Random Thursday {August 30}

We're introducing a new section in the blog called "Random Thursday." It will feature anything under Riyadh's sun. Remember when we said we take a lot of photos? Well, I do! And I have a lot of random photos of things (food, places, stuff, etc) on my phone. I want to share them with you every Thursday. Who knows, someone out there needs whatever it is I'm featuring? Haha. It will also serve as a filler entry for the week because I rarely write entries on a Thursday, when every one, including your Pink Tarha ladies, are sleeping until the wee hours of the afternoon morning.

This cute polka dot pattern came from Kitsch Cupcakes' box. If you haven't seen a Kitsch's box for their cupcakes, it's long and filled with this pretty pattern. It's interesting enough to serve as a wallpaper for your phone. Or just something nice to look at.

I was browsing the aisles of Whites Pharmacy in Riyadh Gallery when I saw this ermn, "Virginity Soap" from YC. If you look closely at the list of effects it promises, there's "tightening". I have no idea how it can do that! Haha.

I saw this very pretty wall photo in IKEA last Eid holiday. It's so dainty! Perfect for your white or light pink walls. It's priced at SR39. I was tempted to buy it for my room's re-decoration plan but I have other ideas for my white, empty wall. ;)

Ate in Sushi Yoshi for the nth time last Eid with Eyecandy and our friend Jamila. Can't resist ordering something with octopus, because I haven't had anything with octopus in Sushi Yoshi. Ever. So, this octopus gyunkan was my choice. It wasn't great tasting or anything. Just ordinary. I love the spicy sauce though. If I could take home a jar of it, I'll be the happiest girl ever, and I promise to eat my green salad all the time.

This is the best mug ever... because it speaks of what happened (still happening) to my money here in the city. Hahaha. Oh, and yes, it's literally just 1/2 of a mug (shaped like half moon). Available in Camel Corner for SR10.

Want more colors in your life? This lush chair is a quilt of colors! So loud and vibrant, perfect for your boring living room. I would have bought this if I still have space for it in my room... and if I have SR2000+ in my wallet. Too bad, my wallet, like my wall, is empty. Available in Home Centre, King Abdullah Road.

Yesterday afternoon, it was drizzling. It's the first sign of "rain" in the desert since summer started. I was telling the ladies that it took 5 months' worth of evaporated water for the clouds to deliver because there's little water in Saudi Arabia's surface. The drizzle was short but it produced this very nice vision in the sky. Took this at an intersection in Takhassosi Street going to Mecca Road.

So there's our first Random Thursday. Anything caught your attention? I couldn't move on from that Virginity soap. Someone tell me it works! Hahaha. So funny.

Here's a Heads Up!

We've been hearing about Heads Up Salon for quite some time now so I decided to visit them one Thursday morning months ago for some nail pampering and eyebrow threading. The violet and white scheme of the salon is already evident in their signage outside. So it wasn't a surprise for me to see the violet interiors when I entered. I was greeted warmly by the staff, who were still getting ready when I arrived. Talk about being such an early bird. Excited ateh?!

The reception area, with outdated magazines to read

The waiting area

I think it's the massage chair that I loved the most in my experience with Heads Up. Haha. While sitting pretty and my nails being groomed by the efficient nail technician, I can feel the chair automatically kneading and massaging my back. It provided additional comfort and relief for my tired, stressed body. This is such a wonderful free service that I forgot I was there for a manicure and foot spa. 

The lovely massage chairs, haaaay...

My nail technician was gentle with my nails and cuticles. The foot spa entailed the usual foot soak, scrub and a little bit massage plus nail grooming. The soak and scrub were nothing special; you can even do it at the comfort of your homes. The foot spa was a little bit bitin, as most foot spas are. I mean, who can get enough of such a good thing? If it's possible, I would spend a day in a spa having my whole body subjected to all kinds of pampering. Wouldn't you? 

Heads Up Salon is where I get my eyebrow threading too. The ate who does this is very skilled with the thread. It's pretty much painless compared to other salons I've been in. She does the job fast and she listens to me when I say I don't want my eyebrows to be too thin. For SR30, I say it's worth it. 

The eyebrow and facial wax area | Various products

A friend was brave enough to try the Brazilian Wax in Heads Up. I cringe at the thought of this procedure because I cannot imagine the pain but she said it didn't hurt as much as she expected it to be but it does hurt. I actually tagged along weeks ago when she did her second Brazilian to hear her scream . This time, she wasn't that pleased with the wax used. It hurt and her attendant was a little bit less energetic and attentive but still trying her best.

The hair salon

What hair style will you be having today?

I'm sure you're dying to hear how my hair cut in Heads Up went. Unfortunately, I haven't been there for a haircut. You might be wondering why would I feature Heads Up without trying their hair cut first. That's like going to KFC without ordering their chicken. (Kung maka-relate sa food pa talaga?!) Well, their lone hair cutter was having her day-off so maybe next time. Have you had your hair cut in Heads Up Salon? Give us your feedback in our comment section, please. :)

The violet interiors

Heads Up offers hair coloring, hair treatments, nail designs, waxing, sugaring (halawa), bleaching, facials, massage, and make-up. Their prices are pretty much affordable when it comes to the standard fees of salons here in Saudi Arabia. Foot spa is SR120 while plain manicure is SR60. A haircut is SR50 to SR60 while hair color is SR200 up depending on the hair length.

Book an appointment by calling their number below so you won't have to wait that long in case the salon is busy or the personnel are on leave. Most of the staff are Filipinos.

It also amuses us when we enter a salon and they pretty much has a solid color theme. I was telling the fellow tarhas that when we open our own salon, it wouldn't be hard to guess what our chosen color is if that comes into fruition. ;) ~ Sundrenched

Heads Up Salon
Near RKH/Military Hospital and Al-Rajhi Supermarket
Suleimania, Riyadh
T: +966-1-476-1484

Sundrenched Turns 28!

Today is Sundrenched's 28th Birthday!!! 

Thanks to our Editor-at-Large (yes, I now dub thee as that!) for all her tremendous efforts in making this blog what it is today. 

And in true birthday fashion, I have dug up some of her personal photos from her many travels around the world this year. Pray for me as I may have to run for my life for exposing these. LOL

This is the fourth time we're greeting you S, but we'll never get tired! 

Especially when you have lovely photographs such as these. ;) 

To the smart, fashionable and classy Pink Tarha goddess...

Happy, Happy Birthday S! 

xoxo,

Your Pink Tarha Fam

Riding Singapore's metro station. 

Fine and Kitschy

Kitsch Cupcakes. For the first time, it's not the cupcakes in the store's name that got my attention first. It's the "Kitsch" that made me look twice, thrice... If you look in the dictionary, which I did because I had to get what I know of it straight, kitsch means "something of a cheap design or appearance." One dictionary even go as far as defining it as "a tacky or lowbrow quality or condition." Now, this is not an adjective I would want to name a cupcake store after, or any store for that matter. So how does Kitsch Cupcakes use this name and give it another meaning? 

For Kitsch Cupcakes, kitsch means uber-trendy, original, and out-of-the-box. This cupcake store, one of the most popular in the UAE, enthralls with 14 flavors. FOURTEEN. From the popular and classic Red V (red velvet+cream cheese frosting) to the contemporary Skinny (low fat, low sugar cupcake) to the signature Kitsch Special, a death by chocolate combination of chocolate cake and Nutella icing. It also offers cupcakes for those allergic to eggs (The Chick Friendly) and dairy (The Cow Friendly). 

Finally open! 

It's been a long time since I first saw the sign of Kitsch Cupcakes in Tahliya Street but it's only recently that they opened their doors. I'm there on the first week! (Yeah, I'm still not over cupcakes… are you?) I'm a little bit surprised to find their cupcakes priced at 10 riyals each. It's quite expensive, especially when the ongoing price in most cupcake stores I've tried is between SR6 to SR8 for the standard size. Kitsch Cupcakes' is not sized out-of-the-ordinary so why the SR10 price tag? It must be the taste then. Buying a box of 12, though, will make the cupcake's price go down to SR8 a piece. 

Did you ask for more choices?!

Yum, yum, yum!

Red velvet, did you call my name by any chance? :)

Saudi Gold Rush

When I was a kid, my relatives would often joke around while waiting for my father's arrival in the airport. They would ask me, "Pa'no mo malalaman na galing sa Saudi ang isang tao?" (How will you know if a person is coming from Saudi Arabia?). Clueless, I would just shrug and would ask how. They would answer, "Pag mukhang may Hepa!" (If he looks like he's suffering from Hepatitis!) They were pertaining to the color of the gold necklaces (layers and layers of it) and huge rings which most men from Saudi Arabia were wearing around their necks and on their fingers... YELLOW, which is also the color of the skin of Hepatitis patients (jaundice). I'm sure my father had his hine-Hepa phase too but I'm not going to remind him about that so moving on...

If oil is not enough to show how rich Saudi Arabia is, try putting gold in the equation. Saudi gold has always been a popular product from Saudi Arabia. There are many mines in the Kingdom including some in the Al-Madinah and Al-Qassim provinces; there's some in the Riyadh province, one of which is the Al-Amar mine owned by the Ma'aden Group. They say that Saudi gold is one of the best, if not the best, in the world. It has a rich bright yellow color that denotes purity. But prices of Saudi gold has increased through the years. I've heard several Filipinos, veterans in KSA, exclaim their disapproval on the prices today or their resentment that they did not fill their coffers with gold when prices were very low during their early years in Saudi Arabia.

Gold never goes out of style.

But gold doesn't lose its luster. A lot of people are still into it. Not being a "jewelry person", I disregarded advice from friends to buy gold as an investment on my first year in Saudi Arabia. I'm just not into gold, or any other mineral turned into jewelries. As a matter of fact, I don't even wear any other jewelry piece aside from a sterling silver ring given by my parents after my high school graduation. 

The brother is getting married later this year so he dragged us to three gold souks (traditional market) in Riyadh to look for the perfect wedding rings. This is also timely as we celebrate eid today. Most women would want jewelries as gifts on this celebration. Well then, don't just sit there! You're coming with me to see these souks! Hahaha.

How To Spend Your "Staycation" in Riyadh

The eid vacation is upon us! Where are you going? Visit our revamped travel page for some suggestions. We're pretty sure a lot of our kabayans are getting ready to hit the outdoors as far from Riyadh as possible. Al-Khobar and Dammam, anyone? Or Jeddah perhaps? Some are going out of Saudi Arabia. Sampaguita Pride is currently on a Europe trip with her family (such a lucky gal) while the rest of The Pink Tarha ladies will be spending our eid vacation at home. At home. Yes, seriously. 

Eyecandy and I have been out of the country months ago so we're lacking money to fund more trips. Shoegarfreeruby is going to the Philippines this September so she's saving up for that. All in all, we're really stuck in the house for the time-being. Well, as we always say, find positivity in your situation. So for those who will be hanging out their houses with no plans of going out this week, here's how to have some awesome "staycation" (stay-at-home vacation)! 

1. Take naps. 

More time to snooze!

Lots of it, if you want! You can even sleep through your vacation and we won't take it against you! Haha! You deserve it. Also, the idea of staycation is feeling the feeling of being on a vacation by deviating from your daily routine. You can disregard your chores for 2 days or more and just eat and sleep; the same things you can do while staying in, say, a hotel or a resort. Of course you have to get to your chores after but at least you get to relax, have fun, and enjoy your time first. You earned this free time  this year so... own it!

Batangas, Ala Eh! {2 of 2}

Welcome back to my Batangas trip. The first part is here.

We really had a good stay in Club Balai Isabel. We had a nice swim in their biggest pool in the evening and a delicious buffet breakfast in the morning. It was a shame to leave but the friends needed to go back to the daily grind of the metro. However, we had an instant idea to go to the crater lake, a famous tourist thing to do in Taal where you can either trek or ride a horse up the crater. 

Here, let me explain in a photo where we went to next:

Photo taken from Club Balai Isabel's lake shore.

As I told you in the first part of my Batangas series, the one usually seen in the postcards and tourism sites of Batangas is not the Taal volcano itself. It's just one of the craters. It just so happens that it really looks like the tip of a volcano, or a small volcano, that people assume much. Haha. The crater is Binintiang Laki and we did not go there because it doesn't have a crater lake (water inside). It's pretty much a boring crater. Chos. We went to the crater beside it where there's a crater lake below and where the Vulcan Point, a very small island on a lake, is. 

The boats of Taal Lake Yacht Club

So how did we go there? First, we drove to Taal Lake Yacht Club where boats going to the crater were waiting on standby. A mere 2,000 pesos (SR200) is needed to take 5-6 people on a boat to the Taal island where the trek to the crater lake starts.  There was a regatta, hobie cat race, happening during that time.

The Club Balai Isabel in the distance; seen while we were in the boat

Camel Corner Souvenirs

I remember the time when we posted our entry on the Kikay Camels, we got a lot of queries where we bought them. For a time, there was a bazaar in our workplace that sells them but it was gone after a month so we didn't know where to direct readers. I've been on the lookout for these ever since and I chanced upon a rack in Manila Center, near the Al-Rajhi Supermarket beside Military Hospital (RKH). 

Well, worry no more, dear readers because we know where you'll get the kikay camels... and more!!! Camel Corner in King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center will be your oasis. (Kung maka-oasis naman talaga?! Haha!) You'll find the perfect souvenir items for everyone back in your home country! Bags for your wives? Check! Shawls and table runners for mothers? Check! Mugs and shisha models for your husbands and fathers? Check! Keychains and ref magnets for your sisters? Check! Camel stuff toys for your little kids? Check! You can even get a snow globe for you! Check, check, check! (Even if snow raining down on the Kingdom Center and Faisaliah Tower is kind of ironic, don't you think? Hahaha.)

The souvenirs that launched a thousand queries. Kikay camels, anyone?

And some ref magnets... (SR15 each)

Mugs that will earn you major points... it's totally unique! Haha! (SR15 each)

Display plates featuring Riyadh's iconic landmarks. (SR15 up; depending on sizes)

Sosyal camels!

August Giveaway

How about a giveaway to celebrate the generous month of Ramadan? One lucky lady will win a basic nail care service and a loot bag! (Sorry boys, you're getting ignored in our giveaways but we'll come up with something for you in the near future. Haha!)

Four Nail Spa and Salon is giving away an On The Go Mani and Pedi to one lucky follower/liker. The Pink Tarha will add a gift bag filled with our favorite items! Here's what you have to do (it's so simple, it's a no-brainer).

Like the Four Nail Spa and Salon and The Pink Tarha Facebook page. 

OR 

Follow the Four Nail Spa and Salon and The Pink Tarha on Twitter. 

And inform us if you've done either by leaving a comment in this entry (use the comment box) or the status about this in our Facebook page. State your name as reflected in your Facebook (if you've done the first one) or your Twitter username (if you've done the second). This is open to ladies living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia only. 

Isn't this an easy way to score a fast nail care service and some fab items? We're drawing the lucky winner on August 15, 2011. ;) ~ Sundrenched


PS. We moderate the comments in the blog so your comments will not immediately appear. It needs our approval to be published. Don't worry, we receive your comment as long as you hit the comment button. Thanks!

MDNA Madness

This entry is 2 months late. You can imagine our EIC spanking me for this. :P

Last June, I jetted off to Dubai+Abu Dhabi, UAE to watch my FIRST-EVER concert (at 26) and rightly giving the honor to the Queen of Pop, the most iconic woman in the history of music, you got it: Madonna. 

I've been a fan since the early 90s. Kids my age had a high probability of being dressed about by their mothers in Madonna-inspired fashion, ala-Like A Virgin music video, complete with the excessive bangles, the leather jacket and a bow tied up their hair. As a teenager, I succumbed to the boy band mania and even to the rock n' roll genre, but Madonna was always there. Churning out hits like 'Frozen' and 'Music', with each song/album presenting her always-reinvented self. And I was always amazed at how she was able to do it. 

When I read that she was going on tour and that she had a tour date in the Middle East for the first time, I really thought that this was my chance! Lucky for me, I had friends who were Madonna fans too and when I shared the news with them, they were as excited as I was to attend this once-in-alifetime concert!

Mind you, we bought our tickets as early as February during the pre-selling period (Official sales was at March and the concert was slated waaay over to June). We had to pay extra to get membership to the Madonna Fan Club website so that we can get the code for the pre-sold tickets. When the March public selling date opened, the tickets were ALL SOLD OUT in less than two hours! This prompted the tour to later on add a Day 2 Concert.

The venue was set for Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and my friends and I had originally planned to get the Golden Circle tickets (the one that comes after the VIP status), but even when we were able to get through the pre-selling period, by the time I was able to log in, the Golden Circle pre-selling tickets were already sold out, and we were stuck with General Admission. Deep breaths I thought. It's better to buy them now than to fight and wrestle through the internet connection during the public selling. So there, at 495AED, we got our MDNA concert tickets via email:

The event was promoted by ThinkFlash UAE.

The big day finally arrived and I was in the UAE for five days (Dubai for strolling and Abu Dhabi for the concert, entry on that to follow). I arrived with my concert buddies Ate Czes and Doc D. We had a jam-packed itinerary and upon arriving at Abu Dhabi, we were supposed to do certain things, like go to Ferrari World first before going to the concert. However, when we arrived there, we realized that the lines at Ferrari World could take forever and since our concert tickets were only General Admission, I didn't want to risk losing my chance to be in the front row of the line to the gates. I didn't want to be all the waaaay back of the stadium only to see Madge from the big screen! if that were the case, then I would be better off watching her on Youtube, in the comfort of my own house, right? 

Even if my friends were reluctant, they agreed to sit it out til 7PM, which was the official opening of the gates. So, that made it four (almost five, actually) hours of sitting outside, on the grass, under the sun, heat+humidity et al.

We inquired if we could still upgrade our tickets, but no, totally SOLD OUT.

The entrance grounds.

Fab Four

*** This entry is written by our friend and contributor, Jamila, and Sundrenched. 

You know what they say about nails? "You can tell a lot from a person's nails. When a life starts to unravel, they're among the first to go." So don't let others see your nails in such a desperate state. Invigorate them in Four Nail Spa and Salon! 

The new nail salon found in the center of one of the newly-renovated amenities center in King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre has an inviting interior, though small, that makes you want to hang out and stay all day. Even though they offer facials and hair treatments, we like the idea of a place that focuses on nails. It sets Four, simply named after the owners' favorite number, apart from other salons. Four Nail Spa and Salon is indeed a little sanctuary in this hectic city. 

Shabby chic interiors

This spot is for you.

Four Nail Spa and Salon has a signature manicure/pedicure that costs SR110 and SR140 respectively. We tried both one afternoon and found them engaging and delightful. We were asked to dip our hand and feet in water with rock salts. 

The basin where thou feet are washed.

Rock salts to soften the skin.

They use Green Bar, Inc. products in their services. Both the manicure and pedicure started with an application of Green Bar's Flower Polish that acts as a cuticle remover using botanical oils such as organic castor and lemongrass. Loved the flowery, herbal scent! It was something new as we're used to using the pink liquid cuticle remover at home and in other salons.