The Best Christmas Gift Ever

And we can't ask for anything more!

Kaya naman pala I was feeling so tired and sickly the past couple of weeks.  Since we arrived in Manila, I had no appetite and couldn't eat properly.  I had no clue I was pregnant! And to think I even went for rides while we were in Ocean Park and Disneyland last week. This was such a pleasant surprise!

Blogging took a back seat and this explains everything. I know I owe you our HK kwento, and a few tags, but I promise to do them before the year ends.  Stories are piling up but I will make it up.  Just give me time, dear friends, ok? 

Anyway, it's just a few days to go before Christmas. How's your preps so far?

A Dose of Me Time

Before leaving for our holidays in Manila this coming Friday early morning, I managed to squeeze in some time for myself earlier. I went to the office to pick up my laptop and fixed my desk to see if there's anything important that I missed. I stowed away my notebook and cleared my table, hoping that when I come back next year, it will be not so cluttered from all the mails that will be coming in for me.  

After a quick dash at the 14th floor, I went to the B1 level to make it to my salon appointment at 8:00 am. I had my hair's oil bath and went for a mani-pedi, too. It was all done in an hour so I had breakfast first at Testa Rossa to kill time. I needed to go to the Emirates Towers Boulevard to have my watch adjusted but they won't open 'till 10:00 am. I just took advantage of the moment to read a few magazines and enjoy my breakfast leisurely. At 10 to 10, I made my way across the building.  

The adjustment of my watch didn't take that long - i guess only about 5 minutes. near the exit, I passed by Coach, and decided to check what's new - with no intention of buying anything. But when I saw the silk scarf that was similar to the one I lost recently, I decided to purchase it right there and then. Let's just say it's a souvenir from my first paid gig as a photographer (wow, I'm starting to love the sound of it!).  

Here's the Christmas packaging of Coach, which I love:

And my new (and definitely last) scarf for my black hobo bag:

I swear, I'm really gonna secure it with a pin this time! I bought it for a full price as opposed to the first two scarves I got, which were on sale at 50% off, so this should last me long.  

After that impulse buy, I went home by cab and did some last minute packing. In a little while, I should be preparing dinner for me & the husband. the weather is gloomy today and it's been raining since morning, but I love it! The bed is so enticing I just wanna curl up and read a book 'till iI fall asleep. 

From Strangers to Friends

When we went to Petra last summer, we met a lovely Chinese couple who are of same age as us.  We had dinner altogether after the Petra by night, and chatted away like old chums. We learned that Charles was on a study leave (he's an MBA student at Harvard), and during his break, he decided to tour the middle east with his fiancee Vivian. 

They were ecstatic when they found out Ryan and I were from Dubai! Turns out the next leg of their tour was Dubai. Charles felt doubly excited when I told him I work at the DIFC because apparently, he really did wanna see the centre.  So a week after, we met up and toured them around the district. We had dinner at Noodle House and helped them choose some dates to bring home. We also accompanied them to buy souvenirs and check out some diamond rings for Vivian at the Gold Souk.  

Since then, we've kept in touch. And then the other day, just before our offices closed for the holiday, I received this parcel at work:

When I opened it, this is what I saw:

Goody - a Sex & The City DVD! And an extended cut at that! I was so happy because I haven't seen the movie yet (because it wasn't played here), and I've been dying to get my hands on a clear copy via torrent. I've been tormenting the husband for months now to find me a decent copy, and it looks like he doesn't need to bother anymore.

To Charles & Vivian, thanks again for the gift. You shouldn't have but thank you!  We were quite happy to tour you guys around. and I am touched that you remembered that I really wanted to watch SATC but it wasn't played here, and you made a way for me to see it.  That is really thoughtful of you!

See, I told you being chatty pays well :)

Dead Tired

I am so exhausted all I wanna do is just sleep. This weekend was really great & we got to meet a lot of friends we haven't seen in ages. But I guess all the fun I had is taking its toll on me now. My throat hurts like hell & any moment now my colds are sure to break out. Haaay! My curse before traveling!!

And as if that's not enough, yesterday, I chipped my molar while eating pork sisig. I went to see my dentist this afternoon for a filling, and because I was so tired, I dozed off while sitting on the dental chair...with my mouth wide open. No kidding! I felt myself falling into deep sleep that I had to wake myself up. I hope the doc didn't notice that.

Pics of our escapades this weekend will be posted sometime during the 2-day holiday owing to UAE National Day. For now, I'm just gonna catch up on some much needed rest because I still have a long week ahead.

That Tweed Plaid Dress

This is me in Hong Kong 23 years ago:

IJanuary 1985 at the Ocean Park on a nippy morning, barely 7 years old.

This is my niece, Ysha taken a few days ago, wearing the same dress. She is only 3 ½ years old. my gawd! Either I was a midget when I was a child or that kids are just mutants nowadays.

(Sorry for my lomo pic – you can’t see much of our resemblance)

It's so sweet of my Mom to send me my niece’s picture all dressed up with my old plaid dress. Brings back fond memories and gives me happy thoughts, too :)

Countdown To Manila

12 days from now, we will be flying in to Manila for our much-anticipated vacation. We haven’t been home for the last 22 months so you can just imagine our excitement over this trip. Would you believe we have already started packing our stuff? Talk about being eager-beavers!

Ryan & I are fortunate that we have been approved by our respective employers a 5-week long holiday each. But why do I feel like it’s still not enough? Only 4 days will be spent on a short trip to Hong Kong & Macau but the rest of those days are gonna be spent in town. I guess I’m just feeling overwhelmed because we need to attend lots of events like weddings, baptisms, and Christmas parties, not to mention family gatherings from both sides of our families.  I can already picture the week of Christmas being the busiest of all. I just hope Ryan & U will find time to celebrate our anniversaries properly. Planning for a weekend get-away on these dates is impossible at this stage because it’s fully booked everywhere. There goes our plan to spend 2 nights in Tagaytay! *sniff*

The OC me has already created an itinerary for all the things that we need to do back home. Most of our days would involve food, and as early as now, I've already compiled a list of restaurants that we will dine at. Thanks to my fellow blogger’s blog posts, I got updated of the new restos that sprouted since we were in Manila last. Can’t wait to try them all!

Besides seeing our respective families, I’m also very eager to see my friends, especially those who gave birth this year. One of my girl friends gave birth a couple of months ago to a baby boy while 2 are expected to pop anytime soon. Then two of my guy friends’ wives gave birth, as well, so I’m due to see 5 new addition to our barkada’s family.

12 days is just an arm’s length away. I can already picture ourselves walking in the streets of Manila, seeing Christmas decors everywhere, hearing Christmas carols at every establishment we’ll step foot into, listening to Chico and Delamar on the radio in the mornings, eating lechon, sorbetes, halo-halo, bibingka and puto-bumbong anytime we want and basically just feeling the unique vibe of the Metro that cannot be felt in other parts of the world. Yes, home is where the heart truly is…and that’s where we’re headin’ to.

I'm A Convert

Since I started putting on weight, I have deferred buying jeans because I was so afraid of how I’d look in them. I’m not exactly the same pea sized girl I used to be, and just thinking about wearing jeans again scares me to bits. I couldn’t admit this to the husband who’s been pressuring me for the longest time to get a couple of new pairs to use during weekends.

denim love

However, one Thursday evening at the mall, I found myself trying on a few pairs because Ryan’s favorite jeans store was on sale. and to my surprise, I found two styles that fit me perfectly well – the Lola Straight & the Sundown Jeans. They create an illusion that my hips are bigger (my body shape is an inverted triangle) and my legs a little slimmer. what made me more ecstatic was the great price slash on my choices. the Lola Straight was originally priced at AED 599 (USD 163) and the Sundown Jeans at AED 549 (USD 150), but i got each pair for only AED 99 (USD 27). What a steal indeed! I must thank my husband for converting me into a Lucky Brand Jeans fan. The fit is snug and comfy, much to my delight. I should’ve heeded his advise earlier! Their jeans could’ve spared me from all my worries for months now.

As they say, finding a perfect pair of jeans is like stumbling upon a four leaf clover. Once they’re in your hands, you should never let them go. I hope these pairs bring me luck, too! :)

Hot, Hot, Hot!!!

Tell me, who wouldn't love this pair of pumps?




It's so gorgeous I wanna have it! Perfect for Christmas, don't ya think?


Hmm, Gucci is currently on sale at 30% off on all items. Gotta check out Emirates Towers Boulevard today and see if I can spot the pair.


*photo courtesy of Gucci's website

Smack In The Middle Of Nowhere

Last weekend was one of the best Ryan & I had for a very long time! We finally used my prize and traipsed to Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa to spend some quality time together. After my training last Thursday, dear hubby picked me up a little before 6:00 pm, and headed straight to the hotel resort. After more than 45 kilometers drive away from the city, we reached this beautiful oasis that welcomed us delightfully.

I couldn’t believe what I saw! the place was amazing I was totally bowled over! It was definitely worth the drive! *two thumbs up*

Our room has this quaint charm:

With dandy slippers provided, too.

I loved the bathroom the most because of its Mediterranean feel!

And food was just superb! During our first night, we had dinner at their lovely Italian restaurant, Pizzeria Le Dune. We wanted to try their famous Al Hadheerah Restaurant but when I called the night before to book two slots for us, I was told that the restaurant was closed owing to an event. It was such a shame we weren’t able to book ahead of time because the restaurant was apparently open to public albeit limited seats only. The event was a showdown of the celebrity chefs of Jumeirah chain of hotels. It would’ve been a wonderful banqueting experience being served food by their star chefs.

Anyway, Pizzeria Le Dune did a lovely job at feeding us hungry souls that night. We were so famished we gobbled down our Pizza Capricciosa and a bowl of seafood pasta in no time!

We were booked for two nights at Bab Al Shams, and during our lazy stay, these are the things we did:

- enjoyed buffet breakfast al fresco style at Al Forsan Restaurant

- had some dose of Vitamin D at the sun lounges

- took a dip in the pool (the tabachina me)

- enjoyed an alternative rainshower experience

- had drinks & shisha at the Al Sarab Lounge (their mojitos are the best!)

- read at our own leisure

- watched TV (we were hooked to Animal Planet)

- slept to our heart's content

- surfed the net & downloaded our favorite series (internet was really fast!)

- strolled around the property & took pictures

Ryan tried to convince me to sample their Satori Spa’s treatment menu because he knew how excited I was about their renowned service. I decided against the idea when I saw how steep the prices were. I told him I can wait till we fly to Manila since the price i’m gonna pay in Bab Al Shams is enough for me to get at least 3 packages back home.

Since we checked-in late last Thursday and attended a barbecue on Friday afternoon, we were not able to go see the horses and camels which were scheduled for guests from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm. We also missed out on the archery opportunity much to my dismay as I was hoping to polish my skills (naks, parang ang galing, 'no?). I only learnt that there were morning sessions when we got back to the city.

at the barbecue

To compensate, we just decided to take more souvenir photos before checking out.

Our weekend was such fun it actually hurt going back to the city and face reality! *sigh!*  How I wish we could do this again soon.  

Never Walk Away

During lunch yesterday, I had a serious conversation with a few of my girl friends at work. One of them shared with us her current emotional downhill ride, and I sincerely felt sorry for her. Despite that smiling façade that she has, I imagine she must be in a lot of pain right now.

If there’s one thing in life that I cannot completely fathom, it’s the idea of two people deeply in love with each other parting ways in a snap of a finger with both ending up miserable in the long run. That is just heartbreaking! I’ve always believed that no matter how difficult or challenging a situation is, your love for each other should always be an inspiration to find ways to make things work, especially when you’ve shared so much in all those years you’ve been together. Easier said than done, I know, but personally, I can say with full conviction that a good serving of sacrifice, more often than not, goes a long way. how do you think successful relationships get past their hurdles? Sacrifices made usually earn their merits, at times later than you expect. Patience is the key, I suppose. Call me idealistic but I guess I’m just like that. I can speak from experience because I’ve been through the same road once in my life. And I agree - it was never easy.

Looking back, I am happy I’ve made the right choice of sticking it with the one I love. Being apart for almost a year with him wasn’t exactly a smooth ride. I am not made for long distance relationships but I managed to endure all those months. It was agonizing for me but I presume it was worse for Ryan. It’s true what they say about people leaving. While it’s easier for them because they have something new to look forward to, it is always harder for the person who’s left behind because unlike the person who’s moved to migrate, there’s nothing exciting to look forward to – only an abyss that needs to be filled.

I am simply blessed that my greatest love had decided to follow me wherever I go. And if I get asked to do the same for him, I will say yes without skipping a beat. We’ve made a pact that neither of us will walk away…for we both believe that in doing so will end the most beautiful thing we’ve ever had.

The Zuma Experience

I had the pleasure of trying out Zuma, our centre's latest gastronomic offering. Hailing from Knightsbridge in London, this contemporary Japanese restaurant opened its Dubai branch a few weeks ago at the DIFC's Gate Village much to our delight. Our last Key Office Meeting was held at this classy restaurant where we were treated to a showcase of spectacular dishes that are to die for. One of which is their succulent Wagyu No Sumibiyaki. It was the tastiest beef I've ever tried!

I wish to take Ryan to Zuma as Japanese is his favorite cuisine. It may bear a hole on my pocket with the resto’s skyrocketing prices but what the heck! With or without occasion, I am going to bring him there for a treat. I’m sure he’s gonna love it!

Lucky Me

At 4:00 am today, my Facebook status reads: Gracie partied all night long...and won herself a mobile phone! Woohoo!!



My colleague's Brown-themed party totally rocked last night! And thanks to the famous musical chairs parlor game, I managed to take home this nice prize. I also earned AED 110 from the balloon popping contest. Not bad, eh?

Arrested Development

Nope, I’m not talking about the now defunct TV series. This is all about the Afrocentric hip hop band from Atlanta, Georgia who rocked Dubai during Irish Village’s 12th anniversary a couple of weeks ago. And as if rubbed by the luck of the Irish, Ryan & I managed to get in for free. Read on to find out how we got our names placed in the guest list.

A few days before the concert day, my bessie invited us to stop at Gap Store on Friday afternoon because Arrested Development was gonna be there for a meet-and-greet event. Athat point, we knew nothing about the concert yet.

The band's name rings a bell, but I just couldn’t remember their songs. I was told they were a hit back in the early 90’s, and that's the end of what I know about the group. Anyway, hubby & I decided to come in for the sake of giving support to B who was one of the photographers for the band’s Gap Store visit.

That Friday morning, the husband & I went to Deira City Centre to do some shopping (I badly need a few pieces of warm clothes for the winter season). Since I was taking so long as the Zara SA had to take my measurements for the alterations, we decided to split up to save time. Ryan went to Sharaf Digital for his technology update, while I went on with my ‘corporate attire’ shopping (see, my spending was very much justified..hehe!).

Anyway, I didn’t notice the time as I was so consumed with all the new collection all over the store. realizing that it's already half past two, I  scrammed to meet hubby at the Gap, which is on the other side of the mall *darn!*. When we got there, I waved at B who signaled for us to queue for the shoot and autograph signing. And so I did, but not with the husband. He was too shy for this kind of thing.
When it was my turn to shake hands with the band members and say hello, I was starstruck. I didn’t know who to talk to first because they were all talking to me at the same time. Their oldest member and spiritual guru, Baba Oje who’s 76 years old, even stood next to me to say ‘hi’. Quite a friendly bunch, I must say. When they asked me where I’m from, I proudly said 'from Manila'.  I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time we were chatting. When they asked me if I’m catching their concert, I just blurted, “absolutely!”. Looking very pleased with my answer, they all thanked me and handed over my autographed CD and with a postcard each for myself and Ryan.


Of course you must've already figured out that I lied. First of all, I don’t know when and where their concert is taking place, and secondly, I don’t know any of their songs. Yes, I’m that horrible *boo!!*.

When I met up with Ryan at the men’s section of the store to wait for B and our other friend K to wrap up after the meet-and-greet, a guy walked towards us and introduced himself as Joe Lamont. Ok, hello Joe :)  The Pinoy in us automatically chatted with him, and we found out that the reason why he’s interested to chat with us is because he heard I’m from Manila. Turns out he’s holding a concert there in Aliw Theather in a few weeks’ time. His song, ‘Victims of Love’ is quite popular in videoke joints that even children as young as 5 could sing his song. He was bowled over that when he was invited to perform, he jumped on the opportunity without hesitation. He said he’s in touch with Steve O’Neal of RJ 100 FM, and he also intends to do other projects with our local artists in Manila. I wish I can say what projects they are but I’ll leave it to his partners back home to announce what they’re cooking up. By the way, when I did my research about the guy, I found out that he's not just a singer, but also a song writer, producer and concert promoter worldwide. Wow! I'm so glad we're friends already :)

Of course the Arrested Development’s concert also came up during our conversation, and we sheepishly admitted to him that we may not be able to watch them perform. Perhaps our faces gave away the truth that we don't have tickets so Joe (ehem, first name basis) asked for our names and told us that he’ll just add them on the guest list so we can come and watch for free. And true enough, when we got to The Irish Village that evening, we were indeed on the list. We felt very special, I tell you! (haha, ang babaw!)


Ok, don’t laugh now but in all the years I’ve lived here in the UAE, I’ve never been to The Irish Village. Yep, such a loser, I know! And I have a pretty good excuse – I don’t drink. Well, ‘used to not drink’ actually because now I’m starting to learn the trade, thanks to some friends who mix me good cocktails for my tasting :)


The Irish Village doors opened at 7:00 pm, and when we got there, the first front act has just finished with their last song. The second front act was a Dubai-based groove-core band called ‘Sandwash’, who had 3 Pinoy members - Jay, Crom and Mike, and one white guy named, Pavel (sorry, I’m not sure of his nationality). Without being biased, I could say they were pretty good.

At around half past ten, the Arrested Development began to perform, much to the delight of the audience. I managed to step up on one of the lamp posts’ base and saw how thick the crowd was. All throughout the band’s performance, people were shakin’ their booties and singing to their songs while nursing their drinks. It was so much fun!


When they sang ‘Tennessee’, ‘Everyday People’ & ‘Mr. Wendal’, I heard myself sing with them. See, it’s not true that I don’t know any of their songs…I just don’t know what the songs’ titles were :D Oh, and we also did bump into Joe towards the end of the concert. He gave me a friendly hug like we're old friends, asked if we were having fun, and thanked us for coming. Good PR skills, eh?

As we headed for home, Ryan & I realized that we’ve never really gone out on a night out ever. Being out on a party like that was something new for us that we kind of liked and enjoyed. We mutually agreed that we should do this on a monthly basis just to chill and have fun. 

Picnic Day

As I stepped out of our building this morning, the first thing I’ve noticed was the cool breeze of the air that blew on my face. The weather’s getting better by the day, and I am so glad because it means we can now go out on picnics without feeling the intense discomfort of the heat.

I love going to parks to just walk around and people watch. I especially enjoy seeing kids run around to their heart’s content and laugh like there’s no tomorrow. So whenever there’s a chance to just relax and unwind at one of the local parks here, I make sure we go. In fact, the last picnic we’ve been to was a Pinoy Family Day that I organized.

It was a lovely day in March where we spent almost an entire day at the park. All the Pinoys at work with their respective families gathered for a pleasant Saturday chill out at the Dubai Creek Park. Each family brought with them food for pot luck, which were all lip-smackingly good. I could still remember the yummy barbecues we had! We also celebrated two of our colleagues’ birthday. Ryan made each of them a Pineapple Upside-Down cake, and that’s what we had for dessert.

For entertainment, we prepared games for the kids and adults, too.

And there I was taking a first stab at face painting. Here are pictures of the kids who got decorated on their faces:

It was a fun-filled day for all of us. not only did it give us the chance to meet each other’s family, but it also was a good venue for us to bond together as Pinoys. It reminded me so much of family outings, minus the swimming pool & beach. for a moment, It felt like being home.

I hope we could all do this again before the weather gets a lot cooler for outdoors. I'm thinking of an early Christmas Party of some sort. I hope everyone says affirmative to that.