Author Archives: rob

oakwood premier revelation

Posted by rob on

the last time i was in manila, i had a pre-planned friendly date with a well-known local travel blogger.  i never thought twice of asking her out anyway, we were just like two independent souls who were total strangers but instantly ‘clicked’ when we met.

it was her idea of spending a night in a hotel with a trusted ‘someone’ and chose oakwood premier, located in the heart of ortigas in pasig city.

oakwood premier joy-nostalg center manila offers the ultimate experience in modern serviced living with 230 luxury apartments equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and world-class amenities to fulfill the modern-day client’s need for space and security in an elegant environment, combined with five-star service and the conveniences of home.

the sitting room of the deluxe suite really looks inviting that includes the home entertainment system with an lcd television (not pictured).

the basic kitchen items are all there from utensils, to pots and pans and even a dishwasher.

i wish i have the same bed back here in the mideast, i can literally sleep in this comfortable bed the whole day!

if you think viewing the televsion while having a luxurious bath raises your eyebrow, think again! ____________________________________________________________________________________

so, who did i spent it with?  it’s my blogger-friend, chyng of no spam, no virus, no kiddin’!  haha!

dinner is served a’ la carte in the oakroom international restaurant but chyng and i found it too pricey and both of us were craving for a buffet dinner so we went to ‘heat’ at the shangri-la to top off our indulging hotel stay.  the next morning, we had oakroom’s buffet breakfast and joining us was chyng’s best buddy blogger, dyan of princess dyanie who came from her night shift work.

oakwood premier is actually considered as a full serviced apartment but it is really more than that and far more comfortable than hotels – and that is the oakwood difference.

read chyng’s blogpost on our stay at oakwood premier entitled, “the suitest of them all“.

10 things i have not done before

Posted by rob on

most often, i tend to stay in my comfort zone and forget that there are more things out there that the world has to offer.  i must admit, i have not done a lot of fun and challenging stuff in my life for i set too much limitations in myself when i was younger (yes, i’m in my mid-thirties!).  i think as you age, there comes a time when you play back the years you’ve had and ask a question to yourself – “what have i done these past years?” 

i told myself, when will i do these things that i’ve always wanted to try?  when i have lost my hair?  when i already suffer rheumatoid arthritis?  i felt that i need to do something about it and decided to make a list of some of them.  i know some of the stuff that i have in my list are too common for others and embarrassingly it may sound but i have not done it before!

so, here is my list of the 10 things i have not done before that i will tick one by one posted in my blog sidebar as i do it within the year.

1. lone backpacking:  it was my first time traveling alone for leisure purposes when i went to coron last year, this time i’m doing it outside the country.

2. eat an insect delicacy:  i am not sure yet on what subclass of class insecta it will be.  eeew!

3. drink camel milk:  straight from the mommy camels nipple?!  let’s wait and see!  haha!

4. set up a blog contest:  in gratitude to my readers, i am going to give away cool stuff and docgelo of beyond toxicity is not allowed to join – he knows me too well!

5. sport a mohawk:  while i still have a head of hair.

6. do horse back riding:  i have experienced it with a carabao!

7. attend a yoga class:  kama sutra is a form of yoga.  really?!

8. spend a night in a historic hotel:  maybe with a special someone.  like my mother.  lol!

9. photograph a tarsier:  you can imagine why nature did not let them grow as big as a gorilla.

10. take a ride on a roller coaster:  and scream like a bitch.  lmao!

i urge my blogger fellows, specially the ones who sometimes read my boring blog (calling docgelo, chyng, dyan, grace, pm, mordsith, everyone!) to join me on this nonsense meme, hehe.  anyway, anyone interested can join and please do use the title 10 things i have not done before and include a link of my blog post addy.  you don’t have to worry if you’ll be able to accomplish it, for it will take you a year to finish ten items in your list!

beach destination wishlist

Posted by rob on

i love the beach.  my ma have told me things like, “you’re going to the beach?  you don’t even know how to swim!” or “don’t go near the water when it’s high tide!”  i know she loves me so much and well, she is oh-so-right for i really never learned how to swim.  i have been to failed swimming lessons and if you throw me into the sea right now, i’ll drown to death.  ironically, i work remotely in the middle of the sea.  it’s like a five hour boat ride or a 25 minute chopper flight to reach shore – “how about that mama?”  hehe.

after updating my work calendar for the year, i decided to visit three island beach destinations for each time that i’ll be home.  it’ll all be just a ‘wishlist’ for now, but i still hope i can accomplish it by the end of the year.

1. guimaras:  i bought a regular flight ticket to iloilo last year and did not showed up at the airport.  i think it deserves a second attempt.

2. el nido:  palawan just fascinates me.  i have been to puerto princesa in 2009 and coron in 2010.  for 2011, it’s pronto, el nido!

3. panglao:  if i’m going to see some chocolatey hills and a weird-looking mammal such as the tarsier, why not check panglao?

how about you, have you made a list of your beach destinations this year?