Tales of Illumina and Selfielicious PH Photo Dump

Christmas Day ranks second among my favorite days of the year. Siguro kasi parang ang saya na ang daming ilaw kahit hindi masaya ang Meralco bill. Well, isang beses lang naman sa isang taon, sabi nga nila.

But this season went from exciting to gloomy because of the tragedy that was Odette. We made ways to help kahit ba hindi direct na makapunta roon. I’m praying that my fellow countrymen who are affected by the typhoon will soon recover. Usually, I’ll schedule myself on a trip, but I decided to use this fund to help.

Sabi ko, sa malapit na lang, one that would not cost me more than two thou. Ayun, my brother and I went to Ever Gotesco Mall in Commonwealth to visit Tales of Illumina and Selfielicious. Naka-promo ‘yung kinuha ko sa website nila. So for PhP 998, puwede na ‘yung dalawa. Sa Klook kasi, for example, ang Tales of Illumina ay PhP 799, while ang Selfielicious ay PhP 349. Kinuha ko na ‘yung promo.

Bale, literal na photo dump lang ito. Hehe.

Tales of Illumina

Ginawang Tales of Illumina ang sinehan sa Ever Gotesco Commonwealth. Ang dami nilang nailagay—from Instagrammable rooms to educational sections (May Florante at Laura, Ibong Adarna parts ang Tales of Illumina). May pa-perfomance din sila.

The set of images are grouped para lang mas organized and makita n’yo rin ang pagkakasunod-sunod sa mismong venue.

Here are the rooms in the left-side area:

Lanterns

Philippine Myths

Potions

Kaleidoscope

Clouds

Loops

Moon

Springs and Orange Balls

Dots

Stories in Philippine Literature

Violet Lanterns

Exit

I See Magic

Here are the rooms in the right-side area:

Winter

Adventures of Hiraya

Whimsical Path

Colorful Balls

See-Saw

Cotton Balls

Spectrum

Pink Balls

Exit

Selfielicious PH

True to its name, kung mahilig ka mag-selfie at mag-picture-picture tulad ko, then go. (Pero sa balitang Omicron, mukhang hindi na naman puwede.) Anyway . . .

Again, may iba na nilitratuhan ko na lang ang venue kasi swak-swak lang. May iba rito na kamukha ng nasa Dessert Museum, actually, tulad ng lips sa may smooch section.

Birthday Party

Cactus

Lemons

Watermelon

Cherry

Smooch

Lady Bug

Telephone

Carousel

Mango

Gingerbread

Butter

Blue Balls

Piggy Bank

Rubber Ducky

Table Tennis and Billiards

Christmas Trees

Emoticon Balls

Giraffic

Sorry sa lack of description. It is what it is naman kasi. As in for pictorials talaga. Favorite picture Nag-enjoy naman ako dahil mahilig naman talaga ako pumorma at magpa-picture, lalo na kung comfortable ako sa kasama ko.

Huling gala ng taong 2021.

Tales of Illumina
2F Ever Commonwealth, Quezon City

Home


Selfielicious PH
Lower Ground Floor Ever Commonwealth, Quezon City
https://www.facebook.com/SelfieliciousPhotos/

Intramuros Escapade: Casa Manila and Belfry Cafe

I have been to Intramuros many times, and I am still in awe how this walled city manage to keep its beauty. This time, we were there to visit Belfry Cafe, but since we had more time in the afternoon, we decided to check Casa Manila first.

How to Go to Intramuros

The pandemic made it impossible to ride a G-liner bus going directly to Quiapo, so we had to ride a bus that dropped us off at LRT-2 Gilmore Station. Across the road, there are jeepneys to Recto, and in Recto, there are jeepneys that can drop you off at an area near Intramuros. This means the LRT-2 Recto station is also a possible mode of transportation.

You can use Google Maps to walk toward Casa Manila and Belfry Cafe (or just rent a pedicab).

Casa Manila

You need a StaySafePH account or QR code to be able to enter Casa Manila, which is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This will be your entrance and exit pass to the museum, aside from the ticket worth seventy-five pesos (non-students).

Upon entering, you will have a glimpse of the casa’s office-like area, complete with the antique bookshelf, candleholder, and lamps. By the way, always be mindful and walk on the red carpet. We got scolded because we forgot about this reminder. Hehe.

Next seems to be an area where guests can be entertained. The grand piano and the harp were splendid sights. If my guest room would be this huge, then I’d love to have these.

Rooms with painted self-portraits, canopy beds, and ceilings and walls painted with heavenly creatures are luxurious, don’t you think. Though they look like high-maintenance.

At the end of the Casa Manila tour, we got to see the bathroom, the toilet room (yes, they are two different rooms), and the kitchen. Here, I learned that there is no such thing as “too many pots and pans.”

After Casa Manila, our next destination was supposed to be Belfry Cafe, but we saw the Book Stop Project near the Manila Cathedral, so we stopped by to take photos.

Belfry Cafe

Belfry Cafe (open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) is just a minute or two away from the Manila Cathedral. It displays huge bells hanging from the ceiling of the cafe. Aside from this feature, they have approachable staff and homely ambience.

I ordered their coffee mocha blended (Php 140) and garlic cream cheese bread (Php 120). The frappe was fine—nothing extraordinary, same as other iced blended drinks. The garlic cream cheese bread, however, gave me a unique experience, as it was my first time.

Check out their updated menu on their Facebook page.

Favorite Picture

The Ups and Downs of Visiting Art Sector Gallery and Chimney Café 360º

Note: This post has been in my drafts for a long time now (since February, imagine), and I was planning to publish this once the pandemic is over. However, realizing that the PH government prioritizes silencing their critics over flattening the curve, I have decided to post this today before I forget that I have this in my drafts.

Update: Art Sector Gallery and Chimney Cafe are open for visitors, but they do not entertain walk-ins. You have to book a visit and preorder your food. Since jeepneys are not allowed to operate yet, you can only go there if you have your own car.

Aside from mountains and nature reserves, Rizal is also known for its art galleries. Popular ones are in Antipolo and Angono, but there is also one in Binangonan called Art Sector Gallery, which I went to visit last February 2020.

How to Go to Art Sector Gallery and Chimney Café 360º

From Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall or Junction, Cainta, ride a Binangonan Highway jeepney and tell the driver to drop you off at Scrapyard Cafe and Restaurant. From there, tricycles lined up beside 7-Eleven can bring you to Art Sector Gallery (drivers asks for Php 200–300), but you can also hire a motorcycle taxi service like Angkas (I was lucky to get one), which only costs Php 70. Beware, however, as the GPS won’t point at the exact location. Better follow the guard’s instructions, or look for an eye-catching white building.

We left at around 6:30 p.m, fearing that we wouldn’t find a ride home. True enough, there were only habal-habal services (Php 75), which dropped us off at a tricycle terminal. It was a scary experience because the path downhill was steep, and there were three of us riding the motorcycle (including the driver).

The ride from the terminal to Angono Highway costs Php 10.

What to Expect in Art Sector Gallery

Even before entering the gallery, you will be greeted by a breathtaking view of Laguna Lake. I suggest you come at 3:00 p.m. if you want to take solo pictures at this spot.

Since we went on a Friday, we paid Php 125 to enter. There were only a few paintings, some even familiar; I think I’ve seen similar themes in Pinto Art Museum. My favorite is entitled Jae by Arnica Acantilado, which is hung on one of the walls of the second floor. (I wonder if it’s the name of the dog.)

The white-painted gallery accentuated with black borders strongly reminded me of Pinto Art. What made it different, however, was it had a venue to view the stunning sunset. Pak na pak ang golden hour.

What to Eat at Chimney Café 360º

I wasn’t able to take note of how much each dish was, but I remember paying Php 700 for all of these. The thin-crust pizza was okay, a 7/10. The mango shake (or was it a frappe?) and the pasta need improvements, however.

Things got disappointing when the cashier wanted to charge us with another service fee because we wanted to order more. Often when you order another dish, they’ll just add it to your current bill, right? So you’ll be charged with service fee once. But it wasn’t that way at Chimney Cafe; according to the cashier, “Ibang resibo na kasi.” I asked why they wouldn’t just include my supposed additional order to my first receipt, but he said, “Di po talaga puwede.” Hindi ko sigurado kung dahil ayaw niya ng erasures, o talagang gano’n ang patakaran nila.

In the end, I just decided not to order again. Can anyone clarify if this is okay? This ruined the experience for me, but I would still recommend going there for an astonishing sunset view.

Favorite Picture

Art Sector Gallery and Chimney Café 360º
3:30–10:00 p.m.; 4:00–9:00 p.m. (cafe)
Lot 18 Block 178 Eastridge Executive Village, Tayuman, Binangonan, Rizal
https://www.facebook.com/artsectorph/