What the hack!

It's been over 2 years since I wrote anything for this blog. I read certain posts from eons ago and it cracked me up. What the heck had I been doing all those years?! Hahaha, some were irrelevant and others were irrelevant. Yes, irrelevant emphasized.

I started this blog as a way to mend my broken heart. Char. I kept myself busy by writing, instead of moping, and indeed, I ended up writing a lot of trash.

Mundane things were written, which I cannot remember happening at all. And the pictures I took were crappy. But I'm beginning to love everything now, because this blog somehow serves as a memoir, a time capsule of my past, a reminder of how I struggled to gain weight before (and today struggling to lose weight, haha) and my assertion of how I can turn ordinary things/events into extraordinary.

Yes, words are mighty powerful tools to design my life. And I intend to continue doing so by resuscitating this blog.

For now, allow me to rant. MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT WAS HACKED! *shetdapwet* I couldn't access my account. Per IG, it cannot be found. Gone. Non-existent. Pfft. I already reported the same to IG, and hopefully they can help me retrieve my account.

It is alarming to know that someone actually stole my memories. 5 years worth of memories! I have no enemies, err known enemies :) I really have no idea who and why it was hacked. I am not a celebrity, nor an online seller. I am not a politician nor a beauty queen. I am not famous nor legendary. I am just a girl, standing before a boy, asking him to love me. Chos.

I hope it was just a random act of hacking by a son-of-a-gun-evil-doer-to-be-targeted-by-DDS, and not an actual act of personal retribution and hate for me. Whatever, YOU, whoever you are, can only take my photos...but never ME, hahaha.

So as of today, I have no IG account. One was created under my name, but it is not mine. I'll create a new account only IF the hacked account can no longer be retrieved.

#IamBack

Toy Museum

I am always on a look out for new places to see and explore. I am tremendously hungry for anything new and nice. When I read about this Toy Museum, I immediately checked it out.

 

Yexel Toy Museum is located inside Pilar Subdivision in Las Pinas. It houses the massive collection of toys of Yexel Sebastian. He started his collection when he was 7 years old, with a McDonald’s Happy Meal Toy.

At the reception area, you will be greeted by the Simpson’s:

 At 300p/head, you will definitely get your money's worth. The tour is about an hour and a half, with a dedicated tour guide to show you around and to explain the story behind every toy, how much it was, and where it was bought.

Life-size toys were abound, from your favorite Japanese characters to Disney's famous cartoons.

This is Yexel, the owner:

Oh, you will definitely go gaga with your favorite heroes and villains!

 Of all the rooms inside the museum, two were my favorite:

1) STARWARS!!!!

and 2) OPTIMUS PRIME!!!

Indeed, the Toy Museum is a dreamland for kids..and kids at heart.

The Yexel Toy Museum is open to the public on weekends only. Weekdays are exclusive for school field trips.



Have a happy life,
mayagirl

TRAVELOGUE – LAS CASAS FILIPINAS DE ACUZAR

I have been getting a lot of queries re Las Casas, hence this post.

Las Casas is located in Bagac, Bataan, a 4-hour drive from Manila. It houses over 20 architectural treasures, reminiscent of 18^th century era. Houses made of wood or bricks were magnificently replicated and rebuilt in the huge complex, reflective of various Philippine regions. The Luzon and Visayas inspired houses are already in place, the Mindanao area is still under construction.

A 30-min tour of the place is provided for free. You’ll get to feel the antiquity and uniqueness of the place as you start walking on its cobblestone streets.

Wear a hat for sun protection ;)

Highly recommended for a weekend getaway.

Hi, Sharon!

The rest of the gang.

At the entrance, the first building you will see is the Reception.

The ever hyper, Carlo.

Several sculptures are randomly displayed all over the complex.

 

The building on the right side is Casa Escolta. The ground floor is a commercial area (bakery, photo center, souvenir shop, etc.), the 2^nd and 3^rd floors are the hotel rooms. We were billeted at the 3^rd floor.

The view from the loft of the bedroom.

The columns lining the casa.

The gazebo just beside the Escolta.

The Escolta by night.

The Casa Cagayan. A one-bedroom unit you may opt for your accommodation.

The construction of Mindanao casas, which will be completed within the year.

With tweeners Lyka and Che.

A museum can also be found within the compound. It houses a collection of antiques and paintings. You will be asked to remove your footwear in order not to scratch the wooden floors.

Hardwood with intricate carvings.

Porcelain dinnerwares.

Chandeliers galore.

The bridge leading to the beach.

Under the bridge are “tikbalangs”.

Just a regular beach. Black sand. Water not clear blue. But clean, no weeds and other floating elements.

This is Lola Basyang. Did you know that Lola Basyang is a HE? Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang is written by Severino Reyes, who adopted the persona of Lola Basyang (a grandmother fond of telling stories to her grandchildren). *geek mode*

 

The pool area. Very shallow, but so refreshing. 

So, there. Just a glimpse of what to see inside this cultural village.

Since this was a company outing, my first after 4 years of being employed, I was ecstatic all through out ;) It was really nice bonding with colleagues outside our work area.

Here are some random pics during this 2-day outing:

Wishing for a similar outing next year ;)