Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Vacation + Manuscript Editing (Part 2)

Finally I can complete my post about my vacation in Mactan, Cebu during the Holy Week (April 5-7, 2012). To read the part 1, you can view it here >>>> Vacation + Manuscript Editing (Part 1). In the part 1, I pretty much showed you what the Imperial Palace looks like but for this post I would like to focus on the room we stayed in.


I believe the room that we stayed in is called the "Cebu Suite". It has two bedrooms that are linked together by a large living room. This room is actually good for us since we are five people in a family (dad, mom, brother, sister and me). *Laughs*


This is the hallway of the building where our room is located.




Time to ring the doorbell and enter this beautiful suite. (I just finish reading/studying for an exam for my Introduction to Philosophy class so right now things come to mind that are not very sensible... Digesting what I just read! *Laughs* However, if I remember correctly there is a doorbell.)

The Back of the Door
Once you open the door, you will see the living room so I will start there.

Mirror on the wall.


Sorry about the shoes. My family has already decided to remove their shoes and change into comfy slippers that is already provided... Sadly, I forgot to take a photo of the slippers. *Pout* 


The weighing scale is provided. Important note to all: Never use the weighing scale on a carpeted floor such as the one you see above because it would not be accurate. You will think you are thinner/losing weight... That is what my sister thought after my uncle told her that it would not be accurate because it is a carpeted floor. It is more accurate in a plain surface such as the bathroom floor (which you will see the photos later on this post).


Once again, pardon the shoes/outdoor slippers of my family members. *Laughs* Now, let us head forward to the living room itself.







My dad could not wait to bring out the liquor he brought with him... One of his favorite. Johnnie Walker.  For the record, I do NOT drink nor do I smoke. It is only my dad who is like that and my uncles used to also be both but they have stopped smoking a long time ago but they still drink.




Close up on the side table.


The living room originally looks like that but since there are 5 of us so my parents asked for an extra bed which I asked them to put it in the living room instead of the other two rooms since it will be hard to bring the extra bed there and the space is not big enough. It will be troublesome to move a lot of things so we decided to move the single chair to the other side and then...


This is how the living room look liked after the extra bed had arrived. This is the bed that I slept in during my entire stay at the hotel... Miss the big room, big space, and the 24/7 air condition! *Smile*


Time to see the patio.

The Patio


You can hang your clothes to dry if you want. I think this is good for people who wish to stay longer.


Back to the living room, there is actually a bar table/mini kitchen.


Forgive the hand on the left side. It's my brother's hand who cannot wait to leave the thing he is holding on top of the counter... *Grrr* Do not know how I can remove that and also do pardon the bags/things on the counter and the chair because we were still settling in at that time.



Behind the counter... 

Close up
The bottles of water are free for you to drink. I also believe the tea bags and instant coffee sachets are free. The small bottles of liquor and snacks are NOT free!


Another thing that is nice in this hotel is that the room has its own extra room. It is like a storage room. I think it is the storage room since the main switch for the electricity in the room is found there.


Open Door



Now on to the rooms... There are two rooms and each has their own bathrooms. It just so happens that other room's bathroom has two doors. Let us head to the room located to the right of the living room.











The bathroom for this room.


The glass door that you see in the photo is the door for the toilet... The toilet has its own door!






On to the other room... The other room is of course located on the left of the living room. This other room has two doors for its bathroom so the people in the living room can have a quick access to a bathroom.


One of my brother's bag... I wonder why did he left it lying around there? I mean I think he can put it some place else except the walk way. Just saying!


My brother's backpack is on that side of the bed so typically it means that he will be sleeping there.





My brother's short is already hanged... *Laughs*



The bathroom with two doors

I was not meant to be in the photo. It just so happens that the mirror is facing the room's door so I was seen. My bad!


It also has its own door.


Once again, I did not mean to be in the shot.



Now on to the view of this suite... It has a nice view!








I took the six photos above inside the living room that is why you can see the bar and roof but I did took the photos again and this time I made sure to take photos when I was in the balcony... Here they are:




So sorry about the bar handles. My hands were somehow shaking at that time.














A vast land of grass. It is so GREEN! *Laughs* I barely see this in the city.




I took this photo inside the room and I did not know how to open the windows that is why on the right side of the photo you can see some sort of a white line... 





The three photos above are taken in the room located in the left. I seriously did not know how to open the windows so I had to take a picture through the window. It is challenging to take these photos because it is close to the building we are staying it so when you look out the window, you have to look down near the window ledge...






Took it through the window again. I need more practice! I seriously am admitting that...



Look! The flash of my camera looks like the sun. *Laughs* How nice!










For the somewhat blurry photos, I apologize for that cause I was shooting them through the window while standing on the bed and on my tippy toes.

All I can say is that so far this is the only hotel that has passed my standards when it comes to hotels we are staying in. I really enjoyed my stay! I miss this vacation greatly since it is my first time in Cebu and it is so beautiful! I also miss the fact that I can have relaxation and have peace and quiet to study. It is always a refreshing feeling to go away from the busy city life. Everything is so fast paced that we cannot appreciate the beauty of nature but this is one of those moments where you need to take a step back from the your work and/or studies and enjoy the beautiful nature. It is somewhat helpful in editing my manuscript because I got stuck trying to figure out how to edit it but because I had the chance to become one with nature, somehow, I got my head clear and little by little I was able to edit my manuscript. However, I had a hard time focusing on my assignments mainly the manuscript that I have to edit... Do you have any idea how conflicting it is? I want to relax and have fun since I am in this gorgeous place and I do appreciate that it helped me edit my manuscript but I also wanted to go with my cousins and try out the slides, jet skis and the like. My advice: Do not go into a vacation when you have studies or work to do. It really ruins the fun because I kept on thinking about my manuscript that I have to edit and to submit as my final paper for class.

Oh yeah! If you want to see/read my first draft of the manuscript go here. >>>> "The Cruel Fate"

If you wish to see/read the revised version of my manuscript go here. >>>> "The Cruel Fate (Revised)"

You may read my works/writings here. >>>> Sharm's Weblog. It used to be entitled "Jeansha's Weblog" but I am slowly breaking out of my shell. I used to always create pen names such as Jeansha and Honey but now I used my own name. I guess University Life does help you gain confidence and break out of your shell though I only give my nickname and sometimes my surname. I am not that ready to break out of my shell.


Monday, May 21, 2012

Must Read Blogs

I know I still owe you the part two of my Holy Week Vacation but please understand it is summer break and on Thursday I will be back to university for the new term and new academic year... Soon enough I will be back to stress and busy mode. I took a lot of photos during the Holy Week and I have to arrange them, divide them and pick out the good photos. I also have to watermark the photos before posting them to make sure no copyright infringement so please do bear with me.


Anyways, I want to talk about blogs that are certainly worth reading...

Arissa Cheo is the co-founder of Carte Blanche X and she is based in Singapore. She has an amazing fashion sense that you will surely fell in love with. I know I did!


Arissa Cheo featured in Prestige Magazine Singapore




I always enjoy reading her blog... I also enjoy the music playing on her blog. I suggest you go and check her blog out on Carte Blanche X! (You may click on her name above and it will also link you to her blog. By clicking "Carte Blanche X" above, you can open the Carte Blanche X's website. Who knows you might enjoy shopping! Remember it is in Singaporean Dollar.)


Next up is one of the faces of Carte Blanche X, Rigel Davis...


She is based in Shanghai (according to her profile in her Carte Blanche X blog. She actually has two blogs. One is under Carte Blanche X and the other one is what I am thinking as her official blog. It is actually fun to read her blog because she has a very amazing fashion sense just like her friend Ms. Arissa Cheo and at the same time you can see pictures of her trips. It is like a photography diary of her experiences and her fashion sense. The picture above is what I believe to be Her Official Blog. Her Carte Blanche X blog is also updated so I suggest you check out both of her blogs.


(Click on "Her Official Blog" to visit her blog. Click also on "Her Carte Blanche X blog" to visit her blog on Carte Blanche X. Both blogs are updated by her! She makes blog posts on both blogs with the same contents and pictures but at times she updates Her Carte Blanche X Blog later than Her Official Blog.)

Stephanie Er is also one of the faces of Carte Blanche X. If you like travelling, I seriously suggest you go and read her blogs... (Yes! She also has two blogs!) She travels a lot and takes a photo of her travels so simply speaking her blog is a "Photo Travel Blog Diary" I guess. Just like Ms. Rigel Davis, both of her blogs are updated.


She owns The Pootsville Times (her official blog). She also has a very nice fashion sense just like both her friends Ms. Arissa Cheo and Ms. Rigel Davis...



I believe she posts the same contents and photos on Her Carte Blanche X blog.


By the way, I forgot to mention that Ms. Stephanie Er is based in Singapore.
Carte Blanche X actually lets the faces for the site posts their looks in their own blogs' lookbook... (It's the icon with the dress. Looks) How about you check out their lookbooks? The links are below. I also suggest you go and check out the other faces of Carte Blanche X by clicking the "Faces" button on the header.

Arissa Cheo's LookBook
Rigel Davis's LookBook
Stephanie Er's LookBook

I'm all done with my favorite faces of Carte Blanche X. Time to talk about Fashion Bloggers outside of the Carte Blanche X circle.

Jessica Ricks is a fashion blogger based in Bay Area, California. She is half Japanese and half Caucasian. I actually found her blog through LookBook.nu while looking for a fashion blogger to follow on Twitter and to bookmark fashion blogs.

I actually love reading her blog and looking through her photos... I also love her banner. (Click on her name to visit her blog!)


Her blog looks simply and clean. It is very pleasing to the eyes.

She has a good fashion sense and the looks that goes with it. She is extremely talented!

To tell you all the truth, I fell in love with her blog to the point that I decided to read all her blog posts... I am serious! I read all her blog posts from her very first blog post ever to the recently posted one. I am glad that I gave time to read all her blog posts and I actually finish reading all of them so now I am simply waiting for her new blog posts. I was so happy to actually be able to go back to her very first blog posts because I decided to read in a descended order and thought I would give up in the middle since I had a long way to go before I can reach her very first blog posts. However, I did not give up and I finished reading them. Right now, I am reading her recent blog posts and waiting for her to make a new blog post.

I suggest you follow her blog and bookmark it! It is so worth it so go visit her blog!



By the way, Jessica Ricks also has a Tumblr... Go and check it out too! >>>> Jessica Ricks's Tumblr

Another blog that is a total MUST READ is by Peony Lim. I also found her through LookBook.nu... She is based in London and she works as a blogger and stylist.



She has a very nice fashion sense and she also blogs about her experiences when she goes travelling. She attends fashion shows like the London Fashion Week... I am so envious! *Laughs*

Another interesting thing to find in her blog is food. Delicious looking food! Oh yes! I forgot to mention that Ms. Peony Lim owns an online boutique that is super worth checking out. (Peony Lim Big Cartel)

You should also check out her Tumblr. >>>> Peony Lim's Tumblr

Jenny Ong is a blogger based in Orange County, California and her blog is entitled "Neon Blush". She owns an online shop named "Shop Neon Blush."


Let me just say, I am so sorry for having only one photo of Neon Blush. I got tired of getting the print screen, pasting to Paint, removing the Bookmarks Bar in the photo and cropping the unwanted tabs out the photo... *Laughs*

Next up is Chiara Ferragni. She is a blogger and designer based in Italy. What I like in her blog is she writes in Italian and in English... I cannot read Italian but I would surely love to learn it. I also like the title of her blog, "The Blonde Salad." Let me just say she has amazing fashion sense and she is one great designer. If only I have money! *Laughs*


I only have one photo of this too... Same reason as the one with Jenny Ong. Neon Blush and The Blonde Salad were the last blogs that I print screen. *Laughs* Oh yes! The reason I did not post the link to the shop of Ms. Chiara Ferragni is because I could not find the link. Sorry about that!

That is why the last blog that you should read is by Camille Co. A Philippine based blogger and designer. She is a very good fashion designer... Check out her shop "Coexist" >>>> Shop at Coexist





Wow! Making this blog posts took up all morning! Now if you would not mind... I will go watch some TV and read some blogs.

I have a lot of blogs bookmarked but these are the top bloggers and blogs that I completely fell in love with and I do not think I can print screen and that many blogs. These blogs are my top choices and what I love to keep on checking and coming back to every single day!

Note: The photos are owned by the blogs that I mentioned above and the bloggers themselves. I do not own them!


Monday, May 7, 2012

Practicing Photography

This post is simply going to tell you my experience with photography so far... As I have mentioned in a blog post before, I stopped taking photos for a long period of time but lately I have been continuously bothered to take photos so now I am taking photos after getting a Nikon D70S DSLR from my dad. (It used to be his! *Laughs*)


Anyways here are the photos... I mostly like taking photos of nature. (I seriously do not know why but ever since I can remember I love taking photos of the beautiful nature this world have.)


Dear Neighbors, please forgive the fact that your houses are here. *Laughs* I wanted to take a photo of the sky but it is just so hard with the window bars. Does the sky look yellowish or something like that? Sepia?


Please forgive me the window bar... It is quite hard for me to take photos through the window because all of our windows have window bars (it is the design of our windows!). After the "sepia-like" color of the sky, it turned red like flaming red. It really is summer!


After it became reddish, this is the photo I took. As one may notice it is starting to become dark already.


This is probably the hottest summer I have experienced. At least the previous summers were not as hot as the one we are experiencing today... I can actually feel like sun's ray is actually burning my skin. When I walk through the sun, I notice my skin starts to redden and itch a lot. It is like I am allergic to the heat because it is simply too much!


The nice darkening sky. So many colors! So pretty! Sorry about the reflection. I took a photo through the window and the flash reflected so there is a somewhat shadow of a board and a lamp...


Is it me or this photo looks a little haunted? This thought came through my mind as I upload this photo to my laptop.

Anyways, I want to talk about the part two of my previous post ("Vacation + Manuscript Editing Part 1") because it is taking me a while to post it due to me learning photography using a DSLR + A Summer Reading List for next term + Driving School, I find it hard to squeeze in the time and watermark the photos. It is a lot of photos and I also want to sort them out so I will need more time with it so please have some patience and bear with me! I guess my friend is right. I am a workaholic! *Laughs* I am not actually the type of person to do nothing. It is very seldom for me to get bored and have nothing to do because I always look for something new to do like for this summer driving school and photography.


In relation to the one paragraph above, I also want to talk about the Revised Draft of my other blog post ("The Cruel Fate"). As you all know I did this manuscript as part of my Creative Writing in Fiction class and we have to revised it but I never posted the revised draft here but I posted it on my Wordpress Blog (can be found on my "About Me" Page along with my Tumblr Blog) since my Wordpress Blog is specifically for my works only. Anyways, here is the link ("The Cruel Fate Revised")