Category: Books and Films

Where to drink on Disney Adventure: Bars, cafes & lounges guide

One of my favorite experiences aboard the Disney Adventure cruise ship as a child-free adult was hopping around the cafes and bars inspired by different Disney, Marvel, and Pixar films. It’s not every day you get to do coffee crawls and pub crawls while at sea, and the themed bars on the cruise ship were just fantastic.

Beverage aboard the Disney Adventure. Disney Cruise Line

Like the ship’s themed areas and main restaurants, every cafe, bar, tea salon, nightclub, and lounge featured incredibly detailed interiors, whimsical touches, and unique signature drinks referencing Disney characters and films.

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Disney Adventure dining: 10 things to know about the food and drinks on the cruise ship

The Disney Adventure, the largest ship in Disney Cruise Line’s fleet and the first to homeport in Asia, is now sailing from Singapore. While the themed areas, attractions, Broadway-style performances, and character meet-and-greets will entice families, foodies may find that the dining options alone are a good enough reason to book this cruise.

Porcini Spiced Tuna. Disney Cruise Line

Truth be told, we were overwhelmed with the choices and ended up running around the ship like crazy, going back and forth just to decide which restaurant to eat in.

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Disney Adventure cruise ship from Singapore: Everything you need to know

As someone who grew up watching and loving Disney animated classics, sailing aboard the Disney Adventure cruise ship from Singapore felt like a fairy tale come true. Exploring the cruise line’s first-ever ship to sail in Southeast Asia made me feel like a kid again. 

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Book Museum and Ethnology Center in Marikina

Do you miss traveling and going to museums? The Book Museum and Ethnology Center in Marikina announced that they’re finally reopening on July 18, 2021 (Sunday) at 50% capacity. This colorful and quirky museum offers an interesting visit for book-lovers and avid travelers. The museum contains a collection of limited edition books and published materials from all around the world, including travel artifacts from different regions of the Philippines.

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NEW ZEALAND | Middle-Earth Magic in Hobbiton

Every fan of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films dreams of going to New Zealand. In fact, the movie trilogies directed by Peter Jackson based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels have spurred a rise in Tolkien tourism. Many fans of the LOTR fictional universe travel to significant filming locations based on the books.

The best place you can experience Middle-Earth magic is the Hobbiton Movie Set, a sprawling farm complete with hobbit holes, gardens, bridge, mill and souvenir shops. My favorite part of Hobbiton is The Green Dragon Inn, a real pub where you can sample beers traditionally brewed in the Shire, the home of the hobbits!

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JAPAN | Universal Studios Japan Theme Park in Osaka

For movie and pop culture buffs, Universal Studios Theme Park is one of the top attractions where you can enjoy rides inspired by Hollywood blockbusters, TV shows, cartoons and video games produced by Universal Studios. This world-class theme park transports you right inside your all-time-favorite flicks like Jurassic Park, Waterworld and JAWS.

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Jurassic Park’s The Flying Dinosaur. Photo courtesy of Universal Studios Japan
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Mischief Managed: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Japan

As a huge fan of J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter novels and the blockbuster film series based on the books, visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a dream come true. This themed area within Universal Studios Japan (USJ) was a major highlight of my recent trip around Osaka and the Kansai region upon the invitation of Cebu Pacific & USJ. Flying along with Harry, Hermione and Ron in the Forbidden Journey inside Hogwarts Castle, walking along the shops in Hogsmeade and drinking Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks was just amazing!

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“I solemnly swear that I’m up to no good!”

There’s a LOT to do in Universal Studios Japan (which is celebrating its 15th Anniversary), but if you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ll probably want to spend most of your time in this themed section. This is only the third Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park and the only one in Asia (the others are in Orlando and Hollywood), making it the most accessible for Filipino geeks. Everything is recreated in meticulous detail and can be quite overwhelming to take in but here are the highlights that Potterheads can look forward to.

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Volunteering as Tributes: Archery in Makati

The Hunger Games Trilogy (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire & Mockingjay) was one of those things I could not put down. I must have spent one weekend just reading through all three books. I love the character of Katniss Everdeen in the books and how she was portrayed in the movies. Her skill with the bow and arrow is just so badass. The same goes for Tauriel in The Hobbit. Though she doesn’t appear in J.R.R. Tolkien’s original book, the woodland elf in The Desolation of Smaug shows off awesome archery skills comparable to Legolas. I’ve always hated the “damsels in distress” stereotypes in movies so it’s refreshing to watch movies with strong female warrior characters.

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Trying to channel Katniss in a Hunger Games District 12 training jersey

However, my previous experience with archery has been somewhat limited to virtual adventures. In Skyrim, (aside from shouts & destruction magic) bows are the most useful ranged weapon you use to damage the legendary dragons when they’re in flight. My demon hunter character in Diablo III also uses a variety of crossbows and bows to battle the minions of The Lord of Terror.

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A Hobbit Birthday Party

September 22 marks the mutual birthdays of hobbits Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, two of the most loved characters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The day is actually known as Hobbit Day! So, we thought it would be a fitting theme for my nephew Eli’s fourth birthday last Saturday. Here’s a quick look at our Middle-Earth celebration.

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Amazing Harry Potter Cake and Cupcakes

The Regali Kitchen designed the most amazing treats for my nephew Eli’s Harry Potter-themed 3rd birthday! Since Eli started going to school this year, this topsy turvy stack of Hogwarts spell books represent Harry’s first year at Hogwarts. Kudos to Chef JB Cada and Stephanie Santos for the wonderful treats!

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