Where Do Broken Hearts Go Ba Talaga?

I went to Sagada to clear my head, breathe some fresh air and maybe some sanity back into my system. I expected it to be less of a vacation and more of a Let-Me-Find-Myself trip but the place was too amazing to not be noticed. Here are a few places we visited during our 1-day stay up in the mountains.

Fresh from Singapore: Twelve Cupcakes

There's a new cupcakery in town! 

A few months back, Twelve Cupcakes, which first opened in Singapore in 2011, brought its cute and delectable cupcakes here in Manila. It features 12 everyday cupcakes with a few specialty cupcakes that vary each day of the week (I'm guessing this is why they called it Twelve Cupcakes?) 

So what are the Everyday Cupcakes? 

From what I gather, these are the cupcakes that you would find in their stores every single day of the week. They introduce new flavors every month, which are only available on certain days of the week, but these flavors will be available each day for you to enjoy. Call them the regulars, I guess. 

Someone couldn't help himself

Everyday Cupcakes a.k.a The Regulars

Flipped! Caribbean Footwear

Hi guys! As I've mentioned a few days ago, it's my first midterms week in law school, thus, my lack of time for anything else that doesn't involve studying. I've been using my brain way too much the past week, exceeding more than what it was used to before I entered law school (I just hope it all pays off next week) but I'm taking a much needed break now. My brain can't recognize words anymore. -_-

So, over the weekend, I got not one, but two pairs of new flip flops. I don't know if I've mentioned this before but back in college, I was a flip flops girl. Jeans, shirt, and flip flops everyday. I even had a collection! They were just so comfy. :) Anyway, I was loyal to a certain brand (since I haven't really had the chance to try other brands then), but over the weekend, I was able to try something new.

I rarely look at other brands because I'm used to buying my usual. But since a friend mentioned this new brand, I decided to check it out. Normally, I wouldn't waste my time trying out unknown brands because the last time I did that, I got burns in between my toes. Yup, comfy flip flops weren't comfy at all. Anyway, I got a few pairs to try out and I was surprised. They don't feel foreign.

I don't mean to sound harsh but based on experience, not all inexpensive flip flops are actually comfortable. Most of them have hard innersoles (the part where our foot lies -- I don't really know what you call them) and some of the plastic material that goes in between your big toe and other toes are so hard and rough that they cause friction and burn the skin. This one's DIFFERENT.

Introducing my latest find: Caribbean Footwear.

Caribbean Footwear is a local flip flops brand that was launched in 2010. It uses top of the line technology to create flip flops that are durable, fashionable, comfortable, and most importantly, inexpensive. It is sold in leading department stores at a very affordable price. The price range of their flip flops? PhP179 to PhP250. Good, right? 

The best part is, they're not all talk! I checked their website to find out more about this new brand and true enough, their flip flops are what they described them to be. They have a wide range of really cool flip flops that are priced at about 1/4 of what I usually buy. The innersole is really comfortable too! Plus, the strap in between your toes doesn't rub against your skin. I'm actually pretty amazed at how comfortable and inexpensive it is.

If you don't believe me, check out Caribbean Footwear yourself. You can find it in any leading department store (SM, Landmark) and if you like it as much as I do, you can grab a pair for as low as PhP179!

Check out their other designs at Caribbean Footwear Collection. For more information about the brand, visit their website or their Facebook page.

Price Range: PhP179 - 250/pair

5 out of 5 for Caribbean Footwear

Caribbean Footwear

SM Department Store, Landmark Department Store

Day 3 of 3: The Last Stop -- Kainan sa Dalampasigan

Before we went back to civilization, Gus and I made sure our vacation was worth more than the expense. We dropped by the famous Kainan Sa Dalampasigan for a late lunch to check out why this restaurant is the most talked about in Nasugbu.

Kainan sa Dalampasigan is along R. Martinez St. It's easy to miss unless you really are looking for the place. If you're coming from Manila-Tagaytay, the street will be on your left side. The restaurant is also on the left side of the street, just a few houses away from the corner where you turned.

You can't miss the entrance to the restaurant. It looks like an enchanted garden with greens hanging above the driveway, and trees and plants along the sides. But, cars give and take as they enter and exit the restaurant compound because the driveway is not wide enough for two cars. 

Taiwan Visa Application for Filipinos

Gus and I were supposed to go to Taiwan for a 6-day vacation. Unlike the more famous tourist destinations Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, a visa is required if you want to enter the beautiful land of F4. :)

We planned our vacation for three months. We bought plane tickets as early as January of 2013. We made reservations in this quaint little hostel in Taipei City. Our itinerary was fixed, packed with various tourist destinations that included traveling from the north of Taiwan (Yilan County) to the south (Kaohsiung). Everything was well-planned, including where we would have our first dinner, our first street food, our first night market visit. All we needed was the visa.

Unfortunately, we didn't get one. We had to cancel all the reservations me made, our plane tickets wasted. Why? Because contrary to most of the blog posts I've read about getting a Taiwanese visa, it is actually very difficult to get one. Especially if you're a fresh graduate or on your first job.

Because of our very unfortunate experience, I decided to blog about the process of attaining a Taiwanese visa, to at least prepare/warn those who really want to visit this beautiful country. The process is actually easy. The requirements are the difficult part.

So how do I apply for a Taiwan visa?

Day 1 of 3: Revisiting Tagaytay -- Taal Vista Hotel

Gus and I were supposed to go to Taiwan this summer, but unfortunately, the Taiwanese Embassy denied our visa application. Since we already had a 3-day leave from work, we decided to find an alternative summer getaway. Fortunately, I stumbled upon Taal Vista's tweet about the Ultimate Vacation Package. For PhP12,100, you get to stay overnight in one of Taal Vista's Premier Lake Wing rooms, which has a perfect and beautiful view of the Taal Volcano, and another overnight stay at Pico de Loro in Hamilo Coast, Batangas. It sounds a bit pricey for a 3-day/2-night holiday, right? But let me give you the breakdown of their regular room rates.

Taal Vista Premier Lake Wing Room = PhP8,000-10,000 (depending on the day -- weekday/weekend, peak/non-peak, with or without breakfast buffet)

Pico de Loro Premier Lagoon View Room = PhP6,699 + PhP500/head for non-members/guests of members

Had we availed of separate, regular rates for each room, we would've spent around PhP17,000. This is a PhP5,000 saving!