Adidas Outlet Store at C5, Taguig: Is it Worth the Trip?

August 24, 2013



Adidas Outlet Store at C5, Taguig: Is it Worth the Trip?

I love my Adidas Supernova Glide 2. It has the perfect cushion for my feet. I haven't found any other running shoe that fits me so well, that made running or walking so comfortable. I survive day-long walking tours during our trips without feeling any foot pain. Thanks to the Adidas Supernova Glide.

I bought mine at 50% off (around 2500 pesos) last January 2012 at an Adidas Store at Ali Mall. I thought that was cheap so I've been looking for the same discount ever since. I didn't want to shell out 5000-6000 pesos for a shoe so I tried scouting for  a discounted Supernova Glide at the different Adidas stores I chanced upon. But I was unsuccessful. 

Then my husband brought me to this great Adidas outlet store at C5, Taguig. He's been telling me about it but I didn't think it was worth the trip to go all the way to C5, especially since I only frequent the Quezon City area which I felt was too far from this outlet store. But this time, I was with my husband when he made a side trip to this store before our dinner date. So I decided to browse around the store and look for my Supernova Glide.

Lo and behold, I found my Supernova Glide. It's not even an old Supernova Glide 2 like my old one but a newer version which is a Supernova Glide 4, released only last 2012. The price I got it is at 70% off or only at 1798.5 pesos (original price is 5995 pesos). 

For those who do not think it's' worth going all the way to C5 Taguig to visit, I disagree. With the possibility of getting large discounts for a wide selection of  relatively newer edition of Adidas shoes, it's worth the hassle and the traffic of going all the way to this store. The store is 2 floors, with the men's selection at the ground floor and the women's and kids' selections at the 2nd floor.

My receipt shows that I bought the Supernova Glide 4 at 1798.50 pesos only.


My brand new Supernova Glide 4 in the box showing its original price.


The latest edition Supernova Glide 5 in Singapore priced at SG $199.00 (or 6875 pesos)
 


My tip: 

If you know the exact model of the shoes you want, you can call before you go to find out if there's a size for you.

Adidas Outlet Store C-5 Taguig (at Petron Gas Station C5 northbound lane)
Address: Corner of C-5 and Diego Silang Avenue, Brgy Ususan, Taguig
Contact numbers: +632 8289296
Store Hours: 10:00 AM -10:00 PM Daily

How to get there:


View Larger Map

PAMPANGA: My Tips on How to Visit Betis Church (also known as the Sistine Chapel of the Philippines)

August 9, 2013

PAMPANGA: My Tips on How to Visit Betis Church 
(also known as the Sistine Chapel of the Philippines)

Betis is Church is officially called the Parish Church of St. James the Apostle. It is called Betis Church because is situated in the Betis area, one of the four sectoral areas of the town of Guagua in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. This church is famous for being the Sistine Chapel of the Philippines therefore worth the visit when you're visiting the province of Pampanga.

My Tips:

1. Know the Mass schedule.

REASON: The Church is not open when there's no Mass going on. You can approach the guard or anyone in the parish office to open the Church but to avoid the hassle of trying to find someone to open the church doors, better time your visit
Sunday Mass times is as follows: 6:00 AM, 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 5:00 PM
Call the Parish Office at  +6345 9000022 for more information.

2. If you want to make sure you can enter the Church even when there is no Mass going on, ask permission from the Heritage Chairman and the Parish priest by making a letter requesting permission to visit the Church and the Betis Museum. 

The request letter must state the following:
a. The date of visit
b. The number of persons visiting the Church
c.  Addressed to the Heritage Commission Chairman: Ms. Myrna Bituin, and the the Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. Reynaldo D. De la Cruz.
Then email the letter to jmbituin@yahoo.com.
LOCATION:


Parish Church of St. James the Apostle
Address: Betis, Guagua, Pampanga
Parish Office Contact Number: +6345 9000022
Directions: Go to the North Luzon Expressway, take the San Fernando Exit and go towards Jose Abad Santos Avenue, then turn left towards Bacolor Municipal Hall going straight until reaching Betis Gymnasium and Betis Church.

How to choose a Mobile WiFi Device for a Family of Six: A Mom's Review of the ZTE MF 65

August 3, 2013


How to choose a Mobile WiFi Device for a Family of Six: 
A Mom's Review of the ZTE MF 65


If you have four kids like I do who are heavy users of the Internet for school work, you'll understand what it means not to have Internet for the past 12 days. I subscribed to plan 1995 of PLDT's mydsl to get speeds of up to 3 mbps. But on July 22, exactly as Pnoy (President Aquino) was delivering his State of the Nation Address (SONA), our dsl line was cut off. PLDT explained that they're doing a nationwide speed enhancement. I complained that they should have warned their subscribers about it since they have previous knowledge that this will occur. It's not as if it's an emergency repair of some sort. As of this writing, our dsl line has not been restored.


Anyway, this is not about my PLDT complaint. It's finding an alternative to my dsl WiFi connection. As an emergency measure, I activated my broadband plug it stick but it requires my kids to take turns using it. With four kids who need to accomplish assignments and submit it online at edmodo.com and coordinate with classmates on Facebook for projects and group work, taking turns with the plug it is not feasible for long periods of time. So I found this great mobile WiFi device that suits our needs. If you're in a similar situation like us, this may be helpful to you.


So what did I look for in a mobile WiFi?

1. It should be unlocked. 
 

REASON: If the mobile WiFi device is unlocked, you can use any broadband SIM of any network operator and choose the one with the better signal at your location. Even when you're in a different country, you can use the device by simply inserting any local broadband SIM.

2. The range of the device signal should reach at least 3 rooms in the same floor.

REASON: In our case, the master's bedroom, girls' room and boy's room is located in the same floor. We all do our work in our bedrooms so at the very least, the mobile WiFi signal must reach all of us. I was thinking of purchasing a Smart Pocket WiFi when the ZTE was out-of-stock in the first computer shop I asked, but the salesman informed me that the signal's range is for one room only.
3. I should be able to connect at least 6 devices.

REASON: Since we're six in the family, we must be able to connect at least one of our devices. Most mobile WiFi devices I found online can only connect 5 device so I had to do more research to find a WiFi device that can connect more than 5 devices.
4. I should be able to charge it in the car, aside from a wall socket and a laptop.

REASON: Although my initial purpose for finding a mobile WiFi device is as a temporary alternative to my disconnected DSL, if it can be charged in a car, it will increase its mobility and use.

ZTE MF 65 FEATURES I LIKED

1. It is unlocked.

2.The WiFi signal of the device reaches 2 floors of the house: the 3 bedrooms on the 2nd floor, until the dining room and living room on the first floor.

3. The maximum number of devices you can connect is 10, and you can set the limits to lower than 10 by going into your device's IP address.

4. You can charge it in the car, the laptop and the wall socket because the cable included is a USB cable with a separate wall charger. To be able to charge it in the car, you have to buy a USB car charger.

5. The speed is fast enough for browsing. That's more of the broadband SIM issue than a device issue. The fastest I experienced is 3mbps in the mornings but the signal fluctuates. The lowest speed still allows reasonable browsing speed.


COMPLETE OFFICIAL SPECS (taken from villman.com)


Manufacturer : ZTE
Model : MF65
Unlocked : Fully unlocked. ready to use with global internet providers
Network Bands : 3G-4G HSPA+/HSUPA/HSDPA/UMTS (WCDMA) - Band IV 1700/1900/2100MHz
2G GSM / GPRS / EDGE - 850/900/1800/1900 MHz.
Wi-Fi Standards : 802.11b/802.11g/802.11n
Connectivity Interface : SIM-Card Slot
Data Speed : Download up to 21.6 Mbps, Upload up to 5.76 Mbps
Memory : Micro SD card slot up to 32GB.
Ports : Micro USB
Display : New screen with OLED Display.
Antenna : Internal Antenna. External antenna interface (antenna sold separately).
Security : Wi-Fi Security supported (see details below).
Battery : 1500mAh Li-ion battery. gives up to 100 hours standby
Dimensions : Size: 99.5 x 53.7 x 14mm Weight 75g.
Supported Systems : Windows XP (SP2 or later), Windows Vista, Windows 7/8, Mac OS (10.4 or later), Linux.


WHAT'S INCLUDED IN BOX
1 device
1 usb cable
1 usb wall socket
manual

WHERE I BOUGHT IT
Citylight Computer Shop, SM Marikina Cyberzone
Price: P2990, with free Smart Bro SIM with100 pesos load and 1 year ZTE warranty

UP DILIMAN: Chocolate Kiss Cafe at Night

July 18, 2013


UP DILIMAN: Chocolate Kiss Cafe at Night


There is this nice cafe at Bahay ng Alumni at UP Diliman, Quezon City, that serves home-cooked meals. It's frequented by students and professors by day. By accident, I visited it at night. I never thought it's a nice place to hang out at night. The ambience is totally different at night, with dim lights and a fantastic duo playing the violin and piano while you quietly dine and enjoy their home-cooked meals.

These are the things I enjoyed most when I dined there at night while waiting for my daughter to finish her meeting:

1. The reasonably priced meals that has a flavor of  a home-cooked meal. 

Below is the sample menu: 

I ordered the spaghetti carbonara


2. The music

I was surprised that there was music at night at the Chocolate Kiss Cafe at night. It can be a venue for a date night for people who want reasonably priced meals and a romantic ambiance . Below is a sample of the music that Royce and Gary played that Thursday night. I actually enjoyed it so I'm sharing it with you: 



Apparently, music is played every Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Below is the schedule I got from their website. Music is played from 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM at the Second Floor of the UP Kiss Cafe:

Tuesday:
Bong & Bobot
guitar duet










Thursday:
Gary & Royce
keyboards & violin










Saturday:
Rudy at the piano







Where it is  located



2nd Floor Magsaysay Avenue, Ang Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman, Quezon City 1101
(02) 433 9183 ‎ · thechocolatekiss.com


Other photos of the venue:
At the main entrance, where most cakes are displayed

The inner part of the cafe

The announcement at the front door as to who's playing tonight
Royce and Gary playing at the inner part of the cafe


Food Tripping at UP DILIMAN: The Dynamite at Vinzon's Hall

July 17, 2013


Food Tripping at UP DILIMAN: The Dynamite at Vinzon's Hall

What is the Dynamite?


The dynamite is green chili stuffed with cheese and few pieces of ground meat, wrapped in lumpia wrapper and fried. The green chili used is the chili used in sinigang and dinuguan, which Filipinos call siling mahaba (long sili) to differentiate it from siling labuyo (hot chili).




This is how they fry it.


The finished product with dipping sauce. 

What's inside: The green chili, the cheese and some ground meat


How much is the Dynamite

One serving of dynamite is 4 pieces for 24 pesos.

My verdict


I took a bite with the dipping sauce and it was a great combination of spice and creaminess. It's like eating spicy cheese sticks. And for 24 pesos, it's a very cheap and filling snack.

Where to buy the Dynamite

At the stall in front of Vinzon's Hall at UP Diliman. It's at the right side of the sloping road leading to the entrance of Vinzon's Hall


This is the stall. You can see at the extreme right is the College of Education building.
At the left side of this stall is the sloping road leading to Vinzon's Hall


A close-up of the stall and their food choices


View Vinzon's

SYDNEY: How to Choose Your Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour

July 11, 2013

SYDNEY: How to Choose Your Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour

Australia is known world-wide as a wine region. If you're visiting Sydney, Australia, the nearest wineries you can visit is located in Hunter Valley. Hunter Valley is around two hours drive from Sydney. 

I'm sharing with you what I discovered as I search for the right wine tasting tour for my husband who's visiting Sydney. You may have different tastes or preferences so I'm sharing with you the options I found so you can find the right wine tasting tour for you.

After looking at all the possible options for a wine tour in Hunter Valley, I realized there are three (3) styles of wine tasting tours that are currently available.

1. FIRST TOUR: Visit 5 different wineries in one day, taste 6-8 wines per winery, then go to a cheese shop and a chocolate shop.

2. SECOND TOUR: In the morning, visit an old and established winery (1850s era) in the Hunter Valley region, taste around 16 wines in said winery, visit the vineyards and see the wine-making process in a working wine cellar, then have in-depth wine tasting lessons with a wine expert. In the afternoon, visit a post 1960s winery, to taste 5 cool climate wines.

3. THIRD TOUR: A visit to the Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary to see kangaroos, wallaby's, emus and koalas, then wine tasting at 3 small boutique wineries, then visit a chocolate factory, cheese shop and local brewery.

If you have an idea what tour you wish to explore, below are more details to help you decide:


Hunter Valley Tours

FIRST TOUR by  Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tours


Price per person: $125 internet price

Price inclusive of: round-trip transfers from Sydney (listed hotel and non-hotel pick-up points), wine tasting, cheese tasting, chocolate tasting and gourmet style lunch at Hunter Resort, You cannot bring your own lunch.

Maximum Number of Guests per tour: 14

How many hours: 11 hours (4 hours round-trip travel from Sydney, 7 hours tour)

Itinerary:

MORNING: 6:30 AM pickup at listed hotel and non-hotel pick-up points, stop at a coffee shop for morning stop before Hunter Valley, wine tasting at 5 wineries (6-8 wines per winery), lunch at Hunter Resort

AFTERNOON: Visit a cheese shop and chocolate shop, then return to Sydney by 7:30 PM.

Traveler's reviewsTrip Advisor review link

Who should do this tour: People who would like to taste 30-40 wines from different wineries. They can't inform you beforehand the wineries they will visit because the tour guide decides what wineries to visit only on the day of the tour. Therefore, it will depend on what bus you are assigned to at the time of booking.




Wine Country Tours

SECOND TOUR by Wine Country Tours of Richard Everett


Price per person: $150 

Price inclusive of: round-trip transfers from Sydney (pick-up at your hotel or accomodation), morning coffee, tea and baked goods at Pepper's Guest House, all wine tastings. Lunch at your own expense.

Maximum Number of Guests per tour: 2-8 guests

How many hours: 9 hours (4 hours round-trip travel from Sydney, 5 hours wine tour and tasting)

Itinerary:

MORNING: 8:00 AM pickup at your hotel or accomodation, stop at a coffee shop for before going to Hunter Valley, wine tour and tasting lessons at Tyrell's (16 wines to taste), lunch.

AFTERNOON: Visit Hungerford Hills to taste 5 cool climate/high altitude wines. 5:30 PM return to Sydney

Traveler's reviewsTrip Advisor link

Traveler's blog showing how the tour was conducted: Hunter Valley with Wine Country Tours by Wine Monologues dated April 2013

Who should do this tour: Those who want an in-depth tour conducted by wine expert Richard Everett, which includes visiting and walking through the vineyards of Tyrell's, one of the oldest wineries in Hunter Valley, seeing the wine-making process at a working wine cellar, and having private sit-down wine tasting lessons conducted by a wine expert.  This  includes tasting 16 wines from Tyrells (1850s era winery) and 5 high altitude or cool climate wines from Hungerford Hills (post 1960s era winery).




THIRD TOUR by Kangarrific Tours


Price per person: $ 99

Price inclusive of: round-trip transfers from Sydney (pick-up is at designated locations), morning tea at Walkabout Wildlife Park, 3 wine tastings, cheese tastings. Lunch, chocolate tasting and beer tasting is at your own expense. You can bring your own lunch.

Maximum Number of Guests per tour: 13 guests

How many hours: 10 hours

Itinerary:

MORNING: 8:00 AM pick-up at designated locations, morning tea at Walkabout Park to meet kangaroos, wallaby's, koalas and emus. Visit Hunter Valley chocolate factory. Visit 2 wineries and a cheese shop. Lunch

AFTERNOON: Visit a 3rd winery and a brewery. 6 pm return to Sydney

Traveler's reviewsTrip Advisor link

Traveler's blog showing how the tour was conductedHunter Valley Wine Tour with Kangarrific Tours by Diary of a Yorkshire Expat

Who should do this tour: Best tour if you have kids with you. They allow kids 7 years old and above to join the tour. The price is the same as the adult price.

LAGUNA: Visit Calamba and Los Banos with Kids

May 20, 2013

LAGUNA: Visit Calamba and Los Banos with Kids


This is my itinerary for a day trip to Calamba to see the Rizal shrine followed by a trip to Los Banos to visit the University of the Philippines Los Banos campus.

This itinerary is best done on a Sunday because there's less traffic on a Sunday. The timing is important because it ensures you avoid traffic at Calamba exit and the SM Calamba intersersection.

This itinerary presumes you're using a private vehicle for this trip.

What you need to do prior to this trip:

1. Call the Rizal Shrine to book a guided tour with film showing.

Why call: The guided tour and film showing is not offered to walk-in visitors. The shrine do not employ regular tour guides. They request tour guides from the city hall who are actually students who are on-the-job training. So you need to request in advance for this service. 
To see the film, they also need a technician on hand to operate the equipment. They also turn on the air-con in the audio-visual room in advance if they know what time you're arriving. 
Contact Nos.: (+63)(049) 834 1599

2. Call Max Restaurant, Monte Vista Resort to reserve tables for lunch with your group.

Why make advance reservation: Since this restaurant is situated beside a resort, I presume it's always full on a Sunday. So to make sure you have a table when you arrive, make a table reservation. If you're going to be late in arriving, call to inform them that you're on the way so they continue to hold the reservation. 
Why this location: This restaurant is along the National Highway between Calamba and Los Banos. If you're going to Los Banos, this restaurant is near the boundary of Calamba and Los Banos, and therefore along the route of your destination from the Rizal Shrine, which is Los Banos.
Why this restaurant: This restaurant gave fast and very good service to our group of 19 people. After a tiring and warm stay at the Rizal shrine, we arrived with a private room already reserved for our group. Within 10 minutes of giving our order, the food was served to us. The quality of food was consistent with our expectations. Other amenities of this restaurant worth mentioning: cool air-conditioning  and very fast free WiFi. 

3. Call Lety's buko pie to reserve buko pies for your group.  

Why reserve buko pie: If you're going to Los Banos in the afternoon, the buko pie tends to run out. So to be safe, reserve buko pie in advance to ensure you have buko pies set aside for your group.
Contact Person at Lety's Lopez Avenue: Josephine Siapo (+63)(929-7255070)

MY ITINERARY

7:30 AM:
Leave Quezon City area

My tip: By leaving early, you avoid traffic at the Calamba exit and the SM Calamba crossing, which is the intersection of JP Rizal Street and the National Highway

9:00 AM:
Arrival at Rizal Shrine

My tip: Make sure to go to the Rizal shrine in the morning to avoid heavy traffic in this area on Sunday afternoons. This is the tip I got from the museum personnel of the Rizal shrine.
Opening hours of the Rizal shrine: Tues - Sun: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Contact numbers: (+63)(049) 834 1599
Address: J.P Rizal corner Mercado Street 
How to go to the Rizal shrine: The entrance of the Rizal shrine is along JP Rizal street. The property is located at the corner of J.P. Rizal and Mercado Street. It's across the St. John the Baptist Church.
You need to go there through Burgos street and make a left turn at Mercado Street then a left turn at J.P. Rizal street because Burgos and J.P. Rizal streets are one-way.




Alternative Route if there's traffic at the Calamba exit and SM Calamba crossing: Make sure to turn right at the San Vicente Ferrer Road along Real Road after the Calamba exit.



10:00 AM - 11:00 AM:
Mass at St. John  the Baptist Church

Why see the Church: This is a century-old church where Jose Rizal was baptized.
For mass schedules: http://www.mass-schedules.com/catholic-church/748/saint-john-the-baptist-parish.html

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM:
Guided tour and film showing at Rizal shrine

12:30 PM - 2:00 PM: 
Lunch at Max Restaurant, Monte Vista Resort


Location:


2:30 PM - 4:00 PM:
Visit Lety's Buko Pie along Lopez Avenue, across 711






4:00 PM - 5:30 PM:
Travel from Los Banos to Manila

Where to pass to avoid traffic at the junction of Lopex Avenue and the National Highway: Take the Jamboree Road and go out the National Highway where the Los Banos municipal hall is located.




How much you should budget for this trip:

Gas: around 20-30 liters of gas, or P800 to P1200

Toll: from C5 to Calamba exit: P218 per way, or P436 roundtrip

Meals: P150-250 per person depending on what you will get at Max Restaurant

Pasalubong and souvenirs (optional): The price of Letty's buko pie is P160. We bought books, shirts and ref magnets that amounted to almost 1000 pesos.

Tips for guides (optional)

Tips for waiter (optional)

Donation to Rizal shrine (optional)

Map of the Itinerary



 A    Rizal shrine (birthplace and residence of Jose Rizal) 
 B    Max Restaurant, Monte Vista Resort 
 C    Lety's Buko Pie 
 D    UP Los Banos