Saturday, January 24, 2015

St. Lukes Hospital BGC - Maternity Rooms 101

Hello non-existing readers! Happy 2015!

It's that time of the year again wherein my blog will be updated. I just scanned my previous blog posts and it seems - no matter how few - my blog entries have reflected the different phases of my life. The transition of interest on food and fashion, to travel and wedding plans...and now on my new phase - motherhood!

Yes, my husband and I are so blessed to be expecting our little bundle of joy soon. As of today, I am on my 2nd trimester (19 weeks to be exact). And today, I will share to you information you need to know about St. Lukes Hospital at Bonifacio Global City.

Now, a lot of people, when they hear St. Lukes Hospital - BGC...the first thing that comes to their mind is the word expensive. I will be honest, this hospital may be a bit pricier compared to other private hospitals. But do keep in mind that, you do get what you pay for - bigger rooms, state-of-the-art equipment, nice lobby, and very clean facilities. And if you ask me, when your health is the topic...it's best not to be kuripot about it.

St. Lukes BGC lobby - view from the 2nd floor


My husband and I took a tour of their maternity rooms and suites last weekend. I think this is a very necessary step to expecting parents so you would know how much you need to prepare and save in the coming months before the baby comes.

Now here is what I learned:

If you are already experiencing THE contractions, you need to proceed to the 3rd floor Delivery Room. From there, you will be taken to their admission room wherein the resident OB and nurse will evaluate and assses your status. After that, you have the option of choosing to have your labor at the Labor Room or the High Risk Pregnancy Room. The Labor Room is NOT a private room, there are 6 beds separated by accordion and you will be joined by other mothers in labor. Eating and bringing of companions are NOT allowed in this room. The cost is Php 1,500 for 24 hours.

High Risk Pregnancy Room - It doesn't mean you must be at high risk to be admitted here. You can choose this room when you are in labor and you want more privacy. This room is equipped with an LCD TV, private bathroom and a lazy boy for your companion. Eating is allowed in this room and the cost is Php 4,620 for 24 hours or Php 300 per hour if you do not consume the 24 hour period.


High Risk Pregnancy Room

High Risk Pregnancy Room

After the tour at the 3rd floor, we where then directed to proceed to the 8th Floor which is the Maternity Wing. Located here are the Private rooms and suites. There are 4 types of private rooms (Small Private, Regular Private, Deluxe Private and Executive Private). This will be the room you will go after you give birth to recover. We only viewed the first 3 rooms mentioned as the Executive Private Room is already out of our budget. :)

Small Private Room - This is the smallest room in the private room category. It includes an LCD TV, refrigerator, cabinet and a day bed for your companion  The cost for this room is Php 2,500 per day.

Small Private Room

Regular Private Room - This is around 2 square meters bigger than the Small Private Room and has a better view and larger windows but with same amenities. The cost for this room is Php 3,500 per day.


Regular Private Room

Deluxe Private Room - This is much bigger than the Regular Private Room. It has same amenities as the first two rooms plus an office desk. And there's a bonus lazy boy for your companion or for you when you breastfeed your new born. The cost for this room is Php 4,150 per day.

Deluxe Private Room

Compared to the private rooms, if you choose to be admitted in a Birthing Suite, you don't need to be transferred to different rooms during the different stages of birthing. In here, you will have your labor, delivery (for normal delivery only), and recovery all in one room. There are 5 types of Birthing Suites (Regular Suite, Deluxe Suite, Executive Suite, Ambassador Suite and Presidential Suite). We only viewed 1 Suite Room because the Regular Suite is occupied during our visit and the rest are out of our budget. :)

Deluxe Birthing Suite - This is a quite a big room and has lots of seating for expected visitors. I just don't favor the choice of wallpaper though. I think it's kinda "chaotic looking". The cost for this room is Php 12,000 per day.

Deluxe Birthing Suite

Deluxe Birthing Suite

Keep in mind when choosing the room...Doctor's professional fees are dependent on the room you take. "The more expensive the room is, the higher the doctor fee will be."

That's it for now! I'll be blogging about childbirth classes which my husband and I will take next month! :)

Monday, May 19, 2014

Travel Tuesdays: South Korea 2014 (Part 2) - Travel Tips

South Korea Travel Tips:





WHAT TO WEAR

Spring Coats: The clothes you need to bring depends on the season of your travel. With our experience, we traveled during Spring Season (April 29-May 7) hoping that we will be able to catch the cherry blossoms. But sadly, this year...they bloomed too soon than the expected time so we failed to see them. Anyway, because it was already spring season, we expected that the weather will not be as cold as winter so we brought with us normal jackets and long sleeved shirts instead of coats. Big mistake! Little did we know that the temperature drops in the evening and the wind sometimes adds more chill factor to our "used-to-tropical-weather" bodies. So if you're travelling within these dates, it's best to still bring coats.




Rubber shoes/Flats: 80% of Koreans we saw there were wearing rubber shoes. Do you know why? Because there are a lot of uphill and downhill roads and sooooo many flight of stairs. I lost count of all the stairs I stepped in. So save your feet, ditch your fashionable high heeled boots and wear your trusty rubber shoes and flats.

WHAT TO BRING

Pocket Money: From what I read over countless websites and blogs, it is best to exchange your peso (PHP) to USD while still here in Manila. I also exchanged a liitle of my PHP to Korean Won (KRW)...just enough to cover our transfers from Incheon Airport to our hotel. The rest of my USD was exchnaged at Myeongdong area as they have good rates there. South Korea is not as expensive as others might think. If you really are on a budget...meaning you staying at guesthouse/hostel (pretty popular with backpackers) and if you scored good seat sale at Cebu Pacific, 20K pesos all in (per person) will bring you a loooong way.

Discount Coupons: As I was saying a while ago, South Korea is not as expensive as you think it is. My tip is to search online for discount coupons, print them and show them to the cashier to avail the discount. Also get the free maps available on your hotel lobby as they usually have coupons inside. Thanks to that, I got to save KRW 1,000 for the airport bus ride (KRW 9,000 instead of 10,000) and in Everland, I saved   
KRW 9,000 for the entrance fee (KRW 37,000 instead of 46,000) because I printed the coupon found in their website here.



WHAT TO BUY

T Money Card: This is like the reloadable MRT/LRT card here in Manila. But this is way better because you can buy/load in 7/11 stores and can use them as mode of payment in some stores as well. Plus, this card never expires so you can still use it if you return back.

Cosmetics: Etude House, Holika Holika, Nature Republic, The Face Shop, Tony Moly...and the list goes on. You can see these stores literally in every 5 steps in Myeongdong. They are much cheaper there and they give a lot of freebies as well. Even if you do not buy, just walk to their stores and look around and they will give freebies!!! Instant pasalubong for those kuripots out there hehe!




Clothes: Koreans wear fashionable clothes. Those online stores I see regularly on Instagram or Facebook came to life when I went there. If you're in your teeans to 20's, I suggest you go to Ewha Women's University for shopping as the stores outside the Uni are trendy, of good quality and at student friendly price.

Pasalubong Food: Go to Lotte Mart for your pasalubong haul of Market O brownies and Dr. You cakes. It's cheaper there and you will get 5% tax refund with KRW 30,000 purchase.

Photo courtesy of melissacheoksz.blogspot.com


Street Food: Unlike here in Philippines, street food in Korea is safer to try. There are so many street food stalls scattered, we even get to eat tall ice cream cone on a chilly evening.



WHERE TO GO

Korea Tourist Organization: Her you can make free international calls, free wifi, free medical checkup, free brochures and maps on all places in Korea and the best part...free Hanbok experience! This is where you can get to wear traditional Korean costumes and take pictures all you want for 20 minutes.







Travel Tuesdays: South Korea 2014 (Part 1)

Hello Philippines! Hello World! Hello my non existent blog readers!

I will never ever be proud to say that I am a blogger due to the fact that my last blog entry was last year. Hehe! But today, I want to take a break from my laziness and share my travel experience all the way from the land of Etude House, KPop and all things cute...SOUTH KOREA!




A lot of websites and blog entries helped me in my "more-than-6-months" of planning. Yes, I am that OC. But I believe it will never hurt (and will save you money) if you did some research on the country of your destination prior to your flight

SOUTH KOREAN VISA
First things first, you need to get a Visa before you can fly to South Korea. Do not be deceived that obtaining a visa is hard. For me, this is my first time to acquire a visa on my own and for my husband because prior to that, it was usually my parents who take care of this process. Or in the case of my Australia business trip, it was the HR of my company. Just remember that as long as you have the COMPLETE requirements, there is no need to worry.

Basic Requirements
a. Duly accomplished application form
b. Passport (must still be valid for at least 6 months)
c. Photocopy of the passport Bio page (Page 2)
d. 1 passport size colored photo


Proof of Financial Support - EMPLOYED
a. Certificate of Employment (Must be original; and must have the contact number and address of employer, and date of issue)
b. Original Personal Bank Certificate (NOT bank statement)
c. Photocopy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316


Proof of Financial Support - SELF EMPLOYED
a. Photocopy of Business registration form from DTI or SEC
b. Photocopy of Business permit or Mayor’s permit
c. Photocopy of ITR
d. Original Personal Bank Certificate


Submit at South Korea Embassy
Address : 122 Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Town Center, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig city 1634, Philippines
Contact number : (63-2) 856-9210

***

ACCOMMODATION

Okay, this is a VERY VERY crucial stage of planning for me. I have an "above average" standard when it comes to accommodation . Some people will overlook this for the reason they will not be spending a lot of time in the room because they will always be out exploring the city. But for me, after a long day of activities, I want to reward my tired body (and feet!) to a comfortable bed and a clean bathroom. It doesn't always have to be in a five star hotel for you to experience this, but do research on it and always canvass before clicking the "RESERVATION" button.

I always trust TripAdvisor every time I look for hotels to stay. I also compare direct prices from hotel websites and Agoda before I book just to check if I can get the room I want for a lower value.

Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor


During our South Korea trip, we stayed at Metro Hotel in Myeongdong area...and let me tell you, this is the best decision ever! Not only is it clean and spotless but this is centrally located:

-2 min. walk from Airport Limousine Bus Stop (very important specially if you have a lot of luggage with you)
-2 min. walk from subway train exit (at the end of the day and after all the walking you did, you will appreciate that the subway is very near your hotel)
-hotel is above Myeongdong shopping district so just go down the elevator and you are ready to shop till you drop and there are also a lot of restaurants/fast food chains to choose from.

Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor

Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor


You know the best part is with Metro Hotel? It is really an affordable hotel! You will never find nearby hotels with the same good value. :)

*Metro Hotel is voted #9 out of 384 hotels in Seoul*


***

ITINERARY

It is best that when you travel, you have a planned itinerary with you. Not only will it maximize your vacation time but it will also save you money in ways you will never expect. Some blogs you may have read have a jampacked itinerary. But my advice is...this will depend on the people you're travelling with. If you are travelling with kids or  senior citizens, I suggest you have a rest period in between one or two tourist spots you visit. In my case, I am only travelling with my husband but I still prefer a relax itinerary just because we don't want to always be in a hurry to go to another place.

Day 1 (arrived at night)
Arrival at Incheon International Airport
Check in at Metro Hotel

Day 2
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Explore Insadong
Buy Nami Island bus tickets at Insadong office
Explore Myeongdong at night

Day 3
Everland (it is best to allot one whole day for this as the theme park is big and travel time going there takes 1-2 hours already)

Day 4
Nami Island (allot one whole day for this also as the island is big)

Day 5
Myeongdong Cathedral for Sunday Mass
Bukchon Hanok Village
Hanbok Experience (traditional Korean outfit)

Day 6
Lotte Mart
Ewha Women's Univesity (a must visit for girl's shopping on a budget!)

Day 7
Departure from Incheon to Manila

***

Stay tuned for my South Korea 2014 (Part 2)...as I will give essential travel tips for you on what to wear and what to bring for your trip!







Sunday, March 3, 2013

Wedding Wednesday: The Search for the Perfect Wedding Gown

Ever since I got engaged, I focused planning on the church, reception and everything in between. But I never really have a vision on what I will wear on my special day. Of course I want to look beautiful...who wouldn't want that? But I was just not keen on the thought of spending BIG on something that I know I will only wear once in my life. I also want the guests to tell me "Oh! you look so beautiful!" instead of saying "Oh! Your gown looks so beautiful!"...makes a lot of difference right? ;)

So for the past few days, I've been googling the net for pegs that would suit me...and I came up with only one requisite:

When most brides want to look like a princess...I want to look like a model. (teehee)


UPDATE: Okay! I have found the peg that I've been looking for, though it's not incuded in the pictures above...I decided not to reveal it here until the BIG day because I want it to be a surprise. ;) Anyway...the next step is very very crucial:

WHO WILL MAKE IT?

HELP ME!

Monday, February 25, 2013

(CLOSED) Travel Tuesdays: 1st Blog Giveaway!

Why have I created this blog? I created this blog as a way of sharing my insights, travel tips, food reviews or anything I have in mind to my friends and family. I never really thought of anyone other than Coco to read this site. But nonetheless, as part of me giving back to your support, I'm excited to tell you that I will be giving out my first ever BLOG GIVEAWAY!!! Happy happy joy joy!

 ***

As my blog tells you, I love to travel. If only my money is limitless, I would be travelling around the world every month. But as part of travelling...there is always the hassle of packing my luggage. One of the important things I never forget is my toiletries kit. I personally find it hard to fit in my kit the big containers of shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotion that I use at home. Good thing I always bring my  essentials in travel sizes from Skin Avenue! Not only are they convenient...they smell so nice!!! :)


Today, as part of Travel Tuesdays...I will be giving away 2 travel kits to 2 lucky readers! Just follow the easy steps below so you could join! 

1. Follow me on Instagram (carmelaugay)

2. Share this blog post in your FB account with the caption "#carmelaugaygiveaway"

3. Email me your Name, Cellphone Number. and Address to carmela_ugay@yahoo.com with the subject "carmelaugaygiveaway"


Contest ends on March 2 and winners will be notified via email. Happy Tuesday everyone! ^_^

Travel Tuesdays: Breakfast Buffet at Disneyland Hotel's Enchanted Garden



As promised, I'm here to continue my full review of our Hongkong 2013 experience: Breakfast Buffet at Disneyland Hotel's Enchanted Garden


Photo courtesy of Hongkong Disneyland website

I absolutey love buffets! Then add Mickey Mouse, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto roaming around and greeting you while you are eating...what more could you ask for? :) Yes, you read it right...eating breakfast at the famous Enchanted Garden gives you the priviledge to have exclusive photo op with your favorite Disney characters. This saves you from the trouble of lining up for a picture with them at Disneyland Park which can take an hour or so, depending on the number of visitors on the day of your visit.






Before booking, I ws lucky enough to see the promo offered at Hongkong Disneyland's website. There is an ongoing special discount for booking breakfast in advance. Instead of paying HKD 327.00 per person, we got to avail it at HKD 294.00 (inclusive of 10% service charge). Happy happy joy joy! :)



PROs:
-Buffet breakfast
-Exclusive photo op with Mickey, Daisy, Pluto and Goofy
-Food includes fun Mickey shaped pancakes and waffles
-Wide variety of Western, Indian and Chinese cuisine
-Variety of freshly squeezed fruit juices








CONs:
-Expensive (Original Price per Person: HKD 327.00 = around PHP 1,700.00)
-Duration of buffet is 1.5 hours only (you can choose between 7:30-9AM or 9:30-10AM)
-If you are staying at Disney's Hollywood Hotel,
you have to ride the Disney shuttle to take you to Disneyland Hotel.

If you don't want to shell out that much money but still want to eat buffet breakfast at Disneyland, there are 2 more Disney Restaurants to choose from. They are both cheaper compared to Enchanted Garden and have longer buffet duration (7/7:30AM-10AM) which means more time to eat! The downside however is that no Disney Characters are here to greet you good morning.

Chef Mickey (7-10:30 AM) - HKD 217 per person
Walt's Cafe (7:30-10:30 AM) - HKD 217 per person

For more information and updated promotions/offers, please visit http://park.hongkongdisneyland.com

Have a magical day! :)

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Mod Mondays: Skin Care 101

Being an unica hija, I can definitely say that one of the benefits is being pampered like a princess. I am blessed to have generous parents who gave me nice clothes, bags and shoes. However, that is not the end of it. My mom would also schedule appointments to the dermatologist because during my teen years, acne welcomed me with open arms. Mom was determined to be like my Fairy Godmother as I was her Cinderella.

Whenever my mom tells me that I have a schudule at Belo, I dreaded that day. I never liked facials. Imagine lying in bed for one hour while the nurse pricked your pimples like there is no tomorrow...oh the pain!!! I bet this is my ultimate example of tiis ganda. But true enough...because of my mom's persistence, my teen acne eventually vanished.

Now I seldom go to derma, though I sometimes still get small breakouts due to my time of the month or that work is stressing me out. But these are all manageable so I need not worry. The most important thing I do now is maintaining a very good skin care routine. :)

Here are my five day-and-night steps to achieving healthy acne free skin:

1. Cleanser - I use St. Ives Apricot Scrub. For me, I prefer using scrubs over facial foams simply because I love the feeling of beads scrubing my face. It makes me feel the dirt and dead skin cells are removed from my skin. It's also important that it contains salicylic acid which helps prevent acne buildup. This is available at supermarkets.



2. Toner - I use Belo Clinic's Pore Minimizer and Chat 2%. I swear by these two toners that I have been using since high school. The pore minimizer helps in minimizing pores and the Chat 2% helps treat acne and even out blemishes. Both are available at any Belo Clinic.



Pore minimizer and Chat 2% are the ones in bottles at left

3. Moisturizer - I use Nivea Sparkling White Day Cream. I specifically like this because of the oil control and pore minimizing effect on my skin. This is also available at supermarkets.




4. Mask - I use Garnier Self Heating Sauna Mask and Aztec Spirulina Mask. This is a twice a month ritual for me as it gives me a tighter, firmer and glowing skin. Garnier mask is available at supermarkets while you can contact (02) 4772256 or visit www.spirulina.ph to order Aztec Spirulina Mask.





5. Healthy Lifestyle- Never sleep at night with your makeup still on. Drink lots of water and eat a balanced diet. :)

*photos courtesy of google as I don't have time today to take pictures of my products. ^_^

Happy Monday!