Revisiting Eastwood City

Eastwood City
E. Rodriguez, Jr. Avenue (C5) - Bagumbayan
Libis, Quezon City
(+63)2-687-6770 to 74/ (+63)2-917-8-EWCITY
05 June 2010

The very first time I set foot in Eastwood City was way back in 2002, when my ex boyfriend and I went there for a date. Since then, the only time I went there was sometime around 2005 when I tried my luck applying for a job at a Call Center in the area. Many years have passed, so when I saw a chance to go back there, I immediately grabbed it.

That day, I met with my friends Ethel and Nathalie for a photoshoot (Ethel was our model). We booked a hotel room for about 4 hours, and since it was past 6pm when we finished, Nathalie suggested we go to Eastwood City to eat dinner and to hunt for photography subjects because that time, we took up a photo hunt challenge, and some of the prompts listed can be found in Eastwood City.

We hailed a taxi from the hotel and as soon as we got out of the cab, I was ready to take pictures that captured my interest. Here are some of the pictures I took that night:


First Glance. Eastwood City was developed by Megaworld Corporation. Launched in 1997, this 17-hectare area is home to many commercial establishments as well as luxury condominium towers.

Walk of Fame. USA has it, Hong Kong has it... and for sure the Philippines has it, too. This attraction was the brainchild of German Moreno, one of the legendary actors of the Philippines' show business. Like the foreign counterparts, this attraction is a tribute to the talent, passion, and contribution of celebrities to the acting and music scene.

Mini Concert. There was an area for activities, and for this night, there was a concert for CCF. Nathalie and I went to watch a few performances, then we ate dinner after.

Car Show. With our tummies full, it was time for us to check the fountain, but walking to the fountain, we saw several cars on display, so we took time to take pictures, too.

Dancing Fountain. Regardless of where it is, a fountain is something that will surely grab people's attention. This fountain was more interesting because it dances to the music. The fountain show ran for four songs, and according to Nathalie, it dances every 30 minutes.

Happy with the fountain pictures we took, it was time for us to go home. We hailed another taxi back to Cubao, then we parted ways. It was a great time being with friends, and it was great setting foot in Eastwood City again.

*** Jenn ***

May 2010 Food Trips

Since I am sharing full details about the food trips on my food blog, I Live to Eat!, I am just compiling all of the food trips done in May 2010. Should you want to read the full story, you may click the name of the food place under the pictures.




Banapple - Il Terrazzo

09 May 2010

Where my friends and I ate lunch after a photo walk around the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Rescue Center. It was my first time to eat there, and I had their Lasagna Roll-Ups.

Starbucks - ELJ Building

09 May 2010

After lunch at Banapple, we walked around to take more pictures, and for refreshments, we had a drink at Starbucks. I went to drink their Mango Passion Fruit blended ice drink, and it was really good!




Tokyo Tokyo Metro - SM Fairview

12 May 2010

My siblings and I decided to go to the mall early, and for lunch, we decided to eat here. It may be the upscale version of Tokyo Tokyo..but I still went for their beef dish, my favorite Tokyo Tokyo food.




Napoli Pizzeria - SM Fairview

12 May 2010

Come dinnertime, mom met us to have dinner to celebrate my 30th birthday. Lots of cheese and tomatoes... but what I loved most was this one - the Mozzarella Bars.




Go Fan! Roasts and Dimsum - SM Fairview

22 May 2010

Where mom, brother, and I ate lunch before doing some grocery shopping.

Tri Mo Shawarma - Lagro

29 May 2010

After a long day at the Loreland Resort for the annual neighbors' outing, we found ourselves really hungry, and decided to make a quick stop at Tri Mo Shawarma, a very popular food place when it comes to shawarma (what else). We planned to eat it on the road, but we decided to just take it home, and the fans are so right - this was one of the best shawarma I have eaten.

*** Jenn ***

Neighbors' Summer Outing 2010

Loreland Farm Resort

Brgy. San Roque, Antipolo City

+63 (02)696-0101 / +63 (02)696-0103 / +63 (02)696-0106 {fax}

Website

29 May 2010

Since 2007, it has been an annual thing for us close neighbors to go out of town and enjoy a day at a resort. Our common choice of destination was Bulacan, so this year, we opted to change locations and head to Antipolo City. Weeks before this trip, I was able to see the resort's website and liked it, but I wasn't able to bookmark the site and come planning time, I really had a difficult time thinking the name of the resort. We were about to settle for another resort in Bulacan, until our next door neighbors sent me a digital copy of a resort's leaflet - the same resort I saw from before. Talk about fate! :)

So okay, we decided to go to Loreland Farm Resort this year. It should be a fun day, but it turned out to be a getaway between us and our next door neighbors since our other neighbors couldn't come with us. We left the house quite early, and reached the resort just in time for its opening. The resort allows guests to bring in foods, but liquors and softdrinks weren't allowed. However, since we brought in some bottles of softdrinks, the resort allowed us to bring them in, but we paid some amount per bottle just so we could take it inside. The resort is very big - so many pools and cottages to accommodate guests, but for some reason, they only allowed our vehicle at a designated point and we all had to carry our things from there to our cottage. A very early exercise for all of us. :)

The resort was already open, but the pools weren't yet, so we just took the time to roam around:


The Chapel. This is a day of fun, fun, fun... but, we of course have to send some prayers of gratitude for arriving safe.

Station of the Cross. Because of its location, guests can also do a station of the cross inside the resort - not only was it way to replenish the spirits, it was also a good way to exercise as people had to climb some steps and walk along the path.

The Hut Restaurant. Sure, guests brought in a lot of foods, but... if you want to include a "food trip," or you simply wanted to try other foods, you can also check their menu.


Loreland Spa. It is a known fact that high noon is bad for the skin... so to wind off time, guests can check the spa for some pampering (foods can be served here, too). These little huts were for guests who would go for the mani/pedi and/or foot spa, but for guests who would like a body massage, they have rooms for some privacy.

Zipline. A must for adventurous guests.

We took the Veranda cottage - good for 15 people at p1,600 (night rate: p1,900). Our place was a pretty good one as there was a big pool right next to it. Other cottages for guests to consider include:

Bahay Kubo. Good for 20 people, guests can have two stories of space - the bottom one can be used as dining area, the top area can be for guests who want to take a nap.


Floating Nipa Hut. Also good for 20 guests, it can be a good choice for families or groups who would like to have their own pool (but it's not a guarantee since guests are free to roam around).

Standard D Room. Guests can either stay all day or all night, but for guests who would like to have their own bedroom, the resort also has lots of rooms. The one in red/white paints is the Standard D Room, which can accommodate 2 to 4 people and has a queen size bed and Cable TV. The umbrella table in the picture is for guests (2 - 4 people) who wanted a small space. Of course, compared to the cottages, the umbrella table is a lot cheaper.


Kiddie Pool. As I have said, quite a lot of pools around the resort, but the cutest would have to be the kiddie pool as it also has a playground for kids. To be safe, parents really need to watch over kids as it can be slippery, too.

We stayed at the resort the entire day (left at 5pm). I really enjoyed this outing because even if there were many guests, the pools weren't crowded. I also appreciated it that the cottage had its own grill, because for our potluck dish, we just brought marinated pork, which brother grilled right before lunch. The trip to Antipolo might be long, but it was really worth it.

*** Jenn ***