Goddess, I Am.

I read about Ichigo Shoes through Fashionista Fortune Cookie’s contest (it’s still on, by the way), and when I poked around their Multiply site, I was immediately blown away by their awesome collection of Oxfords. It’s Oxford heaven, I tell you, and I wanted them all right there and then!

To my dismay, however, it seemed that everyone else was lusting after the designs I really wanted, so there was a very good chance that I was going to end up empty-handed. But I went ahead and texted them anyway because, hey, never say never, right?

I decided to try my luck and get the navy/white Kenny first, just to see how my feet will fare in ‘em. Well, to make a long story short, they didn’t have it in any other size but mine! Imagine that! And so it seems that it does pay to have midget feet, after all!

My new babies finally came today. Aren’t they to-die-for?

Of course, I had to take ‘em out for a spin pronto!

They’re a perfect fit with nary a millimeter to spare, so it’s impossible to wiggle my toes. It’s a tad uncomfortable for the moment, but I’m expecting the leather to stretch with time. I think I’m going to have to wear them constantly until they give, which, as you can guess, I shall do so with pleasure.

I’ve also put in an order for my second pair, the gorgeous floral Jacky. I wanted the Ivy, too, but I didn’t get as lucky there. And, oh God, the gray Madox is calling out my name . . .

The Husband is so going to kill me! I better start thinking of a good argument to justify this compulsion to start a new shoe collection. After all, it’s not like I’m getting expensive matouk linens, or $500 purses, or anything remotely ridiculous like that, right? Yes, that should work.

I am on the hunt for the perfect pair of Oxfords. You know, the shoes.

Unfortunately, the ones I’ve found in these ‘ere parts apparently do not fit midget feet. And this, in a country predominantly populated by midgets.

So I’ve taken to trawling the shops online, but I’ve been very disappointed with the ones most Philippine sellers are selling. They’re a freakin’ dime a dozen, and I really do not fancy running into people wearing the same stuff as I am. My days of shopping for Korean pre-orders are over, thank you very much!

Right now I’ve broadened my search a bit more to include US and Canada shops. And it’s been very disappointing, too. But I guess shouldn’t expect too much from the land of non-midgets with non-midget feet. I did, however, find 14K white gold diamond stud earrings on buy.com for $180, but I can’t seem to muster the same amount of enthusiasm for jewelry as I have for Oxfords.

Why couldn’t my feet be a size – just ONE size – larger?

We got back from Hong Kong early this morning, and I’ve been spending the whole day recuperating. I think my poor feet are now on strike! They’re certainly refusing to walk more than a few meters at a time right now. I’ll blog about what we were up to the 3 days we were in HK that got my feet in such sorry shape, but for now, I just want to write a quick review of the fabulous hostel we stayed in.

When we first visited HK in 2007, we had the misfortune of staying at the Travellers Friendship Hostel in the famous (and grubby) Mirador Mansions. On our first night, we were ‘upgraded’ to a deluxe room at the USA Hostel (they’re the same company, apparently) because our room at Travellers Friendship was still occupied. We were supposed to move in the morning – quite inconvenient, but we didn’t bother complaining about something so trivial. The room looked fine, though, so were expecting our ‘real’ room to be okay, at the very least.

How wrong we were! It was actually more of a closet than a room. It was just wide enough to fit a filthy double bed. The only way on or off the bed was via the bottom, where we had about no more than 2 feet of floor space before we reached the bathroom door.

And don’t get me started on the bathroom. It was beyond icky with cracked and yellowing tiles and the grubbiest grout imaginable. Cold water just trickled out of the shower, so we had to spend more time in the bathroom than was necessary. And the toilet . . . ugh! We had to pull a chain dangling from the ceiling to flush it, imagine that.

It was bad. No, scratch that. It was BEYOND bad! And when we tried to complain about it, the really rude staff actually had the nerve to tell us to move elsewhere while refusing to give us a refund on the same breath!

We vowed never to stay there again, which was why I spent the last few months looking for more suitable accommodation for our second visit without ruining the budget we’ve set aside for accommodation. As a rule, we make it a point not to spend more than US$200 total on accommodation, and since HK is an expensive city, our choices were limited to hostels. I did consider staying in yet another hostel in Mirador Mansions (Cosmic Guesthouse), but I just couldn’t forget our last trip, so I kept looking.

Thankfully, I stumbled over the Hop Inn on Trip Advisor. It was only a tad pricier than Cosmic, but a hell of a lot prettier and better recommended. I figured the US$60 (or so) difference was worth it – and it was!

Like all HK hostels, the Hop Inn had small rooms, yes. But one could really see the love and care put in to the venture. It’s run by two brothers, Simon and Wilson, and they did a fantastic job of making the best out of the available space by commissioning local artists to paint pretty murals on the walls. This made the rooms cozier and seem a lot larger.

Photo Taken from the Hop Inn Site

I especially loved the uber cool glass bathrooms, the LCD HDTV, the hot and cold shower, and the very modern toilet. Also, the location was absolute perfection. It’s no more than a few blocks’ walk from Victoria Harbour, the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station, the Star Ferry terminal, and all the best that Tsim Sha Tsui could offer. There was even a huge HMV right across the street, and as far as The Husband was concerned, he was in Blu-ray heaven.

The View from Our Window

They also had free wifi. And if you didn’t have a laptop, you could borrow one from reception – FREE! There’s free drinking water in the common room, and you could refill your water bottles all you want. There’s also a tiny but comfy reception area where you could read books and magazines, or chat with whoever’s tinkering with the iMac behind the reception desk.

My only gripe about the whole Hop Inn experience is probably the lack of sufficient surface space. We really could’ve used maybe a small table in the room to put odds and ends on. Instead, we ended up putting things on the windowsill or the floor. But no biggie; we made do with what was available, and we were still perfectly comfortable.

Our 3-day stay at the Landscape of the Traveler’s Palm room worked out just a little over US$180 at US$62 a night. It was worth every penny. In fact, we’ve already decided to stay at the Hop Inn next time we’re in HK. Which will be, what, early next year?

I honestly can’t wait to be back. And to think I’ve only just left! God, I ♥ Hong Kong!

Picking up from where I left off . . .

Day Three

The night before, we made arrangements for a van to take us back to Legazpi City where we had to catch the 14:40 flight back to Cebu, and since we didn’t have to leave until about 11AM, we decided to sleep in. The Husband woke me up with a shower of birthday kisses and greetings – definitely one of my favorite ways to wake up. We were hoping to wake up early enough to get breakfast, but unfortunately, we got up later than expected. We were sharing the van with 3 others, so we really couldn’t dilly-dally.

Our companions – Fiona and Jade (a couple from Australia) and Rod (also from Australia, I believe) – were quite the fun bunch. We’ve seen them around the resort the whole time we were there, but we never spoke to each other until then. We exchanged stories about our Donsol experiences, and as it turned out, they went out for another morning of butanding interaction just that morning. Now why didn’t we think of that? The Husband and I were pretty bummed about that, especially when they told us they saw nine – nine! - sharks that fine, clear morning. Oh, well. I’d be sourgraping a bit when I say that I needed the extra sleep anyway, but I’ll let the puffy eyes that not even the best under eye cream can sort out speak for themselves.

But I digress. Like us, they haven’t seen Mt. Mayon yet, so I asked the driver to stop someplace where we could get a decent view of the mountain. He stopped somewhere on the highway, but unfortunately, half of the mountain was still behind a thick cloud. But at least we managed to see most of the base this time.

Since we still had nearly two hours to kill before our flight, The Husband and I asked the van driver to drop us off at McDonald’s so we can get some food. After all, one should not be starving on one’s 28th birthday. He dropped us off at a mall in the middle of Legazpi City, and he told us we could easily take a tricycle back to the airport. After 2 days of eating mediocre food in Donsol, I was craving for Chicken McNuggets big time (weird, I know), so that’s exactly what I had.

We walked around the mall for a little bit afterwards. It was like a slightly smaller SM, and it had a Metro Gaisano. The Husband left me outside National Bookstore while he bought me a birthday card. My birthday presents were waiting for me at home, but he just had to get me a card, too, because he can be romantic like that. While waiting, I asked the security guard how much a tricycle ride to the airport would cost us, and he said it was about P50. I automatically assumed that it was P50 per person. When I asked the tricycle driver, however, he told me it was P50 for the whole ride. Wo-ow. He had every opportunity to overcharge us, but he didn’t. Yes, there are still some honest people in the Philippines.

We saw a bit of Legazpi City on the way back, and it was such a lovely place that I couldn’t help but wish we were staying longer. Methinks we’ll be staying in Legazpi longer the next time, and maybe even go on a trek to Mayon. It reminded me a lot of Cebu City when I was younger, back when it was nicer, cleaner, and less crowded.

We made it to the airport in record time. Checking in was a breeze, too, and I loved the no-nonsense staff. Why, they even let me in with my bottled water! Practically all the airports I’ve been in always made a fuss about that, so that was a tad shocking.

We had to wait a while for our flight, but we didn’t really mind because we were sitting in what is officially the most scenic airport in the country. We were literally facing the Mayon Volcano, which was only about 12 kilometers away. While waiting, The Husband sort of kept watch near the windows, waiting for the clouds to clear up enough to get a good photograph of the mountain.

Luckily, it did at some point, and we were able to get some good photos. Why, we even saw the smoke pouring out of the crater! That was really, really cool.

Before we knew it, we had to board our plane back to Cebu, and it was officially the end of what is – without a doubt – one of our best holidays ever! We’re already planning our next trip back. ☺

Here’s a rundown of how much the entire trip cost (for two people):

Rountrip flights (Cebu-Legazpi-Cebu) via Cebu Pacific – P2,821.21 (seat sale, baby!)

2 nights at Amor Farm Beach Resort – P3,600 (P1,800 per night for a standard air-conditioned room with hot and cold shower)

Private Van to and from Donsol – P1,200 (P300 each on a van shared by 5 people, one way; it’s about P60 per person on a passenger van)

Registration fee for butanding interaction – P400 (P100 for Filipino, P300 for foreign nationals)

Butanding Interaction – P1,167 (P3,500 divided by 6 people)

Firefly River Cruise – P500 (P1,250 divided by 5 people)

Meals – about P2,000 (for the whole trip)

Tricycle ride to airport from a mall in Legazpi City – P50

Airport Terminal Fees – P460 (P200 per person in Mactan Cebu International Airport; P30 per person in Legazpi City Airport)

Souvenirs – P300

The total? A little less than P12,500, or nearly US$280. Not a bad price to pay for an awesome life experience, eh?

More photos of the trip can be found on Flickr.

Somebody (I can’t say who because I’ve been sworn to secrecy) seriously needed a mountain of winter clothes, so we decided to go a’thrifting one unbelievably hot Wednesday. Now, we haven’t thrifted for at least a year, so we were a tad rusty (read: lazy).

First, we went to the ukay place atop the Mercury Drug in Fuente, my best friend Aileen’s favorite haunt. We probably stayed no more 15 minutes, though, because 1) we were toasting in that huge unair-conditioned room and 2) their stuff was crap. How Aileen manages to find really good stuff from that place is beyond me. But then, I’ve thrifted with the woman, and her zeal is unbelievable.

But I digress. We eventually ended up at this place right across Gaisano Country Mall (right beneath UC Banilad). It was roomy, organized, and best of all, air-conditioned! Now that’s more like it! It was such a comfortable shopping experience that I almost forgot we were thrifting.

Our winter bunny ended up with over a dozen winter coats – all for about P2,500 ($50)! Seriously, her loot is making me want to move out West, too, just so I can bundle up. The Sister got a really, really awesome corset top (among others), and I’m jealous. Worse, she refuses to lend it to me.

I didn’t end up with much because I just bought a load of dresses that week and The Husband was already freaking out at the state of my closet. Instead, I got him a pair of shorts and some really, really cool t-shirts as a bribe.

Still, I just couldn’t go home empty-handed. I got this really cute top with a rather sexy cutout at the back. I couldn’t help it; both my tattoos are on my back, so I can never have enough backless tops. I tried this on with leggings, and my, oh my did it look good! I’m now this close to rethinking my anti-leggings stand!

Now, my other find is definitely my favorite. A few months ago, I was drooling over a nautical Topshop dress that I refused to buy on account that it was too expensive for a dress. Said Topshop frock literally haunted me for months. I saw it everywhere, from magazine spreads to pop displays. I can’t count the number of times I almost caved, but I never did because I’m a model of self-control (at least, I like to think so).

Imagine my joy when I found a close-enough replica:

Oh, and it has a darling lace hem, which I think makes it even cuter.

This P150 frock is definitely going to be a part of my Singapore ensemble. Methinks this will look awesome with my new yellow Keds Rapture Boat Shoe, a gift from The Mother.

So it looks like we’ve found our new favorite thrift store. We already gave the staff our phone numbers, so they can let us know when they’ve got new (old) stuff. One of these days, I’m going to hunker down, clean up my closet, and get rid of some of my clothes. I’m going to need all the room I can get with all the thrifting I will be doing from now on!