I ♥ Macau

(photo credits to Java and Steph! )

Although half a day is too short to experience Macau in it's entirety, we were still able to see how beautiful it was. We took an hour long ferry from Hong Kong, hired a rental van that included a tour of the place, which had it's last stop at The Venetian.

The church was beautiful. We even witnessed a wedding photoshoot happening because there were lots of models in wedding gowns, men in suits, make-up artists, stylists and photographers. We did our own "shoot" on the side too. We also visited the ruins and tasted some amazing street food! If you ever find yourself there, do try their curry balls!

The Venetian was awesome! All the details of its construction... the stores, the faux river in the center, and the food... THE FOOD! :) Madeira Portugese Restaurant is an absolute must-try!!! We were lucky to have a Filipina waitress serve us so she was able to recommend the best dishes in the house. The short ribs, the chorizo, the Portugese chicken... super worth it. :D

We took the last ferry back to Hong Kong and said our Macau goodbyes. :D We're definitely coming back one day to stay for a much longer time.

When I Grow Up

As kids, our minds are a lot more open-minded, and our dreams for ourselves are a gazillion times more imaginative. I'd like to believe that I never really grew out of wishing and hoping that one day I'd get to be (or "experience being") some of the things I've always wanted to be or do. After almost 10 months since I shared my last adventure, I really believe it's time to share a new one: My Crazy When I Grow Up Adventures.

I easily get inspired by things around me - people, TV shows, characters, places, experiences and so much more! I wrote down all those random jobs in an old notebook of mine and couldn't stop laughing at some of the things I listed!

A. CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATOR

I was so engrossed with CSI that Santa even gave me a detective kit one Christmas filled with test tubes, a fingerprint duster, magnifying lenses and a list of cool kiddie detective projects to do at home!

B. INTERNATIONAL SPY

At one point in time, I truly believed that Felicity Shagwell was the coolest spy on earth. She wore cute outfits, high heels and got to save the world doing it at the same time!

C. UNIVERSAL STUDIOS TRAM TOUR GUIDE

The moment I boarded that Tram for the first time in 2001, I was hooked! I remember listening to every single word our tour guide said as she toured us around the backlots of Universal Studios and showed us all the cool sets! I found myself rehearsing my memorized lines on the way back to our hotel that day. "To your left... To your right...."

D. WILD ON E! HOST

"Hola! Hi I'm Brooke Burke. Welcome to Wild On Ibiza!"...or something like that! I just can't remember why, of all the travel shows on television, I really enjoyed watching Brooke Burke travel around the world to see and experience all the fun places and not just stick to museum tours and historical sites!

E. J.LO'S BACK-UP DANCER

Watching her Puerto Rico concert a really really, really long time ago made me want to get up on stage and dance behind her! She was sooo awesome that I wondered what it would be like to get up in all of those fun costumes and perform my heart out alongside a celebrity! :O

F. DISNEY PARADE PERFORMER

The thrill you get from performing for a whole lot of people, getting dressed in super crazy and fancy costumes, walking and dancing for miles, and making a lot of children happy is definitely a dream come true. Disney seemed like such a great environment to be in everyday that at some point I wish I were the one dancing on the streets!

G. DISNEY POP STAR

But of course there had to be something greater than just performing on the streets... I also secretly wanted to BE THE STAR!!! Hahaha Now there's a real THRILL! Being in front of thousands of people, singing and dancing is definitely amazing. Disney is closest to my heart because it makes so many little kids happy!

H. CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITER

...The book that started it all! I picked it up one day in Barnes & Noble because I was so inspired by the cute handwriting and all the colorful illustrations that it got me making my own versions of it for so many different projects! I absolutely loved (and still do very much!) Marissa Moss's fun and very creative writing style.

......... and so much more! I'll be sure to share more of them in my next entries. :)

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10 Months ago I had no idea what I was going to be doing right now. All my options were open and the job possibilities were endless! Now I'm getting more stable with every month that passes by, and the reality that I'm in the 'Real World' (as parents always say) is really sinking in. It's just crazy how I'm supposed to be "all grown up" right now and all the "when i grow up" wishes are supposed to stop, but there's just so much more to do, be and see in the world, that my "When I Grow Up" adventures will never really end! I loved it when Natasha Bedingfield sang:

Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

ABSOLUTELY TRUE! :D I'm filled with so much excitement about the future, which is why i strongly felt the need to FINALLY add something to this blog. I really hope that it won't be long again till my next one! :D

Ocean Adventures

Ever since i can remember, the water has been a big part of my life. From beach trips every summer to skin color that will very much vouch for that thought, my family and I are true sun-worshippers! That's why this summer we've taken on new ocean adventures and tried something besides the usual swimming by the beach... DIVING CLASSES! 

  

All I can say is that patience is a really big part of becoming certified. We spent several hours watching instructional videos and taking written tests, but the real fun came when it was time to learn it all first hand, thanks to our diving master, Tito Nands! 

(Photos: Setting up our equipment at the boat, Mara, E.G. and I during our Rita Island dive, Nemo, The big blue clam!)

Then came the real ocean dives. It really is true that everything underwater looks much prettier up close! We saw feather starfishes that we've never seen on the surface or near the shore, stonefishes and crocodile fishes... giant clams and Nemo too! Can't wait for our next dive! :D

Diving love! :D

Back in Manila, we took on another ocean adventure and paid a visit to the all new Manila Ocean Park. Although it isn't as big and as filled as the one in Hong Kong, I think it's a great way to start to sharing our very own underwater world in the Philippines! 

Scary looking stonefish is absolutely NO FUN when accidentally stepped on!

Fierce stingrays!

The cool tunnel with a stingray as big as me!

 

VERY Deceiving "fish spa" which i thought would be a relaxing experience! You dip your feet in a pool of tiny sucker fishes that eat away your foot's dead skin cells! Unfortunately, only E.G. survived it because Mara, mom and I couldn't take the fish sucking. Haha! Must try it again next time when I'm braver! ;D

A lot of construction was still being done when we visited, so I'm sure it will be a lot nicer within the next few months! They're even putting up a hotel inside! It should be really cool. Plus, there was an area that showed how we can better save our planet, especially our marine life! Let's all do our part and save the earth! 

(Polka-dot Onesie: Had it sewn, Belt & Bag: Vintage, Turquoise Bangle: Mango, Necklace: SM)

And that ends my ocean adventures for now! :D Looking forward to lots more in the future! Yay!

Don't need no fancy dance studio

The last time I came here, Jay, Lagy, Kev and I walked past the Plaza on the way home and saw a big group of teenagers practicing a cheerleading routine. When we gave it a closer look, we noticed a small group of break dancers who were showing really incredible skills! Right then and there I was inspired and amazed at the extent of the street dance culture in our country today. 

For the past 3 days that we've been here, my brother and I have been visiting the same plaza every night, hoping to catch a glimpse of the dancers during rehearsals, and so far, they have not disappointed us! Today however, was quite monumental for us because we finally got up the courage to get down into the pit and ask them questions that we've been so curious about. 

(Lots of cool and dangerous techniques! They even told me about the difference of Powermoves and Style nowadays and how important Style is when making bboy combinations during battles! So true!)

Just like back home, there are apparently a lot of dance competitions out here too! In fact, we'll be able to catch 2 of them this weekend, one ABDC style, and one purely 3-on-3 breakdance battle style! Yay! :D They love watching videos on Youtube too, and despite the lack of any formal and hands-on training here, they learn just as well on their own! I sooo admire their passion for dancing because the fact that there are NO dance studios here doesn't stop them from learning some more! They gather at the plaza every night and stay till 4am rehearsing and battling each other for fun, no matter if the floor is so dangerously made out of cement and that any fall could seriously cause them bad injuries. 

(Seeing more of the street culture here! L-R: People chilling in the plaza at night and watching all the amazing performances, just like us! Really good skateboarders try tricks on the benches, and BMX bikers working it on the ramp!)

I was happy to share what the dance community was like in Manila, talk about the group that I'm part of and was humbled when he mentioned that they join competitions so that they could actually travel to Manila and try competing there! I realized how we can sometimes take advantage of the facilities we have back home and how amazing it is to get the chance to be trained by some of the best instructors in the country. Some people only dream about it! :O

He shared that one day, the first person to make it big will fulfill their dream of putting up the first dance studio with a high ceiling here so they could perfect their stunts! I'll be sure to include that in my prayers from now on! :D 

Ahh... inspiration always comes when you least expect it to! 

Doing a little extra for the Earth!

How'd you spend Earth Day 2009? 

(In true fashion blog fashion... Left: My Favorite t-shirt. Right: Dress: Made out of my grandma's old skirt, Bag: Vintage, Necklace: SM)

Exploring the city has been a real treat for us since we aren't heading for the beach till a few more days. We chanced upon the Earth Day celebrations here and I was really happy to see a lot of people attend and realize how important it is to do our own little parts to save the earth! There were lots of things to do around the bay area, such as watch the city's PEP Squad perform (I have a weakness for watching all kinds of dance performances), rent a bike and go from end to end like what my brother and I did (and unfortunately at the same time endure the stench that flows from the sea right beside you... think Manila Bay air!), and buy all kinds of little knick-knacks like glowsticks, toy balloons, etc. 

(My mom just happened to be wearing her Earth Hour t-shirt tonight too! Did you participate last time?)

Here's something I picked up from the Earth Day Network (www.earthday.net) -->

What can I do for Earth Day?

Since the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, Earth Day has been an annual event for people around the world to celebrate the earth and renew our commitment to building a safer, healthier and cleaner world for all of us. There are many ways you can get involved. Volunteer. Go to a festival. Install solar panels on your roof. Organize an event where you live. Change a habit. Help launch a community garden. Communicate your priorities to your elected representatives. The possibilities are endless! Do something nice for the earth, have fun, meet new people, and make a difference.

So yay! :D That's one more step to save the Earth! I hope to be able to do lots more things in the next days to come.