The Delta iPhone App

I am on my way to the US. As I wait for the flight to be boarded, I am exploring the Delta iPhone app. It's a great and useful app.

The app provides information on my flight, my mileage records and can even track my checked bags.

You can get other information like Delta Partners. If you Park and Fly, there's a nifty tool that reminds you where you parked.

If you are in a multiple flight journey, you can track status of each segment.

Airport maps are also available.

Details also include the gate information for your flight.

If you are a regular passenger of Delta - go ahead and download the app from the iTunes store.

Jacket Gripper

I am preparing for my trip to the US.  For my regular readers - you would have known by now that I do plenty of business traveling.  When I travel - the most problematic for me is the check-in process.  In most airports - you will have to go through at least 2 security checks.  Most of these security checks require you to remove your jacket.  I just feel that between my carry on bag, my laptop bag and my jacket - I actually need three hands.   Too much hassle.

This is why I love this new product that I found at the Traveler's club.  It's called a Jacket Gripper.  The design is simple - it's a strap that you can wrap around your jacket --- then you can attach it to your bag.   It's a wonderful design that I find really useful.  Here in Baguio - I actually bring a jacket everyday - since it can get chilly inside my office.   But if it's sunny outside --- it can be too hot to wear the jacket.   So this week - I strapped the jacket to my laptop bag when I was heading to work.   I wore the jacket when I was in the office - then strapped the jacket once again - when I was going home.

The product comes in many colors.  I bought mine for 800 pesos ( approximately 20 USD ).

Pink Uniqlo Blazer

Baguio has cool weather all year round.  This makes it ideal to wear sweaters, jackets, cardigans, coats etc.  However - it doesn't get extremely cold.  This is why - I love this sweater styled as a blazer from Uniqlo.  It comes in many colors - I got the blue and pink ones.  They can make casual fridays look dressed up without taking it too far.  I also wear it when I'm traveling - it's a great added layer when you're inside the plane.

Note: Sweater/Blazer from Uniqlo,  Button Down Shirt from Memo, Pants from Bench, Shoes from Pedro, Sunglasses by Tom Ford

Trench Coat

Rainy days in Baguio are here.  Perfect outfit on these days is this trench coat that I have kept handy for my trips abroad.  I'm happy that I can use it while I'm here at home. 

My Latest Tea Purchase

When I travel - I buy tea.  I actually have so much tea in the cupboard now that I told myself that I will no longer buy tea on my next trip to the US later this month.

I want to share the three flavors that I got from my trip to Malaysia and China.

This tea I got from the duty free shop at the Shanghai Pudong airport.  It's creamy-honey-Oolong.  It's delicious.  I actually put milk in it during my cheat days ( I stay away from dairy most days because dairy can really make me fat ).  The container does not have any English translation - so you just need to take my word for the description of the tea.

Tha Annvita Tea Salon is found in the IFC Mall in Pudong.  This is Creamy Berry Black Tea.  I like fruity teas.  Which is why I was drawn to this flavor.  This tin is actually very nice-looking --- which is one of the reasons I got it.

During my last trip to Kuala Lumpur - I stayed at the Marriott on Bukit Bintang.  Bukit in Malaysian means Hill.   Bintang means Star.  This explains the name of this Tea Salon.  Yup - it's called Starhill tea Salon.  From this shop - I got Ginger Lemon.  This - I thought would be a bit medicinal.  With the monsoon season upon us in Baguio - the weather can be very unpredictable and during those days when I have someone in our household suffering from a cold or cough --- this can be a soothing remedy.

Char Siew Does not Like Getting His Paws Wet

Char Siew does not like water.  Giving him a bath is always a challenge for the dog nanny.  During the monsoon season - he sometimes refuses to go out even to take care of business.  In the city where we live in - there are days when the rain does not stop for days.  Last year - Char Siew had multiple episodes of constipation because he held it in till the sun started to shine or till he really can't take it anymore.

In this series of picture - you will see him - carefully avoiding the grass ( which was wet ) - so he jumps from concrete to the stone steps.   He will do anything to keep his paws from getting wet.

Higad

Are you familiar with this insect?  In Filipino it's called Higad.  It is a caterpillar - but I don't think it turns into a butterfly - I think it turns into a big moth.  This one is fat and huge.

I found this little creature in our garden the other day.  This species of caterpillar secretes a substance that can be really itchy.  Back in College - during the summer - there is Higad infestation in the quadrangle and more than once - a classmate will fall victim to its itchiness.  The victim goes to the clinic to be given Calamine Lotion ( popular brand is Caladryl ).

I took this picture using my Sony Nex-5 and attaching the magnifying lens to it.  I was thinking of using the macro OlioClip lens - but the latter requires you to be really close to get a good shot of the subject - that's something I was not willing to do.

After having the picture taken - I asked the Nanny to relocate the creature to a safer place - safe for it and safe for my dogs.

Brita the Bird Dog

Brita had been very excited lately.  It seems like there are so many birds in our garden all of a sudden.  Most of them stay up very high.  Some of them - the brave ones - perch on the lowly shrubs.  When that happens - Brita's keen sense alerts her and she starts barking at them.

In the afternoon - when it's not raining - we let all three dogs out into the garden.  Brita - being the great bird dog that the is - searches for her "prey".  So far she has not caught any bird - but she's very alert.

Look at her in this pic.  I think she spotted one of the big crows's nest.

German Shorthaired Pointer camouflaged

The Shanghai Maglev Train

One of the highlights of my trip to Shanghai is the trip from the airport to downtown on board the Maglev train.  It's a very fast train.

It looks like the robot Wall-E.

The train has a speedometer that the passengers can see

And we're off

From 38 to 232 kph in a minute

It reaches top speed of 300 kph.  They say that there are two trips in the day when it reaches a top speed of 420++ kph

A one way journey on the train will cost you 50 RMB.  80 RMB for a round trip ticket.  You can also show your boarding pass to get a discounted rate.

Hongta Hotel

During my stay in Shanghai,  I was booked at the Hongta Hotel in Pudong.  I like the hotel.  The room was big, the staff were very helpful,  and the food from the room service tasted great.

I like the placement of the bed.  In other hotels that I stay in - I find it problematic that the bed faces a mirror.  In the Hongta room - the mirrors face away from the bed.   In Feng Shui - it is generally accepted that reflective surfaces must not be placed within the bedroom.  One - because it reflects back the negative energy that we dispel while we're sleeping and Two - since mirrors can be portals to parallel worlds - and while we're asleep - we don't want unwanted beings to cross over into our bedroom.

I never got to watch the TV while I was in Shanghai.  I love the fact that it was turned off all the time that I was there. I never liked other hotels where they have the TV on - playing the hotel's ad on it.  

Look at that tub!  And look - the tub is separate from the shower area!

Who is Daniel?

When I was reading - I'd sit on this futon.  Very comfortable.

This is my view from my room.

Across the street from the hotel - you will find this fitness/sports complex.   

The Hongta Hotel used to be the St. Regis.  It's part of the Starwood Chain of hotels.  I would recommend this hotel to anyone staying in the Shanghai/Pudong area.

Shanghai

Last week I was in Shanghai.  Last time that I was in Shanghai was in 2005.  So that's over 8 years ago.  To be honest - it's not the city that I remember visiting back.  It looked so modern.  The skyscrapers were tall and beautifully constructed.  They now have a maglev train from the Shanghai Pudong airport that will take you to the city.  

I was there for just three days so I wasn't able to go around much.  I just snuck in sometime on my second day to walk around downtown and take some pictures of the amazing structures.   I need to plan a visit back - so I can see more of the city.

Penshoppe - Man of Steel Tees

Penshoppe came out with their line of Superman T-shirts.  I'm not a big super-hero nut - but I do like T-shirts with superheroes on it.  I decided to wear glasses in this pic - to hide my super-hero persona.