Michi Photostory

Update January 2018: Cebu City Marriott Hotel is closed now and it is under renovation. Ayala Land Hotels and Resorts Corporation contract with Marriott came to an end last December 31, 2017. After the renovation, the hotel will be named Seda. 

We had a 3 days staycation at Cebu City Marriott Hotel last year but we only booked a “room only” package to save money. We were not able to try their restaurant or even their buffet breakfast. Good thing that the hotel is walking distance to Ayala Mall so we ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the mall.
Last week, my husband went to Cebu for a business trip and he stayed in Marriott Cebu Hotel too. I already blog about our experience here so let me just share their breakfast buffet at Marriott Garden Cafe. 

Read: Staycation at Cebu City Marriott Hotel



The location of the restaurant is nice because you have a garden and swimming pool view. According to him, the buffet spread is good because there are so many choices. There are different stations that you can visit like omelet station, curry station, cereals, and oats station, cold cuts and cheese station, and more. 





They even serve homemade dimsum and homemade bread. Of course, a buffet breakfast in Cebu is not complete without eating the famous chorizo longganisa, danggit and native delicacies. In addition, the service is good too. I can attest to that because when we were there last year, maasikaso talaga sila. 



Checking all the photos, they have more servings compared to my husband's experience in Marriott Residence Inn in Austin, Texas. Anyway, because of that trip, we had danggit and Cebu’s Lechon again. 

Scene after school

Ethan: Mommy, what did you cook?
Me: I did not cook.
Ethan: E, what is our ulam?
Me: Lechon
Ethan: Lechon? Where did you buy?
Me: It's daddy's pasalubong from Cebu.
Ethan: Huh! I did not see him.

Well, my husband went home from Cebu but my son was already sleeping and when he woke his daddy was already at the airport for another business trip. #thestruggleisreal. At least naramdaman niya ang pasalubong. hehehe!

Read: Pasalubong from Cebu



Cebu City Marriott Buffet Breakfast Rate

Buffet Breakfast P850 
Continental Breakfast P650 
Full American Breakfast P850 
Grab and Go Breakfast P200 
Hot Breakfast P850

Pregnancy boosts your appetite and because of this, you feel hungry all the time. Even you just ate your meal, you are craving for more food. It is a challenge to limit your calorie intake and it is a struggle to maintain a healthy diet.

Moms-to-be need to consider the baby inside the womb so they should eat foods that are packed with nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. But let’s admit that we also crave for something sweet or salty like chocolates and chips. Fret not, Unilab is now offering a healthy snack for moms-to-be.


Crave Healthy is the first snack product in the Philippines that is specifically designed for the pregnant woman by doctors and nutritionists. It’s nutritious because it contains essential nutrients – Folic Acid, Iron, and Calcium that are critical for both the mom and her growing baby. It also has reduced salt and just the right amount of calories that give the pregnant woman that extra energy she needs daily.

It’s delicious because it tastes just like her regular snack. Crave Healthy is currently available in Sweet Corn flavor and does not have any aftertaste of nutrient fortifications. It helps support the nutritional needs of pregnant women and their developing fetus. A healthy way to satisfy hunger and food cravings of pregnant women!

Crave Healthy Price

A pack of Crave is worth Php 25.00 at 30 grams each. It’s available online at www.cravehealthysnacks.com, select Med Express branches, and select Robinsons Supermarket outlets.

Women like men have a very active lifestyle, whether you are single, working mom or full-time mom. Most of the time we are so busy with our activities, routines or events in our life that we tend to forget to check our health. 

We all know that it is very important to have a balanced diet. According to study, women need to eat foods that provide energy, iron, folic acid, and calcium. Speaking of calcium, women need to drink milk in order to keep the bones strong and prevent osteoporosis. 



No Other Milk Understands you Better

Unilab offers Athena for women who are always on the go, seek to strike a balance between work and personal time to be able to enjoy life to the fullest. it will help you to stay fit and attractive, look good and feel good whenever you can. 

The first time I’ve learned about this product was five years ago. I got a coupon from my BDJ planner and of course, I did not waste my time and I immediately claimed my FREE gift pack. It comes in two flavors, which is milk and choco.

Athena Milk is specially formulated to meet your special nutritional needs. 

High Calcium - essential for optimum bone health. It is also a source of Vitamins D and K, Magnesium and Phosphorus - nutrients to help maintain strong bones. 

Low in Fat - so you can enjoy this beverage without the risk of high caloric intake. 

Source of Anti-Oxidants such as Vitamins A & E and Zinc to help maintain healthy skin and promote optimum immune function. 

Athena is available online at www.athena.com.ph and in store at Mercury Drugstore, Watsons, and Southstar. 

Athena Milk Price
Milk P130 - 180 grams P273 - 400 grams 
Choco P130 - 180 grams

When I was planning for our Summer in Norway trip, I really wanted to do the “Norway in Nutshell” tour in Bergen, Flam or Oslo. It is the famous tour if you want to see and experience Norway in very limited time. You have the chance to ride the train to see different scenery and boat to appreciate the beauty of Sognefjord or Hardanger Fjord. 

But Oslo, Flam and Bergen is very far, we need to take boat and plane from my mom’s place just to start the tour. The package tour is not cheap too so I just told myself, maybe next time when we have enough savings for that. 


Little did I know that Norway has so many fjords. According to Wikipedia, Norway has 1,190 fjords. Aside from Norway, you can also see fjords in Alaska, Iceland, New Zealand, Greenland and other countries. 

What is Fjord? 

A fjord or fiord is a deep, narrow, and long body of water with steep land on three sides, it is U-shaped inlet surrounded by mountains. It was formed by glacial erosion. 

Even though we did not experience Norway in a Nutshell tour, our trip to Norway is still worth it because we saw other fjords too like Trondheim Fjord and Bjugn Fjord. If you’ve been following my Norway series, you noticed that we frequent Bjugn because this is near Ørland. It is more or less 30 minutes drive so my mom allots time to tour us after her work. So far we have visited Vallersund Farm, Angel of Peace and Lake in Teksdal. 

Read: Vallersund Farm
Hiking at Angel of Peace
Teksdalsvatnet

Anyway, we went out for a walk in Bjugn. I noticed that there is no sign from the parking lot so I asked my mom kung paano niya nalaman yung pupuntahan namin. She said, she learned this place from her colleagues. Who would ever think that there is a hidden gem in that narrow road.

Watch the video here 



While walking you will notice some artwork in the trees and there are also benches where you can rest if you are already tired. My son always sits on the bench, pagod lang peg lagi. 



After several minutes, I was surprised to see the view. Wow! Just wow. There are waiting shed and picnic table where we ate our snacks. Yes, we always have baon. Hehehe! 




The fjord is really stunning, though my picture does not give justice because it is against the light and pagabi na rin. But I’m happy to see this beauty.

Two months ago my husband mentioned to me that they would be having a family day in Enchanted Kingdom so he asked me if I was interested. I just said yes because wala pa naman kami lakad sa July. There was no definite date for the event, sabi lang July so sa tagal, we already forgot about it. 


One week before the event, my husband received an email about Family Day and he was asking me kung nakapagregister daw ba siya dun. “Ako pa talaga ang tinanung” hehehe! Good thing my husband did not forget to register us. 


Few days before the event we received our passes. I was surprised when I saw the envelope, we have Park Plus Agila Ride Ticket, 2 Skills Game Passes, and P300 worth of Wizard Money (per person). I was expecting a Park Only ticket pero may pocket money pa. And because my husband was very quick in replying to the email, we got one of the 20 Free Car Passes too. Yey! For free parking.

Enchanted Kingdom Rates 

Park Only P700 
Park Plus Agila Ride P900 

To save money, buy your ticket at KLOOK. 
Read: How I Purchased my Tickets at Klook

Klook.com

Since high school, I’ve been to Enchanted Kingdom for the nth time already so when I had my own family, I make sure to visit this theme park with my son. It’s been years since the last time we visited EK so my son was a little bit excited when I told him that we will go back to the Enchanted Kingdom. #EKcited siya.

Read: Enchanted Kingdom 2011
Enchanted Kingdom 2013 

Fast forward to Family Day, we were there as early as 9:40AM because there was Magicalympics at 10AM. It was funny because prior to our trip, my husband said, “he would not ride Jungle Log Jam” but their first task is “Ride Jungle Log Jam”. hehehe! They needed to finish 5 Tasks and fortunately, their team won (1st Runner Up) so we had extra P200 Wizard Money. 


We ate lunch before starting our tour in Enchanted Kingdom. It was scorching hot but we had no choice but to explore because my son was itching to ride different rides. Watch the video here. 

Since there were no long lines at the Swan Lake, we went here first. It was not a good decision because my legs were aching kakapedal. Nakakapagod na ride ito pero lagi naman kami pumipila. Hehehe! 


We went back to Bump N’ Splash. We went here when my husband was busy doing their task at Anchor’s Away but the staff told me that we needed to wait for other people. I said, “Dalawa na kami” but she insisted na maghintay pa daw. 

So my son and I went back to Anchor’s Away. I don’t understand why we need to wait for other people pa, it is just a waste of time. I remember our trip to Legoland Malaysia, when we fell in line, the staff didn’t wait anymore and we rode different rides na kami lang ang sakay (as in kami lang). Ganun din naman, nagbasaan kaming dalawa ng anak ko. Kakadisappoint talaga.  

Anyway, I brought a raincoat so my son won’t get wet in Bump N’ Splash and Rio Grande Rapids. During the past visits, basang sisiw kami. We also rode Boulderville Express, trip lang. 

Since we’ve been to EK several times already, we decided to try the paid activities using our Wizard Money. So for the very first time, we went to 7D Interactive Motion Theater “Werewolves”. Entrance Fee is P100 per person. 

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and just recently my husband went to Hanoi Vietnam. It took him more or less 8 hours to reach Vietnam from the Philippines including the short layover in Bangkok Thailand.

Manila Philippines to Bangkok Thailand 
Bangkok Thailand to Hanoi Vietnam 

When my husband went to Ho Chi Minh Vietnam last March he did not have any problem with Immigration and Customs but his experience in Hanoi was not okay. 

Read: Glimpse of Ho Chi Minh Vietnam

Noibai Airport 

Since this was a business trip, he brought some product samples for his presentation and training. It is the same product samples that he always brings whenever he travels in Southeast Asia but only in Hanoi Vietnam that they questioned it. They were asking for some papers regarding the samples. 

He was advised to wait for their officer and he stayed in the room for several minutes waiting for their decision. He messaged me about his situation and I immediately remembered the articles and forums that I’ve read before. Bribery or tip is a common issue in Hanoi Airport, you can read more about it here. So I informed my husband about this. Vietnam is part of the 5 most corrupt countries in Asia, check the article here. 

Voila, the airport staff advised him that he could bring his luggage if he needed to pay USD100. But my husband told them that he had no money. He was firm that he would not pay anything. He also informed his Vietnamese colleague about his situation. 

One airport staff came and he was advised to close his luggage and go out of the room. After several minutes, they called my husband and informed him that he could get his luggage and go. They let him go without paying anything. He stayed at the airport, for more or less 2 hours. 

It was a really loooong and stressful day for him so he was really tired when he reached the hotel. Lesson learned, if ever he goes back, he will just ship all the stuff that he needs for work.

Sheraton Hanoi Hotel 

My husband stayed in Sheraton Hanoi Hotel which is about 25km away from the airport and a few minutes' ride to the city center. Just like other Sheraton hotels, it has a garden that gives a pleasant experience in the midst of the city center. The hotel is near the West Lake and Red River so you can also see this from your room. 

Read: Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel in Thailand
Sheraton Towers Singapore 



Checking the photos, the hotel shows signs that it is old already. When it comes to the size of the room, it is similar to Sheraton Towers Singapore. It has a bathtub too. 



The room package includes a buffet breakfast. 





They have a swimming pool too. 




According to my husband, they also offer free laundry of 3 pcs of clothes but he was not able to avail of this since he only stayed there for two nights so no need for laundry service. He was not sure if it was every day or one time only. 

If you are a tourist, the hotel has a nice location because most of the tourist spots are just near. You can visit Bat Thrang Ceramic Village, Flower Market, Hanoi Old Quarter, Hanoi Opera House, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, Temple of Literature, and West Lake. 

But unfortunately, my husband has no time to check the tourist spots. After a few days, he flew to Bangkok Thailand, and stayed at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel, I already blogged about this hotel and the experience was still the same, check it here. 

Sheraton Hanoi Hotel
K5 Nghi Tam, 
11 Xuan Dieu Road Tay Ho District 
Hanoi Vietnam

My husband went to Vietnam and Thailand last week so he took Thai Airways for this business trip. He is not a frequent flyer of this airline so he has no free lounge access in NAIA 1. Thank God for his credit card, he can stay in Miascor Lounge for FREE. 


He needs to take advantage of the free lounge access because Citibank does not waive the annual fee for this specific card. They waive our other cards except for this one kasi marami na daw siya benefits. We just used our points to pay for the annual fee but we’re still thinking if we will continue this card next year. 

Read: Miascor Lounge at NAIA 1  


Anyway, when he went to Miascor Lounge, the staff informed him that they could no longer accommodate him, puno na daw kasi. So he was transferred to Club Manila Lounge. Yey! 



The Miascor Lounge is bigger than Club Manila Lounge but it was not crowded. My husband likes the service here, according to him “maasikaso” daw ang staff. After registering, the staff ushered him up to his seat. They will be the ones, who will find available seats for you. Base on our experience sa Miascor, bahala ka maghanap ng upuan mo, which is common naman sa ibang lounges. 



When it comes to food and drinks, it is the same as other lounges. Limited selection but it is enough to fill your hungry tummy. Free wifi too.

Read: 5 Ways to Get into Airport Lounge

It is no secret here that I like salmon fish so even it is expensive, I still buy and cook salmon at home. It is still cheaper compared to eating this meal in the restaurant. So when we went to Norway, I really took advantage of my chance to eat Norwegian Salmon. Iba pa rin ang lasa ng Salmon sa Norway, fresh pa kasi. Hehehe! Salmon is so affordable too so it is just an ordinary dish there.

My mom was still in the Philippines when we arrived in Norway. She knew that I like salmon so she just informed my stepdad to cook salmon so we ate salmon on our second day. I ate salmon during our Fellowship in Norway and if ever I will visit our relatives. I also requested salmon when we celebrated 17th of May.

They buy whole salmon (about 2-3kls) so they always baked salmon in the oven kasi malaki siya, unlike here na nakaslice lang ang afford ko. They cooked this more or less 2 hours in the oven.


And because I missed salmon, I cooked this last weekend with hollandaise sauce. It is my favorite sauce for salmon so I buy instant mixes before going back to the Philippines. I know I can cook hollandaise sauce from scratch and I tried that before but it takes so much time and problemahin ko pa yung egg white na matitira.


So instant mix is heaven sent. Toro is a Norwegian brand that produces sauces, soups, and many more. It is a popular brand so pwede na rin pampasalubong aside from Freia.

I’m lazy to cook hollandaise sauce from scratch so whenever I cooked salmon, I just pair it with lemon butter sauce to make my life easier. But hollandaise sauce is much better because it is creamy. Actually, my son loves this too, sinasabaw sa rice akala mo gravy. Hehehe! The taste is good pero mas masarap yung Hollandaise sauce sa IKEA.


Anyway, when I was cooking salmon, I checked the direction of the sauce and I forgot that the direction is in the Norwegian language. I messaged my mom to translate it for me but because of the time difference, she was not able to reply immediately. Eh gutom na ko, so I searched na lang and I found this.

Directions:

In a saucepan, melt 5 tbsp butter. Whisk in the mix and add 3 oz of water and 3 oz milk, continue stirring over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste.


Checking the ingredients, parang iba yung dami niya sa nakalagay sa instant mix but I just followed it. We’re very satisfied with our salmon, hollandaise sauce, and French beans meal.