Into My Snow Globe

Penguins at Kelly Tarlton's I've always been a fan of zoos and aquariums so I thought I'd check out Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter out on Tamaki Drive here in Auckland. I have been warned by friends that its a small venue and that I might not enjoy myself, but hey, if its popular with kids it should be equally good for the kid at heart right?

As in all of our Manila trips, a dinner with fellow Filipinos similarly exiled to work the slave mines of audit in Ireland needed to be scheduled. I am not in audit myself, but find that most of my friends are; largely due to PIC's mafia web of connections. As the foodie evil genius of these gatherings, I thought we'd try another OAP pitstop -- The Goose Station. First thing you see upon entering The Goose Station

The other night, I caught a glimpse of Amanda Seyfried ham it up in "Letters to Juliet" while my squeaky, underutilized brain feverishly tried to make sense of the pie and bar charts I was churning at half a snail's pace. It wasn't really her or the sorry excuse for a love interest she had in that movie that caught my eye, but the setting in which they were placed.  In that moment I braved to look at the TV screen, they were walking across the Siena Piazza where the bi-annual Palio races are held. Siena Piazza - Yoohoo Amanda?

Who blogs about a bookstore? Better yet, who blogs about a Bookstore RUMORED to be closing? I do.

Of the many restos we picked up from OAP, Cafe Juanita was the first one we were scheduled to visit. I am not the best navigator ever, so it took us a while even in broad noon time daylight to find this little gem in the back streets of Kapitolyo, Pasig. Cafe Juanita Main Dining and Veranda

Asian tourist sunning herself in Boracay (Jan 2010) Another quick post folks as I am struggling to find time to squeeze in more proper blogs even as the words are starting to leak out of my ears. Who knew these things take up so much time?!?! Anyway, I thought I'd keep things going by doing a quick one telling you about how the trip went overall. Usually when I fly home to Manila, I hardly stay any longer than two weeks and so far, since I first left the country to live overseas, there has always been a reason for me to come home once every 12 months. My usual M.O. is to stalk "Our Awesome Planet" (OAP) for good restaurants to try, drum up a list of things to do, pencil in an out-of-town trip, then go about drafting my infamous I.T. which you've all seen in a previous post. Such is the life of the slightly obsessive compulsive traveler.  This time, it seems that all I did was eat. Instead of a random beach or my ever favorite Boracay, this year my out of towner...

The main reason for this last trip home was to attend a family wedding and it was held in the City of Smiles, Bacolod.  Souvenir Mini Mask Bacolod is the capital of the Philippines' sugarbowl, Negros Occidental and the city is famous for its annual MassKara festival. Its not the biggest city, but it is definitely not lacking in charms. 

This year I spent my birthday in Manila after eons of celebrating away from home. Unlike my 30th where I was full of hope, zen, and optimism for what this decade will bring, my 31st was a study in depression. The realization of hitting my 30s must have come a year late as I heard most people experience this same phase of denial when they hit 30. Not when they hit 31.