I was celebrating a big milestone in my life and I wanted to do something special and symbolic at the same time. I was turning XXX and I wanted to spend the day filled with various elements. I wanted to travel. I wanted to experience something new. I wanted to …
This morning, I found myself running in the Pinoy Fitness Sub-1 10K Challenge. ”Sub-1″ means running 10km under an hour, something that most runners consider to be the ultimate goal in this distance category. Now this is no easy feat at all. Related literature says that only athlete-level runners can …
It was my very first blogger event. I was having a Me-day in Glorietta one Saturday when Aldous messaged me in Facebook and asked if I was free to join a food event at the Grilla Bar and Restaurant near Rockwell later that day. Since I had no plans and I have never …
A year ago, I finally decided to get my own domain and transfer my blog from onyva.blog.com to a self-hosted domain. After doing a mini-survey on the name, I ended up with chasingjayce.com. A year and fifty posts later, it is now time to celebrate my blog’s first birthday! And …
Considered as one of the healthiest cuisines worldwide, Vietnamese food has that distinct taste that stems from the use of fresh ingredients, lots of herbs and vegetables and the lack of oil. But “healthy” does not always equate to “not yummy” because Vietnamese food always makes it to best foods …
I hardly prepared for my trip to Hanoi and there were several things I wished I had known before embarking on that journey. Here are the 8 things I should have known about Hanoi: 1. Winter is not the best time to go to Hanoi. Hanoi, experiences winter from November to …
In keeping with the tradition of posting a summary of my travels, here is the summary of our 4D3N Hanoi itinerary and budget. 4D3N Hanoi Itinerary Day 1 Hanoi Walking Tour Arrival in Hanoi at 1:00am Check in at the hotel Breakfast at Sunrise Café by 10:30am Hanoi walking tour: Vietnam …
The main reason why, among the options that Jacq gave me, I chose Hanoi Hibiscus Hotel was because it was a fairly new hotel. Constructed only in September 2011, the 3-star hotel boasts of budget-friendly and clean accommodations right in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Our booking was made …
There were very few things left for us to do in Hanoi on our third day. And because both Jacq and I were already feeling under the weather by this time, due mostly to the unending mist and drizzle that we had on our first day. So, we took our last …
Our second day in Hanoi was Ha Long Bay day! We weren’t too excited about this because related literature told us that Ha Long Bay is not 100% enjoyable during the winter months. We were expecting low visibility due to the fog and an overall gray day due to the …
My first destination for 2014 was Hanoi: Vietnam’s capital, second largest city and main cultural center. For this trip, I was accompanied by Jacq and it was our first time to travel together. We had a red-eye flight and we arrived in Hanoi a little bit before 1:00am local time where …
Originating in San Francisco, California, La Petite Camille is a Vietnamese restaurant (don’t let the French name fool you) and is one of my recent finds. I like Vietnamese food (the few that I’ve tried) and I’m always open to try something new. So, I went to this restaurant in Greenbelt …
I finally got to try Nam Nam last Friday when I had dinner with some of my friends from college. This restaurant specializes in Filipino dishes, some are old school while others are offered with a “twist”. Nam Nam hails it name from the word “malinamman”, meaning delicious. Nam Nam …
Can you believe that January is already over?! It flew by so fast I can’t remember what I did the last 31 days! Well, let me have a bit of a lookback on the past month through the places where I was able to eat for the first time. Since …
Part of the allure of traveling is getting to stay at a new place and calling it “home” for at least a few days. A self-imposed (pseudo) travel ban, new-job-related stress and Deal Grocer’s never ending newsletters prompted me to try another staycation. This time, I did a staycation at …
I believe that having goals is important. They force us to envision the future and prompt us into following through. Ten years ago, I evolved from having “New Year’s resolutions” into setting New Year’s goals for myself. The way I see it, having goals to meet instead of resolutions to …
These are the best 15 travel quotes that I have ever encountered. Some have inspired me to travel, while others echoed my thoughts. May they encourage you to see more of the world. ^___^
I have just finished watching Coach Carter and once again, I found myself profoundly moved by the “Our Deepest Fear” quote. From the start of his coaching stint at his old high school, Coach Carter kept asking his problematic student, Timo Cruz the question “What is your deepest fear?”. Towards the end, …
Whenever I travel, I am never one for 5-star hotels. I always go for the cheapest places that offer basic but decent accommodations. I believe that my money would be better spent on tours and experiencing the local vibe rather than on a room that would only serve as a …
Today, I drove 37.5km to Isdaan Floating Restaurant in Laguna to celebrate my older sister’s birthday. Alright, her birthday was actually a week ago but this day was chosen for the celebration. And as further practice for my driving, I drove the whole way – through fast lanes, winding roads and …
