PREGGO IN A PONCHO

At 26 weeks' pregnant, my belly would no longer fit into my old winter jackets and coats.  I tried each one of them on but was unsuccessful in buttoning or zipping them all the way down - only the top button would close. It's not cheap to buy winter apparels especially a warm and fashionable jacket or coat, not to mention that I have more than enough of them, so it wasn't really my plan at all to buy one anytime soon - pregnant or not.  When I told Vince about it, he said we can just buy a new jacket for me, but the idea of spending money on a winter jacket that will fit me through pregnancy didn't sound too appealing to me, because I was thinking that I'm not going to be able to use it anymore post pregnancy.  Thanks however to my friend, Tin, who brilliantly suggested that I buy a poncho instead of a jacket, that way I can still wear it even after I give birth.  Since we're now living down South where winter is not as bad as when we were up North, a poncho is sufficient to keep me and my belly warm!  So, when we went Black Friday shopping last week, I didn't hesitate on buying the first poncho I laid my eyes upon.

Gray cotton/polyester/acrylic knitted poncho by Calvin Klein

It was a good thing that Calvin Klein had pretty sweet deals last Black Friday.  This poncho was originally priced at about $100 at the outlet store, but I got it at a discounted price of about $40.  I also bought a wool coat which was originally tagged at $260 but when the cashier rang it, it came down to only about $118.  I'm really happy with my Calvin Klein Black Friday purchases... if only every day could be a Black Friday.  Hehe!

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For a sneak peek of what's inside my closet, please visit:

WEDNESDAY APPAREL

And nope, they're not for sale ☺

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PLANNING YOUR TRIP ON THE P&O ORIANA

If you have your sights set firmly on a quality cruise getaway in the coming months then there are plenty of options out there for you but a trip on the P&O Oriana has to be up there with the very best. One point worth noting from the outset though is that the remarkably sleek and luxurious vessel only admits adults and so families with children will need to look elsewhere for their next adventure. The good news though if you're planning to travel perhaps as a couple or as a group of friends is that there are some excellent offers being made on tours aboard the Oriana in the coming months.

Prices on even the most amazing packages like those covering several weeks during December are less expensive than you might imagine and there surely can't be many finer ways to spend Christmas than to be cruising around the Eastern Mediterranean. But if you have other plans for the festive period then what better way to start the new year than with a trip on the Oriana that sets off from Southampton and takes in a string of awesome locations in the Eastern Atlantic from the Canaries to Casablanca before heading back to the UK.

There are tours of the Caribbean available as well in the early part of 2013 if you are committed to landing yourself a real once-in-a lifetime cruise holiday experience. It can be wonderful to plan a cruise well in advance and to give yourself something really special to look forward to but the best way to grab yourself a heavily discounted package offer is to book at virtually the last minute. There are last minute cruises on the likes of the Oriana being made available on a weekly basis and by taking advantage of them you could end up saving some really worthwhile sums.

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY 2012

When Vince and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary last year, well... we almost never got to celebrate it.  There was a heavy snow storm in Pennsylvania (first of that year), so the last minute, we cancelled our hotel reservation in Maryland.  Our plan was to drive early that day to Baltimore, which apparently was not affected by the snow storm then.  We waited for the snow storm to subside and when it did around 6:00 in the evening, we thought driving conditions would be better by then and so we went ahead with our plans.  Two hours and a half or so, we got there in Baltimore, and good for us, the hotel we booked and cancelled still had rooms available to accommodate us.  We had a late night dinner at the most popular Spanish restaurant in the area, and did a Segway tour around Baltimore the following day.

So, last week, we yet again celebrated our wedding anniversary.  This time, it was frankenstorm Sandy who created some sort of a havoc over the east coast.  If we were still living in Pennsylvania, I'm pretty sure, our second anniversary would have been a lot similar to the first one -- we either were rained in or snowed in stuck at home, but thank God since we had already moved here down south in Georgia, we were spared of Sandy's whips and twists.

Anyway, we had a wonderful anniversary celebration this year.  Our place here in Georgia is so close to Florida, we're just three hours away from Disney World -- yes, where the magic begins! ;)  We went to Disney in early 2010, but since then, we never had the chance to visit again, not until last week.  It brought us back sweet, fun and romantic memories of our first trip there ♥  Disney was actually Vince and mine's first major getaway together when we were still sweethearts trying the long distance shot, so I really couldn't help but feel a flutter in my heart to once again see those familiar roads and places (ehem, outlet malls, hehe!) we've been to before ♥

Moving forward...  at the hotel, I encountered problems with very slow Internet connection, which made me really stressed out (I was working remotely during our stay), but I'm glad that it didn't totally ruin our three-night four-day celebration in Orlando.  The first in our reservations was Oscar's Restaurant at Waldorf Astoria, but unfortunately, we were both sleepy and too tired to wake up early to make it on time for a 7:30 breakfast, hence we didn't go.  We tried to do it on the third day of our stay but the jurassickly slow Internet was really getting into my nerves (I was pulling my hair at my wits end!), we decided to just do the breakfast when we visit again in the future.

Despite the Internet fiasco, like I said, our celebration was immensely wonderful.  On our second night, we had a delightful and filling dinner at an Indian restaurant.  I was so full from all the naan, biryani and lamb rogan josh I ate that I suffered a tummy ache afterwards and I passed out in bed that night.  Haha!  On the day of our anniversary, we also received a great news from our lawyer regarding our status here in the States.  We finally received the much awaited approval of Vince's working visa, and that means he could start work ASAP!  Such a lovely anniversary gift to us ♥ The third night, we went to this very popular, fancy African restaurant located in Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge, and is called, JIKO.  Vince and I indulged on sumptuous meals (which made me feel like I was a judge on a Food Network show like Iron Chef or Chopped) including duck confit flatbread, seared duck and guinea hen.

The highlight of our celebration was when we watched La Nouba - Cirque du Soleil.  After dinner at JIKO, we drove to Downtown Disney where the Cirque du Soleil tent was located.  We had front and center tickets which made it more exciting and interesting.  We were seated so close to the stage!  All the performers were great -- from the clowns to the singers, to the dancers, to the tight rope walkers, to the jugglers, to the cyclists, to the trapeze flyers, to the trampoline artists -- all of them!  I thought I'd go into premature labor when the trapeze artists went flying on air.  LOL.  What else can I say?  It was simply a spectacular show worth watching ☻

Taking photos/videos is strictly prohibited during the show, so the only pictures we have were taken outside.

Clown Alley

Diabolos, Power Track/Trampoline, Clowns

"La Nouba is a spectacle more visceral than intellectual.  An 11-year-old boy in the audience seemed to sense as much.  As the crowd filed out of the auditorium at the end of the show, his father asked him how he liekd it.  'My throat hurts,' he answered.  'Why?' asked the father.  'I think, I forgot to breath,' said the boy." -- The Orlando Sentinel

I'd like to take this chance to thank God for allowing Vince and I to celebrate another year of our marriage.  I pray that our love for each other as husband and wife continue to grow each day, and may we remain forever faithful to God and with each other.  Cheers to more wedding anniversaries, Vince!  I love you very much ♥

DISCOUNT CLOTHING ONLINE AT 599 FASHION

A penny saved is a penny earned so they say.  For us who cannot resist shopping but are frugal or at least trying to be one, lucky us, 599 Fashion online store offers a variety of discount clothing and other items including jewelry, shoes, beauty products, and bags -- everything for $5.99 or less!

Yes, you read that right, $5.99 or less.  Fashion 599 sells cheap clothing that are fashionable, attractive, boutique-style, and of good quality.  They even carry plus sizes, men's clothes, and kids and junior apparels -- again for only $5.99 or less.  Wouldn't you be glad to be able to afford great looking clothes at such affordable price?  Considering that everything is $5.99 or less at Fashion 599, you could just imagine how easy it would be to fill your wardrobe with lovely tops, pretty dresses, trendy skirts, and other apparels.  Now, that's what I call shopping galore!

Visit Fashion 599's website and subscribe by email to receive coupons and discounts on top of their very cheap $5.99 or less prices.  Like them on Facebook to get updates whenever new items are added.  Merchandise is limited and sells out fast, so hurry, check out Fashion 599 now, and if you find something you fancy, wait no more, grab 'em before someone else does ;)

Round neck open shoulder striped top - $5.99

Strapless short striped dress with decorative lace front tie - $5.99

Strapless flower patch decorative short layered dress - $5.99

Thanks Fashion 599 for the opportunity to review your merchandise!   I love all the items I bought and received from your store, and I can't wait to wear them all!  You can definitely add me to your regular customers from now on ☻

PS:  By the way, I'm 23 weeks' pregnant when photos above were taken ;)

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For a sneak peek of what's inside my closet, please visit:

WEDNESDAY APPAREL

And nope, they're not for sale ☺

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ROBIN AND QUEEN BEE FOR A NIGHT

One of Vince's colleagues, Dr. Jay and his Filipina wife, Ms. Adeline, organized a party for us which was held at their home last night.  The reason behind the party was to introduce us to the Filipino community, and let the townsmen know as well that there are a couple of new doctors for Cook Medical Centre, one of them being Vince.  The date of the party was originally set for a couple of weeks earlier, but since Vince and I thought we were going to New Orleans then, it was moved to yesterday, and the hosts decided to make it a costume party also. 

Before dinner time, the men had a little fun with skeet shooting and football action on TV while the ladies prepare the food -- except of course for me, who lazily stayed at our home, vegetated, and rested.  Hehe!  Anyway, come dinner, Vince picked me up and off to the party we went ☻

Spandex and leather won't work with my 5-month belly anymore, so I dressed as a Queen Bee, and it worked! 

Robin (Vince) posed with an inked biker (Dr. M) and a Rastafarian (Dr. M's son)

The other new doctor, Dr. H, and her family.  Dr. H.'s young daughter sew Dr. H.'s costume -- from scratch.  Cool!

Dr. J's son as Gumby.

Lady Zorro!

Vince and I don't celebrate Halloween, hence, we chose costumes that were nondescript for Halloween.  Besides, as I mentioned above, the party was not intended to celebrate Halloween, but to introduce us to the community.  While there were guests who came dressed as witches, scarecrow, monster and she devils, there were also who were dressed as a hula lady, princess, race car driver, retro, football player, and non-Halloween-likes.  Vince and I definitely liked our colorful costumes a lot that when the party was over, we had a short photo session at home, before changing into our jammies and hanging Robin and Queen Bee inside the closet ;)

Don't we make a lovely pair? ♥

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For a sneak peek of what's inside my closet, please visit:

WEDNESDAY APPAREL

And nope, they're not for sale ☺

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VINCE'S BIRTHDAY 2012

It was Vince's birthday a few days ago.  We celebrated his birthday over hearty dinner and laughs at The Catch and Oyster Bar in Albany, GA, with our dear friends, Tin and Erwin.  Our friends just came back from a quick trip to New Orleans, Louisiana, which Vince and I were supposed to have also gone with.  Unfortunately, due to conflicts in schedule, we weren't able to join them, and so our dinner conversations were filled with stories on how their trip went, and making plans for future trips together to New Orleans, Atlanta, Florida, and anywhere we could think of.  Hehe!

My friendship with Tin and Erwin dates back in 1995.

After dinner, we headed to Tin and Erwin's home to spend the night, but little did we know that we'd be staying there until the following night.  The following day was like an extension of Vince's birthday.  Tin prepared a wonderful bacon and omelet breakfast for us, and during lunch, we all feasted on shrimps and crabs that they brought home from New Orleans.  The pregnant, crab-deprived me didn't back down.  I cut my thumb while cracking open my fourth crab.  Yes, I conquered cracking and eating four meaty crabs, and I don't think I've ever eaten that much crabs in the past!  Vince has sensitivity to seafood, so he took a dose of Benadryl for prophylaxis, and was really wary on eating them.  Shortly after lunch, Benadryl knocked Vince down, so he slept until about 6:30 p.m. just in time when I finished working, and a couple of hours or so then, we were on our way back to Adel.

Mardi Gras masks from New Orleans.

Well, honestly, I felt terribly guilty for my inadequacy of not making any plans ahead to celebrate Vince's special day :(  Going to Albany was more of a last minute decision, i.e., biglaang lakad na natuloy.  Vince has always been big on surprising me on my birthdays, showering me with luxurious gifts, fancy dining, arranging reservations, and ensuring that we celebrate my birthday in a special way, no matter what.  On the contrary, I put little effort on planning for his birthday :(  Even the gift that I bought online with expedited shipping didn't make it on time for his birthday, and was only delivered the day after :(  I'm sincerely thankful to our friends in Albany who graced us with their time to celebrate with us and made Vince's birthday a happening.  I'm disappointed at myself for not being the thoughtful wife I should be, but I resolve to be better and make it up with him, not only on his birthdays but in our every day life together.

Vince, you've been a very good husband and friend to me, and I know that you will be the best father for our children as well.  I am so blessed that God chose me to be your helpmeet in life, and I pray that He bring many more years to you, and that He will always take care of you, bless you, and keep you.  I love you very much.

You don't need a suit or cape to be a superhero.  You already are to me! ♥

REVEAL-THE-GENDER PARTY

SPOILER ALERT:  If you're one of our few friends, relatives and loved ones who do not wish to know my bun's gender until it comes out of the oven, then STOP right now, don't scroll down further, and close your browser or tab.  I really didn't want this to sound too showbiz, but yeah, I'm compelled to give out this warning for the sake of those who want it to be a surprise ☻

I had my 19-week OB check-up on the first week of October.  Vince and I were both excited for that appointment because I was also scheduled for my second ultrasound that time.  Some of our relatives and even my previous OB in Pennsylvania kind of dissuaded us into finding out the baby's gender before birth especially that it's our first child.  I understand that some expectant parents prefer not to foreknow the baby's gender for the element of surprise and anticipation, however, Vince and I prefer otherwise.  We feel that the thrill and excitement is going to be there regardless, so might as well know beforehand and spare ourselves from guessing and shopping the wrong color of baby clothes and items ;)

Coincidentally, a couple of days before my scheduled check-up, while surfing the Internet, I came across this very cool idea of "cutting the cake" and "gender reveal" party.  Coincidentally again, about a week before my check-up, we had pre-planned to hold a potluck at home with a couple of close friends the day after my appointment.  Talking about hitting two birds with one stone, we called for an instant reveal-the-gender potluck.  Hehe!

Basically, what Vince and I did during my OB appointment is that we told the sonologist that we'd like to know the baby's gender but we asked her not to disclose it to us but write it on a piece of paper instead.  We briefly told her about our plan of holding a reveal-the-gender party, and the sonologist was quick to catch on.  When it was time to check the baby's gender, she turned off the huge monitor and even asked Vince to turn his head away from the screen.  When all was done, she gave us three sealed envelopes:  1) "Guess" envelop which contained the snapshot of the baby's gender but without the definite answer; 2) "Answer" envelop which contained the snapshot of the baby's gender and with definite answer; and 3) "Baker" envelop which is similar to the "answer" envelope.

When we got home after the appointment, I called a local bake shop last minute before they closed.  I was glad that they agreed to bake a "gender cake" for us on short notice!  I explained that I really wouldn't mind if it's just a regular cake as long as there's something inside the cake such as a cake topper or a toy or even a regular icing that would indicate the baby's gender (pink for girl and blue for boy) when we cut the cake.  Vince then drove to the bake shop and gave the baker the sealed "baker" envelop.  I had texted my friends coming over for the potluck to wear blue or pink depending on their guess of the baby's gender.  Vince and I were excited to find out our baby's gender but we both had the patience and self-control to wait and hold off in opening the envelop until the following day.

So the day after my appointment, here's what happened on our REVEAL-THE-GENDER party:

Team Girl - KM and Erwin
Team Boy - Vince and Tin

Fiesta for Four plus One
Beef stroganoff, Pork sinigang, Laing, Bacon-wrapped asparagus, Green mangoes with bagoong, Jackfruit, and Chocolate caramel cake

This was originally a plain cake.  I whipped a batch of buttercream icing and quickly decorated the cake before the potluck.  The flowers were toppers I made back in my Wilton cake decorating lesson days.

The envelopes that contained the ultrasound snapshots.  We took turns in guessing the baby's gender based on the snapshot.  The sonologist typed, "It's a little...."

After we all saw the "guess" ultrasound snapshot, we pretty much knew what the gender is.  I cut the cake to confirm the answer.  While Vince looked anxious in anticipation of what icing color we'd see inside, I  was in denial and wishful thinking and praying that the cake would reveal otherwise.  Haha!

Here's how I looked like after seeing the icing inside ...  Noooooooo!!!! LOL.

And obviously Vince was overjoyed!

BLUE!

Undeniable!

Team Boy wins!  Better luck next time, Team Girl ;)

Happiness! ♥♥♥

So that's how we found out that we're having a baby boy ☻  I was glad and thankful that we had a couple of dear friends to celebrate such precious moment with us.  Truly memorable! ♥   Honestly, I had so much fun on my gender reveal party, I couldn't wait to do another one.  I hope it's for a baby girl next time.  LOL!

If you're an expectant parent and is okay with the idea of knowing your baby's gender pre-birth, I suggest you do a gender reveal party ;) It's definitely a much awesome way of finding out your baby's gender than having the sonologist tell you right there and then in the ultrasound room.  As well, this party is not only fun for the ladies but for the guys as well especially for the expectant father.  You could get more participation from friends and loved ones just by simply having them wear at the party which team they're on - BLUE or PINK.  You can find other more cool gender reveal party ideas in the Internet ;)

JUST ANOTHER UPDATE

Needless to say, (yet here I am saying it anyway) my blog has been quiet for quite a while (again for the nth time).  Well, a lot of grown-up things have been keeping me preoccupied recently, and with that I meant my job, pregnancy, relocating and all-in-between.  Despite the here and there glitches that Vince and I have been encountering with transition and adjustment, everything has been good by God's grace.

So where do I begin with this yet again another comeback?  Hmmm...

One of my fridge magnets

GEORGIA.  About three weeks or so ago, we bid adieu to Pennsylvania and said hello to Georgia.  It was a tedious move for us.  We had to stay in two different hotels for more than a week while waiting for our household goods and car to be delivered from PA to GA.  Previously, we rented a single bedroom apartment in PA, but since we took upon ourselves to broaden our horizon and embark on a bigger journey which included starting a family, we decided it's best to rent a house rather than an apartment.  There were only two available houses for lease in the area, and we've chosen a very spacious four-bedroom, three-bathroom (Jacuzzi in master bathroom -- sweet!), two-car garage house to be our new abode here in GA.  But of course, a house is totally different than an apartment, hence, we're still in the process of getting ourselves settled in and acquainted with all the what-is and what's-not including security alarm, insurance, furniture, appliances, etc.  It's pretty exciting and interesting since this is our first time to rent a house, and we're sort of getting the "training" we need for when we eventually decide to buy and own a/this house, Lord willing! ;)

WORK.  What a wonderful blessing it is to have a job (much more to be able to do it from home or anywhere powered by Internet for that matter), and so, I have no right whatsoever to complain.  Honestly, there are times when my work makes me sing, "Are you a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare..."  I do appreciate deep down in my heart the perks of being able to telecommute, but my goodness, I'm telling you, working from home does not provide me immunity from stress brought on by my job.  My husband can definitely attest to that.  Hehe!  BUT, as always, I'm thankful to God that He has blessed me with this job, and it has been a testament of His faithfulness in our lives, especially during this time that we're waiting for our H-1b/H4 visa to be approved, and Vince has not started on his new work yet.  I'm really saddened by the numerous layoffs recently at my work, and that makes me more grateful to be still part of the company.  So, whether my job is being a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare, "Either way, I don't wanna wake up from..." ☻

PREGNANCY.  I thought the nausea, vomiting and all my first trimester challenges would never come to end, but thank God, I'm over them!  It was a great relief when I finally was able to tolerate the usual foods I ate prior to pregnancy.  Second trimester has its own quirks too like this ache in my left hip down the butt and upper thigh aggravated by movement and shifting positions, and also, uncontrollable growing belly accompanied with occasional cramps.  Right on my 20th week, I started feeling tiny baby movements like small ripples or waves inside my tummy ♥  I also had another ultrasound about a couple of weeks ago, and the second one was much more exciting than the first ultrasound.  Besides the fact that our baby has obviously grown bigger and body parts were more recognizable in the second scan, we found out the gender!  Okay, so this is where I cut this short.  How Vince and I found out the gender of our first baby was an important milestone for us, and so I like to write a separate blog post for that.  If we're friends in Facebook, you most likely know already whether I'm having a girl or boy, but I do hope that you still join me in my next post as I reveal my baby's gender to cyberworld.  I promise to try my best to make the revelation as fun and exciting as it was for us when we first found out, so please stay tuned!

...and yes, I haven't forgotten that I still need to complete my Hawaii vacation series here in my blog ☻

POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER

Continuing on day 3 of my Hawaii trip...

The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) is a theme park/museum which celebrates the culture and tradition of the Polynesian triangle featuring the islands of Hawaii, Samoa, Aotaeroa (New Zealand), Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga and Marquesas.  In this park, one gets to experience authentic villages and mingle with natives of the featured islands.  Aside from learning a lot of things about the Polynesian culture first hand from natives, there are so many activities to do such as learning how to throw a spear, how to husk a coconut, how to make fire, how to cook the Polynesian way, how to dance the hula, get free tattoos, etc., so it can really get exhausting but at the end of it, the trip is definitely worth it.

Our PCC tour started with a buffet lunch which served authentic Hawaiian delicacies including poi and kahlua pig.  We then walked around the park, stopping on villages to watch shows and participate on activities such as spear throwing and basket weaving.  We also had a guided canoe tour around the park which allowed us to catch an overview of all the villages.  After that, we watched the canoe pageant which again showcased the featured islands and various performances from the natives while riding a canoe going around the park.  Every island has their own unique tradition and culture, but my favorite is Samoa because I loved the natives' sense of humor and fun-loving nature.  I envied the Tahitian ladies the most because, wow, if only I could learn how to sway and bounce my hips in a Tahitian dance, man, that would be sweet!  I fancied the gracefulness of the Hawaiian hula dancers as well as the easy-on-the-ears Hawaiian music.

Samoan guy

Canoe ride

Spear throwing challenge

Basket weaving lesson

Canoe pageant show

Canoe pageant show

The pregnant me was beyond tired, nauseated and winded at the end of our day trip, and to think, we didn't even get to see all the shows.  If you think I had enough by then, of course not!  Our PCC experience did not stop there but continued on until about 11:00 p.m...  which I will tell more about in a separate blog post.  Sorry to keep you hanging, guys!  Thank you for taking time to read ;)  Stay tuned for more of my Hawaii vacation.  Until then, ciao! ☻

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You can read more of my travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

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HONG KONG TRIP

Not mine, but my mother's and my cousin's. Hehe!

I have yet to complete writing about my Hawaii vacation, but I wanted to take a break from that -- not that I didn't have enough hiatus in blogging already -- and take this chance to share my mother and cousin's first out of the country trip.

Traveling was not something I or my family grew up doing.  Every year, my family would go on outings but nothing big of a trip, mostly just going to resorts in Laguna or visiting relatives in Pampanga and Ilocos.  One time, in the summer (my birthday) of 1993, we went to Leyte -- I really enjoyed that because of the ocean -- but that was the first and last time we traveled that far within the Philippines.  Having said that, my first out of the country travel was obviously when I left in 2005 for good, and it wasn't until I met my then-boyfriend-now-husband, Vince, that I started exploring the world ♥

Recently, Vince and I had to send my mother on a trip to Hong Kong.  Sending our parents to trips have always been part of our plan since we got married, but my mother's trip was rather unexpected.  For valid reasons I will not divulge at the moment -- don't worry nothing fishy or suspicious here -- it was just imperative that my mother travel outside the Philippines PRONTO!

And how did my pretty little cousin, Kate, get involved here you may ask?  Well, the travel agent advised us that it's better for my mother to have a travel companion rather than going solo.  Apparently, solo travelers raise a red flag in the Philippines border.  I was told that it had happened at times that a solo traveler would be "off loaded" from the flight - meaning not even allowed to board on the plane simply because of the tendency that one might not return to the country (mag TNT *tago ng tago*).  It's unfortunate that no one in my immediate family could travel ASAP with my mother because none of them has a passport -- I told you we didn't grow up traveling -- and fortunate for my dear cousin, Kate, that she has a passport.  So, I guess you can all conclude what happened and how she ended up traveling to Hong Kong with my mother.  Lucky girl!  Anyway, Kate always has been like our little sister, and me, my sibs and her are really close, and since she also recently passed her nursing board exam and graduated cum laude, Vince and I thought that she well deserved a"gift" from us ☻

So, originally it was a Hong Kong/Shenzhen trip, but what do you know, true enough, 5 of the 12 travelers in my mother and Kate's group went TNT.  One was off-loaded and four went missing in action when they arrived in Hong Kong.  Tsk tsk.  The travel guide did not allow my mother and Kate to go to Shenzhen anymore -- I'm assuming because of the bad impression of the TNT-ers in their group -- so the twosome stayed in Hong Kong.  My mother got a little rattled with her first-time experience with the border officers on top of the fact that her supposedly travel mates went MIA, and then she told me she also was "babysitting" Kate throughout the trip, but it sounded like she enjoyed it albeit.  After we heard her whole story and how she was "traumatized" from her border experience, I teased her that I'm willing to send her to another trip if she likes... uhmmm, Singapore maybe, to which she replied with a laugh.  Hehe!

Anyweiz, what's a trip without pictures?  Is there such?  So, without further ado, allow me to share some pictures from my mother and cousin Kate's Hong Kong trip.

The face that launched Papaleng's ship!

This pic made me smile because MamaRose is a big fan of Jet Li :)

...and of course, Bruce Lee!

MamaRose seemed to have enjoyed this "happy" place a lot ;)

MamaRose was quite disappointed because she said they only had few Disney character photo opps.  

Well, MamaRose, hopefully, God willing, we can take you to Walt Disney World one day, and there you can take all the pics you wish with any Disney character you want ;)

Okay, that's it for now.  I'll be back to continue on day 3 of my Hawaii vacation ... and all my whatever ☻ Ciao!

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You can read my travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

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