How to Celebrate Father’s Day

Every year, we celebrate Father's Day. The third Sunday of June is spent commemorating fatherhood. I have some simple ideas and tips that will surely help us on how we can celebrate Father's Day and make our daddies, uncles, grandfathers, godfathers or even stepfathers feel that they are loved.

Tip #1. Greet him a "Happy Father's Day" early in the morning and once more before going to bed. Don't forget to say thank you for the love he gives and showers on you.

Tip #2. Make your dad happy on Father's day by saying this words "I LOVE YOU, Dad!" These simple words will make him feel loved. Wala nang tatalo pa sa mga katagang yan!

Tip #3. Hug Therapy (The power of touch). Hugs express all the love, respect and gratitude you feel in your heart and soul. So, open your arms wide and gives him your power hugs!

Tip #4. Indulge him with whatever food he likes. Treat your dad to his favorite restaurant and order his favorite dish. You can also bake the best chocolate cake for him.

Tip #5. Give him the essential gift of your time. Time is the most precious thing you can give this coming Father's day.

Tip #6. Go shopping with your daddy. Use your credit card or your cash and buy his favorite perfume and/or his desired brand of clothes. Treat him as he treats you.

Tip #7. Buy him a flower. Who says flowers are for ladies only? Red roses have been the traditional flowers for Father's day.

Tip #8. Take a bunch of photographs with your dad.

Again, Happy Father's Day to all fathers!

Trivia: Did you know that Father's day grew from one woman's tribute to her father whilst listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909? Sonora Louise Smart Dodd from Spokane, Washington, thought about this idea to honor her father as well as all the dads around the world.

Share in the comment box how you spent father's day. Any tips for us, too? Most of the PT ladies will go to dinner with our fathers. Now, where to go?! :)

Slackers, Not!

We're not slackers, promise. Forget the fact that entries on the blog are trickling like raindrops on a hot summer day (we couldn't use Saudi Arabia's random drizzle anymore as a simile because it has been raining in the city for the past few days!) or that we still haven't mailed Mr. Desertaquaforce and Nebz the prizes they won from our anniversary draws (so sorry!). They might even have forgotten we're supposed to send them something. Lol. We do not want to use the term 'busy' anymore. It sounds so cliche and we hate hearing it as other people's reason too. No one should be busy enough so we're not gonna dish out alibis. We're just gonna fill this blog with entries. Promise.

Okay, so we have all unveiled. We've set aside the pink black tarha (veil) and shown you our faces. Hope you weren't disappointed, hahaha! We enjoyed making the photo shoots; feel na feel ang pagiging celebrity kahit isang saglit lang (weh, drama?). Sundrenched would like a proper photo shoot too but time is immensely unavailable these days (or we are). Another alibi, hmn... Her premature unveiling will suffice for now. Besides, we'd like to do a photo shoot that involves us four. Complete. So we can change the four cartoon ladies in our header above. They're just too anorexic to represent us. Hahaha! Anyway, for those who haven't seen us unveil and those who did but can't remember what we look like now, here's a recap: Sundrenched, Maryhadalittlehump, Shoegarfreeruby, and Eyecandy.

Moving on, remember our post on Petal Attraction? Well, that party is over... and we congratulate the birthday girl for throwing such a successful and happy event. It was titled "Slay It With A Flower" (bawal nang kumontra, tapos na eh!). Almost everyone went garbed in their floral ensemble. Yes, even the gays guys! Even PT ladies Sundrenched and Eyecandy managed to finally get a dose of flower power to settle on their outfits. S, though, made a last-minute costume change. Lol.

M and R couldn't make it due to prior commitments. Also, it was raining hard that night! Imagine, flooded streets in Riyadh. Unbelievable! S' dad was making a threat that he'll make the girls push the car once it gets stuck in floodwater. Well, that didn't happen but what happened was S and the other lady guests ran under the rain in their abaya and heels to make it to the door. What a sight! But it was all worth it. Just one of 'em days of a Pink Tarha lady.

Here's S and E:


FLOWER GIRLS: On Sundrenched: Beige blazer, white tank top, and head dress H&M Floral skirt ZARA Red high heels F&F (not seen) On Eyecandy: Floral dress DOROTHY PERKINS Hair flower PARFOIS Silver flats DEBENHAMS Red Herring (not seen)

Okay, so that's not exactly the photo we wanted to show you but we had so much fun in the party we forgot to take a full body shot. Haha! Now that we've unveiled, it's so much easy to post photos now. No more blurs! Unless, you wanted the blurs, then you can request. :P Coincidentally, if you go back to the unveiling of M and R, they wore floral outfits there too! Woot!

Have a sweet-smelling day!

The Unveiling of Maryhadalittlehump

Here's another Anniv Special entry! Because you asked for it, we're UNVEILING!!! First up is our resident good girl, Maryhadalittlehump (M)! You'll find out in this (M's comeback entry) why there's never a dull moment when this Pink Tarha lady is around. Ladies and gentlemen, we, Sundrenched, Eyecandy, and Shogarfreeruby proudly present to you our very own sassy and sexy girl, M!

Hello kingdom, hello world! (eka nga ni Toni G.)

Anyway, do you still remember me guys? I hope so. Kasi if you don't remember me, heartbreaking naman yun (talaga naman!).

Before I begin my unveiling, I would like to take this chance to apologize because I've been gone for almost five months. I became super busy (with reason po) that I haven't shared anything to you, our dear readers (admitted ko po yun). Still I want to greet myself and the three ladies a cheerful and a blissful one year anniv!

Some readers and FB fans say it's time for Sundrenched, Shoegarfreeruby, Eyecandy and myself to unveil. I agree! Because it's our first year anniversary, we will grant your requests and wishes. I believe this is really the best time. I'm the first one among the remaining veiled "tarhas" who'll reveal my true identity sa madlang people (with pictures pa...). Consider this as my first entry for the year 2010. I'm delighted to introduce myself to you!

See, time has passed by swiftly and we never imagined we'll reach this phase in our blogging life, kaya eto na ayaw ko nang patagalin pa.....

My real name starts with the letter "M," same as the one I use for blogging. If you're really smart then you should have guessed it already. ;)

About me? Bottomline is, I'm a simple girl.

I'm a homebody, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I do not go out. It's just that I love to stay and hang out with my family and relatives in our house. I do love shopping especially if I have extra money (grabe, automatic yan pag may datung, kindatan ko lang si erpat dadalhin na niya ako sa favorite mall ko, sa Riyadh Gallery. =p). I will buy anything that I want (kahit hindi naka-sale as long as I like it). I do not wear make-up for I believe that I'm too pretty to have it na (hahaha.. kidding!). Seriously I'm allergic to it, feeling ko kasi nagkaka-pimples ako pag nagme-make up e, pero pag kailangan maglagay, tinitiis ko... (the pains of beauty!) =p

I do not have a collection of anything but I make sure that if someone gave me something, I keep and save them in my secret box. I'm not particular in what kind or type of clothes i wear as long as it fits my mood (then walang problema, basta dampot lang sa closet and then kalas!).

I'm a fanatic of Koreanovelas! The last koreanovela that made me crazy was Boys Over Flowers. I even watched it thrice in Youtube! I slept at 3am just to see this koreanovela's ending. Even in my dreams, nakikita ko si Jun-Pyo!

I love to eat food that are commonly sold in the streets like tukneneng, fishball at squidball (sana nga meron sa Riyadh nito eh). Grabe favorite ko mga yan! Sobrang addicted din ako sa Choco Baby. Kaya kong ubusin sa isang araw ang dalawang pakete nyan (kaya naman sa mga babalik ng Riyadh dyan, baka pwede namang pasalubungan n'yo ako!).

Guess how many cups of rice ang kaya kong ubusin sa isang upuan lang? If gutom na gutom, I can finish 2 cups. I eat rice almost everyday. It is staple in my meals (walang diet diet!). Hindi ako sanay pag walang kanin. Malakas din ako kumain ng shawarma. I can eat 2 shawarmas in a day. I do not drink coffee but as time goes by parang nahahawa ako sa co-PT ladies ko, whaaaa... nakakapagkape na ako... congratulations to me! =p

I'm a very happy person at makulet talaga ako ha. The smallest things can make me laugh. Yung iba, akala nila snob ako pero di naman e... I have a lot of acquaintances but few of them I consider as my true friends.

I also read books pero di nga lang novels. I'm very much interested with out of this world and sci-fi stories. I also love Listverse.com, which was introduced to me by Eyecandy.

And guys eto malamang hindi kayanin ng iba pero... I dream of visiting Wowowee. Not just to see Willie but to play in the Hep Hep Hooray at kuhanin ang jackpot! Oooopppss... I forgot to share that I have my new job na at mag 3 months na po and to this day, I'm trying to be independent and for that I am very proud of myself.

Since i do not have anything more to say about myself, it's time for me to share my photos without cover (hahaha, makikita nyo na ako at mala-model ang lola ninyo, nag effort talaga ako dyan ha!)

(with my sister on the third photo)

MARYHADALITTLEHUMP of THE PINK TARHA LADIES

At last, I unveiled MYSELF and you already know who's the person behind the name Maryhadalittlehump. O siguro naman di na kayo magtataka kung bakit yan ang blogname ko! =p

Watch out for the two remaining "veiled" tarhas!

Hmmm... who's next? Exciting!!!

*Photos taken by Bong M of Riyadh. Wardrobe: New Look & Zara.

~ mary ~

What's Inside M's Bag

They say that you will know a girl's personal style through the bag she carries everyday. The Pink Tarha Ladies say it's what inside the bag that matters. We can always replace our bag every day but the essential items we carry inside are a staple. Things we use daily speak a lot about our personality. Are you carrying a filled kikay kit? A stash of gadgets perhaps? Books, notepads, and pens? Or just the bare necessities? Can't leave the house without the tarha and the iqama?

The Pink Tarha Ladies are raiding each other's bags in the What's In Your Bag edition. Will they dare spill it all?

First up is July birthday girl Maryhadalittlehump.*

As you all know by now, our resident little miss sunshine is funny and laidback most of the time but can panic like crazy! Hmn, does her bag and its content reflect her fresh, sunshiney personality or is she the seemingly basic but deceptively simple gal? Let's find out shall we?

The Bag
White Dorothy from the Kipling Basic Collection

Truly, M shows us how simple and laidback she is with her white sporty shoulder bag. It's basic but very dependable. "This bag is a favorite. It's versatile and roomy. I can put anything inside," M says of her favorite bag.

Take a Peek

M's bag contents are neatly organized and placed in her bag. Smaller items are placed in smaller kits. Gawd, no clutter?! Amazing yes? M says, "My bag is a girl scout's bag. Laging handa dapat. Kung anuman ang kailangan ko, madudukot ko kaagad!" Well, with this kind of organization, we're sure M gets whatever she wants from her bag in five seconds flat. Scout's honor!

Spill It!
1. Kipling Bag 2. GAP wristlet 3. Tarha (veil) 4. Ballpens 5. Woven kit 6. Vogue eyeglass case 7. Wallet 8. Nokia cellphone 9. House key 10. Kokology book

What's Inside the Insides

Kikay Kit
1. Woven pouch / 2. Comb / 3. Mirror / 4. The Body Shop Lip Balm (Cranberry)

Hygiene Kit
1. GAP wristlet 2. Napkins (laging handa remember?) 3. SebaMed creams

Wallet and eyeglass

Containing cards, ids, photos and the one thing we can never leave home without, the iqama. Trivia: M was issued the a wrongly colored iqama. Hers is green when it should be a maroon booklet! Her eyesight is 50/50.

Stripped to its most basic essentials, M's bag shows how low-maintenance she is. Any other fashion accessory is missing. True enough, M is the least shopaholic among the Pink Tarha Ladies. But that is not to say she's lacking on style. If you meet this girl personally, style is just one of her best assets. It's her laughter and smile that prove to be infectious. She's so fun to be with... simply beautiful and happy!

* Mary is sick right now but she's on her way to a full recovery. Get well soon, M!

Fun, Cool, Hip Asian Food

Food again? You're right! Another food entry from The Pink Tarha Girls and we will not get tired of posting entry about food. Medyo matagal nga ang interval from our last food post eh. Kamusta naman? Busog kaming lahat nung isang gabi eh! :p

First, we wanted to greet our pretty precious friend Jamila [in Arabic the name means “beautiful”] a happy happy birthday. Shukran, girl! ♥

We went to Zyng Asian Grill the other night to celebrate the Jamila's birthday. Nag blow-out po kasi siya. Zyng is located at the Localizer Mall along Al-Tahliya Street, Riyadh. It is the first branch to open here in Riyadh but it has other branches in Jeddah, Dhahran, and even Bahrain. I remembered months ago that our boss wanted to try Zyng's food in the office. Unfortunately, Zyng does not deliver.

Zyng Asian Grill

Back to the birthday feast, the resto was closed for prayer when we got there so we lounged around their zen-styled patio area. How we wish their sprinklers work during that time. It's getting terribly hot in Riyadh.

Al fresco dining for the guys.

Zyng opened around 7:00 pm. It was my first time there and I could not help but be enticed by the ambiance of the surroundings. It's almost peaceful and meditative. Kasi kami lang ang tao sa loob! Zyng combines the modern ambiance and coziness of a usual Asian resto.

Stripped to its essentials.

The minimalist design of the place sets off the Asian flare. The blackness of the tables and chairs is highlighted by the brightness of vibrant green pillars. Japanese lanterns that give off a dim light accentuate the green ceiling. A huge, heavy curtain separates the indoor bachelor area from the family area. Cubicles has ample seating for 4-6 persons each properly seated on black leather sofas. Hindi ba pwedeng nakasalampak na lang sa floor ala Japanese?!

Cooked right here!

The service is friendly. We even get to watch how they prepare and cook our food. Did I just mention food?! Okay, let's go to the food. I'm sure you're all waiting for it. Ang masasabi ko lang, nalasing kami sa kabusugan!

Appetizers pa lang, ulam na busog na kami. The appetizers served delighted and prepared our palate for the main meals. We ordered:

Tom Yum with Shrimp

A Thai savory soup flavored with exotic Thai spices and herbs with citrus flavorings.

Vietnamese Beef and Noodles‭ (‬Pho‭), ‬SR35
Thin slices of seasoned‭, ‬teppan grilled beef with onions‭, ‬scallions‭, ‬and rice noodles in a Vietnamese broth flavored with star anise and cinnamon‭.‬ This bowl of noodles is good for 6 persons.

Seared Salmon Sashimi‭, ‬SR32
Marinated sashimi seared rare and thinly sliced with wasabi‭, ‬ginger‭, ‬and ponzu dipping sauce‭.‬

Sumo Platter‭, ‬SR35
Assorted egg rollz‭, ‬crispy gyoza‭, ‬crispy shrimp‭, ‬and crispy tender chicken served with sweet chili and tangy soy dipping sauce‭.‬

For the main course, Eyecandy tried the Pad Thai and Thai Coconut Curry Chicken while Jamila ordered the Sesame Beef and Brocolli. They ordered their meals extra extra spicy. Tapang! Kailangan talagang pausukin ang mga tenga! I asked our server, Kuya Rene, to make my Mongolian Beef mildly spicy kasi hindi ko talaga kayang kumain ng maanghang! Sundrenched had the moderately spicy Korean BBQ beef.

Pad Thai‭, ‬SR30
Thin rice noodles with bean sprouts‭, ‬tofu‭, ‬carrots‭, ‬egg‭, ‬and peanuts in a spiced sweet and sour sauce‭.‬

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken‭, ‬SR48
Spiced red curry with red and green peppers‭, ‬onions‭, ‬and fresh basil served over wide rice noodles‭.‬

Sesame Beef and Brocolli‭, ‬SR48
Sliced and grilled with yakisoba sauce‭, ‬sweet red peppers‭, ‬and onions garnished with toasted sesame seeds‭. ‬Served with steamed jasmine-scented rice‭.‬

Mongolian Beef‭, ‬SR48
Seasoned beef‭, ‬sliced and grilled‭, ‬in a mildly spiced sauce with snow peas‭, ‬baby corn‭, ‬carrots and water chestnuts‭.‬

Korean BBQ Beef‭, ‬SR45
Traditional bulgogi‭; ‬tender seared sliced steak served with kimchi‭, ‬sweet chili cucumbers‭, ‬and jasmine-scented rice‭.‬

Our choices of drinks: iced tea and colas.

The food is good! Our only complain is that there was a shortage of rice noodles! They used Udon noodles for our dishes. And we thought "Zyng is noodles" according to their menu. And they used frozen shrimps! For the indecisive, you can take on their "Tour of Asia" three-course meal. You get to choose your starter, entree, and dessert for 75 riyals. Or you can try their "Asian Market Bowl" where you mix and match your protein (beef, chicken, shrimp, etc.), noodles (ban pho, cantonese, lo mein, udon, etc.), rice (jasmine or basmati), and sauces (peanut sauce, yakisoba, schezuan, kung pao, etc.). Leave your bowl of ingredients to them and they'll cook and deliver your masterpiece.

They also gave us complimentary tea! Zyng Chai is a befitting end to our meal.

Try Zyng Chai
The magical fusion of tea, non-fat milk, honey, and exotic spices.

Surprisingly, we had to decline dessert because we're too full! We even had to take a break from eating just so the food gets digested first. No avail. We're still full hours after that meal.

Zyng Asian Grill lives up to its name. It's really a new experience in Asian casual dining. It offers carefully select viands popular to China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, and Singapore at very affordable prices.

Salty, sweet, sour, and spicy? Which Zyng are you? Find out one of these days. :)

Zyng Asian Grill
Al-Tahaliya Street, Riyadh
(beside Localizer Mall)
Tel No. +966-1-453-0000

*Description under each food item is from the Zyng menu.

Experience In Your Eyes

aka Maryhadalittlehump's comeback blog entry!
Hey bloggers! Maryhadalittlehump is finally back in Riyadh! And we're so relieved and very, very glad! The Pink Tarha Team is complete once again to give you the latest and hottest in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia! - Eyecandy, Shoegarfreeruby, Sundrenched

After 47 days of staying in the Philippines, I am back in the Kingdom! Did you miss me? :)

Sorry for not blogging for more than 2 months. Why? Because I don't have internet back home (yeah, believe it... may corner pa sa Pinas na walang Net!) and internet cafes are far from our house. In simpler terms, "I’ve been lazy to go there! Hahaha!"

Anyway, I just want to share my experience with the airlines my family used with our pagbabalikbayan this year: Singapore Airlines and its luxurious airport, Changi.

That was my first time to travel with Singapore Airlines and I would say that it is one of the best airlines for me as of now. Their flights from Riyadh to Manila and vice-versa began December last year. Though I have a habit of not eating in the plane, I can still say that the food they served were very delectable and enjoyable. Okay, I did not eat but my mom and youngest sister did and they said they enjoyed the meals. Bihira lang silang magkagusto sa pagkain noh kaya alam kong masarap yun.

Photo: Seth Jaworski; NSW Australia, October 25, 2007.

Members of the cabin crew are accommodating and likeable, particularly the air hosts, OMG! All of them are GWAPO (good-looking) and the air hostesses are attractive especially with their Malay Sarong Kebaya uniform. I felt like I was watching an Asianovela the whole time! Nakikita ko si Jun Pyo at si Jang Di, si Dao Ming Zu at si Sanchai. Hays!

Photo: MSNBC MEDIA

We had two stopovers: Dubai and Singapore. For some travellers, two stopovers might be too stressful but for me, a wide-eyed first-time Singapore Airlines flyer, the stopovers proved to be a discovery time. I had the chance to spend 3 hours roaming Terminal 1 and 2 of Chang-i Airport. First time ko po doon!

Luckily, I had a chance to take some photographs of the area:

Experience in Your Eyes.


View outside Terminal 1.


See, the whole terminal is carpeted. Bonggang bongga!


Chang-i Airport Skytrain
photo from: Seng-Lee


View outside the skytrain.


The Orchid Garden




See, how beautiful these flowers are?


Orchids are pleasing to the eyes and relaxing to the senses.


The whole view of the Orchid Garden.

photo taken from www.changiairport.com


My sister looking at the koi fishes ala Ariel, the little mermaid, with her long hair.


Koi fishes swimming elegantly in the pond.


Children's Play Area
photo taken from www.changiairport.com


Free internet terminals
photo taken from www.changiairport.com

Obviously because of the magnificent attraction that you will witness inside Terminal 1, 2 and 3 and the wide range of facilities and services that they are offering, now I know why Changi Airport is called The World’s Best Airport. You might want to try Singapore Airlines the next time you fly home.

My vacation stories in the fantabulous motherland are next!

Click Chang-i and Singapore Airlines for more information.