Check out this link for Z Hostel rates. Book now!

Last week, I asked friends who have solo traveled about what they didn't like about traveling alone. My colleague Vale answered it's the hostels. That while it's the cheaper choice, hostels can compromise a good night's sleep when traveling. 

Personally, I have no issues staying at stocky hostels. I do understand, however, that the hostel life is not for everyone. That, I had a firsthand experience of! On December 2013, Tonix and I fought over my decision to stay at a budget hostel in Singapore, priced at only $17-22 per day. We were staying for 10 days and the extra cost of staying in a hotel would tremendously add up and eventually cut my spending budget.

Then last month, due to a certain mixup, I stumbled into Z Hostel. They advertise themselves as a luxury hostel. I got curious as I've never stayed in one. Is this the answer to solo travelers looking for more comfort than usual? So for my birthday, I decided to do something different. There I was making last minute booking for a hostel staycation in Makati City. 

Getting There

Nested at the heart of Makati City, you will find the Z Hostel at 5660 Don Pedro Street, just near the corner of Kalayaan Avenue and P. Burgos Avenue.

[Google Maps link]

On foot
Makati is a very walkable city but if you're coming from Ayala Center, it would take around a 30-minute walk to get there.

From Ayala Avenue, walk towards Makati Avenue. Turn right on Makati Avenue and walk straight until you reach P. Burgos Avenue. Walk along P. Burgos until you reach Kalayaan Avenue. Then, turn right and walk until you see a Ministop at the corner of Don Pedro Street.

Via private vehicle/taxi
From Ayala Avenue, drive towards Makati Avenue. Turn right on Makati Avenue and drive until you reach Kalayaan Avenue. Drive until the second U-turn slot. Take the U-Turn and stop at the Ministop at the corner of Don Pedro Street. (For private vehicles/taxi, you can opt to have you dropped right in front of Z Hostel. Although it is a narrow street so I recommend you just walk the few meters.)

Via jeepney
Coming from the Ayala Center, there are jeepneys bound for J.P. Rizal Avenue. Ride this jeepney and get off at the corner of Kalayaan Avenue. From here, facing the direction of J.P. Rizal, turn right and walk towards Ministop.

When you reach Ministop, turn left and walk a few meters until you see the gray building with a huge letter Z written in front. You won't miss it!
The Lobby


They say don't judge a book by its cover and don't judge a hostel by its lobby. What if the lobby was this spacious? Well, it's definitely not the lobby I imagined it would be when I first came here. Most hostel lobbies, although charming, are cramped and really just a reception desk with a computer. This one, upon entering, tells you with a chalkboard signage that only good vibes are allowed inside. 


It's a big space with a couch, book exchange shelves, a monthly schedule of Z Hostel events and, of course, the reception desk. There are also quirky details like the sungka, a Filipino game played with hollowed out wood and shells, with the instruction manual on how to play them, Makati and BGC maps, and sometimes, if you're lucky, a pole, too!



And it's good to know that it wasn't all just display. Check-in was swift and hassle-free!

Fun fact: I do not own a comb.

With the exception of when I'm in a salon, my hair hasn't really been combed in years. It has been around three years since I last cared and gave time to my hair during morning preps, but who's counting. I may have already mastered the art of the sexy messy hair, all thanks to my laziness to maintain a proper hairdo!

Right now, my weekday hair routine goes like this:

1. Wash
2. Towel dry
3. Air dry while tousling hair with fingers
4. Tousle some more while in transit to the office

But when I suddenly need to be somewhere with little time to prep, or when I simply cannot get over waking up with a gorgeous bed hair, I just shower without washing my hair. And that is what we eventually call the second day hair.

It's a win-win scenario, tbh. First, you save time by not having to dry your hair before leaving the house. (Win!) Second, the VOLUME is awesome. (Win!) Third, you let your scalp rest from the chemicals brought by the shampoo and conditioner, letting the natural oils keep your hair healthy. (Win!) Fourth, have I already mentioned the amazing VOLUME? Because if there's one reason to pull off second day hair, it is definitely because of the volume it gives your hair. (Win! Win! Win! Okay, I just really wanted to insert that The Office reference. Please tell me you got that?)

Product

"But it is very humid in Metro Manila, wouldn't the second day hair backfire on me?" 
Thank goodness for dry shampoo! I have only been using dry shampoo since 2014, but boy did they give second day hair a chance in the humid Metro Manila.

I have only used two brands: the Dove and Toni & Guy dry shampoos, having much disparity in market price with Dove's costing below 300 pesos and Toni & Guy's costing 990 pesos. That's more than three times in price difference! Let's also take into account that the Dove brand is 5oz while the Toni & Guy one is only 1.53oz.

"Kuya, pangarap ko sa buhay magkaroon ng photo hawak yung surfboard habang naglalakad," I said to the surfing instructor of Surf Star last weekend. I then asked him to take my photo, and he surprisingly went for it. We took a LOT of photos. Then Basti, my puppy, went inside the frame, I started laughing and thus the happy moment captured below.


I'm one of those people who goes on a trip, and while on the road envisions at least one photo to take home. It may be shallow to some, but for me it's a small win. And I would have been terribly restless after the trip had I not asked.
Earlier today in the office, me and my friends were talking about passion ideas that could earn us money. I spewed something about making a team that could consult for the government with regards to anything that could lessen traffic using technology and math. They laughed. They said consulting can easily be done by professionals. That we could easily do the consulting path once we grow older, say 10 years from now.

I don't know. I guess it's because I know people my age who already do this in Palawan for the environment sector. They get huge funding for it, too.

Having a teacher for a mom and a retired soldier for a dad, it has always been a dream for me to work for the government and contribute something to help our country move forward. I'm still idealistic that we can make the Philippines as strong as it once were. And right now, the heavy traffic is really causing huge financial impact on every business operating in our business districts. In this Inquirer article, it says the Philippine economy is losing P2.4 billion daily in human productivity while we all get stuck in traffic. That's really sad, don't you think so, too?

I think we have many talented and wise people who can make a difference. They are usually young, idealistic and passionate to try turn things around for the future generations. I think the government should invest more on these people. I want to be one of those people. Let this post be an open letter to anyone who has the urge to do the same. I work in the IT industry. Let me know if you have something in mind, ya?

Okay, so that escalated quickly from a pa-cute post to something more serious. It's okay. No one reads my sappy posts anyway. Until the next brain fart! :)

Photo by Jonas Roque

Change can be daunting to most people. It's a trait that can be limiting and even I'm guilty of this. But with out MRT's current inefficiency, could it be any worse if new systems are put in place. And yes, this is a rhetoric.

The photo above is one of the ideas that I and some commuter colleagues were discussing 5 years ago. It was during the time when I was still residing in Quezon City and commuting all the way to Taguig City for work. It was not a pleasant daily ride, even wasted 4 hours of my life every day, but when I think about it, the pains of commuting via the MRT3 then cannot compare to its current state now, relatively.

I now don't commute regularly via the MRT3. I chose to reclaim the 4 hours of commute I've been losing everyday and opted for a higher cost housing arrangement near my workplace. But I would say that this new policy is still a sign of progress. It's a sign that the issues of overcrowding has been acknowledged. It's a sign that maybe, just maybe, we're moving towards a more efficient train system.

I'm FOR it. How about you?

Also: See my 3-yr old insensitive to the minimum wage workers post on how MRT should really raise the fare. See, it was younger me being self-entitled (I did have a point, sure) but this was posted out of rage because I was consistently being clawed by girls in the ladies section whenever I was going "home" to Caloocan.

At first I picked out Harry Potter but then I stopped, because I rarely fly Singapore Airlines and it would be such a shame if I didn't maximize the featured non-mainstream films, of which I cannot just download via torrent. Incidentally, I watched this movie during my flight from Singapore to Manila. It was so good, I cried 10 times, with the 10th extending until the ending credits. Yes, I counted. But maybe it's just me since I'm emotional most of the time. 

Do not get mistaken that this is just pure drama. I cried because of the multitude of feelings being conveyed. I just have so much love for any movie that can make me feel all sorts of emotion, and that was what I felt during the movie. The acting was great. The storyline was different. And it took a foreign film crew (well okay, it's a British-Filipino collaboration) on a tight budget to make this.

Just the fact that the script given to the Filipino actors were in English, and they had to translate the words themselves was already amazing... It was UK's entry for the Oscars but even though it didn't make the cutoff, great job, still, you guys! You make me believe that our film industry can still survive the swarm of mainstream junk.

If you bump into this movie, please watch it. :)

 

While everyone is on the Ben Nye Banana Powder bandwagon, here I am having just received my first theatrical powder, the Palgantong Theatrical Powder.

I originally ordered the shade Beige Ochre (Read: suits Medium-Dark skinned girls) but Original Beige was the one that arrived in the mail. I have already confirmed from the correspondence with a Joan that there was a mix up and she expressed intents of getting the item replaced, but as shown in the photos below, I have already opened the sealed jar so I just accepted my fate. Haha!

Disclaimer: tl;dr This post could have been a better one with pictures. (Update: Instagram to the rescue! Better than no photos at all, right? RIGHT?)

Time flew and just like that we have already consumed half of 2013. What's a better way to end the mid-year than a staycation week! Yes, the third week of my June 2013 shall always be known as the week I spent 3 out of 5 weeknights in a hotel.

Monday -- Tune Hotel Makati
It was the most inexpensive among the three. It was a room with 2 double beds, a T/B, a TV, and an aircon. I arrived around midnight because I came from the office. I brought mango juice for Janice, beer for Elgin and iced tea for me.


My friends and I checked in there just to stay the night but we decided we wanted to party and/or drink outside so we walked to The Distillery, along Jupiter. The place was too hostile for us. Not that we were out of place but we didn't feel accommodated well so we hopped on a cab to our safe place, Burgos Circle.

One of those days where I would wear a guy's shirt owned by a guy who's not my boyfriend

After some drinks at Bugys's, we bought Soju and I Have Never'd until dawn, and made videobooth lipdubs. And oh, I totally charmed my way into getting a restaurant just outside the hotel to open two Century Tuna cans, because Sky Flakes and Century Tuna were all what my friends wanted for pulutan.

Check-out: 11AM; Additional Php 300 for extra 3 hours.

I have plenty of hair. For someone who loves the beach too much, I do my duty in making sure that there's no unwanted hair peeking out when I do my jump shots and scorpion poses. I shave my legs using the trusty Veet depilatory cream. I get my eyebrows threaded in my go to salon. For the bikini area, I either get a Brazilian wax or a bikini wax. Here's the rundown of the three waxing salons I frequent.


Lay Bare
Branch: Market! Market! (nearest)
Usual service: Brazilian wax, bikini wax, underarm wax
Price: P450, P250, P150 respectively
Waiting time: 1hr if you're lucky; 2hrs or more during peak hours. Go shopping while waiting for your turn.
Room: Very basic. Not really a room-room as there are only dividers. You can hear the other customers.
Pain meter: They claim their cold wax is painless but it really isn't true. To reiterate, IT IS PAINFUL. Very.
Details: They wax area by area; smaller applications mean more wax pulls.
Value for money: Awesome. It's the cheapest rates you'll find.
Comment: Even though inexpensive, the long lines are so discouraging that I often go to the waxing salon that charges more. The most absurd number of people queued before me was 27. They were gonna service 27 people and it was already 7PM.
More comments: With only a few waxing technicians and waxing rooms, and a long queue to service, they tend not to be more keen on the details. In short, hindi sobrang linis. I guess it's a "You get what you pay for" thing.

Let's Face It
Branch: Market! Market! (not really a waxing salon but they wax as well)
Usual service: Brazilian wax, bikini wax, underarm wax
Price: P650, P450, P250 respectively (not sure if the figures are correct)
Waiting time: None, 95% of the time.
Room: They use the same rooms as their massage rooms; It has a very tranquil ambiance.
Pain meter: Tolerable pain. Less painful than Lay Bare.
Details: They apply a big patch of hot wax. Less pulls. Faster service.
Value for money: If you're someone who values your time and cannot afford to go on leisurely trips to the mall, this waxing place is for you. They're more expensive than Lay Bare but more often than not, you wouldn't have to wait at all to be serviced.
Comment: I like that they really clean it all. Definitely mas malinis yung pagkaka-wax compared to Lay Bare.
More comments: This is my go to waxing place since my wallet can tolerate the monthly cost. I couldn't say anything more because it's really good service that I get every time.
Branch: Serendra
Usual service: Bikini wax, underarm wax
Price: P1150, P650 respectively
Waiting time: None.
Room: The room is very modern chic. They have a cool wall design and there are informational frames hanged everywhere. I was taking photos until I saw the photo frame that says "Picture-taking of the room is not allowed."
Pain meter: The least pain I've encountered so far. And I have low tolerance for pain. Imagine, I was able to take a 15-minute phone call while getting waxed. It was that lax for me. The one on the line busted me though, easily guessed I was in a waxing salon.
Details: They are serious when they say they don't double dip. Nasayangan ako sa mga applicator. But it really has to be done for hygienic purposes. They are also fast waxers. I remember seeing a frame that says they are trained to wax in only 15 minutes or less.
Value for money: First, let me tell you that it is expensive for me. I'm not someone with unlimited resources but if I did, I'll go to Strip Manila every time. Being that I'm only an ordinary working person, I cannot afford to go there on a monthly basis. However, it's a nice addition to my "Treat Yo Self" list.
Comment: You'll come in with the mindset "Waxing is their specialization so they better be good at it!" They were not good. THEY WERE GREAT.
More comments: Recommending this salon to everyone who gets waxed. You must try it to see and feel the difference.
Hmm maybe I'll even try everything else in this list too, although I'm also very much considering going on IPL sessions. Any other recommendations?

A friend asked me to spread these openings around, so here.





You may download the zip file here for more details about each job opening. Good luck! :D