Czarina Gizelle: Life

Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts

As Filipinos, the holiday season kicks off as early as September. It is a time of festivities, parties, and wonderful reunions with family and friends. In these times, keeping up a consistent gym schedule can be tough. Fortunately, the Taiwan Excellence is introducing its state-of-the-art exercise equipment to tone and buff up during this frenetic time.

Burn the unwanted calories from that leche flan with the Johnson Health Tech. Co., Ltd.'s Upright Bike-Matrix U50. It has a Comfort Arc Seat that is designed to provide comfort while regulating perspiration, improving calves and hamstrings, and strengthening abdominals.

This sophisticated stationary bicycle has an ergonomic design, and provides an easy step-through access. It also has an Exact Force feature to let fitness enthusiasts adjust the resistance of the pedal depending on his stamina.

If you would rather look for adventure outside, the Tern Taiwan Ltd.'s Verge X20 is worth checking out. This portable bike can be easily folded as it weighs only 9.9 kilograms. Moreover, the Verge X20 makes biking more exciting as it is equipped with Kinetic Pro X wheels. This rubber hoop can strengthen muscles and improve aerodynamics to make you go faster. It also helps condition your metabolic rate.

Fitness fanatics can couple these bicycles with Unite Creative Design Co., Ltd.'s Compression seamless bike sports pants. Compared to others, this innovative

elastic apparel is made with environmental friendly materials. Aside from providing protection, it also helps on reducing blood pressure and improve heart rhythm.

Finish your look off with sports goggles. First Rank Co., Ltd. offers JET-S58, a stylish set that has a double-coating technology that enhances the durability of anti-fog performance. This helps users see when swimming, and guard eyes from water or chemicals.

While it is great to celebrate Christmas, it also important to tone up and improve endurance. Say goodbye to holiday weight and take home these smart, functional, and stylish products for a stronger physical health. These innovations are carefully evaluated and sealed by TAITRA with the guidance from the Bureau of Foreign Trade to promote Taiwan's revolutionary products.

For more information about its accredited products, visit www.taiwanexcellence.org or like Taiwan Excellence on Facebook.

Leading telecommunications from Globe Telecom and The Walt Disney Company, Philippines, announced a major collaboration to promote volunteerism among Filipinos.

The two companies partnered to launch “Time Please,” a nationwide volunteering program that encourages and empowers Filipinos including companies, organizations, employees, families, and friends to provide volunteer activities or participate in existing volunteer programs. Time Please supports the telco’s commitment to nine (9) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and appeals to the Filipino strong culture of volunteerism rooted in the bayanihan spirit to collectively contribute to social development.

Through the volunteer matching portal www.timeplease.ph, developed with Globe Future Maker iVolunteer Philippines and the volunteer portal of Gawad Kalinga, Time Please strives to match individuals or groups of volunteers with various volunteering opportunities around the country. Companies, organizations or groups with existing volunteer programs can also enlist their volunteer activities in the platform and get their volunteer hours registered in this initiative.

“We look at Time Please to extend Globe Telecom’s purpose-led culture to our customers. With the help of technology, we wish to make volunteering more accessible to many Filipinos, thereby, making it easier for our partners and customers to contribute to nation building,” said Ernest Cu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Globe Telecom.

“Disney VoluntEARS are committed to supporting and inspiring communities by dedicating our time and skills to help kids and families in need. Time Please is a unique platform that allows kids and families to spend meaningful time together for social good,” shared Veronica Cabalinan, Country Manager of The Walt Disney Company, Philippines. “We believe that it is our collective responsibility to be at the service of the community where we live.”

Globally, the Philippines ranked 7th for the highest number of people volunteering their time with 25 million Filipinos volunteering in 2016 (Charities Aid Foundation [CAF] World Giving Index 2017). Volunteer activities are mobilized by various sectors, such as non-government organizations (NGOs), government agencies, companies usually through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) departments or corporate foundations, the academe via school activities such as Brigada Eskwela, and the private sector.

Time Please provides a robust menu of volunteering activities and unites the volunteering ecosystem by connecting the volunteers to volunteer organizations using a simple, convenient and easy to understand web platform. Through any device with online access, individuals from all regions in the Philippines can now sign up for free and form groups to join volunteer activities enrolled in Time Please.

Time Please will run from May 25 to August 19, 2018 and is open to individuals willing and capable to do volunteer work. Each group should have a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of four (4) individuals to be able to join. The group should also nominate a Team Leader who is at least 18 years of age with an active Globe or TM number to register the group.

The group with the most number of volunteer hour credits at the end of the program will win an all-expense paid trip for 4 to Hong Kong Disneyland.

Globe customers, partners, and other organizations are invited to register and volunteer at www.timeplease.ph and at the volunteer portal of Gawad Kalinga.

For more information, please contact:

Yoly C. Crisanto

SVP, Corporate Communications

Globe Telecom, Inc.

Email Address: gtcorpcomm@globe.com.ph

Globe Press Room: http://newsroom.globe.com.ph/

Twitter: @talk2GLOBE │ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/globeph

Deciding what to do and where to go when traveling can be overwhelming. When you go online, numerous results appear and it just adds more on your list. I have prepared a list of the places we visited, to help you narrow down your (possibly) long list of destinations in Taipei, Taiwan.

Looking for an accommodation, is a tough job most especially when you have things to consider. One way that could help you finalize is short listing your choices, and take your best pick. For our trip, my colleagues and I decided to go Meander Hostel. I swear, we made the right choice. It may be a hostel, but they also have private rooms just in case you don't feel like sharing a room and bathroom with strangers. We booked two rooms, one for us girls that is good for 3pax and one for the boys that is for 2pax. The staff is really friendly, and the common area is very accommodating. On our last day while my friends were out doing their last minute shopping, I slept on the bean bag for 1-2 hours that's how chill the place is. Haha

We arrived at 1:15 AM in the Taoyuan National Airport and had a 30 minutes (more or less) cab ride going to Meander Hostel in Ximending. After settling in, we went to a convenience store to grab a snack before finally hitting the sack.

The next day, the sight seeing began.

Here are a few attractions that we got to see during our visit:

Taipei 101

No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City

With 1,671 ft, it is known to be the tallest building in the world from 2004-2010. The elevator also used to be the fastest in the world traveling at 60.6 km/h bringing the passengers from 84 floors in only 37 seconds (5th to 89th), where the visitors can have a 360-degree view of Taipei City.
In my opinion, I don't think it's worth paying Php 800+ pesos. Not only do you line up for (if your lucky) less than hour, but there's really nothing to do there except to check the scenery and have your photo taken. There's a souvenir shop too, but you can find something way cheaper than what they offer there - unless you like collecting souvenirs.

Hello My Name is Paul Smith Exhibit

No. 1, Section 1, Bade Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City

A design museum of the well known designer Paul Smith, that shows a recreation of his office, studio, inspirations, collections and design collaborations.
Marga and I wasn't really able to go here, because we chose to take ourselves out for an adventure (walking around with no definite destination). According to our friends who pushed through with the visit, it was fun, creative and intriguing at the same time.
They sell Paul Smith merchandise just in case you're interested, but don't expect it to be cheap.

Yehliu Geopark

No. 167-1, Gangdong Road, Wanli District, New Taipei City

Known for its amazing sea-erosion landscape where you can find the famous Queen's head and Dragon's Head Rock formations, that are named after their shapes. Walk along the honeycomb and mushroom rocks and have your photos taken here. This is a great place to take your OOTDs but when you do, be mindful of the red lines that you're not allowed to cross for safety measures.

Check the weather before visiting this location, as it can get really hot. There are no trees or shaded areas most especially in Honeycomb and in Mushroom Rock. It was 37 degrees when we visited Yehliu that we had to force ourselves to walk around. Bring water and an umbrella if possible.

Shifen Old Street

226, Taiwan, New Taipei City, Pingxi District

This is famous for the sky lanterns, wherein you can have your wishes be written on thin colored papers and let it fly. It is said that releasing sky lanterns is good luck, symbolizing your worries floating away. There are also a lot of souvenir shops and food stalls along the railway, where you can shop and grab a bite to eat. While you're in Shifen Old Street make sure you try the famous Peanut Ice Cream, as we weren't able to find it anywhere else.

Shifen Waterfalls

No.11, Gankeng, Pingxi District, New Taipei City

Being 66 feet tall and 130 feet wide, Shifen Waterfalls is the known to be broadest waterfall in Taiwan. It takes a 10-15 minute walk to reach the waterfalls from the entrance. There are also restaurants and seats going to the waterfall, just in case you want to relax and enjoy nature.

Jiufen

Jiufenjishan Street, Ruifang Dist., New Taipei City Taiwan

From what I learned, years ago only nine families lived in the area. Due to the unavailability of transportation, the only way for them to receive or restock goods is through ship deliveries which they normally order in nine portions. Jiufen is rich in history and culture, and it is also known for the narrow alleyways which inspired the Japanese animated film ‘Spirited Away’. If you want to appreciate it even more hit up Spirited Away as there are unique similarities from the film. One thing that flashes in my mind when I hear Jiufen, is the stairs. Do wear comfy shoes when going here, because there will be a lot of stairs and not much shops with chairs where you can rest. You need to keep moving so that you won't block anyone or cause traffic as it gets really crowded, given the narrow walkway.

Ximending

No. 127, Hanzhong Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City

We normally pass by here since it's the closest train station from where we stayed. There are a lot of shops, stalls and restaurants in the area but I recommend that you visit it in afternoon and night as most of the scattered food stalls open late. At night, go to the open area where the Ximending train station is located - random people do shows there, and we were glad that we witnessed a group of people performing inside a circle of crowd.

Lungshan Temple of Manka

No. 211, Guangzhou Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City

We had no temple visit included on our itinerary, but there were a couple that we saw walking along the streets of Taipei. When Marga and I decided to have our own adventure and left our friends (who were going to Paul Smith's exhibit) with an indefinite destination, we thought "Hey, why not visit a temple?". We thought of going to a couple of temples, without realizing that it's exhausting by foot haha! So went to one instead, which is Lungshan Temple.

It was our first time to see and visit a Buddhist temple, and I can't help but be amazed. There were a lot of people at that time, but it didn't seem crowded at all. A few (including Marga and myself) were tourists, while most are buddhists doing rituals and practices. It was purely enlightening. Before leaving, I made sure that I light up an incense, and that has to be my favorite part. It's a normal thing for my family and relatives, but doing the practice in a temple brought me so much spiritual joy.

Most of the tours and attractions can be found and booked online, you may check KKday and/or Klook. We booked our Northern Taiwan Day Tour (Yehliu, Shifen and Jiufen) with KKday, the best thing about it is that it's hassle free. You don't have to worry about exerting too much effort commuting and spending too much money, since you already have a bus (and a tour guide) that will take you to your destination of choice.

To see more of our trip, you may check geoffreview.com's vlogs here:

Day 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRcYmH0LLzU

Day 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9O_KUfH4Xc&t=53s

Day 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=331RsotrkSA

We were lucky enough that it didn't rain during our trip, but it's best to check the weather before booking your flight as it could get as hot as 37 degrees during August. A lot of people say that it gets drizzly to a point of a rain, make sure to pack an umbrella just in case.

We loved Taiwan, and we're looking forward to visiting again soon!

When you start working without a required uniform, there might be some pressure when it comes to not repeating clothes too often or at least in 1-2 weeks time. One must learn how to mix and match to avoid looking having only a few pair of clothes in their closet.
That's why when there are sales, it gets so tempting to purchase anything! Admit it, it's hard to resist when you pass by a store with a big red sign saying SALE. Besides if it's branded and you can get it for Php 800 from its original price that's Php 1,500, then it's already a great deal! That's what I always I tell myself to feel less guilty spending (or more like splurging).

A few weeks ago, my colleague Marga discovered this famous tiangge in Taytay that sells clothes cheaper than your wildest imaginations (even cheaper than Divisoria!). Imagine an (almost) ukay priced clothes but brand new. Yes, that's how cheap it is. We watched several vlogs about it and it made us more excited that we had to go there that same week.

To know more about Taytay Tiangge, just keep scrolling. For now, here are a few of the stuff that I got during our Taytay trip:

The schedules in Taytay Tiangge are very tricky, some say it opens at 8 PM - 2 PM, 5 AM - 7 AM. Initially we thought "Wow effort talaga!", until we realized the schedule always changes.
We decided to go for the 8 PM schedule, because it would be impossible for us to wake up at 3 or 4 AM just to shop somewhere that's at the other side of Metro Manila from where we reside.

Last Thursday, we left early just to beat the traffic and thought we could just relax somewhere within the area. We got there at 4:30 PM, and surprisingly some stalls were already open! There are a lot of tiangge areas, so make sure you know where you want to go and which one your standing on.

(Apologies for the low quality photos that you are about to see, as I only used my mobile phone to take photos.)

We wanted to visit Bagpi, My Seoul and Mayora.

I gave myself a Php 1,500 shopping budget not expecting so much, but to our surprise it was more than enough to buy yourself outfits for an entire week or two! Tops/blouses are as cheap as Php 35.00!

It took took us 4 hours to finish shopping. After finishing going around Bagpi, Mayora and My Seoul, we decided to head back to Bagpi to go back to the stalls we wanted to spend our last couple of bucks on.

Schedules as of September 2017:
My Seoul Tiangge
Monday - Tuesday - 5:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday - 5:00 PM - 12MN
Thursday - Friday - 5:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Saturday - 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday - 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Bagpi Garment Center
Monday - Tuesday - 8:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday - 5:00 PM - 12:00 MN
Thursday - Friday - 8:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Saturday - 5:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Mayora
Monday - Friday - Open the whole day
Saturday - Sunday - Closed

Tent
Monday - Tuesday - Open the whole day
Wednesday - Closed
Thursday - Sunday - Open the whole day

Here are a few points you need to consider when going to Taytay Tiangge:
1. Wear something casual and comfy. Stay as simple and as light as possible because it gets really hot.
2. Use a small bag that you can keep close to you. It can get really crowded and no one wants getting hit by someone else's bag.
3. Bring an ecobag where you can put all the stuff you'll be buying.
4. Don't bring too much valuables.
5. Always ask for the retail price, because they normally give you the wholesale price.
Wholesale - A few bucks cheaper than the retail price, but you need to get at least 3 of the same item (can be in different colors) to avail the discount.
6. Check the items for stains, holes and such just to make sure.

Overall, we are really happy with the experience - most especially with all our purchases. And we are looking forward to going back!

If you want to see our Taytay shopping trip, you may also watch Marga Banaga's blog here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIR8RJFDZcc

Thinking of visiting Taytay Tiangge?
Here is the address:
Manila E Rd, Taytay, Rizal, Philippines

Landmarks:
Beside Taytay Fire Brigade, Across McDonalds
Near Taytay Public Market and Club Manila East.

Remember back in 2003, when a Taiwanese novela aired in the Philippines and four men swept everyone off of their feet? Making us feel jealous of the lucky girl who had two good looking guys fall for her. Yes, I'm talking about F4 and Meteor Garden. Thanks to the Meteor Garden craze, a lot of people, including myself, wanted to visit Taiwan for two reasons, Meteor Garden and the chances of meeting F4. Haha! I mean, who didn't?

Fast forward to the present, a lot of people have been traveling to Taiwan, and it's not just about Meteor Garden this time. There are so many places to see, and so many food to try. If there's one thing I fell in love with in Taiwan, it definitely has something to do with food.

Sometime March of this year, my colleagues and I wanted to go out of the country for the first time together, we ended up choosing a country that none of us has visited before. That's how we decided to go to Taiwan.

If you are planning to visit Taiwan soon, and thinking of what food to to try, here is a list of the restaurants and places we visited that is worth the try:

Gudetama Chef

No. 12, Lane 236, Section 1, Dunhua South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City

Just in case you don't know, Gudetama is known to be the lazy Japanese egg yolk character, that thinks his life is almost unbearable. If you are looking for a restaurant with instagrammable food and interior, this is the place for you! They are quite costly though, but like normal themed restaurants, you don't go there for the amazing food. A reservation is highly recommended when visiting this restaurant, when you do, you need to pay 200 NT which is consumable on your visit.

The Original Din Tai Fung

No. 194, Section 2, Xinyi Road, Taipei City

Make sure to have your name listed as soon as you arrive. When we visited, we had to wait for 70 minutes to have our own table! Crazy, I know, but the food's authenticity is worth it! I highly recommend that you try their Chocolate Xiao Long Bao and the other flavors! Plus, no matter how busy the place gets, the staff is really accommodating.

Mala YuanYang Hot Pot

108, Taiwan, Taipei City, Wanhua District, Xining South Road, Taipei City

One of the best meals we've had! It's a shabu-shabu that serves high quality meat, with over 20 flavors of Haagen Dazs ice cream, a self service beverage station, that is all unlimited for 2 hours. Just make sure to reserve a table, as they get really really full most especially on peak hours.

Raohe Night Market

Raohe Street, Songshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 105

Your Taiwan trip won't be complete without a food night market! Going to a food night market is one of the must do's when visiting Taiwan. There are so many food to try, and it's cheaper than going to a restaurant. One of the best ways to make the most of your food night market trip, is to have people to share the food with. You will be able to try a lot without feeling full so fast and spending too much. Make sure to visit at least one during your trip. Raohe and Shilin Night Markets are said to be the best night markets in Taipei, but you can always explore the others!

Hot-Star Large Fried Chicken

No. 36, Hanzhong Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108

They are the #1 chicken shop in Taiwan that serves a large chicken that is as big as my face! Moist and tender on the inside, and deep fried on the outside. You may be familiar with Hot Star, as they already have a couple of franchise in Manila.

KFC

No. 108, Taiwan, Taipei City, Wanhua District, Taipei City

I recommend that you try their Egg Tart! It was the only one on the menu that wasn't available in the Philippines. Of course we had to try it, and I tell you, you will not regret it! The Wanhua branch was the closest to our hostel, but feel free to try other branches if you get to pass by one.

Most restaurants only have menus in Chinese or Taiwanese, but don't be shy to ask if they have an English menu available. If you want to be more prepared and do things on your own, you can just download Google Translate on your mobile phone, it's as easy as taking a photo of the text and voilà! It translates it to the language of your choice without any hassle.

Wherever you go, let the city surprise you, because not everything worth seeing and trying can be found online. There are a lot of hidden gems in the streets of Taipei. Try as many food as you can, and don't be too afraid to explore, because trying something new may just be the highlight of your trip.

featured Slider

Get in shape during the Holiday season with Taiwan Excellence Premium-Grade Gym Gear

Time Please: Sharing Acts of Kindness with Globe and Disney

Exploring Taipei, Taiwan