Michi Photostory

Whenever we travel overseas, I don’t usually include shopping in my itinerary because I have a limited budget and I prefer to visit interesting places than waste my time in shopping malls tapos wala din ko mabibili. Hahaha!


But things change when you are married, you find joy in visiting Home stores even you don’t have shopping money. When I learned that there is IKEA in Singapore, I included this in my itinerary but unfortunately I was not able to visit it two years ago. First reason, I could not find the shuttle bus going to IKEA Tampines and lastly, I don’t want to take taxi kasi namamahalan ko. Boo! But I regret that kasi sayang naman effort namin and we were in SG na that time.

So I promised myself, by hook or by crook I will go to IKEA. I added this on my itinerary when we visited Singapore last month. It was my birthday celebration so I will visit my happy place.There are two IKEA in Singapore and the nearest branch from our hotel is IKEA Alexandra. 

Read: Sheraton Towers Singapore

Day 3: IKEA Alexandra

I did not have second thoughts, we took taxi on our way to IKEA Alexandra. We had dinner first and I was sad because I only saw chicken wings and hotdog on the menu, hmmm same fate in Japan. I was excited to eat Swedish meatballs then wala pala. So we just ate chicken wings, hotdog sandwiches and ice cream. 

Read: IKEA Tachikawa


So after dinner, we started shopping na, I already have the list of the things that I wanted to buy and I was happy that most of them are available in IKEA Alexandra. When we reach the second floor, I was surprised because there is another restaurant pala, grrr! Nandun ang meatballs, Waah! So I told my husband, we will go back again next time. I just bought some stuff that will fit our luggage. 



Note: Always BYOB or Bring Your Own Bag Always or else you will buy extra bag or carry your own stuff. No bagger so pack your own stuff. 

Day 5: IKEA Alexandra 

The initial plan is to visit Gardens by the Bay but we canceled it and visited my son’s Ninong in Singapore and after that, we had late lunch in IKEA Alexandra. Like I said to my husband, we will not go back to Manila ng hindi ko natitikman ang swedish meatballs. Lol 

It was not easy to find a vacant table and the lines were very long so patience is a virtue. We ordered Swedish Meatballs, Salmon, Blueberry Cheesecake, Almond Cake, and drinks. I can’t remember the exact price of each meal but the bill is less than SGD30.

Read: Food Trip at IKEA Alexandra



After lunch, we checked the store again. I was really contemplating whether to buy Raskog or not. If you remember my post a few months ago, my husband was not able to buy this because he doesn’t want to pay for excess baggage.


Read: IKEA Bangna

I have extra kilos but the problem is I don’t have extra luggage but thank God, I saw this Eco Bag in IKEA and it fits the Raskog box. Ang because of that, nakapamili pa ko ulit. Yehey! 



Then we went back to hotel to get our luggage and off we went to the airport. After check-in, I said to myself, sayang sana binili ko pa yung bookshelves may 30 kilos pa pala ko. Lol Anyway, I was so happy with my shopping Haul at IKEA.

Not in the photo is IKEA Timer (Stam), nagamit ko kasi agad. hehehe!

My husband immediately assembled my Raskog and I’m now using it for our school supplies. :)


Read: 5 Days in Singapore

I always make homemade pizza at home because it is so easy to make, I only need a slice of bread or store brought pizza dough + my choice of toppings. I know I can make my own pizza dough but I’m so scared when I see the yeast in the list of ingredients because I tried making bread before and it was not successful.

Read: Homemade Pizza



But few months ago, I attended a Bread Making Class so it gives me the confidence to try baking with yeast. Last month, I tried making pizza dough from scratch, I just look for recipes on the internet. It was my first time so the shape of the dough is not round and I put so much cheese so it overflows. My husband likes the dough because it is so soft even it is no longer warm.



Read: The Day I Learned How to Make my Own Bread



Last weekend, I made a homemade pizza again but this time, I tried a new recipe and I was happy because I was able to make a round dough. Hehehe! I did not put a lot of cheese to avoid overflowing. Ending, kulang sa cheese ang result. Hehehe! The dough is on the chewy side so my husband prefers the first pizza dough but my son liked this pizza compared to the first one. 



Update October 2019

Our family loves pizza and it is one of our comfort foods. I’m glad that I can make my own pizza dough from scratch. I’m using the recipe of Sallys Baking Addiction “Homemade Pizza Crust Recipe”, the recipe only needs 6 six ingredients so if you have warm water, yeast, sugar, olive oil, salt, and all-purpose flour, you can definitely make your homemade dough. The steps are easy to follow too and you can make two pizzas in one recipe. If you only need one pizza, you can store the dough in your freezer which I did.



What I like about homemade pizza is you can use whatever toppings that you like, whatever is available in your pantry or fridge. Since my son likes Pepperoni Pizza, I bought a pack at Landers and nakadalawang pizza na nga ko, hindi pa rin ubos so I have reasons to make pizza again. I like the taste of my pizza dough but I need to improve its shape and thickness.Since the pandemic, I’ve been watching Chef RV’s video and over a month ago I tried his pizza dough recipe. What I like about his recipe, you just need to mix everything and put them in the fridge overnight. So the following day, you can already make your own pizza. This is now my new favorite pizza dough recipe. My only mistake was, I did not put a lot of cheese but my two boys love it.

Every time I see new instant mix in S&R, I will always buy one so I can try it. I bought Duncan Hines Tres Leches few months ago but it was only last week that I finally bake it.


The box includes the mix for the batter and mix for the milk syrup. I just followed the directions. 

You need 3 eggs, 1/2 cup water for batter and 3 1/2 cup milk for milk syrup.

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease sides and bottom of 13x9 pan. 
2. Blend cake mix, water and eggs in a large bowl at low speed until moistened. Pour batter into cake pan. 
3. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool in a pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Poke holes in cake with fork, 1/2 inch part. 
4. Blend contents from small packet and 3 1/2 cups milk in small bowl. 
5. Pour milk syrup over top of cake in pan slowly. 
6. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.


I left the cake overnight. The following morning, I can still see the milk on top of my cake. It was hard for me to slice the cake because of the milk syrup on top. It doesn’t look good. It seems that the 3 1/2 cup milk is too much for the cake. The cake is not just moist, it is super wet. Cake na may sabaw? 

Ang layo dun sa picture sa box

How I wish, I did not put make the milk syrup anymore so we can just eat the cake as is or slice the cake and just pour milk syrup before eating. My son said, it is like a cold pancake, if you know what he means. Pancake with sugar and milk.

It was not hit to my family, parang napipilitan na lang kainin para di sayang pera. Hehehe! I will not buy this instant mix again.

For the last two Singapore trips, I always booked a three-star hotel because I wanted budget accommodation. #traveltipidtips I can’t remember the name of the first hotel because it’s nine years ago already but it is located in Little India near Mustafa Mall, the taxi driver was not even familiar with the hotel so he asked for the hotel's number so he can ask for direction. We stayed at South East Asia Hotel two years ago, an old affordable hotel in Bugis. One train ride from Changi Airport. 

Read: South East Asia Hotel

With our recent trip, my husband booked the hotel for us so I was a bit excited because we’re going to stay in a five-star luxury hotel. Sheraton Towers Singapore is located in Scotts Road, 2 2-minute walk to Newton Interchange Train Station, 6 6-minute walk to Newton Food Centre and 10 minutes walk to Orchard Road. 


From Changi Airport, we just took a taxi on our way to the hotel. The staff immediately assisted us in getting our luggage from the taxi trunk to the lobby. I gave our passports to my husband and I checked the lobby. 

It was my birthday but I did not prepare any food because we were going to leave and I was preoccupied with chores. I need to finish the laundry para wala na maiiwan because I’m sure I have so many clothes to wash and iron after the trip.

I was busy checking and packing our stuff just to make sure that we would not forget anything. My husband put all the luggage in the car and off we went to the school to fetch our son in school. We went straight to the Park N Fly to park the car, I just brought extra clothes for my son so he would not travel in his school uniform. 

Travel Tax

At the airport, I went straight to the travel tax counter so I could pay for our travel tax (Ethan + Me). It is my habit to prepare the exact money so I was holding P2630 and I was surprised when the staff told me that I needed to pay P2430. Wow, I just read the news last July 26 that they are planning to remove or reduce the travel tax, may nagbago agad. There is no more P200 processing fee for RTT (Reduced Travel Tax). #changeiscoming 

Manila to Singapore via PAL 

Cafe France Lasagna. Handa ko! hehehe!

I already knew that my husband will be going to Singapore last month so I already take note all the stuff that I wanted him to buy for me in IKEA. If you remember, I also did this when he went to Thailand. Hehehe!

 August is also my birthday month and for the last 14 years, I've been celebrating my birthday with my ex-boyfriend now husband. But now that he is always out of the country, I was so worried that he won't be home so when August came, I immediately told him, "Bawal absent sa birthday ko, kundi marriage is over. Lololol! "

He just laughed at me but fast forward to my birthday, dahil bawal ang absent, sinama na lang niya kami. Life is full of surprises because we all went to Singapore.


When I saw the schedule of my son and they only have activities for the whole week (Feast Week) so no lessons. So the following day, my husband decided that we will go with him. He bought plane tickets three days before our trip and because of that, I have a very limited time in making our itinerary + packing our stuff. We only have 4 days to enjoy Singapore because we chose the last flight on Day 1 para 3 days lang absent ng aking anak.


I was cramming to finish our itinerary. This will be the 4th time (hubby), 3rd time (me) and 2nd time (son) in Singapore so I listed down the places that we haven’t tried and visited yet but my son wanted to visit zoos. This was my itinerary, not the usual itinerary but I have a kid in tow so even it is my birthday celebration, pang kids pa rin ang pupuntahan. Hehehe!

Day 1 Arrival in Singapore 
Day 2 Singapore Zoo + IKEA Alexandra 
Day 3 River Safari + Night Safari 
Day 4 Jurong Bird Park + Wonder Full Show 
Day 5 Gardens by the Bay 
           Back to Manila 

But of course, the itinerary is just a guide, marami pwedeng magbago so I'm sharing with you, our 5 Days Trip in Singapore.

Day 1 Manila to Singapore 

We fetched our son in school and we went straight to the Park N Fly and airport.

Travel Tax

I walked to travel tax counter to pay the travel tax (Ethan + Me), I was holding P2630 and I was surprised when the staff told me that I need to pay P2430. Wow, I just read the news last July 26 that they are planning to remove or reduce the travel tax, may nagbago agad. There is no more P200 processing fee for RTT (Reduced Travel Tax). #changeiscoming

Manila to Singapore via Philippine Airlines 

We arrived at Changi Airport past 11PM. No more Sky Train ride because we're already in Terminal 1. We got our luggage, withdrew cash and we took taxi. Finally checked in at Sheraton Towers Singapore.


Read: Sheraton Towers Singapore

Day 2 River Safari 

For directions, I used gothere.sg. I was checking our directions and I was a bit nervous when I learned that we need to ride a bus. We haven’t ridden public buses in SG so I was hesitant at first but since we are budget travelers, we need to take trains and buses.

EZ Link Card vs Singapore Tourist Pass

The train station is just 2-3 minutes walk away from Sheraton Towers.

Two years ago, we availed of the Singapore Tourist Pass at SGD10 per day but after our trip, we were not able to maximize the SG Tourist Pass. Sayang! So now I decided to use EZ Link Card because when I computed the fare, we will not reach SGD5 per day.

SGD12 (SGD5 card cost and SGD7 value) + SGD10 load x 2 = SGD 44. My son is 7 years old so adult rate na rin. You can use the card for train, bus, taxi, shopping, vending machines and many more. The EZ Link card is valid for 5 years so we can use it again if ever we will go back to SG or souvenir na lang kung hindi. Hehehe!

We took train + bus on our way to Singapore Zoo. Do not worry because the last stop of the bus is the zoo.

Park Hopper Plus vs Regular Zoo Entrance Tickets

We just visited Tama Zoological Park when we went to Japan but my son wanted to visit the zoo again so I decided to visit all the zoos of Wildlife Reserves Singapore. I crossed out other places and we just focused on zoos so I can save money.

Read: Tama Zoological Park 


I bought the Park Hopper Plus Tickets (1 adult + 1 kid)
SGD79 adult SGD59 kids

1. The package includes the entrance fee for River Safari, Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, and Singapore Zoo.
2. Unlimited tram rides at Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, and Singapore Zoo.
3. Unlimited Amazon River Quest and River Safari Cruise at River Safari.
4. Wild Animal Carousel ride at Singapore Zoo (child ticket and one ride only).
5. ParkHopper entitles you to one visit per park within 7 days from the date of the first visit. You may visit each park on a different day.


Regular Tickets SGD 256
Park Hopper Plus Tickets SGD 138
Savings SGD 118 x 34.28 = P4,045.04

River Safari 

After buying our ticket, we both decided that we will visit River Safari first. To avoid a long queue we went straight to Wild Amazonia for Amazon River Quest and River Safari Cruise. After that, we explored the Rivers of the World such as the Mississippi, Congo, Nile, Ganges, Mekong, and Yangtze rivers. Then the Wild Amazonia such as Amazon Flooded Forest and Squirrel Monkey Forest.

There are no shows here but we enjoyed the Amazon River Quest and River Safari ride. It was our first time seeing Giant Panda. The zoo is not that big, we were done in less than four hours. We went home at 3PM.

Tip: Visit Giant Panda first because when we went there, we only see one panda, nagpapahinga na yung isa. hahaha!

Read: River Safari

Day 3 Singapore Zoo + IKEA 

Initial plan is Jurong Bird Park pero dahil 10AM na and 75 minutes away (train+bus) pa ang bird park, we went to Singapore Zoo na lang. My husband and I visited this zoo 9 years ago but we haven’t explored the whole zoo because of limited time. But I was happy that my son and I finished everything, we only missed one show because my son doesn’t like to watch it.


Singapore Zoo is huge so make sure you avail the tram ride too. Napagod na nga ko kahit may tram ride pa, hehehe! We left at 5:30PM. Our favorite here is the Elephant Show, Polar Bear, Goat Feeding and Carousel Ride.

Read: Singapore Zoo

IKEA 

We’re supposed to visit this on Day 2 but my husband has a dinner meeting so we postponed it. On day 3 naman, naunahan kami ni hubby sa hotel so when we reached the hotel, we just changed clothes and off we went to IKEA for shopping and dinner. Yey! we took taxi na para mabilis.

Read: IKEA Alexandra 
Food Trip at IKEA Alexandra 

Day 4 Jurong Bird Park + Night Safari 

We left at past 9AM. I don’t want to miss the 10AM show so we took a taxi to Jurong Bird Park. If we missed it, we need to wait till 4PM for the next show. And hindi kami pwede magtagal because we have Night Safari at 7:15PM and magkaibang location yun.


Jurong Bird Park is not that big if I will compare it to Singapore Zoo so we were able to finish everything at 3PM. Our favorites in Jurong Bird Park are penguin feeding, pelican feeding, and the two shows.

We went back to hotel, natagalan lang kami sa biyahe because we took bus and trains pauwi para tipid. We took a bath and prepare for Night Safari. My husband was supposed to go with my son para bonding nila but he has a dinner meeting again so my son and I went to Night Safari.

Read: Jurong Bird Park 

Night Safari 

We were late with our 7:15PM schedule so we went straight to the tram ride bago pa maunahan nung nasa 8:15PM schedule. After that, we watched the Creatures of the Night show. We did not do the Walking Trails anymore. There is another show Thumbuakar Performances but we did not finish this because we need to catch the last train ride.


It was funny because 9 years ago, my husband and I did the same thing, tram ride + creatures of the night and nung bumalik ako, same na naman. Though may nagbago naman sa show but still I missed the walking trail and Thumbuakar Performances.

Read: Night Safari 

Good thing I availed the Park Hopper Plus tickets because I find SGD45 and SGD30 expensive for a four-hour stay and we did not stay that long. It was a very long day but I was happy that we were able to finish the four zoos. If you have very limited time and you just wanted to visit one or two, this is our ranking.

1. River Safari
2. Singapore Zoo
3. Jurong Bird Park
4. Night Safari

We have visited the four zoos and each zoo has its own shows, programs, and animals. There are some similarities but you cannot see everything in one zoo so if you have time, visit them all and see the differences.

Note: If you like Pokemon Game, don't forget to download their Pokemon Go Maps.

Day 5: Friend’s House + IKEA 

We crossed out the Gardens by the Bay and we went to our friend’s house. It was the first time that Ethan will meet his Ninong who lives in SG. Two years ago we’re supposed to meet him but because of limited time hindi na natuloy.

IKEA for late lunch and shopping. We went back to the hotel to get our luggage and off we went to airport. Flight was delayed. :(

Singapore to Manila via Philippine Airlines 


It was a short trip but we had fun. It was my first time celebrating my birthday abroad. :)

Read: 6 Days in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore 
Things to do in Singapore

Cliche as it may sound but I totally agree that travel is the best education anyone can have and adventures are the best way to learn. 

Last summer, we are blessed to visit Japan for 7 days. For the record, it is the longest time that we’ve visited one country because most of the time we will visit two countries in one trip to save on travel tax and terminal fee.

Read: 7 Days in Tokyo Japan

In just one week, I have learned a lot of things in Japan and it is very different from our home country. Now I understand, why even there is a language barrier, people still go to Japan. Given a chance, I wanted to go back again. 


Sharing with you the things that I’ve learned in Japan. If you are first timer in Japan, these things might surprise you too. 

1. Japan is so clean

From the moment I stepped out the airport and traveled to our hotel, I really notice that Japan is a clean country. I’ve been to Singapore but Japan is cleaner. Everywhere we go in Tokyo, the place is very clean.

A. We are used seeing two trash bins, one for biodegradable and one for nonbiodegradable but in Japan, there are so many trash bins so segregation is very significant. 

B. Do not eat while walking or traveling. If you are hungry or thirsty, you have to sit down and eat. 

C. In a hotel room, there are two available slippers, one for room and one for toilet. 

2. Transport System is very efficient. 

A. Bus 

Japan transport system is very efficient. We were sitting outside the airport waiting for our airport limousine bus schedule and we noticed that the bus were really on time, they arrive before the schedule and leave on time. Sorry na lang talaga pagnamiss mo. 



At airport limousine bus, they give bag tags for your luggage and you will present it before getting your baggage. Unlike here in our country na kakaba-kaba ka pag may bumaba at baka makuha yung gamit mo sa ilalim ng bus. Hehehe! 

I did not experience traffic during our stay when we rode the bus. 

B. Trains 

The trains are very efficient and punctual too. Looking at the train map made me so confused, parang ayaw ko na magtrain at baka maligaw ako but I have to because taxi is not an option because it is so expensive. 



If you are a tourist, you need to download an app that will help you in riding the train. It will inform you about the fare, travel time, transfers and train stations. You need to know the fare because when you buy tickets, you will click the fare and not the name of the station. You can purchase Suica or Pasmo card to save time in buying train ticket. 

Aside from knowing the station, you need to make sure that you will ride the correct train because there are so many types of a train ride, it can be local, rapid, semi-express, express, semi-special express and special express. Local means it will stop in every station and other types meron skip. 

3. Train etiquette 

Before going to Japan, I already saw a video where the Japanese fall in line while waiting for the train. They really wait for the passengers to alight before entering the train. So nakita ko na ganun talaga. It is the same in Singapore and Hongkong. 

Don’t speak too loud or if possible don’t talk on the phone while inside the train. There are reserved seats for priority passengers so make sure you are sitting in the right place. 

4. Escalator etiquette 

Here in our country, we stand anywhere in the escalator. We can stand at the left, middle or right but when you go out of the country, you need to know what side are you going to stay. In Tokyo, Japan, if you will not climb up or down, stay on the left side but if you are in a hurry, choose the right side. 

5. Clean before you go 

On our first day, we were eating at McDonald and we were surprised when we saw diners holding their trays, they went to the trash bin and segregate their trashes. So there is no staff who will clean the table or clear your trash, you have to do it yourself. 

It is not only in McDonald but everywhere we go even in Sanrio Puroland, zoos, park and museum, you have to clear your table. The only time that we did not clear the table is when we ate at The Royal Host. 

6. Vending machines are everywhere 

I’m not joking but vending machines are really everywhere. While going to our hotel, I noticed that almost all corners have vending machines. It seems that Japanese like to use vending machines. 

A. Use vending machines if you will buy train tickets or cards. In Hongkong and Singapore, I bought our Octopus card and EZ Link card at the counter but in Japan, you need to buy, load or adjust your fare at the ticket vending machine. Good thing there is English language for this.

B. We bought zoo tickets, museum tickets, and park tickets at the vending machine. There is no other way to buy the attraction tickets except for Tokyo Disney, I bought our park tickets at the counter. 

C. For drinks and food, it is normal that there are vending machines. Just drop your coins and press the button. But I was shocked when I needed to use the vending machine just to order food, and present the receipt at the counter. 

D. If you recycle your plastic bottles, you need to use vending machines too.

7. Shopping 

A. In the Philippines, whenever we buy something we just pay directly to the cashier but in Japan, you have to use the money tray. The cashier will not get your money if you hand it to her/him, they will point you the money tray. 

B. Taxes are not included in the price so sometimes you will see two prices, one without tax and one with tax. 

C. There is no bagger, we pack our own groceries or stuff whenever we buy something. Some groceries even charge for plastic bags, 2 yen per bag. 

8. Cash 


Japan is a highly developed country but not all accept credit cards so make sure you always have cash. I do not see a money changer during our trip so make sure you have Japanese Yen before leaving the airport. 

9. Internet 

Don’t expect that there is free wifi everywhere so I suggest you rent pocket wifi or avail the roaming surf in your postpaid account. 

I don’t know why my roaming is not working properly, I can receive text and call but I cannot send text or call so I just activated my Globe surf roaming at P599 for 24 hours so I can message my husband. 

10. Japanese are so disciplined 

It is obvious that they always fall in line on the train but even in other places like theme parks, they will automatically fall in line even if there is no staff na nagpapila. Whenever they see someone standing, makikipila na sila sa likod mo.


I also noticed this sa mga nagfield trip na kids. They are so disciplined, sa isip-isip ko kung sa Pinas yan habol na ng habol ang teacher. Hehehe! 

11. Japan is a safe country 

Japan is one of the safest countries in the world so when we went to Japan, I have peace of mind that my son and I could tour Japan safely. I even see small children who are riding trains alone and even toddlers who are on a field trip have no guardians. 

I did not see security guards in the mall, groceries, or restaurants. No one is checking your bag. 

12. Japan toilets are very unique


I’ve been meaning to use the toilet in Japan because it is very unique and true enough, it is very different from what we have. It is something that I really miss in Japan, you have warm seats and different buttons for bidet, deodorizer, scents, sounds, and many more. You can even adjust it according to your preference.

13. Mirrors are very amazing too 


It is very common that the bathroom mirror will be moist after you take a bath but in Japan, may space na walang moist. Amazing! 

14. Tactile paving 

I always see tactile paving on the stairs, train stations, and footpaths and my husband informed me that this is designed for the blind or visually impaired. Ang bongga di ba! People will know if they need to walk, pause, or if they are approaching a pedestrian crossing. I also saw this in Singapore train stations pero in Japan, everywhere I go I see tactile paving.


After our Japan trip, we went back to the Philippines. Home is still the same but something in our minds has changed. It is really true that