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Cuore Bistro & Social Lounge

There's a new Italian resto in town and it's called Cuore (pronounced as "coh-re", it's an Italian word for heart).

My brother has been talking about this new resto they're opening with friends (which got delayed for a few months now) and finally it's here! Obviously, as a sister I was there to support him and the rest of the Cuore team. I went on during their (soft) opening day and got first dibs on all the glorious Italian carbs they have on the menu. :)


For starters, salad! :) This one is called Our Phuket Sunsets which has grilled prawns and smoked salmon served with buttered bread and homemade all-natural salad dressing.


For our drinks, we ordered their in-house freshly brewed ginger iced tea. This is Niña by the way, girlfriend of my brother. :)


For appetizers, sorry I forgot the name of the dish but it's basically crispy calamari.


First pasta served is called My Kind of Man which is a 4-meat carbonara. I love it! Perfect order for simple girls like me. :)


Second pasta is a pesto linguini with parmesan crusted cheese called First Date.


Of course a visit to an Italian restaurant wouldn't be complete without ordering pizza! They offer 12" brick-oven baked pizzas that are to die for! This is the Morning After pizza that's topped with bacon, (quail) eggs and spinach. I guess this one cures hangovers? Hehe. For seafood lovers you must try their seafood white pizza, masarap din siya! :)


One of their best sellers is the roasted chicken dish called All My Love that goes very well with their pesto mashed potato. :)


What I like about Cuore is that you get what you pay for. Price is just right and meals are good for sharing. ;)


It ain't a bistro without a bar of course! No need to move to another place coz you can order drinks from the bar right after dinner! ;)

Cuore Bistro and Social Lounge is on its soft opening run. They're located at 1-C Valdelcon Bldg., 20 Jupiter St, Bel-Air, Makati City (previous location of Moonshine). For reservations, visit their FB page or call (02) 546-5789.

Trip Magazine


I rarely get published in magazines so when I got a message from trip! Magazine's Managing Editor, Kate Almario, asking if they could publish my post about 2GO (without batting an eyelash) I said yes in an instant! ;) It's basically just a summary of this post where I gave a sneak peek on what 2GO's sea vessel look like.

This article has been consistently part of my top 5 posts since posting back in 2013.

Speaking of 2GO, they have an upcoming event this January called the Oh Ship!. The most awaited cruise will take you from Manila to Cebu on January 15 in time for the Sinulog Festival. Experience upgraded cruise party at the newly retrofitted cruise ship St. Leo the Great and expect craziness on board as Andy Caldwell and other top local DJs hit the decks! ;)


They're almost sold out and ready to set sail next week! LAST FEW slots available for ‪#‎OhShipSinulog2016‬ ! Book now before they run out! Prices start at P2,690 / head. Contact (0947)-8845019 for bookings or log on to SMTickets.com.

Sculpture by the Sea

Meditation 2015 # 1 by Seung Hwan Kim

For the past few weeks or so I've kept myself busy doing voluntary jobs all over Sydney. When I say voluntary, I don't get paid (obviously I don't have a proper working visa) but that's ok because I gain work experience here plus I meet a lot of new people too. My latest gig so far is with Sculpture by the Sea.

What is Sculpture by the Sea? Staged on the spectacular Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk, Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi is one of Sydney’s most popular events, with 520,000 visitors viewing over 100 sculptures by artists from around the world. Held since 1997, this free to the public exhibition captures the imagination of Sydney and its visitors for three weeks each spring and is the largest annual sculpture exhibition in the world.

This is their 19th annual exhibition which officially opened yesterday and will run until the 8th of November 2015. If you'd like to know more about this exhibit, click here. For now, check out some of the artworks you'll see from Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk.

Half Gate by Matthew Asimakis, Clarence Lee and Caitlin Roseby

Quotidianity "the brothers" by Fabio Pietrantonio

Conspicuous Consumption by Benson Sculpture
Boxed by Harrie Fasher

Ashes to Ashes by Kim Perrier

Space Time Continuum V4 by Clayton Thompson

Man on Ball by Wang Shugang

Divided Planet by Jörg Plickat is the 2015 recipient of the $60,000 Macquarie Group Sculpture Prize

Walking from Bondi to Tamarama is actually tiring but you really can't complain with that relaxing view of the coast.

If you ever do feel hungry, The Grounds of Alexandria have set up their popup shop where you can dine or just grab a cup of coffee or something.

In Pace (In Peace) after Verrocchio's Doubting Thomas by Dacid Horton

As always, you can always take photos of the sculpture but obviously not touch. Share those moments online and you might just win a trip to Perth next year! Details here.

Personal Castle by Yoshio Nitta

Messages from the West by Thomas Quayle

Best to come here during weekdays so that it wouldn't be as packed compared to weekends. Easier to get those shots too when there's a few people. Haha. Enjoy!

P.S. Weather gets kind of weird during this time of the year. Sometimes it's too hot and there are days when it gets cold with a high chance of rain so keep your umbrellas or jackets on hand. ;)

Museum of Contemporary Art


Located on one of the world’s most spectacular sites on the edge of Sydney Harbour, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) opened its doors to the public in November 1991.

Established through a bequest by Australian expatriate artist John Power (1881-1943), who left his personal fortune to the University of Sydney to inform and educate Australians about international contemporary visual art, the MCA is dedicated to exhibiting, collecting and interpreting contemporary art. Here are some of the collection currently on display at the MCA.

One of the exhibitors that I really liked was the one by influential Victorian-based artist Aleks Danko.

Born in Adelaide in 1950, the son of Ukrainian émigré parents, Danko began making art in his parents’ suburban garage. After studying at the South Australian School of Art, Danko moved to Sydney in 1971, where he was a central figure in city’s conceptual art movement.






Alex Danko's My Fellow Aus-Tra-Aliens is on its final week ('til the 18th of October 2015) so you better check it out if you're in Sydney. :) Apart from Danko's exhibit, I also checked the other gallery which contains the MCA Collection which is a compilation of artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.






Apologies if I wasn't able to take the name of the artists for photos posted above, just visit the MCA if you can and be mesmerized by their works. :) Speaking of mesmerize, another artwork that caught my attention was the mer-child by Sangeeta Sandrasegar.

Commissioned by the MCA back in November 2014, to be carried away by the current, to be dissolved in the Other is made entirely of fibreglass.

"As a mythological creature that travels upon the seas, the mer-child bears witness to our sea-faring activities. Sandrasegar describes her work as connected to current debates around ‘boat people’, in particular the plight of vulnerable child asylum seekers, and ‘the many others who have reached Australian shores by boat throughout history.’" - MCA

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney is open daily from 10:00AM-5:00PM (and until 9:00PM every Thursdays). Entrance is free so I highly recommend visiting this museum located along 140 George Street, The Rocks, Sydney.

Portraits with The Travel Junkie


I've recently upgraded my photo gear thanks to awesome promos by Fujifilm Australia and DigiDirect, I am finally few steps closer from my 2015 goal of monetizing this blog. :)

For the past 3 years now I've been to a lot of places and believe me when I say that travel blogging is hard.. and an expensive hobby too! So in an effort to to grow the readers and increase traffic of my blog, I've decided to offer photography and tour guide services. ;) Obviously as of this moment it's open to everyone based in Sydney but don't worry because I am coming home soon and can't wait to offer this to the Filipino market.

Here's a sample shot of how I plan to shoot for future clients.

For now, I've set up pages for my photo and tour services which I will soon include here in my blog. :) I also have an ongoing promo that if you sign-up for a photo shoot you'll not only get 10 4R prints but also the soft copies of the photos at no extra charge! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Top 20 Things Women Pack for Long-Term Travel

Winter in Japan back in February 2013.

One of my friends in Manila asked if I was backpacking here in Australia. Sadly, I'm not. I mean, I'm not sure if I can totally survive the backpacker lifestyle. And I think I'm too old to be considered a backpacker. Haha. Plus, I'm not the best when it comes to packing light. I love bringing all kinds of shoes and bags so yes I'm a guilty over packer.

Speaking of packing, I've decided to put up a list of essentials needed for long-term travel specially during winter/spring season. Just a disclaimer though, these are just the basics. Haha. I arrived here with 2 luggages, one of them full of winter clothing like coats, down jackets, blazers, and turtlenecks. The other luggage was full of bags, shoes and more shoes. LOL.

I told myself, "Shopping is not an option (it is hella expensive here down under) so you need to bring ALL basics in your closet!".

Btw, when I say long-term travel it means you'll be out of the country for 3-6 months. Walang uwian ok? Haha. Moving on, here's my top 20 (divided to 4 categories) list of things to pack for long-term travel specially during winter to spring season:

A. Clothes
  1. Jacket - One really good/warm down jacket will do. But if you're like me who prevents to wear the same stuff twice (especially when I need to take photos for the blog), bring extra so you can mix and match.
  2. Plain Shirts - Need I explain more? It's easier to repeat the plain versus printed ones. I like anything black and white which explains the monochromatic shirts in the photo above.
  3. Jeans/Leggings - For the jeans, one in denim and in black. And for the leggings, at least 3!
  4. Bra - Bras (with removable straps) in beige and black and one sports bra in case you decide to exercise while on vacation (which rarely happens in real life!) LOL
  5. Undies - Bring a maximum of 10 (which sounds a bit too much) coz you'll never know.. you might get stranded somewhere and then realize that you need to change. For emergency purposes ladies!
B. Shoes
  1. White Sneakers - Why? It's the easiest to pair up to almost any type of clothing.
  2. Black Flats - Same reason as number one.
  3. Boots - Preferably the slip resistant ones? As always, safety is always top priority.
  4. Rubber Shoes - Again, just in case you decided to exercise. Better bring one instead of buying.
  5. Flip-Flops - Give your feet a break, let them breathe once in a while.
C. Toiletries
  1. Towel - I'm sure some of you would react that there are towels provided in hotels but hey are you sure they're like 1000% clean? It's all about hygiene guys. I like the microfibre towels from SeaToSummit called DryLite. They're compact, anti-bacterial and quick drying too!
  2. Facial Cleanser - I assume that you prepared extra baggage for all the anti-aging stuff. Go ahead, pack all those bottles. But if you're not in the mood to cleanse, tone and moisturize while on the road, just bring your tried and tested facial cleanser to remain zit free during your whole trip.
  3. Sunblock - Bring a tub if possible. You don't want to have dry, cracked skin all over your face and body. My personal favorite is VMV's Armada Sport 70 and I am running out as I type this post. For some weird reason VMV is not selling that specific sunblock online so I had no choice but to get a new one from Bioré.
  4. Soap, Shampoo & Conditioner - Bring like 10 liters if possible? Haha. These three are the culprit why I got charged for excess baggage in Manila. I'm glad I brought a lot though. At least I didn't have to buy one for like 4 months now. Believe it or not a 100ml shampoo here costs between $9-15AUD. Homayygawd.
  5. Makeup - This one's not exactly a priority but it would be nice to glam up once in a while specially when you have dinner with locals, etc.
D. Accessories/Other Stuff
  1. Sunglasses - You don't need to bring 10! Just one statement glasses like those Wayfarer's from Ray-Ban will do. They're the best alternative to makeup AKA when you lack sleep and don't have time to fix yourself up so you have no choice but to just wear those funky sunglasses to coverup those (eye)bags.
  2. Tote/Sling Bag - To be honest, I'm a sling bag kinda girl. I like my hands free from holding anything other than my phone, camera or holding my boyfriend's hand while walking.. hehe. #HHWW
  3. Carry-On Luggage - Those nylon bags from the Le Pliage collection of Longchamp has got to be the best hand carry travel bag a girl could ever own. I use mine for short of out town trips or as a huge shopping bag where you can just dump it all in instead of carrying each item in separate paper bags.
  4. Universal Adapter/Electronic Pouch- A family friend of mine gave me this charger from OMNI and I'm not sure if this certain model is available outside the Philippines. It's cheap and compact too! As for the electronic pouch, just provide a simple pouch where you can keep all your chargers. Don't forget to bring extra powerbank too! I love the Mi powerbanks from Xiaomi.
  5. Medicines or First Aid Kit - It's easier if you have your own meds instead of adjusting to new prescription. I'm not saying they're not gonna work but you'll never know. I've heard a lot of stories from fellow Filipinos trying to send meds from the Philippines just 'coz their relatives aren't used to the medication abroad.
That's it! Oh, in case you're wondering how heavy was my luggage when I flew to Sydney? If I'm not mistaken they were 34kgs wherein 4kgs was the excess baggage (blame the shoes, jackets and shampoos). Paying for it while checking in wasn't cheap either. I think Cebu Pacific charged Php800 per kilo. Lesson learned: Book 40kgs next time even when traveling solo. Anyway, good thing they accept credit card payments coz I didn't have that much peso with me when I left Manila.

Did I miss something? ;) Leave comments below!

Airbnb in Melbourne CBD

This designer apartment is located right smack in the middle of Melbourne CBD. My photos don't do justice so if you want to go ahead and look at this listing click here.

The space is 62 sqm and is probably one of the biggest Airbnb apartments we've stayed at. Located in a building from 1910, this renovated warehouse space with 3.5 metre high ceilings is the perfect place for those who come to visit Melbourne for shopping, or for business.

According to the owner, no one lives here so this apartment probably serves like an extra income for him or something. He provided all the usual stuff and added earplugs too since the apartment is facing a busy street with tram bells ringing every 5 mins or so.

Location is king! The apartment was very easy to find thanks to this H&M store right across our building. Like I said earlier, it was in the middle of everything so you don't necessarily need to get on a tram to get around the city.

We rarely used the kitchen since there were a lot of restaurants nearby. I find it cute though that the owner has this random collection/obsession with gourmet herbs and spices.

 
I forgot to take photos of the bathroom so I just grabbed these from the listing. There were shampoos and soap provided but Paolo said some were already expired so we did not bother using them. Haha.

Our stay in Jamie's chic apartment was overall fantastic. I didn't have any problems sleeping (note: dead tired) despite hearing the trams pass by all night. Checking-in and out was a breeze plus we really couldn't complain about the location, it was excellent! Highly recommended when you're flying to Melbourne for a weekend or so.

If you plan to book now, don't forget to grab your $25 airbnb discount here.
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