Lunch In The Sky: Colombiano Coffee House at Marina Mall

Fresh from a 2-hour bus ride from Al Ghubaiba bus station in Dubai, Ed and I hopped off the bus at Abu Dhabi's main terminal and embraced the hot, humid and hazy weekend morning! The summer heat was intense, yet I was still hyped up to revisit my favorite spots and to discover new places. 

Our first destination should be Emirates Palace, but we were halted at the gates since Ed was wearing shorts! Without an extra time to waste, we immediately asked the taxi driver to take us to Marina Mall instead; where Ed could purchase a cheap pair of jeans and where we could have our early lunch.

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Coron: A Treasure Trove of Natural Beauty

Now that we are about to welcome the last quarter of 2013, our homecoming plan for next year is already brewing. Having a home country with 7,107 beautiful islands is also having 7,107 or more getaway options! "Which island shall we explore?" has always been the big question. Since I'm always OC and too ecstatic when it comes to 'escape plans', I am already doing some major research. 

I have been browsing the archive of Cebu Pacific's inflight magazine, and I stumbled upon a very interesting article about Coron in Smile magazine's December 2012 issue. I have always longed to visit Palawan; to travel to Puerto Princesa and see the Underground River, but the Coron's Jewels article makes me want to fly to Busuanga instead!

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A Girly Morning with Virgin Megastore at Mercato

I was already running low on energy mid-September! The first two weeks were jam-packed with getaways on weekends and massive workload on weekdays. I badly needed some precious ME time and I was really thankful when an invitation from Virgin Megastore arrived in my Inbox. It was an invite for the Family Festival; a 4-day celebration in line with the opening of Virgin's newly renovated store in Mercato. I was jumping inside while reading these: fashion shows (wow!), live music performance (yay!), food demos (omg!) and free manicure (oh yes!).

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Featured in InterNations

I have just received an early birthday present!!! :)

Lady and her Sweet Escapes is now bearing the "Top Expat Blog-Dubai" badge from InterNations! Can somebody pinch me, please?  I have seen that lovely badge on the blogs that I look up to and I just can't believe that it is now in the right side bar of my little pink 1-year old blog.

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Sporty and Foodie Night at The Huddle

Last Saturday, my husband aced another Microsoft exam! Proud wifey here! It was an achievement that called for a celebration. With all his perseverance and the late nights in front of the computer, Ed deserves not just a pat on the back, but a big meal and an ice cold beer! :) His success perfectly synced with an invitation that we have received from The Huddle Sports Bar and Grill for its 2nd Anniversary celebration!

    

The Huddle is a bar/restaurant made for Sports Aficionados. It has huge flat screens telecasting live sports, pool tables and dart boards. After the big games, a live band takes the stage and transforms The Huddle into a music venue. Sports enthusiasts also get to enjoy sumptuous bar food and refreshing beverages. It has a very masculine concept; furnished with contemporary bar stools and sleek lounge chairs, and with walls decked with sporting memorabilia. And so, this girly girl who was never into sports was quite scared to feel out of place, yet was ready for an all new dine-out experience. 

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More Flights! More Fun!

Since 1996, the Philippines' leading low-cost carrier, Cebu Pacific, has been offering affordable flights and has made air travel possible for everyone. It has changed the Filipino's perception about traveling as CEB's seat sales have made budget vacations possible. With Cebu Pacific every Juan can fly! 

Cebu Pacific continues to grow as it has recently welcomed two Airbus A320 all the way from Toulouse, France! The A320 is equipped with fuel-saving sharklets and is one of the most modern fleets in the world. With the arrival of new aircrafts, additional domestic flights to the Philippines top tourist destinations were launched last August! 

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Ibn Battuta: The Travel-Themed Shopping Mall

Once upon a time, there were two explorers named Ed and Lady. They rode a magic train that took them to places they've never been. They visited the pharaohs in Egypt, had a quick stop at Tunisia, then traveled to Andalusia, had a coffee break in Persia, then flew to India, and watched a movie in China.... all in one day! :) Okay okay, before you think I'm crazy, forget about the magic train! My imagination has gone wild again! Hahah! Ed and I went to Ibn Battuta, a shopping mall with six different themes based on the travels of the 14th Century Arabic Explorer, Ibn Battuta. 

We started our journey at Ibn Battuta's Egypt Court. The mall's facade has craved images of pharaohs. Inside are drawings of Gods of the Egyptian mythology, date trees and a huge centerpiece of ancient Egyptian structure.  

EGYPT

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Snow Adventures in Ski Dubai

Years before I decided to work abroad, I used to think that life in the Middle East can be very sad and boring. I pictured it out as living in the middle of a lifeless desert, where I must handle a backbreaking workload and struggle in a burning temperature; all in exchange for growth and a better future! Then, when I learned about United Arab Emirates, a fast-growing, multicultural country in the Middle East, my perception changed. I knew from then that if I have to work outside the Philippines, and with Middle East as my only option, it should be in the UAE!

When I arrived in Dubai, I realized I was right with the struggle in a burning hot weather and I was clearly wrong with the dreary life. For five years, I'm living in an astonishing desert city where everything is possible! I am in the midst of an 830 m skyscraper, a 7-star hotel with a very unique shape, a palm-shaped island and a ski resort! Yes, there are snow slopes in the hottest part of the world! :)

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Authentic Korean Cuisine at Hyu Restaurant

Annyeonghaseyo! :) 

I was again on my foodie trail with a mission to find more authentic, not-so-popular and not crowded, specialty restaurants in Dubai. My restless feet and my "always hungry" tummy lead me to Hyu, an authentic Korean restaurant tuck in a secluded area in Oud Metha. 

On a weekend, Ed and I went out before dusk and embarked on a quest to find Hyu in Oud Metha. We have only heard about the Korean restaurant days before our visit. We actually didn't know that a certain restaurant exists in the area! I didn't want to spend so much time searching for the restaurant on Google map, so I used a Lifeline (phone a friend) for directions. :) Hyu is a short walk from Oud Metha metro station, the station where we leave or ride the train whenever we go to St. Mary's Church. It is located at Garden Home building which we always see from the main road, but Hyu is hidden at the back side; away from the busy streets of Oud Metha.

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CEB's Maiden Flight to Phuket

One of the flight routes that I have been wishing and waiting for have just began! Last August 16, 2013, Cebu Pacific have launched direct flights between Manila and Phuket. Thailand's largest island is CEB's 21st international destination. During the maiden flight, the first passengers received a special send-off from the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand, His Excellency Prasas Prasasvinitchai, together with the Executive director of the Civil Aeronautics Board, Hon. Carmelo Arcilla. 

photo source: www.cebusmile.com

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CioccolatItaliani: The Finest Italian Cafe in Town

While Ed and I were having our usual weekend date night at Dubai Festival City, a newly opened cafe  along the Canal Walk caught our attention. CioccolatItaliani  is a famous upscale cafe in Italy that serves contemporary Italian dishes and desserts. I can tell, the lovers of Italian cuisine and the chocolate connoisseurs are very pleased to welcome CioccolatItaliani to Dubai's dining scene. CioccolatItaliani sounds so sweet and so chocolatey. Aside from the catchy name, the cafe looks elegant and very inviting! 

CioccolatItaliani at Dubai Festival City

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Juan for Fun!

Life may be tough and there may be challenges to face, but we can always get through the difficulties together. Strong teamwork and motivation, fun-loving attitude and positive outlook can help us succeed in life, as well as in Cebu Pacific's Juan for Fun Backpacking Challenge!

Juan for Fun Backpacking Challenge is a contest that will bring five teams of  three students to six local destinations in the Philippines for an all-expense paid adventure on August 27 to September 2, 2013. The challenge is to have the most number of fun activities within the duration of the trip with the given travel allowance. The teams have to document their fun adventure through photos and videos using their Canon point-and-shoot and video cameras; a gadget which was handed to them, along with official T-shirts, Wegner travel gear, Tablets powered by Sun broadband and travel allowance, during the send-off day.

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Exquisite Emirati Cuisine at Al Fanar Restaurant

Though the years, I have noticed how International food chains quickly multiply in Dubai. Anyone can clearly see that International dine-out spots have out numbered the local restaurants. In a shopping mall, I can easily find specialty restaurants and variety of cuisines; anything except authentic Emirati food! It is my fifth year in Dubai and my knowledge about traditional dishes is pretty shameful. It's not because I don't want to try them, I just don't know where to have them! 

Then, I came across Al Fanar Restaurant at Dubai Festival City. It is said to be the "first and only Local Emirati restaurant in Dubai". I'm not really sure if that's the truth, but I have been living in Dubai for half a decade and it's the only Emirati restaurant that I have ever seen in a shopping mall so far. 

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