Intact Community Service

Last January 22, the Intact class that I am co-handling with Sir Mico went on a trip to Lingap Pangkabataan in Quezon City to do some community service. This is one of the requirements of the Intact classes for freshmen students. Since June of last year, I have been handling this particular class full of Social Science students with Sir Mico. I love how they make me feel young as if I am still a freshman like them!

Laser Tag Fun

Last January 15, the Student Affairs Office treated me and other student deputies for some laser tag fun. It was such a perfect reward for us deputies who have been issuing temporary IDs, answering phone calls, and doing some errands for the office for a long time. I have been a volunteer for the past three years.

We headed to the Activity Center Wing of Market Market at Fort Bonifacio where LazerXtreme is located. The staff gave us laser tag vests with a gun attached to it. They were color-coded according to teams. Then we were ushered to this cool, spaceship-liked room for some instructions before finally entering the laser tag room. For about 20 minutes, we were chasing and tagging each other all over the dim room. It was a lot of fun hiding behind the obstacle walls. After the game, we were treated dinner at KFC. Plus, we were given free tickets to watch Sherlock Holmes! This is something I would definitely miss once I finish college!

Los Angeles: Day 6

On our last day in Los Angeles, we didn't have any fixed itinerary so we just followed where our cousins went that day. It turned out that their only plan was to go shopping, so I ended up shopping too!

I went crazy inside Ross Dress For Less because they were selling clothes from designer brands with savings as much as 70% compared to normal department stores. I got two or three blazers and some knee-length dresses from Calvin Klein, DKNY, among other brands, for only $9.99 or $12.99. 

I also shopped a bit in Marshalls. I got a leather jacket for $10 and some shirts too. Like Ross, they were selling designer clothes for unbelievably low prices. It's good that my brother was there to control me from buying everything I see. Haha!

Los Angeles: Day 5

Our itinerary for the entire day was to visit Disneyland Park and California Adventure Park in Anaheim. We borrowed a wheelchair and asked my dad to sit on it so that we could have faster access to the park rides and attractions. But still, we were not able to see everything because it's hard to wander around or try out the rides with my parents in tow. I shall come back here next time.

Los Angeles: Day 4

A day after New Year's Day, our family was ready to conquer the streets of Hollywood together with Auntie Cherry, Ahia Edward and Achi Sherry. Our first stop was the Hollywood Museum where we found lots of vintage Hollywood memorabilia like news clippings and wardrobes of famous movie stars.

We walked along the Hollywood Walk of Fame where special stars with names of famous celebrities are embedded in the sidewalks. We also met lots of impersonators roaming the streets of Hollywood.

We also checked out the Hollywood Wax Museum and Guinness World Records Museum along Hollywood Boulevard.

Before sunset, we took the open air tour bus to see the other famous landmarks in Hollywood. The highlight was seeing the iconic Hollywood sign and the mansion atop the hill used in the movie, Iron Man.

Los Angeles: Day 3

On New Year's Day, my entire family went shopping at Camarillo Premium Outlets while I met up with my childhood best friend, Tracy, and her siblings. I waited outside our rented house in Redondo Beach for about an hour because my cousins had to lock the main door of the house before they leave. Tracy picked me up. 

Tracy and her siblings brought me to Santa Monica Pier, a recreational and entertainment center featuring restaurants, retail shops and an amusement park.

Afterwards, we went to the Americana in Glendale and had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. I super loved the festive ambiance of the open-air shopping center.

Before I headed home, we also visited their brand new home in Sylmar, California.

Los Angeles: Day 2

On our second day in Los Angeles, half of our entourage decided to go to Universal Studios Hollywood. The first thing we did was join a group tour of the movie sets in Universal Studios. We didn't have to line up like the rest of the crowd because the staff alloted a special entrance to those people in wheelchairs and their families. That day, my aunt and uncle were seated in a wheelchair because they couldn't walk long distances. 

Scooby Dooby Doo was roaming around the studio that day.  We checked out the race car used in the Fast and the Furious movie. We also learned that the ship that traveled to Skull Island in the movie, King Kong, was merely a miniature. 

This was one of the most thrilling sets in Universal Studios. Our vehicle went inside this building that looks like a set for an underground metro. Then a big truck came out of nowhere to hit us. Of course everything was just staged. But it felt so real that moment.

This real airplane was used in one of Tom Cruise's past movies. Dangling wires, tumbling cars, and falling debris made the whole set so realistic. When our vehicle arrived at Wisteria Lane, my smile was up to my ears because I am a big fan of Desperate Housewives.

                  

The iconic Hollywood sign at the end of the studio tour.

We tried out the simulator ride featuring the Simpsons family. We also saw the famous shark from the movie, Jaws.

   

Other attractions in Universal Studios: Betty Boop and Shrek.

The Mummy indoor roller coaster ride scared the shit out of me. After the scary ride, we met the Nutty Professor spontaneously. 

Time to leave Universal Studios because dinner was waiting for us at our rented home. This was such an exciting way to spend the last day of 2009. Hoping for more adventures in 2010!

Los Angeles: Day 1

This day, we left the city of Las Vegas and took Southwest Airlines to Los Angeles, the city of arts and entertainment. I got so excited for the last leg of our trip because I was set to meet my childhood best friend, Tracy, after four long years.

We arrived at Los Angeles in the afternoon but we waited for more than an hour at the airport because my cousins had to get the SUVs we rented. We got to our hotel, Four Points Sheraton around 6:00pm. After we settled in our hotel in Culver City, we walked to the nearby Westfield Mall to have dinner at Manna BBQ, a Korean restaurant. We also did some shopping afterwards. 

Las Vegas: Day 3

On our third day in Las Vegas, we all went shopping in an outlet center! We were too preoccupied shopping so we forgot to take photos. Haha! We came back to our hotel to rest and freshen up because later that night, my family and I were planning to go have dinner at Caesar's Palace as recommended by my sister.  

We dined at the Lago Buffet at Caesar's Palace. We waited for 45 minutes to be seated.

Somebody was very happy to devour all the crabs. How I wish achi was with us.

The Forum is a high-end mall connected to the Caesar's Palace. I love the intricate details.

After strolling around Caesar's Palace and the Forum, we then went to the Venetian. The ambiance outside the hotel was so romantic. The mall reminds me so much of the Venus Fort Mall in Odaiba, Japan. We saw a replica of the Rialto Bridge in Venice. Before I die, I have to see the real one!

Las Vegas: Day 2

After our day trip to the Grand Canyon, my parents got so tired and decided to call it a day. They no longer wanted to go out. Hence, Jason and I offered to buy Chinese takeout from the Miracle Mile just across the Bellagio Hotel. Then we had a simple dinner inside our room. We watched some TV, relaxed for an hour or two and around 10:00pm, Jason and I started our Las Vegas adventure. We did not go gambling or partying. We simply walked the whole strip from end to end and took gazillions of photos. 

Some of the hotels we passed by that night were the following: Caesars Palace, Bally's, Excalibur, Luxor Las Vegas, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Venetian, Paris, Planet Hollywood, Wynn, Mandarin Oriental, and Aria.

The New York-New York Hotel's architecture is meant to evoke the New York City skyline. The hotel includes several towers configured to resemble New York City towers such as the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. 

The Excalibur Hotel's facade is a stylized image of a castle. The hotel is named after the mythical sword of King Arthur.

The Luxor Hotel is the second largest hotel in Las Vegas. It is named after the city of Luxor (ancient Thebes) in Egypt. Meanwhile, the Mandalay Bay is a sister property of the Luxor. It has 3,309 hotel rooms, 24 elevators and a casino of 135,000 sq ft.

The Paris Hotel's theme is the city of Paris in France. It includes a half scale, 541-foot tall replica of the Eiffel Tower, a two-thirds size of the Arc de Triomphe, and a replica of La Fontaine des Mers.

   

So many other attractions along the strip.

We went back to Bellagio Hotel around 2:00am.