Believer but not religious

I wish and pray whenever I visit a church for the first time.

I'm not prayerful - I honestly admit it. In fact, I don't go to church every Sunday to pray, to sincerely thank Him for all the blessings that have come my way. I don't usually pray before going to bed nor after waking up from a restful sleep, unlike other people I know who do it daily. Waking up each day is a blessing to be thankful for, but for me, it is just a simple day to look forward to. Knowing that the next day will come again, I don't have to pray for today's arrival.

Taste of Villa Rotana shows at Iftar Preview

Guests are interacting with each other while waiters are serving food.

Ramadan Kareem!

The flourishing Arabic cuisines, savory and flavorful, was showcased at the Iftar Preview on Monday at Villa Rotana's Moka Cafe. The Iftar was attended by Muslim and non-Muslim guests, who enjoyed their second meal of the day after their 15-hour strictly no-drink-no-eat fasting.

Iftar, also known as sawn, an Arabic term meaning "break the fast", is the meal eaten by the Muslims after the sunset during Ramadan. Iftar is characterized as an all-you-can-eat banquet.

Bliss here on Earth: A travel that mends a broken heart

My three world of wonder.

Is it really possible to move on by literally moving to another place?

Traveling gives me a lot of memories. Some are happy and some are painful, but both are worth remembering. It also provides me an opportunity to create great anecdotes worth sharing.

To be honest, I had never cared much about traveling before. I would rather stay at home, work on my computer, and write about things on my notebook. But recently, I have been hoping for a change.

One big reason why, at one point in my life, I came to hate traveling was because it reminded me of the hurtful experiences in the past, specifically of my daily three-hour trips with him. These trips were something that I used to look forward to -- they were moments of pure joy. Now traveling to me is like walking down memory lane: a flashback of our warm hands intertwined and of hugs we shared over a long bus ride, our conversations and waves of laughter, and the one goodbye which ended it all. At one moment while we were still together, I thought that maybe he would be the one man whom I would take care of my entire life. However, we came to an end.

#Wondeful: An all-in-expense-paid trip to New Zealand

The famous Auckland's Sky Tower. Photo by Andrew Russel Villena

New Zealand, an island nation located in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean, is known for its Kiwi rugby team, indigenous Maori people, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Hobbit. Never had I thought even in my wildest dream that I would get a chance to travel to New Zealand -- and all for free.

Launching of #Wonderful Blog Competition: Win a Trip to New Zealand. Photo grabbed from Globe Telecom Facebook Page.

Visa Guide: How to apply New Zealand Visitor Visa for Filipinos

One of the forty-two Hobbit holes at the Hobbiton.

Filipino tourists can apply for a New Zealand Visitor Visa in three possible ways: online, by mail and in person application. This visa guide focuses on both by mail and in person application.

They say applying for New Zealand Visitor Visa is pretty much easy and simple. But as for me, I quite had a hard time securing my tourist visa when I tried my application. On my first try, my application was denied. I received a letter stating my visa was rejected due to lack of documents. I remember during that time, I only submitted a formal letter coming from Globe Telecom, stating I won a travel writing competition and my trip will be sponsored. Because of my confidence that my visa will get approved, I did not submit all the necessary requirements. As a result, it was unsuccessful.

With my desperation and eagerness to set foot on New Zeland soil, I hopefully tried applying once more. On my second try, I made sure to secure all that important requirements and then I lodged my visa application again. After two days of waiting, I received a call from VFS Global telling my passport would be delivered. Soon after, another letter from the courier announcing my visa was granted. It was finally a success. I was lucky this time.

Microtel Luisita: Of comfort and relaxation

Front view of Microtel Luisita

At the beginning of August, when I received an invitation from a travel writer friend Celine Reyes of Celineism to take part in the Microtel North Luzon Tour, I said, "Thank God! This is going to be my much-needed hideaway from the stressful -- academic and work-related -- life and from sleepless nights." 

A heavy school workload and numerous writing gigs brought me an extreme amount of stress. Studying lessons, creating marketing plans, doing projects, and writing stories for my travel assignments -- they all contributed to the pressure experienced by my mind and body. During that time, my mind wanted to relax while my body sought comfort.

"I am exhausted. I need a break!", the words echoed in my brain. Good thing, I was invited to join a tour. The urge to relax my mental and physical beings would be real.

Bataan celebrates Pawikan Festival 2017

Aiming to make all the Filipinos aware of the importance of endangered marine turtles and its role in the ecological balance of marine biodiversity, the province of Bataan celebrated this year's nationally recognized Pawikan Festival with the theme "Help Save the Pawikan," which was held last Saturday, November 25, at the Pawikan Conservation Center in Morong, Bataan.

Pawikan Festival 2017: Help Save the Pawikan!

Currently on its sixteenth year, the festival was organized by the Bataan provincial government, spearheaded by Governor Albert Garcia and his mother, Vicky Garcia, the chairwoman of Bataan Tourism Foundation, in coordination with Morong municipal government headed by Mayor Cynthia Estanislao.