Great Deals at Ensogo Philippines

I love great deals! When I see one, I examine it closely and when it’s as real as it looks, I buy it. Groupon (group coupon) sites have sprouted like wild mushrooms in Manila. Their marketing approach is very simple and straightforward. They make deals available in batches (100 to 3000 vouchers or more at any given time) and sell them to people online. It’s like having a personal shopper where good deals are laid on the table for your picking. Discounts can go as high as 80%. Payments are made thru credit cards, banks and even Paypal. The more you buy, the more you get to save money.

Among the many groupon sites today, I have become quite loyal to Ensogo Philippines (http://www.ensogo.com.ph). This groupon site that orginated in Thailand has many exciting offers to choose from and whose prices I find pocket-friendly. They have deals for everyone, from restaurant treats and travel packages to beauty and pampering services. I like that they come up with new offers sooner and the validity dates (the length of time you are allowed to use/avail a service) of their vouchers are longer that those offered by other groupon sites. Plus, you earn credits (1 point equals P1) in some of their deals which you could then use in your future transactions.

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January is My Food Trip Month

Oh how time flies! Before I knew it, a month has ended and a new month has arrived. If there’s one thing that could sum up the month of January for me, it has to be food trips! January has been all about eating for this proactive soul.

It all started with the New Year where I cooked several simple but hearty dishes for our Media Noche. I indulged in glorious, fatty food that time. Two weeks later, Superfriend Nice and I got invited to a seafood feast thru Marriott Hotel’s Ocean Surf Buffet. This luxury hotel is housed inside the huge Resorts World Manila Complex in Pasay City (fronting NAIA 3). Once more, I ate to my heart’s content but this time, I feasted on fresh bounties from the sea and a lot more.

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Our Passport Application Experience at the DFA Courtesy Lane for Government Employees

UPDATE: Just learned from a reliable source that only parents, spouses and children of the government employee are entitled to use the Courtesy Lane. Siblings (brothers and sisters) are excluded and have to make an appointment just like what ordinary applicants do.

Last November, I was able to book plane tickets to an Asian city for the boyfriend fiancee and I. Our travel will be in October 2011, just in time for our seventh anniversary as a couple. Yes, our relationship is that old. Haha. But I digress.

For over a week, I got overly excited about our out-of-the-country trip next year and thought I should prepare all our travel requirements in advance. One of them was the passport. I realized I haven’t applied for one yet and panicked a bit. I immediately checked out the DFA website and booked for an appointment for the two of us. The date I chose was December 22 at 9:00 a.m. I arranged the necessary documents required for our passport application and waited for our schedule to arrive.

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Our Birthday Trip: Day 1 and Day 2 in Boracay

This is the first of two parts of my first Boracay getaway with the boyfriend, our birthday trip to be exact. You can read the second part here.

During the last four days and three nights, the boyfriend and I were in Boracay to celebrate our birthdays and give ourselves a break from the hustles and bustles of the city. We were happy that Boracay was enjoying nice weather during our visit. Two straight days without rain and just drizzles on our way back to Manila. We couldn’t ask for more.

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Thanksgiving Dinner and My Surplus Haul

Office work has been pretty slack the past weeks. When the clock struck five, my officemates and I finally pushed thru our plan to eat at Sincerity Café and Restaurant. I call it our second Binondo food trip because the branch we visited was located in the said place. Actually, it was sort of a thanksgiving dinner for our having kept our jobs following the change in administration that had taken place in June.

After having a fantastic dinner at the restaurant, the boyfriend and I went straight to SM Manila. He bought a new Samsung phone with dual sim capability while I did some impulsive shopping at Surplus. I was proud of myself because I saw a lot of nice items but stuck to the essentials. By essentials, I meant a cream cardigan, a white tank top and a pair of funky sneakers.

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My First Birthday Trip

Right now, I’m excited about two things: our upcoming house move and my first birthday trip. I’m more excited about the latter, just because this is the first time I will be out of town on my birthday. Actually, it’s we, not I.

The boyfriend and I decided to celebrate our birthdays (which are only one week apart) in Boracay. We’ll be there second week of October and that’s barely two weeks from now. I have spent my afternoon today browsing the internet for tips on what food/sights/activities to try and experience in one of the best beaches in the world. (Proud to be Filipino, ehem.)

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