Finally Found the Right Way to Fly with AirAsia Zest!

Flying to my favorite local and international destinations at affordable prices is now possible as AirAsia and Zest have now partnered! With its new brand name, AirAsia Zest, I am sure it has a lot in store for us dear travellers. And the best part is, AirAsia Zest flies from Manila!!! No more hassle driving too far because the flights depart from NAIA Terminal 4. How cool is that? :)

Ok, so now that I found the Right Way to Fly, it's about time for me to make new travel plans. Here's my AirAsia Zest destination (local and international) wish list:

#5 TAGBILARAN, BOHOL

I haven't been to Bohol but I've been wanting to visit the place to see the Chocolate Hills, the old churches, the white sand beaches, and to dine at the floating restaurants in Loboc River. Although the recent 7.2 magnitude have destroyed many of these tourist spots, it won't stop me from going there. I wanna see how the people of Bohol are recovering from the tragedy and I would like to extend a helping hand too, even in my own little way. Also, I am a fan of old churches as they take me back in time. I was saddened that the old churches of Bohol are now turned into ruins; but still, I would like to visit them and pray. And of course, being the beach bum that I am, I would love to have some jump shots at the sand bars of Panglao's white sand beaches! :)

This BEFORE and AFTER photo of BOHOL churches is from

(http://www.pinoystop.com/news/world/2429/magnitude-72-earthquake-hits-central-philippines-kills-20)

#4 CAGAYAN DE ORO

This is another must-see travel destination in the Philippines, which I haven't been to. Being an adventurous person that I am, I know that I will definitely enjoy CDO because first, it's where I can try whitewater rafting at the first time; and second, it's also my gateway to Bukidnon and Camiguin. With just a ferry ride, I could get to Camiguin to see the Underwater Cemetery and of course, more white sand beaches! Also, with just a bus ride, I can get to the Dahilayan Adventure Park and try the Asia's Longest Dual Zipline plus get a taste of the best pineapples in Bukidnon.

Whitewater rafting photo from my friend, Josh Reyes' Facebook page.

#3 KALIBO (BORACAY)

Boracay will always be my sweet escape. Whenever I wanna relax or just get away from the busy city, I always head to Boracay. It's just my happy place. In fact, I've already had some local friends there, whom I've met in my many Boracay trips in the past. I just find the place very relaxing, most especially at the Puka Beach. Nothing beats the feeling when I am seated by the shore, my feet buried in the sand as I drink some fruit shake or cocktail, while reading a good book or chatting with my friends. Besides relaxation, Boracay also gives me a really fun nightlife experience. This island is the place-to-be for the best summer parties and sunset sessions. I super love Boracay that whenever I meet new foreign friends, I always tell them not to miss Boracay when they travel in the Philippines.

me at Puka Beach in March 2012

But besides spending time in Boracay Island, I also want to explore Kalibo, the home of the Ati-Atihan festival. I've been to a lot of festivals in the Philippines but I haven't experienced Ati-Atihan yet. I also wanna take a walk in the eco-trail of the Bakhawan Mangrove Forest. And of course, I would like to have a taste of authentic Aklanon cuisine, which I know tastes good and is very affordable.

a fire dancer

 sunset at Puka Beach :)

#2 KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

I haven't been to Malaysia but I know Kuala Lumpur is the home of the Petronas Twin Towers. I have always admired my friends' photos in this popular tourist attraction and I want to have my own photo with it too. I am a fan of cityscapes and I wish to capture a typical night scene at KL. Shopping and dining are relatively cheap in Malaysia so I want to take advantage of that. Plus, I also want to visit my Malaysian friends, as they promised me before that they'll show me around.

A photo of the Petronas Twin Towers from (http://www.cuti.my/Sub/Kl/guide_kuala_lumpur_petronas_twin_towers.htm)

I've also heard of other tourist destinations such as the Batu Caves and other Buddhist temples in nearby towns/provinces, which I wanna visit. And of course, being the Lego fan that I am, I must not miss Legoland! Well it's actually far from KL but I've heard they have comfy buses from the city going there so I don't think transportation would be problem. And besides, I can also have a side trip to Singapore, which is just a few hours away from Legoland. It's a place where I have a lot of Filipino friends I wanna visit.

#1 INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA

Of all the Asian countries I have been to, I would say that South Korea is my second favorite, next to Japan. In terms of culture, they're pretty much the same; but for me, South Korea is more laid back. It was my first time in South Korea in November of last year via Incheon and I would say that it's one of my best international trips so far. I have visited a lot of tourist attractions in Seoul because my friends and I took a hop on-hop off city tour bus. We've also been to Everland, Nami Island and Petite France, which weren't too far from Seoul. The farthest we've gone to was at Gyeongju City where we visited many of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. It took us a 2-hr bullet train (KTR) ride one way just to get there.

Autumn 2012 in Seoul

ancient tombs in Gyeongju

Me at Nami Island, where Winter Sonata's first kiss scene was shot.

Gwanghwamun

Just last August, I have attended a Korean travel seminar where I've learned a lot of must-see tourist destinations in South Korea. I realized I haven't seen much of what the place has to offer because I haven't explored its provinces. In fact, I gathered a lot of travel brochures and maps from the seminar so I could plan my next travel to South Korea very well.

some of the brochures I got from the Korean travel seminar

SHOPPING and EATING are the top 2 things I really enjoyed doing in South Korea, particularly in Seoul. I wanna come back to shop for more beauty products and clothes, and to do another food trip! I just love the "samgyeopsal" and the coffee shops of different themes! I also wanna visit more of the shooting locations of my favorite Korean dramas and hopefully see some K-pop artists haha! I feel like I won't run out of things to do when I'm there that's why it's my top 1 in this list.

healthy and yummy Korean cuisine!

so here's a photo of me at Petite France, wishing for another awesome trip to South Korea :)

So that's how my list goes. I really hope I can travel in Asia with AirAsia because I haven't tried flying with them and I heard some good reviews about it from my friends, so I want to experience it myself.

If you're a foreigner who wanna travel in the Philippines, there are a lot of places here that you shouldn't miss; and you can visit these places at affordable prices via AirAsia Zest too. Just click the photo below to visit their website.

An Overnight Trip in Iloilo City

I love Iloilo City. I'm not an Ilongga, but I have a lot of Ilonggo friends (based both in Iloilo and Manila) that's why I keep coming back to this city. I like how everything is so affordable there most especially the food that are super yummy! Oysters, cream horn, butterscotch, kansi (bulalo), inasal...name it and they have it!

I got really excited when I found out I'll be traveling there overnight for free. It's for work actually, but it so happened that my friends got a big event coming up on the same weekend so I knew that overnight trip would be really super worth it.

On September 21, lunch time, I flew to Iloilo with Angelia, Shamcey and LLoyd for a fashion show. From the airport, we headed to Sarabia Manor Hotel to check-in and have lunch. We rested for a bit while waiting for Daniel, who's also a part of the show. And when he arrived, they had some quick rehearsals.

my lunch :))

post lunch photo (Angelia, Me, Shamcey, Lloyd)

this hotel is pretty old

The event was organized by UP Visayas - ICON (an student organization) and College of Management Student Council for the benefit of Chameleon Foundation. The event was entitled, "BISTE 3", featuring five young designers of Iloilo City namely Jor-el Espina, Ram Silva, Alberto Barros, Paul Conte and Marvin Monfort.

Here are some of the photos of the fashion show:

Paul Conte with Shamcey Supsup

Alberto Barros with Daniel Matsunaga

Ram Silva with Shamcey Supsup

Daniel Matsunaga for Jor-el Espina

Shamcey Supsup for Jor-el Espina

After the event, we rested for a bit in our rooms and headed to Lamesa Grill for our late dinner. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up. Then we're off to La Tolda at Plazuela to party!:)

lloyd, shamcey, angelia

hungry daniel :))

The party we headed to was entitled, "Those Damn Nerds A/V Tour in 3D"; and it was our friend Renzi, one of the organizers, who invited us. DJ Mia Ayesa was one of the spinners. There were big screens that featured graphics and lyrics in 3D that's why there were 3D glasses all over the place. 

We really had a blast! Just four of us finished a liter of Black Label in 20 minutes. It was my first time doing a bottoms up of scotch haha! It was followed by another bottle of that...then another bottle of Jack. It was really a fun night! Here are some of our crazy photos:

the guests: Maffy, Me, Angelia, Daniel

us and the party host, Renzi. all wearing black except Maffy.

back in the hotel, still holding the pizza we found inside Renzi's car LOL!

The last time I had an overnight trip like this was in Isabela last April, for Angelia's hosting job. And for this trip, she was the one who joined me for work. No matter where we both are, we're always having fun. Thanks so much to my soul sister, whom I call "kapatid".:)

I would like to thank Jonas, and Maffy of Mercator Model Management for being so professional and considerate. Thanks also to Shamcey and Daniel for being so patient and accommodating, most especially because there were a lot of people taking photos with them. Thanks to Lloyd for joining us. Also, I would like to thank Renzi for inviting us and giving us unlimited booze at the event...oh, and for being our driver. haha!

That's it! Well, Iloilo never fails to impress me. I really love this city. Can't wait to be back!:)

xoxo,

citygirl

Congratulations Miss Casino Filipino 2013!

It's never too late for a congratulatory blog post for my awesome friend, Ladylyn Riva, who was crowned as Miss Casino Filipino 2013 last week!

I've seen her join beauty contests in the past, and this is the farthest she has come. I'm so proud of her. Now, she's working on a charity event, which she'll do at Aklan, her hometown. She's doing this to share her blessings. She won Php 500,000 at this pageant and she wanted to share it with the needy. Truly a beauty queen, inside and out! It's the reason why God never stop showering her with blessings.

She's got one more big pageant to go. Please support her. Will announce it soon. :)

Lady and the runner-ups

Lady, Angelia, and I celebrating her victory :)

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

Giving Joy to the Kids of SSAE Memory Foundation

Two weeks ago, my friends and I had an outreach program for the kids of Samantha Sarah A. Espanol Memory Foundation. This foundation was founded a couple of years ago by the family of Sarah after she died from a car accident in the US. This foundation aims to provide education to the less fortunate kids in Marikina.

On the kids' first day in school, we visited them. We had some games and the prizes were sponsored by our good friend, Cheena Ng Lio, designer/owner of Amour Manila. Also, the food we served were also sponsored by one of Sarah's classmates in high school. The lunch boxes were sponsored by our ramp model friend, Farah Ramos. She's also responsible for putting the outreach program all together. The loot bags we gave away also had shirts in it. We didn't have much time to gather donations, but this one's been carried out well after only a week of preparation. We had fun, most especially because the kids were too cute! Doing such things is really priceless!:)

It's been the tradition of me and my friends to hold outreach programs annually. But this time, we plan do it more often, whenever we can. It really feels good to share our blessings. Thanks to everyone who have contributed/donated and made this charity event possible. We hope that you continue to help us in our next outreach activities.