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Snapshot of Manny Pacquaio during his latest fight. He won by KO on the 8th round (June, 28, 2008).

We watched one of the most awaited event in the filipino community, the Manny Pacquiao vs David Diaz boxing championship. We watched it on PayPerView in one of our friend’s house.

Did you know that when it’s Pacquiao’s game in the Philippines, the whole nation has an almost ZERO crime rate? Everybody is in front of their television watching the fight. He was the only one that I know of, that can do this magic to filipinos

Here we are, watching the game. GO manny GO!!

The game though was so intense but predictable. In the Philippines, there was no PayPerView. If you have a cable television, you can watch it for FREE. There were also channels that are televising special events like this on a regular tv channel even without a cable connection. Here in the States, special events like this are only available if you’ll buy a certain special show through PayPerView.

After Manny’s fight. We also celebrated Michelle Preston’s b-day on this night. With me is Melanie and baby Lexa.

It cost around $40+. I’m not sure if there is tax included on that price. So no matter if you have a cable connection or a directv, you still need to pay for it if you want to watch it. That’s how a PayPerView works.

Picture addict- from left to right Glad, Emvee, Melody, Michelle and Melanie

Our planned summer vacation has already been finalized. We’re visiting my in-laws in California on the third week of July. Our itinerary will include stopping by at Vegas for a couple of days, visit some cities in California and maybe we’ll also go to Canada.

I was hesitant for the Canada plan hence I wasn’t able to amend my passport, but a friend told me that I can still travel outside the country as long as I’ll bring all the documents that will prove that I’m a legal resident in the States and that gave me a breathing space

As a resident alien, as much as possible I don’t want to break any rules. Anyway, I started looking for hotels that we needed to stay on our trip. I had a bad experience on booking on a later time. One time when we went out of town and we did not book a room online because we thought that it will be cheaper or the hotels will have the same price if its over the counter, we were wrong. There was a huge difference of the price; we paid $115 per night via over the counter booking while it was only $75 in their Internet price.

We tried asking about the difference and the only answer we got was “it was an Internet price and we had a sale if you book it online, but if you book it right now; it’s a regular price”. REALLY?!!

That was a lesson learned for us, that’s why after that incident, we always rely our hotel accommodation bookings in the Internet especially that we love going out of town.

It was also the reason why I always book our hotel ahead of time, this way, it will give me an extra time to look for a cheaper and a much nicer one. This is one of the many budget related savings tip that I want to share with you coming from my own personal experience

I did not miss the foods from Philippines the first few months that I got here in the States BUT after 6 months, here I was..looking for the usual food I ate.

Thanks to my mom in Davao, she sent me this package full of goodies.

My usual routine every payday is to do a grocery shop from the commissary (grocery shop in the base) and stop by at the Asian store in our town. I was never a fan of the mackerel fish BUT I am right now . I buy daing (salted fish) and salted shrimp paste too.

I always make my own pickled cucumber . I use white vinegar, salt and spices on my pickles.

So guys out there that are married to Filipina’s, start taking notes of addresses of the Asian stores near your area because 99% that your wife will be looking for the store.

Visiting Williamsburg in Virginia was one of the most unforgettable moments I’ve shared with my husband. It’s fun discovering how the United States started. How they fought their battle and later on passes the greatest gift called ‘Democracy’.

The historic area of Williamsburg was divided from the visitor’s receiving hall/ticket office and here we are..walking back in time when they started fighting for “Democracy”.

The parade we witnessed during our visit. The building you’ve seen is the Courthouse during the 17th, 18th and probably the early 19th century. Courthouse - visitors are only allowed to roam inside the building for 20 minutes.

Beside the courthouse is the chamber for punishment, I don’t know how’s it called but this is how they punish the law breakers before. The model in the picture is my husband

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A half-mile wide, 32 miles long, and car- and attitude-free, Fire Island is about as emotionally far from New York City as you can get within a couple of hours. A patchwork of national seashore and private property, the island has few formal addresses; folks ride beat-up bicycles barefoot and know places only by name.

Regulars talk of “the mainland” like it was a distant continent rather than right across the bay. And the word “ostentatious” hasn’t even been coined yet — informality rules the day. With punishing winters, Fire Island is strictly a summertime getaway. When Memorial Day hits, the small hamlets fill with warm-weather revelers, while other parts of the island see only congregations of deer. And after September’s over, most everything shuts down.

Since cars are off-limits and the water taxi is expensive, it’s best to decide what kind of experience you’re after before you go. Ocean Beach is the hub of island activity, where you’ll find most of the island’s hotels and restaurants, along with most of the party-hearty weekend visitors. The small hamlets of Kismet and Ocean Bay are mostly residential and great for crowd escape, but have few hotels or restaurants.

Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines are popular gay communities. And to get away from everyone, head to Watch Hill and points east — the area boasts a fantastic wildlife preserve but no facilities other than camping. Walk the beach at night and it’ll just be you, the surf, and the moonlight. Out here (and on the western end), beaches are clothing-optional, though going topless is tolerated everywhere. source

There are a lot of things that you can do on the island just take note that this events changes seasonal/ every 4 months.

And these are some few tips before visiting the island:

* Just as mom always told us, never walk on the boardwalk barefoot, or you will end up with splinters.
* Stay on marked trails or you will expose yourself to poison ivy and ticks. Deer ticks can be carriers of Lyme Disease. To protect yourself, wear insect repellent, dress in light colored clothing, and check your body very carefully for ticks.
* Needless to say - sun block is an essential for yourself and your children.
* Don’t be reckless in the water. When boating, adhere to all regulations and wear lifejackets or lifebelts. Do not speed, and be extremely cautious in the channels and marina areas.
* Never feed the wild animals. Their behavior can be unpredictable and food will only lure them towards people. Don’t worry; Mother Nature does take care of her own. Enjoy the wildlife from a distance.
* Don’t forget to bring: Insect repellent, light clothing, baseball hat, long tent stakes if camping, binoculars, sun block, and lots of aspirin.

How to get there:

There is nothing like a ferry ride to help you relax for your vacation or weekend retreat. Fire Island has ferries leaving to and from various destinations on the island and the mainland. Follow the links to find out timetables and other passenger information.

The ferry ride currently costs $12.50 for the round trip and takes approximately 30 minutes. You can purchase a book of ferry tickets (20 round trips) for approximately $195.

Sources:
msn.com
tripadvisor.com
fireisland.com

I got here a clipping of the recent travel advisory when you are entering the US.

Travelers who don’t need visas to enter the United States will be required to register online with the U.S. government at least three days before they visit, a security regulation set to begin next year.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will announce the rule Tuesday, according to a government official who asked not to be identified because the announcement had not yet been made. The rule was first reported by the Financial Times on Monday.

Required online registration will begin in January and will be valid for a two-year period.

Read the entire article here

This is my husband, Carlo. This picture was taken at the Virginia Aquarium Marine Science Center entrance. The place is beautiful and they also have a trail that you can walk going to the other building. It was really fun and nice.

While inside the building, we went to see alligators, seal, big fishes, sharks, and many more. Look at me, I’m trying to practice how painful it is to be bitten by an alligator

And if you happen to drop by at Virginia Beach, be sure to visit the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. It’s worth watching. Here’s the address if you want:

The Virginia Aquarium

717 General Booth Blvd.
Virginia Beach, VA. 23451
(757) 385-FISH (3474)

Coastal Living mag names top 10 seafood and wine festivals

1. Stone Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival, Longboat Key, Fla., Nov. 13-16, at The Colony resort. Cooking demonstrations, wine offerings, beachfront tasting, gala with wines and a seven-course meal.

2. Sushi & Sake Festival, Long Beach, Calif., June 14. Sake pavilion with tastings and seminars, presentations from the Sushi Chef Institute, music and dance performances, sumo and martial arts exhibitions.

3. Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, Maui, Hawaii, June 26-29, at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. Tastings and pairings, with chefs, winemakers, foodies and food critics among those attending.

4. Clayoquot Oyster Festival, British Columbia, Canada, usually held the weekend before (U.S.) Thanksgiving. Celebrates the harvest of shellfish farms on Vancouver Island’s west coast with oyster-and-wine restaurant dinners, farm tours and seminars from oystemen and scientists.

5. Crab & Wine Days and Taste Mendocino, Mendocino, Calif., a winter festival held over several weekends in late January/early February celebrating Dungeness crab season. Cooking classes, crab tours, fishing excursions, dinners, and crab cake cook-off and tasting.

Click here for the entire list

Welcome to Davao City, Philippines’ People’s Park!

Being a resident of this city, I am proud to introduce one of our city’s finest parks, the”People’s Park”. It has a very wide area with lots of exciting and wondrous views where people from all ages get to enjoy. Within its boundary, we can also see artificial
bodies of water like waterfalls and riverside.

The bountiful blessings that Davao has for its abundance with natural resources is also being showcased by the park leaving prints and symbols of its very own artifacts.

I will always regard Davao as one of the finest cities in the world today!
My relatives and I are having fun touring our city park,
the People’s Park!

Come now and enjoy a one of a kind fun filled adventure Davao City has in stored for you.

Susan’s Kitchenette
1270 Diamond Springs Rd Virginia Beach, VA
(757) 460-4893

Mabuhay Oriental Restaurant
833 Chimney Hill Pkwy Virginia Beach, VA
(757) 340-7707

Cafe Mabuhay
4291 Holland Rd #108
Virginia Beach, VA
(804) 474-0017

Calesa Restaurant & Lounge
1059 Independence Bl
Virginia Beach, VA
(804) 464-4720

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