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.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
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.
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 :)
Sunday, November 23, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, November 21, 2008
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.
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! :)
 |
| 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! :)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
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!
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.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
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?
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?
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