3 Years of Boracay...and I'm only 2!

Yes, I've been to Boracay for 3 years in a row already! All because Daddy Bok is such an ultimate frisbee addict. Looking back at the blog posts, it turns out during my first year in Boracay, even Mommy Sym played frisbee. Now, she's fat and lazy just like me! Hehe. Joke lang mommy Sym!

3 years of Boracay-ness

It seems every year, I have this "warm-up" period before actually loving the sand and water. This year, I truly truly enjoyed the beach and the water only during our last full day in Bora. Mommy and Daddy should bring me more often to the beach!

I built sand turtles and sand fishes and sand crabs and sand seashells! Or rather, my Tita Rhea and Mommy Sym built them for me. Hehe. It's truly great to be a little princess!

Plus, guess what, imagine my delight when we opened Villa Rhazel's humble TV set and discovered, there was Playhouse Disney! Yippee! My favorite channel in all of the world!

I hope to see you again next year Boracay! Check out our pictures in the photo album section...some of these I took myself!


Thank you so much,
Zoe

Boracay Open 2010

March 11-15, 2010
Boracay Island, Philippines

Bok played in the Boracay Open, and his team (Toda the Flying Sprockets) won 3rd place! A great achievement indeed, considering their first 2 games on Day 1 were not so great. But they made it, 3rd place in Pool A! First and second place went to the Boracay teams -- Boracay Dragons/Bora A and Boracay B.

As usual almost all of the pictures here are of Zoe. Read her blog too.

Some highlights:

• watching the Pacquiao fight at Hey Jude bar. Really different vibe when you're watching a boxing match with lots of people rooting for the same person.


• romantic seafood dinner at Balinghai Resort. Medyo malayo sya ha. Bok told me not to raise my expectations too much. Hehe. It was really sweet. Thank you B!


• beer in the ocean while watching the sunset


• cocktails by the beach while watching the sunset


• great sunsets


• never-ending Playhouse Disney. Yes, may Playhouse Disney sa Boracay


• Zoe walking by herself in the ocean.


• Zoe's sand toys


• Zoe's sand pail, which also doubled as a "tabo" for giving Zoe a bath. Takot kasi si Zoe sa shower. I am so taking this one to the next beach outing!


• buggy ride around part of the island


• Zoe falling asleep a few minutes after sitting in the buggy


• Eating at Hungry Monkey and talking to the owner's parents. They live in QC but also go to Bora to kiteboard


• Asking the jeep driver how much it would cost to rent a kiteboard, and being told, "ay, sobrang mahal nyan." It turns out, it costs around 17-19K to learn, and that still excludes buying the equipment.

Overall mood: Thankful.

Things Only Kids Get Away With

Zoe eating in a traditional Chinese banquet restaurant. The walls are lined with aquariums teeming with live fish. Mommy points out the fishes to Zoe.

"Zoe, look fish!"

Zoe looks at them gleefully.

"Wow! Swim swim sila!" says Zoe. Mommy is so proud that Zoe appreciates fishes.

Then Zoe says, "Mamaya kain Zoe kayo!" (Later I'll eat all of you!)

Toink!

------------------

Mommy and Zoe walking to the parking lot. Mommy sees a moth beside the car. Mommy thinks this is a great opportunity to teach Zoe about moths.

"Zoe, tingin tayo ng moth," says Mommy.

"Moth?" asks Zoe.

Mommy lifts Zoe up so she can see the moth more closely.

"Ayun oh, moth. Buhay yan. Tingnan mo gumagalaw galaw pa yung antenna," Mommy says, while resisting the urge to actually touch and prod the moth, since Zoe might imitate her.

"Ahhhh. Mamaya patay Zoe yan!" Toink!

Zoe's Hongkong Trip

Some snapshots taken during Zoe's trip to Hongkong.

...sweet dreams are made of these....

Yes, we're probably crazy to bring a two-year old along. And yes, she probably won't remember any of these travels when she grows up. But right now, we remember. And we all had fun. That is what matters.

...who am I to disagree...

HK Disneyland and Two-Year-Olds

Question: What can 2-year olds do in Disneyland?
Answer:
a) Get in for free;
b) Sleep;
c) Get frightened by it all;
d) Enjoy it all;
e) All of the Above.

Yes, two year old Zoe was so tired from a morning stopover at Lantau Island's Big Buddha, that she fell asleep on her way to HK Disneyland. She missed the big parade, and woke up only when we transferred her to a rental stroller. She was frightened by the evening fireworks show (but she kept on taking a peek from her "hiding" spot), and by Mufasa's intense song numbers in the Lion King show, but enjoyed Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh. Donald even patted her head before he made his entrance to the Golden Mickey show. Cool!

Lantau Big Buddha, Cable Cars and Zoe

One Hong Kong morning, it was off to Ngong Ping 360 and a cable car ride to Lantau Island's Big Buddha.

It was a really long cable car ride which Zoe enjoyed. We went there on a Saturday, but there weren't that many people around. We didn't really hike all the way up to Big Buddha, so yes, officially I still haven't seen Big Buddha up close in clear weather. Basically just rode the cable car, watched an animated Monkey show, and bought a souvenir magnet. Had fun -- check! Can do activity with kids - check! Worth it!

With Kids? Here's Uncommon Advice

Travelling with a toddler, they say, is a nightmare.

Well I've travelled with Zoe, rode cars, jeepneys, tricycles, buses, planes, boats, and so far, so good. Zoe has a relatively happy disposition. Give her enough food, enough sleep, and she'll be relatively patient with all the things one goes through while travelling. She's a happy camper, and you just have to really tire her out so she'll be a happy sleeper too. Even at malls, she never threw a tantrum because she wanted something.

Until that last day in Hong Kong.

When we bought her a toy at the airport. And then she wanted to open that toy. Right this very moment. Now na! So there we were, lining up to get into immigration at the Hong Kong airport, and Zoe was bawling. BAWLING. Crying her heart out. No explanation from us could soothe her. She wanted that toy opened, now! We went through the security check area, towards the immigration area, and still she was crying. (We couldn't open the toy though, because the toy had several small and large parts that weren't play-able while walking). I was carrying Zoe that time, and I was seriously rethinking this plan to bring her along for a longer future trip.

So this advice I will share with parents -- Don't buy toys for your kids at the airport. If buying toys, make sure they can easily be played with while on the go. Explanations about patience don't really work too well with two-year olds.

We got home to Manila around 11pm. Zoe was still awake then. You know the first thing she did when she came home? She opened her toy.

Hmm. Some kids never forget.

Rainy Days and El Nido

August 29-31, 2009
El Nido, Palawan

• ITI promo airfare - 2K one way
  
• El Nido breakfast only promo - affordable for one person, worth crying over if multiplied by 4
  
• Seeing your 75-year old parents on kayaks, your 75-year old father snorkeling, and your two-year old daughter also on a kayak...priceless!

Zoe's 2nd Birthday

Domingo-Bautista Nuptials

August 8, 2009
Guiguinto, Bulacan

My cousin Rose's wedding to Bitoy, and Zoe's first time to be a flowergirl.

Note: Medyo magulo yung photo sequence, for some reason di ma-arrange ng maayos yung photos. Medyo mahirap i-rearrange isa isa eh. Maybe next time ma-re-arrange ko. :)

Congrats and Best wishes to Rose and Bitoy!

Zoe's 2nd Birthday - Una Fiesta!

Start:	Aug 16, '09 3:00p
End:	Aug 16, '09 5:00p
Location:	Detroit Street, Cubao, Quezon City

What: Zoe Turns Two!
When: August 16, 2009. Sunday. 3PM.
Where: [Map] [Google Map]




RSVP
Leave a message if you have questions!

Independence Weekend at Tagaytay

June 12-14, 2009
Tagaytay City, Philippines

Food trip weekend with the family. Medyo splurge sya. But enjoyable. :)

Overnight
We stayed overnight at One Tagaytay Place, a relatively new hotel managed by Genesis hotels (they also manage Astoria Plaza in Ortigas). It was relatively new and had mixed reviews on the web...yun nga lang mana ang dad ko sa akin and nagpapadala rin sya sa advertising. I think they were just had some advertisements in the travel section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer --- ayun, dun na kami nag-stay!

Cons:
Located on the other side of the ridge, so there really isn't a view. Breakfast buffet was so-so. The theme song of the hotel seemed to be "bulilit...bulilit, sanay sa masikip, kung kumilos, ang sikip sikip!". Halos lahat masikip -- restroom, lobby, dining area, the slope towards the basement parking. Even the infinity pool at the rooftop was narrow! Plus, they require a non-refundable deposit when you make your reservation, which really irritated me.

Pros:
The bed and the pillows were nice and fluffy, very conducive for sleeping in! Ang sarap matulog! The rooms were clean and modern. May flat screen TV. The rooms weren't initially impressive but it does grow on you. Both the one bedroom suite and the normal deluxe room had sofas. There was one hour free wifi (you had to get the username/password from the front desk). Over-all it was a relaxing stay, and though I'm not raring to go back, I wouldn't mind going staying there again either. Especially if it's free. :)

Food Trips
Ok, this is a trip Bok would love. In fact, I think this was a trip Bok did love. So, no I wasn't able to eat Greek food at Manos. No Bag of Beans, no Moon Garden, no Residence Inn Zoo, not much sightseeing around Tagaytay. It was basically...eat, sleep, eat, sleep. And then eat, sleep, eat sleep again =)

Verbena at Discovery Country Suites
We arrived around 1pm for lunch, and we were the only ones there. Food was yummy. From other blogs, the cheese fondue was highly recommended, but obviously I would not want to eat cheese fondue all by myself. (Bok doesn't like cheese much). My lamb ravioli smothered with blue cheese was delicious and filling. They served the wrong dessert, but the panna cotta they served was delicious as well.

***Budget: 500 to 1000 per person.

Fire Lake Grill
Located in the Cliffhouse area, where Cafe Breton and Buon Giorno are. Serves steak. Well that's all I remember. Hehe. Steak, salad, soup, grilled seafood. The parents and I shared a cowgirl steak. Bok had grilled salmon. Afterwards, dessert was at the next-door Cafe Breton.

Carlos' Pizza
Surprisingly good pizza with a great view of Taal Volcano. They have branches around the Metro as well. Nothing beats good food and a really nice spot with a view.

Antonio's
Barangay Neogan, Tagaytay
0918-8992866 (among other numbers)

O.M.G. Haha. Yes, this was really a splurge. It was my first time to eat at Antonio's, and all the praise it gets is well deserved. We had steak (again). The salad, soup, entree and dessert was delicious. I had warm flourless chocolate cake. Panalo! The house is impressive, there's a koi pond and a big garden. Really nice and romantic as well. Suitable for special family dinners or very special occasions. Chef Antonio also makes it a point to greet the guests, so you feel that this really is a special dining experience.

Getting there is a mini-adventure itself. Medyo malayo sya from the main road. The signs are easy to follow but it can get lonely driving up to Antonio's. If coming from the rotonda, turn right when you see the sign for Antonio's. After that, it's around 2km of narrow well-paved road. Just follow the signs. Antonio's will be at your left side.

Reservations are a must. Also, be sure to wear presentable clothes. Slippers, sandos and shorts are not allowed. Credit cards are accepted.

***Food budget: 1500-2000 per person. Worth it!

Zoe and Joward's Swimming Session

Zoe's swimming session with our neighbor Joward.

One Day at Max's

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Zoe's Day Out -- Tita Rei brought Zoe (and Nanay and Dessa and Ate Cely) along to Piolo Pascual's event at Max's Tomas Morato. I wanted her to have a picture with Piolo, hehe.

Well, it seems Zoe had lots of fun in the play area, na pagkatapos kumain eh nakatulog sya at muntik nang di makapag-picture with Piolo! Buti na lang mabait si Piolo at pumayag syang maistorbo sa kanyang lunch para mag-picture kasama ang isang baby na bagong gising.

Thanks Tita! Thanks Piolo! Thanks Max!

Bisita Iglesia and Easter with the Parents

April 10, 2009
Holy Thursday

Inscribe Tours organized a Bisita Iglesia tour through 7 churches in the Batangas-Quezon area. Apparently, this was a yearly activity for the said tour group. This year, there were 8 big bus loads of people. Zoe has got to be one of the youngest participants in this tour.

Here are some pictures from that tour. Photos taken mostly by Bok.

April 12, 2009
Easter Sunday

Spent some time at Eastwood mall with the grandparents.

Zoe's Mobile Photo Session

What to do on a 15 hour car trip to Bicol? Pose for the cameras!

Zoe's Island Life: Boracay 2009

Well, these are all mainly Zoe shots. =) I posted the ultimate frisbee action shots and the party shots at Facebook.

Laki na ni Zoe, especially if you compare this to her first Boracay outing. This time, she loves playing with sand already. Pag gising pa lang nya sa umaga, turo agad sa beach at gusto na mag swim! Gusto rin nyang tumambay lang sa beach. So far, she seems to love island life.

Boracay
March 20-23, 2009

Zoe at Manila Ocean Park

One day in January, had a little family outing to Manila Ocean Park.

In this album: the Concepcion family

Things I Love, by Zoe

Things I Love To Eat:

1. Mango Shake
2. Orange Juice
3. Grapes
4. Dried Mangoes
5. Kiat-Kiat (tiny orange-like fruits)
6. Ponkan
7. Spaghetti
8. Noodles, any kind
9. Pandesal
10. Fit N Right Four Season's Flavor

Things I Love to Do:

1. Dance (I even have a dance video! And I like to watch myself dance! Ask my dad!)
2. Shout (Dadaaa!!!!)
3. Go up and down the stairs
4. Drag my mom to the refrigerator
5. Run around the driveway and walk around the whole neighborhood
6. Play with my neighbor's Jollibee doll
7. Watch the Barney VCD my Tita gave me
8. Color my Barney and Dora coloring books
9. Thumb suck and rub my belly button
10. Swim and play with water
    

Things I Love to Say:

1. ATE!!!!!! -- at a very high-pitched shriek. This is from the juice TV commercial of the little boy looking for his robot shirt, which his ate wore
2. BRO!!!! -- this is from the TV show "May Bukas Pa" (yes, I may be watching too much TV. But what can I do?)
3. WIIIII!!!! WIIII!!!! -- well my dad loves to play Wii Tennis while I hold the remote and pretend I play too. Now I always drag my mom and tita to play Wii. Wiii! Wiii! 
4. DEDET!!!! -- first thing I say when I wake up. Milk! Milk! Milk! Feed me! =)
5. DADA! -- I used to call practically everyone "Dada". Now, I can also say:
6. MAMA!
   
7. DAMA! -- this is when I'm stressed out and crying and saying Mama and Dada at the same time. I get confused and say "Dama!" and "Mada", and all the grown ups laugh
8. WOWA -- lola. 
9. COOKIE
10. NO.
    

Avilon Zoo 2009

The road to Montalban via the Commonwealth Ave QC route is scenic. You wind through a zig-zaggy mountainside that reminds you of Antipolo with the view. You'll pass through part of the walls of La Mesa Dam, though part of the way, you'll get to smell the Payatas dumpsite as well. Nevertheless, I always thought the views here were underrated.

On the first day of the Chinese New Year, we decided to be impulsive and go on a tour of Avilon Zoo in Montalban. It was a Monday, and I reckon it wasn't really a good day to go on a tour of a zoo. For one thing, there weren't too many people. I think we were only 1 of 3 groups that were in the whole 7.5 hectare zoo. Another thing, some of the animals seemed to be on vacation as well. Rumor has it some of the animals were on loan at the Ark of Avilon Zoo near Tiendesitas, but we never really got to spoke to anyone in the zoo. It was a tad disappointing though, what with the missing animals, and the general messiness of the place. On a positive note, we did notice a lot of ongoing construction to make the place at par with foreign zoos, with fake safari-type enclosures and trees. Plus, Avilon really seems to be making headway with its Veterinary School, something I didn't notice when we first visited in 2005.

Maybe Monday was the general cleaning day for the zoo, and the first day of the Chinese New Year wasn't really a good time to visit a zoo. In any case, our first visit to Avilon way back 2005 was great. What with all the improvements going on right now, maybe when we visit again next time, it'll be better.

The kids had fun though. We even had some pictures taken with Trixie the Orangutan.
Avilon Zoo is located in Brgy San Isidro, Montalban (Rodriguez), Rizal. The place is a favorite for school field trips. You can visit their website for more information on how to get there. Entrance fee, without the guided tour, is 208 Pesos per head. Children over 1 will still pay the same amount. The zoo is usually open til 4pm.