S @ 27!

It's a rat race everyone and today, our ever-loved Sundrenched has reached the 27th-Year mark! It's not yet obvious right? And quite honestly, we're all grappling and steadily inhaling the thought of sliding off our mid-twenties. Beyond that, we're more than happy to celebrate S and to her next year of a life well-lived! Aren't we all thankful she thought of this blog? :) 

We're putting up some of her best shots to commemorate this very, very special day.  

A proud graduate of the University of Santo Tomas.
Magna cum Laude!

Enjoying her morning joe in the office with a personalized mug,
a gift from P.

She's all that. :) And more.

We're not kidding when we tell you that she is truly one-of-a-kind. There is a running joke amongst us that we're "Made in China" and she's "Made in Finland" - since her approach to handling most things/situations are usually unlike what we're used to (in fact, hers makes more sense!). Ergo, we often refer to her as the WOW (Woman of Wisdom). :) Also, we can't repeat this enough, but it's true: She's also an exceptional friend. 

We couldn't imagine having a better Editor-in-Chief for this blog and we wish her all the best, especially in her writing and her future. We love you S! 

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Munch Bunch

At this point, we're no longer looking for new cupcake stores in Riyadh. There's an abundance of it now that shops and their branches are spreading like crazy. We're ready to call Thalateen Street as the cupcake haven because there's Golden Brown, A Cup of Cake, Cakelicious, and a soon-to-open Sugar Sprinkles in that street! Imagine that, all cupcake stores we reviewed in one street! Neat! Only one cupcake reason can make us all giddy and upbeat about cupcakes again... the opening of the cupcake store that launched our cupcake dreams. 

Looking at Munch Bakery's website made us envious of Jeddah. It's been getting good reviews in Jeddahfood.com so how come it hasn't branched out? That was our question years ago. How can we not wish for it to spread their baking goodies to the Kingdom's capital?

And so, another wish granted as Munch Bakery opened its doors for the Riyadh people in Tahlia St, in between Pizza Roma and Cafe Roma. And because we have low emotional quotients (as you know by now), we went on their opening week. We arrived around 5:00 in the afternoon. It was love at first sight. I mean with a store front like this, wouldn't you be enticed too?

Lo and behold.

The window displays are amazing! They're currently showcasing the Smurfs. Cute! Errr yes, we're aware that you're not seeing what we're talking about because the windows are closed. Hahaha. We took this shot as we were leaving the store and they're closing for the 6pm prayer.

You're welcome!

Sweet, and everything nice

The inside counts more than the outside so here's what's in store for you in the store. :)

CUPCAKES!!!

A wide array of it. We got dizzy with the flavors. What did we try? Why, every one of them, of course! :) "Get me one of each, please." I told the server and he wasn't surprised at all. I bought a box of 15 mini cupcakes for SR35. A mini cupcake is SR3 each. (Was the box discounted? Or did I hear them wrong? Hehe, not paying attention kasi!) So anyway, look at the choices:

Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry... choices, choices!

I was adamant to try the Red Velvet, Blue Velvet, and Carrot Cupcakes. They're my go-to flavors and they usually seal the deal for me. If I don't like a store's velvet cupcakes, I won't like it anymore. (Prejudiced much?! Hehe.) So I took one bite at the red velvet (when we were already having an Iftar dinner at Ketchup, which is another story btw) and said, "Hmmmm..." trying to put the taste into words. My vocabulary escaped me. It was delicious but it's not extraordinary. The icing is the one giving it a taste... which is just plain sweet. Where's cream cheese? :P Maybe I should've gobbled everything in one go since it's a small cupcake. The other flavors were nice. The Orange Kiss was a revelation; zesty and sweet at the same time. We like carrot the most. 

Cupcakes, with dollops of cream in between, are also available in glass:

Cupcake in a Glass, SR8 each

Munch doesn't just carry cupcakes. They have cake pops (SR5 each), pies, tarts, and cookies (SR5 each).

BAKED GOODIES!

I like the cheesecake pop. It has a jelly bean on top and the cheesecake is covered with white chocolate. Excuse me, where did my heart go? This is love at first bite. I also like their blue velvet cake pop. It's moist and yummy. The cookies and brownies were alright too.

And the cakes, OMG, the cakes!!! Munch does a very good job designing their cakes. Whatever you want, they'll execute it. The level of creativity and craftmanship eh to the highest level naman talaga! Look!

A huge and tall wedding cake! Cute ng topper!

Smurf cake. Karir!

Smurf tower cake on display

Spongebob! This character is pretty popular with the kids here.

Small round and rectangle cakes with special designs go for SR300 up. I, particularly love the cake with roses. I can make it personal by buying my own fresh roses or they can make roses out of fondant icing. (Ehermn, birthday alert!)

Aside from the baked goodies, Munch also transported a corner of Willy Wonka's chocolate and candy factory inside their store. Eyecandy and I ogled like kids. We went to each display table and oohed and ahhed.

Candy corner

So cutie patootie!

I let out a shriek (barely audible, I promise!) when I saw Jelly Belly (tiny box is SR3 each) and Nerds (SR10). I'm a nerd Nerds fan!

Is this like Harry Potter's Every-Flavor Jelly Beans? Hehe.

Gumballs in every color (SR30)

Mints in sosyal packaging, SR15

They also have their own line of gum, mints, and sour patch. They even have popcorn. A large tin is SR80. Mahalia!

And they carry the following merchandise:

You think they can accommodate THE PINK TARHA and print it in the bags too? :P

Pouches in Saudi riyals design

Heart ceramics... perfect gift to the "sweet heart"

Adorable pouches

See, going to Munch Bakery is not just about the cupcakes. It's also about feeding the inner child in you. Except of course when you're a child then there's no need to feed your inner child because you're still one, wut?! Stuff inside the Munch Bakery really warms your heart and makes you smile. There's a glass panel where you can watch how they bake the cupcakes and decorate the cakes. The servers are also friendly. 

They also have a promo now where you check if there's a sticker hidden in your cupcake box. I found one alright. So see you in Munch Bakery because I'm claiming my prize: a box of 6 cupcakes! Woot!

Munch Bakery

Abdullah Al Hamdan Street, Olaya

Riyadh, KSA

T: 9200150109 

www.munchbakery.com

So, is our search for cupcakes over? Nah..... we have low EQs remember?  

Inside Victoria's Secret

Well, it's a secret no more! The Victoria's Secret Beauty and Accessories shop in the Kingdom center has opened! Let's walk down the Victoria's Secret ramp shall we? :) 

Welcome!

The Pink Tarha ladies are ecstatic! After the Bath and Body Works opening, we were looking forward to Victoria's Secret. We visited the place last week so we'll let you on the secret too. Here are a few photos of what you can find inside the "secret" care of come-backing Eyecandy's iPhone camera. :)

What do you want to smell today?

The first thing that will greet you are these testers. In front is their new perfume named Bombshell. We like it, in fairness! Testers of their other perfumes are found here too.

Bombshell, the fragrance of the year! You na!

Did we just go to fragrance haven? All the scents are here. Nakakalowkah! In fairness, the store didn't smell like all the fragrances combined so it's still safe to try a few without feeling nauseated. The space of VS is small but the aisles can fit 2 persons looking at adjacent racks. We were the only ones in the store on a Monday night so it wasn't a problem going all over the place. We didn't know what to look at first.

Perfume range

You're probably familiar with the VS Fantasies already. These are the ones sold in most perfume shops in Batha and Manfouha.The names of this line are sexy and seductive. Care for a Love Spell? How about some Pure Seduction, Strawberries and Champagne, Vanilla Lace, Coconut Passion, Pear Glace? These timeless scents are a staple pasalubong! What's your favorite? Prices are a little bit higher in this store. Gift sets go for 75-105SAR.

We forgot to take a photo of the VS Secret Pink line. This is for the more casual, laidback, sporty gal who knows who she is and what she wants exactly. Are you Fresh and Clean? Soft and Dreamy? Pretty and Pure? Sweet and Flirty? There's a little bit of those in us, don't you think?

Beautiful and glam!

The VS Beauty Rush has a rack too but the makeup kits and glosses are lacking. But what can we say, for beauty addicts like us, the gorgeous make-up kits are tempting! It's found in their VS Makeup line.

Lip glosses abound! Again, I really have an issue with the glosses (like B&BW, remember?). Why so expensive?! They are around 52SAR each when their tag clearly states $7. I will understand the additional fee but the price here is more than double the USD prices. I say stay clear of the lippies!

Part of the Beauty Rush line are these sweet and sugary scents.

Sugar rush!

I personally like sweet scents so this array is amazing to my sense of smell. E was smitten with the Plum Drop. Candy Baby was the one that smelt like cough syrup. Lol. The names on this line bring us back to our teenage years... Imagine your Secret Crush, Sweet Tease, and Wild Kiss. Oh the firsts! :)

Of course, we all grew up, became mature and and now, we're into the "Dream Angels" phase. (Really?! We've matured?! Haha.) Capture the radiance, live the dream, love the romance. Who wouldn't be smitten with the VS Dream Angels line?

Simply lovely and elegant

They're available in very sexy and elegant packaging. It's the perfect gift! (Reminds me that I'm celebrating my birthday in two weeks. Hehe.)

Speaking of sexy... fancy lace or cotton? The store carries a few panties from their Body by Victoria. The showstopper panties. They come in must-have colors and prints. Woot!

Wanna be a supermodel? A few simple tank tops with cute designs from their Supermodel Essentials line are available. Pair with denim pants or shorts and voila! Instant hotness! ;)

Wish they bring more of their clothing and lingerie line here in Riyadh.

Fierce!

Cosmetic bags, wallets and passport cases in fierce designs! We're tempted to buy the passport holders because they're so chic but the recessionista in us got the better of us. Why do we need it again?! Uy, may self control na ngayon...

 Eyecandy likes their collection of simple yet fab shades (300SAR up). Gorgeous! Ikaw na ang mukhang artista when you wear this! There are a few bags too.

I wonder if we get every thing from VS, are we going to look like the VS angels na? Kahit konti lang? Haha. Oh well, one can dream! We end our walk down the VS runway here.

Did you get anything from Victoria's Secret lately? :)

The Joys of Jordan: Amman

Robert Louis Stevenson once said, "I travel, not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." Well, I haven't moved from Riyadh in the past three years and I would be lying if I didn't say that I felt the need to stretch my wings a bit. I already scheduled my long-awaited trip back to the Philippines for June but I had made an earlier commitment to join our District Toastmasters Annual Convention (DTAC), slated at Amman, Jordan that late May. Having said that, this is admittedly, an overdue post. Nevertheless, let me share with you the joys of Jordan in a two-part series: the first will be about the city of Amman; while the second part will cover my trip to Petra, the Dead Sea and Mt. Nebo.

Ready to do some virtual traveling? Here we go.

Let's begin with a short introduction of Jordan:

"The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan can be found in the midst of Saudi Arabia, Syria and Israel. It is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and it is one of only three members of the Arab League that maintains a diplomatic relationship with Israel (Egypt and Palestine are the other two). It is ruled by a constitutional monarchy with a representative government. The legal system in Jordan is based on the French code law system via the Egyptian civil laws while Islamic law is limited to civic status legislation for Muslims."*

I also learned that Jordan is primarily a nation built on a mountain, hence the weather is beautiful with cool winds to sure swift by in the evenings. It's an "open" country where you can find cinemas, un-divided restaurants and of course, the tourists spots that they are known for. 

The posh poolside of The Landmark Hotel, where the DTAC was held.

Anyway, I arrived in Jordan not necessarily in the best circumstances as a fellow Toastmaster who flew to Jordan with me was denied entry upon our arrival at the airport. Due to the stress of the situation and granted that I was about to spend my first night in Jordan alone, booked in a conspicuous yet cheap hotel downtown, the organizers of the event who met us in the airport thought it best that I stay at the hotel where the event was going to be held - the famous Landmark Hotel. I was supposed to stay with other Toastmasters who had rented an apartment in Amman, however they weren't arriving until the next day. Tired and hungry, I eagerly accepted the room that they offered, free of charge -- an admirable gesture of hospitality from the Jordanians, right off the bat (More on the lovely Jordanians in my next post). 

Here I am during the opening of the District Toastmasters Annual Conference 2011.

Getting over the hoopla of the first day and finally meeting up with the rest of my housemates got me pumped up to finally enjoy Jordan and what it had to offer. Oh, and I was also excited for the Conference! It was my first time to attend at the District Level and I was interested to see how other Toastmasters were like outside of Saudi Arabia. During the registration, the initial meet-and-greet was filled with natural high! Just imagine a gathering of the most extrovert and/or talkative people in the region and that was it. :) 

Though quite admittedly, the Conference took a backseat for the most part of the trip as my housemates and I were leaning towards exploring Jordan more. My fellow Toastmaster, let's call him Dr. D, served as our personal fairy godmother throughout our sojourn in Jordan as he has visited this country more than once, the last being back in 2003. 

We had the whole itinerary set for our Jordan escapade, inserting a few educational sessions of the DTAC here and there. First off, we visited the Jerash site - which is a highlight, should you decide to discover the city of Amman. There is an entrance fee of about 5JD and prepare yourself for a lengthy walk (as this is required of almost ALL of Jordan's tourist spots).

What greets us at the entrance. 

The Jerash happens to be the second-most visited tourist spot in Jordan (next to Petra) and it is home to the some of the most preserved Roman ruins in the Middle East. I was astounded as I first sighted these huge creations and was at awe at how someone, from a time and place with less technology than what we have today, was able to erect these monumental sights that have obviously, stood the test of time!

The first pathway that will lead you to enter the site.

One can go back in time and witness a Roman Chariot.

A jousting tournament is also put on for show.

There is a re-enactment show that features the Roman Chariot experience plus a Jousting tournament inside the Jerash grounds and there is a separate fee for that. However, since my friends and I were on a tight schedule and we were set to walk all the way through the Jerash grounds, we had to sadly refuse the show. Fact though: If you know the movie "A Knight's Tale" starring the great, late, Heath Ledger, this is where they filmed it!  

The view on our way up: strong pillars remain standing.

Once I reached the top, this was the view from there.

What appeared to be a fountain site. 

It was exhilarating to view these grand creations. I made sure to touch each and every one of them. Unfortunately, we had only scheduled three hours of our time to explore the Jerash site and we had to run all the way back to the Landmark Hotel to take part in the prestigious Banner Parade of our Toastmasters event. It happens to be one of the proudest moments of my Toastmasters journey - carrying the banner of my beloved club amongst all the other Toastmasters clubs in the whole of Middle East. 

Strutting through the parade with PRTC's banner. 

A photo-op with other leaders of Riyadh-based Toastmasters.

The next day, the group and I were set to visit the old part of Amman where there were other ruins to be found, particularly in the highest point of the Amman area called the "Amman Citadel." It was a beautiful day to walk around the city and since it was a weekend, we couldn't find any commercial stores open. Hungry and hoping to fill ourselves up for the long walk ahead, we enjoyed some authentic Jordanian street food - which cost us only about 2.5JD for a group of five people! A stark difference to the 17JD per person that we paid for in the breakfast buffet of The Landmark the other day. Here are just some of our sweet street captures:

I would say that this part of Amman felt like what "Batha" is in Riyadh.

Traffic is a global phenomenon.

A by-the-street food stop. Where the cooks don't wear gloves and yet the food tastes great!

Hummus. Yogurt Dips with Eggplant. And Eggplant with Chilli. Perfect with Khubus!

After a morning feast, we began walking down the Old Amman area to find the old Roman Amphitheater and the The Jordan Museum for Popular Traditions. It was another sight to behold as I imagined that place to be where theater plays were portrayed, or possibly gladiator fights, and the rows of people who must have sat and screamed as they enjoyed the entertainment. I thought, this must be where the Master of Ceremonies stood:

F na F ang pagiging Toastmaster.

I climbed up til the first row and man, was that HARD! No rails!!! 

Inside the Museum of Popular Traditions, we found bountiful items that reflected the many cultural aspects of Jordan and its region. Here, we have the large cooking pan that they use to cook "Mansaf" which is the national food of Jordan. 

Mansaf is made of lamb, yogurt and rice. A delicious dish, but wasn't available in the museum.

Gems and stones turned into jewelry.

The fasyon in neighboring regions.

Masks and adorations for the face of hunters and leaders.

Silver bangles, anyone? I think Kim Kardashian has a similar line.

After exploring the museum, we then headed up to the Amman Citadel. It's a very clean and seemingly organized archeological site where you could probably take a date on a stroll and enjoy the view of the city from the top.  ;)

We made it!

The Pink Tarha in Jordan!

I am so insignificant compared to these!

A restored gateway.

The entrance that won't lead you anywhere, but at least it looks grand! 

This is what remains of the pillars that used to stand.

A beautiful view of the city below. (That Roman Amphitheater was where we were earlier).

Yo, we got playahs in Jordan too! Represent, represent! 

What makes these two sites amazing is that you need not go far off the Amman area to find these historical places. They are nestled and preserved right within the urban setting and it will have you admire them for having kept it this way all these time. Can you imagine how these would have been treated in the capital of the Philippines? It's a sad truth that our own cultural sites have not been as highly maintained as these places (but hey, this segment of the sentence can make up for a totally different blog entry). 

Our tour of Amman had us engaged in a beautiful marriage of the old and new Jordan. On one end, there is the flourishing of luxury and a bustling city, while on the other end, stood the guarding of the past, still relevant and respected, calm and quiet. More to come on my next post on Jordan, as our DTAC event comes to an end and where I'll be bringing you the sights of the Dead Sea, Mt. Nebo and the tale of the most excruciating walk of my life in the City of Petra! 

xoxo,

E

*Taken from Wikipedia article.