Exploring Taiwan with my Tai-One and Only, Matty!

"Im gonna be the very best... like no one ever was..." Yes, insert Pokemon theme song as the caption for this photo. Anticipating his first time in Taiwan, my beloved son was raring to catch wild Pokemon! But obviously we didn't for we didn't have wifi going around and the many other wonders of Taiwan 'caught' our eyes and hearts! As for me, this is already my second time in Taiwan, and I have fallen in love with this country once again as though it was my first time only... 

I got to travel with my mom too, along with our wonderful friends, the Sy family, led by Tita Conchita and Jayson... we are forever grateful for this mesmerising Tai-Wan of a kind experience! Certainly, this is the perfect way to cap off a very blessed year 2016! Great things ahead this 2017! 

Matty and Me at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. 

Again, going back to 2016, we got to travel abroad twice. Thank you Lord God for a memorable 2016... for giving us wonderful gifts and memories! So blessed to be able to bring my son to two countries, earlier in the year to Guam, USA (read back about our Guam-azing time by following this link: Mary and Godric travel the world: GUAM 2016 ) and then to Taiwan with my mom and my beloved not-so-little one! 

First Stop: Taipei Zoo. It was such a memorably fun day time wherein we took the cab from our hotel in Taoyuan then 'trained' it back home. Such a fun two-days in Taipei, proving that Taiwan is so much fun! Or I meant, 'Zoo' much fun!

 Matty and I, one on one at the base of Taipei 101! Excuse my raggedy hair and dazed expression. This was taken  early morning; no time to fix up.

Stop right now... thank you very much. My son doing his signature pose at one of the courtyards of the CSK Memorial field that was every inch historically breathtaking!

My parka-wearing sweetie having a cold drink in the cold weather... just how I am sometimes, enjoying ice cream during chilling rainy days... my son indeed!

We loved eating in Taipei! Especially the street food, Too bad we absolutely have no photos while roaming the Shilin night market because my mom, son and I were too busy eating! Anyway I hope this photo will make up for that... this was taken after we had a long and enjoyable cable car ride... 

True that... we are so glad we made time for Taiwan!

That memorable cable car ride... don't mind our faces, we had a lot of fun... okay we got a bit nauseous and dizzy and all but it was one ride worth taking! 

We had so much fun! Thank you Taiwan for the amazing memories, the honest and good people especially the cab drivers and basically everyone else who figured out we were tourists and never did once try to take advantage of us. Thank you Taipei, Taoyuan, Taiwan! TAIWANNA visit you again... hopefully another trip this 2017! 

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Hop aboard our Guamforgettable and Guamazing Journey...

Prelude: Check out this cool video at the Slingshot in Tamuning Guam... which I never tried for I was too much of a coward while my son dauntlessly hopped on and tried it... so much for being a good and protective mother...

For a change, I now take breather from writing about my endless event host gigs which I am always thankful and excited about. Let me write about my recent journey to unforgettable Guam. I have so many un-posted hosting adventures (one was a wild kick-off summer party with Cosmopolitan magazine at the Palace Pool Club and an even wilder male bidding charity event led by Love Yourself AIDS awareness foundation) but let's save those for another post soon as I find the time. Let me walk back to my mesmerising trip to Guam USA! Check out my smug little stowaway who managed to join my trip after praying, crying and demanding that he comes along five hours before my flight...

Funny though as everyone at work and my family knew that it was a soul searching and writing sojourn; just myself to pray and write, and keep writing during the Holy Week, especially as Saint Pedro Calungsod, in whose honor the Chapel I serve for was named after, died in Tamuning Guam and that's what I had wanted to connect to deeply. I was supposed to go alone but my mom insisted that my brother joins since we knew nobody here, unlike in LA where we have a ton of friends. So here I was with my brother and my son's leg - we decided to rent a car from the hotel, and it gave us mobility and freedom to explore any time that we wanted. I would suggest those visiting Guam do the same too, and book via their hotels to avail a big discount. Philippine driver's license accepted! I am sporting my Chamorro sun-kissed look, and my brother-slash-driver, his typical sunburnt look... 

So as my story goes, it was supposedly just my brother and me, but then my cheeky little boy did not allow me to go if he wasn't going to go, and being the putty in his hands, I booked him a ticket last minute and by God's grace, only paid about two thousand pesos higher than the tickets I purchased for my brother and I. And the rest of the trip was all about him! Here we were at Two Lovers Point...

This was his moving-up gift and pre-birthday gift too, and I don't regret bringing him along last minute (even with my friends chiding me how I can never say No to him). Whenever I look about last month's trip, my heart brims with joy as even if what i intended to spend the week writing, relaxing and praying, I still got to do so, but only in different circumstances (I took a different form of prayer - bonding with my delighted son, teaching him about God's endless glory, in this new beautiful place, and I did get to write, on the airplane and when we are not at Chuck E. Cheese's). But yes, we were always at Chuck E. Cheese's! 

And you guessed it... the next day we were back again at good ole Chuck E's! But the food was really good; I'd have to agree with my son who said that theirs was the best pizza we've ever tasted!  

Plus, we had to visit Underwaterworld in Tamuning Guam, too. All my aquarium photos were terrible (It was just sad how I couldn't take a decent photo of the humongous sea turtle, the stingrays, the sharks and all the strange fish due to bad lighting), so this one would have to do... can you say Shark-tastic?!? 

We also had a date with his most favorite character of all time.. Darth Vader! I don't know if I ought to be scared or if I should be fine with his fascination with the dark side... no matter how many times I convince him that he's a Jedi knight padawan... he corrects me and says that he's a Sith! I guess that's how it is when you are Sith years old (6 y/o)!

And of course, before we returned our rented vehicle, we needed to gas up! Everything was a fun learning experience for my boy...

Hope you liked the few tips and highlights of our incredible, incredible time in Guam, which I will forever be thankful for. Can't wait to fly out again, to take a well-deserved vacation somewhere new and nice, but for now, I am simply thankful for the chance to work and excel within my various passions, with enough blessings to keep my contented, but with God's promises clearer than ever, to keep me in hopeful and faithful yearning. I thus close with these beautiful words from St. Augustine, and may my friends and family who ask why I never stop working understand... that I take so much pride and derive so much joy in all of my activities, as I try to get things right with Christ. Certainly dwelling on my past mistakes; can't wait for the fruits of the Spirit to manifest in my life. Focused on my own journey more than ever. 

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Clucking Delicious as we welcome Chickilicious! (Food Review)

I am so happy for my good friend, Jayson and his wonderful mom and sister, Conchita and Cathy, for bringing in Chickilicious to the Philippine shores! Needless to say, Chickilicious boasts of chicken like never before! I loved how immensely crispy their humongous chicken breast cuts (don't worry, these are real chicken, in fact not frozen - these are delivered fresh, cooked and served right away) and how perfectly tender the breast is! I loved the taste - so did my mom and sister who I just initially dragged there in the first store of Chickilicious, only to find themselves clucking for more! 

Our top favorites were the Lemon Chicken with herbs and seaweeds, and the Crispy Golden Chicken, and the Takoyaki Chicken - yes takoyaki and chicken, why not?!? These golden plates were all pleasant to the palate, an extraordinary kick with its immense burst of flavor! But I think that the winner for that evening, was legendary Chocolate Chicken! I mean I have never eaten sweet viand - I like to keep the sweets for traditional dessert. But the Chocolate Chickilicious Chunk took home the trophy - with the impeccable bitter sweet taste of chocolate, generously drizzled on the magnificent crust of the well-carved, tender, juicy chicken! Ahh.... Chocolate-Chicken heaven! Only found in my newest favorite joint - Chickilicious! 

Plus of course, they even had my classic favorites - yummy crunchy tofu bites, and my favorite calamari - squid rings! Needless to say me and my fave girls were crunching our way to yummy chicken heaven! The experience harked me back to when I visited Taipei, Taiwan back in 2011 - only better! In Taiwan, I never got accustomed to the hit delicacy, stinky tofu, but here with Chickilicious, they made their tofu bites just right! So many Chinese and Taiwanese customers piled that night when we visited - for they all knew Chickilicious back in Taiwan - where the mother franchise company was founded. But the best part? While the Chinese loved it - the Filipinos love Chickilicious more! 

I cannot wait for Chickilicious Philippines to open its wings and soar to more places! And lastly - will you believe me if I say each chicken with rice meal is not more than P 150.00? What a great deal! You can share one meal with your loved one, your office mates, but I am certain that one won't be enough - you'd all find yourselves clucking crazy and loving each and every offering! To find out more, please click this and like the Chickilicious Facebook Page .

And above, here I am with my dear friend enjoying a snap as we snapped the yummy Choco Chicken gone! And lastly, let us not forget how awesomazing their Taiwanese beverages are - hands down- the best! I would recommend the Lychee and Passion fruit juices which my mom, sis and I got to try; but with my palate being so discriminating and unadventurous at times - I went with the traditional chilled Taiwanese tea - and drank every last drop! 

Come fly by Chickilicious at the Sea Residences, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City for a taste of the best in Taipei - suited to satisfy the Filipino taste! Thank you and Congratulations Chickilicious; more stores to come! 

- Marylaine Louise Viernes, Events Host and now, Food Blogger!