Holy Week 2015

Today is Good Friday for the Roman Catholic Church. It is at this time when people should reflect on their lives ahead or in retrospect as a Christian. On the other hand, a lot take it as a chance to go on family vacations. Either way, I think it's still best to keep the peace and do more good.

Another Catholic practice which is highly encouraged is the Visita Iglesia. It's usually done on Maundy Thursday. As I have been told, it is when you visit as many churches as you can & say your prayers. I did it alongside "The Stations of the Cross." I pray for peace. Stay sage this Holy Week!

{Title: CHVRCHES: Multiple churches layered together in 1 photo}

x,

M

STEP 1: Planning for EUROPE

So here you go, decided to fulfill a dream to see the picturesque countries in the European continent and by fulfilling, I mean you work for it like preparing for a job you really like. That sort.

First of, check your  intended dates. It is important that you are certain of your dates because you will encounter this being asked perpetually during the fixing and collecting of requirements phase (I'll talk about the requirements later on).

Consider the following:

1. SEASONS: If you have a medical condition that is factored by weather, say asthma, allergies and the like, choose the season that is most tolerable for you. Although temperatures vary by country, it is still smart to consider the climate so as to know what to expect and what to pack.  Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall. 

Summer is the peak season in Europe. This is when families are free to travel. Therefore making the tourist spots like Buckingham Palace, or shopping places like Champs-Elysees most crowded and bordering to "unbearable." Plus the fact thst it'll be the priciest season ---tours, airfare and accommodations. Nonetheless, if you're a summer kind of person, this is when the flowers are in full bloom, the weather's the best, and the luggage a lot lighter. 

Winter is the least congested time of the year for tourists mainly because of the weather. But dressing up for winter is a nice experience in itself although heavy, like really heavy. They said that winter is depressing, but I liked it. You can do a lot of winter sports like skiing---they're best at it globally. 

High season - Mid-June to Mid-September

Low Season - November to March

Shoulder Season - April to Mid-June and Mid-September to late October

I flew in Mid-March to April just because it is the most convenient time for me to leave the country for a longer period of time. I assumed winter is ending soon and Spring can just be like "Baguio City weather" which is bearable for me. I frequently checked the temperature for the countries I'll be visiting. The week before my departure, I totally overhauled my pick of clothes and shoes. From heavy winter clothes to a mix of winter-spring clothes. I was thinking, "The temperature is playing between 8 to 22 degrees Celsius. I have experienced that in the past, I'll be alright."

Was it the case during the trip? Totally not. The weather most especially in London was unpredictable. it could be cold at 7 in the morning, hot at noon, spring-like at 4 in the afternoon and windy-chilly in the evening. It's somewhat a "warm welcome" to have experienced four seasons in a day. Hahah 

So I suggest you come in prepared with the variety of clothing you'll bring most especially if you come from a tropical country like me. We are used to the heat, but not much with the windy-chilly days. 

2. TIMELINE: Make sure you have at least 2-3 months before dparture from the day you start collecting your visa requirements/ documents (If you need one, like me). Depending on how many visas you need yo get. E.g. If you are going to country members if the European union, You'll only need one visa. 

If you plan to go to UK, that's another visa. Allot one month of application and processing per visa at the least. Although the VISAS can be released within 2-4 week's time, it's still safer to allot one month for each. Some additional security screening can even take up to 60 days (government.nl). Imagine losing your prepaid tour and pre-booked flight just because you did not plan ahead. HASSLE!

MY TIMELINE: EUROPEAN UNION VISA OR SHENGEN VISA

P L A N N I N G    S T A G E

A. Research the requirements

- This being said, you need to know three CRUCIAL FACTORS before scheduling an appointment with a particular European Embassy. This will be your BASIS for the embassy of choice to apply from.

1. Know your point of entry. Where ar heading first? Common flights are: Manila to London, Manila to Amsterdam, Manila to Rome, etc. 

2. Know where you are staying the LONGEST or your MAIN DESTINATION. All of the embassies will ask this. 

3. Know where you will be transiting, even if you will just pass by on a day-tour. Some countries require a separate visa other than the SHENGEN VISA. 

I initially intended to apply at the FRENCH EMBASSY since it'll be my point of entry crossing the border from UK and the longest I will be staying at as initially planned. But when I called in for an appointment, I was told that the earliest possible will be in May. That's like a month after the proposed date. It's not negotiable so I moved on.

I adjusted my proposed itinerary and just lessened my days in France therefore making Prague, Czech Republic my #2. So I applied from The Czech Embassy.

Tip: Make an itinerary even if it seems sketchy at first. But if you want to skip this part, book a tour with a decent travel agency instead. They can send you a confirmed booking letter with a detailed itinerary even if you opt to pay for the deposit only. 

B. Schedule an appointment with your embassy of choice.

You can easily check this online by googling (www.google.com) your embassy of choice and the country of nationality. E.g. French Embassy Canada

In my case, I applied online. It was easy and convenient.

For the day of your interview (requiring personal appearance), select a time that is most amenable to you. They don't entertain tardy applicants with any excuses. They can make you wait, but you can't make them wait. Sounds unfair but it's how it is. I was scheduled at 8:30am. I was there at 8:00am and was refused entry into the main area. I went inside this approximately 30 square-meter holding area with solid dividers at exactly 8:20am. 6 other applicants were seated quietly. One of them was TESSA PRIETO-VALDEZ, a Manila Socialite. She had to wait even if she applied through a travel agency. Her voice was the dominant air inside the room, nonetheless, still not creating noise. Good thing we were allowed to use our mobile phones inside the holding area so it somewhat made up for  the boredom in waiting.

I submitted my requirements, filled out another form, paid, interviewed by the Consul-general and advised about my post-interview procedures/ exprctations after 3 hours. Afterwhich, get a good meal because you deserve that for waiting patiently and sending good vibes.

Now just wait and hope to get approved.

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To be continued on the next post...

Cheers,

M.

Eats @ Cafe Balooga

It is a joy to find local hidden treasures each time. The "unique" characteristic is subjective to who is speaking. What a city girl may find "rare" can just be "ordinary" for a town girl. So when I go out of town, my best bet is always to try the "local" and "hidden" small restaurants before opting for the usual fast food restaurants.

For this Sundate, we marched to Subic, Olongapo City once again. Thanks to SCTX (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway) for making it a convenient travel to and from. I've heard about this restaurant 5 years ago and we always miss to visit since it's first branch was located outside the Subic area so it's out of our usual route. So when a friend from there told me that there is a second branch in Harbor Point Mall, we planned the date for it at once.

Cafe Balooga is categorized as a coffee-bake shop in some yellow pages, but they also serve main meals for lunch and dinner. It has been around since year 2001. "Balooga" is a term related to the Filipino word, "Baluga" which is a colloquial word that means, of black descent or an adjective to describe someone who has dark-skin. It is not used to please or flatter someone you want to describe as "tan," if you know what I mean. 

 As you enter the restaurant, it gives you an old-familiar feel with dark wood all over and dim-lights. It is somewhat in between "boho and shabby-chic." But I like it. They even have vintage memorabilia from their homes and childhood perhaps. It's basically a diplay of sorts. For our food, we ordered three viands since we were just three; actually, two and a half, since our other friend is on a diet. The menu has a lovely lay-out. The server suggested pasta and meat dishes as their specialty. So we opted for the meat with rice and sides and skipped the pasta.

We ordered the Baby-back Ribs, served with mixed vegetables. I must say that the baby back was a winner. It is tender, juicy and well-grilled outside. The b-b-q sauce was tasty but we also asked for steak sauces as we're accustomed to. One miss though, they could have done better with the side dish. It didn't looked equally appetizing visually.

This one's Salpicao. It looked different from the other verisons but it came as a surprise. The beef dish looked simple and uninviting. But the infused flavor is "umami-balanced." It is tasty but not too salty nor sweet. A comforting dish with rice.  

Third is the Grilled Stuffed Squid. We understood that it's past dinner time when we came in so we assumed, the early diners got the best of our supposed squid. It was too small to share for three persons actually. The stuffing has bell pepper, cheese, and ground pork. It blended well with the sauce and the squid. Just that, the squid itself was a tad overcooked. So the texture is more gooey than tender. Once you mess up with the texture, all its goodness is lost. (Sayang!)

We just came from Starbucks so we opted not to order any desserts, or what's left of it. Overall, the price is affordable, the servers are friendly and accommodating and the totality of the ordered food tasted better than otherwise. We'll  surely come back here, only earlier than 9pm. Maybe then, we'll get a better-sized squid. lol

Financial Damage: P300+ per person.

Address: 1/F Harbor Point, Rizal Highway, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Olongapo, Zambales

For inquiries, call them 

at: +6326252000 

Store hours: 10:00am to 9:00pm daily 

*But we left at 10:00pm and they did not kick us out.

Note: I apologize for the poorly-lighted pictures since it was dim inside the premise and I only took these using my iPhone.

Let me know your experience too. :)

Cheers!

M.

Bali Bliss by C

 

Bali. The first thing that comes to mind is sand and sea. It is actually both of those and more. It is a place where one can be oneself without judgment and relax. After all, with the amount of tourists flocking into Bali, locals do not look at you as if you are some unidentifiable foreign object but as an equal.

          

                     

 

Bali thrives in its own pace - a pace where one can enjoy the view and where one can literally stop and smell the roses. It does not hurry you to finish your day but lulls you into night. Malls, restaurants, and resorts dot theshoreline, which encourage easy transition from created space to one of natural beauty.

 

                          

As the sun sets in the horizon, one can still feel the Bali vibe as if to say the day is just beginning. It resonates in the crowded streets, echoes along the darkened beaches, seen along bars, pubs, and restaurants teeming with patrons. Viewed through the eyes of a first time tourist, it is as if the allotted days spent here will never be enough to explore what the island has to offer.

As the sun rises to greet the moon, we are welcomed by rain. Rain did not hamper our explorations of coffee plantations, cool mountain views, sacred water holes,monkey sanctuary, and local cuisine.

       

     

Despite the steady pace of Bali, we had to return to reality and bid it farewell. As an oft saying goes…this is not goodbye but see you later. We shall definitely return for another Bali experience and hopefully a longer one at that.

This entry is written by a good friend, Catherine T. who is a graphic designer. She also shares the same passion for food, travels and photography. 

Pm the author for queries about this entry or the associate writer's work.

Thanks and cheers,

M.