I never thought I would ever find myself one day standing in front of Gaisano Grand Mall in Lapu-Lapu City engulfed in awe.{Handel's Hallelujah Chorus gloriously plays in my mental soundtrack}.

The sight of Jollibee made my daughter scream while running to hug the popular fiber glass statue. I belted out orgasmic "ooohs and ahhhhs" gazing at products and brands that were only available in the cities, under the luxurious confines of air conditioned (yes air-conditioned!) supermarket aisles. My husband could not resist treating himself to a Belgian Waffle. 

A plane ride later, we weaved our way through the urban jungle of Manila. I suffered an indigestion one evening from stuffing my face with a gigantic burger from Zark's, something that I was craving a lot when I was back in Santa Fe. To sum it up, our family had a bit of a frenzy after missing the urban comforts that we were used to.

One perfect bed weather morning, our family took the scooter around the island of Bantayan to keep our toddler from feeling bored. The light drizzle did not deter us. Fully equipped with packable raincoats in our small backpack, we drove along the main highway of Santa Fe.  Just before the Bantayan Town Welcome Arch, we  turned left towards a damp dirt road that leads to Marikaban.

Thank you so much for all of your mixed reactions from my previous post, both public and private feedback.   

In this blog post, I am answering questions that I have received after sharing our adventures on the island.

Living on the island is such a great opportunity to bask in the beauty of this paradise and to meet locals who are equally lovely.  Yet, I aspire to illustrate an honest view away from picture-perfect Instagram photos.  In reality, behind every smile and gorgeous landscape are factors that may pose as challenges. Please let me make it clear, we have so much to learn and it is our own responsibility to adapt.

To long time readers of the blog, it is without any doubt, a big contrast to our previous life. Friends who know me by heart might be perplexed with this big change.  Good Lord, I wasn't gifted nor had the passion to play "Survivor".  I was in fact deemed  fragile when I was in my teens to early 20s. My life abroad later toughened me up. I nod at the fact that we have come a long way from Dubai , France, Manila and now on this island.

"What is the biggest challenge of island living for you?"

My husband called this island, " paradise".  To see it is to believe it.  As I stood by the railing of an old ferry boat approaching the island, I made a mental note. "Yes. It is indeed, a paradise."

How to Get There?

Anyone here feeling slightly anxious after an announcement has been made that your flight will be delayed and you have hours ahead with an active kid? Ever wonder how time could pass by unnoticed by your toddler?

Good news, for those traveling from Manila. NAIA Terminal 3 Departure Area just launched and opened yesterday a Children's Play and Activity center at the Boarding Gate.

 Rental car? Check. Full tank gas? Check.  Baby seat? Check.  

Driving on the road for five to six hours with a toddler, I admit, daunted my husband and I.  Hence, this inspired me to write a post to share our experience and how mishaps turned to our advantage and future learnings. 

The ultimate creed we had during the entire road trip was, "Chill.."  

Though as we all know, there's enough bickering between the wife and husband over which road to take, when to overtake and whose fault it was for not having room reservations when  all hotels are fully booked. Relax...we will all manage and the worst thing that could happen was having our toddler cry a bit louder and longer inside the car while we figure things out. 

What we realised is, your inner Mac Gyver will shine through in unforeseen situations. 

"A volcano within a lake, in a volcano within a lake, on an island."

It was my youngest sister's birthday and aboard their minivan, our entire family happily spent the weekend on a road trip to hilly Tagaytay City, 70 km south of Manila. The home to the magnificent Taal Volcano, an active volcano, one of the most active in the Philippines.  

Taal Volcano was formed during one of the major eruptions in the middle of the lake. The last notable one was in 1977, however there were 33 more eruptions since then.  Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOLCS) continuously monitors water temperatures and seismic activity there. They strongly prohibit people to live on the Volcano Island because it is a high risk area and it is marked as a permanent danger zone. 

Taal Lake is actually a crater of an inactive prehistoric super volcano.  In this lake, surrounding Taal Volcano, there were many other eruptions that formed other craters and micro-lakes. Tagaytay city is a ridge that sits on the rim of the caldera, meaning this will be the first to be hit if this super volcano comes to life. This was something that our Geology professor told us back in college. 

If adventure is right up your alley, there are boat trips with hiking trails to the volcanic crater from Talisay, Batangas. Check out advisories from Philvolcs first.

However, if you prefer appreciating the magnificent scenery from a distance, then a relaxing day trip to Tagaytay City will more than satisfy and delight your senses.

There are many ways to get to Tagaytay City. Above is a link showing how to get there. Like many travelers, we chose the SLEX (South Luzon Express Way)  Sta. Rosa exit where we had a quick stopover in Nuvali to enjoy the leisure park and feed the koi fish.

Tagaytay City is a memorable place for my family. When we were young, growing up in a Catholic School, we spent countless spiritual retreats here.  

This was where Yohann and I had our first out-of-town date together in 2001. We also spent days up in the hill near Taal Lake staying with my best friend and her family's mountain cottage in the middle of a forest Talisay, Batangas.

Garden Wedding in Tagaytay City in March 2006

Tagaytay City was also where we had our garden wedding in 2006   My sister (who was celebrating her birthday) got married here too in 2012.

History has it that People's Park was supposed to be a Palace in the Sky, a project that former first lady, Imelda Marcos initiated, to build a mansion on the land owned by the government possessing the best view of Tagaytay.  It was rapidly pushed to be completed for the intended visit of President Ronald Reagan back in 1983.  The presidential visit didn't take place and the mansion remained unfinished to this day.  It was later converted to an urban park. The view and cold breeze up on the summit is wonderful but a lot of maintenance and renovation work are still needed. Entrance to People's Park in the Sky is Php 30 (USD$ 0.65) per person. 

If you get the opportunity, do drop by Tagaytay Highlands next to the park. We were fortunate to visit this exclusive community after our wedding back in 2006.

After a short hike to the summit of People's Park,  tummies will definitely growl afterwards.

 Dencio's Bar & Grill  is a large restaurant chain offering Filipino cuisine. Filipino comfort food at its best, wonderfully shared with the family with this amazing view. Cost would be around Php800 (USD$ 17.37) for 2 people.

 I wrote about my first visit to Sonya's Garden here back in 2012. Click here for the article. It's a popular garden wedding venue. There's a Bed & Breakfast, Restaurant serving organic produce, an organic farm, landscaped gardens, greenhouse-looking function rooms, an apothecary and a bakery serving the yummiest Spanish bread that will make you forget your name and start speaking in Spanish. Just kidding. This is my Spanish-speaking brother's inside joke whenever his colleagues ask him how he became so fluent in Spanish. He always replies with, "I ate the Spanish bread from Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay."

Skyranch. We briefly stopped by Skyranch for a peek. The sun's blazing heat and large busy groups made us skip it. Perhaps next time.

We made a coffee addiction detour to Bag of Beans Coffee Shop, Restaurant & Bakery for coffee, drinks and dessert. Here, we ordered their famous blueberry cheesecake. 

Don't leave Tagaytay without trying this. Blueberry Cheesecake (Php 160 / USD 3.50 per slice) with a mug of House Blend Brewed Coffee for Php 120 (USD$ 2.60) regular / Php150 (USD$ 3.25) for bottomless. We bought a whole blueberry cheesecake and we shared it with everyone including my daughter who went hyper sugar-rush crazy after having several bites. It's not too sweet at all by the way.  It exceeded my expectations. It was smooth with the right amount of sweetness.

This is a popular destination in the south to do your plant and seedling shopping. Along Sta. Rosa Tagaytay Highway, there are fruit and vegetable stalls. You can purchase a chilli plant for Php 50 (USD$ 1.09) and a thyme seedling for the same price.  I also went crazy fruit and vegetable shopping. I got 4 fresh organic romaine lettuce for Php 100 (USD$ 2.17) and 3 pcs ripe avocados for Php100 (USD$ 2.17). I also got bananas and freshly harvested pineapples.

On the way home, a quick stop to buy buko (coconut) pie and other local sweet treats is a must for Filipino families. A popular one is Rowena's Cafe. Though we didn't try it due to the long parking and waiting queue along the main road which was causing traffic. 

Instead, we went to the Orient, The Original Buko Pie at the Caltex Station along Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road. It's always sold out and they don't accept order reservations by phone. We waited for an hour (eating fish balls at the nearby food cart) for freshly baked buko (coconut) pies and I must say they were worth the wait, nothing fancy but there's a lot of coconut meat in it. 

Which activity in Tagaytay do you enjoy best?

A food trip with the view of the Taal Volcano no doubt. :)

Love & light,

Arni

It's the weekend and a diversion is due. A case of wanderlust and itchy feet.  Nuvali, in Sta. Rosa  -Canlubang, Laguna, south of Manila is a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of the metro. A master planned development that is sustainable and environment friendly surrounded by medium to high end subdivisions with a harmonious suburban vibe.  There are pavements wide enough for jogging and walking. There are smooth roads and off road trails ideal for biking. Yes,  you can rent bikes here too.

What's Up Lately? How have you been?

The Holy Week in the Philippines is a huge event. Shops are closed on Good Friday. Everyone seemed to have left the capital, away on a beach vacation somewhere  in one of the 7500 islands or touring in another country for a week long break, others are on a pilgrimage somewhere visiting 14 churches while the rest of us are on house arrest  err staycation. 

The afternoon in the suburbs is dead silent except for our neighbor's roosters who seem to tirelessly belt out karaoke tunes nonstop. Here's wishing that my baby daughter's nap time is undisturbed by its constant crowing.

Currently reading:   Le Jour Ou J'ai Appris à Vivre  par Laurent  Gounelle

                                (The Day I Learned to Live)

It's about a French Man living in San Francisco told by a stranger that he is going to die soon and how this changes his life.

Currently drinking: Kapeng Barako or barako coffee with beans grown and roasted in Batangas, Philippines

Currently enjoying: The scent of sampaguita flowers my daughter picked from the garden.

Currently watching:  I just started watching a local film, Heneral Luna, based on a true story of an arrogant and fiery tempered general who was betrayed by the very Filipino Government that he fought for during the American Colonization of the Philippines in 1899. He was assassinated by politicians to protect their own personal interests and ambitions. Heartbreaking, I can't bring myself to finish watching it.

Currently feeling:

Awakened. (like someone just slapped me, awakened). My laptop died on me this week while working on a friend's project. I'm afraid it can't function well with the drafting programs I have been using.  I was depressed when my laptop crashed. It was the only thing that allowed me to practice Interior Design.  With it gone, it made me question whether its demise and my constant delay of finishing drafting works are manifestations of an actual lack of passion in this domain. It's still a big question mark.  I think in my head  practicing design in my home country I fear may not lead me to where I want to be in this field.  Yes, it did shake my core and I'm currently lost career-wise while being here. 

Currently contemplating and reflecting:

Living a Life with Intention. I have been reading a lot of articles about mindfulness and living with intention on a day to day basis and I am moved by it.  

Here are some interesting links about the topic:

10 Secrets to Living Your Life with Intention

5 Steps Toward Living with Intention

I'm spending this Holy Week answering important questions while profoundly thinking about my answers and what I need to do.

Currently celebrating:

Our 10-year wedding anniversary today.  Wow! I still can't believe we got married a decade ago. :)) 

What about you? What are you currently reading, watching and zzzzinking about?

What are your Easter Plans?
Love & Light,
Arni

In the last couple of months with soaring air fare prices going to Coron, Palawan during the peak season from November to May, it made us wonder how we can travel to Coron with limited budget. Airline prices to Coron/Busuanga Airport from Manila are at a sky high at Php 7500 (USD 162) return per person. I remember Coron residents previously mentioning their frequent travel to Manila by ship for administrative purposes to save on costs.

The archipelago of the Philippines is made up of 7,500 islands. 29 years ago in the absence of budget airlines, the most common mode of transport to get to other islands is through water. The thought of it at first was a frightful one due to a terrible sea incident crossing Batangas and Lubang many many years ago aboard a very small ferry.

If I were struggling to re-create my identity back in my home country after being absent for more than a decade, I can't imagine how it must be for my husband.  Every time he was asked for a second identification card apart from his passport, he had no choice but to give his UAE driver's license that is nearly expiring. 

"Are you ready to apply for your Philippine driver's license?" I asked him a few weeks ago. He nodded and started looking up how to start the process.  Remember when I wrote about my own experience obtaining my foreign driver's license conversion at the Land Transportation Office a while back?  He went  through the same process as I did. 

After obtaining much research and preparing the required documents and copies, (Check requirements here)  we went to Land Transportation Main Office in Quezon City.  For foreign nationals' application, we were advised by a friend of my brother's who works in one of the south branches of LTO to head over to Quezon City.  I'm not sure if other LTO offices do process foreign applications as well. To avoid making a mistake leading to a waste of time despite its distance, we just followed her advice. 

Where is it?

It was a long commute for us. LTO Quezon City is located along East Avenue.  If you're taking the MRT Northbound train headed towards North Avenue, take GMA Kamuning station.

We circled Manila via LRT 1 all the way to Roosevelt Station to avoid the massive queues at MRT Station in Taft Avenue that day. We took a cab at WalterMart and a detour for a quick lunch in Maginhawa Street near Teacher's Village, thinking LTO is closed for lunch. 

Guess what? They're not. LTO is open during Noon. 

When we got inside the premises, we entered the wrong building first. The one next to the Chowking building is for application of transport registration.  We were directed to a much bigger building with blue painted columns.  The guard at the entrance was very accommodating and helpful, he directed us straight to Window 14. There's a central hall  with rows of waiting chairs on either side and a chapel at the center. The main hall is open and airy. A complete contrast to the one where I applied mine.  I'm glad we came here instead. There is good ventilation and the environment is pleasant.

They seem more strict as well. We hardly spotted any "fixer."  If there were any lurking outside the gates, they were not as aggressive as the ones in Pasay City.


We approached the window and we spotted the LTO officer who was preoccupied encoding information. When we told him that we want to apply for my husband's foreign driver's license conversion, he checked his passport and entry date.  We informed him that he doesn't have ACR (Alien Certificate Registration) but he intends to apply for both an ACR and a permanent residence visa.

We were told by the officer that it is mandated that the applicant's visa should be valid at least more than a year from the date of license application and he showed us their memo dated October 2015 of such rule.  We then explained to him that my husband's visa is currently under "Balikbayan Visa",  a free one year stay visa, this is an entry stamp valid for a year to foreign nationals married to a Filipina granted by an immigration officer under their own discretion at the airport on the condition that the couple present their marriage certificate and his Filipina wife be present with him upon entering the country.

My husband's  Balikbayan visa is expiring in September which gives him less than 6 months stay. He intends to start his permanent visa process very soon before his Balikbayan visa expires. We showed the officer our company's SEC certificate and documents showing his name as a stockholder  to convince him of my husband's long stay intentions.

We also mentioned that even if we start the residence visa application, my husband will only be granted a temporary one-year visa, not more, during his first year of application.  He will only be granted a longer one during his second application process  and he needs to drive soon.

The kind LTO Officer verified it with his colleagues after which, he returned with the good news. Yay, it's possible! :)

He was immediately given an application form to fill.  We were directed to get a medical certificate complying with tests such as eye and physical test.  This medical exam and certificate costs Php 200. The medical clinic is located on the first floor above Chowking.

After completing the form with his medical documents and requirements, we submitted them all back to the officer at Window 14 where he was given a number.  His photograph was later taken as well as his signature.  His name was then called at the cashier after 20-30 minutes of waiting. At the adjacent window, his name was finally called where he was handed his fresh and new driver's license.

The whole process took 1 and a half hours. The commute was longer  but it was all worth the wait. Victory dance. Yay!

Do you love herbs, gardening and nature?

While running errands processing documents in government agencies around Quezon City, we decided to pop by the Flower and Tropical Garden. There's an ongoing event called HortiKultura Extravaganza 2016, a horticulture show from 4th of February to 16th of February 2016 in Quezon Memorial Circle along Elliptical Road in Quezon City, Philippines.

It is organized by Philippine Horticultural Society, Inc. in partnership with the Quezon City Government, different garden clubs, Department of Tourism, Department of Agriculture, Villar Foundation,  Del Monte Philippines, and AANI Group.

"Kabayan ako..," my husband, Yohann proudly exclaims. 

"Oh yeah? Have you tried balut?" I answered back.  

"Hmmm..."

Balut or boiled duck embryo is a popular Filipino snack that most find strange, sometimes disgusting or even terrifying. According to CNN, "it's a Filipino delicacy that makes the world squirm." I ate lots of those when I was a kid. We have a saying back home, they're good for strengthening the knees. Each country from every part of the world has something exotic to offer anyway, so it's not that bad. This reminds me of the time we ate tarantulas in Phnom Penh.

Immersing oneself in the culinary scene of every place we visit is a good way to experience and understand one's culture. With that, my sister and I convinced our partners to finally try this challenge together. Though it's Fergus', my brother-in-law's second attempt to enjoy this popular Filipino snack, it ended up to be a memorable experience, especially when you have San Miguel Pale Pilsen next to you. 

Dare to try?

Bon Appetit!

Love & light,

Arni

Summer Citrus Salad from The Urban Farm

Expats and Re-pats will inevitably encounter this experience one way or another. While scanning the grocery aisles while settling down and nesting in your new home, you experience a wave of homesickness, longing for the products that you have grown accustomed to from your home country or from the place you've stayed in for a long time. 

When I came back to the Philippines, having lived abroad for more than a decade, I've realised my palate has changed as well.  Everything that I was used to growing up suddenly tasted too sweet. I never really fancied mayonnaise before leaving my home country, so when I tried the French mayo for the first time, I saw mayonnaise in a new light and fell in love with it. 

Though it took a long time for my husband to convince me which mustard is better since I have been an advocate of the American yellow mustard, while he proudly defended his authentic Dijon,  I eventually caved in and developed the taste buds for Moutarde de Dijon. (Though I still like my yellow mustard in a hotdog sandwich - yum!)

To all Philippine passport holders, are you by any chance planning to renew your passport and change your surname to your foreign husband's?

We have been married for almost 10 years and I have been using my maiden name the entire time in all of my local and international identification cards.  Since I won't be traveling outside the country very soon,  I found it the perfect time to do it.

Living abroad, there wasn't really any urgent need to change my name. Within the span of my expat life, I have changed my passport thrice and the thought of the long bureaucratic procedure made me cringe. Waiting for an online appointment schedule at my country's consulate in Dubai and the whole process of name changing deemed to be a nightmare. My then tight business trip schedules when I was working in the Middle East didn't have any window to accommodate this long wait. Additionally, I wanted to avoid my previous employers paying additional fees to renew my resident visas and to steer clear from all of the administrative hassles of name changing in all of my identification cards such as my driver's license, Emirates ID and etc. 

If I had a choice, I would still keep my maiden name.

As per the civil code, the woman can still continue using her legal name when she was single. It may not be mandatory to use my husband's surname in the Philippines, but in reality, the change makes everything a tad less complicated.