Tag: Travel

What I’m missing in Bahrain

Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. 

It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 percent of the country’s landmass. 

With a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-denominational society, Bahrain is an attractive destination for expat families.

Bahrain is the freest economy in the MENA region, and among the “mostly free” economies worldwide.

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When I first arrived in Bahrain way back in 2006, it was still a tax-free country, but two or three years earlier, they had imposed a 10% tax on selected commodities.

Why do I love Bahrain?

  1. Bahrain is a small island. It is convenient to live as everything is almost within your reach.
  2. Almost everyone knows each other.
  3. You can explore the whole country in just a few days.
  4. Bahrain is one of the best Countries to live for foreigners.
  5. Simple life and simple living aside from it is easy to find a job in Bahrain.
  6. Everything is almost affordable, from the flat rent to food and necessities, to recreation.
  7. My personal favorite: I go to work for 8 hours a day and at work, we’re also one of the privileged private company employees to get every Country’s official and public holidays which means I have a decent time at home and can spend all these holidays with my family, and since Bahrain is so small, I can travel to and from work in just a few minutes time.
  8. Everything is affordable, almost. Although this is not a tourist spot or a holiday destination as there isn’t much of a place to see, the fact that you can go around the whole Bahrain in just a few days, this place is definitely ideal for beginners.

Living here not just for years but decades, I would say that I have already adopted their simple ways of living.

Isn’t it comfortable working in a Company that would provide you with the easiest mode of transportation going in and out of work? A pick-and-drop car directly at your doorsteps and send you back home? Well, most of the Companies in Bahrain do that.

Or isn’t it just comfortable that everything is within your reach? Everywhere is almost nearby. A supermarket by walk, a hospital by walk, a shopping mall by walk, and no hassles of going anywhere.

Restaurants are almost everywhere. From Asian cuisine, Chinese, American, European,  Mediterranean, fusion, vegan, vegetarian, whatever your choice is, are always easy to find. You won’t have a hard time finding your own list of cravings.

I just find it easy, comfortable, and safe to live here. Although just like any other Country, safety relies on your own precautions.

My home…away from home!

Some disadvantage: (Personal thoughts)

  1. Although it is easy to find a job and settle in Bahrain, Bahrain is also a country with a low minimum wage rate.
  2. For most of the residents in Bahrain, we rely on our Company’s residence permit and there is little to no chance of becoming a citizen. We are all expats here.
  3. Salaries are quite low, although permanent, (but fortunately we get paid a little more than the others but still not enough if you have a child with special needs) but still won’t be enough to cover for a growing family. We are paid on a monthly basis full time. As you are under the Company sponsorship, you are not allowed as per contract to get a second job particularly with the same business, you have to find a side hustle limited to online selling, transporting, and other small jobs.
  4. One of the most hindrances is, health care is not free. We have medical insurance provided by the Company (individual) but sadly, not all Companies provide Insurance.
  5. There is no support/free therapies for foreigner children with special needs and the cost of therapies here are very expensive!

I love to live in Bahrain but I know that in time I must leave my comfort zone for another hundred personal reasons to explore other options and try new things and be in a different place.

Tbh, I love the Country, I love my job, I love the comfort and convenience, the people, the friends who became a family, the hot and humid weather, I love this small island and we’ve been almost everywhere here. We literally been to almost the entire country, corners to corners, every malls, every arcades, every parks, every beach, every roads, everywhere.

Thank you for everything, my second home. Thank you for the wonderful 18 years. Till I see you again.

I will definitely miss everything here. The people, places, faces, our usual weekend getaways, walking around and walking in the streets of Gudaibiya, my work, my office, the hot and humid summers and the cold winter nights, or just driving around.

No more “batang desyerto” anymore- Rain. 😢🇧🇭👶🏻

Signing off.

Jab’s Park, Cafe, Restaurant and Bar- Talavera Nueva Ecija

Who would ever think that the then small rural town of Talavera Nueva Ecija where I spent part of my childhood would become progressive through the years that it now boasts a massive and competitive lineup of Restaurants, cafes, bars, supermarkets, shopping areas and even banks, private schools, offices, and other commercial establishments?

This is not how Talavera looked like when I was a kid, and definitely Talavera improved and continues to progress as the years go by.

And there’s this nice and cozy place in Talavera called Jabs Park, Cafe, Restaurant, and bar all in one. It features a huge park with a musical fountain, an event’s place, a dining restaurant and a bar at the same time complete with a live band.

The entrance fee is Php350 each including children if I’m not mistaken and the Php200 is consumable for your food and drinks which to be deducted from your total bill. Not bad.

The place looks very cozy and you can enjoy the time just by walking around the instagrammable pathways, where the trees are adorned with beautiful round lantern lights that get more picture perfect, particularly at night.

The bar and restaurant is surrounded by a Gazebo (dining area) if you want to sit and relax or even lie down while eating and watching the band but they require a minimum of Php5000 total bill to enable you to sit there. Although we spent the same amount, by chance, we actually didn’t know we would exceed that budget, we preferred to sit on the long table in the middle of the area to get the exact spot of the band.

We had dinner of sinigang soup as always and had my favorite chicharong bulaklak as appetizer while drinking beer and listening to the 80’s playlist live band.

And some other photos taken!

For anyone who wants to relax and enjoy a night of music and drink in Nueva Ecija, JABS is a good place for you.

Clark and Subic in a day

July 2024. As we had to renew our toddler’s passport as we were not able to renew it in Bahrain before traveling to Phil due to lack of time and we are bound to Australia in August, we just decided to renew it in Clark, Pampanga.

I looked forward to that day so our family could have the chance to bond and long travel by car a the same time. We had Clark, Pampanga and later went to Subic, Olongapo in a day.

Not much of an activity in a day, we left Cabanatuan City at around 6 in the morning and reached Clark about 2 hours later. Good thing that the newly opened DFA satellite office in Clark opens at 7:30AM and we arrived just in time. We didn’t have to fall in line and wait for the long queue as minor applicants have the special lane for them. We finished our errands a little more than an hour later and since it’s still early, we all agreed to drive to Subic as planned.

We reached Subic free port at about one and a half later and had a buffet lunch in Cabalen Restaurant. Yeah, it’s also my first time to eat in Cabalen and tbh, I didn’t expect it to be as good as it is and worth the price of Php540 each- unlimited with a lot of selection to choose from, from main dish to desserts, to their native delicacies, to juices.

Still lot of time after lunch, we drove around the clean city of Subic.

Please check all the pictures from Zoobic Safari to Camayan Beach Resort.

And more!

Not just a two in one errands but it’s also added to Rain’s new places to see in the Philippines, and Nanay’s bucket list!

AL BANDER HOTEL AND RESORT

The very first time I went to Al Bander Resort was around 14 years ago, and since we went in the night, we weren’t able to take photos of the Resort at that time.

Lucky enough, more than a decade later, I’m lucky to be back now, with my child, and see the real beauty of the Resort in day time.

Al Bander is a 4-star hotel & resort located on Bahrain’s East coast. It’s an idyllic location with a relaxing view, wide parking slots, free Wi-Fi, great service, and affordable at the same time.

It has a lagoon-style swimming pool with sun benches everywhere, surrounded by palm trees. They have ready-to-assist lifeguards everywhere which is very convenient particularly for a family like us with a hyper toddler that runs & jump here, there & everywhere.

They do have an outdoor jacuzzi also but it is not good to dip in this almost summer time of the year, instead, we indulged ourselves in the wide pool and let our little Rain enjoy the chest-level kid’s pool enough for him to play in the water alone with little supervision.

They have chalet rooms if you want to stay for the night or have a little more privacy instead of just hanging around on the huts in the pool area. I didn’t check the room rates and based on the reviews, some said it is affordable and others said it’s quite expensive for the hotel that is a little bit far from the City, but I guess it’s still worth a try if you are a traveler.

Just as we rented a small function hall in the hotel where we had our simple Anniversary celebration, it’s quite advantageous for all of us. We had it from 8AM until 5PM which accommodates more or less 50 people.

We had a nice buffet lunch at the Hotel Restaurant named “The Terrace” if I’m not mistaken as it is a terrace facing directly the lagoon.

Some photos at the pool.

Over all, it’s a nice experience for the whole family, even for a group of friends.

I really love Bahrain, our second home since it is a friendly country to live in for expatriate families like us, convenient everywhere, there are always a lot of places to go to conveniently, lots of restaurants, and everything and everywhere is within reach.

If you are craving for a one day holiday at the beach, I recommend Al Bander Resort.

Another bucket-list ticked for our little Rain. Rain goes all over Bahrain!

A day in Dubai- UAE (my 5th) While finding a place to eat

 

I got tired from walking inside the mall, got  hungry and decided to find a place to eat in the Food Court. I rounded for about three times trying to find what I wanna eat.

There were so many choices. So many unfamiliar restaurants and unfamiliar food.

I checked one more time. Counter to counter, Chinese, Japanese, Asian, Italian, Indian, and some other I’m not familiar with, etc etc but couldn’t seem to find what I’m craving for.

*Sigh* then I settled for something familiar and something I used to eat. NEW YORK FRIES! I ordered a meal set of NYF, beef hotdog with cheese, fries with cheese & vegetable toppings and Pepsi.

See, this is what happens when you’ve got a lot of choices. You find it hard to decide with the fear you might pick the wrong one. You might end up selecting the wrong one and go home disappointed rather than pleased.

So, go for something that you are familiar with, something recognizable,  something that you’ve tried before, something you will surely like. 

Better go for something you have tried and tested, something that you are very much aware of. Don’t easily fall for something (or someone) that is only good in the beginning, good on the outside but sneaky dark on the inside. Yeah, you may have a lot of choices, but the question, are they worthy to choose?

Some may look good, may look attractive, may look tasty, some are even made intentionally to look enticing on the outside, but tastes awful inside!

So I don’t wanna make the same mistake again….even just by selecting what to eat this day!

Yeah, I’m talking about food and nothing else…

Oh well…  Hahaha!

Marassi Aquarium and Underwater Zoo- Bahrain

Where to take your kids for some edutainment in Bahrain, 2024?

Marassi Galleria– Bahrain’s most exquisite beach front shopping mall with a lot of dining & entertainment just recently opened is now the home of Bahrain’s largest oceanarium- THE MARASSI AQUARIUM AND UNDERWATER ZOO.

MARASSI AQUARIUM AND UNDERWATER ZOO, now being the largest aquarium in the Kingdom that houses over 200 species of fish. Explore the Rainforest, Reef zone and explore the ocean trench & underwater ecosystem, and take a look at the sharks, rays, octopus, arapaima, jelly fish, among other types of marine & fresh water species.

Surely, you will find the place fun as well as educational for the whole family.

We went there last weekend with our toddler Rain who is very fascinated with water and fish ever since and needless to say, he did enjoy our almost 2 hour walking around the 20 foot long tunnel exploring the oceanarium. He was very amused to see these fish swimming in a state-of-the-art large aquariums bigger than him. He even wants to dump his hands in the water or jump inside to swim with them.

We also have taken a lot of photographs, and I myself was surprised to see how good all my snaps turned out. I love the dim lighting, the ocean blue reflection which is very enchanting, and the smell of the ocean everywhere.

Visitors can also have the chance to participate in the feeding activity.

There is also a small cozy coffeeshop on the second floor named Treetop Cafe complete with artificial hanging grass and trees where you can relax and rest if you get tired of walking around.

Before the end of the tunnel, you will find an aquarium in the middle of the hallway full of doctor fish where you can dip your hand which is said to be good to stimulate and improve blood circulation.

The Oceanarium is open all the week from 10AM to 10PM. The ticket price is bhd5.5 each including children older than 3 years old.

Definitely, living in a small Island of Bahrain, this is really worth to visit!

What’s happening in Bahrain-2024

It’s been a while since I last updated this site about what’s recent.

2023 has been very busy and so are the beginning of 2024.

Here’s what we have been at the beginning of the year.

WINTER FESTIVAL 2024

Location: Prince Khalifa Park

Now, that I had free time at work, I decided to upload some of our recent photos taken on Chinese New Year at the Winter Festival which I think happens every year at a different place/location in BH.

This is the first time we’ve been to BH Winter Festival. It’s a seasonal Theme Park in Bahrain with a lot of rides for adult and kids as well. We tried the Ferris Wheel for Bhd2 per person but unfortunately, we didn’t get to enjoy the short ride as it’s only for about about 3-5 full rounds and spent the other minutes loading and unloading of riders and our little Rain got fed up of the long stops and began irritating.

He later on tried a different ride for kids and this is where he enjoyed the ride.

He also had the chance to take a photo with Minnie & Mickey Mouse.

In general, you will get to enjoy just walking around in this park. There are other rides, carnival games, variety of food and snacks and even candies & sweets stall and food trucks from local vendors to choose from when you get hungry. There are also small toy store for kids and yes, they have Minnie & Mickey Mouse to take a photo with.

I’ve also seen the bungee jumping for adults, but just by looking at it up in the air makes me feel like never wanna try it.

We just spent the rest of the afternoon until early night walking around, looking around, with a popcorn.

BAHRAIN FOOD FESTIVAL- 2024

Location: Marassi Beach Club

A week later, we went to see Bahrain Food Festival located in Marassi Beach Club. This is also an annual event in BH happening every winter season. This event showcases a variety of culinary from local to international restaurants. Aside from various food choices, they also have a lot of entertainment, activities & musical shows and performances to watch for.

We spent the night walking and taking photos around the area. They made an alley with decorative trees in different colors that is very good to see.

They also had big air balloons of donuts, fruits, and trees to make the food event more colorful and attractive to visitors.

Walking around we found almost a 100 stalls of various food, snacks, sweets, burgers, grills, local and international cuisine and had a hard time deciding what to eat. A few more several rounds and still we didn’t get to see all of them as some of them had a long queue.

I was craving for Korean or Japanese food at that time but with the long lines, we just decided to eat Chinese food.

We ordered Chicken Teriyaki and Beef fried rice, along with milk tea which we enjoyed eating on the wooden dining benches they made around the vicinity.

And there we are, another weekend in BH after a long week work.

METRO MANILA

Metropolitan Manila is the seat of government and one of the three defined metropolitan areas of the Philippines. It is officially known as the National Capital Region, and is commonly known as Metro Manila or simply Manila. It is made up of 16 cities namely: the City of Manila (the Philippine capital), Quezon City (the country’s most populous city and former capital, Caloocan, Las Pinas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Paranaque, Pasay, Pasig, San Juan, Taguig and Valenzuela as well as the City of Pateros.

Although Metro Manila is not considered a province, it is included in the 81 provinces of the Philippines.

Since it is very near to my hometown, I guess I have traveled almost everywhere here since as a child. It is just strange that I couldn’t find a nice photo of mine anywhere else in the area or maybe I couldn’t think of snapping one when I’m around Metro Manila, haha.

 

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Science Discovery Center

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White Moon Bar, MOA

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Manila Ocean Park

 

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US Visa Applications- How to nail down your Interview

I know it’s kinda intimidating to apply for the US Visa, especially for the first-timers. When I planned to apply for the US Visa, I started reading forums like what are the requirements I have to provide, what are the usual questions to be asked by the Consul and the best I shall answer and the likes. Reading a lot about these including the long list of the mentioned requirements like bank statements, credit card statements, salary slips, and stories of failed interviews from people unable to establish their ties in their Countries made me wonder, what are my chances to be approved?

But wherever you are, my advise is as simple as-  when you come for the interview, just be confident as possible, remain calm and answer the questions straight to the point without elaborating much giving them the chance to ask another question based on your answer.

When I went for the interview, the first thing I noticed is that everyone in the hall could actually hear the Consul’s questions as well as the answers on the microphones. Although it made me a  little bit nervous, it helped me think in advance of the best answers when asked the same question.

Ik, Interview may vary depending on which Country you are living, and also from the Individual personal circumstance, so don’t be surprised if you see others pass while some others failed even without the Consul looking at their supporting documents. Sometimes, it also depends on the Consul whims. To be honest, they never asked me to show any supporting documents and if they happen to check my bank statement that time, they will find only BD50 left in my account, (something like  PHP6k)- haha! Seriously, so, it really doesn’t matter anyway. I guess they will rely on the consistency of your salary and not the amount of money.

To help you prepare for the interview when you are a Filipino Citizen living overseas, here are the few questions usually asked by the Consul and your best answer.

Note:  When your number is called, always greet the Consul with a smile and “Good morning”. Remember to smile always and try to hide your nervousness as much as possible, Otherwise, they might take it against you thinking you are not stating the truth.

1. How long have you been here?

Give them the exact figure.

2. What do you do for a living here?

Just answer your Job Description and the name of the Company you are working with only. Do not mention your salary if not asked.

More often, the Consul won’t ask you to provide hard copies of your documents and they will mainly base to what you have stated in your DS-160 form but then you must have to make them ready in case.

a. Employment Certificate and Contract

b. Salary Certificate/ Salary slip for the last three months

c. Bank statement

3. Have you been to the US before?

If not, answer truthfully. They will know it anyways.

4. Have you traveled outside the Country?

Say yes if you did and if they asked you where, enumerate all the Countries you’ve been to. Again, answer truthfully and do not lie.

5. Why do you want to go to the US?

Since you applied for a tourist visa, just say “for tourism purpose”– and that’s it, simple as that. Be specific and do not answer what is not asked.

6. Where are you going to the US?

If you are going to visit a friend or a family, tell them the exact address of your contact in the US. Remember to memorize their names, your relationship with them, their exact address and mobile numbers and their occupation in case they asked you.

7. Are you traveling alone?

Say yes if you’re alone and if traveling with anyone, say with a Company.

These are the actual questions asked to me when I went for the interview, (along with some other side comments, like you don’t look like your age, how old are you and etc.) But overall, these are the most important questions you must prepare to answer. It didn’t even take me 5 minutes to stand there on the booth and he smiled to me and gave me the stab with the date when to collect my passport with Visa on it.

Please note, I don’t have a huge amount in the bank at the time of my interview and I never bother to put any amount just to show that I have money, I guess the Consul knows the bank scheme and all. More so, although I have Relatives in the US which I mentioned in my application form, I don’t have an invitation letter from them.

 But I did it and so are you hopefully!

I got 10 years multiple entries to the United States of America!

Here are some other possible questions from the Consul and try to prepare for the best answer.

WHICH PLACES ARE YOU PLANNING TO VISIT?– Not bad to start searching online for the places to go to the state you are visiting.

HOW LONG DO YOU PLAN TO STAY IN THE USA?– You can depend on your answer to your itinerary.

HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK WILL IT COST YOU TO STAY IN THE USA?– You have to prepare your answer accordingly. Better have a proof of your Salary Certificate, Salary Slips, Bank Statements, Credit Card statement and the likes. If you are going to stay with a relative, better say:  I will not spend much as I would be staying with my relative during my vacation and I would only go on short solo day trips within the area if they are not available.

DO YOU HAVE PLANS OF WORKING IN THE USA– Definitely a NO-NO! Never ever give them the idea even if they asked you confusing questions like “What if anyone offers you a job in the USA or what if anyone offers you marriage in the USA or what if you win a jackpot in the casino or anything like that to intimidate you or expect your VISA rejected.

HOW CAN YOU ASSURE THAT YOU WILL COME BACK HOME?– With this question, you can say that you don’t wanna spoil your travel records as you plan on visiting other countries in the near future.

I hope this helps! See you USA in a few months!

Source: grgschesca.tumblr.com

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My very first time in Nueva Vizcaya

 

Places in NV I’ve been on this post;

  1. Sta. Fe

2. Bayombong

Nueva Vizcaya is a province of the Philippines located in Cagayan Valley region in Luzon, though it is geographically and culturally part of the Cordilleras. Its capital is Bayombong. It is bordered by Benguet to the west, Ifugao to the north, Isabela to the northeast, Quirino to the east, Aurora to the southeast, Nueva Ecija to the south, and Pangasinan to the southwest. The province is cultural, linguistically, and geographically part of the Cordilleras, but was put in the Cagayan Valley region by American occupiers in the early 20th century. Quirino province, later on, broke away from the province as it was more related to Isabela province in the north.

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

These breath taking aerial photos were taken in Sta Fe– just as we ended the long Nueva Ecija stretch. We stopped by  for a little warm up early in the morning in seems to be like an eco-park.  You will see the magnificent mountains in front of us. We went up to the park but unfortunately the zip line was still close and will open at 8am. We just stretched and took photos in this amazing view and went back driving going to the City Proper of NV.

Sorrounded by North Luzon’s three large mountain ranges, NV is generally mountainous varying from steep mountains to rolling hills with some valleys and plains.

Finally reached Bayombong.

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Continue reading “My very first time in Nueva Vizcaya”