Japan Business Trip Extra Challenge

10 days of an official business trip...And when i say official business trip, this means, 8 hours of work, not to mention the official dinner meetings, which, normally starts from 6pm onwards. wheh! ...guess what comes first on my mind? I wonder how am i going to take picture of the foods, places and people the way i want to, and be able to create an extraordinary experience in an official business trip? haha.. Hmmm, sounds challenging.

And so after hearing the good news, i got excited and plan my "own itinerary" for the pleasure business trip,     (i mean).

Aichi prefecture. This is where we are going to spend our 10-day business trip. Aichi-ken is located in the Chubu region also known as the Tokai region. Capital: Nagoya

Below is the map of Japan highlighting the Aichi-ken prefecture.

 

In the itinerary sent to us by our mother company, we'll be visiting Japan's historical places as well as the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry Technology and Toyota Motors Corporation. (Assembly Line Plant Tour) as part of our cultural immersion.(How nice to be in the HR world! hihi)

Given with only restricted time and area of leisure and with only limited circle of influence, my challenge is to become a traveler of my own in the so-called business trip of my corporate world. And how am i going to do that?...Again, with only specified budget that i have?

Daily Allowance =Y1,500 for communication, newspaper, hygiene and sanitation, etc.
Meals = Y360 (bfast), Y400 (lunch), Y500 (dinner)
Transportation = Y440 to Y550 per ride via railroad (meitetsu)
Conversion details: 
USD to JPY = 79.143
JPY to PHP = 0.53207

Having said that, i need to create and build an experience thru the following:

• Taste the famous local dishes : (authentic japanese) sushi, ramen, miso katsu (tonkatsu) and matsuzaka beef
• Buy some of the 'must have' souvenirs: Torii (gateway passage), Chopsticks, wooden Kokeshi doll, japanese sweets, Haraiuku dolls (Japanese Barbie Dolls)
• Visit and buy at 100 Yen Store
• Visit Japan Historical Places such as Atsuta Shrine and Nagoya Castle and buy souvenirs there
• Have coffee @Starbucks for free
• Shop at Osu Shopping Street
• Other unplanned activities (if there's any)

Oh, wish me luck, i guess! ♥

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I Need a BREAK: ♥ Eng Bee Tin ♥

Dahil sa sobrang dami kong work loads these past few weeks, hindi ko na makuha pang mag-update ng bongang-bonga. Sobra na much pa ang nasa aking drafts. As much as i want na i-update, i-share, i-like, i-link ang mga experiences na napuntahan ko,hinay-hinay muna, nevertheless, here i am, blogging in the middle of chaos (hahaha, ako na!)

And what's best in a jam packed tasks at hand? Here's what i have to say:

Have a B-R-E-A-K; Have a Hopia Ube courtesy of Eng Bee Tin, the long leader and innovator of hopia. So, how influential Hopia Ube at this time of my life? Stress-relieving kaya! Agree? Aside from the fact that purple is just one of my fave color, hopia ube brings a lot of sweetness in me. haha. How? I don't know, its just that everytime i eat this famous oriental delicacy, it's like i'm in seventh heaven. :)

The purple yam continue to melt in my mouth and its so addicting, really. Kaya, here i am, enjoying every bite of my purple yam cake. 慢慢吃 (manman chi!)
Want to know more about how Eng Bee Tin brings Hopia to new heights? Its here.

Eng Bee Tin (Main)

628 Ongpin St. Binondo, Manila, Philippines

+63 (2) 242-9765

info@engbeetin.com


 yamieslife

Strawberry Farm @ LaTrinidad Benguet

Fragari ananassa. 

 

Botanically speaking, strawberries are not actually a fruit. The flesh that we eat with such comfort is the swelling of the stalk once the flower has fertilized. The real fruits are the small yellow seeds scattered on the surface.In addition, the importance of temperature in maintaining quality strawberry is well recognized. No wonder why strawberries are prominent in Baguio.

Enough of me being a teacher. =) What I really want to share is our absolute experience we had in Baguio. Most of you will agree with me, if i say that strawberry picking is one of the best way to enjoy your visit in Strawberry Farm - whether you're with your family, or with friends, or you're alone.(alone talaga?hehe, malay mo may maka relate diba?) And so we did not fail to include this in our itinerary.

The farm is panoptic and delightful as well, and i really enjoy the fact that there's really a farm like this - nestled in the bosom of the province of Benguet which is like five thousand feet above sea level surrounded by pine-clad mountains. Ahhmazzing ♥

go ahead! pick your choice

Complete as it portray, will you also be surprised if you saw lettuce growing in the so called 'Strawberry Farm'? Maybe not so much if you knew that lettuce also develops its best quality when grown under cool, moist conditions.(Teacher ulit?)

For those people who's not into PYO (pick-your-own) fruit,  you'll see naman a lot of strawberry vendors outside the farm. As in tabi-tabi sila, literally. Just say how many kilos of strawberries you want and they will have it for you. But, hey! I would still highly recommend doing the PYO thing, right?

Another influential thing to do in the farm is to try their Strawberry flavored Taho. The sweetness of the strawberries infuse the taho itself which makes it more yummy to sip.

P20.00 per cup

(About the Background: You'll also find a lot of souvenir items here. Unfortunately, we didn't have the time to explore; anyway we intend to go naman to Baguio City Market afterwards:)

Savoring our first cup of Strawberry Taho. Wanna sip?

You must also try Strawberry flavored Ice Cream, a locally-made ice cream that can really enliven your day after picking of strawberries. Right Chelle?

Sige lang sis, enjoy your ice cream ♥

I wouldn't let this experience pass by without acknowledging the two vendors we have met (one serious and one funny), which makes our day even more pleasant =)

Me: Kuya picturan kita, ilagay kita sa Blog ko ;)

Kuya #1: [No comment, pero nag SMILE] 

Kuya #2: Sige mam! Eto na po pose ko. Marami po kasing nag papa piktyur na bloggers sa akin katulad nyu poh.

Me: Talaga lang ha! [Big SMILE)

Mabuhay kayo mga kuya :)

A place that sprawled above the mountain peaks of Benguet Province; the rugged topography that is covered with tropical vegetation with pines giving the place a distinctive character is very close to my heart now.

Nothing beats the taste of Baguio Strawberries - a slight sour flavor underneath the strong sweetness followed by a distinct scent and unique texture in the mouth handpick from the farm. Im soooo loving it ♥

I would definitely go back for these.

yamieslife

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Confessions of a Photoholic Woman

This is the result of being "ME" - trying to discover the other side of life through my lens :-) Not on a professional level, i know, hihi..but i enjoyed taking whatever that captures my eyes.

My brother's superb talent. Taken in our home

Every mother knows the pressure of enrollment yet it feels so fulfilled. The hardest part is putting cover on each and every books/notebooks which i admit not my forte. 

A table silver during my sister's wedding

A pair of slippers makes a great story - lakwatsa na!

Cheers!

We wont miss our change for sure!

Isn't it amazing how mom takes care of our dinner? 

Breakfast for me would't be complete without my favorite hot choco. 

Great movie ever! I've seen this for the nth time. Good thing my camera is within my reach :-)

If there's one accessory that i can't live without, it would be my charm bracelet. One lucky me :-)

dateless?

Quit Smoking My Dear, but NEVER Quit BLOGGING :-)

yamieslife

Baguio City: Afternoon in Burnham Park

There's something special in Baguio that urges people to visit and revisit the acclaimed summer capital of the Philippines.

The city of pines never disappoints its locals and tourists as it has the most blissful park in the country.

An afternoon in Burnham Park is always filled with exuberance as everyone has its own stories to share with their friends, families, partners and the likes. Paddling along the man-made lake or the Burnham Lagoon, as they call it, has always been the crowd's favorite spot.

You'll savor a simple walk, as the park is surrounded by the festive fragrance of pine trees and flowers, while the gentle breeze touched the innocence of the place. No wonder why it is being claimed as the mother of all parks.

...kahit sino pa ang kasalubong mo..hihi

Biking is also one of the favored activities in the park, a 'must try' for some. Why? For we have seen this scene a hundred times in Filipino films, and the feeling of 'having tried' it somehow awaken our nostalgic minds, or simply because we wanted to be carefree and be young again. ♥

This is the time where you just want to sit back and smile and think of anything, for the absence of words set the path for a timeless memoir.

A good walk combined with a delectable mais w/ mantikiliya has always been a fave routine at the park.

Burnham Park's natural beauty, color and culture plus friendship is equals to one great afternoon. ♥

yamieslife

Lunch Date @Bali Seafood Paluto, Tagaytay City

After being exhausted hosting our annual company awareness, which we normally do in Tagaytay City, hubby and i looked for a comfy place to indulge ourselves with a simple late lunch treat. Since lutong bahay has always been hubby's fave, i led him to this seafood resto my friends and i visited before.

The place defines a homey ambiance where you can patiently wait for your order. Yes, patiently wait talaga, coz despite its coziness, an tagal naman ng service nila. =(

...and maybe that's one of the reasons why they strategically designed the place into pleasant, relaxed and simple one. What i liked most about the place is the privacy of the dine-in experience in kubo-kubo. I also learned that they have bayanihan dancers every Saturdays and Sundays.

Tthe customer service naman has never been a problem to us. In fact, one of the waiters assisted me to charge my lowbat camera, which we really appreciated. :-)

Ayun oh, at nakapag photoshoot pa. hihi

cutee mirror 

For our late lunch, we had sinubga platter which consists of tilapia, pork, chicken, sugpo, pusit, tahong, talong, mangga and bagoong. Yes, kami na ang gutom! :-)

Whoever is not a fan of sisig would definitely be missing half of their lives. haha (exag mode lang)

Turon sana for our dessert, unfortunately, its unavailable. So fruits for dessert was just fine with me.

Our total spending, around P1,090.00

The place for me is surely a come back.

Bali Seafood Paluto Restaurant
Aguinaldo Hi-way, Mahalika East,
Tagaytay City

yamieslife

Bohol Country Side Tour and Ocean Adventure Itinerary

I wish my memory is still intact coz this tour happened almost 2 years ago. What i can share with you is the package that we have availed at RJ Tours. (it is by retrieving my previous email / arrangements with RJ Tours)

Below is the outline of our 3D2N stay in Bohol

Itinerary:

DAY 1 - Bohol Country Side Tour
- Pick up at seaport
- Proceed to Blood Compact Shrine
- Baclayon Church and Museum
- Butterfly Conservation Center
- Manmade Forest
- Hanging Bridge
- Lunch River Cruise at Loboc River
- Tarsier Encounter
- Chocolate Hills
- Arrival at Dumaluan Beach Resort

DAY 2 - Ocean Adventure
- Pick up to resort at 5:30 am
- Proceed to Dolphin Watching
- Snorkeling at Balicasag Island
- Visit to Virgin Island
- Back to Resort

DAY 3 - Embrace the Beauty of Bohol Beach
- Swim, swim, swim
- Pick up to Resort
- Transfer to Airport (Tagbilaran)

Total Package per Pax = P4,765.00
Inclusive of the following:
> 3D2N airconditioned room accomodation at Dumaluan Beach Resort
> Daily Breakfast
> Aircon Car as mode of transportation (Toyota Altis in our case)
> ALL entrance fees, permit fees and toll fees (if any)
> Buffet lunch @Balicasag Island
> Buffet lunch @Loboc River Cruise
> Roundtrip seaport/airport -resort - airport/seaport
> Snorkeling gears and guide

Notes:
1. Consider additional budget for your dinner on Day 1 & 2. There are various resto besides Dumaluan.      
    P100 budget/dinner will be fine.
2. You may wish to bring light snacks which you can be bought before hand, (ie. chocolates, cookies,  etc.)
    as these can be helpful in between your tour.
3. Budget for Pasalubong. You don't wanna miss Peanut Kisses ♥

-Hope this may help in your DIY tour in Bohol-

You may contact RJ Intano of RJ Tours should you wish further assistance

0927.349.6197

rjtoursbohol@gmail.com

rj.intano@gmail.com

yamieslife

Life is a Beach in Panglao

4th day of tour: August 16, 2010

This was our last day in Panglao. I couldn't help but love and adore the island. Dumaluan Beach Resort where we stayed at, offers awesome view of the beach. Apart from that, I was also drowned by the artistry of Pangalo. Certainly that the best things in life are free ♥

eye catching view 

spectacular wave

stunning view

who's the subject here?

superb horizon 

on our way to virgin island

@balicasag island

Life is a beach means Life within reach :-)

♥ i heart panglao ♥

Photocredit: Joyee and Mel 

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