us to be let in on these secrets. And that's without being accused of gossiping or being labeled as nosy. "We don't even know who they are!!!" ;-)

Here are the sites for your reading pleasure:
Post Secret
Secret Zen
Secret Chest

A lot of these are quite poetic. Some are entertaining and some can be painful to read. But you have to agree about one thing. Going through these sites help us develop empathy. People have reasons for being the way they are. And really, people just aren't how they seem. There's an inner world beneath these facades. We all have our own stories.

PS: The postcards above aren't my secrets, by the way. Just so you know. ;-)

Sales Galore for the Weekend

Take out your wallets and credit cards. One last chance for indulgence before the Holy Week! ;-)

S & R Treat: April 1-5, 2009 - Open from 8 am-9 pm
- Selected items go for up to 50% off! While you're there, why not try the cream-filled pretzels that they have there. Very yummy! And I think they only go for P12/piece if you buy another food item at the regular price. Jojo and I also love their chicken rolls. There were times when we've gone out of our way just to buy these. ;-)

Mall of Asia Mallwide Sale: April 3-6, 2009 - Open from 10 am until midnight
- SM Advantage Card Holders get an additional 10% off at the department store if you buy between 10 am until noon on Friday, April 3.

Landmark Sale: April 3-6, 2009 - 10 am-9 pm
- I mostly shop at Landmark for their home stuff. This is the place to go if you're looking for cute china, glassware, and porcelain plates. I love their cute little tea sets too. Very stylish and chic. ;-) Gotta take advantage of this sale and get one -- among a few other things, that is. ;-)

"Mad Max" at the Spicy Fingers

We've known about the comedy shows at Greenbelt's Spicy Fingers for a while now. We've been wanting to go. Jojo and I had even called to reserve once -- only to cancel it hours before. Something always gets in the way. And it didn't exactly help that all of these shows are scheduled only on Mondays.

Somehow, things worked out and we were able to go just last Monday. We reserved days before and came to Greenbelt quite early. The show doesn't start until 8 pm. But we had planned to come to Spicy Fingers early so that we could have dinner there and reserve good seats too. But when we dropped by the restaurant, not one person was inside. We found out from their waiters that the seats were reserved beforehand anyway. I guess the promoters (E-Circle) choose the seats for you depending on the number of people in your group.

We decided to have dinner elsewhere and at exactly 7:30, we were right at the door of Spicy Fingers. We paid for our tickets at the entrance (P150 each) and looked for the table which had my name on it. I guess it doesn't really matter where you end up sitting. It's a small and intimate place and any seat can assure you of a good view. Ours happened to be in the center -- second row from the front. We were so close that we didn't need to zoom to take pictures. ;-) My only beef was how packed the place got come show time. It's really best to take the trip to the bathroom before the place fills up. Because there's really no way to get around when all the chairs are occupied.

As expected, the show didn't start until 8:45ish. That's 45 minutes late! The performers were ready. They could have started on time if they wanted to. With "Filipino" time in effect, there were only 3 tables occupied when it got to 8:00. That's only 6 or 7 audience members. I can understand why they had to start late. I just wish it didn't have to be so. Uggghhhh.

All this was forgiven and forgotten right after the first act. The show was sooo packed! There were about 6 or 7 (I've lost count!) acts. And the topics and jokes ranged from school rivalries, married life, to living as a Chinese, local/international transport, to maid foibles, and the like. It's really all about finding comedy in the most everyday, mundane things. From the laughter and applause, you can easily tell that yes, everyone can relate! ;-)

Of the 6 or 7, I have two favorites. I absolutely LOVED Mike Unson and Alex Calleja. Mike Unson's thoughts on our MRT system left me in absolute stitches. ;-) Alex Calleja, seemingly a more experienced and "senior" one, also had a lot of interesting (and oh so very true and factual!) things to say about marriage. ;-) It's obvious that he has given all this a lot of thought. ;-) He even gave the married ladies in the crowd a foolproof way of finding out whether your husband is cheating on you. Just hilarious!!!

The other 4 or 5 had their moments too. But it really was Mike and Alex that stood out the most. To get a taste of their comedy, click the links below. These are short video excerpts of their spiel taken from Youtube.





You may also click this link to find out about their upcoming shows. I know I'm going to the April 27 one for sure. Maybe I'll see you there? ;-)