Haha Praha

Miss International 2008 4th Runner-up Zuzana Putnářová of Czech Republic was one of my favorite bus buddies.  I can't find her on Facebook so I can't really say we've managed to maintain the friendship through the years but she was an awesome representative of her country.  In less than three weeks at the time when there were only a handful of tourists in her city, she managed to pique my interest about Prague and how the European Union has affected her people and their economy.  

At that time I've never been to Europe and the best I could do was savour whatever story I could dish from my new blonde friends over breakfast while trying to remember as much as I could from 3rd year HS World History. Miss Venezuela said I looked exotic among the Barbie Dolls and she took pictures with us whenever she could to get more fans. 

But for me my admiration for the European culture was genuine; I watched how they could pack all their things and electronics oh so efficiently in their smart bags.  I watched them do their light makeup. Most of the European girls were well-travelled and sophisticated.  It seemed common for them to be fluent in at least 4 or 5 languages. Zuzana was fluent in 6; she spoke English with a flair and even Miss Poland loved her accent. (Miss Italy & Miss Peru were fluent in 8 or 10 languages but that's an entirely different blog post. haha) During our pageant she was an Erasmus Mundus scholar and she couldn't attend the events after the pageant because she had several deadlines to meet to finish her masters program.  

Zuzana mused about the castle-like buildings, the mysterious churches, the awesome chandeliers, their music, the affordable hard drinks and softdrinks in her city (I discovered during my stay with them in Japan that some Europeans refer to juice and other non-alcoholic beverages as "softdrinks" and they requested me to explain this to a Japanese waiter and our chaperones with my broken Japanese.  They also told me about their love for sparkling water & why they feel it is safer and more fun to drink than still).  My heart ached somehow and wished that someday I could take my kids to Prague so I could see all what she described in such detail.

Softdrink: Virgin Mojito on board the Prague River Cruise

Thank God (and my in-laws! :)) my wish came true a decade after!  Although hubby says it was less touristy five years ago (he managed to go there first in one of his seminars hmph!haha), it's still as magnificent as its splendid reputation. The historical buildings are well-kept and painted in subtle creams and pastels; and the summer heat only becomes bearable when you remind yourself constantly that you get better pictures of their architectural marvels when it's high and bright. Tiis ganda haha

We visited Plzen and tasted their local beer.  Our kids joined us for the Pilsner Urquell factory tour but we were all on equal ground in terms of understanding the tour guide as the tour we managed to book last minute was in Czech.  We just availed of the English tour pamphlet at the ticketing office.  Leji said the barrel storage cave with ice is awesome and she liked the sweet scent of barley.  Too bad photos were restricted within the grounds.

My daughter had fun taking photos with the cultural dancers in dirndls in their outdoor garden after our tour. It was filled with huge flowers in different colors.  Guests were free to stay chomping on pretzels and sausages with their beer, of course.

summer strollin' in the city

They usually charge each time tourists use the toilet but you could go pee for free if you eat/drink in the establishment.  I should have brought my coin purse (I forgot to pack a lot of things because I was sick in bed due to toothache and fever the day before our long haul flight. ugh) :/ I dunno if I just got lost in translation but some churches/buildings don't seem to have public toilets in them.  When I ask for information, some of them shooed me away saying: "I don't speak English."

They only offer the option for customers to eat inside when it's dinnertime.  When the sun is scorching hot, you have no option other than look for a shady tree.  Their local beer is too bitter for me; I like their fragrant, floral & fruity "softdrinks."  Czech Italian food was ok but a little too pricey for its quality.  Based on our brief trip, I think Slovenian Italian food is much better :p Wurst and beef goulash is better in Germany.  Cruise food is better in Hungary.  I dunno where to go for more affordable good food in Czech Republic.  But I still hope to go back with my kids when they're a little older; the buildings are definitely worth seeing again.

Whew! Castle watching while searching for a washroom

It's a blessing the Snap N'Go we borrowed from the
Ostreas have big wheels; cool for cobblestones :)

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Calming Korean Layover

Now that we're now hooked on Mr. Sunshine on Netflix I suddenly miss Korea.  I wish we could fly to Jeju Island next time.

We had a brief tour of Seoul during our Asiana layover last April.  It was one of the free tours you can book at the airport while in transit.  Incidentally, our visit also fell on the last Wednesday of the month so we all managed to get in for free even if we didn't have time to rent hanboks.

We managed to book free showers at the airport so we toured feeling fresh all day!

We hopped off the bus around lunchtime so it wasn't too cold when we toured the grounds. If I'm not mistaken, this was where they shot most of Jumong, Jewel in the Palace, Queen Seondeok, Huwang Jin Yi and other historical dramas that became popular in Manila.  We were amused with the crunchy sand surrounding the palace; it's the actual sound effect they use in K-dramas! :p It was so surreal.

Built in 1395, Gyeongbokgung Palace is also commonly referred to as the Northern Palace because its location is furthest north when compared to the neighboring palaces of Changdeokgung (Eastern Palace) and Gyeonghuigung (Western Palace) Palace. They say Gyeongbokgung Palace is arguably the most beautiful, and remains the largest of all five palaces.   It has sprawling gardens and fine trees.  

Too bad we didn't have enough time to tour the entire complex. There were some areas where we had to carry our strollers while climbing the stairs.  Leon is too heavy not to put in a stroller in such a huge complex! My hips and lower back hurt when I put him in a baby carrier. Thank God our Apruva is lightweight haha! Our funny tour guide Edward said we could stay longer but we would have to go back to Incheon on our own without lunch if ever.

Edward recommended authentic bulgogi and bibimbap for lunch.  We enjoyed the beef more than the vegetable variant.  We were so hungry at that time I forgot to take pictures of the name of the restaurant.  We had to pass thru several narrow side streets and the strollers couldn't fit in the restaurant but it was worth it.  The beef was sweet and flavorful & their kimchi was really good!

        

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Excited for Mutya Gold

Spirits sparkling like Swarovskies:
Lorraine Erum, yours truly, Kirby Basken, Vera Reiter & April Love Jordan

I'm excited for Mutya ng Pilipinas' 50th Anniversary.  It sure is fun to reunite with my sisters and reminisce the fun times (pre social media era haha!)  Too bad my great buddies Vera Reiter and Kat Rigets can't come home because they are both in their third trimester of pregnancy abroad; but I'm very much looking forward to having playdates with them soon :))

Mutya was the first national pageant I joined.  It's a funny story how I got in: I needed quality respondents for my college thesis.  I didn't get in Bb Pilipinas the year I wanted to graduate; I was too amature. So I fasted and prayed to all my favorite saints (St. Therese of Liseux, St. Paul of Tarsus & St. Jude Thaddeus) that I wouldn't embarrass myself too much so my professors wouldn't be ashamed to say I was one of their students.  Thankfully, Mama Renee, Kuya Rodgil, Ma'am Villy (God bless her soul in heaven) and UPSA led by the super awesome Kuya Ed were super supportive. I also had a boyfriend who could layout cool tarps (he practiced with colored cartolina) and organize my friends so they could boost my weary spirit. He's the best; I married him a decade after.

It was a really fun and relaxed pageant. Diamond Hotel was our home for almost a month!  The breakfast spreads were heavenly; thank heavens my metabolism was much faster when I was younger! haha.  It was so memorable ravaging the buffet with my foodie buddies Arfie Koc and Vera Reiter.  April Love Jordan lent some of her outfits from Mama Jonti Martinez & we adjusted the size with belts and pins.

My batch was fond of doing group hugs/huddles.  The best singers (including me! weeh!) got to record our own batch song/ opening number in an actual studio. We had a real vacation in Subic which lasted for several days & the videographers really captured genuine fun in the sun, sea & fields! But I think they forgot to handout the free sunblock when we were at the beach (thank you still, Coppertone!) & I got really tanned after.  The natural tan made my boobs appear bigger and my legs longer! It was truly a miracle from God; it made me "Best in Swimsuit".

Aside from the cash, crown & fun, I also bagged shoes from Rusty Lopez, photos from the great Ross Capili, a year's supply of Stresstabs, and a deep pore facial from Calayan :p Bobson Jeans sponsored my casual outfits and Mama Renee glammed me up for all my formal events after.  Thank you, Lord!

Such happy times :) I'm really looking forward to celebrate Mutya Gold with family this year.

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Awesome Austria

Thank God, our dear toddler now knows how to turn the TV and electric fan on and off in the family room.  She can also wipe off her Crayola marker art on the mat and play fence when she wants to clean up.  She helps me baby proof her brother's play area and knows how to relate what she's seeing on TV to what she has experienced in the past. She still has to work on controlling her temper and being consistent, but who isn't having trouble with that?

At home we try to process what we have seen in our recent travels and try to recall as much as we can like how students come up with "what did I do/learn last summer" essays when they start the school year.  We wear our souvenir shirts at home to trigger storytelling for my toddler and appreciation of colors and shapes for her baby brother.  Their favorite picture book at the moment is that about the tragic Austrian Queen Sisi.  Leji thinks she looks a lot like Mommy (haha!) and tries to copy her lipcolor with either cake frosting or lipbalm while constantly peering into a tiny mirror locket with Queen Sisi's face on it.

My kids loved Vienna's relaxed summer vibe; it was very memorable for them. The community is über kid-friendly and I dunno why but everything just seemed to taste better there (even their rice and tap water had some sort of sweetness :p).  It was quite common to see independent toddlers and barefoot babies in the playground, their blond parents wearing white and light clothing pushing huge-wheeled strollers --perfect for the sprawling gardens and ancient cobblestones.

One morning, we saw a gorgeous lady (her hair was so nice) quietly coming down unassisted from a bus with a baby cart and two well-behaved toddlers in tow. It was so amazing; it like watching a breezy Carefree ad. Their buses are efficient and well-designed, even people with disabilities could roll and ride without worry through a special door. 

Public transport was cool but it was quite a pain for hubby to look for convenient parking space for our family van.  Parking is limited in this city and not all parking slots can accommodate tall vehicles. We had a slot reserved by Hotel Mocca (where we stayed) but it was still quite a walk to get to the parking area.

Leji admired the books and funky furniture in our boutique hotel. She enjoyed shopping in the convenience stores for cookies and milk. Despite not having aircon, she exclaimed: "Oh, I think our holiday is quite lovely!" Thank you, Peppa Pig.

Leon couldn't help but agree with her.  In this city, Leon learned how to sit more confidently in high chairs and reach for more stuff while eating solids.  The wooden chairs in our hotel were conveniently ergonomic.

Beer was served more often than still water and Leji got to pretend she was drinking beer too.  She kept ordering aplesaft to help her gulp down all the food!

"Good for 2" Whew!

 As for me, I was just giddy with all the greenery.

Leji and I spent quite some time chasing each other in Schonbrunn.  She looked so cute in her pink Dirndl. Thank you Lola Berna for sponsoring her outfit & Lolo Edsel for showing us around the city!

The Schonbrunn Rose Garden smells like Channel No. 5.  I was sort of expecting Sleeping Beauty to pop out of nowhere haha.  Everything was just overwhelmingly romantic.  Wish we could come back again in the future.

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