GrabTaxi in Manila

Having read a series of unfortunate experiences posted on Facebook from lady commuters, it made me a lot skeptical to take a cab alone especially at night. It's really frustrating that regardless if you pay a higher cost for your fare, being you as the only passenger seated with your own driver for that trip, security is still not guaranteed. Good for you if only taking a less than 30 minute trip, otherwise, all you can do is to inform someone about your cab details, pray and hope that in good faith, the person behind the steering wheel is reliable.



You can imagine how thankful I am and maybe the rest of the commuters who's already used Grab Taxi, a smartphone application that enables taxi booking and dispatching service. First thing to do is to download this application on your iOS or Android phones. You will be asked to create a user profile with a valid email address and mobile number. You will also be needing an LTE/3G/WIFI access to use this app and Location Services (phone GPS) must be on.




On my way to the Blogapalooza event, I got my first-hand experience of this application. On the main menu, I tapped Book Taxi and entered from and to details, as easy as that! The application will then locate the closest Grab Taxi driver who is interested to take my booking. In less than a minute, 1 driver accepted and his details appeared on the screen. That's a speedy and transparent booking!



The driver, who is not a stranger anymore since I now have his name, arrived in front of our gate in 5 minutes. Rain or shine, we could just wait comfortably inside our homes.



As soon as my booking was completed and accepted, I also received an SMS that a booking fee of Php70 will be charged on top of my fare. That is reasonable for me because the cab meter will only start as soon as I hopped in. Currently, Globe users can enjoy a Php20 discount from the booking fee.

I find the Grab Taxi application highly efficient and organized. It helped regain my trust taking a cab again because I know someone is ensuring the passenger's safety. I also noticed that most cabs affiliated have better units, this is my primary concern because I try to avoid LPG users.



It was 7pm when hubby and I decided to go home, I am certain that taxi bay will already have longer queues. I was very happy with my first Grab Taxi experience and asked him to try and see if it works well even on rush hours. So we booked before reaching the mall exit.

I got confused at first. As you see from above photo, the driver is only 1.8 KM away from me so that should take him a little less than 5 minutes to get there.



Then all of a sudden, he is now 8 minutes away from me. I just let it pass since the countdown is moving anyway but when it was down to 5 minutes, it jumped back to 8 minutes again! Why???

Little did we know, the driver passed the taxi bay area three times and we did not see him! OMG. The mall security even shooed him away, disallowing him to wait for his passenger. I felt really bad for driver and thanked him for not cancelling my booking during this rush hour.
Halfway to our destination, the Grab Taxi representative from the Blogapalooza event called the driver that I am exempted from the booking fee (and that they will be the one to pay for it on my behalf). Btw, my cab fare that morning was also refunded. Double thank you guys!
But since our driver was really kind and drove us safely home, I decided to still pay the extra amount. A kind gesture should always be returned with another kind gesture, syempre.

To those who are not smartphone users, you can still book a taxi by calling (02) 642-3525; 641-4532; 640-2318; or txt 0939-1533495; 0927-8384833 for pickups. In case any problems occur, we can email Grab Taxi at support.mnl@grabtaxi.com to further investigate.

Grab Taxi
https://www.facebook.com/grabtaxi.ph


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Mentoré by UCC

Finally, I was able to set foot at the newest mall in Fort BGC, SM Aura. Allow me to congratulate my hubby who took part in the construction of the said mall. Though he would always say "konti lang naman ginawa namin dyan" (we only did a few), still I'm a proud wifey and will always be his number two fan in all his achievements. Number one now is of course my cutie patootie. :-)

Anyway, after checking out my favorite stores and a little shopping here and there, the hubby asked if I could wait for him all the way from Makati. I passed by Mentoré several times prior his call so I've thought of taking a seat at their al fresco area and relax a bit while waiting. This is right across Forever 21 and Uniqlo located at the 2nd floor.

It was almost a Saturday rush hour so the main streets have started to get busier. This is probably why some netizens raised their brows upon hearing that an SM Mall is to be constructed. It now showed how it fairly affected the bulk of vehicles passing by.

 

But I couldn't care less yet. After all, I'm enjoying the beautiful overlooking view of Serendra and the weather was perfect. Somehow, at the back of my mind, I wondered how does it feel to live in this kind of place, and how much you should be earning to afford a bare studio type pad. But since I wanted to relax and avoid over-thinking, I turned my attention to the menu. I wasn't even hungry at that hour.

 

I ordered Clair Mango for Php200. Clair by the way is a soft and waffle-like kind of crepe. This one was topped with raspberries, kiwi fruit, mango, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. You can slice the clair in 4 equal parts then wrap the toppings with it together with the ice cream and whipped cream. I find it okay, unique in a way because it was my first time to try it but nothing really to rave about. Or maybe I just prefer the commonly known crepes that we have. If there's one thing that registered to me, that would be chewing the luscious raspberries.

 

But then, that was just one item from the huge and new variety they offer. Mentoré is a coffee shop + bar, so they house a lot of brewed/blended coffee and food items that are not offered in some other UCC shops. Plus, there's a mini golf putting area. There was no one playing though at that time. I think you only need to purchase a required amount to play. More reasons to give a second visit and try their house blends.

 

Mentoré by UCC
2/F SM Aura Premier
26th St. cor. Carlos P. Garcia Ave.,
Taguig City

Pandora’s Winter Collection 2013

As mentioned on my post few months ago, Pandora landed on my top three birthday wish list. I'm still holding on to owning a charm bracelet in the future and what made it more exciting is to find out the winter collection they have in time for Christmas bonus! So to my generous gentlemen readers, do drop by at any Pandora stores and consider their jewellery as a surprise gift for your one and only. :-)

b
Christmas is the time for the things shiny – whether it’s the soft glisten of ornaments on the tree or the sparkle in children’s eyes when they see their first presents – there’s no denying the happiness these shining moments bring. And what better way is there to honor these moments other than to create a memory that will last for years to come?

Blogapalooza 2013 Event

Being a part of this event is such an honor. This blog, which was originally intended to be a personal blog, opened so many doors for me. Though I still want it to have a personal feel by posting my random thought bubbles, I'm humbled that my simple yet honest to goodness reviews fell into the category "most viewed". Please don't get me wrong, this newbie Mommy blogger is just happy because what I've written have somehow reached my intended readers. For that, I thank you all for supporting this blog.

Go Nuts Donuts: Celebrating 10 Years of Delicious Creations

 

Go Nuts Donuts celebrated its 10th anniversary in the business. To celebrate this milestone, latest products were launched such as the Anniversary Donuts, CroNuts, GND Spreads, and Twists & Brittle.

  

Being in the industry for ten years is definitely a tough journey. And to keep up in the market, they also introduced their CroNuts in 6 delicious flavors such as Sugar Coated, Chocolate Almond, Peaches and Cream, Strawberry Jam, Apple Cinnamon and Blueberry Cream Cheese. I'm telling you, they're huge cronuts and very filling! I personally loved the Chocolate Almond, yummiest til the very last bite!

 

Truly a melt-in-your-mouth masterpiece. Served with love, delivered with satisfaction.

 

Ten new donut flavors were also introduced: Strawberry Sunshine, Green Tea, Peanut Butter Caramel, Chocolate Mint, Hazelnut Crunch, Mocha Lite, Smores, Sea Salt Caramel, White Chocolate Claze Lite and Lemon Curd. 

 

S'mores and Green Tea were my top two favorites! With the right amount of sweetness and distinct taste, I'm sure this will be a hit to consumers.

 

And since there is an ongoing craze on chocolate and peanut butter spreads, Go Nuts Donuts also innovated the GND Spreads. They have Cookie Butter Creamy, Cookie Butter Crunchy, Choco Cookie Butter Creamy, Choco Cookie Butter Crunchy and Choco Hazelnut. A spoonful of goodness will take us back to childhood!

 

Sugar Twists and Brownie Brittle

 

In line with the celebration, Go Nuts Donuts will rollback their prices from how much they were ten years ago. That's Php15 each from Novermber 8 - 17, 2013.
There will also be daily raffle prizes to be given away. Social media fans of Go Nuts Donuts will get a chance to win prizes from Bioessence, Dermcare, Calayan Secrets, Enchanted Kingdom, Manila Ocean Park, Bangs by Tony and Jackey, Nail Spa, Posh Nails, Simmian Manila and David's Salon!
All you need to do is to participate in their #TwitterTuesday, #WackyWednesdays, #ThrowbackThursdays, and #FacebookFridays promos!

For more details on #celebrating10yearsofdeliciouscreations, stay connected with Go Nuts Donuts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Also on November 18, all profits from their sales will go to the victims of typhoon Yolanda.

How To Help Yolanda Victims

I know how Filipinos are defined as the most resilient people. We've been through major catastrophes in the span of one decade. And all those years when I wanted to extend our pledge or donations - Philippine Red Cross has been the most convenient option for me. All you need is your mobile phone and sufficient prepaid or postpaid credits. We may be busy with our everyday lives that may hinder us from volunteering or giving first-hand rescue so this is a good way to keep up. As I've said on my FB post - "kahit maliit basta galing sa puso". 

The death toll is increasing rapidly and truly heartbreaking to watch the news every night. Our help is needed, big or small. Please, let us not turn deaf to our brothers who are in dire need. 

It's actually overwhelming to know people from around the world come at peace to give medical assistance and financial support. There is after all a reason to believe in humanity. 

A quick recovery from the aftermath and trauma may be distant at the moment, but if all the resources are handed equally down to the smallest units, I'm sure our brothers can start moving on and build new lives again.

"In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” - Acts 20:35

Yolanda / Haiyan

As I am writing this post, GMA News is running on TV. It is agonizing to see our fellow countrymen suffering from this year's world's strongest typhoon, especially to the kids who are rescued and transferred to evacuation centers. It's really sad seeing their situation and I hope our government can do more by putting our funds to proper use this time. Of course, I can only hope.

Anyway, I came home early today, glad our work deadlines were completed before weekend, so I am free to leave after lunch. Hubby is still on his way home and we are now experiencing heavy rains. It seems like we need to endure this weather overnight. Meanwhile, I'm sharing you this picture of "disaster preparedness kit". Grab those first aid kid too before it's too late. Praying for everyone's safety. Praying for Philippines.

photo credits to https://www.facebook.com/gmanews

Yabu: House of Katsu Part 2

 

Two years have passed yet the katsu hype in me has never diminished. There were a number of attempts to dine here but if you pass by at exactly lunch or dinner time, you should be willing to wait for the next available seat. Unfortunately, the hubby isn't always willing to waste few minutes of his time so most likely than not, we just turn our backs and hope the next visit isn't as crowded. But today is a different story.

I was still paying for Daphne's wardrobe in preparation for a friend's wedding this month when I suggested that we dine at Yabu. Surprisingly, there was no hint of disagreement this time. It was probably quarter past two when we set foot at the waiting area. The courteous staff immediately asked which table do we prefer. For a better dining experience, I opted to be seated inside so at the same time I'd be able to check if there were changes on the fixtures. It was still the same pleasant vibe inside and I'm glad it wasn't as rowdy compared to other Japanese restos when a new customer comes in, if you know what I mean.

After checking out the menu, I was served right away with two bowls of sesame seeds. This is one of the few unique things I've experienced during our first visit. To those who are not familiar, you have to pound these sesame seeds using the wood pestle. You then mix it with the special katsu sauce that is sweet and tangy. Two scoops usually work well with me as I don't really want my katsu slathered in too much sauce. My daughter was also handed with crayons and a coloring paper with Manga characters drawn on it. That kept her busy for a while and gave me ample time to enjoy pounding my sesame seeds. 

 

It took nearly 15 minutes when our orders came. This time I tried their seafood katsu set - Cream Dory Katsu 120g for P335. It also came with a tartar sauce, Japanese pickles, bowl of miso soup and fruits, unlimited rice and cabbages! Isn't that a good deal? 

 

My cream dory katsu was divine! It looked very crispy from the outside but has the usual soft, white fish meat. It wasn't soggy but the fillet is soft enough not to crumble into pieces using your chopsticks. I blended a small amount of wasabi in my tartar sauce and my katsu tasted extremely mouth watering! And since I'm eating fish, the biggest serving doesn't seem to be that sinful. The sticky rice I can manage to skip. While the unli cabbage with unli dressing was surely a hit! I got mine refilled. Ha ha! 

 

Hubby got Rosu Special Katsudon for P330. To me, it looked like a thick sliced meat cut from tender pork loins. He loves pork above all other types of meat, but this time, he gave a good score on the cream dory. 

 

As you can see, the left arm of a mother is never still when her child is beside her. And because I surely enjoyed what my husband claimed a tummy-filling second Yabu experience, a third visit is a must. I also hope by that time my daughter will explore more outside her favorite fast food meals. We had to buy a different food just so she can eat with us too. The kiddie chicken katsu set can be a good start. 

May we all have a sweet start of November! :-)

Yabu House of Katsu
2nd Level, Mega Atrium, SM Megamall,
EDSA corner Julia Vargas Ave., Mandaluyong City