Little Bee on the Pool

From the very start, we have given Bee her bath at night. This way, it became a pre-bedtime activity for us three. Bath time for Bee has always been fun, boisterous and splashy, specially now that Bee is kicking a lot. I observed how much fun Bee is having when she is aplattering all over her bathtub. This is the reason why I've decided to look for a baby swimming class that Bee can participate in and luckily, i have found one very close to our place.





So when Bee turned two months old (which is supposedly the youngest age a baby can start with the swimming lessons) Honey and I took her to her first class. She was the tiniest and youngest of the class. She couldn't stop looking at the water and the clown fountains and everything that is around her... it was so adorable. I asked Honey to accompany Bee in the pool for her first lessons so that I can take pictures. And how cute is she in her swimwear?!?



It was a fun class, there was singing and splashing and jumping. She couldn't take her eyes off the water... It was so endearing when she got startled as Honey splashed water on her face and she begun to cry. But that was just at first, the next time she was ready for all the splashes.



The classes are twice a week and since Charlie is still very young, we don't really attend all the classes, but we so look forward to everytime we can attend the class...

A piece of Paradise in Bohol

One of the highlights of our recent Manila holidays was going to Bohol for a much needed R&R. Since this would be the last time that honey and I are travelling by ourselves, because soon enough we’ll have our little angel always with us, we wanted to make it extra special trip. We had to book everything at a very short period of time making it more difficult to have all our requirements met or otherwise making the trip very costly since it’s the peak season after all. Good thing one of my college friends, M, recently got married and had her honeymoon in Bohol just a few weeks earlier and she was able to recommend an agent who can take care of all our needs.

After browsing through websites and hotel and resort reviews, our first choice was to stay at the Amorita resort. However, after receiving the package options and price list from our very agent, we saw that our preferred resort costs twice as much as the resort that our agent recommends (which happens to be the same resort M and her husband stayed at and she had all nice things to say about it) with fewer inclusions. Our agent explained that this is because the resort is almost fully booked so the prices are much higher than their normal rates. So without thinking any further, we decided to go for Alona Tropical.



I must say, I couldn’t be any happier with our choice. The first indication that the resort really strives to give great service was when we arrived at the resort at around 9 am. Normally we would have to wait till 2pm before we could check in but they readied our room for us and checked us in immediately, without extra cost. At first we stayed at a beach front room that was quite further from the beach front but after soaking in the sun for a couple of hours, honey was able to request for a different room that was literally 10 steps away from the beachfront, perfect!

(in front of our beach front room)


(posing after taking a dip in the pool)

Since my OB in Manila told me that I was not allowed to swim, I had to content myself with lounging in front of the beach while dozing off or reading a book, that was when I noticed that the resort that we initially wanted to stay at was right next to Alona Tropical and that they don’t have a beach front of their own. Since they are located at the top of a cliff, their guests would have to go down the stairs (which would not have been very convenient at my present condition) and use the stretch of beach in front of Alona Tropical. That was when honey and I were convinced that we made the right choice. Anyway, we were able to savour the view from that resort the night we had dinner at their restaurant overlooking the beach stretch of Alona.


I would definitely recommend Alona Tropical to anyone who wants to go to Bohol. It offers great value for money, the service is impeccable, the amenities are great, I love the homey feel of the spacious and well kept rooms and it definitely made our stay in Bohol more special.

Warm breeze & cool water: Perfect combination

When we were about to board the plane to Changi Airport, we had 5 degrees Celsius here in Amsterdam so anything warmer is like a breath of fresh air. The moment we landed, we started taking off jackets and sweats and started shoving them inside our luggage. A warm and humid air welcomed us as we stepped out of the airport.

After we dumped our bags in the hotel room, dinner was served in the hotel restaurant and right after that, the video committee (of which I am a part of) decided to meet before going out for a night cap beside the hotel pool. I could hardly keep my head in the very short meeting, the cool, blue water was like calling my name and asking me to take a dip. A made a mental note to wake up early the next morning to oblige and take refuge in the tempting blue pool to refresh myself from the humidity and heat. True to my promise, at exactly seven the following morning, I was in the pool area. Another great thing about Singapore weather is its warm enough to swim any time of the day (or night). Being very early on a Sunday morning, the pool area was so quiet so I and two other colleagues enjoyed the serenity and comfort of the pool all by ourselves.


From then on, one of the things that I looked forward to was the late night or early morning dates with the swimming pool. For me it was a workout which happens to be therapeutic at the same time. It also gave me an opportunity to lounge under the sun that I so miss, after all, he rarely shows himself here in Amsterdam (especially now it’s winter). Even after we moved to the new hotel, which by way also had a great pool area, I managed to squeeze in an hour of our very hectic last day to lounge in the pool.



(photo below was taken from my room on the 52nd floor before going down to take a dip on the pool)


I’m definitely going to miss lounging under the sun and dipping in the pool but for now I would have to make do with my long bubble baths during weekends at home until honey brings me to another holiday trip on the beach (or pool, i'm really not choosy).