Harbin Day 5

Now back in Beijing for a day of shopping! We went to The Plaza and the Silk Market to do some shopping and had wonderful Chinese food for lunch where they serve the best dumplings. We stayed at Marco Polo Parkside Hotel and our rooms were spacious and super cozy. We would have wanted to stay longer in Beijing but since we availed the services of a travel agency, we couldn't change the itinerary and flight details. Before we knew it, it was time to go. The trip was super enjoyable, and the memories I made were one-of-a-kind. Plus, it was my first time to see snow!

Definitely looking forward to my next trip in March!

Harbin Day 4

Up early today to ride the snowmobile to Yangcaoshan mountain. The ride was exhilarating and scary because of the unexpected twists and turns! It was so much fun! The view up the mountain was amazing, definitely worth suffering the cold for. Lol.

We rode the snowmobile again going down the mountain and had to walk the entire stretch of China Snow Town to get to our hotel taking photos along the way. We then checked out from the hotel, had a quick lunch, and rode a bus going to Mudanjiang Airport for our flight to Beijing.

Harbin Day 3

After breakfast, we checked out from Sheraton Hotel in Harbin and went on a 6.5-hour bus ride to China Snow Town stopping by a ski resort along the way for lunch. We were informed by our tour guide that we would be walking the entire stretch of China Snow Town for 20 to 30 minutes in the freezing cold with our luggage in tow to get to our hotel. Surprisingly, the walk wasn't as bad as expected. Although the cold was sometimes difficult to bear, it was quite fun actually! The houses and shops looked adorable with snow covering their roofs. It was interesting to see street vendors selling frozen fruits and ice cream no longer needing a freezer-- the goods were just placed on tables! 

We arrived at the hotel late afternoon and had little time to go around the village before dinner starts. We still did anyway. Lol. 

Harbin Day 2

Now this is when the fun begins! This day was pretty exciting because our itinerary was packed with lots of places to visit. But before going anywhere, we had to have our winter gear ready. Apparently, everything we brought from Manila weren't enough for Harbin's subzero temperatures. We had to make a quick stop at a local store selling winter clothes to buy thicker ones. 

We then headed to St. Sophia Cathedral (this used to be an Orthodox church and was now turned into a museum), had lunch at an Irish restaurant, visited Sun Island, dropped by the Harbin Opera House, enjoyed a hotpot dinner at an ice room at Shangri-la Hotel Ice Palace, and went to the Grand Ice and Snow World.

Harbin Day 1

I noticed I haven't posted photos for most of my travels last year (Bali, Cebu, etc) so I want to make sure I post about my Harbin trip this time. Sorting photos take forever and editing them one by one is sooo time consuming that I'd rather lie in bed and watch Supergirl or HTGAWM. Eventually I decided to post photos here without editing them cause I'm just too lazy. Lol.

Okay, so on to my trip: we spent the first day of our trip in airports. There is no direct flight to Harbin so we had to take a connecting flight via Beijing. We had a lot of time to kill at Beijing airport so I took the liberty of walking around the huge airport. Saw some interesting things here and there (indoor garden anyone?). The day was exhausting but hey, at least we arrived safe and sound!

Highlights of 2016

(Photo from: Google)

Happy New Year, everyone! The year 2016 was my happiest ever, yet one of the most challenging. There were lots of disappointments, frustrations, and challenges that tested me and pushed me to my limits. But the past year was also filled with one-of-a-kind opportunities, memorable achievements, and unforgettable experiences which I'll be forever thankful for.

Last year, I made a promise to myself that I would make 2016 my travel year and I'm glad I was able to do it! Since I couldn't leave work for a long time, I decided it was better for me to have shorter but more frequent trips. There were so many things that made my 2016 amazing and I couldn't possibly list all of them here, but I'll do my best to cover everything!

Read on for the highlights of my 2016!

Highlights of 2015

(Photo from Shutterstock)

There are no words to express how awesome my 2015 was! I learned so many things, embarked on various adventures, met new people, and experienced some great firsts. Read through the entire post to know why 2015 was one for the books! :)

Highlights of 2014

(Photo from google.com)

You've probably already heard this a thousand times, but let me say it again: Happy New Year everyone! The past year was nothing short of amazing for me! Looking back, it was probably the best year I've ever had! I learned new things, travelled to different places, met new friends, and achieved many things. There were definitely a lot of firsts! But all of that wouldn't have been possible without all of you! So I want to thank you all for being a big part of my 2014. I feel truly blessed and I'm very grateful for all the opportunities that were given to me the past year.

Let me share with you some of the things that made my 2014 special!

Easy Breezy

Let me start with a HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU! Thank you thank you thank you for reading my blog! Thanks to those who counted on me, believed in me and gave me encouragement to keep blogging. I know I haven't been a good blogger lately, with my delayed posts and all, but thanks for supporting me despite that. Wishing you had a perfect 2012 and an even better 2013! Happy new year! :))

Now, on to my outfit. I wore this to Christine Lagarde's talk at the Asian Institute of Management two months ago. This sheer top has been in my closet ever since I bought it at H&M a year ago, probably because the top is far too dressy on casual days. I felt that this was the perfect time to wear it, especially because it was a hot day. For the finishing touches, I just added a simple necklace and a watch. What do you think of my outfit? :)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sorry if the greeting came a bit late, I was just busy with some things which you'll know soon! :) The above photo was taken on Christmas Eve with my aunts and uncles, and cousins! Our theme this year is animal print- leopard, zebra, and tiger! Different prints per family. I like how the prints turned out in the photos! We were supposed to put our hands in front, and you know, position them like claws, with the facial expression, RAWR! It's funny how each of our pose turned out differently. 

And here's a photo of our family.