September 13, 2010

Kookoo's Nest

Monday, September 13, 2010 Posted by Mary , , , , , , 1 comment
There is a hidden treasure in the Tambobo Bay area of Siaton, Negros Oriental, approximately one and a half hours away from the provincial capital of Dumaguete. It's called Kookoo's Nest. I've heard of this place long before, but I never got to check it out until last Friday. It was a holiday in the Philippines because of Eid'l Fit'r, the end of Ramadan (our population is 20% Muslim, after all), so a couple of friends and I decided to go on a road trip to make the most of the no-work day.




Kookoo's Nest is a beach resort tucked away beside a cliff. It is adjacent to the more posh and popular Antulang Beach Resort. It is a little out of the way, and one might consider it to be in the middle of nowhere, but it is such a charming and relaxing place that I would recommend it to anyone.






The resort has a white sand beach, clear waters, a quaint restaurant right by the water and bamboo cottages. It's perfect for a relaxing weekend getaway because it's quiet and private. You can sit by the beach admiring the view, or read a book or magazine from their ample collection.






Kookoo's Nest is also a place you can come to if you want to dive. If you want to go kayaking, you can do that there as well. But since my friends and I do not dive (yet!), and we didn't bring extra clothes so we couldn't swim, we contented ourselves with taking pictures and enjoying what I think is the best of Kookoo's Nest: the food!






Food at Kookoo's Nest is truly to die for! We had Pork Schnitzel, Filipino Coconut Chicken Curry, and Pork Kebab with Sate. All were amazingly delicious! They were pretty affordable, too, ranging from P150 to 200. For the food alone, I would go back there. If you plan to check it out, though, make sure you order the food immediately upon arriving, as it can take some time for them to prepare it. 

Needless to say, I'm quite happy to have made the trip to Kookoo's Nest. It's definitely a good road trip destination in this part of the Philippines. 

This entry is also posted at Everything Dumaguete.

September 4, 2010

Finding Heritage

Saturday, September 04, 2010 Posted by Mary , 4 comments



A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that is listed by UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance. The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. I think these sites are really special, as they are carefully selected for their significance to humanity. So on my bucket list, I have a goal to visit at least fifty UNESCO World Heritage sites. I've only visited a few (thanks to my stay in Japan), but that is only the beginning. Today is the start of my journey to finding heritage.


UNESCO World Heritage Sites Visited
  1. Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)
  2. Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
  3. Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu 
  4. Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (Banff National Park)
  5. Waterton Glacier International Peace Park
  6. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

September 3, 2010

My Bucket List

Friday, September 03, 2010 Posted by Mary , , 2 comments



A lot of people are making bucket lists.

What is a bucket list? Well, it's a list of things you want to do before you die, and it was made popular with the movie The Bucket List starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. I have yet to see the movie--I will watch it soon, I promise--but I've made my own bucket list.

With where I am in life now, a lot of the items in my list seem almost impossible to achieve. But no matter. Anything is possible. And making this list has been truly enlightening, because I now have a vague idea on the direction which I must steer my life.

My Bucket List

September 1, 2010

100 Scents

Wednesday, September 01, 2010 Posted by Mary , , No comments


It is no secret that I love perfumes. I am a perfume addict! And on my bucket list, there is an item that says, "Smell a hundred different perfume scents." This item would be crashed out the moment I am able to try on a hundred different perfumes.

I am still quite far from the hundred mark, but here are the scents I have already smelled or tried using so far:
  1. 1 Million by Paco Rabanne
  2. 1 Million Intense by Paco Rabanne
  3. 212 by Carolina Herrera
  4. 212sexy by Carolina Herrera
  5. Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani
  6. Amazing Grace by Philosophy
  7. Anais Anais by Cacharel
  8. Ange ou Demon Le Secret Elixir by Givenchy
  9. Angel by Thierry Mugler
  10. Aqva Pour Homme by Bvlgari
  11. Aqva Pour Homme Marine by Bvlgari
  12. Arlesienne by L'Occitane en Provence
  13. Attimo by Salvatore Ferragamo
  14. Be Delicious by DKNY
  15. Black Suede by Avon
  16. BLV Notte by Bvlgari
  17. Brit by Burberry
  18. Chanel No 5 by Coco Chanel
  19. Cherry Blossom by L'Occitane en Provence 
  20. Chic by Carolina Herrera
  21. Cool Water by Davidoff
  22. Dune by Christian Dior
  23. Eternity For Men by Calvin Klein
  24. Euphoria Blossom by Calvin Klein
  25. Euphoria by Calvin Klein
  26. Fidji by Guy Laroche
  27. Funny! by Moschino
  28. Green Tea by Elizabeth Arden
  29. Haiku by Avon
  30. I Love Love by Moschino
  31. Incanto Bloom by Salvatore Ferragamo
  32. Incanto Shine by Salvatore Ferragamo
  33. Intuition for Men by Estee Lauder
  34. J'adore by Christian Dior
  35. Kenzo Amour by Kenzo
  36. L'eau The One by Dolce & Gabbana
  37. L'Homme Sport by Lanvin
  38. Lacoste Pour Femme by Lacoste
  39. Lapidus Pour Homme by Ted Lapidus
  40. Lauren by Ralph Lauren
  41. Living Grace by Philosophy
  42. LouLou by Cacharel
  43. Miracle Forever by Lancome
  44. Miss Dior by Christian Dior
  45. Omnia Amethyste by Bvlgari
  46. Omnia Crystalline by Bvlgari
  47. Omnia Green Jade by Bvlgari
  48. Paloma Picasso by Paloma Picasso
  49. Poison by Christian Dior
  50. Pur Blanca by Avon
  51. Rose 4 Reins by L'Occitane en Provence
  52. Rose Essentielle by Bvlgari
  53. Shalimar by Guerlain
  54. Stella Eau de Toilette by Stella McCartney
  55. The Vert au Jasmin by L'Occitane en Provence
  56. Touch by Burberry
  57. Unscripted by Patrick Dempsey
  58. Vivid by Liz Claiborne
  59. Voile de Jasmin by Bvlgari
  60. Wild Cherry Tree by L'Occitane en Provence
Among all these, I only have a few favorites: 212, Kenzo Amour, Wild Cherry Tree, Fidji, Lacoste Pour Femme, and Euphoria Blossom. What about you? Which perfume scents will you never forget?