when I first saw the trailer, I was
already intrigued. It stars Chloe Grace Moretz so definitely we have to see it.
As for the plot, I don’t know I feel like it lacks something really... I think
it was hyped too much and it just didn’t fall through my expectation. It is a
little mind blowing and a little different but really... it was just built up
so much what the 5th wave was and then it just didn’t measure for me. Not really
a movie critic so what do I know?
-till the next adventure!!
-till the next adventure!!
If you have read the post about my
laser eye surgery, you would know that, for some reason, I was so scared before
I had it. I am not normally like that, I work at the hospital and I have faith
in my doctors and medical procedures and most importantly in the Lord haha I
know some complication happens but I know that is very rarely and besides as I
said faith in the Lord? need I say more? anyway. to calm my nerves, I did a
little shopping beforehand haha and it is totally timeline worthy! so here it
is!
-till the next adventure!
all purchased at coles :)
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| I needed a thinner bible so here it is! so sleek! |
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| Life verse :) |
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| A new Journal. I thought I needed one to keep me motivated |
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| And my glorious pen! |
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| really wanted the diamond, but will settle for this ruby instead. |
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| A woman in rubies is always in style |
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| so cute. |
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| Just a girl who decided to go for it |
About a year ago, I went in and got
myself a free consultation from Lasik MD. For some reason, I never did get my
hopes up with laser eye surgery. I considered myself as not qualified for a lot
of different reasons, like my eyesight is really bad and that my prescription
is constantly changing, or it would cost too much and I don't think I will be
able to afford it, or I am just simply not in the place of my life to be
getting these kinds of fancy surgery. I just did the consultation because my
boyfriend really wanted to go and it's free so why not!
Anyway, as it turns out, I AM A CANDIDATE! and most importantly the surgery was
somewhat affordable! sooo
i got on board with the idea of it.
I waited for a year, saved up
whatever I could to make it happen, but then at the last minute I booked a
consultation with King Lasik,
and I’m glad I did! Lasik MD got me into the whole idea but King Lasik eased
all of my worries and they made it so much easier for me. I was really thorn
choosing between the two companies, I am sure they’re both good but what really
made me choose King Lasik is that it is Doctor King who would be the one doing
my eye surgery, compared to Lasik MD that they gave me 4 resumes for their eye
surgeon and made me choose (I’m like what do I know?) I looked all over North
America of all the King Lasik clinic, he is the only surgeon for most of their
franchise. It just gave me so much confidence in what he does and I just know
I’ll be in good hands with him. typing
this at a later day with no glasses on and with a perfect vision says it so!
I didn’t really have any worries
about laser eye surgery as I know a lot of people had done it and as I said I
am with Dr. King, but then I had to google it and found out some of the horror
stories some people had about it including one of my coworker's. She had hers
done about a year ago and she was telling me that her eyes were sore for about
a week or even longer after the surgery, which they tell you that it will only
be a couple of days and you should be able to go back to your routine, and that
made me a little worried. In my mind it was like, what else have you been not telling
me?! haha yup went into
paranoid city about a couple of days before surgery so i booked an extra day
off just to be sure. Other than the freaking out a bit, I was really excited to
get this surgery done, to have my vision restored and to enjoy life without
glasses!
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| The last picture of me with glasses! |
a silly one, but definitely timeline
worthy!
So, after gym today -yes i go to the
gym, or at least i try..- we stopped by starbucks. i normally dont get anything
caffeinated or any tea but i just have to try it, so i did and i liked it. so
yes, finally i have a starbucks order! :)) try it if you haven't already, it's
sooo good. for all of you just getting started with tea and stuff, try it with
honey ;)
-till the next adventure!!
-till the next adventure!!
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| Grande Green Tea Frappucino please :P |
It was our last day in Mexico and it
was as if last night wasn’t grand enough, I decided to treat myself yet again
with a complete spa package. I have never experienced spa like this
ever. I mean I go and get massages but never this grand. I had all kinds of
massages from aromatherapy, reflexology, deep tissue massage, to a full body
scrub, I swear I was nearly in a coma. The whole experience was just amazing.
After all the buwis-buhay and early wake up calls and all of
my first time experiences, I deserved it. I am so thankful I let myself have
that one actually because if I hadn’t I just know it would be so hard to get
back to work.
After the spa, we were just
basically waiting till it’s our time to leave. we did some last minute shopping
trying to spend all of our pesos. had our lunch at the hotel for the very last
time. and then it was time to leave.
The time I have spent in Mexico was
very unforgettable, being in a foreign land with just my friend and I, is
definitely something new. I would like to take the opportunity to thank
everyone at the hotel for being so nice and friendly. I definitely recommend
them if ever you are in Puerto Vallarta, Buenaventura Grand Hotel and Spa,
their staff is really nice and their burger special with the caramelized onion
is an instant fave! We are very fortunate to have had this experience. it was
definitely a good way to start the year. to more travels and good times!
P.S. I wish I had taken a picture of
it but coming home to 2 handsome men waiting for me at the airport is really
flattering. (haba ng hair moment!) and there's some photos of my favorite pasalubong for my loves!
-till the next adventure! :)
Photo dump:
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| Some kind of flower tea |
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| Rice water. as in AM |
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| My favorite. strawberry slush |
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| the hotel's special burger. UGH so good.! |
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| What's the beach without a pina colada right? |
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| Noemi. The friendliest receptionist ever. She said I looked spanish/mexican so she would talk in spanish to me. |
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| Thank you Mhe Ann for this picture :) |
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| YAY. snow. |
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| Yup I brought these home! :)) |
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| My pasalubong hahaha |
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| Mico's hahaha he loved it! there is one for mama too but i couldnt find the polaroid XD |
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| this is as artsy as I can get. hahaha Tequila shots!! |
We started our day early again but this time, we
weren’t headed to the Pier. Our adviser told us to just take a cab on this one
as it will be complicated if we take the bus, and just to be in the safe side,
so we did. We hopped into a cab which was so easy as there are always cabs outside our
hotel. The hotel staff actually helped us make sure that the driver knows where
we are going. super friendly. The
cabs over there didn’t have meters on them. It has a fixed fare, I
guess, and the fare varies on how many you are in the
cab and how far you're going. It wasn’t that expensive at all. And for the life
of me, I can’t remember how much we paid the cab.
As soon as we got to the dolphin
center, we had time to spare still. We booked for a swim experience with the
dolphin and after yesterday's buwis-buhay with the cave, I told my friend maybe
I'll just hug the dolphin and whatever but I won’t actually swim with the
dolphin anymore, scared of
swimming haha. But when I was in there I just forgot all of my fears and I
don’t know I felt a connection with Lulu the dolphin? The whole experience with
the dolphin is amazing. It was definitely unforgettable. It was a memory I'll
forever cherish. I danced with her, did tricks with her. It was short but it
was definitely UH-MAZING! (photos at the end of the post!)
After the dolphin experience, we
headed back to the hotel for some rest before our grand finale. It was our last
night in Puerto Vallarta and we booked ourselves with this enchanting dinner,
as they described it. Oh yeah, before actually resting, we explored a little
bit and bought some souvenirs. I suck at this actually. I don’t think I'm
thoughtful enough for souvenirs. and besides my mom is such an expert in
gift-shop-shopping. It's the first thing she looks for in a place and I just
didn’t think I can buy her enough ahahaha anyway. after shopping I was so tired
that after lunch, I just went back to our room and slept. It was that kind of
sleep that you remember because it was sooo good. It was only for a few hours
but my energy was back to 100% and I was ready for another adventure.
We were back at the Pier as it is
our meeting place, yet again. We were going to Las Caletas Island, that's where
the dinner and the show is. While we were waiting at the pier, a mime walked
in. I HATE MIMES. for some reason... It's because in the Philippines they are
really annoying and you know our comedy is most of the time making fun of
someone and I just don’t like being made fun of. I didn’t want to make eye
contact with him but I couldn't resist it. It was actually really funny. He had
an iPhone in his arms and a portable speaker so he had sound effects. After his
show, he introduced himself as actually part of Vallarta Adventures and is part
of the entertainment for the evening. No dull moment in this trip.
The trip to the island was a little
long and it was already night time so it was a little chilly. They served
drinks at the boat and to be honest, I think my friend and I were the only
20-something in that boat. Most of them were elderly, and boy do they know how
to have fun. When we got to island. It was weird for me... they said that the
performers over there were previous members of the Cirque do Soleil so I
imagined something like that but you know in a fun colorful kind of way.
Looking back to it, I think I actually know why it was weird for me, because
for the first time in our trip it wasn't "buwis-buhay" and the place
was romantic. I mean with all of the adrenaline rush we had my mind was just
expecting something like that. So when we got to the island, it was romantic
and all and the performers were there to welcome us and of course they were in
character so by welcome us I mean, stare us down until we got to our seat. The
food was really good. I had the best mashed potatoes with cheese. I normally can’t
eat it by itself, I need steak or chicken, but they just made it so good that
it was perfect on its own. There were lots of other food and they were all
good. After the festive dinner was the show.
The show was really, really
spectacular. It was amazing. All the praises I got from random people, at the
hotel, at the pharmacy and everywhere else, they were right. It was a portrayal
of their myths and culture in a very entertaining way. I know I haven’t been
describing it in a really descriptive? Way but its only because I can’t do
justice with it, you have to be there to fully appreciate the show. So if ever
you’re in Vallarta, and you love good food and world-class entertainment,
definitely book yourself in Rhythm of the Night.
The boat ride back was cold and dark
and to be honest we were just drained out. There was entertainment at the boat,
and this is not really their fault, but we just had the best entertainment
yesterday so… hahaha, it’s just really hard to top it soo… but their “chicken
little” this little young dude they had with the crew, is really good. I think
he is training to be someday part of the show (rhythms of the night) with his
mad skillz. There was even a part of the trip where they closed the lights in
the entire both so it was pitch black, with just a little hint of light for all
the lovers to dance under the stars, it was so romantic, I wanted to jump
outside the boat of jealousy because I don’t have my man with me. Hahahah but
yeah. Over-all this adventure was 10/10. I feel like I have been saying that
for the whole entire trip but it’s true. So there. Our last night in Mexico,
with a bang!
-till the next adventure!
PHOTO DUMP!!
This one I am really excited to tell
you guys!! If you can't wait skip to the picture at the very end of the
post and look how handsome he is, and how beautiful the place is!
One of the reasons I chose Puerto
Vallarta for our destination is because of this beautiful hidden beach. I've
seen it a few months back in imgur and I had instantly placed it in my
imaginary bucket list. I wasn't really feeling well the day of, since I've done
so much workout from yesterday's adventure. I was hungry and had very little
sleep. BUT EVERYTHING was fine when I saw him... I mean how can you not
be? anyway more beautiful views coming up.
On the way to Marietas Island, I
started feeling really sick. And then it got worse when we were on a lifeboat
sort of. kay, so from the big boat we were going in groups of ten at most to
get in a smaller boat that will actually take us to the hidden beach or rather
to the opening of the cave that will lead us to the hidden beach. AND as if it
was really meant to be, guess whose group we were in? haha it was really
surprising as we were already in the boat with different guide when all of a
sudden, somebody jumped in to the water and into our boat. Anyway, back to the
cave, the whole point of the story. KAY, so feeling a lot worse in the
lifeboat, like I was seriously about to throw up, but as soon as the boat moved
I was fine and got my priorities straight again. back on stalker mode. hehe I
thought it would be easy going in, because this time I actually read the
brochure and saw how low the water is inside the cave, but when we were there I
guess the tide was high and the opening of the cave is just tiny, they did warn
us about it and asked that only experience swimmers go to the hidden beach. I
barely know how to swim, and I have been in a lot of "buwis-buhay"
moments from yesterday anyway so what's another one? I was wearing a life
jacket anyway, I thought.
I Think there was 8 of us in the
group and we were told to stick together and stuff. Since it's a national park
we were only allowed 10 minutes inside the cave and the beach. The going in was
really tough, staying together was so hard. I even lost my friend in panic. I
almost hit the top of the cave but I was lucky enough that some guide or
whoever, (he wasn't wearing a uniform), pulled me in just in time. I struggled
so hard, I kept swimming but I wasn't going anywhere. Until I just gave up and
just rode the waves. and it worked. Remember told you that I was getting sick
and I was swooned by Kevin? yup, he was actually explaining how to swim going
in but I guess I just missed it? LESSON: LISTEN TO YOUR GUIDE!
Being inside the cave was so
surreal. I was so happy. It really did feel like an achievement. While inside
the cave, we did some pictorial, (to which I learned that I am fat), and then
it was time to go. All of the other groups were being called by their boat number
but for us, our group was called sexy beautiful Kevin’s group! because he is
and I think we are. hahaha
By this time, I knew how hard it is
to swim in that cave, so I listened to every word Kevin said. Like actually
listened to the words, and not just enjoy hearing him say it. Anyway it was
something like swim only when the wave is going out and then stop when it is
going in or something like that. Going out of the cave was surprisingly really
really easy. We were out in less than 5minutes. I was so proud of myself.
As soon as we got to the main boat,
my seasickness was back as well. There are still some activities that we can do
like paddle boating and snorkeling but I opted to just stay in the boat and be
a baby. I feel really sorry for my friend as I was really not in the mood. Not
even for pictures, not even for food, not even for opening my eyes. I have
never felt sea sick before, I have been on boats a lot of times and never did I
feel that! I have been proud of myself with that so when I was feeling this
sick I was so disappointed with myself. We stayed there for a few more minutes
till everyone was back in the boat and then we were headed back to the pier. As
soon as the boat was moving, I gained my color and I can breathe again.
Perfectly timed for the entertainment! One of the reasons I love Vallarta
Adventures is because there is no wasted time with them. Everything is about
entertainment. They work hard and make sure your money spent was worth it. It
was so fun watching the whole crew working while having fun as well. BOAT NO. 5
PEOPLE!
-till the next adventure!
PHOTO DUMP!!!
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| Was still a little dark when we got to the pier |
For our first-well not
technically but you know- adventure we booked the Outdoor Adventure. TBH, I
thought I had a clue of what we were in for but NOPE.
For most of the adventures we had to
go to Maritima Pier for the meet-up and the best way (and also the cheapest) to
get there is to take a bus for only 7.50 mxn (0.57 cad)and perfect timing
because we had time to experiment. Our rep said it would take us about 45
minutes to get there, so if we take the bus an hour earlier wewould have enough
time to go back kind of, if we get lost, missed our stop or whatever, so we did
just that. but she lied. it only took us 15 minutes or so to get there.
Thank God the lady that we asked, though she had little English, told us
to get off the bus.
First Tuesday of the year and it is
in Mexico! still.
After a night of disappointment and
constantly wanting to connect to Wifi, we got up for the breakfast buffet and a
meeting with the representative of our tour. I know, very tourist-y thing to do. When
we got there though, it was surprisingly amazing. The food
was really good! and the place looked more welcoming, for some reason-maybe the
sunlight idk. Remember how I told you at yesterday's post that we got there a
little before 10 pm? the buffet closes at 10 pm, so yes, the food was supposed
to be gone by the time that we arrived. We were already set for a good
day.
After breakfast we met with our tour adviser. TBH, the reason we booked an all-inclusive package was because I was so sure I would just spend the whole week at the hotel, relaxing at the beach and getting my stomach full with all of the food. BUT When our adviser started talking, I just couldn't refuse to see and experience what Vallarta has to offer. We were on a tight budget, seeing that our trip was all spontaneous and we didn't have much time to save, but that didn't stop us, and not really that much of a problem. We booked our adventures through our travel representative which was Timon Tours but ultimately the company we booked our tour with is Vallarta Adventures. It was so easy and convenient and they have all kinds of adventures for everyone! They have the friendliest staff and they were so organized, very professionals. (I loved their company so much, I couldn't advertise them enough. I sooo hope we have this in the Philippines as well) Also they had a promo which was book 2 adventures and you'll get the 3rd one for free, so we were able to save more than a $100usd, you best believe we went ahead and booked ourselves all week! I know the "staying in the hotel in the beach and stuffing my face" plan sounds really good but you'll get why I agreed to book ourselves all week.
After that, my friend and I decided to walk around the hotel. We didn't know a thing about Vallarta but as per our rep, we had the best hotel as per location since we are in downtown, and she was right! Around our hotel was all kind of souvenir shops and stores that very much look like I was in Bayan, Marikina. It was so much like the Philippines that you can even bargain for the price-which I am not very good at, thank God my friend is- In front our hotel is a pharmacy, a few blocks down there is a grocery, a few blocks more is a Mcdonalds, the next street from the hotel would be the bus stop, so YES the location of our hotel is golden. The weather was perfect too, not too cold and not too warm, so basically everything was walking distance.
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| a few blocks away from our hotel |
and for
the first week of the year, my friend and I went to PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO!
The story
behind how we got there is pretty cool! (if you
know me, you should know by now that I will surely tell you even though it is
not really relevant) It was about 3 weeks? ago, when I randomly saw her at the halls of
the Lab (we work together) and of course instantly had lunch together, I was
telling her how I have a week of vacation at the beginning of the year and I
really really REALLY would want to go to Mexico but no one wants to go with
me and then POOF it became coco crunch! we instantly searched
the web for hotels and deals and then next thing we know, we were at the
airport no clue to where we're going (we did a little bit of
research) already flying to Mexico.
 |
| Say hi to my friend, Mhe-Ann :) |
And so the adventure begins! It
was our first time ever in Mexico and we had no clue to what we should expect.
All we know is, someone from Westjet Vacations is going to pick us up at the
airport. Don't
really want to tell all of the story since it looks kinda bad and that's not
the point of this post, long story short at the airport, some 2 guys stopped us for
their tour package while trying to offer us tequila and some other sort of
alcohol and was offering a lot of tour packages but the catch was to have us
pay upfa $100 reservation fee. And growing up in the Philippines, I have seen
worse so I knew to run away from him. As soon as we met the person that was
supposed to be picking us up, the first thing she asked was if we got stopped
inside and she just said "Next time, don't stop inside, but now you
know!" Anyway... the adventure continues!
So we found the right people and
then they brought us to our hotel, Buenaventura Grand Hotel and Spa. I was
under the impression that we would get there at around 6 pm, I don't know what
happened but it was a little before 10 when we got to the hotel. The first
impression of the hotel wasn't too good TBH. When we got there we couldn't
connect to wifi, the food wasn't too good, and for some reason there is wifi but
only at the hotel lobby or anywhere near it. I even told my friend that now
that I have seen Mexico, I don't think I would come back. but remember how this
post is not to make Mexico look bad because it is amazing? IT IS. We stayed in
Puerto Vallarta for a week and this is just the first day! We had so much
adventure that I wanted to make a separate posts for each of the day that we
were there. And besides you're already 3 paragraphs in, I'm not even sure if
you're still with me.
-till the next adventure!!
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| First thing we ate at mexico, Melon with coconut flakes! |
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| Like a BB band, a little inside joke for all of the people in the Lab! |
It is but fitting for my first official post to be how I started
the New Year, right?
Being away from everyone else makes it difficult to spend...
well, almost anything! I am so used to having such a big crowd on special
occasions, cousins, aunts, uncles, neighbors, etc. this year we kept it simple!
~not that we had much choice!~ nevertheless I’d say it was a great way to spend
the first few minutes of the year, with family, on the rooftop of our building
freezing but enjoying the amazing fireworks downtown YEG offered. here’s a
slideshow, enjoy! the 5 pictures! i'm so sorry, i'm so lazy i'll do
better next time read my next post please
 |
| up, up here we go! |
 |
| Downtown YEG! |
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| Family picture!! |
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| (c) Edmonton sun, my photos of the fireworks were potato |
Well not really THE beginning, but
just the beginning of 2016 (awkward silence)
If you don't already know me, I am Mariel Tan, 22 years old, currently in Edmonton, Alberta. Don't ask me where I am from because... It's complicated. Not being mysterious here, honestly it is! I am originally from the Philippines, moved to Qatar when I was in high school, went back to the Philippines for college (while my family is still in Qatar, so back and forth there) until I finally moved here in Canada --- and that is the simple unabridged version of where I'm from and trust me it is a lot more complicated if I included the cities that I was in during those times. ANYWAY... I have been blogging -not really sure if that was blogging- for years now and that blog is just full of clutter plus I have forgotten about it and I believe I have grown and changed so much for that blog ~well I havent changed that much since I am still rambling, getting back on topic~ hence a new blog!
This is NOT a travel blog, neither it is a food blog nor a fashion blog. I can't even say if this one is even considered a blog for that matter. Rather, this will be a space dedicated for my stories and adventures, all throughout the year and the years to come. The places I will be lucky enough to visit, the clothes I will wear~maybe?, the food I will taste If I come to remember to take a photo of it before i devour it, I can never be a food blogger i think, and the memories I will create, will be here for everyone's enjoyment but most especially for me to look back on.
2016 is already exciting!!
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