Kulula Humor

The very first thing I do in the morning is to check blogs especially if I get up really really early. I checked Rajo Laurel's blog and his post about Kulala Airlines really made my day.

I'm reposting some of the humorous lines here or you can just go to his blog and read them there:

"Please pay attention to the safety announcement, because you will be writing a test shortly".

"If you are caught smoking, you will be asked to leave the aircraft".


"Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."


"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."


"In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are travelling with more than one small child, pick your favourite."


"Your seat cushions can be used for flotation; and in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."


"Please be sure to take all of your belongings. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have."


"Ladies and gentlemen, we have landed in Cape Town . Please take all your possessions. Anything left behind will be shared equally between staff. Please note we do not accept unwanted mothers-in-law or children."


"Kulula Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"

After a hard landing on a Kulula flight into Cape Town, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to The Mother City. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"


After a bumpy landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."


After a less than perfect of a landing on a Kulula flight to Johannesburg, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."


"Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Kulula Airlines."

Quite hard to believe so if you want proof, go to this site. They actually have recordings.

Yakimix Podium

Oliver has been repeatedly telling us about Yakimix every chance he gets so it makes perfect sense for us to have lunch there for his birthday. We went to the one in Podium since it's a working lunch for him and it's the one nearest his office.



I immediately noticed the hanging lamps which I liked so I tried to take a picture but was informed that photography is not allowed.



If you don't already know, it's a buffet style restaurant that features a smokeless grill. I have to point out that it is indeed smokeless and you don't leave the restaurant smelling like food much like when you eat at Pepper Lunch or any similar restaurant.



I don't really enjoy waiting for the food to cook so it's great that they have cooked food and sushi also available. I particularly liked the Taro dessert.



Most of the what I tried were quite good. The beef and broccoli, I liked so much I went back for it. The sweet and sour fish was also nice. The lechon kawali which I was most excited for was a big let down. The pork didn't taste fresh.





Their cakes and other sweet treats are from Goldilocks and Red Ribbon which was perfect for my craving. They also have quite a variety of Selecta ice cream flavors, another reason to save room for dessert.

Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila

Last year, after our Beijing trip, Oliver arranged a hotel stay for us at the relatively new Oakwood Premier Joy-Nostalg Center in Ortigas.

Location:

I didn't know that Oakwood has already opened up in Ortigas in a pretty convenient location. It is but a few steps away from two major malls, the Podium and Robinson's Galleria. Starbucks and 7-11 are also very near if you suddenly need a caffeine fix.

The hotel has two entrances similar to the Discovery Suites as it also houses several offices. The entrance along ADB avenue is the hotel's where you can access the malls. The other side is the office entrance where security is a bit tighter. You can exit out of here to go to Ortigas Park where rows and rows of restaurants are available even late at night.



One thing you would immediately notice from the moment you step in the lobby is how nice the hotel smells.

Room:


We booked the Studio Room (the cheapest) and since it is a serviced apartment, it comes with complete apartment amenities.



Immediately facing the door when you enter is the kitchen which is fully equipped with an oven, a microwave, and kitchenwares.











The kitchen then looks out to the couch and the bed.





Behind the tv console is a small hallway with sliding mirrored closet doors and shiny closets.





You can use this area to get ready as the bathroom is also right by it.



The shower area also doubles as a sauna. Very cool!




To the right of the tv console is a small desk. There is a sliding door right by it which reveals the laundry area. Since we had lots of dirty clothes from our recent trip, we made full use of the washing machine and the dryer.



We were also given a fruit platter when we checked in. I'm not sure if it's part of their standard welcome or if it's because Oliver got us a special rate. (I forgot to take a picture of the platter but you can see it in the picture below on the counter top).



Apart from the very complete room, there are three things which I especially liked about Oakwood:

1. The slippers - very fluffy and comfortable.

2. The floor to ceiling windows which is just amazing to look at when you're getting up in the morning.



3. The soap and shampoo.



Hospitality:

Everyone was very helpful and friendly. We headed straight to the hotel from the airport and since our room won't be available for a few more hours, we waited at the lobby.



We were also wanting a quick shower and they allowed us to use the shower area of the pool which was as nice looking as the rest of the hotel. It's not a big deal but the little gesture was much appreciated. I also had a problem with the lock of my luggage and three staff approached me to help me pry it open right there on the lobby. It was a bit embarrassing but again, the attention they pay to their guests helps in making you feel very welcome.

Swensen's Ice Cream and Dessert Buffet

Since Clarice and I are kids at heart, we decided to celebrate our birthday at Swensen's because of their dessert buffet. Another reason is that Clarice wanted to have his kid, Aaron to have fun as well.

We all met up at ION because according to Clarice, it's the only branch that she knows of that has the buffet.

Before partaking of the buffet, Clarice ordered a few set meals for the group which we didn't quite like. The lasagna was bland and the seafood pasta was a bit spicy for my liking, only the salmon stood out as worth going back for.







Having access to all their ice cream flavors is heaven. They have another freezer filled with the heavy, creamy ice cream. The one below are their sorbets if you want something light.



Since ice cream is the main star of the buffet, they have several stations dedicated to complement your creamy dessert.









They also have a mix-in station ala Cold Rock.



Other than ice cream, they have a wide selection of cakes, pies and cookies.





What's a buffet without a fondue station? I absolutely love their large and sweet strawberries.





Here we are very full and satisfied.

Eastwood Richmonde Hotel

We booked the Eastwood Richmonde Hotel through AsiaTravel's Crazy Rate for my last night in Manila. It was a new hotel and we wanted to try it out.

I arrived at the hotel at around 3:30 in the afternoon and was immediately impressed with the lobby. It looked new and the lounge was elegant.

When I tried to check in, I was informed that the room was not yet ready which surprised me cause it was already quite late and since I was the only guest in the lobby, it didn't seem busy. I was made to wait for about 10 minutes. 

When the front desk staff finally handed me my keys, I was told that I have a free welcome drink. Um...you should have given me that drink while I was waiting for the room to be ready.

I asked about wifi and I was told that I have to pay for it (500pesos a day). This was a major deal breaker because at this day and age, when even McDonald's has free wifi, to simply charge exorbitant fees for it is unacceptable. Also, the website is quite misleading, if you check below, only the ones with the asterisk are chargeable and Wired and Wi-Fi Access are not included. 

Lastly, you can only use the wifi on one device, either your phone or your laptop and the worse thing about it is that it's spotty and slow.

Anyway, when I went up to the 37th floor, I asked the concierge about the lower floors and was told that they are residential floors. The elevator opened up to a mirrored lobby.



The reason for the mirrors is the very narrow hallway that also smelled a bit funky.



I was given the farthest room possible where signal is a problem. Since I was waiting for my friend whose coming to the hotel from work and didn't know where Eastwood was, I had to wait in the hallway just to be able to send and receive messages.

I asked to be transferred to another room since it was really quite a hassle and was told that they'll call me back. I never heard back from them.

The room itself was okay.









I especially liked that even the cheaper priced rooms have an iPod dock.



I also liked the bedside lamps.

I did have to ask for an ironing board and I found it weird that the water glasses are placed on the bottom drawer by the floor. Also, the airconditioner blows directly to your head even if you adjust the aircon flaps.



The bathroom was simple. The tub has a large bath mat which would deter anyone from using it as a tub.





The towels while fluffy is short. My towels at home are larger.



On to the rest of the hotel, they have a fitness center which I didn't get to try and a roof top pool which looked inviting.







As for breakfast, I'll save the pictures for another entry save for this one:



I asked for coffee and was given one with a fly swimming in it. I showed it to the staff who took it without any apology. He picked up the same coffee pot and asked me if I still wanted one. I guess they're used to things like this happening often.

Checking out of the hotel was quite troublesome as well. They charged me for airport transfers which I didn't use. The front desk manager did apologize for the inconvenience which made me happy. It was the first time I heard someone apologize for all the hassle that they put me through.

Overall, I wouldn't be staying at that hotel unless it's free. Unless you have business at Eastwood, the location is not really accessible. You'd be better off at other hotels in Ortigas.