Meeting Jeff Kinney at the Dubai Lit Fest

The past weekend kicked off the 11th Annual Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, and fortunately, my family and I had the chance to attend one of the sessions at the InterContinental Hotel Dubai Festival City. Even though it was already sold out, one of my good friends managed to give us tickets for Jeff Kinney’s session. Yup, he’s the famous author behind the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. I didn’t tell my daughters where we going that evening because I wanted it to be a surprise. It was only when we were standing and waiting in the queue to enter the hall when they finally asked why we were there and I told them. Caila loves the Wimpy Kid books and Jeff Kinney is her favourite author, so you can guess she was ecstatic with my news. She actually had to ask me twice if she would really get to see the bestselling author.

How to Get Travel Insurance for People Visiting UAE

Back in November last year, my siblings and I made a sudden decision for Mama to have a 3-month vacation in Dubai. We applied for her visit visa through a travel agency, received it on the fifth working day, and proceeded to buy her ticket online.

Since we were running out of time, we didn’t go to the Philippine Consulate to get an Affidavit of Support & Guarantee anymore. Why? For one thing, Mama is already a senior citizen. For another, my sister would be travelling with her; she could answer any questions if they asked why she didn’t have an Affidavit. We weren’t sure if it was needed, but we just took the chance and hoped that the authorities at NAIA wouldn’t request for the document. Luckily, they passed through Immigration uneventfully and Mama happily boarded the plane.

Lapita Hotel Staycation, Legoland, and Motiongate at Dubai Parks & Resorts

Back in August, a friend mentioned that their company was offering a summer deal for stays in Lapita Hotel. For a very budget-friendly price, the package included half-board (buffet dinner and breakfast) and tickets to Dubai Parks and Resorts Legoland, Legoland Water Park, Bollywood, and Motiongate for 2 days. Since the only plans we had for Sophie’s birthday was for her to celebrate it at school, Hubby and I decided to take advantage of the deal and book our family, my sister, and her son for a night’s stay on the last weekend of September.

Anniversary Staycation at Grand Hyatt Dubai

Since we had already tried the food at Andiamo! and Peppercrab, and our girls told us during Grand Hyatt Dubai's Christmas tree lighting that they wanted to spend a night there, the 5-star luxury hotel located at the edge of Dubai Creek was a good choice for our anniversary staycation this year.   So taking advantage of their corporate rates and summer promotion, I booked our family for an overnight stay last weekend.

Arriving at 11am on Friday, we were promptly taken cared of by the valet, bellboy, and reception.  Now even though we've visited the hotel a number of times already, the lobby of Grand Hyatt Dubai always impresses me.  It's just so...grand!

Grease the Musical

Back when we were kids in Papua New Guinea, whenever my siblings and I had the chance to borrow VHS tapes from our friends or the neighbourhood video rental shop, my sister and I almost always chose the movies with lots of singing and dancing. I guess it was because Papa was musically-inclined so he somehow influenced our preferences in movies. Some of our favorites until now are The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Grease. I remember we enjoyed watching those movies over and over again, singing along when the characters sang, and not caring if we were out of tune ☺

Mama's 75th Birthday (Part 4): Her Actual Birthday

Before anything else...HAPPY 76TH BIRTHDAY, MAMA! You're the best mother we could have ever asked for and we will always be thankful for the blessing that is you. We love you sobra, too much, super, to the max!

This post is already long overdue (one year, to be exact), so I had to blog about it today...otherwise I'd never hear the end of it from my family. So, here goes...

Mama’s 75th Birthday (Part 3): Desert Safari

Wanting our guests to experience Dubai as much as they could during their brief visit, my sister and I decided to take them on a desert safari the day before Mama’s actual birthday. After all, it’s one of Dubai’s famous activities to do when in town, right? Since they weren’t fussy and our group was a big one (11 adults + 1 kid), we availed of Yalla Banana’s Dhs55 per person deal online and called the company to schedule our group once we received the vouchers via e-mail.

Weekend Staycation at InterContinental Dubai Marina's Penthouse

"What's your plan for Caila's birthday?" my sister asked me back in January.  I replied that we weren't going to have any big celebration this year.  All my eldest wanted was to give goody bags to her friends and classmates in school and for me to take her to Dubai Mall and buy her a gift, followed by dinner with the rest of the family...just like what we did when she and Sophie each turned 3 years old. 

Well, my sister had other plans.  Remembering how extremely happy her niece was when she surprised her on her 6th birthday, Ate Ning made arrangements for all of us to spend the weekend before my daughter's actual birthday at InterContinental Dubai Marina. 

Downtown Slide and More at the Burj Plaza

Bored at staying home almost everyday last week (because our nanny is in the Philippines for vacation and it's my turn to be the stay-at-home mom until she returns), I begged Hubby to take me and the girls out last Friday.  Although we needed to buy some groceries, I didn't want to just visit the mall and go to the supermarket; I wanted a change of scenery.

Fortunately, Caila remembered seeing a giant slide at Downtown Dubai when we passed by the area a week before and asked if we could go there.  I agreed, and we convinced Hubby that that would be the place we would go to that afternoon.

No Christmas Tree? Attend Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies!

Oh hi there! How have you been? If you've been wondering why this space has been quiet for some time, well...I had been planning to update it early this month, but then things got busy (like it always does during this time of the year), and before I knew it, we're just few days away before Christmas.

Ahh, Christmas! Isn't this season just great? Busy, yes, but still great, right?  Practically everybody loves this holiday.  And to get into the festive feel, and since we didn't put up a tree this year (don't ask because I have no explanation), our family attended Christmas tree lighting ceremonies almost every night during the first week of December.

Mama's 75th Birthday (Part 2): Family Dinner & Dubai Mall

After everyone had gotten enough sleep after the early morning surprise, we all sat down for a hearty late breakfast/early lunch.  Since they haven't tasted Mama's cooking for a long time, our guests from Canada made a special request for her to cook her delicious igado.  As Mama and I walked to the nearby supermarket earlier to buy the ingredients she needed, she kept asking me all sorts of questions as to how we had planned everything, and how thankful and happy she was that all her children and their families were finally all together with her.

You can expect she was really teary-eyed while I was doing my best not to get too emotional (Syempre, nasa supermarket kami eh. Nakakahiya!).  Even when we arrived at home and while enjoying our delicious meal lovingly cooked by Mama, we could see her just looking at us smiling as if she still couldn't believe her eyes.  She said she felt like she was simply floating with happiness and joy.

#GPinCanada: Goodbyes and Going Back to Dubai

Finally, here’s the last part of our 2015 Canada trip. To be honest, I (sort of) intentionally delayed blogging about it because (1) I wanted to continue reminiscing about the great times we had in the North, and (2) I wanted to post about it exactly 1 year after it happened. Why? No reason, actually. Anniversary kunyari. Trip lang ☺

So anyway, the one thing I haven’t blogged about during our vacation is, of course, our last day…when we had to say our goodbyes and fly back to the other side of the world :(

#GPinCanada: Cousins Bonding

Whenever they were together, the four cousins would bond together every chance they could get.

There was one afternoon when Elaine and Nicole showed our girls how to make Oreo balls dipped in chocolate. The young ones had a fun time getting their hands dirty while molding the balls!

#GPinCanada: McArthur Glen Designer Outlet, Tim Horton's, and Montana's

Aaaccckkk! It’s already June and there’s still so many things I haven’t blogged about! Well, I guess I better get started then, huh? So let’s begin with one of my pending posts about our Canada trip, shall we?

The day after our family day, Hubby and I took the four girls (2 nieces and 2 daughters) to McArthur Glen Designer Outlet which is located near Vancouver Airport. It was a pretty long drive and our nieces didn’t know the way, but thanks to Kuya’s GPS, Hubby managed to take us all the way there and back despite the heavy traffic.

Mama's 75th Birthday (Part 1): Complete Family

And I’m finally blogging again! Hurray! ☺

I know I owe so many stories from January (plus the pending kwento of the rest of our Canada trip), but first I want to share Mama’s 75th birthday week. Why? Because even though there were so many great things that happened during the past 4 months, this was simply the best. And you’ll find out why later.

It all actually started last year a few months after Mama turned 74. My siblings and I wanted to do something special for her next birthday, and since she’s never had a grand birthday celebration her whole life, we started planning for a bongga kind of party…you know, like a debut. But we wanted it to be a surprise because if she knew about it, for sure she’d say things like “Hindi na kailangan!” (There’s no need) or “Sayang ang pera!” (It would be a waste of money). So we started looking around the internet for ideas, caterers, venues, and other suppliers.

#GPinCanada: St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and Maru Sushi Japanese Restaurant

Since we didn’t have the chance to attend mass on our first Sunday in Canada, we made sure that on the following Sunday, we would visit one of the local churches. So on the morning of the 26th of July, while my brother and his family left to attend their church, we borrowed his other car and headed to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church which is just near Fraser Highway.

The pews were full (although not as full as what we’re used to at St. Mary’s Catholic Church), but we noticed that most of them were from the older generations. And unlike in Dubai, the voices of the congregation weren’t as loud when singing the hymns. No biggie, though. That’s just something I noticed.

I can’t remember the priest’s name, but we enjoyed listening to his Homily. One of the messages he shared that struck me was this:

Lunch at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse on our Family Day

It’s our family day today! And when I thought back to what we did last month to celebrate it, I also noticed that it’s been a while since I shared one of our dining experiences. So, here goes…

A few months earlier, I received a gift certificate from Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, which also served as their invitation to try out their dishes. What better way to use it than on our family day, right? And that’s what we did on the 27th of December last year.

Glimpses of My December

The last month of the year is always the fastest, in my opinion, and December 2015 was no exception. There were so many things to do, and so many parties to attend and prepare for, that the month just whizzed by. And before I knew it, we were welcoming the new year with anticipation of more exciting times ahead. The week of December 5th to the 12th was the busiest because every day, I had somewhere to go.

Anyway, I’ll photoblog a bit ok, so you won’t get bored with details ☺

Seasons Greetings!

Making Radisson Blu Memories on Al Mansour Dhow

Back in 2006, Mama and Gabe were in town for a visit when my sister treated all of us to a dhow cruise on the Al Mansour Dhow. It was my first time on a traditional Arabian boat and all I remember was enjoying the experience all throughout. Fast forward 9 years later, I received an invitation to an exciting dinner on board the newly renovated dhow. And since it’s been a long time since Ate Ning and I went out just the two of us, I tagged her along because…well, it just made sense.

Walking along the creekside of Baniyas Street, you can’t miss Radisson Blu’s famous dhow. She was docked right across the hotel, brightly lit to welcome everyone who boarded.