At last, the search for the UP hand sanitizer is finally over. Well, I wasn’t really searching. I was just always hoping I could get one whenever I visited a Watsons outlet or SM Department Store. The UP design was always out of stock. Finally, I found one at SM City Naga.

The UP hand sanitizer is one of the 8 special edition hand sanitizers released by Watsons in celebration of UAAP Season 74. A different scent goes with a certain UAAP member university. For UP, the sanitizer comes in candied apples scent which smells more like Robitussin. haha!

The UAAP hand sanitizers are available for 60 pesos at selected Watsons outlets or at the Health and Beauty section of SM Department Store.

BARGAIN BOY VISITS F&H OUTLET STORE

Last Monday, I dropped by F&H’s Quezon Avenue Outlet Store and I was able to buy a shirt and a pair of pants for a song. The store holds some out-of-season items at 50%-75% off the original price and some all-time classics (plain crew neck and collared shirts) at 10% off.

Just don’t expect a well-designed space when you pay a visit. The store is a bit crowded with all the clothes and piles of boxes. The fitting rooms are just sackcloth curtains on all sides and the mirrors are outside the fitting rooms. Anyway, what’s important is that you get big discounts.

F&H Outlet Store is located along Quezon Avenue beside Halili Cruz School of Ballet. It’s a few meters past Delta if you’re Manila-bound.

While cleaning up the office, i found a strip of paper in one of the drawers of the steel cabinet we were discarding. I was surprised to see my name on it! It was actually a portion of the invitation during my graduation in 1998. Apparently, the invitation was for the Extension Office Director during that time. Who would have thought I would be working in the same office 13 years later? Small world. I am also just overwhelmed by the thought that out of all the people cleaning in the office this afternoon, I was the one who found this piece of paper. Haha!

Three days before our Cebu trip, my sister and I decided that we’ll stay in Mactan area somewhere near the airport so that we can leave our things and head straight to the Imperial Palace Waterpark for our day tour. I chanced upon SDR Apartment’s website while browsing in the office on Thursday morning and got quite interested with their offerings. I saw the cheapest rate which is 2100 pesos (~$50) for a studio-type apartment. It has a queen bed, a kitchen with a mini-bar, a living room, and a bathroom with a tub. I got more pleased with SDR because their inquiry system was very convenient. They have a 24-hour inquiry service that allows a person to chat with someone from SDR right there and then. I was able to ask all my questions and concerns and finally decided to reserve a studio for an overnight stay. SDR usually asks for a reservation fee for 3 or more nights of stay, but if you are reserving a unit for an overnight stay, you just have to give your name and contact number (I must admit that I was quite worried if they’ll really reserve the room, though).

It took us just about 5 minutes to get to SDR from the airport. We waited for about 5 more minutes in the front desk while the receptionist swiped my card for our payment. The machine was not responding so the receptionist told us we can just pay for our stay upon checkout. She didn’t ask for any deposit.  :)

The building has 2 service elevators which can accommodate up to 8 people only. Our unit was on the third floor. The corridors looked like an abandoned tenement so I told myself could the studio be something like this? Upon entering our rented studio, I could still smell the deodorizer the unit attendants sprayed.hehe. I wasn’t surprised when I saw the unit—not that the unit was ugly—but because it looked liked what it was in the internet photos, very nice and cozy. Everything was already turned on—the adjustable lights, air conditioning unit (split-type), TV, DVD player, and refrigerator.

The unit has a minimalist theme, combining browns, nudes, and black. Wicker and wenge furniture adorned the unit. I loved the big bed, my sister loved the soft cushion of the wicker sofa that’s very big it can actually serve as an extra bed. Aside from the bed area, kitchen, living room and bathroom, the unit has a small study area, a balcony, a few cabinets and a safe.  

The kitchen had a two-burner stove, microwave oven, refrigerator, oven toaster, pots and pans, plates and glasses, utensils, and a H/C water dispenser which already had around 2 gallons of water provided by SDR. Cool. They even provided complimentary scrub and dishwashing liquid. On the other hand, there were no complimentary toiletries except for rolls and rolls of tissue paper which was fine because we were actually bringing our own. The bathroom had a little extras like the tub which we didn’t use and a very nice ladder shelf (I’ve been wanting to have one a long long time ago!).

There was a study area beside the bed where you could surf the internet using a high speed wired connection. Yes folks, they don’t have Wi-Fi in the building, only cable connection. But mind you, it’s pretty fast! There’s cable television but the downside is that I think they’ve subscribed to Cignal’s plan 399 because there were only few channels. There was also a DVD player which we never got to operate. They could’ve put in some dvd movies in the unit. hihi.

LIKES:

Spacious unit

Well-designed interiors

Very accessible. My sister and I just walked our way to SDR from Marina Mall. It’s near  the airport and there are always cabs waiting outside the building

Lots of amenities in the unit

Complimentary drinking water

Good air conditioning

Good value for money

DISLIKES:

The drain in the bathroom was clogged

The pillows aren’t so soft and plump

Wi-fi would’ve been better especially when there are two or more persons renting a unit.

All in all we had a wonderful stay at SDR Apartments that’s why I highly recommend it to those of you who want to spend a night or two in Mactan. Here are the contact details of SDR Apartments:

SDR Apartments

 +63-32-238-3929 

+63-9165428621

www.sdrapartments.com

Yesterday, I drove to San Antonio, Zambales with my sisters and churchmates to spend a night in Anawangin. It was my third time to visit the place, while it was a first time experience for most of my companions.

Everything was just perfect. The rain has just stopped, the water was so calm, the boat ride was very smooth. There weren’t too many people in the place when we arrived. The weather was also very good with just the right coldness. We spent the remaining hours of Sunday cooking by the fire, enjoying dinner together and sharing stories.

 Amidst the perfectness of our first day in the cove came the freakiest experience. My friend woke up in the next tent at around 3:30AM and found that her E72 was missing. She tried to find it in the tent. To her surprise, she found a sim card beside her. The sim card was hers! But the fone was nowhere to be found. The most shocking thing is that she found a cut in the tent, near the location of the sim card. Someone created a small opening to be able to steal the phone. We believe the thief must be an expert, too quick to even remove the sim card and take just the unit.  We waited for sunrise before reporting the incident because the rest of the personnel were still asleep.

At around 6:30AM we reported the incident to the head caretaker. He told us “naulit na naman…” He went with us to our tent to check the cut in the tent. We were surprised when he suddenly told us, “First time nangyari to…”. Ano ba talaga kuya??? We were already suspecting that one of his men did the act, because we thought no tourist would even bother to task a risk and do such act. But we didn’t want to be unfair and accuse anyone so we just told them to report the incident to their boss.

Everything would have been fine, but the most irritating moment happened when the head caretaker and some of his men approached us and started asking questions about the incident. We got so pissed with the conversations that followed. We asked the caretaker why there were no security personnel during the night, when in fact they turn off all the lights and there are so many threats to the safety of the tourists. He replied “Kasi po napagod kami nung Sabado dahil madaming turista kaya natulog kmi ng maaga kagabi at walang natira para magbantay. Tutal konti lng naman kayong bisita kagabi para bantayan.” What??? EVERYONE PAYS THE SAME OVERNIGHT FEE, SO THERE  IS NO EXCUSE FOR YOU PEOPLE TO RELIEVE YOURSELVES FROM SECURING THE PLACE AT NIGHT.

One of the caretakers butted in, “Baka naman po nalasing ang isa sa inyo kagabi tapos ‘di nya matandaan na hiniram nya ung telepono kaya nakaalis ‘yung sim card.” Another BIG WHAAAT??? You accuse us of being drunk??? You can’t be serious. Getting drunk is not our business.

The most irritating comment from one of the caretakers was this: “Malamang po ung kumuha eh ung nakatira din dito sa loob ng tent.” Huh??? Manong, why would we report such an incident to you??? It’s because we are sure that one of the visitors (or one of you!) did the act. How dare you accuse us of stealing our friend’s phone??? You were so wrong in saying those words. We almost got into a heated argument when the head caretaker just told us that everything will be reported to the management.

When we got back to Pundaquit, we reported the incident to Kuya Randy, the man from whom we got the tent and boat-for-hire services, and he willingly went to the Cove administrator/owner to report the incident. He told us that a similar incident has happened before and it was found that the caretakers were the thieves. He said that while it is possible that a tourist might have done the act, he suspects that one of the new caretakers did it.

You may ask why we were bringing cellphones in an island. It was actually for security purposes. We parked our car in a public parking space in San Antonio.  Small-time thieves would not steal the car, but just get the stuff inside. We brought our gadgets with us because we knew they will be more secured in our hands. We thought wrong.

To you guys who are excited in visiting Anawangin, there is actually no problem about the physical conditions of the place. Convenience is everywhere. I think the biggest problem in the place now is security. The management needs to provide security especially at night. Moreover, the management needs to check the backgrounds of the people they hire as caretakers/security personnel. We all go on a vacation to feel relaxed, not to get more stressed. Be very vigilant when you are in the place. Always bring your important belongings with you whenever possible and attend to them very well to avoid these kinds of incidents.

I would not want to go back to Anawangin again until I hear that the management provides good security.

*By the way, the memory card of the phone was also found inside the tent when my friends were packing their things. The thief was very good indeed!

Here’s the hole that was cut through the tent:

Just imagine if the thief was not so precise in cutting through the tent. He could actually injure a person sleeping inside.

thanks!kunin ko pala ulit number mo, naerase ko eh. pinapabigay pala ni mam vany ung progress report mo

I have always been fascinated with paper and boxes. Paper in general — wrappers, gift bags, notebooks, notepads — and boxes, specifically storage boxes. I still remember when I was only four i would search for cardboards and used boxes in the pile of trash at home and keep whatever i found in my closet. My mom would always check my closet to get all the dirty stuff i kept and told me i should not do the same thing again. But being very fascinated with such things for reasons i do not know, I kept on looking for stuff in the garbage bin. 

As a child I spent my free time doing paper crafts, imitating boxes from Papemelroti, and creating scrapbooks for my family and loved-ones. I made paper bags and sold them to my classmates. I’ve made a couple of party invitations, too. I usually spend one whole day for a particular project, and most of the time I get satisfied with my outputs.

My fascination with papers and boxes did not diminish as i grew up. Until now, I get amazed whenever i find stores selling such stuff. Unfortunately, I do not have the luxury of time now to do paper crafts. I shop instead. I spend money on storage boxes, cardboard trays, gift wrappers and bags, notepads, and other similar stuff. There’s a certain feeling of satisfaction whenever I buy these stuff.

A while ago, i dropped by Uniwide to look for some good items i could buy. I found a bunch of gift bags, really cute bags perfect for putting presents whenever the need arises. I bought about 15 bags. The most satisfying part is that i bought everything for just 96 pesos! Just imagine how expensive gift bags are in malls nowadays.

I wish there is a course like Bachelor of Arts in Paper or Box Studies or BA in Paper Art and Crafts. I would have taken it in that case. Haha. 

I’ve got some free time during the weekend and so I thought I could start improving the look of our porch by repainting the old palo-china bench. This bench which dad designed and had custom-made has been with us for more than a decade now. It has been refurbished twice already by my uncle, using only clear varnish to coat the soft wood. I wanted a more modern look, so, after looking for left-over paint in the storage room, ive decided to paint the wood bright red! I decided to maintain the old color of the frame, though (it’s black). The left-over paint was elastomeric, the one that’s waterproof with a rubbery texture. I’ve used this kind of paint before, and i could say it is versatile. You can apply it on almost any surface. The only problem is that it could peel off easily when not applied properly.

Going back, it took me 3 hours to paint the wood, applying tree coats on each plank. As for the exterior polishing, I was only able to apply clear lacquer, as polyurethane was not available in the hardware store that i visited. Polyurethane could’ve been more durable (but more expensive definitely). Well, it would still wear out in time anyway. Too bad i wasn’t able to take a picture of the bench during its worn-out state, but anyway, the final output is shown above.

The expenses:
Bright red elastomeric paint – left-over
Black enamel paint – left-over
Paint thinner – 33.00
Paint brush – 21.75
Clear lacquer spray – 149.75
TOTAL 204 .50

Try conducting a survey on the most popular gift items and you will get responses like handkerchiefs, picture frames, figurines, hand towels, and, well, mugs. As for giveaways, laser pointer-cum-ballpen, notepads, umbrellas, and calendars would be the top responses. Um, mugs will also be on the list by the way. Everyone seems to be complaining about getting the same item-a mug-on different occasions. Well, yeah it’s the thought that counts, but who wouldn’t love to receive some other stuff? Who needs two mugs at home or at work anyway? I bet the mugs you’ve received already found their way into other households (Admit it, you’ve given them as gifts to your friends.haha!) I’ve received a good number of mugs in the past. I was able to use some of them. Some got broken, some I gave away. 

Just the other day, I went to Uniwide with my officemate to look for some frames that we need in the office. Instead of buying the frames, we ended up shopping for a few mugs. There were a lot of cute mugs on display! She bought two, i bought 4. Haha! I bought two Snoopy Christmas Edition Mugs made by Hallmark for UFS (Snoopy item collector, oh yeah), a Stir valentine mug, and a very unique winter mug from Hallmark which is my favorite by the way. What am I gonna do with them? I dunno. Use them, just look at them, put them on display, or maybe give them away some time in the future. I didn’t mind buying 4 mugs because they were cheaply priced at 29 pesos each!

While everyone’s complaining, here I am getting really, really fascinated with mugs. Who knows, I may start another collection with the number of mugs I’m getting. So, the next time you receive a mug, think of me first before you plan to give it to somebody else. Kidding. haha!

My Favorite:

I am a frequent visitor of San Jose, a municipality located in the western part of Tarlac (that’s why it’s often called ‘Western’ rather than San Jose by Tarlaquenos) because the university I work for has established a learning center just near the municipal building in 2006. And being the head of the skills training program in our office, I organize and coordinate trainings in the learning center. During my high school days, I also frequented the municipality, having conducted tutorial programs in Brgy. Villa Aglipay and going to my best friend’s house in Brgy. Mababanaba. Going to San Jose was really never that exciting for me until my classmates in my masters conducted an outreach activity there. Never have I imagined that there’s paradise beyond the mountains bordering the municipality.

After my classmates, my prof, and I have conducted our community service program at Sula, a barangay west of San Jose, we’ve decided to give ourselves a treat. We’ve heard a lot stories about the different sights that can be visited in the municipality, so we agreed to visit some of them. Some of my classmates have even gone to these spots, but the majority are first-timers.

Our guide decided to bring us first to Saipan (or Saypan?) and have our lunch there. People usually call the place Saipan Beach, although it is actually a river. It is a 20-30 minute-drive from the school where we held our program. When we arrived at the location, I excitedly got out of the jeep and looked at the breathtaking view of the greenish-colored river (reflection from the bottom due to the growth of algae) with green-and-brown mountains in the background. Native cottages are built along the river bank. There were a lot of visitors during that time, also enjoying the view, the water and the balsa ride. My classmates sir Francis, Sir Rustom and I wanted to swim but we weren’t able to bring extra clothes so we had to be content with appreciating the view and soaking our feet in the cold water. after eating our lunch in the cottages, we spent about 10 minutes riding a bamboo raft.

After spending an hour and a half in Saipan, we headed to the Monasterio de Tarlac, where ‘Bro’ is waiting. hehe. Kidding aside, there’s this huge statue of Jesus Christ standing in the garden of the monastery, much like the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil. Monasterio is a nice place to visit if you like a peaceful, quiet environment or if you simply want to commune with nature. There’s a small chapel, gardens, stations of the cross, gazebos, and a business center in Monasterio.