the hanoi hangover: day 1

My apologies for starting this entry on a rant, but I just need to let this out first, and then we can proceed to the happy notes.

Months of planning for and excitement about our Hanoi trip, which was our 6oth birthday gift to our Mom, got dampened by a distressing incident upon landing at the Noi Bai airport in Hanoi. We took a red-eye flight, and we--my sister, her husband, my mom, Francis, and I-- touched down in Hanoi at about 12:45am (15 minutes delayed, but not really bad) only to line up at the conveyor belt and discover that our (mine and Francis') luggage was nowhere in sight. After filling out forms and being assured by the local airport personnel that they'll inform us as soon as our luggage turns up, we all shuffled to the hotel shuttle service so we can finally check in to our hotel. Poor driver, he had to wait for us for a couple of extra minutes because of that conundrum.

Long story short, Cebu Pacific responded to our complaint 24 hours after we sent our email. They confirmed that our luggage got left behind at NAIA. How and why, I have no idea, considering we checked in on time and our luggage had its proper label. So Francis and I had to endure about two and a half days without our essentials: clothes (I planned my OOTDs for each day only to have no clothes at all!), underwear, toiletries. Despite the distress (I cried myself to sleep that first night at our hotel), we still managed to make the most of our trip. Yes, we did have to buy new clothes and underwear, and I had to borrow a few pieces from my sister. 

Putting all that (and a few more glitches that I just want to forget so that I'd have good memories of that four-day trip), our Hanoi experience has been generally fun and wonderful. In fact, I enjoyed the city more than I did Ho Chi Minh. Hanoi has more flavors and colors, and there's always something that will catch your eye in every corner. Here are the daily highlights of our Hanoi experience in photos, starting with our first day in the city--left luggage not included. 

The very charming details in our hotel--Golden Sun Palace. This is the view from our T&B! I'd like to note that all the hotel staff had been very friendly and accommodating. They helped us follow up our missing luggage, and all were very patient with our requests.

First stop was the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which accepts visitors from 7am to 11am. There was nothing much to see except for the impressively well-preserved body of Vietnam's iconic hero. Cameras are not allowed inside, so we were only able to take photos once we were outside the building.

Every street is filled with souvenir shops that it's easy to be overwhelmed! These colorful, plush key chains are on display at Swan Embroidery. The place, in my opinion, carries merchandise of better quality compared with the others in Old Quarter. Of course, I didn't leave the store empty-handed. I bought a sling bag with pretty Hmong embroidery.

The amazing neo-gothic architecture of St. Joseph's Cathedral. The church sits gallantly amid the hustle and bustle of the Old Quarter district.

We explored the grounds of the church, and found equally interesting French-inspired architecture, showcasing the strong influence of the French colonization of Vietnam.

My family and I took a breather from all the walking here at the Hoan Kiem Lake, a famous historical landmark of Hanoi. That's my sis and her hubby (seated) and my svelte mom. I hope to be as fit as her when I turn 60!

The Turtle Tower on Hoan Kiem Lake

We all went back to our hotel to rest before heading out to dinner. Since there were a few more hours to spare before regrouping, Francis and I decided to check out Old Quarter some more. We also took this opportunity to buy new clothes while we still didn't have our luggage with us. Before heading back to our hotel, we made an impromptu stopover at Cong Caphe near St. Joseph's Cathedral. Here, we got our fill of delicious innovative coffee--one with yogurt and another with coconut milk. Later in the evening, we came back with the rest of our family in tow to cap off the night with more cups of coffee. It could have been a bad idea, downing caffeine before bedtime, but our tired bodies won, and we all slept like babies!

Our last agenda for the night: watch the Water Puppet. Though the play was in the vernacular language, we didn't have a hard time understanding the context of each act since it was written in the program handed out to us. Basically, each act features the traditions, customs, and legends of Vietnam, particularly Hanoi.

Of course, our first Hanoi experience (second for Francis) would not be complete without these motorbikes and scooters--the main mode of transportation in the country. The trick to not getting run over is to hold your breath and cross without hesitation. The motorists are used to crossing pedestrians that they'll be the ones to avoid running you over. Bravery is key!

Day 2 will soon be up!

the first two weeks

It's been two weeks since I started on my new job/career as Real Living's managing editor, and all I could say is...I'm having a blast! I feel blessed to be part of a great team who knows how to appreciate what our magazine stands for. Sure, turnovers and deadlines can be a pain, but the hardship is compensated by a daily dose of creativity witnessed during shoots and events. And in my first two weeks, I've seen enough to be inspired. How inspired? Let's just say that all those wonderful colors I see almost every day, whether at shoots or visits to exhibits, have translated to how I decorate our own nest. 

The table runner (first photo above) is actually a steal from Landmark: it's reversible and costs only Php199! Such a great find! Meanwhile, the pillows are from Duo Deco (the big, floral ones), SM Homeworld (the ones with green geometric prints), and Mandaue Foam Furniture (the yellow/white one with orange embroidery). Since it's already summer, I decided to update our throw pillows as a means of adding more color to our place. The ones from Duo Deco and SM Homeworld are newly acquired, actually, and I just mixed them with the one from Mandaue (which belongs to our original set). Francis and I also bought new curtains to complement these summery pillows. I was originally gunning for something printed, but decided on a plain, olive green set to temper the explosion of prints and colors on our couch. Haha!

But it's not just our home that benefits from my new job. My closet, too, got a little update, thanks to this year's Manila Fame.

There were so many pretty, locally made accessories (aside from magnificent furniture pieces, of course) showcased, but the one above, which is a neck piece  from Avatar, caught my eye and my heart (haha!) that there was no other option but to buy it.

So yes, I am loving my job. Aside from the fact that there's less stress compared with the previous one I had, seeing pretty things on a daily basis makes it less tedious. The only thing I "hate" about it? I spend on those pretty things. Haha!

a holiday in Singapore: days 3 and 4

I stared at this pretty stained glass window for almost two days!

These two days almost ruined our vacation. Why? Because my body suddenly decided to get sick with fever. 

As mentioned in my previous entry, this trip was preceded by a very hectic holiday schedule. Add to that my asthma attack that hounded me just two days before we left for Singapore. In other words, I really wasn't in the pink of health during this trip. And so...I found myself feverish on our 3rd day. 

I had no choice but to stay put in our hotel, while Francis went back to Funan to buy the laptop model I've chosen. He came back late afternoon lugging my new toy, but I can tell he didn't have fun padding the streets of Singapore alone. In fact, I know he got frustrated because we were supposed to go to Sentosa that day, and he's been wanting to go there because he didn't have the chance to check it out the first time he was in the city.

I did manage to get well towards the evening, though, so we were able to explore the neighboring Bugis area. 

Bugis Street Market is like a tiangge, and is very much alive at night. I went gaga over clothes, shoes and cute bags. In fact, I saw this adorable canvas bag made to look like a postal envelope. It was very reasonably priced that I decided to get all four colors (one for me, one for my sister, one for my sister-in-law, and one for a good friend).

 

 

 

The bustling Bugis area is brimming with lots of tempting buys: from fresh fruits to a variety of snacks, and of course, fashion accessories!

 
The Bugis area is also home to Bugis+ Mall (formerly known as Iluma). It would have been great to have explored it further, but alas, this frail girl had to go back to their hotel to get some rest. 

Come early morning the following day, I found myself once again racked with high fever. Since I was desperate to get well right away, I forced myself to make a cup of hot instant coffee, down a tablet of Biogesic, and take a quick bath--all done while taking care not to wake up Francis. I didn't want him to worry and get frustrated again. I tell you, I've never pushed my body to its limit like that, as I didn't want to waste another day lying in our hotel room!!! Haha!

Well, technically speaking, I only wasted (again) half a day. We managed to visit Mustafa to grab some pasalubong, and then ate lunch at The Banana Leaf Apolo in Little India. Sadly, I was not able to eat a lot because the dishes were too spicy for my taste. After we've had our fill, we immediately went back to our hotel so we can drop off the pasalubong we bought before heading off to Gardens by the Bay.

 

 

 

The sights surrounding our hotel, which includes the Masjid Abdul Gafoor mosque (bottom photo)

But.

Both my legs were terribly aching, and I can feel my body temperature rising again. I thought an hour of rest would cure it, but I was wrong. One hour became two, and two turned to three, until it was already evening. Only then did I feel a wee bit better. Instead of going to Gardens by the Bay, Francis and I just grabbed dinner at a nearby Burger King. I was still not giving up, though. Unfortunately, even if my mind was so raring to go, I knew that I am physically not that well to venture out. It was utterly heart-breaking. We didn't go all the way to this country just so I can lie in bed with fever!

Apparently,  we had no choice. We had to forego Gardens by the Bay. I was so disappointed. Meanwhile, Francis tried his best to convince me (and himself, too) that things like this happen, and that I shouldn't be blaming myself. Mind you, it was one of the worse feelings ever, especially since we'd already be leaving for Manila the following day! It was so horrible that I was really sobbing my heart out!

We woke up the following morning feeling so morose. Little did we know that that same day would give us a chance to redeem the two days we lost. But that, folks, is a story for another entry. Suffice it to say for now that we didn't leave Singapore like a whiny bunch of sore losers. Haha!

shopping like crazy

This may sound funny (and even lame to some extent), but ever since I resigned from my day job, I've been so scared of turning into a losyang (haggard) during the few weeks that I'll be mostly staying home. Sure, I still get to go out once or twice a week for meetings and domestic errands, but the thought of actually getting lost in this lounge-at-home lifestyle scares me. 

So what do I do to fend off that lazy tendency? Frequent fashion blogs (a new addition to my list is Camille Co's website), follow stores on Instagram (Pill Footwear and Tonic Bags and Shoes, both of which can be found in The Ramp Crossings store in TriNoma; as well as Sabo Skirt, an Australian clothing brand whose Instagram posts are pretty inspiring, fashion-wise), and check out new shopping haunts that are not part of my usual shopping list (The Ramp is now officially in my list; and yes, that should have been in there a long time ago, but I am such a late bloomer). 

Naturally, because if this weird and funny concern, I went on a sort of shopping spree. Two weeks into this new life (haha!), I have already bought: a roomy Charles and Keith bag, another statement necklace from SM Accessories, a vintage Casio black watch similar to this, and a pair of transparent flats from Pill Footwear that was inspired by this blog entry (scroll down to see her pretty shoes!). But, oh my, the craze does not seem to end here. I am currently pining for one of these purty babies!

 

 Image from The Ramp

 

I particularly like the "ice crystals" neck piece on the far right. If my kaartehan gets the best of me, I may actually go for the kill. 

Yes, yes, I know I have to be a wiser spender especially now that I'm freelancing; but promise, this will be the last (until I actually start on my three-day-a-week part-time job, haha!)!

it's a streak

First, it was surfing. Then came a change in hair color for the first time in my life, and a purchase that's uncharacteristically me. 

From jet black to medium brown at Azta Salon in Robinsons Pioneer

 Another Parfois buy: my wildest bag so far...

My, my, I really am bent on surprising myself, and I feel good about it. Perhaps these sudden, little changes will bring about big ones that I've been praying for. Hmmm...

never trust a man to buy you accessories...

...unless you give him a peg, which I did. That made the job easier for Francis when I asked him to buy me accessories as pasalubong from Davao. But mind you, I have to give it to my husband; he has been patient enough to scour Aldevinco (a souvenir haven in Davao) to find the perfect tribal necklaces for me. While I was on the way back to the office from a shoot in Pampanga, Francis was busy sending me MMS just to get my approval. Honestly, I was impressed by his efforts, and so were my shoot crew.

My pretty ethnic bib necklace

My husband's labor of love paid off, because ever since he handed me his pasalubong, I've been wearing it almost every day this past week. I've been getting a lot of compliments, too (for both my necklace and my sweet hubby)! I say my husband really has good taste. Haha!

This one, I have yet to wear soon.

dainty streak

Anything dainty has always fascinated me (but not including the color pink and heart images, except if they're really irresistibly dainty). So naturally, when I saw these, I was not able to resist buying.

A makeup kit

A bag hook


A fan

Yes, the makeup kit has a touch of fuchsia on it but it's just too pretty for me not to grab. Then I found the perfect bag hook with such a beautiful peacock/floral design. I'm never really a fan of bag hooks because I think it does bags more harm than good--they put more pressure on the straps/handle, depending on the material they're made of. I'd rather put my bag on my lap or on the floor (should be clean) in case there's no more room for it. But then a bag hook can also be useful, especially for my sturdy bags and for hanging a dripping umbrella. (Both the makeup kit and bag hook are from SM Megamall department store). Then, there's that exquisite fan I saw in Landmark. I left my (old) fan, which is a favorite, with my sister; and since she keeps on forgetting to bring it whenever we see each other, I opted to buy a new one. It's suicide not to have one in this humid weather!

Oh, shopping--even for small stuff like these--makes me feel that I'm really back on my feet somehow.

one of 'em boys cried then went shopping

Last Friday's snippets:

Was watching SYTYCD's Kherington and Twitch do some Viennese Waltz. The routine has a personal sentimentality to it, especially because the song has a very special meaning to the choreographers.

So I was watching it, and just when my tears were about to fall, my colleague Tim suddenly showed up in my cube and caught me teary-eyed. I had to shoo him away before I got to explain. Embarassing moment no. 261 there! Hahaha!

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Had a matter-of-life-and-death issue at hand: what's more flattering for a girl--to be categorized as a girl-next-door or a hot chick. For me, it depends. But when Iza and I asked Francis' take on the issue, he only has one thing to label me:

One of the boys.

Great. Well, fine, I admit I tend to be one. And sometimes, it works for me. Sometimes. Still, it's flattering to be treated like a lady, not like a brother. Ugh.

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Since there were no takers for the GCs I've been selling (they're Big & Small/Spin/Havin' A Baby GCs), I decided to just use them myself, see what preggy clothes I can buy and get away with wearing them without being accused of being actually pregnant. Francis was quite hesitant to join me in my shopping spree. "Naku, baka ma-tismis tayo nito," he said. I just laughed it off.

So there I was, gleefully enjoying fitting the clothes on sale only to learn I can't buy them with my precious GCs (but then Bubs and Cleo told me they were able to score sale items with their GCs. So unfair!). So I just settled for a brown tube dress and paid cash for this maroon bubble tube top that was on sale. At the cashier:

Cashier: Ma'am, first baby nyo po?
Me: Um. Ah. Hindi pa.

Was so tempted to point at Francis and say, "Sya, baby damulag ko."