More than blessed: My 27th Birthday

27 years and counting...I have been more than blessed in the past 27 years of my life and I am so ready for more! I can't thank God even more for bringing me where I am now. I got my family (though was faced with multiple challenges in the past) who has always been there to support me. I've got a lot of mentors who have taught me a lot in this life. And of course, the best set of friends anyone could have.

Looking back, it has never been an easy ride. I've been through a lot of challenges, and a lot of instances where I tried to prove myself to people. But growing up, I have learned that I shouldn't do things to please people, I should do what I want and what I think is right, with or without the approval of others. There will always be people who will judge you no matter what you do and you don't owe them any explanation for being who you are. I would always be thankful of my past experiences because they made me stronger and more knowledgeable about life.

I couldn't be any luckier because just before I turned 27, I have already graduated from my Masters Degree, I got a new job that's more than I have prayed for, and I still have my family, friends, and God on my side. My 27th so far was indeed one of the most memorable birthdays I've ever had. Here's how I spent it:

April 23 - Dinner with my girl friends in Cafe Mary Grace, Greenbelt

April 24 - Wine and cheese with a few friends in Las Flores, BGC

with Ana and Gary (my older friends :p)

April 24-25 - When the clock ticked 12, I was surprised by my friends with cake and sparklers at Privé Luxury Club. A friend even bought me bottles for my guests. Thanks to Wonderland Thursdays (Models' Night) at Privé and to their photographer, Rich Sarto for always taking nice photos of us in the club.

my sweetest girl friend, Angelia

royciepoisie (must be "i" instead of "y" haha)

Lady and Dianne

with my good friend, Lady

my beauty queen friends

girl friends forever

new friends, Lady's co-models/beauty queens

for keeps! pretty ladies :)

thanks Gary for the champagne! :)

Then at night, my bestfriend and I just had dinner at a Japanese resto in Glorietta.

I also saw Anna, my sorority sister ('cause she works with my BFF)

April 26 - My Morning Crew family (friends whom I met through CrossFit) had a get-together and they surprised me with a Starbucks cake that night.

Morning Crew at Marga's place

happy kid :)

Since my family was abroad, I didn't get to celebrate with them. That's why I've been extra thankful to my friends for making my birthday extra special. They're definitely for keeps!

Now I'm ready for another awesome year! Bring it on! :)

My Blog Name is now a Reality Show :))

Just tonight, I typed "City Girl Diaries" on Google and found on the top of the search results a link to Style Network's website, featuring its newest reality show with the same title as my blog.

I followed multiple links about the City Girl Diaries reality show to know more about it. Apparently, it started airing last July 20 in Style Network; but it has all been filmed last year. It's a story about 5 women best friends at their 30s, who are now conquering New York with their choses careers. It's like "Sex and the City" reality show version.

Anyway, I enjoyed reading this article written by one of the characters of the show, to describe her experience while filming the show. She also described her real-life best friends who were with her in this show, and they all got interesting personalities. I'm curious that I wanna see at least its pilot episode.

When I put up my blog, I knew I wanted to share here the things I love to do: travel, shop, dress up, eat, party, organize and attend events, watch/do sports, etc. Since I was born and raised in the city, and because I just love the city life, I chose "City Girl Diaries" as my blog name. However, I knew it won't be that original since there's a great chance others can be able to come up with the same thing too. That's why I just registered my own domain just to add more identity to my blog site. But now that there'a TV show with the same name as my blog, I think my site would gain more hits haha!:)

xoxo,

city girl

Hey SEOUL Sisters! (Day 1)

So it's officially our first day in Seoul (Nov. 15). We left our place at around 9am and took the subway to Gwanghwamun. At the subway station, we purchased T-Money card worth 3,000 won each. T-Money is more than just a subway card as it stores money, which you can use to pay buses and convenience stores just by tapping your card. It's very convenient! Plus you get discounts on subway and bus fares with T-Money too. However, the amount paid for the card wasn't refundable, so we had to let go of our 3,000 won. Also, the card wasn't pre-loaded with credits so we had to reload it right after purchase from the vending machine.

Our itinerary for Day 1 was a downtown tour. There's a city tour bus in Seoul that features 3 different courses: 1) City Circulation Course, 2) Palace Course, and 3)Night Course. Actually there are a lot of common stops in these courses. But when we got to Gwanghwamun bus stop, the attendant at the ticket booth suggested that we take the City Circulation Course. Each ticket was wroth 10,000 won. The "hop on hop off" bus departs every 30mins at every stop. For further information, click this link. The only downside of this was, we were not able to go to all the palaces because they close at 4:30 to 5:00pm. And the entire day from 9am to 9pm wasn't enough because of a lot of stops. We were not able to get off at Namsan Tower where the entire city, as well as DMZ (the boundary of North and South Korea) can be viewed, because we were already too tired.  We also missed the Locks of Love, which can be found at the Namsan stop too. Anyway, so here's how our day went:

1. Gwanghwamun (1st bus stop) - It's where we bought tickets. But you can buy from the bus driver when you get on the bus at any other stops. We departed here at 10:30am.

2. Deoksugung Palace - We paid 2000 won each for entry. It's so funny 'coz this stop was just 2 minutes away from the previous stop. Anyway, there's nothing much to see inside. We just got fascinated by lots of autumn leaves that got us really nice photos. After taking photos inside, we exited the gate and witnessed at 11am, the ceremony of changing of the guards. Then we went to the bus stop to wait for the bus.

Deoksugung Palace

I love autumn colors!:)

photo bombers alert! lol

changing of the guards

he's also looking at the camera haha

3. National Museum of Korea - Entrance is free! It's a really nice and big museum. There were a lot to see but we had to hurry because we've only got an hour to spare in order to catch the next bus. The buses actually arrive on time at every stop. How cool is that?:)

outside the museum

whatever this was lol

group pic inside the museum

I just took a photo, I didn't read the caption!:))

4. Itaewon - It's a popular place for shopping and dining. There were a lot of tourists there, mostly whites. We chose to get off at this stop 'coz we were too hungry. After getting our multiple currencies changed into won, we proceeded to a Korean restaurant for lunch. We chose a traditional Korean resto wherein we had to take off our shoes and sit on the floor. Honestly, we were clueless on most of the dishes but we just chose what to eat based on the photos on the menu. Then we were surprised to be served with a lot of plates and bowls filled with different dishes. It was a feast! haha! But we were too hungry that we finished them all. LOL! And it was even funnier because a couple approached us asking if we were living on Korea, then we said we're just tourists. Apparently they were talent scouts looking for models. Woah! We could've been the next K-Pop sensation! LOL! Anyway, our total bill amounted to around 28,000 won. Super worth it! Anyway, while waiting for the bus, we explored some of the shops. We checked out different brands of cosmetics and bought a few. 

almost everything's spicy

5. Changdeokgung - It's one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites. It was a long ride getting here that we fell asleep in the bus. When we got there, we were already too lazy to enter the palace since we had to pay 3000 won so we just took photos outside. After that, our crazy adventure began! We walked not knowing where to go. The next bus stop supposedly was Insadong, but we just walked to get there since it's gonna take a longer time for us to wait for the bus.

entrance gate

6. Insadong - It's a shopping strip featuring shops of clothes, accessories, antiques, artistic crafts, and cosmetics/beauty products. We got so hooked into buying lots of cosmetics and beauty products because the salesladies were very aggressive in attracting us to come inside their shops. They hand us freebies just so we would enter their shop. We had no choice but to buy! But hey, we enjoyed it! Most especially because they kept giving us freebies 'til after purchasing their products. 5 stars for customer service! And yeah, they speak English too!:) So that started our addiction to Korean beauty products haha!

Insadong street

One of our favorite shops!:)

We kept walking 'til we realized we're back at Gwanghwamun, the first bus stop. And since the night was too cold, we decided to have coffee at a coffee shop somewhere across the Deoksugung Palace. After coffee we walked going to Namdaemun Night Market.

Gwanghwamun Gate

7. Namdaemun - It's one of the stops of the city circulation course, but since it's near where we we had coffee, we just walked going there. There were lots of clothing stalls at the Namdaemun Night Market. Clothes and accessories range from 5000 won to 50,000 won depending on the quality of the product. A lot of scarves, earmuffs, boots, gloves and jackets were being sold because it's almost winter. I was amazed that first class-looking winter clothes were being sold in a Divisoria-ish kind of place. After shopping, we headed back to our place for some dinner. We brought some canned goods to cook, while we bought microwaveable rice from the stocks of our host.

8. President Hotel - After freshening up, we headed to President Hotel to meet up with a friend whom we'll be partying with that night. We took a big cab (looked like a mini van) to JJ Mahoney's in Namsan area.

8. JJ Mahoney's, Hyatt Hotel - They said it's one of the best high-end clubs in Seoul. We just got invited to an event there. Anyway, there were two rooms at the club. One has a big dance floor and the music that was being played was a mix of RnB, HipHop, House and Trance. Whenever no one's dancing on the floor, the DJ plays Oppa Gangnam Style to attract people to the dance floor. And I was so proud having danced that song on a Korean dance floor lol! But hey, it's so weird 'coz we couldn't find the DJ's booth haha! I just assumed there's a "DJ" 'coz there's music being spinned LOL! Anyway, we met some Korean guys on the dance floor and they took us to the other room, wherein a live band was performing. They said that's the most popular foreign band in Korea. I wasn't sure of their nationalities but most of them were white. They were performing mostly RnB and Hiphop, just like the Black Eyed Peas. They were dancing well too! SO after escaping those Korean guys, we were back to our table drinking Heineken and Asahi while munching on some fruits! Well they got a healthy pica-pica set, unlike those in the Philippines where everything seems so oily haha! Anyway, after a couple of hours at the club, we headed back home. I can't remember how much we paid for the cab, probably something more than 10,000 won. It's quite pricey because it's already late and Namsan was quite far from Hongdae, where we were staying.

sorority sisters

Total spending (w/o shopping expenses) for the day for 4pax:

1. T-Money Card - 12,000 won

2. City Tour - 40,000 won

3. Lunch - 28,000 won

4. Coffee - 17,000 won

5. Transportation (cab & trains) - 30,000 won

6. Party - FREE!

TOTAL: 127,000 won = Php 4,865 (or approx. Php 1,217/pax)

That's just Day 1! Got 5 days more to write about!:)

A Week in Seoul, South Korea: Arrival

We booked our trip last March of this year, and our flight going to Seoul was on Nov. 14. We only got our flight for less than Php 6,000 since it's on sale via Cebu Pacific. Just like any other trip, I was the one who made our itinerary. You know, in making itineraries, I consider the following: budget, distance, what my friends like, online reviews, my friend's reviews, and my own research.

Due to different schedules, we applied our Korean visa individually. I applied mine at the Embassy of South Korea in the Philippines, two weeks before our scheduled trip. Visa application was easy. Since I already have a Japanese visa from my trip there in March-June of this year, I just submitted a photocopy of that visa, plus my passport, and my accomplished visa application form (downloaded online), a passport size photo, and a certificate of employment. I didn't submit an ITR nor a bank certificate anymore because I have traveled to an OECD country within the past 2 years. My friend who had a US visa and another who had an Israel visa also submitted the same stuff. But for our friend who didn't have any visa from OECD country, she had to submit additional requirements -- a bank certificate with at least Php 50,000 of savings and ITR (Income Tax Return). But the good news was, we all got approved! Applying for visa is so quick. Just go at the embassy in McKinley Hill, Taguig (along C5) on weekdays (Monday to Friday) between 9am to 11am ONLY, with all the requirements. Then you will be issued a number. Once you're number is called, you'll get directed to one of the counters where you'll submit your requirements. No interviews anymore, unless they have some questions. Then you will be issued a claiming form, which usually takes 3 to 5 business days before you can claim you passport with or without visa. Take note that the releasing time is during weekdays at 2pm to 4pm ONLY. Visa application is free if intended length of stay in South Korea is less than 59 days. But for 60-90 days, Php 1,350 will be charged. Read more about the Tourist Visa requirements and procedures here.

So after a week of doing the itinerary, booking a reservation, and computing the budget, we're good to go! Everytime we travel, I am always the one who's in charge of the money. In the case of our Seoul trip, I collected Php 10,000 from each person for our expenses for one week. That means, shopping's not included. We have already booked our accommodation and train trips online so we just paid for that when the credit card bills arrived.

Anyway, we found the place we stayed at via airbnb.com. It's a nice condo unit in Hongdae that's very accessible to restos/cafes, bars/clubs, shopping places, and subway. We had a very nice host too. We only paid less than Php 6000 for 6 nights. (FYI I am more comfortable in using Php as currency for easier computation) It's a condo unit with 3 rooms. One of which has a bathroom, while the other two shares bathroom. Luckily, we filled one room (good for 4), which has a bathroom. In the other rooms were other nationalities who rented the bed spaces and/or the rooms. The kitchen, living room, dining area, laundry area, and balcony are all shared areas. It's interesting staying in a place like that 'coz we got to meet other travelers too. We used to hang at the dining area or the living room together and share our travel stories.

We arrived late that night since we left Manila at 7:35pm and it was a 4-hr flight. From Incheon International Airport, we took the airport bus going to Hongdae. The normal travel time would be an hour but since we missed the bus stop, we had to take the subway. Too bad for us because we were carrying our luggage and there were not much elevators/escalators at the subway stations. When we got to Hongdae (via Hongik University subway station), we walked towards the Prugio Apartment, where our host was waiting for us. Oh, I forgot to mention that it was so damn cold when we got there, around 3 degrees Celsius. We had coffee and late night meals, thanks to the groceries we brought haha! Yeah, we do that often if we're staying in a condo/apartment everytime we travel because we enjoy cooking, eating, and bonding inside the unit.

Total spending per pax prior to arrival in Seoul:
1. Airfare (via Cebu Pacific) - Php 6,000
2. Accommodation - Php 6,000
3. Terminal Fee - Php 1,620
4. Travel Tax - Php 550
TOTAL: Php 14,170

Total spending for 4 pax from Incheon Airport to Prugio Apartment (Hongdae):
1. Airport Bus #6002: 40,000 won (10,000 won each)
2. Subway (since we got lost haha): 4,200 won (1,050 won each)
TOTAL: 44,200 won = Php 1,694 (or approx. Php 424 each)

Here's a quick look on our itinerary:

Nov. 14 - Arrival in Seoul late at night

Nov. 15 - Seoul Downtown City Tour and party w/ Filipino and Korean friends at JJ Mahoney's, Hyatt Hotel in Namsan

Nov. 16 - Everland and dinner w/ new Korean friends in Samseong

Nov. 17 - Petite France, Nami Island, Namdaemun and Dongdaemun night market shopping, and a walk around Hongdae

Nov. 18 - Gyeongju City Tour (province) and Hello Kitty Cafe (Hongdae)

Nov. 19 - Lunch w/ Korean friends in Samseong, shopping in Myeongdong, Samgyeopsal dinner and Hello Kitty Cafe in Hongdae w/ Korea-based Filipino friends, departure of 2 of our companions

Nov. 20 - Last-minute shopping and the 1st Shop of Coffee Prince in Hongdae, shopping in Duty-Free in Incheon Int'l airport, and flight back to Manila at night

See my next posts for our complete adventures!:)