All I Want for Christmas

First of all, let me thank Pinkline for tagging me in her post. It's the time of the year when we should be preparing wishlists for Santa! So...what do I wish for this year?

Where Have I Been This 2012?

It's been a while since this blog was last updated and yet, this is just another filler post. I have been quite busy this month and had three additional trips to blog about (hmm...on top of the other backlog posts I have). This might be my 2012 travel wrap up post, unless I suddenly impulsively go out on a trip next month.

Thinking back, the only mountain I climbed this year was Mt. Pinatubo last January. I really miss the mountains so much and hopefully, I could climb again next year. Now, where did my 2012 go? (Note: The destinations are clickable links for your viewing pleasure.)

January

Fruitful 8th Month

Last time I wrote something like this was during the blog's sixth month. I was so thankful that the blog reached its 50,000th pageview 11 days ahead. The blog celebrates its 8th month today, and coincidentally, it reached its 100,000th pageview last November 2, - 11 days ahead.

screenshot of the 100,000th pageview

There were many things that transpired within the two months since I wrote that post. The blog received its first recognition as an emerging influential blog for 2012, I wrote everything about my 6,000 pesos budget birthday trip to Singapore and Malaysia - my birthday realizations, the free admission at Singapore Zoo and Jurong Bird Park, Gardens by the Bay, Legoland Malaysia, and Miniland at Legoland Malaysia. The blog retrieved its pagerank 2 since the domain change as soon as Google updated its pagerank. As a bonus, my article "Found My Heart at the Highest Peak" got featured in the newly launched Living Asia Channel's homepage.

screenshot of Living Asia Channel's homepage

As of this writing, the blog has 110,081 views. I want to thank all of you for your overwhelming support. Just last week, I also decided to open this blog for advertisements to make it self-sustaining, and created a page for interested advertisers. I hope you continue finding useful stuff here - rest assured that I still have lots of things to share and there will still be a lot to look forward to. Again, thank you!

Hello Stranger: Mount Apo

Conditioning myself that I was going to climb the Philippines' highest peak, my mind was so preoccupied that I didn't even notice this stranger at first. Thinking about it now, I want to curse myself for missing out on that moment.

Travel Guide to My 6,000 Pesos 2-Day Birthday Trip to Singapore and Malaysia

All I wanted was to celebrate my birthday with him the cheapest way possible, while time permits, and that entailed heading all the way to where he is and doing it on a weekend. God must be loving me too much because my birthday fell on a weekend - on a Saturday, to be exact. Upon knowing that I was planning a two-day trip involving two countries, friends were awaiting how I'd go about accomplishing it given the little time we had. The 2-day trip includes trips to Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park, Gardens by the Bay, and the newly-opened Legoland in Malaysia. I have already posted the stories and photos behind each trip in this blog so you might also want to check them (just click the links). This time, I'm gonna share the mystery behind the itinerary and expenses incurred for the trip.

The rates are all on a per head basis. So here goes...

Cebu Party Boat - A Dream Weekend Getaway

Right now, I'm as dreamy as he is.

My financial situation made me a fan of budget travels, by default. Mastering the craft of preparing budget itineraries requires patience, extreme inspiration and will to travel (with the little that I have), and years of experience. Good thing there are easily accessible resources nowadays that enable me to find cheap flights and budget-friendly accommodation. Having said that, I wouldn't be surprised if you would double check if you're in the right blog if you happen to sea a luxury travel post here.

Pseudo-Asian Tour in Miniland, Legoland Malaysia

Upon doing a virtual tour in the Legoland Malaysia website way before Legoland Malaysia's opening date, what particularly caught my interest was Miniland. Snaps of Miniland from the other Legoland parks were featured in the page. Dubbed as the center of any Legoland park, the first five Legoland parks - in Billund, Windsor, Deutschland, Florida, and California, had their unique and localized versions of Miniland highlighting tourist attractions nearby. Before the opening of Legoland Malaysia, I was eagerly wondering what tourist attractions in Asia will be featured, and how they will be presented.

Chiz Escudero in the Internet

Election time in the Philippines is fast approaching and as responsible citizens, we should not waste our vote. For the upcoming election, as right now I am almost always online, I resolved to do internet research on each of the candidates. I have to admit that as I was so busy during the previous elections, my knowledge about each candidates was shallow and just mostly influenced by what I heard in the news.

Saridon and Drug Safety in the Philippines

I've always been a sickly girl. Truth is, I have a fever right now. My mom even told me that she feels better when I'm off wandering somewhere far, far away than when I'm at home yet I am sick.

That's why Ms. Janette Toral's article regarding drug safety in the Philippines piqued my curiosity. In the article, she specifically discussed about Saridon, which has been quite controversial since 2010. The controversy was due to one of its ingredients, Propyphenazone, which may have side effects. I also found another article questioning the product's safety.