Oh Sarah!

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Urban Escape : September (2011)
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midas hotel


I have, for the longest time, been intrigued by the newly refurbished hotel that replaced the old Hyatt since it opened. The imposing lights amidst the dead scene just lures my eyes every time I drive by. So when DG offered an irresistible deal for an overnight stay, my generous benefactor (thanks mahal!) bought one for me.


midas hotel


The old Hyatt lobby was unrecognizable (my mom liked hanging out at their ground floor cafe all the time). The lobby was as posh as Victoria Beckham, though I found the "Hermes-esque" boxes and the display of designer bags a bit tacky. Now don't get me wrong. I like how it felt when I entered (esp. with the courteous reception that we received) but the overall look can be nakakasawa and may need an update in time.


It was busy when we checked in, and I later found out that they were hosting Ms. World Philippines (candidates and organizers) in the hotel. No wonder I was not granted my request to be billeted on the women's floor as all the rooms were occupied. But nonetheless, I felt happy when I entered my room for the night.


>


I heard rooms on the Manila side of the building are much larger than the ones on the other side, so that's a tip for you if you're planning to stay there :). 


midas hotel


Here's little T dwarfed by the humungous king bed.


midas hotel


The LCD screen behind the sliding mirror.


midas hotel
Moi and the little one.


midas hotel
My dad should have seen this!


midas hotel
The very masculine (and tight) bath.

midas hotel
Aigner Bath products.

midas hotel
Our balcony.

Had dinner in the room with my folks that same night as they bade us goodbye before they head to their annual panata for the Peñafrancia. Then in the morning, my sister drove straight from work to have breakfast with us at the Midas Cafe.

midas hotel

midas hotel

Food was yummy (loved the scrambled egg and the cheese selections!) and we stuffed ourselves enough till lunch. Lol!

midas hotel

midas hotel

Went down to the lobby to experience the grandiosity and took photos of the kid on expensive Furnitalia...

midas hotel

... and Poltrona Frau! *cue in jologs moment, lol!* And then we went back to the room to relish a few more hours of luxury.

So how did it fair?

PROS: I loved the service. They really go an extra mile just to please you. It was a first for me to be escorted from the car to the room. The executive room I stayed in was very spacious and the aesthetics were really praiseworthy. While I'm not new to staying at boutique hotels (W in SD is the best so far), it carved a really good impression on me.

CONS: Internet through wifi was free, but the signal was weak. I reported it to the front desk and they loaned me a LAN cable to plug into the wall - but it didn't work. An hour later, my signal got better and I was informed that they just reset the router.

I'm not a fan of shower over the bath, but it doesn't bother me as well. The size is enough for asians, but not to most of western guests.

They're still working on the pool and the executive lounge but they have this note on the table: 

midas hotel

(Sayang, I was not able to avail of the other offers because the 'rents brought too much food!)

Last, I checked their website's virtual tour of our room and noted that ours didn't have the Phillipe Starck ghost chair and some lighting fixtures. Not that it matters because I still loved the room but it would've been awesome if all their rooms had that chair at least. Lol.

OVERALL: I give it a 3.5 out of 5. Loved every second I was there, and as I said in the guest survey, I would definitely come back.

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Urban Escape: August (2011)
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(THIS IS A REPOST OF AN ENTRY I MADE IN MY TUMBLR SITE.) 


Continuing my urban escape posts from my now defunct (err...alive) LiveJournal, the bf and I purchased another deal online for an overnight stay at Hotel H2O. This time though, we spent it as a send-off to our first ampon, Booboo.


hotel h2o


hotel h2o


This was our room. Lovely, ain't it? The kids might have gasped a lil when we peeked at the celebrated Aqua room but our view in this room was definitely better than the aquarium. We were going to the Oceanarium anyway.


hotel h2o


hotel h2o


hotel h2o


Not for friends, unless you're super duper close, haha! Great for lovers who fancy body silhouettes though.


hotel h2o


And because we have such water-crazy kids, we headed straight to the pool. It was a hassle getting there since it was outside the complex. They did not even last an hour because the water was freezing cold. 


hotel h2o


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Went back to the room to dress up and had dinner at Gerry's grill just downstairs. 


Around 7pm, we watched the musical fountain show - Once Upon an Ocean. They gave out those cute plastic ponchos to shield us from the rain. The li'l one and his kuya Boo were all eyes on the show!


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hotel h2o


The annoying music stayed in my head the whole night.


hotel h2o


hotel h2o


We headed back to the room to call it a night. I was just as tired but I was scheduled for a massage at their in-house spa. The massage was so-so. Manang was mostly missing the knots on my thigh area, but I was already too dead beat to complain. Slept through the whole session and was awakened when it was time to transfer to their heated negative-ion room (where I slept again! Arrgh!). 


hotel h2o


Yes, all the kneading triggered the hungry monster in my tummy so I ordered this for room sevice! Gahd, I'm such a glutton! (See the hidden mickey?)


hotel h2o


I woke up to the sight of the Philippine Dragonboat team practicing in the rain.


hotel h2o


We had breakfast at MakanMakan ( it used to be called Makansutra).


hotel h2o


Fairly decent spread for breakfast.


hotel h2o


And what do y'know? Dimsum is included!


hotel h2o


Of course the kids only fancied this section.


We went back to the room to meet my dad who went to check on us and tagged along  Nelva so she could come with us inside the Oceanarium. The kiddos love her!


hotel h2o


hotel h2o


hotel h2o


But as they say, all good things come to an end, and end it did. Just as we were to exit the first floor of the oceanarium, the little one stumbled over one of those frames where you put your head into for pictures. It was made of a metal and was not balanced so the minute Lester put his little head on the hole, it got knocked over along with his fragile little body. I rushed over to see blood dripping from his nose bridge. We had to bring him to the vaccination clinic in the mall because Manila Ocean Park doesn't have a clinic. They did first aid to the kid and I was relieved when the doctor told me he won't need stitches. Sigh. 


hotel h2o


We checked out the sea lions before we went home.


hotel h2o
Here's the kid who looks like he just had his nose done.

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Project Number Two
[info]mylastblog
Ok, so yeah, I slacked on writing after I discovered the convenience of Tumblr. I guess I became too saturated with the thought of having to write something and the ease of just copying a pictured quote of what I feel offered a literary respite. But then looking back at the entries I have there did not bring me emotions. Not reminiscing material at all. 

Then I remember, I documented a few events that never made it here. So for my second project for this blog's resurrection, I will try to dig down into memory lane and jot down the most that I can recall. In the meantime, let me entertain you with my latest youtube addiction : THE CRYSTAL MAZE



If you're a 90's kid like me, then you probably know this.
This is the Survivor / Amazing race of our era! Haha.
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Project Number One
[info]mylastblog


So along with my comeback comes my hunt for a better "blogging" camera. I'm not saying I don't love my Canon 400D+battery grip+24-70mm+580EXII(which I only use sometimes) but the thing is just too taxing to carry, not to mention too dorky for a girl like me. Imagine the weight of this monster on my neck.




I've been salivating over my sister's Nikon P300  but after I came across this blog (I'm such a fan of anything kawaii, esp. this Pinay in Japan), I fell in love with her photos. So I rummaged through her entries and saw that she's using a Nikon J1. The website  says it's compact and highly portable, plus it gives that almost SLR-ish photos. It comes in white too! ACK! I'M IN LOVE!!! 


So far though, I'm not reading good reviews about it, which is really sad. Mediocre sensor resolution is not good news to me, and I'm not even being too technical about it. So I'm still considering one with a micro four thirds system. I just hope the white body doesn't win me over. 

Either that or I (or somebody, wink!) get myself this badass camera phone! 

It might mean SACRILEGE for an Apple fan like me, but if it shoots scenes as stunning as this...
   THEN    I'M SOLD!
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the second time around
[info]mylastblog

They say love is sweeter the second time around. Given the love and effort (err) I put in the past entries, I do hope it applies to blogging as well.

After reading the things I've chronicled in the past, and a few "you should go back to writing" from a few inspiring people, let me surprise you with the news that...

I'M BACK.


Now give yo momma a kiss

I missed archiving important events, and I regret not writing about the simple pleasures and what-nots of the past year.
I'm crossing my digital fingers now and hoping that the love and hate bug of being too pubic about my life doesn't bite me.. soon, at least. LOL. 

See you around =)

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the move
[info]mylastblog
dear livejournal, 

i love you, please always bear that in mind. you've been witness to my ups and downs, joys and sorrows, my fullfilments and failures. but like multiply, tabulas, wordpress and blogger, i somehow grew tired of you. i'm sorry.

love,
sarah

PS. If you happen to miss me, just click the elephants.
Picture 3

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i miss california.
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"Fuck breathing"
[info]mylastblog
 This was posted by my sister a month back and it got me so hooked!!! Sa sobrang aliw ko, pinanood ko lahat ng videos nila! Lol. I just wish I can sing like her, at least in the shower!



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Urban Escape: July
[info]mylastblog
Quite late for me to post this, but I've been very busy. No really.

I was supposed to blog about the deal the bf and I got from Ensogo for the Berjaya Hotel in Manila (which they are again running now) but I was too disappointed with it ( I didn't even take a single photo!). The picture of the room they advertised was not the one I got. I was ranting about it the whole day but the customer service representative I was on the phone with said that she could not do anything because the hotel was full. Full my arse!  Good thing we had back up after that uneventful stay ( not worth an entry ) , and it was just in time for my sister's birthday. 

Thank goodness for deal sites like DealGrocer, I was able to erase the damage that Ensogo has done. DG does not rip you off your hard-earned money unlike the latter, which resorts to false advertisement to entice customers. Pfft! Anyhoo, let's move on, shall we?

So yeah, for my sister's birthday we stayed at the Discovery Suites in Ortigas. 

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel
 
One of the few Manila buildings with a hollow center.


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Look at all the space! Har har har. No view though.


Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel

Planking fail! We did this sisturr because we  you.
 

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel
Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel

The not-so-new but very well-kept interior.

And because we were with the kid,
we decided to check out the pool.

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel

Here's us waiting for the lift.


Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel

The small L-shaped pool 


The bartender on the pool informed us there was a playroom on the same floor. So we went...

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel

and stayed for a few while everyone was dressing up for dinner.


The whole gang trooped to Sofitel for my sister's treat. Yes, the birthday celebrant paid for it  - ikaw na ang mayaman, haha! And since we got there early, we roamed and hung around the pool area taking pictures - jejejeje, ang jejemon promise!
 

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel
 
her fave maxi dress and our gift - a Cambridge satchel!


Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel
 
mom and me on carpet, lol.


Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel
 
FInally, the hungry  birds were seated. Haha!
 
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Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel
 
I loved that herbed butter!

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel
 
My first plate, and as you can see, it's 50% cheese! 

I stopped taking photos after this because I do not want to regret, so let's just pretend I only had one plate. Hahaha!
 
The little one got too hyper with the jelly beans we bribed him so while we were taking a break from eating, he decided to kiss everyone.

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel

Or in this case, make my parents kiss him. Lol!

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel

Super fun (and full) night we had! 
 
 And when we went back, my folks went straight to bed while my sister and I had tea!

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel

Discovery Suites & Spiral, Sofitel
Took this silly picture to cap the night off. Lol!
 
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Impossible is only a word.
[info]mylastblog
 
It was a busy week for me, and there was no better way to cap off my "pseudo" weekend than to spend the night watching the legendary Cirque in their Manila leg for Varekai.
 
So after checking out from yet another urban escape (which does not really deserve a separate blog post because the hotel was blah), I went straight home to pass some time before the 730pm show. I must've dozed a little too much because I woke up with only an hour and a half left to prepare and drive myself to where the big top was billeted. (Anyone who knows me know that an hour and a half only means 15 minutes in my vocabulary because I move like a slug, lol.) So there I was, trying my best to compose myself while I scamper towards my car with bed marks on my face. Took an unusual 5-min. bath, grabbed the worst outfit ever, stole my sister's new camera, and zoomed my way to the show.
 

VAREKAI
Hello puffed face hippo! 
 
 
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Thank you Penshoppe for  putting your Ed Westwick billboard up along the West Service Road. 
Passing by this area pumps me up. I♥U Chuck Bass.
 
 
Touched base after only 45mins of driving from Merville to Quirino Grandstand.
(That means suicidal-fast-weaving-thru-traffic-kind of driving)
 
VAREKAI   
I'm purrttyyy sure everyone who went there has this picture.
 
 
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 And because I was being a sore-loser, I put the camera on timer and took a photo of myself. LOL!
 

VAREKAI
 Welcome to the festive waiting lounge where you can buy overpriced Cirque items and circus food.
 

VAREKAI
 
 
VAREKAI
I roamed around, fed myself, and browsed through the merchandise. 

VAREKAI
Yes I know I still look like I just got out of the bed, but wtf, I had to take a " Sarah was here" picture.
And yes, I did not bother to touch up! Haha. 
 
VAREKAI
 Scurried in excitement and went in line at Gate 2.
 

Picture 4
The tent filled up to the rafters except for a corner at the upper blue section.
 
 

VAREKAI
I was ushered to my seat and this was my view. 
It may look far in picture, but it really wasn't (my sister's camera just shoots that wide, plus the place was really small!).  
 
 
It was a crazy show. It was like seeing Avatar the film, on-stage. And everyone who has seen it would agree that it was worth the money. As with all the Cirque shows, everything was precise to the most minute detail. The acrobats were hands down impressive, and though the gibberish language and their highly symbolic story-telling (bordering nonsense actually, wait, I just did not care to research, lol!) lost me in the middle, their unrealistic talents and showmanship will make you not care at all. And who am I to forget the jesters? They made me forget my solitary attendance as I giggled with the crowd at their antics. They really filled what could've been boring intermissions.
 
I know most would be raving about the final act (which btw was really awesome) but that's already a given. Above the mostly jaw-dropping stunts showcased, I liked the live music the best and it was only latter in the show that I realized there was a band behind the twiggy curtain and there were two live opera singers (one male and female) chanting at the background. Believe me, it sounded that perfect. And was I the only one who was entertained by the vertigo-inducing Georgian dance? Nobody seemed to clap to the rhythm. Lol, I'm so weird.
 
Anyway, the crowd gave them the applause that they deserved and I think the whole cast had to re-appear and bow down to us four times before the uninitiated audience got the fact that they won't stop bowing unless we stop clapping. LOL! Some were even shouting "MORE!" like it was some concert - double LOL! I immediately took that chance to sneak out and walk ahead before the whole crowd realized it's not one of those Marvel comics made into film with extra scenes - triple LOL!


VAREKAI
 
At dahil jologs ako, inuwi ko ang popcorn! Hahahaha!!!


VAREKAI
 
I bought this for my fridge-magnet addict mom.

VAREKAI
 
And if you're a hotelophile like me, do not forget to fill up the form at the Manila Hotel booth to snag a cool stationary and Manila Hotel discount card!
 
 
 
Thanks for all these honey!
 
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