Wifi Freedom!

So I'm blogging from my (rather jurassic) iPhone 3 - I love it nevertheless!

I was able to grab some free wifi from podium, albeit being slow (beggars can't be choosers). I know microblogging has been a fad but I'm still a fan of "old school" blogging using laptops and actually writing paragraphs, grammatically correct sentences and fully spelled words.

Topic aside, I've found a way to connect to the internet without leeching from an establishment's wifi. I recently bought a postpaid plan of Smart's Pocket Wifi. It literally makes a hotspot out of you! :-)

They give you this wireless router with a sim card and lets you connect to the internet using cell sites. The model and plan that I got was the basic one and you can connect up to 5 devices at any given time!

Prices:
I shelled out Php 1400 initially to pay for the Php 599/month for 50hours and Php 800 for the wireless router/modem from Huawei.

If you go beyond the 50hr limit, they charge you Php 10/ 30minutes. If you go beyond 80hrs, they set the cap at Php 999 so you basically have unlimited internet connection anytime, anywhere with 5 devices!

Perfect for roadtrips right? :-)


Usability
It's easy to use the device. You just use the power switch to turn the device on and off.

The manual was pretty bad. It says on the box that your initial password for logging in your account is "admin". The saleslady also reiterated that. After failing so many times (like an idiot who expects different results while doing the same thing again and again), I decided to call the hotline, only to find out that the actual password was "smartbro". Very smart..

Security is very easy to setup. You can assign passphrases so it's easier to recall. No need for alphanumeric mess.

The screen on the unit tells you how many hours you've consumed and how much mb you've used.

The company claims that internet speed is up to 7.2mbps. So far, I was only able to get 1.7mbps tops using my ipad's connection speed app. Hmm, poor signal?

Battery life of the unit needs more improvement as it only lasted me about 7hrs. What's good about it is I can use my blackberry charger for the unit.

I haven't checked out Globe's yet but I'm currently happy with Smart's connectivity.

PAL-APX Frequent Flyer Tie-up

Calling all travelers! If you are in the PAL Frequent Flyer Program, this tie-up with Airphil Express might be a welcomed surprise for you.

Airphil Express welcomes the Mabuhay Miles Program. Earn miles and redeem flight award tickets. Also in this email, Express Sales starting at P288. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser

Book Now Flight Status Manage Booking Unsubscribe Mabuhay the APX Adventure! Dear AirPhil Express Customers, Greetings from Mabuhay Miles - Philippine Airlines frequent flyer program! We are happy to announce that, effective October 28, 2012, Philippine Airlines will enter into a commercial arrangement with Airphil Express. With this partnership,you can earn miles and redeem flight award tickets on an expanded network of 81 international and domestic routes on both Philippine Airlines and Airphil Express. Join the Mabuhay Miles now and get a 500 mile sign up bonus! Promo valid from October 13 to November 15, 2012 only. Join now and get 500 mile bonus! → P288 Sale for Clark Hub Routes EXPRESS SALE: Clark Hub Routes (Cebu, Kalibo, Puerto Princesa) Selling Period: Oct 15-18, 2012 Travel Period: Jan 1 - Mar 31, 2013 Book Now → P488 for Manila to Luzon Routes EXPRESS SALE: Manila to Luzon Routes (Coron, Legazpi, Masbate, Naga, Puerto Princesa, Tuguegarao) Selling Period: Oct 15-18, 2012 Travel Period: Jan 1 - Mar 31, 2013 Book Now → P888 to Mindanao Routes EXPRESS SALE: Manila to Mindanao Routes (Butuan, Cagayan De Oro, Cotobato, Dipolog, Ozamiz, Surigao, Zamboanga) Selling Period: Oct 15-18, 2012 Travel Period: Jan 1 - Mar 31, 2013 Book Now → P588 for Kalibo, Roxas and more. EXPRESS SALE: Manila to Dumaguete, Kalibo, Roxas and Tacloban Selling Period: Oct 15-18, 2012 Travel Period: Jan 1 - Mar 31, 2013 Book Now →   Earn miles and redeem flight award tickets. Click here to register and receive 500 bonus miles     You can now check-in even when you're on-the-go using your smart phone! Try it now.     We offer amazing and exclusive deals for frequent APX flyers. Click here to learn more about Adventours   DOMESTIC ADD ONS: Fuel Surcharge ranging from PHP 280 to PHP 488. Aviation Security Fee of PHP 17. Ticketing Service Fee of PHP 140 per ticket (may vary if purchased from travel agencies). Applicable 12% VAT on Base Fare only. All domestic tickets purchased will include PHP 200 Terminal Fee for flights outbound from Manila. CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS: Base Fares are one way. Book and Buy. Non-rebookable. Non-refundable. Forfeited if not used on flight date shown. Limited seats. Per CAB approved fare and conditions. Like this issue? forward this email to your friends, and follow us on twitter. Not interested in our emails anymore? unsubscribe. Copyright  2012 airphilexpress.com all rights reserved.

My Little Prince

I'm excited to use my new planner for 2013! Joey got me this awesome planner by Moleskine, which is a limited edition of my favorite book, The Little Prince. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Brought to you by Canon IXUS 1100 HS from my friends at Canon, Cyberzone, Megamall. Got these discounted from Php 20,000 to Php 13,000 (12months, 0% installment by HSBC -- free Starbucks coffee!)

 Fisheye filter of the planner

My 2013 weekly planner. The daily planner was in yellow and it was thick. I wanted a planner that was compact and light... something that I can bring anywhere!

 The lovable characters of the Little Prince: the rose, the sheep, the fox and the snake. Hmm...it's missing the boa constrictor eating an elephant and baobabs ;)

 The back part of the planner. It has a removable address book and a desk calendar

 Front cover of the planner. The little prince on his home, asteroid b-612

This book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery never fails to make my heart tighten. It is one of the lightest yet heaviest "children's books" I've come across. Filled with inspiring characters with simple yet essential principles, The Little Prince is one story one must read to their children.

Aching Eyeballs

Skipped school work today. Yesterday, I woke up and and went to the bathroom to...throw up!!! WTFudge?!? I immediately felt sick and decided to skip coffee and drink hot tea to settle my stomach (which I would regret later in the day).

I skipped breakfast because after drinking tea, my stomach decided to empty itself out again. Oh boy, this morning has not been working out for me. We had a full day meeting that day so I couldn't miss it. So I just sipped some water and went my merry way to the office.

I try not to go to work without having breakfast at home. I can't do what other girls do (ie. skipping breakfast) because it makes me feel more sluggish and lethargic. And I don't care if I'm not thin, btw. So this morning I was not my usual upbeat self. Joey went down to get me gatorade which helped me last throughout the day. And since I didn't have coffee, my migraine started to pound on my head like a whiny b*tch. Good thing I have this medicine with paracetamol and caffeine to give me my dose.


Fast forward to evening: I went home before 6pm. My brother was surprised I was home before dark. Told him I went straight home as I wasn't feeling well. I had a nap and when I woke up, I realized I have a fever, 38.5 degrees. My joints started to ache and my eyeballs felt sore and swollen! I had a few spoonfuls of lugaw before drinking my meds and going back to bed...

I drank medicine during the early morning and thank God my fever was down by then. My joints were still aching and my eyeballs are still sore but I guess you can't complain to having a whole day to yourself. :-)

What to do in Kobe... aside from eating beef

Kobe is the capital of Hyogo Prefecture and is the 5th largest city in Japan. It's a relatively quiet city, except for the port, which is one of the busiest ports in Asia. 

From Kansai International Airport, one can opt to take train, bus, car or the high-speed ferry going to Kobe. 

It takes about 1.5hours by bus/car; 2 hours by train (change trains at Namba or Osaka station) or 30 minutes via high-speed boat.

Source: http://www.kobe-meriken.or.jp/english/img/access/access-map02.jpg

With limited time to go around... after all, it is first and foremost a business trip... here were some of the things we did:

Gawk at the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world. With a distance of roughly four (4) miles, it links the island of Awaji to the mainland city of Kobe. Took 2 million workers 10 years to finish this impressive structure. A Japanese engineering feat!

For those who are not engineering students (like me), who can only admire the bridge for what it is, there is a nearby outlet store for all your shopping needs. Hence the Nike bag.

Factory outlets at Porto Bazaar

Platform of a typical JR station. On the board are the types of trains that will stop at this station and the final destination.

Inside a Kaisoku train. More comfortable than Rokko liner as these trains usually travel medium to long distances

Try a local ramen bar! Just say "miso ramen onegaishimas~" and you're good to go!

For those who have tempura cravings, order a special tempura set! You'll never notice how much effort it takes to deep fry something... and how much more effort you need to eat it properly.

Eating tempura is an art. There is order in eating them to build the taste in your palate. This tempura master was very precise. The entire meal set me back JPY 6000 (~Php 3000).

Cook like a pro at Tajimaya, a simple barbecue and grill restaurant. Their Tajimaya-don is popular and best paired with yakiniku, marinated with the finest sauce and spices.

Something you'll want to eat until the last rice grain!

Had my first taste of Pepper Lunch at Kobe Harbor.

The famous Kobe Harbor

A popular entertainment and shopping district near the busy busy port of Kobe.

Canal Garden, for all your shopping needs.