During our third wedding anniversary last year, the husband and I agreed to go on a short weekend trip out of town. As usual, he let me plan the trip. I didn’t have a hard time choosing where to go since I really wanted to go back to Sonya’s Garden Bed and Breakfast in Alfonso, Cavite. The first time I visited Sonya’s was in 2008, during an event with the U.P. Women in Law, my organization from law school. Our event was held at night and I thought the place looked enchanted and magical. The first time I stayed here overnight was in 2010, with some girl friends from law school. We had a wonderful weekend getting away from all the stress. I was dying to go back to this place this time with my husband. The worsening traffic in Tagaytay these days didn’t discourage us from going. Thanks to Waze, we took the Silang route and completely avoided the congested Sta. Rosa road. The route took us directly to the Tagaytay rotunda. We passed by Ayala Mall Serin, so I thought we would encounter traffic there. Surprisingly, we didn’t. We left QC at around 12:30 noon. We arrived at Sonya’s at around 3PM. Not bad, I think, considering it’s a Saturday. The check-in was hassle-free since I have already booked through their website. The weekend rate is P3,500/pax for a twin-sharing room. This includes one full breakfast and one dinner/lunch fare. Web reservation requires full payment. There is an additional small web admin fee when booking through the website, which was fine with me.
Our cottage had one queen bed, one day bed and one sofa. The room was big, I’m sure if we had bought Elise and Ate Vangie, we would have been fine there. As expected, there was no AC in the room. It had a ceiling fan, and one desk fan. But no worries. The chilly weather more than sufficed. The capiz windows opened to the forest outside. After checking our cottage, we just roamed around and checked out the little nooks and crannies of the estate. A lot of things have changed since the last time I came here. They now have a bakery, and a store selling unique pieces of furniture. One thing that got us curious was the Proposal Garden. It's a nice, secluded spot, away from the restaurant where I guess you can pop the question? But wouldn't that be too obvious once your girlfriend sees that you have reserved a table here? Hehe. Later that evening, we decided to get an early dinner. Another great thing about staying in Sonya's: the food! No surprises here. Sonya’s is famous for its fresh salad, complete with its signature salad dressing. Von liked it so much that he had two servings, a compliment to Sonya's since he's not really a salad-person. To me, my favorite for the night was the bread and assorted spreads. We were given five spreads: white cheese, peppercorn, anchovies, olive pate, and the pesto basil. Oh my, I think ate about six pieces of rolls as I kept on spreading the pesto basil and anchovies on my bread. I wanted to eat some more, but I couldn’t as I knew the entrée was yet to come.
After dinner, we just decided to stay in our cottage and chill rather than venture out to Tagaytay proper. There is no TV in the room, but every cottage has a mini-library of books. Knowing this, we brought a laptop and movies for us to watch. After getting massages at the in-house spa, we just snuggled up in the evening with some chips and drinks and watched a movie. I know this isn’t a grand, romantic thing to do, but with a toddler in the house, this has become a rare treat for us. In the evenings, we just usually end up watching Elise’s favorite movies or we just fall asleep altogether due to exhaustion from work. This time, our movie marathon went uninterrupted, until when I told my husband I was already sleepy. Hey, can’t blame me, the cool Tagaytay breeze was lulling me to sleep! Come morning, I was ready for more glorious food! For breakfast, I was surprised that it is now buffet, unlike my last visit when the breakfast was also served per table. The breakfast spread consisted of eggs, chicken adobo, fried rice, daing na bangus, paired with the perfect hot chocolate. Very traditional and Filipino, which I liked. I also loved the fruits and the mango salsa, so refreshing! Overall, the price for a one-night stay in Sonya’s may be a bit steep, but when you think about it, the 7k includes room accommodation, lunch/dinner for two and breakfast for two. The lunch/dinner set costs P600/pax for day guests while the breakfast set costs 400/pax. So it’s like we just paid P2,000 for our meals, and P5,000 for our room, which rate is comparable to other hotels in Tagaytay.
Overall, it was a great anniversary weekend with my husband. We felt so relaxed and recharged. I love exploring new places, but at the same time, I also appreciate going back to comfortable favorites. Sonya’s will always be on top of my favorite places to visit when in Tagaytay.
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Since our Muslim brothers and sisters are celebrating Ramadan, the program at the Embassy started only after the "iftar", or the breaking of the fast at sunset. Consul General Iric Arribas from the Embassy led the ribbon-cutting ceremony to formally open the "Partners for Change Art Exhibit" showcasing paintings and sculptures created by members of Hagod Filipino - a group of Saudi-based Filipino artists. Given the quality of the artworks, it was surprising to know that the members of Hagod are just regular OFWs - engineers, nurses, etc., who dabble in the arts as a hobby or as a way to earn extra income while abroad. Cheers to Filipino talent! After dinner, the second part of the program commenced with performances rendered by the members of the Filipino community depicting Philippine history. Elise enjoyed the performances and she was especially mesmerized with the fight scenes, hehe. She even cried when it was time to go home. The performances were diverse, from song and dance numbers, to even a fashion show of traditional costumes. There was even a "Santacruzan" with elaborate costumes and gowns created by RAMFA or the Riyadh Association of Modern Fashion Artists, a talented group of Saudi-based FIlipino fashion designers. We were already familiar with the works of RAMFA, having attended one of their events before - The Wedding - which showcased bridal couture gowns and Filipino wedding suppliers in the Kingdom. Elise was glad to meet the "princesses" - although she was already cranky and sleepy - and even got a souvenir to boot. Overall, despite the muted celebration because of Ramadan, the atmosphere was festive. The celebration was a good opportunity for the Embassy people to mingle with the members of the Filipino community. Definitely looking forward to attending more Embassy activities in the future.
* * * Read: Other articles about our foreign service life here in Riyadh: The Start of our Diplomatic Journey Welcome to the Kingdom House-Hunting in Riyadh: Fantasies and Realities One of the things I looked forward to the most during our move here was hunting for a new home. Despite the cramped space, we loved our small one-bedroom rented condominium unit in Quezon City. It had a lot of great memories and we could see that Elise felt sad leaving it. Weeks after we had left the Philippines, she kept asking us when are we going back to our "blue house". Upon learning that we were moving to Riyadh, I researched like crazy regarding housing options in the city. I learned that expats usually live inside compounds which offer more freedom for women. One, compounds are guarded so it's safe to go outside your house even without male companions. Two, the muttawa, or the religious police, cannot go inside these compounds so women can remove their abayas even when outside, and gender segregation is not practiced. Three, some compounds also offer shuttle services to malls or supermarkets which is a huge relief since women can't drive. Some bigger compounds are also self-sustaining, like there are schools inside, groceries, gyms, restaurants, etc, so you don't have to go outside. They also hold events and socials for their residents, since Riyadh basically lacks a nightlife. I got quite excited with the prospect that we will be living inside one of these compounds, I even bookmarked some compounds we can check upon our arrival.
Unfortunately, I had to let my fantasies go. Haha. While living inside a compound or DQ may seem like a neat idea, the high rental fees are just not practical. So off we go looking for a condo unit or house outside the compound life. Upon our arrival, the Embassy provided for our accommodations for two weeks while we waited for our iqama, or residence card, since one cannot enter into a lease contract without an iqama. Looking for a house in Riyadh is a lot more difficult than in Manila, as expected. I've lived in 9 different places in Manila for the last 12 years, and I'm no newbie at house-hunting or moving around. Still, I wasn't ready for the challenges posed by house-hunting abroad. For starters, there was the language barrier. It was very difficult to ask questions or haggle regarding rental fees with someone who doesn't have any idea what you're talking about (same goes for us). We had to ask an interpreter from the Embassy to accompany us during every ocular visit, just so we're not totally at a loss when dealing with the locals. (Plus, they're a lot nicer to you and more open to giving discounts when you can speak their language.)
As for the houses themselves, I find Arab architecture generally pretty, with the straight lines, geometric shapes, and hard edges found in houses and buildings, combined with intricate, almost lace-like, designs and patterns on their walls, windows, even their doors. I was surprised, however, with the layout and features of typical Saudi houses. I was looking forward to renting a house with big, open, airy windows, but most houses we saw had tiny windows, some with no views at all. I was initially disappointed. But then I learned that big windows in Saudi houses are not common because 1) they value privacy and women should avoid to be seen; 2) big window equals heat which can be excruciating during summer; and 3) there is dust everywhere! Fair enough, I stopped daydreaming about the big, airy windows. I was also surprised to see rooms separated by doors. Like there is a door separating the living room from the dining room, dining room from the kitchen, etc. I was hoping for more of an open space, since I'm a bit claustrophobic. Again, I learned that the closed spaces are designed for segregation. Like if you have male and female guests visiting, you may entertain the male guests inside the living room, and the female guests inside the dining area. In some cases, there is even a separate entrance for the living and dining area just so the males and females can altogether avoid seeing each other. I was blown away by these details. Location-wise, we tried to look for a house near the Filipino International schools since we expect to stay here for the next six years. The schools are mostly located in the Olaya and Sulimaniyah areas, which are quite far from Safarat, where the DQ is located. These areas are also located in the Riyadh City center, so the rental fees for housing units here are much higher than what we would have preferred. Ultimately, we decided to let this consideration go and just worry about moving later, or maybe just hiring a driver, once Elise starts schooling. With all these numerous considerations, we were concerned that we could not find an acceptable house to rent. Finally, our hearts settled down to a one-storey apartment unit in Irqah, a town in west Riyadh, and only 10-15 minutes away from the DQ. It's quite far from the city center, at least 15-20 minutes drive away, but oh well, something's gotta give. (I find it amusing whenever I say now that a place is "far" when it's 20 minutes away. Back in Pinas, Von drove everyday from QC to the DFA Main Office in Pasay! That's two hours of driving everyday, one-way! Oh my.) The house is a good compromise between my fantasies and reality. It has medium-sized windows, but with metal bars and a view of the high concrete wall surrounding the house. Fine with me. At least I can still remove my abaya inside our backyard, hehe. I just had to give up my dream of going outside, taking a walk, or bringing Elise to the nearby park by myself, since it's not considered generally safe. Anyway, the DQ is just a few minutes away and we can always go to the parks there. As for the layout, it's not as closed as the other units we saw. We just keep the doors open all the time just to avoid feeling cramped in. The next challenge is to furnish our house, one piece at a time, because the house is completely bare! No ACs, not even a kitchen sink! Anyway, so that's our first experience at international house-hunting. Challenging, but also exciting. Elise looks like she's having a grand time so far being able to run around the house, something she wasn't able to do inside our last house in QC. I can't wait to give birth to baby #2 and for another tiny voice and laughter to fill our new home.
* * * Read: Other articles about our foreign service life here in Riyadh: Welcome to the Kingdom The Start of our Diplomatic Journey The Day I Visited a Palace Last May 16, we went home to the Philippines for a quick two-week vacation for Von's Oath-taking ceremony and Signing of the Roll of Attorneys. Despite the very busy schedule, we managed (more like, I insisted) to visit Tagaytay and/or a beach at least once (since we will surely miss the beach while in Riyadh). We did manage to squeeze in one day after all the errands and happenings were done and over with. Breakfast at Antonio's, Tagaytay During our second week, we stayed at my parents-in-laws' house in Indang, Cavite, which is like thirty minutes away from Tagaytay (lucky!). I personally love Tagaytay, despite the heavy traffic and overcrowding nowadays due to commercialization. Still, it's one of my favorite places to go to outside Manila because of the 1) chilly weather; 2) quaint restaurants; 3) magnificent view of the Taal Volcano; and 4) it's our wedding destination so it will always have a place in my heart. :) On our way to Club Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas, we took the Tagaytay-Nasugbu route and dropped by Breakfast at Antonio's for a quick breakfast. I'm a HUUUUGE breakfast person and admittedly a big, BIG FAN of the breakfast buffet at Bag of Beans. Still, I wanted to try something new and was widely curious about the good reviews of Breakfast at Antonio's. I must admit I was hesitant to try the place given our disappointing experience last year at Balay Dako (which is part of the Antonio's group of companies). Upon entering, I asked for a table at the open deck so we can enjoy the cool Tagaytay breeze. Unfortunately, we were told that the open deck was currently undergoing renovation, so we were seated inside the Main Hall, which still has a view of the volcano. The open windows also allow some breeze to get in. Von ordered the Eggs Benedict, while I ordered the classic pancakes since I was sharing them with Elise. I ordered additional eggs done over easy and bacon - because we don't have bacon in Riyadh!!! Haha. Von raved about his Eggs Benedict, and I thought they were good, too, while Elise very much enjoyed her pancakes. The portions were huge! But I made sure we finish everything (because they were pricey), except for the caramelized fruits on my plate which I could no longer finish as I was so full! If I could return here without a toddler in tow next time, I would probably order one of the more exotic items on the menu like the Roesti, which sounds so yummy based on the description. Overall, it was a good breakfast experience. But admittedly, it's still short of the breakfast buffet at Bag of Beans. My standard will always be BoB's hot chocolate… mmm... After breakfast, we headed straight to Club Punta Fuego in Balaytigue, Nasugbu, Batangas. Day Tour at Punta Fuego We were invited by a friend for an overnight stay in Club Punta Fuego. Unfortunately, due to the hectic schedule, we were available only for a day tour. I was surprised upon checking Google Maps that Punta Fuego is still a good two hours away from Indang. There's a shorter route passing through Ternate, but we took the Tagaytay route since we planned to stop by at Breakfast at Antonio's. The road to Punta Fuego is so picturesque and relaxing. We have passed here before going to Canyon Cove, but Punta Fuego is much farther and the roads got more winding and steeper in some portions. Upon arriving, we registered at the Main Club and were given tags for identification. The day tour fee is P1,000/pax, P450 of which may be consumed with their in-house restaurants. We were not charged for Elise.
From the Main Club, we could see the gorgeous infinity pool but we weren't really much into it since there are plenty of pools in Riyadh. We were here for the beach! The registration staff suggested we go to Terrazas but it was a twenty-minute drive using our private car. She also suggested going to the lower beach which was closer to the Main Club. We decided to check out the lower beach and just go to the Terrazas after lunch. The registration staff confirmed that we need not pay another entrance fee if we decide to move to Terrazas. At the lower beach, there were no cabanas, beach chairs, or beach umbrellas. Just some trees, rocks, and sand, that's it. (Unlike in Terrazas where cabanas may be rented for the day). Here, we just found a space under some tree shade, lay our beach towel on the sand, and just started swimming! It's not the most comfortable, maybe that's why there were only a few people. The beach is great, not rocky as I'd expected. Elise enjoyed making sandcastles, and playing with "mud spa", haha. The water is clear blue and not too deep so it's perfect for kids. I enjoyed the "rawness" of the place, if you can call it that since the multi-million peso houses of the club members were just behind the beach, hehe. Around lunchtime, we packed up and moved our stuff to the Turtle Pool beside the lower beach area. There's also a restaurant conveniently located beside the pool area, Il Jardinero, which serves good Italian food (albeit a bit pricey). After lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon at the Turtle pool. The pool was surprisingly warm and I thoroughly enjoyed soaking my aching body and swollen arms and legs in it, hehe. We decided to scrap going to Terrazas altogether as we found it already inconvenient. Besides, the lower beach had a great view as well, and there were no people around so we got to enjoy the place to ourselves. I guess this is also the benefit of having many swimming options in Punta Fuego, the visitors were well-distributed and there were no crowds (to be fair, we also went there on a Monday so the weekend crowd would have all left). The whole afternoon was well-spent. I know we could have gotten more value for the entrance fee if we had also tried the pools at the Main Club and beach at the Terrazas, as well as took advantage of the other facilities of the resort like the Kids' playroom, Mini-Theater, Spa, etc. But with a toddler in tow, and being 28 weeks pregnant, I just wanted to avoid every bit of walking. I also wanted to spare Von from lugging our stuff around. We were there to de-stress and enjoy our last couple of days in Pinas and I was pretty satisfied with what we got at Punta Fuego. On the way home, I couldn't resist stopping over at Bag of Beans to buy my favorite blueberry cheesecake for takeaway. We visited the one in Twin Lakes - my first time in this branch. I found this branch so beautiful - with the white interiors and the ever-relaxing view of the volcano.
* * * If you love Philippine beaches and enjoyed reading this article, do check out my blog post on wonderful Bohol and pictures in the Philippines Gallery. Enjoy! Hey everyone, we're back from a month-long hiatus. The month of May was an exceptionally busy time for us, albeit full of adventures and (good) drama. :) Last May 3, the Supreme Court of the Philippines released the results of the 2016 Bar Examinations. By God's grace, my husband Von was one of the 3,747 candidates who passed the Bar examinations. YEY! Learning the good news Learning the news of your passing is always a story to tell, just ask any lawyer. While waiting for the release of the results of the 2011 Bar Exams, I shut myself inside our bedroom, turned off my phone, and waited for my mom and Ate to bring me the good or bad news. As lunchtime approached, I knew the result would be out any minute soon and I began to feel sick. As in physically sick. I felt hot, my feet and hands became all sweaty and clammy. I could hear them talking in hushed tones outside the room, but I could not make out what they were saying. I panicked, thinking, "OMG, they were talking between themselves but they could not tell me what's going on, so I must have failed!!!" A few minutes later, my Ate opened the door and gave me that knowing look, and called me slowly, "Attorney…". I completely lost it and I began to cry, with my mom hugging me. As for Von, it was agreed that I would break the news to him. Since KSA time is delayed by 5 hours from Philippine time, we anticipated that the results would have been out by the time we wake up at 7AM. The morning of May 3, I woke up at 5:30AM and found myself tossing and turning in bed. I tried going back to sleep, but it was futile. Von, on the other hand, was still sleeping soundly (I could not imagine how!). So I just stood up, took all his mobile phones and put them on silent mode, and moved to the living room to monitor the results. When the results were finally released around 6:30AM (11:30 PH time), before I could even access the Supreme Court website, a friend already congratulated me and told me Von had passed. I contained my excitement until I could see the official list. It wasn't until another friend who works at the Supreme Court verified with the official list that I believed that Von had really passed. OVERJOYED might be an understatement. I CRIED! I cried alone in our living room, thinking of all the sacrifices Von made studying for the Bar. I cried for his success, for his parents' success, for our family's success. I tried to compose myself so I can deliver the news to him with a deadpan look, but it was useless. When I went to the bedroom, he and Elise were already awake. One look at me and he knew he made it. Well, he didn't cry, I already did that for him, haha. It was such a happy, happy day for our family. Oath-Taking Ceremony Due to the high number of passers this year, the Oath-taking Ceremony was moved from its usual location, PICC, to the SM Mall of Asia Arena to accommodate more guests. Unlike my oath-taking in 2012 when the oath-takers were allowed to bring only one guest, the oath-takers this year were given two guest passes which we gave to my in-laws. When I took my oath, my mom was my only guest and she beamed with so much pride seeing me on that occasion, I knew my in-laws would enjoy the occasion just as much. Besides, kids under seven were not allowed inside the arena so I also had no choice but to take care of Elise, haha. Signing of the Roll of Attorneys The signing of the Roll of Attorneys is the final act conferring one's official status as a full-fledged lawyer. With 3,700+ passers this year, we were concerned that Von's signing would be scheduled beyond our two-week vacation. Good thing it wasn't the case. On May 25, with the whole baranggay in tow (me, Elise, Von's parents, uncle, sister and nephew, hehe), we watched Von sign the Roll of Attorneys. What an amazing feeling. I could not be any more proud of my husband. In between the the oath-taking and signing ceremonies, we attended and held different Thanksgiving celebrations, met up with some friends, ran personal errands, visited our relatives in Bulacan and Cavite, all the while nursing our jetlags. To add to that, I also made a quick run to the Emergency Room and the delivery room at Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City, to my former OB, due to some bleeding which freaked the hell out of me given that I am 27 weeks on the way. T'was such a hectic (sometimes, stressful) schedule, we only had one free day to relax in Tagaytay and a day tour at Club Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas. But it's the good kind of hectic and stress and we had no complaints. :)
Finally, the deal with Von's Bar exams is done and over with. A huge sigh of relief for everyone, really. As Von had said in his thanksgiving post on Facebook, it took him 14 long years to get this, and while there were detours along the road, we are just truly and utterly thankful now. Now on the next big family event: the birth of Baby #2! |