Vacation! Vacation! Vacation!

Yes folks! I'll be going for a long vacation.We will be travelling on Friday and we'll be away from home for nearly 3 months. And as most of as would usually say, I'm looking forward to it!

First stop would be Hongkong. I haven't been there yet and I'm really looking forward to it. Been researching places to see and things to do in Hongkong. And I would love to hear from you readers if you have any suggestions of things to do when in Hongkong. We will be staying there for 5 days and try to get over our jet lag while we're there.

Next stop, Manila! we will be staying there for a month to see how it is living there. We will also see some friends we've known from here and even visit some relatives. Hopefully we will be able to find a very nice accomodation while we're there. It certainly would make a difference.

From there, we will be flying to Davao in time for my sister Claire's wedding. Planning to be there 3 weeks before her wedding day to be able to help for her wedding preparation especially since my son will be the Ring Bearer!

After that, we will be flying back to Manila again and maybe stay there for a few days. Then we will be off to Hongkong again and stay there for 3 days before our flight back home to Dublin.

I'm really hoping that we will have a lovely holiday and that we will accomplish things that we are planning to do in the places mentioned. And when I return I'll try to post my adventures and mis-adventures if any.

Searching for Accommodations in Manila

Yes, people. I am looking for a nice accommodation in Manila and I'm having a hard time finding the right place for us. I did searches on different websites already and one way or another the units doesn't seem to suit us. Why? Let me tell you first what we want in the unit were looking for.

First, we are looking for an apartment or a condominium unit that would suit our needs or requirements. The unit should be furnished with fridge, tv, aircon, kitchens supplies, bed and all that carry on. A studio type or 1 bedroom unit will suit us.

Secondly, The BUDGET! Since we will be in the Philippines for a long time, budget is one of our major consideration. We're not on a spending spree here you know so were working on a tight budget. It's between 15K to 20K per month and if we can find one that would suit our requirements in a minimum price, we will be very delighted.

Third, the LOCATION. We prefer the place to be near Ortigas Center or the nearby area with an easy access to the MRT Line.

Fourth, the AMENITIES. To be honest, we will spend the whole time in Manila shopping or loitering in the malls so we prefer the place to have amenities. A swimming pool will be nice. A tennis court will also be ideal. And a kids playground is an added bonus as I have a little baby age 18 months who loves to go in the slides.

Fifth, the DURATION. We are only staying for 2 months starting the 5th of March until the 5th of May.

So thats the things we are taking into account in finding accomodations in Manila. I have said earlier that it seems the unit we found doesn't suit us one way or another. One example is that one unit fits the budget, the amenities, and the facilities but the location is way too far away from the area we mentioned. Another example is that the price, the location and the amenities is right but the unit is not furnished. And many more examples I'm pretty sure you wouldnt care to listen at all!

Anyway, the reason I'm writing this blog is that I'm hoping that whoever reads this can recommend to us the unit that would suit what I had mentioned earlier. And hopefully that will be granted in time for our stay in Manila.

So help us God!

First Trust Ulsters Masters 2009 Squash Tournament

This tournament was held in Belfast this year. My husband Eugene entered the tournament and was seeded 7th. He was supposedly seeded 8th but one guy pulled out of the tournament. Out of the 7 entries in Eugene's Category, 4 are from Cork, 2 are from Dublin and 1 Kilkenny.

Eugene's first game was against Donal Coughlan, a guy from Cork last Friday evening. Eugene won that game 3 sets to 1. His second game was against Eamonn O'Keefe last Saturday morning. Eamonn is also from Cork. Eugene won that game 3 sets to 1 as well. Winning that game, he then qualified to the Finals against another guy from Cork, Neil O'Sullivan. And of course Eugene won that game 3 sets to 2! Yeppey!!!! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch the whole match because Francis decided to go to sleep at the time that Eugene played his game. Those who've watched the game said that he really played brilliantly!

The tournament was sponsored by First Trust Bank and was held at the Belfast Boat Club.

Belfast International Youth Hostel

Belfast International Youth Hostel is a nice hostel situated at the heart of Belfast City Center. The location is really ideal for touring around in Belfast. I like their common room and the library. They also provide free parking which is ideal for us as we usually drive up to Belfast from Dublin and free parking can be a problem if you have a car. The food in the Causeway Cafe are really nice.

Me and my family have been staying in this hostel for 3 consecutive years now everytime we go to Belfast. And will do again next year. For an ideal place at the heart of the city at a cheap price... why not? hehehe