Gallivanting in Universal Studios (Singapore Day 1)

Singapore never fails to surprise me. Since my last visit to this beautiful city about two years ago, a lot has been added for the ardent tourist that frequent their streets. And one such addition is the Universal Studios Singapore of Resorts World Sentosa.

Like little kids - me, my sister and my mom trooped over to Universal Studios on our first day at the Lion city... talk about being young at heart! :) We purchased our tickets online just to skip the queue that will surely greet us on site. And also since we've heard that tickets are sold for a specific day, and might not be available at the gate when you visit if you haven't reserved in advance. --that's one tip for you dear reader in case you do visit Universal Studios Singapore. :)

The moment we alighted from the Sentosa Express, we got so excited we didn't know which attraction to try first. The movie theme park as we noticed is divided into seven major attractions:

• Hollywood Boulevard
• New York
• Sci-Fi City
• Ancient Egypt - my fave :)
• Lost World
• Far-far Away and
• Madagascar

 The Hollywood Boulevard and New York seem to be one and the same, like being transported into a street in NY or the movie capital of the world. Most of the souvenir shops which we love are located here like the specialty shop selling Betty Boop items

or the souvenir shop with miniature and lifesize Oscar trophies for sale! Sigh.. wishing I had a picture taken holding one of these trophies! --mental note to do next time. :)

Sci-Fi City houses the  Battlestar Galactica, an adrenaline pumping roller coaster ride which literally NOT for the faint hearted (ahhm like me :). It is the tallest pair of rollercoaster in the world with corkscrew spins and near collisions and..and...stuff that I am not really qualified to say since I didn't experience it first hand unlike my sister who was brave enough to tackle the ride by herself! ---Yep she lined up for it all by herself since I chickened out the last minute.hehe.

Another piece of advice for first timers: ride the RED roller coaster if you don't want any of the near death experience of mega inverted loops! It is way milder than the blue counterpart trust me. :) I took the photos.. hehe.

Ancient Egypt is one of my favorites. Maybe due to the fact that it is a good spot for photo ops. If you have time, be sure to take the "Revenge of the Mummy" ride since it propels eager guests to sharp turns and fast reverses, experience an infestation of scarab beetles and get the scare of your life from robotic warrior mummies! The only catch is, you have to rent a locker since bags of any kind are not allowed in the ride. Or invite your mom to come with you so she can watch your things for you.. hehe. :)

The souvenir shop though is quite pricey so the only thing I bought here is... not this pharoah like statue but a small Anubis topped ballpen  which already cost me..S$30 imagine that! :)

The Lost World is where Jurassic Park and Waterworld is located. But since we were not fans of dinosaurs or being wet in waterworld, we decided to pass this attraction.

Far-Far Away is the palace abode of Shrek and Princess Fiona. Sort of like a Disney castle, I'm so sure my little girl would've loved to go here. I'll make sure to take her here next time! (after i find a sponsor for our trip --calling daddy!) We were even fortunate enough to have our pic taken with Shrek and Princess Fiona!

Lastly, there's Madagascar. An attraction that kids will surely enjoy. I had the time of my life posing in every corner where I can find King Julien and the witty Penguins of Madagascar.. they are after all my little girl's favorite.

For a day at the Universal Studios, be prepared to shell out S$66  for a one day non-peak pass or S$72 for a one day peak pass. Check out their website here for online ticket purchases. Non-peak days are usually week days  and Peak days are usually during the weekends, during summer or school breaks and during the holidays.

To get to Resorts World Sentosa, you can take the Sentosa Express, with tickets (S$3 round trip) being sold at Vivo City Shopping Mall Level 3. Alight at Waterfront Station and voila!  Enjoy! -- we did! :)

Strolling the Streets of Singapore by Mr. OSG

Singapore is one of our favorite cities.
It is rich in history dating back to its colonial days and the contemporary buzz of a lively and booming metropolis. What you will see here are some of the pictures taken by Mr. Omar S. Gallinero.
Some taken during the Mid-Autumn Festival, some taken during the F1 season.

The Merlion Park 

Singapore's landmark, every tourist's stop-over.

You haven't been to Singapore if you skip a trip to the park.

As you stroll along Chinatown during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is like Christmas in August. Brightly lit lanterns adorn the streets..and mooncakes are sold around every corner.

A lone man sits on a trike on the way to Clarke Quay MRT, behind are a row of condo units,

Singapore's high rise living...

The race tracks at night, with the Singapore Flyer at the background.

The Fullerton Hotel taken from Marina Bay...part of the glamour of Old Singapura.

Below is the Old Parliament House

The oldest surviving structure in Singapore.

Watch out for more blogs on Singapore...

Paraiso Verde Resort & Water Park - Making Waves in the South

I just came back from the mega-grand opening of Paraiso Verde Resort and Water Park over at Koronadal, South Cotabato. Though we missed the ribbon cutting ceremonies graced by a number of note-worthy guests, there is still a number of activities lined up for the day including a variety show at the Park Performing Arena. I’ve seen a number of Gensan’s celebrities and local bigwigs in the event. The grand opening party is slated to last till midnight with a festive fireworks show to cap the day.

I never seem to stop feeling proud that a recreational resort of this caliber will be opened in Southern Mindanao. It is surely poised to be the next top family oriented recreational tourist destination in the entire SOCCSKSARGEN area.

Going around the park, we were impressed with the world class facilities they have that will surely meet the approval of even the most discriminate guests. The resort features four different types of swimming pools , namely: the Moby Wave Pool, Adventura River Rapids, Wiggles Kiddies Pool and the Freestyle Swim Pool . We were told that the resort utilizes state of the art water filtration systems providing utmost sanitary conditions for guests. So you can be assured that the water in their pools are clean . But then of course, water in the pool is not meant for drinking so refrain your kids from swallowing gallons of water by getting them a life vest which you can get from the resort’s Courtesy Counters, free of charge. –Yep, you heard me right, free of charge. But some tubes are available for rent at a very minimal cost.

My favorite pool of the four is of course the Moby Wave Pool. It mimics the waves in the ocean without the sting of saltwater in your eyes whenever the water hits you in the face. Yey! I am sure this pool will be enjoyed by my little girl who has a habit of shouting “My eyes!!” whenever we swim in the beach since saltwater stings her eyes every time. The pool floor is also a plus since it is concrete –hep, don’t worry it is painted with a specially made rubberized paint ordered from Singapore as we were told so you don’t accidentally slip and bruise your head.:)

The Adventura River Rapids is a water tubing experience which takes you to an adrenaline pumping ride around a 185m river loop. Tubes for this ride are available near the side of the Moby Wave Pool.

The Wiggles Kiddies Pool is the kind of pool I’m so positive every little kid would love to wade in. Just be prepared to bribe your kids when it is time to go home. This is one pool haven that kids would love to swim in even if their hands and feet are already wrinkly like raisins. They have little buckets of water , slides and shower fountains to tickle the fancy of kids. What I also like about this pool is the canopy that shades kids so they don’t go home crisp and brown due to sunburns even if they spend the day swimming. Life vests for kids are likewise available for guests and a good idea for the little ones.

Lastly, the Freestyle Pool… a no frills swimming pool for the Michael Phelps wannabes. It is also under an awning of colored roofing so you don’t have to use papaya soap after a few serious laps of swimming.

Food and Beverage can be purchased inside the resort at the Aqua Café, managed by Cinco Ninas Filipino Cuisine. The food is reasonably priced but not compromising the overall taste –which is really yummy by the way.

Entrance fees are slated at P250 for the general admissions and P180 for children 2-4ft tall. Kids that are below 2 ft can enter the park for free. For an entire day’s stay there, you can rent an open type Cabana for P600 and an air-conditioned cabana for P1200. They also have tents which you can rent for P200-400. 

For inquiries or reservations, you can call them at (083) 228 1988

To get there:

From Gen Santos City:

• Drive northwards towards Polomolok and Koronadal.

• After passing through the Koronadal Rotunda, towards Tacurong, about a kilometer away to your right is a Shell Station.

• Behind the Shell Station is the entrance to Paraiso Verde Resort and Water Park.

From Tacurong City and Kidapawan:

• Drive south towards Koronadal.

• As you enter Koronadal, before you reach the city center, there is a Shell Station on your left.

• Paraiso Verde Resort and Water Park is at the back of the station.

Gala Bakeshop...making the finest bread in town

Gala Bakeshop (unbeknownst to all) has been making bread for more than 30 years. It started as a small store selling a few buns of bread in the 1980s by a teacher cum housewife (Ms. Marita S. Gallinero) to help augment their dying tailoring business.

 
Gala (pronounced originally as gey-LAH) got its name from the gala uniforms worn by the PMA cadets.  It was aptly named, since Gala Enterprises started as a tailoring business. It evolved as a bakery, refreshment and general merchandise store  in 1981.

Today, Gala Bakeshop is known for good quality breads and pastries. The leader in utilizing advanced methods in bread making, Gala Bakeshop also prides itself as one of the cleanest bakeries in the entire SOCSARGEN area - that's according to the Dept. of Health locally auditing their bakeries annually.

Gala Bakeshop produces the yummiest fare in the bread-making business. Its very own "Gala Blend®" which is patented and is being ordered direct from a manufacturing firm in Manila ensures the consistency of taste for all of its breads and pastries. So you can be assured that the ensaymada you love will still taste the same in any of its branch bakeries in Polomolok or in Gensan.

 
Let me give you a brief intro of some of my personal favorites: 

The Cheese Roll - a soft bun with soft edam cheese filling rolled in Gala's signature sweet dough, topped with a brush of butter and sugar. It is one of Gala Bakeshop's best sellers. It flies off the display rack freshly baked as quickly as you can say supercalifrajilisticexpialidocious! :)

The Regular Ensaymada -  sure you wonder what sets this lowly ensaymada apart from the numerous counterparts sold all around, well... this one has the same sweet dough made from Gala Blend® and a surprise filling of oozing sweetened monggo or ube. The special ensaymada is softer than its regular variety comparable to the soft ensaymadas sold in big malls in the metropolis. I even have friends in Manila who still request that I bring the regular ensaymada as pasalubongs every time I go home. 

The Fruity Muffins -  muffins is a cross between a bread and a cake. With that in mind, Gala Bakeshop's fruity muffin is basically more a cake-like type of muffin. This lip-smacking muffin is topped with glazed fruits and nuts. It has a longer shelf life compared to other pastries.  And it's taste improves the longer it sits on the shelf' (well, not that it usually happens), but it kinda reminds me of a fruit cake wherein the longer you wait to eat it, the yummier it gets. Perfect for baons for school kids.

The Spanish bread - although also categorized as a normal everyday bread, Gala Bakeshop's twist lies in the streusel type of filling combined with the sweet tangy taste of pineapples. Once you taste it, you will never look at the ordinary spanish bread the same way again! :)

The Cream Bread/ Diet Bread -  another signature bread of Gala Bakeshop, it prides itself with one of the softest (bubble free) and tastiest "tasty" or cream bread. It is so soft that even your kids would love to eat it without any filling or palaman. My little girl can totally vouch for that! And those who are diabetic can still enjoy their "Diet Bread" since it is made with less sugar and very low in GI. 

There is still a lot of delectable fare that is worth mentioning like the Chocolate-mint cookies I am so fond of or the Biscocho like toasted bread, along with their signature cakes sold at reasonably low prices compared to its counterparts but not compromising the taste and over all look. 

Butterfly Bread

But... it might take too much of your time reading, so for the meantime, I suggest that you head on over to Gala Bakeshop and try them out for yourselves! Find out for yourselves if this blogger is kidding when I say that Gala Bakeshop makes one of the finest breads in town! - or in the region!

 Gala Bakeshop's main branch is located right in front of Dolefil's employee entrance over at Asuncion Village, Cannery Site and two satellite branches in the Polomolok - Poblacion area...  one at Zennia St and one at Miranda St.. 

Gala Bakeshop now has three branches in General Santos city:

• at Block 8, Dadiangas Heights 
• another at corner Pendatun and Santol Sts. 
• newly opened branch at Mabuhay Road

Come visit and taste our breads to see for yourself what this blogger is raving about. :) 

A-Montana Resort - an A Class Resort!

A-Montana Resort (previously known as Isla Parilya) is a charming cove-like resort situated in Brgy. Ladol, Alabel, Sarangani Province. The resort is surrounded by a huge fishing pen which gives its visitors a sense of isolation, of quiet relaxation and peace. It is perfect for tourists who crave for a hushed respite amidst a busy life in the city.

Its facilities are newly improved and includes among others a kidney shaped swimming pool with a man-made waterfall. A perfect hit for families with kids. The swimming pool area is also a perfect venue for garden weddings and celebrations of other occasions.

While the kids are swimming, the daddies can while away their time and enjoy fishing around the resort. Fishing gear and bait are provided by the resort for a minimal fee.

The rooms in the resort remind me of Dos Palmas in Palawan, only miniature in context. The rooms are situated in concrete stilts above the water, with a boardwalk connecting everything to the main hall or the front desk. 

They also have a restaurant, the Formosa Café serving most Filipino dishes as well as an assortment of seafood at a reasonable rates. Guests need not bring food and drinks inside the resort. The Blue Emperor Bar also serves liquor and a variety of drinks.

They also have a big banquet and conference facility for corporate or company events which  is aptly named Sarangani Cove. Room rates start at P1,800 for the standard matrimonial or twin, P2,500 for a suite room, P3,500 for a family room, and P4,500 for the family deluxe room inside Sarangani Cove. For big groups, they have the Double Deck Room at P7,000 and Dorm Type Room at P4,000. All rooms are air-conditioned with TV, hot and cold shower and are all Wi-Fi ready. 

For further inquiries, you may contact them through their email: amontanaresort@pldtdsl.net or through any of these numbers: 083-826-6699/ 553-8553/ 553-0220/ 553-0110/ 301-333

Cinematica Gensan by Parc Cruz and Ku Manahan

PARC acronym for his real name Philip Anthonie Reyes Cruz is known in the photography universe as one of the best especially indefying conventions in photography. A digital artist and lensman, his talent stems from having a deep passion for the arts, a true artist to say the least. His creative juices just keeps on flowing, producing photos that take our breath away - literally.

KU (Indra) MANAHAN, another celebrated photographer, whose passion for photography is infectious continue to give us photos that are worthy of gracing magazine covers. He started his career in photography by shooting concerts, band profiles and singers doing press photos, website photos and album inserts for a variety of local musicians.

Together these two guys gave Gensan "Cinematica" a workshop that tackles lighting, photography and the most extensive post processing techniques  inspired by the movies. Well in this case, having models from the Cosplay organization in Gensan, Anime characters were a major part of the photo shoot which happened on the first day of the workshop. The second day of the workshop is spent on post processing techniques.

Parc and Ku not only shared their talents in photography, but they also made the workshop fun and entertaining with their wittiness, cracking jokes that made the attendees howling with laughter (well me included :). As well us leaving a wealth of information for the attendees, taking their photography into a whole new level. 

Cinematica Gensan was held at the A-Montana Resort at Alabel, Sarangani Province. 

A Taste of The Good Life... only at Pearl Farm Beach Resort

Tucked in the Island Garden City of Samal and Malipano Island is a picturesque resort that will surely take  your usual R&R to a higher level. What I am talking about of course is none other than Pearl Farm Beach Resort. The resort sits on a scenic part of the island of what used to be a south-sea pearl cultivation area. 

Before reaching the main resort, first timers will be in awe of the magnificent native interiors used in the hotel as they are ushered in the posh Pearl Farm Beach Resort’s Davao Marina. This is the drop off point to and from the resort where guests will board the boat on a 45 minute ride. The Davao Marina in itself is a hotel where rooms and accommodation plus a few of the luxuries of the resort are made available for overnight  guests who wish to stay in the city. Also very convenient for guests of the resort who still need to catch an early plane to another destination since they can opt to stay there for a night after their sojourn at the beach resort.

Upon arrival at the beach resort, guests are welcomed by Maranao music along with the gracious staff handing out fruit juices at the Parola Bar. The Parola Bar transforms as entertainment center at night, where guests can enjoy different draft concoctions while enjoying the view of the sea and the sunset.

My favorite part of the resort is the Maranao infinity pool, a well photographed sort of landmark of the resort.  The Mandaya pool on the other side of the resort is also another good attraction of the resort (not to mention near the Mandaya house where we stayed) which has a sort of Jacuzzi pool and a mini waterfall cascading to the main pool. The only setback is, the pool is only open from 9AM to 5PM. It might have been a terrific idea to be able to enjoy swimming  at the pool since we are mighty scared to swim in the beach at night. For guests with kids in tow (who don’t enjoy movie nights) it might’ve been an added plus for them to go night swimming at the pool. Hoping they extend the usage of the pool until 8-9PM at the least.

Apart from that minor glitch in swimming pool hours, the resort exudes luxury. It has 70 well-appointed rooms, executive suites, cottages on stilts perched on the sea, and exclusive villas scattered in the resort. The interiors are mostly inspired by the rich Mindanaoan tribe’s cultures with mainly bamboo and wood used to decorate the entire resort.

For us, we stayed at the Mandaya house facing the ocean which offers a relaxing view of the sea and the resort and very close to the Mandaya pool.

What I love about it is the big king sized poster bed hung with billowy clouds of mosquito netting. Perfect for honeymooners or a small family of three like us.

Inside the main bedroom is a huge dressing area complete with toiletries and a pocket garden at the back with an outside shower! How good is that? :) My little girl can’t even contain her excitement on whether to try the outside showers or raid the well-stocked mini bar first. But of course I had to remind her that the mini-bar was stocked not for us to devour as we please since we have to keep in mind that everything in it was there to be added on top of our bill and she’s gonna have to turn over her piggy bank to mommy should she consume all the candies in the ref. :)

During our stay at the resort, we were treated to a fire dance which earned a lot of screams as well as delight from the guests (including me and my daughter :) ) while we had dinner al fresco at the beach. 

The food of course is also worth mentioning as it was a truly delightful experience dining at the resort, with gastronomic feasts well-prepared by their superb chefs. We enjoyed the buffet banquets whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner as there are always an array of mouth-watering  dishes and a wide assortment of cuisine to choose from. Our hats off to the chefs of the resort for always coming up with glorious fare.  A good culinary experience for us altogether. 

Another good point worth mentioning is the courteousness of the staff. Whenever we pass by a staff, they never fail to greet us with a smile. Our needs were always met, towels always available, our room always clean. Even from the start when we booked our stay, we were assisted by their gracious Reservations Officers.  I always believe that the secret to a successful resort or hotel is in its staff.  They are the ones who make the resort a home away from home. 

So with a heavy heart, we leave the resort with a mental note to return once again once our schedules and pockets allow us to. We absolutely love Pearl Farm Beach Resort, a  resort that makes us Mindanaoans proud to have within our shores. 

Tips for tourists:  Since the resort is a AAA class resort, be prepared to shell out about US$150++ (to as high as US$680++ for a villa) and above for an overnight stay. Local tourists can avail of their promo packages which are way cheaper than the rack rates by more than half. You can view their existing promos and packages here. For a taste of the resort experience, you can book a day tour for only Php1,750/pax which includes round trip boat transfers to and from the Davao Marina, and 1 lunch. 

For reservations:  Davao Sales Office: G/F Alflocor Corporate Center, Damosa Bldg., Lanang Davao City;  Tel No:  (63 82) 235-0876, 234-0601 Fax No: 235-0873

Getting There:

By plane: From Manila, three (3) major airlines fly daily which takes approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. From Cebu, two (2) major airlines fly daily which takes approximately 50 minutes. (If you are coming from Gensan, Davao to Gensan takes about 2 hours 30 minutes’ drive) 

By Boat: Two (2) shipping lines have regular trips to Davao from various points of the country 

From the Davao International Airport, guests will be transported to Pearl Farm Beach Resort’s Davao Marina – where guests will board the boat which takes about 45 minutes to Samal Island where the resort is located. There are four (4) trips to and from Pearl Farm daily.

REGULAR BOAT TRANSFERS SCHEDULE (Sccheduled to change w/o prior notice)

From Davao Marina ( Lizada Road) to Pearl Farm Beach Resort:

8:00 am / 1:30 pm / 4:00 pm / 6:00 pm

From Pearl Farm to Davao Marina ( Lizada Road):

  6:45 am / 10:00am / 1:00 pm / 4:00 pm 

**NOTE: **The COMMENTS FORM is found below the last comment. Pls scroll your mouse, sometimes it just disappears since my background is black.. looking for someone to help me fix it. Sorry for the inconvenience dear readers. :)

Casabella...a home away from home

As it name implies, Casabella is a ladies dormitel located right in the heart of downtown Davao. It is one of the few of its type that has very good facilities, clean and very much worth your money.

They have rooms for single occupancy if you are in Davao alone to attend a meeting or a workshop for a few days just like I did when I was there,  and rooms for sharing if you intend to stay there for a month or a year.

I love that each room has its own toilet and bath, a table for your things and a closet if you intend to stay longer. I only stayed there for three days and yet there were towels, clean linen and a few toiletries already laid out for a meager P500/day rate in a single bed room. :)

It is conveniently located near Davao Doctors Hospital and the Tower Inn . There is a nearby chicken house and lots of small restos so you don't have to worry about food. There is also a convenience store downstairs if you need to buy water and other personal effects you might have forgotten to pack.  But what I like the best is that there is a "Fagioli"coffee shop right downstairs as well. So I get to enjoy a cup of my favorite coffee while blogging. :) 

For inquiries, you may visit their office at E. Quirino Ave corner Gen. Luna St, Davao City, or call them at 082.301.5439, Mobile: 0917.702.4838 Email: ivy ‘@’ davaodorm.com

or visit their website here.

**All pictures are from their website at http://davaodorm.com/tour/ ..It was so unfortunate for me to have left my camera at home during my entire stay there :(

Effigy - A Definite Success!

Just this weekend, Mr. Omar Gallinero (aka Mr. OSG in this blog :), had an advance birthday celebration by giving back to his fellow photography hobbyists a little of what he learned in this art. The portraiture workshop dubbed as "Effigy" was a resounding success with the number of interested hobbyists all vying for the coveted slots. But it was only to the first fifteen participants who settled the measly workshop fee at Montage who were given priority. I just realized how popular Mr. OSG have become since we had to turn down a number of interested participants even during d-day! :D

Effigy was held at Lagare (yes as in "saw) resort in General Santos city. The participants had a wonderful time spending the morning shooting the versatile model Ms. Ghen Mutia, currently the Ms. Gensan pageant titlist.  HMUA (hair and make-up artist) and stylist was..ahhmm..yours truly :)

Mr. OSG started the workshop with a brief lecture before the participants had the chance to shoot Ms. Mutia around the resort. The afternoon was spent with a comprehensive lecture and discussions on Mr. OSG's basic portraiture workflow.

Lunch and free flowing coffee was served during the entire workshop. And from my point of view, considering the participant's output photos, they learned a lot from Mr. OSG. I was even a little scared looking at the future competition we may have in these participants :) Great job guys!

To our resident photographer, a happy happy birthday and continue shooting great portraits!

To view the participant's output photos, please click here. For information on future workshops of GCC - Gensan Camera Club or Mr. OSG, please "like" their Facebook pages here.