Shopping in the Federal District of Mexico: Ciudadela and Sonora

In the afternoon while still in an interesting session, C messaged me and told me he and R are going shopping. They asked if I would like to go with them. I'm not a big fan of shopping but knowing these two are culture buffs, I know I am in for a good shopping experience.

Before meeting them, I went to the washroom and found two friendly Mexican women who are friendly and lovable. When they asked me what session I would be attending next, I replied that I would be going out shopping with the two boys. They asked where and when I said "Sonora" they were shocked and told me not to go because it's a dangerous place. As an alternative, they recommended Ciudadela to me. They were even shocked to know that R was looking for a certain image of Santa Muerte for his friend. They cautioned me against this.

on the way to Ciudadela by foot, we saw this library

So anyway, we did as they said, visiting Ciudadela instead. The market does not disappoint. It was very near a subway station so getting there was no trouble at all. I love the place ENTIRELY! It reeks of CULTURE: crafts and art abound and what really excited me was that not a few stalls are selling MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS!!! (If only I had the moolah but then I was thinking about my budget for the remainder of my stay...)

a colorful resto in Ciudadela

 Except I wasn't able to take lots of photos inside because my eyes got busy feasting on all the wonderful crafts and my mind was thinking of ways to earn more money and when I would be able to come back to Mexico, and which musical instruments to buy, if I would have enough time to learn another instrument (they have a wide range of instruments under the guitar family and I would also love to get my hands on Mexican violins... SIGH!), and countless other things. Oh the things you think for LOVE and PASSION...

my favorite tacos, couldn't get enough of this!

 Not finding the specific image of Santa Muerte, we decided to brave the Sonora Market. The place is pretty much Divisoria so we didn't have difficulty in adjusting. Same tips: be alert and be vigilant. C and R even reprimanded me when I took out my cam to take a photo of the market. The only single photo I have of the place... #jujubels. But anyway, better safe than sorry!

Sonora market

When we got back to the conference, I met up with the Mexican women again and told them our adventures. The look on their faces when we told them we went to Sonora despite their warnings! But I deeply am thankful for their concern and for the relief I saw upon learning that nothing bad happened to us. They are so motherly!!! (I miss them already and we only get to communicate these via Facebook only...)

What we did early in the morning:

Attended mass in Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

December

The last month of the year 2013 was spent without any travel to far away place. My officemates and I had planned to spend Christmas eve in Pangasinan but it did not push through. And we had planned to spend our first Christmas eve away from our families and in an island where we would camp and cook our own food.

December is one month I dread the most. I always get depressed on the last few days of November which usually lasts until the early part of January. I dread my birthday. I dread Christmas. I dread New Year's Eve. Maybe it's because my mind always withdraws back to the past, waxing nostalgic about my childhood, my highschool life (which I considered the happiest phase of my life because of my innocence and naiveté), my fall-after-enlightenment in college, my turbulent post-college years... The last days of November would always urge me to open my diaries, where I recorded most of my teenage years. It's both amazing and weird at the same time how I was able to write that much back then and how I even had the time to record SMS to me by people who mattered a lot then. And I am thankful that the younger me was that addicted to keep memories for posterity's sake so it's easier to see where I went wrong in some aspects of my life.

December 2013's important highlights:
1. Lots of food trips but the ones I enjoyed most were the ones with my highschool friends and the one with my ex-officemates. I'm glad to be reconnecting with those people. It's very seldom when I meet people whom I truly care for. (Being nice to everyone doesn't mean I truly care for everyone.)

2. I won a scholarship to a learning institution and might be studying again anytime soon but there are no definite plans yet.

3. Attended Handel's "Messiah": A Christmas Concert at UP Theater and was treated to a night full of wonderful music. I especially loved the UP Madrigal Singers for their extraordinary skills in mimicking animal sounds. Really wow! (On the downside, I was reminded of how I was discouraged to continue my music lessons... I could have been a musician... Boo!)

4. Shopped for clothes. The last time I did so was in December of 2012. I very rarely shop unless needed. My wardrobe looks pitiful compared to my sisters'. Also, that day was another sisterly date. I just love eating out with my sisters (coz they're always the ones to foot the bill...)

5. First time to interact with the Heritage Conservation Society-Youth (HCS-Y). I found the people really knowledgeable and very friendly. I might consider volunteering more. The project was to tour students from UP Visayas who are currently staying in UP Diliman following the disasters in the region. We visited Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin, Manila Collectibles, Casa Manila, and National Museum Art Gallery.

6. Disposed a lot of useless things from the shelves in our bedroom. Less trash, more useful space, which means, I can finally have space for my books. (Don't tell my sisters!!!)

七寶 (Qibao town), Shanghai 04072013

We had breakfast at the hotel, having bought food the night before. I love the [starch] potato chips which are very cheap and taste almost like pringles though these are thicker and mildly flavored. These potato chips are sold on the street near the hotel we stayed in. Aside from this, we had cakes and the dark green thingies which were made of glutinous rice which we bought near Jade Temple. Last night we saw lots of people flocking to the stall and we got curious so we bought some for ourselves. And they're not bad, considering I used to not like Chinese pastries (except hopia and mooncake). The two instant noodles were bought by V. We all agreed that the sour fish flavor is more delicious. (And now I miss those noodles!)

breakfast of junk food on our last day

Our last day in Shanghai was a Sunday. 七寶 (Qibao town) was already crowded by the time we got there in the morning and as time passes by, more and more visitors flocked to the famous ancient town which is more than a thousand years old now.

On the way to Qibao, one can see the town's history on the walls

The town, which literally means "seven treasures", (and is also the kanji name of Shippo the small fox in the animé Inu Yasha for a bit of trivia) derives its name from the presence of Qibao Temple. To regress further, the temple got its name because it housed seven treasures in the form of the Iron Buddha, a bronze bell, a Lotus Sutra scripted in gold, a thousand year old Catalpa tree, a jade axe, a gold cockerel, and a pair of jade chopsticks.

Qibao is a water town... reminds me of Water 7 in the animé "One Piece"

Like 豫園 (Yuyuan), Qibao is famous for many small shops selling assorted crafts and snacks. There are many things to do in this ancient town and it's very popular with tourists. I think the best part of this town aside from the cheap and delicious food is that there's a shop here that sells real swords! If only I had the resources and the means, I would have certainly bought one. My only worry is that it might just get confiscated at the airport. Sigh! If only I could pay for shipping.

perfect for cosplay... on second thought, they are REAL swords!

 V and I shared a bowl of goat meat ramen in this town. I was disappointed though to find it has less spices compared to the ramen houses to frequent in Manila. Still at least I got to try goat meat. It's not everyday that I get to eat goat meh heh!

Done with shopping, we headed to the subway and as we were waiting for the train, I caught a glimpse of an ad across the platform: ONE PIECE!!! I almost cried! It's true then that this animé is well-loved in this country. I should know since I used to watch random episodes on CTV when I was still a student.

Read more about my 2013 Shanghai Adventure

豫園 (Yuyuan), Shanghai 04062013

Yuyuan (Garden of Contentment) is another one of those listed as Shanghai's tourist spot. The classical garden dates back to the Ming Dynasty. Since then, it has undergone countless restoration and renovation and now houses different restaurants and shops.

Entering Yuyuan

A line of crafts shop. Skilled craftsmen take to work upon order.  It makes one jealous to see them having those skills. Most products are related to carving and painting.

well-maintained garden lake

Who wouldn't love to live here? Sigh.

Also inside Yuyuan is the famed Kobayashi Cookie House where my friends and I bought some for our families back home. It's such a pity that I scrimped on food sold in stalls there. Next time, I'll be sure to spend the whole day eating at Yuyuan. Hope by then I'm not travelling on a meager budget!

Read more about my 2013 Shanghai Adventure

新天地 (Xintiandi), Shanghai 04062013

Our second day in Shanghai was spent walking almost the whole day. After breakfast, our first stop was the posh luxury shopping area of 新天地 (Xintiandi). While doing research on what to visit, I have always come across this place as a must-see that even though my friend told me we wouldn't enjoy being there I begged them to just go with me. And she's right. We three are not that fond of shopping anyway, unless it's food-shopping.

An hour would suffice if you want to just walk and look at the buildings. It was so cold when we went there and the wind was howling. And there aren't that many people, probably because we went there too early.

Read more about my 2013 Shanghai Adventure

Shanghai 0404072013

A few days before our flight to Shanghai, news of a new bird flu outbreak caused a stir even here in the Philippines. My parents told me to postpone my trip with my highschool friends, but I told them we'd be just fine. For their peace of mind, I swore not to eat fowl meat (though it doesn't really contribute to contracting the flu). I also told them I'd be putting on face mask at all times (though when we got to Shanghai it felt weird so I didn't use it much). The stubborn me insisted that we have already paid for our plane fares and it would hurt if we didn't get to consume our flights. I also added that this would be risk I would be willing to take for the sake of travel. (Honestly though, the thought of my almost P4000 going down the drain scared me more.)

Not expecting cold weather, I packed mostly t-shirts and jeans, with only a coat to keep me warm. Bad decision indeed since our bodies were too accustomed then to Manila's summer heat to withstand the sudden cold of China. When we got out of the plane and stepped int the airport, I could immediately feel the chill. Later on, I was already shivering, and thoughts of spending my vacation in the hospital scared the wits out of me. Oh no, I just couldn't afford to be sick at that time when I was supposed to be seeing new places and eating Shanghai cuisine. Fortune smiled on me and I survived the night. We had a few hours' sleep on the benches in the airport.

Come morning of the 5th of April, we had quick breakfast at KFC in the airport. I had chicken congee (8.50 CNY) forgetting my promise to my parents. I just couldn't resist. Chicken soup is just the thing when cold. We bought our three-day unlimited subway pass for 45 CNY and boarded the first-hour train.

On our first day (April 5) we went to Century Park, Shanghai Museum, and The Bund. I had a heavy lunch of porkchop plus 3 veggie dishes and rice for only 11CNY. And boy was I happy with what I was served! The eatery is located near Jinjiang Pudong Inn where we stayed for two nights for this trip. For dinner, I had hot and sour beef noodles (still couldn't get over Vietnam's pho) for 15 CNY which lives up to its name making me a happy diner. It's a good thing, too, that I bought green tea yoghurt drink (8 CNY) when we got out of Shanghai Museum. I used the sweet and sour and cold of the drink to temper the hot and spicy noodles.The noodles were a little pricey because the shop is in a tourist spot. It's located near the People's Plaza.

On April 6, we had breakfast at a small dumplings shop on the way to the Subway. We walked far from the hotel, refusing to take a taxi or the bus to save on fares. Besides, we had to take advantage of our unlimited pass. We had hot 千里香 (Qianlixiang) wanton (6 CNY/ 20pcs) and seaweeds wanton (10 CNY/ 10 pcs). Both were served in soup, which was good seeing the rain wouldn't let up any minute. I also bought rice hash brown (1.50 CNY) sold in the streets. The day before, when we were checking in at the hotel, I saw a man eating that and I almost interviewed him had my friends not interfered. (I just wanted to ask where he bought the hash brown). Anyway, that fried thing was a nice treat. Crispy outside and a bit soft inside. Yum! It's best eaten hot. Otherwise, you'll see much of the oil.

Yuyuan

Our second day was spent walking and viewing the posh buildings of 新天地 (Xintiandi). Later on I thought we should have skipped this since the area is known to be a shopping district and expensive items are sold there and we were just a bunch of poor kids. After that, we went to 豫園 (Yuyuan) where we went shopping for food items for our loved ones back home. A visit to the famed Kobayashi which produces wonderfully fried cookies, is a must. We shopped at Cheap Road, so called for the cheap items being sold there. After a quick lunch of 金包銀 (some sort of dumplings which can get addicting) and小籠包 (xiaolongbao), we headed to Shanghai Railway Station. This time, to meet V's goal of buying her wig, which according to her is near the railway station. Unfortunately, the place was too big and we have circled the area but found no wig store. Utterly defeated, we proceed to Jade Temple for a bit of spiritual guidance.

Shanghai Railway Station

After Jade Temple, we went to  陸家嘴 (Lujiazui) to see the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. We didn't get inside though because of the expensive entrance fee. Still we appreciated very much the wonderful dragons in the middle of the road and the distinct tower towering above others.

Oriental Pearl TV Tower at dusk

Our last day in Shanghai was spent touring three more places: 七寶 (Qibao town), 龍華寺 (Longhua Temple), and the Jewish Refugees Museum. I had the most fun in the ancient town of Qibao, I felt like a wandering samurai walking on the streets and savoring the festive atmosphere there. There just were too many people, perhaps because it was s Sunday.

Qibao on a Sunday

When it was time to say goodbye, I felt sad. Not only will I miss the dimsums and the architectural beauties, I will also miss the jokes told to me by the Chinese people, the stories, everything. I just love how I made them laugh and how they made me laugh in return. It's different from the Shanghai experience I was expecting.

Exchange rate: 1 CNY= 6.60 PHP

More blog posts about my Shanghai trip to follow and will link to this post. :)

Vietnam 0301042013

If there is a Southeast Asian country I know very little of, it is Vietnam. Prior to the trip, all I knew of the country is that people wear a conical hat, and that it has an agrarian economy.  As for its history, all I knew was related to the US-Vietnam War.

Days before our trip to Ho Chih Minh, I scoured the internet for Vietnamese songs, hoping to learn a bit of the language. It proved to be a difficult task, since the language has many vowel combinations, to say nothing of the accents. Although utterly discouraged, I discovered some good Vietnamese pop songs.  The first song I listened to was White Noise’s Kết Thúc (To Kill a Love), a rock ballad which encouraged me to explore more of their music.

Some three days before the trip, my friend and I were doing research on what to do in HCMC. Late last year we booked a flight without any plans; we thought of exploring on our own. It all changed probably thanks to the scary thought of getting lost in a foreign country with no means to go back home, as what frequently happens in movies. I did research on budget hotels and decided to stay at dorm-type inns. It doesn’t matter where we stay, as long as it is convenient to commute to and from the airport, as long as it is cheap and clean, as long as it is near museums and parks.

On February 28, right after work, my friend and I met at Magallanes MRT station and took a cab to NAIA Terminal 3. Once inside, we talked about our itinerary. We arrived there early and while waiting for boarding time, planned our day 1 schedule. During the flight, we took our much-needed sleep after winning netbook sleeves from Cebu Pacific for correctly answering trivia questions. (During my Hong Kong trip last February I also won two bagtags.)

One funny incident left us laughing at our stupidity. Before we boarded the plane, already past the boarding time, we saw some French running to our assigned gate. We laughed at them wondering what if they missed their flight. It turned out WE almost missed our flight had my friend not checked the time. We ran like crazy, like the French we laughed at just minutes ago. It turned out we hanged out near the wrong gate! Inside the plane, we burst out laughing, telling ourselves what an adventure it was! And so I learned an important lesson: Always wait at the correct gate.

It was past midnight when we got to Ho Chih Minh airport. Instead of hailing a cab to take us to the city center, we decided to spend the wee hours of the morning at the airport and slept on the benches overlooking the well-lit city below. Cool breeze turned into chilly wind after a few hours, rousing us from sleep and prodding us to put on our jackets.

At 6:30am we took the bus to ben Thanh Market. From there, we began our exploration. We only had a tourist map in hand in search of Pham Ngu Lao Street which is reputed to have backpackers’ lodges and cheap hotels. On the way, with stomachs grumbling, we paid heed to street food and had a bowl of pho bo each to give us strength for walking in case we get lost.

We were assisted by a cute young man who works at the Japanese embassy. Since we do not know Vietnamese and were armed with English only, we had a hard time talking to the vendor who did not understand English. This young man, named Ngsii (if I got the spelling right), was like a knight in shining armor to us two damsels in distress. And we both agreed that he is cute.

Pho bo (beef noodles) sold in the streets near Ben Thanh Market, 30,000 VND

While in search of a cheap hotel, we met another cute young man named Han Tu. He’s a friendly fellow we near Bui Vien Street. He told us where cheap inns can be found, certainly a godsend. We then found Thai Nhi Hotel which charges 12 USD a night for a room on the 4^th floor. That’s 6 USD per person and so we took the offer. The room has a small TV with cable, a fridge, and clean bathroom. Beds and pillows are not as comfy but it’s definitely better than sleeping on hard benches in the open. The owners are a bit friendly, so unlike the reviews in TripAdvisor and Travelfish I read when I got back to Manila. But maybe I can owe that to the fact that the owner’s sister works at Taiwan and I look like Chinese and almost spoke to her in Mandarin. And I am glad I read the reviews after the trip, otherwise we wouldn’t want to stay there, cheap it may be.

Day 1 of our Vietnam trip was spent exploring the streets in District 1 and visiting museums, parks, coffee shops, and bookshops. We were unfortunate to have encountered a scammer bicycle rickshaw who demanded that my friend and I pay 1,000,000 VND each for 2 hours’ service. We were shocked because initially they asked for only 15,000 VND. I guess at the onset we should have had our suspicions. In fact, I found the initial rate unusually low so I kept on asking if it’s really 15,000 VND and the driver repeatedly said yes. We should have known that something was amiss right then and there.

Beware of bicycle rickshaw scammers like this one. I interviewed  legit ones and they wear white uniforms.

What we visited/ saw:

1. War Remnants Museum (15,000 VND)

2. Zoo and Botanical Gardens (8,000 VND)

3. History Museum (15,000 VND, pay extra 32,000 VND to be able to take pictures inside)

4. Museum of Ho Chih Minh Campaign (15,000 VND)

5. Notre Dame Cathedral (we attended mass in Vietnamese)

6. Saigon Central Post Office (free)

7. Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre (150,000 VND)

Day 2 was the day we toured the Mekong River. We booked the tour from the agency just across our hotel. I think it’s the cheapest in the area. We randomly asked around and it was the cheapest we found at just USD 8. After the tour, we shopped at Ben Thanh market and Saigon Square.

A woman paddling for tourists in the Mekong River.

Day 3 we did the Cu Chi Tunnel tour which we booked at the same travel agency as the Mekong River Tour. It was amazing how they created the complex tunnel system which reflects the tenacity of the human spirit to defend themselves from foreign aggression. We experienced just 100 meters of this more than 200 km system and yet we were easily exhausted. It is hard to imagine how the Vietnamese people were able to live underground for years. And for this, I developed a great deal of respect for them.

Before the tunnel tour, visitors will have to listen to an interesting lecture of the system

After the Cu Chi Tunnel tour, we asked to be dropped at the Reunification Palace. Inside the four-storied French-styled palace are conserved rooms, halls, and  even vintage items like telephones, kitchen equipment, etc. 

Reunification Palace (Dinh Thống Nhất), also known as Independence Palace 

For the food we tried, please click HERE.

Detailed blog entries to follow. :)

At present, I am reading more on the history of Vietnam.

Why I Love Celine

Everytime I need to buy shoes, there's always one store I never fail to check out first, and that is Celine (or CLN). Since I'm the type who considers price, comfort, and durability, I am very selective when it comes to shoes. While other shoe brands have wonderful designs (chic and sexy), I never give a thought to them because either they are heavy on the pocket, or they simply are hostile to my poor feet.

A few years back, I became a fan of Celine when an aunt recommended the brand to me. Back then I would always complain about durable shoes being overly expensive (like my other favorites Gibi and Hush Puppies) and so when I saw how she had only nice words to say about Celine shoes, I decided to give it a chance.

My first purchases were all wedges since Celine has lots of those. Then years later I bought heels which I must say, are a treat to my feet. I thought to myself, wow, feet not murdered! (I have become wary of heels because most are deadly.) What I love most about Celine is that the price is right, the shoes are lovely to look at aside from being comfy and durable. I became a fan and passed the addiction to my sisters who also thought highly of Celine. And so whenever we go shopping we would always visit Celine.

Then again, something happened last week and it made me love Celine all the more. I was with my sister at SM North EDSA. I bought a bag, she bought two pairs of shoes. While there I forgot my long umbrella which I bought just last month. It was only when we were about to leave the mall when I suddenly realized I left my umbrella somewhere.

I retraced my steps, going first to SM Department Store where we spent a considerable time. It wasn't helpful of course, as I was referred to many service desks. Yes, the sales people I have asked for info on lost and found pointed me to the wrong places and I still am furious about it because I ran like mad hoping to find my umbrella ASAP.

Then I thought to going back to Celine. I asked the sales lady who assisted my sister and me if she noticed my umbrella and went on to describe the lost object. She told me to wait, went to the stock room and produced my beloved umbrella! I really jumped for joy!

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(Just why can't I just buy another umbrella? Umbrellas are pretty sacred to me. Being a constant companion wherever I go, I'd hate the idea of not doing anything to find MY umbrella.)