Michi Photostory

There are no classes for two days already because of Nationwide Transport Strike but I’m still busy because I need to finish my son’s reviewer for his exam. But now, let me take a break and continue my Summer in Norway series.

My friend asked me “kung ano daw mura bilhin sa Norway na pangpasalubong”. I said, “Walang mura! Hehehe!”. If you’ve been to Norway or if you’ve read travel blogs about Norway, you will always read that Norway is one of the expensive countries in the world so you really need an extra budget if you are planning to visit this country.

I agree to that, whenever I go to their grocery store, if ever we will eat in the fastfood or restaurant or if we will take public transportation, I can’t help myself in converting the amount to Philippine Peso. Mahal talaga siya. Good thing that their water is potable so no need to buy mineral water if ever you will stay in a hotel.

But of course, even the price is expensive I still bought some pasalubong, minsan lang naman ko makapunta ng Norway e. Few days before we left, we went to the grocery to buy chocolates, juice, sauces etc. As usual, my son bought Kinder Egg Surprise and Kinder Maxi Chocolate.

Hindi kasama Snickers, baon ko pa yan from Philippines. hehehe!

Don’t forget to buy Freia chocolates, we really love their chocolates and you can’t buy this anywhere. So far, hindi ko pa siya nakikita sa ibang country so I can only taste this pag-umuuwi mom ko. There was no sale when we bought the chocolates, sana pala bumili na ko ng madami nung April. We bought Freia chocolates before my husband went back to the Philippines for my in-laws, at that time nakasale. Nung pauwi na ko, wala man lang sale. Waah!


Freia chocolate has so many variants, I almost tried everything na rin since my mom always buys different flavor but our personal favorite is Melkesjokolade and Firkløver. We also like their chocolate chips cookies so I bought this for our snacks while waiting in the airport.


The Freia Kvikk Lunsj chocolate is my husband’s favorite. It is like Kitkat chocolate pero mas type niya ito.



There is Freia Twist too, it is an assorted chocolate. Not really our favorite but this is good pasalubong for those who like to try different flavors.


My aunt wanted to buy chocolates para iuwi ko but I don’t have enough space so she just gave me money. I bought this Freia Melkehjerter at Oslo Airport,  it is buy 3 + 1 promo. This is good pasalubong too kasi may I heart Norway pa na nakalagay. Hehehe! There are two boxes of chocolate inside the box.


And because I like their sauces, I bought Hollandaise Sauce and Bearnaise Sauce.

We also love their Lerum juice syrup, just add water lang. If hindi lang mabigat sa luggage, bibili ko ng marami nito. I bought Blåbærsaft, I have Solbaer sirup na, prize ko sa Bingo. Hehehe!

We also went to the bookstore to buy some souvenirs like magnet and keychain. I saw the receipt in the plastic bag so check the price below. You can also buy this in the airport, I think, hindi naman nagkakalayo price nila.


Stuffed toy keychain NOK79
Refrigerator magnet NOK49
Keychain NOK70
Swiss Knife NOK115

If your stopover is Netherlands, check my post about Pasalubong from Netherlands.

If Sweden, Pasalubong from Sweden

When taking any type of public transportation, it is important to follow preventative measures to ensure that you and others that are traveling with you are safe. Whether you are sober or you have had a few drinks with friends, making sure that you are safe when using public transportation can ensure that you end the day or night on a good note. You may be wondering how safety plays a role in taking an Uber, but it does. 

This article will highlight several tips on how you can be safe when taking an Uber. 



1. Plan ahead and request your ride from inside if at all possible. 

This is particularly important if you are requesting a ride in the evening or after dark. The reason for this is that standing outside in the dark can open yourself up to potential risks as you may not know who is around you. If you are enjoying a lovely night out with friends at a local pub and then stand on the street waiting for your Uber after the pub has closed down, there could be a limited number of people around you and this is a time in which predators pounce on those they perceive to be an easy target. By planning your ride ahead and staying indoors until the ride arrives, you can eliminate any potential unsavory actions from others. 

2. Sit in the backseat and wear your seatbelt. 

When traveling in any car, sitting in the backseat is typically the safest part of the vehicle. The same goes for traveling in an Uber car. When at all possible, sit in the backseat with your seatbelt on and ride with a friend. As soon as the Uber pulls up, confirm that it is the right car, hop into the backseat and while putting your seatbelt on, confirm your destination with your driver. 

3. Share your location or trip information with friends. 

Allowing your friends to know where you are at any given time is important. It can ensure that you are safe and that if something was to go wrong, your friend or family member could alert authorities immediately. This may seem like an outlandish concern, but prevention is key to staying safe in your surroundings. There is no way that you can be too hypervigilant when it comes to your own safety.   

There are other ways to ensure your safety when taking an Uber such as providing only the information that is on your app to the driver. The driver should not ask you for personal information and if the driver does so, you may consider reporting it to Uber so that they can make note of it. Driver’s should simply be courteous and polite and take you from point A to point B in a safe and reliable manner. For additional information on Uber services and ridesharing, be sure to visit www.rydely.com.

For the past few months, I’ve been sharing different tourist spots that we have visited in Norway. But even we spent our whole summer in Norway, it is not all about pleasure. There are days that we went to Nursing Home. 



My mom works in Nursing Home for more than two decades already. When we first went to Norway, she was already working there. She even suggested na magnursing na lang ko so I can also work in Norway. But I did not see myself working in the hospital or nursing home so I pursue another career.

I did not grow up living with my mom because she needs to work in order to support us. It is not easy to support three kids in the Philippines. I’m proud of my mom because we were able to finish school because of her hardwork. I don’t know how she managed to study, work and take care of my youngest sister. Hindi ko alam paano niya hinati-hati katawan niya. Hehehe! 

During our first visit in Nursing Home, she was cleaning the nursing home or working in the kitchen, then she became a caregiver where she took care of the grandparents. But now, she works in activity center. She did not stop studying and learning in order to level-up. In fact, she finished her High School and College Degree in Norway, halos sabay-sabay kami grumaduate. 

Fast forward to our trip, after my mom’s vacation leave she invited us to go with her in Nursing Home. As I mentioned, my mom works in Activity Center where she makes programs and activities for the grandparents. So living in nursing home in Norway is not boring, may social life din ang mga lolo at lola. That’s why the grandparents miss my mom if she is in the Philippines kasi sarado ang Activity Center. Hehehe! 



The job is not easy because she started her work in preparing the center, cooking waffle or baking dessert for snacks, prepare for the activities, facilitate the program and of course clean the mess after. In short, all around so she is really grateful to those volunteer workers, as in they work without pay. So may assistant siya sa center. You cannot just go there to volunteer, you need permission and approval din. Some volunteers are retirees, refugees and those who wants to gain work experience. 





The activity center is open from Monday to Friday and my favorite day is Bingo Day (Wednesday), we pay NOK10 for every card and fortunately, we won in our first and last game. Prizes are foods, drinks and some stuff that grandparents can use in their rooms. Their Bingo cards are like placemat sa laki, ginawa talaga nila para hindi mahirapan yung grandparents na makita number. The activity center is not only open to those who live in Nursing Home, so if you are in senior years you can join their activity. 

What did we do in Nursing Home? Well, we helped my mom in her work. We fixed tables and chairs, prepare bingo cards, plant and water the flowers, fold table napkins, did some crafts, helped in the kitchen and the best part is tasting her cakes, waffle or any dessert. 

Nilalamig na sa pagtatanim. hehehe!

My son enjoyed playing with the grandparents, they play bowling, ring toss, passing ball and many more. I realized, competitive din pala ang mga lolo at lola, talagang they are doing their best para sila yung high score. Of course, may prize yung nanalo. Well, my son’s prize is ice cream or chocolate after his volunteer work. 



Of course, hindi lang Bingo ang ginagawa nila. There are art and crafts, physical activities and sometimes grandparents also go out too. May field trip din,  they watch movies, visit recreational areas and trip to Ørland Main Air Station. This is one thing that I want to visit pero super strict sila sa pwede lang pumasok. Sa tagal ng nanay ko sa Norway, hindi pa rin siya nakapasok. Hehehe! 

Sometimes they also have festivals, mini concerts or any activity na maisipan ng mom ko. But we always go sa Bingo day, hehehe! I just can’t post the pictures and videos, in respect of the privacy of the grannies and grandads. One more thing, I notice that they are very private person, they are not fond of taking pictures and videos. They don’t even post on Facebook or Instagram. Very opposite natin na, picture before eating foods or capture every moments for souvenir.

I love shrimp so even shrimp is expensive, I always include this in our menu. I love cooking salted egg shrimp because it is an easy dish plus gusto ko din ng salted egg. But my son doesn’t like it and he always tells me that he prefers shrimp tempura. To be honest, I don’t know how to make ebi tempura but I promised him that I will try to make it. 

Last night, I tried to make shrimp tempura. I don’t measure my ingredients so this is just an estimate ng mga pinagmix ko. You can adjust the ingredients according to your preference. 

1/2 kilo shrimp 
1 egg 
1/4 cup flour 
1/4 cup cold water 
1/2 cup Crispy Fry 
Cooking oil for deep frying 



1. Peeled, deveined the shrimp. Make a small cut so you can flat the shrimp.
2. Heat oil 
3. Beat the egg, add cold water and crispy fry instant mix 
4. Coat the shrimp with flour 
5. Dip shrimp in batter 
6. Deep fry on medium heat until golden brown. 
7. Drain on paper towels. 
8. Serve 

If you notice, there is no salt and pepper because I used Crispy Fry, maalat na yun. 



I asked my son if he likes it and he said “No, it is not crunchy, not the same taste”. Waah!, wala man lang preno ang feedback. Ouch! Well, hindi nga naman siya crunchy but the taste is good. Puro shrimp nga siya at hindi puro breading like ebi tempura. I checked some Shrimp Tempura recipes and they are using tempura flour so I will check nga sa grocery kung meron dito sa Pinas. 

Update: May 2018

I bought Tempura Flour at Landmark Alabang so I cooked shrimp tempura and it turned out crunchy after frying. I forgot to remove the heads of the shrimp because I was in a hurry. But I was happy because my son likes it na.


1/2 kilo shrimp 
1 egg 
3/4 cup tempura flour 
1/4 cup cold water 
Salt and pepper
Cooking oil for deep frying 


You can check my other version, “Camaron Rebosado Recipe” Since last year, I’ve been trying Purefoods ready-to-eat and easy-to-prepare food. I already blogged about Crispy Squid Rings and Tail-On-Shrimp, now let me share about the Shrimp Tempura. If you’ve read my Holiday 2021 post, I prepared this for our New Year’s potluck because I don’t have time to cook. 

I always say that I’m not fond of online shopping because I prefer seeing and touching the products. My credit card was hacked before so I don’t want to shop using my credit card. I read some articles about bad experiences in their online shopping so sometimes I’m hesitant to order. And lastly, I hate waiting for my package.

But now, I think I’m starting to enjoy online shopping because I can buy things that I want and need without leaving our house. Sa traffic ngayon, sobrang tamad ako lumabas. There are online shops that accept Paypal or COD payment. And there are online shops too that deliver my order the next day. Yes, kahit provincial address ako. 



I already mentioned before that I like watching Korean Drama and as of this writing, I already watched 30 Korean Drama Series, you can check my list here. And because of that, I got curious sa mga beauty products ng mga Korean because they really have a good skin noh. Yung tipong mukhang fresh at no make-up look lagi. 

I'm aware of Althea Korea shopping site but since I’m not fond of beauty products before and hindi nga ko mahilig mag online shopping deadma lang ako. But now that my skin starting to age, nagworry na ko. I want to age gracefully. So I checked Althea Korea shop and finally registered and ordered. 

Since I’m not knowledgeable about Korean brands and products, I just ordered one of their boxes. I chose Althea Korea Head to Toe Box, the price is P4902 but I got it for P1487, which is 69% off. The box includes products that you can use from head to toes such as 

1. Mise-En-Scene Perfect Serum Shampoo and Treatment
2. Nature Republic Olive Scalp Cooling Hair Pack 
3. Skin & Lab White Vita-C Essence 
4. Clio Pro Eye Palette Quad in 01 Amber Slip 
5. Angel Factory Under Arm White Peeling Perfume 
6. The Choute Hot Body Salt Scrub 
7. W.Lab Change Foot Peeling Pack 

I haven’t used all the products yet, so far Skin & Lab White Vita-C Essence pa lang nagagamit ko.

Read: Althea Korea Head to Toe Box Review

Onsaemeein Yogurt Peeling

I also saw the Onsaemeein Yogurt Peeling for P890 and I got it for P210. This is a mild peeling that will remove dead skin cells on your face. It is made of microcrystalline cellulose, goat milk extract, chamaecyparis obtusa leaf extract, scutellaria baicalensis root extract, papaya extract and yogurt extract. 

I like this because it is so easy to use, you only need a pea-sized amount of gel and it will remove your dead skin cells softly and mildly. No redness after using. The scent is very light too. The packaging is so cute too. 

How to use:

1. Apply yogurt peeling gel on your face.
2. Massage your face for about 1 minute.
3. After enough rolling, wash it off with lukewarm water.

I use this once a week.



And because I was so excited to purchase my order, I forgot to use the welcome gift coupon, WELCOME-PH worth P300. P150 for the first purchase and P150 instant rebate, minimum of P1500, and valid for 1st purchase within 30 days from sign-up. Sayang! 

Anyway, I was advised that the delivery typically takes 15 business days from the moment they receive the order for processing so I was expecting two weeks pa. I was surprised when I received my package after one week. This was my first time ordering outside the Philippines and I’m happy with my first shopping experience. So yesterday, I ordered it again.

Courier services are Doora and LBC 

September 25 - Ordered and paid via Paypal 
September 27 - I was advised that my order was shipped 
October 3 - I received my order 

October 10 - I ordered and paid via Paypal
October 13 - Order was shipped
October 18 - Received order

Courier services are EFS and Ninja Van

October 30 - ordered and paid via Paypal
November 2 - order was shipped
November 9 - received order

November 2 - ordered and paid via Paypal
November 6 - order was shipped
November 10 - received order

January 2 - ordered and paid via Paypal
January 4 - order was shipped
January 10 - received order

Check my unboxing video here

Update August 2018:

I ordered last July and I was expecting that I will receive my product after one week but I was surprised that I received my order after 10 days. They changed the courier to Black Arrow Express. But on my next order, I received it after 7 days.

Courier services are Doora and Black Arrow Express

July 25 - Ordered and paid using points
July 30 - Order was shipped
August 4 - Received my order

August 7 - Ordered and paid using points and Paypal
August 14 - Received my order

October 9 - Ordered and paid via Paypal
October 12 - Order was shipped
October 23 - Received order (2 weeks) Grrr

What I like about Althea Korea?

1. Free shipping above P999 and offer COD. P250 Shipping Fee if you do not reach P999. (Update 2019: PHP1999 for FREE Shipping)
2. 30 Days Return (though I haven't tried)
3. They give you a tracking number so you can track your order 
4. I like their Althea box or Trendy Box, sobrang sulit yung price sa dami ng products sa loob. (Update 2018: They no longer offer this) 
5. I love their packaging, imagine from South Korea pa yung products pero maayos siya nung nareceived ko. I can also reuse the box this Christmas. Hehehe! 
6. Since the brands are from South Korea, I cannot understand the instructions printed on the packaging. But don’t worry because they have step by step guide on their website. I just saved and printed it. 
7. Best price. - If I will compare it to other online shops that I’ve tried, sobrang laki ng discount nila so makakatipid ka talaga. (Update 2019: They already increase their prices. huhuhu!)
8. If you will review their product, you can get a 10% discount on your next purchase. 
9. If you will order a trendy box, sometimes they will include some sample products. 
10. Sometimes, there are FREE PRODUCTS, all you need is to add them to your bag. Hindi siya sample sizes ha, as in regular size. Pabilisan lang sa pagcomplete ng order kasi while supplies last. I saw free mascara, hand cream, and soothing gel before. 
11. Sometimes, there is a REBATE too, just add the item to your cart and you will get a rebate once the order is completed or a rebate promo every time you shop.
12. From time to time, they have contests where you can win SHOPPING CREDITS. I already won PHP350 shopping credits. 
13. Sometimes they also give COUPON CODE. I got one when I order during the holiday season.
14. Sometimes you can earn REWARD POINTS that you can use for your future purchase. I got P150 rebate last March and May 2018 order. 

Update: I emailed Althea Korea regarding the promo code that I forgot, hindi ko rin pala magagamit yung P300 rebate because the WELCOME-PH code has these conditions.

* Promo code cannot be combined with any other promotions.
* This offer only valid for purchase ₱1500 and above.
* Offer valid for FIRST TIME purchase within 30 days from Sign Up.

Hmm, e puro nakapromo nga binibili ko e. hehehe!

What I don't like about Althea Korea?

1. I have no problem with Althea Korea site until last month (April 2018), I placed my order and paid via Paypal. I received a pop-up error that my order did not go through so I repeat my order and it went through. But the following day, they canceled the order because they were not able to get the payment from Paypal. Waah!

I did not order again because the two coupons code that I used for my previous orders were no longer working. They returned my reward points but the coupon codes were not restored. Every time I placed an order the discount was not applied to my account.

I emailed them regarding my concern and advised me to order again and informed them if I encountered the same problem, which I did. I placed an order and use my coupon code but the amount was not deducted from my TOTAL BILL so I paid the full amount.

But the staff kept on telling me so many things, ang dami niya pinagsasabi kung bakit daw di nagwowork. As if first-time ko mag-order, I kept on telling him/her that I just placed my order last month, they canceled the order and I can no longer use the coupons. (It should be working fine if they canceled the order, technically, hindi pa siya gamit because the order did not go through so no successful order)

I don't want to place another order just to prove to them again that my two coupon codes were not working. I gave them a lot of screenshots (mock order) and an email of my Coupon Code so, after one month, they finally returned my P400. I'm not happy with their system migration. I just hope, this will not happen on my next order.

2. After the system migration last April 2018, they no longer provide Tracking Number. It is no longer included in my email and when I checked my account, there is no tracking number too so I have to send an email again just to get my tracking number.

Update July 2018: I placed an order and when they shipped my package, there is already a tracking number. Yey!

3. There are times that the code is not working even I meet the terms and conditions. I added the code before check-out and payment but it is not working. Sayang yung Free Althea Petal Velvet Powder #Pink. I purchased more than P2000 and ang minimum is P1800 lang. :(

Althea Inc. 
Ansun Building 213, 
Yeongdong-daero Gangnam-gu 
Seoul, Korea

We were in Solenad 3 last week because I need to buy gift and cake for my son. After doing our errands, we ate lunch at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka. We are frequent visitor of Solenad Nuvali pero sa dami ng restaurant doon, hindi pa namin natry lahat. I was nursing a cold at that time so I decided to eat some ramen. 


It was our first time in Hokkaido Ramen Santouka so we asked the staff for the best seller. She suggested the Shio Ramen and Spicy Miso Ramen, so we ordered 1 Santouka Set Menu F “Small Ramen and Mixed Furai and Small Rice Bowl Set” P590 and 1 Santouka Light Meals 1 “Small Ramen & Charsiu Roll Meal” P375.


The set menu includes small-size ramen, rice bowl, salad, dessert and tea. I think this is good for sharing na nga, just add one extra rice. I chose Shio Ramen while my husband chose Spicy Miso Ramen. 



Shio Ramen (Salt) is white tonkotsu soup with a gentle flavor. The Spicy Miso Ramen ( Soybean paste) has three kinds of chili peppers which make the soup rich in flavor. My husband enjoyed this, flavorful nga daw. I did not try it since I’m not fond of spicy foods. 


The ramen is good but their katsu set is just okay. It is a bit dry for our taste, naovercooked na siya and hindi na juicy. I like salmon and shrimp pa naman, pero dry siya. Good thing we ordered the mixed set so we were able to try the salmon, shrimp and pork or chicken katsu. Pork or chicken kasi feeling ko pork siya while si hubby chicken naman ang lasa niya. Hahaha! For katsu meal, we prefer another restaurant. 

And for just a fleeting moment, my baby is now a tween. His birthday marks a special day in my life because it is the day when I had him. It opened my life to a new journey and gave me chance to be a mom. Whenever I look at him I know that God has blessed me so much. He may be a tween now but in my heart, he will always be my little boy.

This year, we had a birthday staycation again. If you remember my post last year, my son enjoyed our stay at EDSA Shangri-la so this year, we booked the Wonderful Weekends Package of Makati Shangri-la. We were there during the Star Magic Ball so ang daming artista, nakibirthday sa anak ko. Hehehe!

Read: Birthday Staycation at EDSA Shangri-la 

Fast forward to his birthday, he went to school while my husband and I went to Nuvali so we can buy his chocolate cake. He likes the chocolate cake of Contis so yun ulit ang birthday cake niya. Then we bought a gift at Toys R Us, I bought this “Bad Dog” toy, mahal pala siya. P999.75 and I got it at P799.75 kasi nakasale.


Before we left, we ate at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, I will share our experience in a separate post.


After school, we sang “happy birthday”, and my son blew out the candle and opened his gift. He finished his assignment and off we went to Shakey’s. We had a simple dinner with my in-laws. Since may pasok yung iba, 11 lang kami present. Sulit yung “Ber Bundle” ng Shakey’s, sobrang dami ng food kasi naka-upgrade yung pizza, chicken n mojos and may free mojos supreme pa.

There is no place like home and that is why most people spend the majority of their time indoors together with their loved ones. Due to this reason, clean and good quality indoor air is crucial to everyone’s health. In case you were unaware, the quality of air in your home is controlled by your air duct system. Thus, indoor air ducts need to be cleaned regularly in order to ensure the quality of airflow. 

Whenever we travel, we always go to a supermarket or convenience store so we can buy foods and drinks. It is cheaper than buying snacks or drinks in tourist spots area. Visiting supermarket is a learning experience too because you can see a glimpse of their lifestyle. You will notice the similarities and difference from your home country. 




During our summer trip in Norway, we’re a frequent visitor of the supermarket. We usually go with my mom before or after her work, weekends or holiday. There are 4 supermarkets in Ørland, there is REMA 1000, Europris, Extra Coop and Bunnpris. If you are Asian, you can also go to Asiamat, I already blog about this store here.



Their supermarket is small if I will compare it to our grocery stores in the Philippines. But since I live in the province, hindi naman siya nalalayo sa size ng supermarket sa amin. Hehehe! 

12 Things I learned during our supermarket trip

1. The opening and closing time of the supermarket varies so even you are working, you can go to the grocery. Just like my mom, sometimes if she needs flowers in the office, she can go to the supermarket. There is a grocery store that is open as early as 7:30AM and there is a supermarket that is open until 10PM. 



2. Malls are closed during the holiday so make sure nakabili ka na bago magholiday. Bunnpris is open even on holidays, nakabili na kami dito ng holiday. 

3. Just like in Japan, there is no bagger so you need to pack your own grocery. 



4. Plastic bag is not FREE, you need to pay for that or just bring your own bag to save money. 

5. Grocery carts are so cool too, I saw a grocery cart where you can put your baby while shopping. There is also one grocery cart that you need to put NOK10 so you can use it, You need to return the cart so you can get your NOK10 back. It is a nice way to discipline people to return their cart. Hindi tulad sa Pinas na may kumukuha ng grocery cart sa parking. Check the video.






6. If you want to buy bread, you need to slice and pack it by yourself. 



7. There is no wet market here so most of the kinds of seafood are already cooked like shrimp and squid. 




8. Most of the fish are already cleaned and sliced according to your needs. 




9. They are selling fresh herbs too as in nakatanim pa sa small pot. 



10. Their grocery stores have an app where you can check the sale, discount, or freebies. Sometimes you will also receive flyers in your mailbox regarding the sale. 

11. Not all stores are giving the receipt, siguro para tipid sa paper. Before we went back to the Philippines, I bought pasalubong and after I paid my stuff, I asked my mom, 

Me: Ma, bakit ako wala resibo? 
Mom: Hiningi mo ba? Tinatanung niya kung gusto mo ng receipt para iprint niya. 
Me: Ganun, hindi ko naman siya naintindihan e, di naman English! Hehehe! 

That is the problem if there is a language barrier, I remember our Japan experience, the cashier is saying something about the plastic bag and I asked for two pieces. (sign language) Then I was shocked when I saw my receipt, may bayad pala yung plastic. Sana pinagkasya ko na lang sa isang bag. Hehehe! 

12. You can also withdraw from the cashier, let say your total bill is NOK200, then you will use your ATM to pay, bayad ka ng sobra then yung change ibibigay sayo.

We also visited two supermarkets in Bjugn, you can check our experience here. How about you, do you like going to the supermarket?