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'Cause you might hate me for not posting about my resort sooner... ito na siya. :)) Ooops, back to the now, nasa future pa 'yung resort ko. 'Cause you might hate me for not posting about this resort sooner... ito na siya. Being so so so so true to its name (magaganda talaga mga Cristina), Cristina Villas in Antipolo is surely one of the most beautiful resorts that I've been to.

After attending mass at Our Lady of Good Voyage, we drove to Taktak Road and found the location of this resort through Google Maps. It's situated in a mountain side, kaya pa-loob saka pa-taas 'yung daan but there are also signages along the road that's why it was easy to find.

Now that I am posting this here, I feel that I should've done what I always do: taking excessive pictures of everything. I don't have a lot of pictures at Cristina Villas. Bakit? "Hassle magdala ng camera eh. Nags-swimming ako." Akalain mo 'yun, na-hassle pa ko. But this is for your advantage na rin so you wouldn't know what else Cristina Villas has in store for you aside from the pools that I'd show you below. 
5 feet deep with two slides.
Shower room, comfort room area.
Jacuzzi and the slide to the 5 feet deep pool.
Another 5 feet deep pool with slide, there's also a jacuzzi on the side.
On my way to the tree house.
Taken at the zipline area/ tree house.

On the view: 5 feet deep pool, children's pool with slide. There's also another children's pool (two feet deep) near the 5 feet deep pool with two slides. All in all, this resort has 5 pools.


It isn't really that visible in this picture but you can see (smoggy) skylines from the resort.
To #infinity and beyond. Yups, resort ko po. Hahaha. Jk. #nature #tree #pool ✌✌
A photo posted by Tin Gallemaso (@xtintina) on May 6, 2015 at 2:34am PDT
Taken at Cristina Villa's infinity pool which was my favorite pool that day. Aside from the cool water, the trees surrounding this place shade the whole area, and there's also a small man-made waterfalls here. 
This is where we stayed at. I don't know what these are called but we rented the one with the "second floor"
It was a surprise that there were only a few people there the day we went.

No other people rented these near our place so I was able to use one on my own. As in dun ako natulog, 'yung iba, kumuha rin sila ng second floor nila tas dun natulog. E kasi nga resort ko 'to diba, kahit isa lang binayaran e nagamit lahat nang libre. HAHA!


I think two reasons for that (konti lang tao) is because it's not that well-known or a lot of people doesn't anymore have this place on their list because it has been in the industry for a long time. Pero personally, I didn't know I had a resort in Antipolo prior to going there. Kulang talaga sa exposure eh.

 Sabi ng mama ko, matagal na raw 'tong Cristina Villas pero nagulat din siya nung pagdating namin e maganda pala dito. You know how those old resorts usually are, diba?

Sometimes being old is synonymous to being ugly but ibahin niyo kaming mga Cristina. Kami pa ba? Habang tumatanda, lalong gumaganda at nag-i-improve. HAHAHAHAHA. Jk. Cristina Villas is continuously renovating and making their resort more beautiful and more relaxing place to stay in yet remaining to be a budget-friendly resort.


I want to go back for a night swimming and/or stay in one of MY (My talaga. Inangkin. haha!) hotel rooms because the resort is overlooking a part of the Antipolo mountains and the Metro Manila skyline. Siguradong mas bet tignan pag gabi 'yung view.
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Talagang unlimited matcha ice cream 'yung title? Haha! Ang saya ko eh, bakit ba?

During the opening of Sambokojin, Megamall branch, they were offering promos like a buffet lunch for 50% off and we got so enticed. But then, they posted a picture in their facebook account showing the long lines of people availing the offer and we were, "Ah sige, dyan na lang sa West Ave." 

At first I thought that I wouldn't have to blog about this anymore since this is already the fourth post about Sambokojin but because of their new ice cream flavor, here, obviously, is another blogpost.

First
Second
Third
#dessert comes first... and last.👍 There's always a first time for everything. First time na ako ang umayaw. Grabe, @sambokojin.😍 Hihi. Thanks for having #matcha #icecream. Sobrang enjoy. 😂🐘🐋🐖
A photo posted by Tin Gallemaso (@xtintina) on Apr 16, 2015 at 4:04am PDT


I know there are some improvements with the food choices and all but I can't pin point any because none of those were my concern. :))))) 
As usual, it was prawns-all-you-can for me plus the other food that looks good. 
Aside from the grilled prawn, I also enjoyed this buttered garlic shrimps (hipon ulit. Haha!) 
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. ITAWA NA LANG ANG KATAKAWAN. :))) HAHAHAHAHA!

Thank you, Sambokojin for including matcha in your ice cream flavors. This was the first time, in all those four previous visits, that I enjoyed your ice cream to the point that I want to take the container from the freezer and have the matcha ice cream all by myself. Hahahaha!!!!




Now, lagi bang may matcha o naka sakto lang kami sa araw na merong matcha?
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A famous quotation from Henry Miller says, "One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things."

I have done this before with a different set of friends and to be honest, I don't even remember how many times I've been to Intramuros but it's always worth coming back to so why not? Anyway, we had a challenge when we went there so this walking tour in the Old Manila was also known as the P 500.00 challenge. We wanted to tour Intramuros and Rizal Park spending less than P 500.00 each.

From the LRT Station, we just walked to the southern gate of Intramuros.
This gate is near Puerta Real and PLM.

Should you want to spend the whole day touring around Manila, go there on a Sunday because museum admissions are free on Sundays. National Museum (NAG and MFP) link: here.

Or should you opt for a WOKing tour before the walking tour, you might want to go to Chinatown first before heading to Intramuros. Binondo Food Wok link: here.

Anyway, since we're on a tight budget... :))
Here's the Plaza del Gobernador.

It used to be the home of the governor-general during the Spanish Colonization era but this 8-storey building now houses offices such as Intramuros Administration. 
Here is the Manila Cathedral.

The last time I was here was during our Visita Iglesia 2014.
Across the Manila Cathedral is the Plaza de Roma.

The monument is made in honor of a the Spanish king Carlos IV as a tribute for the introduction of the smallpox vaccine.
Thanks to Intramuros Administration that the street from the gate to Fort Santiago is now pedestrian-friendly. There are several pedicab drivers who would offer to tour you around the historical landmarks inside the Intramuros but the fun is in the walking... or ako lang natutuwa pag naglalakad? haha. Support their livelihood and hire one if you don't want to walk a lot. :)

It was written in one of the tarpaulins of IA that "Intramuros was Manila," there's so much history and heritage in that place so it's a good thing that they're reclaiming the historic streets to encourage more people to do a walking tour in the area as well. 

Infairness sa announcement na 'to, gusto ko 'yung, "... not about the shortest route or time traveled. IT'S ABOUT GETTING THERE." Parang metaphor lang ng buhay, noh? 
There are a lot of tombs inside the San Agustin Church and we spent several minutes looking for the tomb of the Spanish Conquistador/Founder of Manila, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. We were shy to ask around so we just looked for it on our own but to no avail. But I learned that it's located in the room beside the altar so the next time I'll go there, I'll definitely pay his tomb a closer visit. (Tama ba 'tong pinagsasabi ko? HAHAHAHA)


There are currently 8 places in the Philippines that are included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO and I'm proud to say that I've been into 3 of them. Wow, laking achievement naman!!! HAHAHAHA. Gusto mo rin? Punta ka na San Agustin Church. I mentioned this because I'll be needing a back link when I get to visit the rest some time in the future (Di ko alam kung paano, gusto ko lang. Haha!). So for the three of them that I've been into: San Agustin Church. Intramuros; Paoay Church, Ilocos Norte and Vigan, Ilocos Sur.  
They preserved the cobblestone streets in this area.

On our way back to Fort Santiago from San Agustin Church, a street name caught my attention because it's one of the things that I need in this life. HAHAHAHA. Konting konti na lang maglalagay na ko ng Donate Button dito baka lang kasi may generous na tao, ganyan. :))
Yes pls. Marami. #intramuros #manila
A photo posted by Tin Gallemaso (@xtintina) on Mar 29, 2015 at 10:57pm PDT

Yan. Mga ganyan lang talaga kasiyahan ko. Tuwang-tuwa na ko nung nakita ko 'yung Anda St. Hahaha. K. Fine. 

Going here has an entrance fee but I think paying is worth it since you may spend the whole day in this area. 
We're so paranoid that we almost ran for our lives the moment we walked near this area. One of my friends saw the statues inside and he was like, "ANO YUNG NASA LOOB?!" Parang kami, without even looking, "HALA ANO NGA 'YUN?" Konting takbo palayo sabay nung naisip namin na nakakahiya kasi medyo maraming tao, "AH WALA. WALA PALA. WALA NA LANG PALA" Pero wala, statue lang. Kinabahan lang kami. hahahaha! Lam mo na. Pranela.
Pasig River

Just like the Fort San Pedro in Cebu which is facing the sea, Fort Santiago is strategically built near mouth of the Pasig River.
The facade of Fort Santiago.
After our Intramuros Walking Tour, we went back to Rizal Park and waited for the start of the free dancing fountain show. 
It doesn't have to be extravagant to enjoy the goodness of life. Char. 😂😂😂 #rizalpark #fountain #manila #arte #damingsinabi
A video posted by Tin Gallemaso (@xtintina) on Mar 30, 2015 at 3:34am PDT

And our walk to the past ended here in Rizal Park link: here.



As for the expenses, we have managed to survive spending less than P 350.00 each. Yes, sightseeing doesn't always have to be far and expensive. There are a lot of near and affordable places for us to go to and it is never a bad idea to relive the past by visiting heritage sites like this. :) 

So ano na? Magbabasa ka na lang ba? Gora na sa Intramuros! :))
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Second time at Cafe Seolhwa link: here.

One way of beating the incredibly hot weather that we're having these days is to eat something cold, right? That's what my friends and I did last Saturday. I haven't been going to BGC for months so it's not surprising that there are a lot of new restaurants to try. One addition to the newly-opened restaurants in the area is Cafe Seolhwa, a Korean dessert shop that specializes in bingsu. 

I have seen posts of Facebook friends dining here at Cafe Seolhwa but it was only when someone posted a green-colored bingsu with red bean that I became so interested. I knew at that moment that I NEED to find Cafe Seolhwa and eat their Matcha and Red Bean Bingsu. If you've visited this blog before, you would know that I am close to being addicted to matcha (close to being addicted lang! iba naman siguro 'yung addict talaga. haha!) that I still went even if this is located in BGC. Time to make new memories there anyway so... :)

Here is their bestseller: Mango and Cheese Bingsu and my ever favorite: Matcha and Red Bean Bingsu

진짜 맛 있어요. 또 올게용. 😂😂💗 #cafeseolhwa #seolhwacafe #bingsu #matcha #matcharap #설화 #dessert
A photo posted by Tin Gallemaso (@xtintina) on May 2, 2015 at 12:05am PDT


This was the first time I ate bingsu and when I had my first spoonful of Seolhwa's goodness, I immediately asked myself, "Why have I never tried eating bingsu before?" Now, my standard for eating one would be Seolhwa's and I think it would be hard to beat. Do you know other dessert shops that serve bingsu? Tell me please. :) 


The ice was really fine, it felt like I was eating ice cream. 

To my surprise, cheese and mango complemented each other well. It's a flavor combination that was new to me but I liked it a lot.

As for the matcha, hihihi, I love it!!! But it's because I'm into the potent matcha taste that I loved this a lot. I know a lot of people who would rather that the matcha be creamier. I think Seolhwa Cafe should also offer a variant which is a mix of matcha and the milk flavored snow ice (snow ice nga ba tawag dun?) that the cheese and mango bingsu has. You know, for those who prefer their matcha creamy. Matcha talaga priority ko eh. Halata ba? hehehe. 


I really have a hard time expressing myself when it comes to food/ restaurant reviews because I don't know how to critic food. Lagi lang masarap, hindi masyadong masarap, sobrang sarap mga sinasabi ko (HAHA!!!) but I hope to come up with a better post about this cafe in the future. Yes, there will definitely be a next time. <3
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It has been a while since I last posted here... sorry na... hehehe. Joke. I don't know but days seem to pass so fast or is it because I keep on procrastinating? You be the judge. I know it's obvious that it's the latter, though. Lakas ko lang mag busy-busyhan. Anyway, eventhough April wasn't as activity-filled month and there wasn't any feeling of anticipation for the coming of May (unlike last year when I was preparing for my first out-of-the-country trip), it has managed to surprise me so much. Mga bagay na jinoke mo lang, mga bagay na nabanggit mo lang saka mga bagay na inakala mong impossible pero ginusto mo...

#1


When my phone got snatched in 2013, I posted a blogpost on that: "Xperia, lumapit ka sa'kin nang wala kong gastos o kung meron man, konti lang."

I was able to buy an Xperia phone back then but you know what? I got a new phone this month and I only paid 20% for its tax. Wow ah. Ang Xperia Z3 ay lumapit sa'kin nang meron akong gastos pero kaunti lang. O, #MySmartWatch3 at laptop naman oh. Aba, nawili ako diba? HAHAHA.

Finally #z3 happened to me. Haha! Ktnxbye. White at #xperia phone ulit.💃💃💃 #ican #demandgreat #eyebagspamore. Ajuju 😪
A photo posted by Tin Gallemaso (@xtintina) on Apr 28, 2015 at 8:13am PDT
Don't mind the eyebags. :)) Goodbye, Xperia ZR. You have been a great phone to me but Z3 is definitely a lot better. I know that we will be together for a long time as well, Z3. Pwede bang luminya ng, "Thanks for coming to my life"? hahaha! Singapore, I'm ready to go back! May magaganda na kong camera oh. hahaha! Daming sinabi. Nawili talaga. hehehe. 

#2

"And because I'm blessed, I am blessing the world."

When I got back from the bank where I paid my tax, I received an e-mail from World Vision and that was for the Nepal earthquake relief. 
Lalo lang napalaki 'yung bahala na pero sanay naman ako, bahala na ulit. Huhu.💸 "We know how difficult it is for a poor nation to recover from a massive tragedy. Let us not just help, let’s pour out our hearts to #Nepal!" #payitforward #staystrongnepal Donate at: https://www.worldvision.org.ph/donate/nepal-earthquake-response/form 💸💸💸😇
A photo posted by Tin Gallemaso (@xtintina) on Apr 27, 2015 at 5:38am PDT
I decided to pay it forward and donated. Interested? You may also extend your help through World Vision link: here.

The interesting thing here is that I am now able to donate money. Since when did I become a better and generous person, world? Hahahaha. Seryoso, dati parang laging kulang eh ngayon hindi PA man sobra-sobra pero 'yung pakiramdam na kaya mong bumitaw dahil alam mong hindi ka naman makukulungan kasi sapat na kung anong meron ka o kung may paga-alinlangan man e mas malaki na 'yung paniniwala mong may darating na bago. O siguro kasi dala na rin na may cellphone akong natanggap. hahahahahaha. Whatever the reason is, I am happy that I was able to give. Maybe what I donated is not a substantial amount (for some) but I am sure that it was already a big help to those who have been affected by the earthquake. And, it was supposed to be painful given na may days na ubos ako but I didn't feel any regret when I sent the money. Bahala na. Huhuhu. Mabait na pala ko ng konti. Di man lang ako na-inform. hahaha!

#3

"Leave this world a little better than you found it." 

This was what I wrote as one of my wishes for this year when I posted last New Year's Day. Sabi ko nun na kung makaalis man ako ngayong taon e may magawa ko para sa iba. Alam mo ba? Nakapag-medical mission ako sa Tacloban. Weird. Sobra. Pero ang galing, noh? Paano nagkatotoo? Hindi ko rin alam! Ito talaga wala sa isip ko kasi hindi ako healthcare professional tas biglang napadpad ako sa medical mission. haha! Iba rin pala nagagawa na alam ng ibang tao na kaladkarin ka.

Napatotohanan agad 'yung arte ko na, "Let's make this year less about you and more of others." Grabe. Hindi ko naisip agad noon pero, ito pala 'yun. Mas kinikilig ako ngayon na binabalikan ko na lang 'to kesa nung nasa Tacloban ako.



Ohemgeee.😍 #kalanggaman #sandbar #kalanggamanisland #leyte #nature #beach #trees
A photo posted by Tin Gallemaso (@xtintina) on Apr 12, 2015 at 5:42pm PDT
And it was also a surprise that we were able to visit Kalanggaman Island in Palompon, Leyte.

Sabi ko, gusto ko na may mga tao akong matulungan.
Sabi ko, gusto ko makakita ng sandbar.
Sabi ko, gusto ko ulit sumakay ng airplane. 

Wala sa plano kasi hindi ko alam kung paano pero gusto ko at ito na nga, tapos na. Maraming Salamat po! The best talaga pag si God ang gumalaw, noh? 

Thank you so much for being a miracle month to me, April.

Ready na ready na ko for you, May. May surprise ka rin ba para sa'kin? Hehehe. Sana!! Surigao o Lake Sebu na ba? hahaha! Pakiramdam ko kasi tinatawag talaga ko ng Mindanao ehhhh.
  Sabi nga, "Do more than you thought possible." Malay ba natin ulit. :) Basta sa safe areas naman ha, life. Hehehe

MAY this month be a surprising and gratifying month for you as well. 
God bless. :)
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