Unblocked Young Vladz, a Traveler's Blog

Friday, July 26, 2019

4 Things You Could Do aside from Shopping in Ayala Malls (Greenbelt & Glorietta)

While I know that some already know the things they could see in the mentioned places, I cannot help but to share what I just discovered and we experienced because I am just really happy seeing things which are unusual for me as I, together with my daughter live in the province. So this writing is more like our experiences.. while unveiling the beauty of these places.

1. Experience 3D/4DX cinemas.

Location: Greenbelt 3, Cinema 5

Cost: 500 Php

Note: A child whose height is below 42 cm is not allowed.

Trivia: So far, there are just 4DX cinemas in the Philippines: Bonifacio High Street Cinema 4, Greenbelt 3 in Cinema 5,UP Town Center in Cinema 5

I know that you are familiar with 3D. So let us just define 4DX. 4DX allows a motion picture presentation to be augmented with environmental effects such as seat motion, wind, rain, lights, and scents along with the standard video and audio. (Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/4DX)

Unfortunately, we were not able to experience this because we are with our daughter whose height is 34 cm. Indeed, prior to our day out, we were surfing the Internet for the rules for 4DX so we can know if our daughter will be allowed, because we have the plan to buy the ticket online for sure seats. Yes, you can buy tickets online. Just let Mr. Google do the searching. :D Yet sad to know we really cant find such rules so we ended up deciding to just buy it once we reach the Cinema. And yes, it turned out that we are just to avail the ordinary cinema that costs 320 Php per ticket. By the way, we watched The Lion King. Funny to say that our daughter ended up sleeping the whole time. Haha. That was her first cinema experience.

Praying that I could have another post for a 4DX cinema experience. Guess we need to let someone to take care of our little ones mommies to enjoy this. =)

2. Have Instagrammable photos to their parks.

Location: Greenbelt Park

Their parks are really clean, of course, they are maintained to be that way. But what my daughter likes the most is to see the fishes and the tortoise. Yes, there is one, I think because we just saw one. Haha! Well, you know kids, they are just fond of seeing things which are colorful, unusual... especially at that age that they are just discovering. My daughter is just 3 years old.

For now, I lack the skills for photography but soon, in God's perfect time. Haha!

3. Visit the Top of the Glo.

Location: Top of Glorietta

This is what amused me. Top of the Glo is a rooftop garden patio that is unusual from other parks. Instead of benches, there are tents (made half-size of the standard tent). You are going to sit on the grass. It's so clean that you will be ashamed to leave your trashes there. Yes, people eat there.

You could buy food and just bring them there or buy food which are just around the area.

By the way, Top of the Glo is really surrounded by restaurants. So there would be no problem if you are already starving because, indeed, it is on top so patience is a virtue in order to reach the place. Haha!

Another bonus are the glowing boxes to seat upon. I was surprised that a kid just carried one and transferred it to the tent where they are in. There is another set of colorful lights. They are really good to be looked at .. at night. For me, the place is really relaxing. It's just wow! Knowing the fact that you did not spend something to see a beautiful place. Hehe!

Honestly, I was just looking for city lights. I told my husband that and I added that it could be done if we are going to look for rooftops. And we saw the glowing letters of "TOP OF THE GLO" Since it's "TOP.." I thought that we are heading the right way.. a wish granted. Yes! Haha! But it is beyond our expectation. It is really worth visiting. =)

4. Attend a mass in Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel.

Location: Greenbelt Park

If you are a Catholic, the schedule of the masses could be seen just in front of the Chapel. We were not able to take pictures as we did not attend for we are not Catholics but if you would like to see how the chapel looks like, there are a lot of pictures from the Internet. Just type the name of the Chapel. But, of course, if your purpose is to attend the mass, the appearance of the worship place would not matter for the real Church is inside you, where Jesus resides... in your hearts. So the significant thing here is God's message for the renewal of the Spirit. =)

Well, that's it for this post! I hope mentioned activities could be your family goals. Hoping to hear your experiences, mommies and daddies! =)

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Negatively Speaking: No To Cheap Hotels

To be engaged with world’s preferences means not to be mesmerized with fake beauties outside but with the worth inside. This only means that to live in this Earth pertains to being practical in a way where you will think wisely on the decisions you make that change the route of your day and thus, your entire life.

Choosing hotels to stay in is not as easy as picking what clothes to wear on for a particular time. It is necessary that you would have lots of resources before making your list as to what would be your top options. Considerations must be taken in advanced for you not to have regrets later on. Such primarily includes the cost of your stay per night. Well, if you are looking for the hotels which have less expensive offers, think wisely- are they obviously less expensive or just hidden more expensive? Links and websites are provided all over the Internet to provide flavors for such hotels. Naturally speaking, no one promotes hotels on the other way around-their negatives. They make them as attractive as possible. In fact, some have done their best efforts to make their pictures as realistically fine-looking as promising when truth to be told, they are far from what is to be expected. Don’t blame them. It’s one of their business strategies. What’s important is you also have your own strategy on how to keenly scrutinize the qualities of the hotels. Looking at the price of their offers to be seen from their links, peep on the feedback of the netizen, most preferably those who already went to the hotel. If there are stars to be rated, don’t miss the chance to have a glance on how many rated high. These give you the preliminary reaction on what are to be and not to be expected from the hotel.

Scanning on the costs, look deeply on the features. Check the rooms. Are they well-ventilated? If not, would it be necessary to hire a housekeeper and clean the room. Check the bathroom. Does the room have its own bathroom? If not, would it be necessary to search for comfort rooms on any other part of the hotel and would cost you another value to pay for your toiletries? Look over the inclusions in the room. Do they have the basics for you to be comfortable with your stay? If not, would it be necessary to buy these and would cost you another value? Presuming that you have followed these necessary series of checks, did you spend less or much? Think!

Another important thing is the services of the hotel. Literally, you should put on your mind the query to ask if they would serve you well. There are hotels which are posting on their online sites the qualifications and capabilities of their personnel. Relatedly, it would always take time to earn personnel which have expert skills on a specific field. Again, have the time to consult feedback from Internet users.

Yet one of the best ways to ensure that you would stay in a nice hotel in the future is to have a visit at such place. If it is far away from home, you might want to look back and look for your friends/ relatives who are near at that place. Ask them about the hotel. If they don’t know anything, it is not the end of the world and hence, a once in a life time , that you let them do a favor for you- let them drop by to the hotel and peep in the features of the hotel. It would be better if they have brought with them a printed copy of the website of the hotel for comparison of which is which really in the reality. If they don’t have a copy, send them the link on which they can find the hotel. Ask them to report on the result of their visit. Let them talk about how at ease a human can stay there. Anyways, if they are really your friends or relatives, they love you and are not hesitate to do everything to help you.

But what if you don’t have anyone to do the visit; well it’s time for you to set a schedule of your free time. To become meticulous means being sensitive of every particular area of your life. Remember, one day could mark a history of your walks and thus, would change your entire life.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Checking Out

from A Hotel

Checking out is not merely packing up your things, enclosing them in a suitcase and bringing the zipper up to its end. It’s not as swift as the air on which you could just say “goodbye” to the personnel.

Leaving the hotel is not as easy as counting one-two-three. Sometimes, the time you desired to be out of the hotel is beyond your expectation. It’s often minutes after your projected time. It is because you haven’t organized the things needed to be fixed before going out. Here are some to take note of:

First, observe keenly on the things around the room. You might want to take glances with your belongings. Are all of them 100% in your bag? There will be a time when you had presumes that you already have what you need well in fact, it’s evidently not. You might have left one tiny piece of yours under the blankets. Better look under the bed too. Pull the drawers. Walk in the bathroom. Check if everything inside is owned by hotel and not yours (except, of course, from what are beside you and those are your luggage). As they say, regrets do come late. If you have figured out that you have lost something after checking out, you would have less chance to bring it back to you.

Second, be a keeper. It’s not every day that you can stay in a hotel. For some, it’s like once in a blue moon. Well, it’s nice if you have taken remembrance from the hotel. Take souvenirs! It’s not literally that you will buy. You can take things you know you have purchased once you checked in. Say for example, plastic/paper bag that has the hotel name written on it. Ballpens and other similar things can be taken too. Hence, just be sensitive enough that the ones you’re taking would not bring additional charges to your bill. Having done so much, you would have something to look back from one of your diaries, journals and be able to share how great the hotel is and that you were once a guest. Thus, you can say that you became a part of the history of the hotel.

Next, double check your receipts and bills. Hotels are managed by humans. There are no perfect humans and that coincides that there are no perfect hotels too. They might have mistakenly typed numerical values on your receipts and bills. Make it sure that the items and the services embedded on the papers were purchased by you. It’s not being thrifty. It’s being practical. Our contemporary era is more about of being wise.

Finally, be generous enough to give tips. Housekeepers have their wages but if you have seen them did their job very well with outmost sincerity; it’s time to show how humans are innately made – to be kind to others. Give tips. Some might be worried of giving certain amount of quantity. Well, who can’t give other things aside from money? What’s important is your heart.

Checking In

A Hotel

Do you think browsing on the site, visiting the place, parking your car and facing the personnel in the front desk prerequisites checking in a hotel? Well, there are lots of things to be reminded of.

Note: This proceeds to checking-in at once without reservation

Primarily, going to the front desk is the first step. If the personnel asked you if you have booked online, have done reservations; answer them quickly. Say “no” and tell him that the process of working with your need to stay there is currently at that moment. Should they ask you of your personal details, give them what they need but be cautious enough that they are not taking your private issues. There are those people who are just curious with your identity. Of course, you don’t want to share those with strangers. It’s better to be secured.

Certainly, they would also ask you if what type of room you would want to stay in. If you don’t know their offers and services, let them freely discuss these. They might also give you pictures of the rooms while the discussion is on-going. If they won’t provide you with those, it’s not bad to ask from them. If they don’t have anything for showcasing (which is unusual for a hotel because it’s part of advertising their hotel), you might request for a little walk with one of their escorts to the different parts of the hotel. It’s simply being vigilant enough of the environment. One day or one night might be a life-changing event of yours. You might not know. Being satisfied with what they have done, you are to tell them what you have chosen.

Furthermore, state the days and nights you will be staying with them. Don’t forget to say the persons who would be with you too. They might offer discounts as well. If you are on business meetings outside the hotel, you can also ask already the ways on how to get there easily. They might give you answers beyond your expectancy. They can give you offers that could ease your problems.

Finally, the hotel would be giving you the total quantitative data of your bill. If you are shock, you have the right to state the details of it. Anyways, you would pay for it upon checking out. Should they ask you again the mode of your payment, answer them directly with your convenience. The thing is that you won’t be surprised anymore upon leaving the hotel.

Generally, have the freedom to ask if you have inquiries. Remember, only a human can know if he asks. Request things you know the hotel can do and may be they had just forgotten to tell you about these matters. And don’t forget- keep in mind to always enjoy your stay!