minamimusings

Here's a random thing I thought of sharing: I have a love for cute things, so when I saw these bags at Rustan's, I was immediately drawn to them. They were bright and colorful and they starred chibi-wildlife! The brand is called Okiedog , and these animal-themed luggages are from their Wildpack line. It looks like the bags are made of rubber to make them lightweight and easier for children to carry when traveling. They're so pretty, and I couldn't stop gushing over them, that the husband bought one for me. (We "argued" a little over it because, like most things in Rustan's, they're a tad expensive.) I'm going to eventually let the Munch use it for a trip, but until then, it's going to double as a mini-carry-on for me. LOL. Inside the bags.

Honestly, I wasn't prepared for Europe. I thought I was, I thought I had read everything I could to prepare, but the continent threw me for a loop that left the pompous, arrogant, thoroughly pampered Asian traveler in me reeling. So, basically this is a LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES blog post for you who might stumble onto my humble site looking for a few more tips from recent travelers. Apologizing beforehand for the messiness of it all. ----- Don't bring a super-large or heavy suitcase unless you're sure you're going to be on one of those escorted coach tours with its own bus and baggage handlers tipped and paid for. Basically if you're doing-it-yourself, but still not qualified as a backpacker, a small-sized suitcase will do. Prepare to do laundry. Bring a foldable bag you can use for souvenirs when they won't fit in your suitcase anymore. Take note: There's a " tourist tax " for being in Europe, depending on which country or city you...

Here's a delayed hotel post about the place we stayed at in Jakarta. Because the trip to Jakarta was more of a business trip than anything, the choice of hotel was already predetermined by my husband's company. The Rasuna Icon is a quaint little boutique hotel (only 6 floors!) located in the middle of Jakarta. I would say it's near the business district, except there doesn't seem to be exact boundaries on where certain districts are, and so everything looked like the business district to me. It was also partly residential, when I think about it. I can say for sure that it's not near any of the major tourist spots. Also, going there is a bit of a pain because the taxis don't seem to know where it is even if you give them the complete address and a mini-map. And even though the place is at the end of a very long, narrow, two-car, two-way street, I noticed that the drivers like to take the long route and enter it from the opposite end, but I chalk this up to the...

Our big Eurotrip was coming up and I didn't have a single thing packed into my suitcase. But because I am an avid fan of the saying "When in doubt, check the internet", that's exactly what I did, hoping it would give me some answers. I concentrated my search parameters on the three countries we would be visiting and the period of time we would be there--during that crazy transition phase between spring and summer when the weather gets SO unpredictable--and came up with TWO conclusions: One, "Layers!" and, two, "Scarves!" "Scarves" is easy. "Layers" was tricky. It meant clothes that you could mix and match and wear over each other in different ways to create new looks so you don't end up looking the same. They should be light enough to stack on but not add so much weight to your luggage. I understood that part. What I did have a problem with was that most of the samples people posted on their parts of the web consisted of...

I rarely get to catch it on its late night time slot, but on the off day I turn on the TV to Star World and a rerun of Asia's Next Top Model is on, I make sure to watch. Currently, the series is on its seventh episode and half of the 16 girls have already been sent home. Fellow Filipinos will rejoice and wave their #YEYPINOYPRIDE flags knowing that both our representatives, Jodilly Pendre and Katarina Rodriguez are still, and I quote, "in the running to be Asia's Next Top Model." Here's what I think about the girls that are left. Jodilly . I guess, being Pinoy, I'd have to comment first about Jodilly and Katarina. I actually prefer the former over the latter, and part of it has to do with her life story. I know. I know. I've read people online saying "Stop it with Jodilly's sob stories!" "Ugh, her life is SO sad... like duh. Whatever." And while she's not exactly an underdog among the contestants, having already won one Best...

So this is where I get to share my most awesome day of wearing an actual kimono and walking along actual temple streets in actual Japan. LOL. Obviously, I love kimono! The color, the pretty designs, the formality, the elegance and daintiness of it all... One of my big dreams has always been to wear one, and specifically, wear it in its native land. Back when we first travelled here in 2007 , my goal was to own a set, however, I balked when I saw how much a new one (or even an old one) costs; I decided to purchase yukata, the summer kimono, instead. Because we were headed for Kyoto for this trip, I thought, well, why not see if I can wear one while touring their amazing temples? Magpaka-ilusyonada nang nasa Memoirs of a Geisha or Rurouni Kenshin!   It took procrastinating and a lot of very-rushed, should-I-shouldn't-I decision-making before I made reservations with Okamoto Kimono's branch in Kiyomizuzaka. At the time, I thought we could maybe visit three or four temples, an...

Girls in kimono in Kiyomizu-dera. There are a number of shops that rent out kimono in Kyoto and offer kimono-wearing services. Because Kyoto is a big tourist area--currently Conde Nast's top Asian destination for the second year --they cater mostly to travellers and tourists both foreign and local, although the Japanese are also apt to acquire their services for special occasions due to the expense of owning the actual garment. (Also, renting offers more variety.) Here are links to some of the stores with english websites: 1. Sensho Kitamura Location: 470 Shimokawaracho Higashiyama-ku Kyoto-shi kyoto 605-0825 Price: 5250Y (includes dressing, accessories and hair setting) Return on or before: 6:00PM 2. Yume-Kyoto Location: ( main shop ) 300 Gion-cho Higashiyama-ku Kyoto-shi ACROSS Yasaka building 4F ( Kodaiji shop ) Masuya 2F, 362-5 Masuya-cho, Higasiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi 605-0826 Price: for female, 3500Y if they choose for you, 5250Y if you choose for yourself (...