Highlights of Dubai Holiday Part 3 (Final)

There are 2 major highlights of my Dubai holiday that will wrap up my long-winded posts - the texture of the city and the people that made the trip more fun!

Like I mentioned a couple of posts back, one of the surprises that I had was how beautiful, modern yet retaining its arabic influence, the city is. Aside from Ibn Batuta Mall, I also will not forget Mercato with its meditteranean facade.

I will also never forget Dubai Creek which is the backdrop of the city's character. Like any great city, the creek is the lifeblood of Dubai. It always made me feel a tinge of despair that my own country's Pasig river is actually dead. I loved my abra (arabic for thid little boat) that ferried people from Bur Dubai to Deira and back.

I was intrigued with this cruise boat and promised myself to take a cruise in the creek next time.
Despite its smallness, the Dubai Museum is a must stop for any tourist. To me, what was awesome was how this city is serious about growth despite the short history it has as a city and economic force in the region. No wonder many nationalities would want to ride that wave of determination and settled in Dubai.

And the trip won't be as memorable if not for the people that I have met. It was my first time to meet anyone from Bosnia. Elmir and Sabina were fun dune bashing mates. We had a great time exchanging bits and pieces about our countries' culture.

I will never, ever forget my one and only interaction with a guy in a kandura. Fahd was our source of irritation when he picked us up from the mall. But he turned out to me full of adventure and thus fun.

The friends of Tatsi also added color to the already colorful trip. I was happy to see Hilary (formerly Rona) married anew and settling happily with her new husband. I was happy to see Ann again after our first meeting in Manila last December.
Kathy is also one of my sister's kookiest friends. I was happy to see her in both nights that we were drinking at Jebel Ali Club. May katawanan at kakulitan.

I will also never forget the day I spent with Anne, who used to be with me in my F4 escapades. I have not seen her in two years and I'm happy that she's alright despite missing the Philippines and wanting to leave the UAE.

Last but not the least, is Richard (aka Kitty Kach). He was so kind to bring me around Bur Dubai and become my photographer despite the 110 degree heat! I will never forget our lunch at the Orient (tama ba?) restaurant with the Pinoy menu.
Well, that's it. My purple world has widened and in fact, has mixed with other vibrant colors this time around. I am now focusing on my next destination. More of that in the next couple of months. Back to grind and scrimping...scrimping...

Highlights of Dubai Holiday Part 2

The sightseeing was great but the shopping was also awesome. I will not forget that the first thing I bought was not in Dubai but in Abu Dhabi Marina Mall.

Dubai is purple heaven! I remember posing in front of this furniture store because I absolutely loved the sofa.

I will also remember the shopping malls and how fabulous they are. No expense was spared in the flooring, in the themes and decor. My favorite of all is Ibn Batuta Mall. Each entrance of the mall has a theme like this one. A Chinese junk in the middle of the mall? You better believe it...

This entrance to Ibn is also fabulous. I was just not able to take a photo with the huge elephant just behind this wall because everyone was just taking photos.

And then there is the Dubai Festival City mall. I was astounded to see a marina behind it. Sail in, park your yatch and then go shopping? You better believe it...

Aside from the malls, shopping is also surreal at the Gold Souk. I have never seen anything like it. Two blocks of shops with nothing but gold in their windows. Gold and more gold!!! And the wooden canopy added the local flavor to the shopping experience.

One must be ready to do serious shopping in Dubai whether one's poison is the Dubai outlet mall, jewelry or the luxury brand stores. Despite maxing out my credit card and my making a big hole in my wallet, I will be more prepared next time.

In the meantime, my supplies will have to last until the next visit. And pray that I can stay away from Manila shopping malls. =)

Stay tuned for the last part of this highlight series. For the rest of the photos head on out to http://gigidm.multiply.com/

Highlights of Dubai Holiday Part 1

After being back at work for a week, I can only reminisce about the great holiday I had in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

I can still imagine Bab Al Shams Desert Resort and Spa (http://www.jumeirahbabalshams.com/) as it is the very first place my sister took me. While we went on the road trip, I got a glimpse of Dubai and the vastness of the desert it thrives on. And then the oasis that was Bab Al Shams. I love the gorgeous pool with the desert on the background.

I also will not forget my first taste of Arabic food at the Al Hadheerah Desert Restaurant (http://www.jumeirahbabalshams.com/dining/al_hadheerah/). Walking through the desert from the resort was a romantic experience even if I was walking with family. The beauty of the desert sand can be seen by the lighted pathway and the lights of the restaurants from afar elicited excitement as we got nearer.

Of course the desert safari was exhilirating and soooo much fun! Dune bashing, Bedouin camp, belly-dancing, henna tattoo was offered as part of the tour ran by Net Tours (http://www.nettoursdubai.com/index.htm) especially if you have a good 4x4 driver like Fahd.

And then there was the trip to the capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi for the Lost Highway concert of Bon Jovi. Fandom + Family always make a great combination. The long drive, the heat, the hours of standing, the 3 hour traffice to get out of the parking lot was all worth it just to hear Living on a Prayer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uNbV2s0QCc).

The fun did not stop there. Checking in at the uber elegant Jumeirah Beach Hotel (http://www.jumeirahbeachhotel.com/) was an unforgettable experience. The hotel designed to resemble a wave was awesome, awesome! As soon as we entered our 19th floor room facing the Arabian Gulf with the all-suite Burj Al Arab in view, I was jumping and I mean jumping for joy. Lunch at the lobby, dinner at Der Keller, lazing around at its private beach, will all be etched in my memory.

I'm off to watch more youtube of the May 20 concert...Part 2 coming up!

See You Again Dubai...

I fly back to Manila in the morning and my memories of 17 days in Dubai is filled with my bonding moments with my brother Denver and sister Maria Lourdes. They have made this trip really, really awesome.

I will go back home to Manila inspired and dreaming again of the day that I can come back to this city made home by many Filipinos because indeed here they can enjoy the best that life has to offer.


There are many more stories to tell about this trip. For now, I leave this photo of Dubai Creek as I say to Dubai...See you again. I will definitely be back.

Thank you Daddy Daboy.

Thank you Tatsi.

And thank you to the many new friends I've made and the old ones I've met.

Shukran Jazilan. Baaraka alahu fik.

Dubai Surprises

Being new to the middle east, I knew nothing of it except that its landscape is mainly desert. What surprised me was the beauty of the architecture not only of the buildings but the homes as well. Mediterranean, yet retaining arabic and modern touches.

This photo is a shot of the Jumeirah part of the city which is my favorite of all areas so far. My thoughts as I rode the bus one of my bored days here is that "I could live here"...oh no! hahahaha!!!


The next surprise is food. I have not tried much arabic food but I discovered that I like most of them like falafels, kebabs and the yummy variations of rice. I am not a fan of lamb but there are always variations of dishes in beef or chicken.

And if you get tired of Arabic food, this place is also haven of other kinds of food as well. One good restaurant is The Noodle House (http://www.dubai-eating.com/13981.htm) which is part of the Jumeirah brands. The food is asian fusion and the service fabulous. Try their Chicken Sweet and Sour, the Crab Fried Rice and the Spicy Shrimp. Yum!!


Last but not the least of course is the shopping. Dubai is shopping heaven!! Period!! For girls like me who are Asians but not Asian in measurements, Dubai is a place where we can max out ye 'ol credit card and still feel good. I've shopped all over Asia and the best I could find are shoes. But in Dubai, I can find everything from underwear, trousers, tops, blouses, you name it they have sizes for girls like me.

Aside from all the branded items, Dubai now has Dubai Outlet Mall where I could buy branded stuff for 1/3 of the price in regular malls. Needless to say I went crazy.

The running list:

6 pairs of shoes
5 pairs of trousers
6 blouses/tops
a bunch of underwear
a purple tankini (at last!)
a purple watch
notebooks
accessories

5 more days before I go back home...I dare not think what else I would find.

Why Dubai?

Going for my first ever long holiday (defined as 15 days or more), I've decided long ago that I would go to Dubai, United Arab Emirates first. Many would wonder why Dubai when there are a lot more interesting places to visit and spend my hard-earned money.

I only have one reason and its because of these guys who I miss dearly. Yes they come home to Manila once a year but its very different to be with them in a place they've called home for several years now.

My sister came to Dubai 5 years ago while my brother 2 years ago. They have built careers for themselves which I am sooo proud of. With my parents gone and being the eldest, I am privileged to be the recipient of their generosity to see the best of Dubai and the other Emirates.

I also got a glimpse of how they live and met the people that they work and play with. I've had several suprises which I will post later.

Of course icing on the cake was seeing the desert for the very first time. Standing with my loved ones in the vastness of these red dunes was an experience of lifetime.

Would seeing snow for the first time be next? :-)

Terminal...Purple Style

I almost thought that Dubai, United Arab Emirates was going to be just a planned holiday...simply because of a huge mistake.

I was supposed to fly out of Manila on the 14th of May. I was on the visa check line when I found out that it already expired. The next option was to be a chance passenger and that's where my 2 days of hanging out at the NAIA Terminal 1 started.

After much crying and self-remorse, I started my vigil on Friday, the 16th. I thought my new visa was going to be handcarried from Dubai but it did not happen. I was there from 4pm to 6pm.

I was back the next day early at 12nn because I wanted to make sure I get in the stand-by line. The tension that I felt for the next 12 hours was something that I've never experienced in my life. What made it bearable was the support of the PAL Operations staff who were very helpful.

I did not get in the 6:50 pm flight of May 17th despite the full force presence of the team. Though it was disappointing we were still hopeful because there's still the midnight flight. While waiting for the next flight, I had a pizza dinner with the team and took this photo to remember my bonding with them.

Another 6 hours of waiting and sitting around the small office happened. I was so bored that I even showed these people who were strangers just a few days ago my family and trip photos. And they were so kind as to indulge me and my craziness.

When I heard my name called to get a boarding pass from the Emirates people (codesharing with PAL), I felt like a won the lottery and was jumping up and down with Jack who was assisting me that day. Last on the immigration counter and boarding gate, I finally landed in Dubai on the morning of May 18th.

I am so grateful to the men and women of the PAL Operations Team for the extra mile most especially Ms. Yssa (who met the person who handcarried my visa from his flight and ran all the way to the standby counter to hand it to me) and Jack (who escorted me through immigration).

You guys were awesome and will never be forgotten. Maraming salamat!

Living on a Prayer

With all the tragedy that has rocked Asia recently...Myanmar, Sichuan province...my life story seem insignificant.

But I really feel that I'm living on a prayer...and I just wanted to give myself a big GANBATTE!! JIA YOU!! HWAITING!!

The story later...

Mother to most...Maming to me

Mother, Mom, Mama, Inay, Nanay...are just some of the common terms used to describe women who bear children and raise them.

To me and my 4 siblings, she is Maming. During these months I remember my Maming especially as we lost her in April 2000 and Mother's Day is usually just around the corner of this date.

She was a character...a self-made woman who made something of herself despite poverty and limited education. A life worthy to be made into a film. For some reason the funniest story that I was just telling my colleagues at work this week was the "mangoes story".

One summer, my Maming brought home a couple of kilos of mangoes. My siblings and I fought because of it as we were all mango monsters and wanted an extra share. My Maming was so mad at us that she yelled, told us to stay put and not move from where we were. She came back and plunked down one "kaing" (a big basket) of mangoes in front of each one of us and made us eat the whole thing because we were greedy she said.

What was funny about this story is that I remember myself in tears, crying and saying sorry and I've had enough and will she please let me stand up already...but despite this I still ate I think more than half of the big basket!!! Hahaha!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers who had to raise children like me. Special greetings goes to my sister Teng and sisters-in-law Jenny and Pam who all had to raise the second generation of this family.

Breaking Our Door Handle Was a Blessing...

My husband had sweat beads from exasperation when I broke our front door handle. I was outside and he was inside. So I had to cool my heels in the hallway while I wait for him to get the door open.

He was not happy having to go out and buy a new door handle so I just quietly surfed the net not getting in his way.

When he came home from Home Depot, he was so happy and smiling saying he had a surprise. It was because he found a purple door handle! He said it is actually a bedroom door handle but he knew I wouldn't care.

He was so right. And I was amazed that finding something purple made him forget why he had to go and shop for a door handle in the first place. Sweet...

Crabtree and Evelyn Lavender Collection

One of my high school friends was in town from San Diego, California. She and her family visits Manila every so often. Lucky for me that it was my birthday so I was so happy to get this awesome set from her.

Aside from the obviously luxurious toiletry set, I just loved the hat box it came in. Long before the bottles have been emptied, the box will now forever be a decor piece for my bathroom.

Carol, just like what you wrote in your gift tag, you will always be my BFF!! (those who do not know what this means....post a comment! :-D). Thank you for the gift and the many years of friendship.

Accessories for my Birthday

Though I already have tons and I mean tons of purple accessories, I just loved the gifts that my staff Ena gave me...BRACELETS GALORE!! Now I need to go out so I can wear them. =)

A Series of Unfortunate Events...

...peppered my otherwise "happy birth day".

First, I wanted to eat a late lunch at this Japanese restaurant called Murasaki. I had a slight fever the night before so we were a bit late leaving the house. When we got there it was closed! All I had was a photo right beside the signage...and I was dreaming of eating there for the past year...because Murasaki is purple in japanese...sigh...

It is my Maming's (my mother) 8th death anniversary on the 22nd April so after grabbing a burger we went to Manila Memorial Park to meet up with my sister-in-law Pam and the kids. It was a happy day of lounging around the park. When we were about to leave to have dinner, a girl who was apparently learning how to ride a motorcycle fell beside my car. And so my precious Zoomzoom now sports a dented fender.

In addition to this unfortunate incident, the lady in question could not afford to pay me for the damage. She had to get her mother-in-law to appeal to me that they can only pay half of what I would pay as participation fee to the insurance company. Since it was almost dark and we had a dinner appointment, I just said "oh hell" and agreed so that we can be done with it.
















While we were driving to the Seaside Restaurants, I had a feeling of anxiety. As they say, bad things come in 3s.

The food was delicious (I was too happy and forgot to take photos of the shrimps, baked mussels, calamares, etc.), the company was fantastic - several of my fangirlfriends joined us, but when we were getting ready to move to the nearest Starbucks for coffee, one of my nieces picked up what seemed to be the ribbon of my shoes...sigh...


So there...3 unfortunate events...

That's what I thought!

On our way home, my husband had to do a quick brake because the local government is doing its maintenance. How unfortunate the their sign was not placed right as we almost hit it after the car in front of us swerved. We managed to stop but then we heard something bumped us from behind...sigh... another motorcycle bumped our car while the driver skidded to the side of the road. This time the victim is the bumper of our car.

So the shoe event is just a red herring. This is the real 3rd unfortunate event. I mean what are the odds that 2 motorcycles will bump your car within a span of 6 hours? And on someone's birthday?

Thank God that no one got seriously hurt. I was even more thankful when we got home safe and sound. This day will forever be in the hall of fame of most memorable events in my life.

Happy Birthday to me...

Can't Stop....

I already have panda eyes but I still can't stop...

I am forever sleepy from many late nights but I still can't stop...

My player already died on me but I still can't stop...

It's been a month and I'm still watching Taiwanese dramas like a starved woman. After years of Japanese dramas, I just tried watching one as a stress buster but I am addicted again.

Devil Beside You, Love Contract, Why Why Love, Bullfigthing, Tokyo Juliet and now on my 6th drama Hana Kimi.

I guess until I get tired of the kisses, the hugs, the goosebumps, I would be watching and watching and watching.

One of the cutest purple thing!

Though I report directly to the President and Managing Director here in Manila, I still have a dotted line to the Sr. Vice President of HR in our US Corporate Headquarters.

That boss comes over to Manila once a year and since discovering that I live in a one purple world, has brought me little purple presents.

This year, he found me the cutest purple thing ever. It's a small toy safe that actually works! It has a combination lock written at the bottom so I can really keep stuff in there. If I want to make it a piggy bank, I can as it has a coin hole at the top. That's not a good idea though as I'm sure I would steal the money right away once the fandom bug hits. =) Oh and did I mention that it is made in Taiwan? Hahaha!

So what should I keep in here? Hmmmm... By the way, thanks Les!

How to spend money without going to the mall and shopping online...

1. Have friends who travel a lot

Japan - May and Rachel went to Tokyo weekend of March 8 to attend Ken Chu's Get Real Concert. Perfect for me who wanted to get SMAP's latest single Sonomama (http://www.smap-sonomama.com/) which was released March 5th.

Taiwan - Girlie and Zainee went to Taipei the same weekend of March 8 to attend Vic "Zaizai" Chou's Fan Meeting at Taipei Formosa Hotel. Perfect for me who wanted to get F4's cd with the mini-concert dvd at Danshui last January 19th and the official soundtrack of the drama Wish To See You Again (http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/did-3591/code-c/section-index/pid-1010666986/).

Hongkong - Ophie went to Hongkong the same weekend of March 8 on a personal vacation. But Sino center is very near her hotel. Perfect for me who wanted to get Vic Chou's movie dvd Linger (http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-c/section-index/pid-1010096930/) which was released March 8th. I had to get it from Hongkong because their version has English subtitles.

2. Have friends who sell/giveaway their collection

Hongkong - MJ has to move back to London and she has the complete set of Mars manga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_(manga). With plenty of SMAP X SMAP tv show cds thrown in for free, it was perfect for her to just Fedex everything to me in Manila.

3. Have colleagues who travel overseas for a much needed break

Singapore - Scarlette, one of our IT personnel went in early March. Perfect for me who needed to get my Anan magazines (http://anan.magazine.co.jp/) with Takuya Kimura on the cover from my Singaporean friend Joyce.

Malaysia - Leo, who works with me is in Malaysia this weekend. Perfect for me who wanted to get the Taiwan drama dvds of Sweet Relationship (http://us.yesasia.com/en//PrdDept.aspx/code-c/section-vidoes/pid-1005156159), Devil Beside You ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_Beside_You)and Why, Why Love (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Why_Love). Why Malaysia? Because the dramas when released locally are sure to have English subtitles. You won't find subbed original dvd dramas in Taiwan and rare/more expensive in Hongkong.

And here I am sitting at home astounded by the realization that this month alone, I was working my usual long hours and just had enough energy to drive to and from work and yet I spent about USD 500 from 5 countries. Amazing!

The Only Pink Thing in MOPWORLD...

...is my pink elephant, BENBEN.

I am not into plushies and stuffed toys. Much more so PINK! Nothing against the color but it's just not me. I've always seen purple stuffed toys but I never bought nor was given one even when I was younger. I'm just not the kawaii (cute) type I guess

Benben came to my life last Christmas. The way I had him was fate...shukumei...I attended the Christmas party thrown by my boss and won Benben during the exchange gift. My initial reaction when I saw him was blah! I was even contemplating on getting rid of him...as a recycled gift...donation to the needy children...whatever.

But as he sat there on the headrest of our bed, he found his way into our (me and Butch) hearts and became our baby. I would shout his name the minute I enter our bedroom. What do they say about pink elephants? Something obvious that nobody wants to talk about....

Obviously there is a spot somewhere in my heart for a cute little pink elephant named Benben and i'm talking about it to the world.

T'is the season of purple...

In the Christian world, purple is associated with Advent and Lent. The color uplifts, calms the mind and nerves, offers a sense of spirituality and encourages creativity (http://www.sensationalcolor.com/content/view/1061/144/).

I came across this sermon about Uplifting Purple that I'd like to share with you all. It starts of with the lore of when and where the color purple was invented. Then it talks about purple used as bitter irony....of being enveloped in the color of love during moments of hate. Of purple as a symbol of bruised healing. And celebrating it as a color of passionate living.

If you guys aren't doing anything at this point and just reading my blog, why don't you head out to this site (http://www.christchurchsummit.org/Sermons-2003/030309-TheColorPurple.html) and read the rest of it. It certainly gave me a deeper love for the color that I have surrounded myself in since I was twelve years old.

For most Filipinos who are on holidays starting today, may you have a PURPLE weekend. I always have a purple day 365 days in a year 24/7.

Snuggled within the comforts of my doramas...

Last week was another one of those weeks when I would go home past midnight from work. And as I have done the past 5 years, I turned to my solace for major stress...drama watching.

After buying these purple cd cases to house my tons and tons of cds and dvds, I found dramas that I have not seen at all.

I picked one japanese (Itazura na Kiss) and one taiwanese drama (Devil Beside You) to watch and that kept me glued the whole week. I would watch a couple of episodes during the work week (lunch break and as soon as I get home) and come the weekend, an uninterrupted marathon time!!

Stress gone..back to my purple but toxic world...looking forward to the long Easter Weekend where I can settle into another marathon. Movies await! Linger from Hongkong (yes MICHI, I also went dvd shopping..hahahaha!) and Hero from Japan. Yokatta!

Patience is a virtue....

...is what I wrote in this little white board that I found one day a couple of weeks back.

I was so stressed out with my work load, was starting to have a headache with all the noise that protesters and rallyists were making 39 floors below and couldn't concentrate anyway so I went out for a walk.

I found myself at the Office Warehouse (http://www.officewarehouse.com.ph/), an office supply store in a nearby building. I was looking at purple pens and spotted this white boards on one of the top shelves. What's cool about this little board is that not only does it have a spot for my purple white board marker which I found during my Bangkok trip last year, it actually is magnetized! So it is now stuck perfectly right in front of me on the side of the filing cabinet.

One of my staff once asked me what I feel when I get new things to add to my collection...and I instantly answered that it's like Christmas. I mentioned this before already.

And when its Christmas, you feel joy at any little gift that you get. In my own purple world, I always feel like I was given a special gift when I found something purple that I don't have or when people around me do. It regenerates all - a lot of the patience that I need everyday.