The Best Pink Tarha Entries of 2009

Today, we end our month-long celebration of the Pink Tarha's first anniversary. (However, we still owe you our entries on a few more winners and the unveiling of Eyecandy. We'll be posting them randomly in the next few days.) We'll conclude this with our list of the best Pink Tarha entries of 2009. 2009 being our first year online. This list is based on our personal preferences.

As we've said, the Pink Tarha blog has changed our lives. From bored girls living and working in the hot city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia... we became happy kikay ladies living, working and enjoying in the haute city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.


This blog has taught us to look at the brighter side of things and relish what we have now. But enough of our realizations, we'll talk about 'em another day. :P

First on our list is the entry closest to our hearts, the entry which each of us wrote and had fun writing.


Eyecandy listed her experience in Duo as her personal favorite. If you remember, she just loves eating in Duo. She was smitten with the resto's version of chocolate fondant (even waxing sexual sensual dreams out of this dessert!). This is the first time we realized how far we've gone in giving our two cents on the places we dine in and how we are affecting other people's cravings and taste buds.

Shoegarfreeruby will always remember her H&M experience and the unbelievable euphoria that came with it. She knew she's such a shopaholic but when it comes to H&M, wala talagang patawad! Even us were amazed on how thrilled she was when the first H&M branch opened in Sahara Mall (she dragged us to cut working hours for this! Hehehe!) and how she went to the branches in Riyadh Gallery, and later on Granada Centre, like a pilgrim on a very ardent mission. R hopes to repeat the adrenaline rush over and over again! You know what this means... more shopping sprees! :P

Sundrenched finds her walkthrough of the Riyadh National Museum a very memorable one because it was the beginning of more lakwatsas in and out the city of Riyadh. Her travels with E proved that somehow, ladies can actually travel in Riyadh without so much ado. Of course there are restrictions but if you set your heart on it, nothing can prevent a woman to pursue her passion and craft even in the middle of a sweltering hot desert.

Maryhadalittlehump chose an entry she wrote for her dad last Father's Day. Her poem Haligi is featured on her entry Para Sa Aking Ama. Her heartful message to her father echoes our sentiments too. Truly moving.

Next on our list is our favorite entry written by a co-PT lady.


E and R both picked S' Queer Eye for the Wrong Guy (How Not to Fall for the Wrong Guy) as their favorite because this is probably the most controversial entry in the blog for 2009. S was hesitant in publishing it for the fear of her life (echos!) but good thing she did because we are all having a good laugh out of this. This entry gathered many comments too. We're so proud! Lol. R says that this post "aside from being an entertaining entry, speaks truth of the relationships here in the Kingdom. But at the end of the day, it still boils down to what the heart wants which is not always right."

M and S picked out E's The Abaya Special as their favorite entry because it talks about the simple abaya. Who knew it could be so fashionable?! The photographs (shot mostly by E) are fantabulous! Most Filipinas coming to KSA dread wearing the black gown because it will hide their fashion and style but that's not always the case. The abaya, aside from being practical to use in this hot and dusty place, can also be stylish (and couture if you can afford it). After all, fashion is 'nasa nagdadala lang yan.'

And as for our BEST PT ENTRY OF 2009... Nothing beats ANG TUNAY NA KATAS NG SAUDI. And you probably know why.


This entry is very personal for the Pink Tarha. You had a glimpse of our childhood even before you saw our faces through this entry we wrote for the Philippine Expats Blog Awards 2009. We received our first blogging award because of this entry. And most importantly, we shared a part of our lives that we hope others might learn a lesson or two from. We're still very much elated and grateful.

So there you go, that's our best Pink Tarha entries of 2009. Do you agree with our picks? If not, then tell us what your favorite Pink Tarha entries are! ♥♥♥

A Post-Valentine's Post

We were missing in action during Valentine's because as you know, in Saudi Arabia, Valentine's Day should be celebrated on another day so we're posting our V-Day post almost two weeks after. (This is also a good excuse for the tardiness of our entry. ;)

Last year, we told you How To Celebrate Valentine's in Saudi Arabia. (That was our first ever How-To article!) This year, our entry is a simple sharing of our favorite "love" stuff (nothing kinky promise! :P). After all, the Pink Tarha ladies are all in love... in love with life, that is! Hehe.

One way of celebrating Valentine's in Saudi Arabia is to soak up on love and romance by watching romantic movies and listening to love songs at home. The Pink Tarha ladies, though keen on watching the latest movies showing, have our own fave romantic movies of all time. And boy do we get pretty mushy with our romantic movie preferences!

Eyecandy has a penchant for romantic movies with tragic endings because she believes that if it's not tragic, it's not that grand of a love. In translation: Kung hindi nakakamatay, hindi yun pag-ibig! (She said that with utmost conviction it was scary! Hahaha!) Can you guess what E's fave movie is? Hint: I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss of her mouth, one touch of her hand, than an eternity without it. The infamous line came from the movie, CITY OF ANGELS. E says that when she watched the movie, she saw what true love is and what it should really be.

Shoegarfreeruby's fave movie is probably your fave movie too because it is quite popular both on the big screen and the pages of a Nicholas Sparks book. She loves THE NOTEBOOK, because it shows that love transcends time and memory. It doesn't also hurt that R has a major crush on the ruggedly handsome Ryan Gosling (Noah). Sino ba naman ang hindi mai-in love pag sinabihan ka ng... 'The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that's what you've given me. That's what I hope to give to you forever. I love you.'


Mary loves another Nicholas Sparks book turned into a movie. A WALK TO REMEMBER is a truly moving tale of love and faith. Bet you already know the story. Naiyak din siguro kayo. It quotes one of the most beautiful Bible verses: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and is not resentful." The movie also teaches that love is like the wind... you cannot see it but you can always feel it. Awww factor diba?

Sundrenched is a rom-com movie watcher and she picks THE CUTTING EDGE (the very first one only and not the sequels) as her fave romantic movie because this is the only movie she can watch a hundred times without getting tired/sick of it. (As of count, she already watched this over 30 times since she first watched it at the age of 9.) Sorry, no notable romantic lines on this movie (maybe because the characters spent 3/4 of the time bickering and fighting... tough love huh).

As for our favorite love songs, we get all teary-eyed and cheesy with the following: E's all-time favorite love songs are Have I Told You Lately by Rod Stewart, I Want You To Want Me by Cheap Trick, and The Dolphin's Cry by Live. Her current faves are If This Isn't Love by Jennifer Hudson, Slow Dancing in a Burning Room by John Mayer, and Each Day Gets Better by John Legend. Inspired ng special someone nya siguro, yiheee! R falls in love with Come Away With Me by Norah Jones and Standing Right Next To Me by Karla Bonoff. Mga kanta nya siguro ito para sa husband nya! M lovingly dedicates Officially Missing You by Tamia and Especially For You by MYMP to her boyfriend in the Philippines. S will fall in love more with her bf if he sings her Beautiful In My Eyes by Joshua Kadison and slow dance with her to the tunes of The Last Time by Eric Benet and The Book of Love by Peter Gabriel.

And because chocolates and flowers are the norm during the day of love, here's our sweet preferences: E loves dark chocolate and tulips. R is happy with Curly Tops and a bouquet of different flowers. M appreciates boxes of Choco Baby and tulips too. S loves any kind of Meiji chocolate and a single long-stemmed rose or stargazer. We're pretty much easy to please and woo. Lol.

As we end this post-Valentine's post, we leave you with E's favorite love quotes:

Love wounds. There is no love that does not pierce the hands and feet. Love's exquisite happiness is also love's exquisite pain. I do not seek pain but there is pain. I do not seek suffering but there is suffering. It is better not to flinch, not to try and avoid those things in love's direction. It is not easy, this love, but only the impossible is worth the effort. - The Powerbook, Jeanette Winterson

Love has got complicated, tied up with promises, bruised with plans, dogged with an ending that nobody wants-when all love is, is what it always is-that you look at me and you want me and I don't turn away. - The Powerbook, Jeanette Winterson

Anything less than mad, passionate, extraordinary love is a waste of your time. - Frankie, Dream for an Insomaniac

Share with us your favorite romantic movie, love song, chocolate, and flowers. Tara na at magpaka-mushy after Valentine's Day! Tutal, Valentine's naman araw-araw diba?! ;)

And The Winner Is... Part 2

The Pink Tarha blog has been stagnant for a week. We apologize for our absence. We've just been very busy with our work and personal lives that we forgot our online love for a minute. But don't fret because we're back! And we're bringing another anniversary entry by announcing our first "Facebook" winner.

The first thank you gift goes to one of our Facebook fans. How did we choose the lucky winner? Well, we used the same random list generator we used for our Blogger follower winner. We typed all the 204 names of the Pink Tarha page's fans and let the generator do its job by arranging the names in a random list. Be rest assured that we did not omit anyone (except of course ourselves and two alter ego accounts that's why there were only 204 names instead of 210). The thank you gift goes to the name who lands on the number 1 spot. And for this list, our winner is (drumroll please)...

Nebz Bandiez of Isla de Nebz!
(Photo shows the only visible part of the screen when PrtSc'ed.)

Wow! So Nebz is really our number 1 fan! :P Nebz and his blog is the top winner of the Philippine Expats Blog Awards. And we're proud to say that he is one of the very early readers of the Pink Tarha blog. We love his comments on our entries and we always look forward to reading his posts on his insightful blog. We recently read that he underwent an appendectomy... Nebz, we are praying for your speedy recovery and we hope that winning in our little 'raffle draw' cheers you up in a way. Congratulations! Please email us your mailing address (thepinktarha@gmail.com).

We have two more 'winners' to announce. Abangan! ;)

PS. We also gave a thank you gift to the blogging community that welcomed us wholeheartedly, supported our blog from the very beginning and gave us the opportunity to join and win the PEBA 2009. Please point your browsers to OFWKABLOGS.COM from now on to visit the Kablogs community. Kudos to the admin for the improvement they're doing on the site!

The Unveiling of Shoegarfreeruby

Now that we’ve seen M’s glamourous unveiling, we continue with our month-long surprises of our anniversary. Sana hindi naman kaya masyado ma-surprise. Hinga muna ako ng malalim. Okay, here goes…

Hello everyone! I am Shoegarfreeruby. My PT name rooted from my love for “shoes” and my mom’s name “Ruby”, in her loving memory.

Let me start by briefly giving you a background of myself. The rest of the PT ladies consider me as their “ate”. Being the eldest by age, they have tolerated my absence to most of their gimmicks and night-outs due to domestic duties. Among them, I am the only one who’s married (to a wonderful man who has tolerated my frantic shoe purchases *ehem* most of the time). With priorities at hand, forgive me for not having an active FB account! I maybe your typical quiet lady but definitely not uninteresting…

What makes this unveiling special for me is that inspite of my hesitation to do it at first, I did it to thank our readers out there. The girls convinced me to finally unveil. After this, doon ko lang na-realize na nakakapagod pa lang mag-photoshoot, whew!

With mama's only baby... Betchay.

I could not remember how my love for shoes started. It’s the first thing I notice in people. On the other hand, it’s also what I want people to notice first in me. On a deeper sense, my attachment to shoes bring back fond memories and evoke emotion. I remember vividly how my husband’s red and grey Nike shoes looked like the first time I met him, or my favorite pair I wore almost everyday as a kid until they bore a hole and fell apart. If you’ll ask me to choose between shoes or travel, I’ll say shoes without hesitation.

I love everything from the old, classic, cheap, colorful, extravagant, ugly and outrageous.
Shoes from Topshop, H&M, New Look, Bershka, Bally, Minna Parikka, Melissa, 9 West, Steve Madden, MNG, Adidas by Stella Mccartney, Zara, Charles & Keith, Vincci and Trod

I have never tried counting my shoes, since it's a useless effort. Secret lang natin ito ha, but I have tried hiding some of them from my hubby. Trick is to bring the shoes without the box and put them inside your bag, so always bring a huge purse. Disclaimer lang, I’m not encouraging you to do it. I also love how shoes here are not subject to rain, mud or other environmental factors, unlike in the Philippines. You can preserve them easily in this part of the world, LOL.

So what else do I love aside from shoes? Well, I love to cook. I cook most Filipino dishes we all love. As someone who hails from a province of good food (Pampanguenia ini!), I grew up enjoying even the weirdest and most exotic delicacies of our place like binurong mustasa, binurong hipon (yes, the smelly kind) and stuffed frogs.

Aside from my love for cooking, is my love for teaching kids. There is something about honing characters and being an influence to them that I enjoy and treasure very much. I still dream of becoming a teacher one day. Journaling is also my favorite stress reliever. Jotting down my wishlists, thoughts and memories give me a sense of peace. I have kept a journal for every year of my stay in the Kingdom since 2002.

Nawili lola niyo sa kapo-pose.

I just hope that I did not bore you with all these. It was nice meeting you all! What’s next for The Pink Tarha aside from the much-awaited unveiling of “E”? You’ll never know, TPT might expand on maternity fashion in the near future, LOL! To our beloved readers, my heartfelt thanks for supporting us on our first year. Cheers to more fun and exciting entries to come!

Special thanks and acknowledgment:
Photos by: Jim M. and Poy P.
PA, Stylist and creative director rolled into one: Poy P.

Hong Kong Wanderlust 2 of 4

A new day has dawn for my companions and I in the land of "fragrant harbour," Hong Kong! After a day in Hong Kong Ocean Park, next on our itinerary was the Disneyland Hong Kong. I'm a child once again as we stepped into the park of Mickey Mouse and friends!

From where we're staying in Causeway Bay, we decided to tackle the Hong Kong's octopus network of trains to reach Disneyland. We started at the Island line and alighted at the Central station. We walked further (now we know why the Chinese are thin... they walk a lot!) and found the Tung Chung line which took us to the Sunny Bay station where the Disney Resort trains await. Even if we need to transfer from one train coach to another, it wasn't that hard to figure out which ones to use and we reached our destination in no time at all! (Such wonderful transpo system! Wish the Philippines has something like this!)

Welcome to Disneyland Hong Kong!

Wonderful Disney floral landscape.

And so I reached the land of magical realm and fantasies... and I was transformed into a giddy little girl who knows no life realities. What realities?! I'm sorry, I didn't hear you! Too busy getting a good look at the "Let It Snow" Christmas parade. With blaring Christmas songs and faux snow raining upon visitors, the parade is on! Surely, no one's gonna rain on this parade!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

The white dust you see might seem like dandruff, hehe, but they're fake snow raining upon us. It melts quickly once it settles so there's no residue left on the hair or clothes after the 'snowing'.

Snow White and Cinderella.

The princesses are not statues. They're real people who look like they came out of the fairly tale book. Such porcelain skin and dainty gowns. These are the stuff little girls' dreams are made of.

The Disney characters!

I love the winter blue costume! Very apt for the Christmas season.

Most of the performers on the parade were Filipinos! Some even came close to us, shook our hands and asked "Kamusta po?" Wow! Every day, they're entertaining people. What a job!

After watching the parade and before going to any rides, the train traveling around the entire Disneyland ground beckons with its soft whistle, just in time as the parade ended. It's a slow ride but it gives a glimpse of the entire magical world of Disney in the comfort of a wooden bench.

Choo choo train!

A walk into Main Street, USA proves to be very therapeutic. It feels like being transported in another place and time, probably on the old Hollywood era. The shops are beautifully decorated and the roads aptly cobble-stoned.

Main Street store.

Most stores carry souvenirs, candies, chocolates, and bread. There's also photo shops along the way.

The Disneyland map caught us off guard for a moment. There's just too many shows, rides, and shops to go to! Again, nakakalula! (Good luck naman kung Disneyland USA na ang pupuntahan ko davah?! *wishful thinking*) To help us facilitate our Disneyland experience, we browsed the map and planned our itinerary for the day.

The park is divided into three "lands". Come, and I'll tour you around (na parang akin ang Disneyland HK! Hehe!).

Welcome explorers!

There's Adventureland where nature and its tribes await. The should not be missed attractions include:

The Festival of the Lion King

This is the best (IMHO) music and dance presentation which depicts one of my fave Disney movies, The Lion King. The production and costume are all awesome. Also, the cast sings beautifully and dances oh-so gracefully.

The finale

Tarzan's Treehouse

There's a raft that takes visitors across the river to Tarzan's treehouse where an interactive playhouse lets kids (at-heart) conduct experiments and play instruments. I climbed the treehouse to have a picture with Tarzan! (Yun nga lang, estatwa lang sya eh, lol.)

Adventure seekers will be happy with Adventureland. Too bad we didn't have the time to ride the Jungle River Cruise but we're still happy dancing to the tune of the jungle rhythm emanating from the leaky tiki poles. Gusto kong mag-ati-atihan!

Jungle River Cruise

Up next is Tomorrowland where the futuristic rides and attractions are.

Welcome to the future!

This is perfect for the thrill-seekers. Unfortunately, my companions and I are not this type of people so we only rode one:

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

This is such a fun game! We were seated on carts, laser guns in hand, and journeying on a track that is filled with Buzz's enemies. We aim at targets and shoots! The cart even swivels for a more accurate shot. It was so action-packed I didn't have time to take a photo inside. Not that I wanted to let go of the gun anyway! Need to shoot the enemies! (A perfect stress-buster!) ;)

Space Mountain, one of the most popular rides in Disneyland is found on Tomorrowland. It's a thrilling rollercoaster journey that will take you to the far reaches of the universe! (O diba, may ganyang effect!). Tomorrowland also features Stitch Encounter, Orbitron, UFO Zone, and Autopia- all of which we're too coward to try.

The last one, and definitely the most magical is Fantasyland.

Welcome to your dreams!

It features Disneyland's major landmark - the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Walking through this portal is a dream come true. After all, I was also a little girl who dreamt of becoming a princess one day. ;)

Most of the not-to-be-missed shows are here. So just a tip, always be mindful of the shows' time. I tell you, you cannot afford to not watch these:

"It's A Small World Christmas"

The boat ride 'around the world' is worth the wait! This is a journey that took us through the regions of the world and see how they (and the 38 Disney characters) celebrate Christmas. The displays were marvelous! Every detail was carefully planned and placed. Everything was just colorful and ah-may-zhing! (I didn't get to find all Disney characters but I did find Santa!)

Amazing set design!
Dolls representing various countries. Indeed, this is a small world!
(Particularly love this set because it's pink, lol!)
They rep Pinas! The dolls are wearing baro't saya. Their umbrellas are twirling. Cute!
The amazing, colorful displays never cease.
Love winter! Para s'yang cake noh?!

Sorry, I have no photos of the following shows because I'm too busy enjoying myself. Hehe. Mickey's PhilharMagic. Watching Disney characters in 3D is such a treat. We definitely felt like members of the cast ourselves just by merely looking through our cool 3D glasses. With flying musical instruments and saucers flying at us, gawd, the experience was surreal. There's also water splashing and wind blowing on our faces. It's so real! Love, love this! It definitely beats Rialto! The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. This storybook journey is a little bit boring for the "adults" but your little ones will surely enjoy this. We were in a cart traveling in Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood. We got to meet Tigger and Piglet! This is such a short but quite nice ride. Perfect for Pooh lovers!

The Golden Mickeys

This musical is an award's night of sorts for the best of Disney. The production numbers were very nostalgic. I particularly love the "romance" part where Beauty and Beast sang and danced to my fave Disney songs "Something There."

Tale as old as time, true as it can be...

Fantasyland rides include Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Cinderella Carousel, and Mad Hatter Tea Cups. There's also the Fantasy Gardens where a meet and greet with the Disney characters happen. Of course, we did not fail to take a picture with Mickey Mouse.

During the night, the Festival of Lights happen. A magical procession illuminates the street lights and the Sleeping Beauty Castle. This is how the castle looks like before the lighting:


And here's how it looks like after (plus fireworks):

All-lit! All sparkling!

Of course, there's also the much-awaited fireworks display in the evening!

A fountain of sky light.
The fireworks dazzled everyone!
(Nagka-stiff neck yata ako pero worth it pa rin!)

The huge Christmas tree was also put up in time for the holidays.

After this, the park comes to a close although souvenir stores are still open for those who want to bring home a piece of the magic of Disneyland Hong Kong.

Souvenirs galore

I'm contented to bring home a huge marshmallow lollipop! What, I'm a little girl eh! Haha!

We never got bored in Disneyland Hong Kong. There are just so many activities. Restaurants with different themes also abound and for light snacks, food carts are around to offer coffee and hot chocolate (apt for the cold weather) and cookies. And for the lost, information/guest relations centers are open to help. This park is very people-friendly. Everyone is well taken cared of. A one-day ticket costs HKD350 (PHP2,450).

If you're in Hong Kong, I'm sure you don't need persuasion to visit Disneyland. After all, this is prolly your main objective in going. Just leave your stress behind and enjoy the magical moments.

More Hong Kong tourist spots on the next installment. See yah!