Been There | Jebel Hafeet Mountain, Al Ain City Adventure

As the night falls, the lights emerging to form from darkness to a beautiful jewel, overlooking and awesome scenery of Al Ain in Jebel Hafeet Mountain. With intrigue hilltop niche allows you to capture the exhibiting flourishing views to its fullest. Therefore whenever you pass Al Ain never missed to stop the romantic scenery of Jebel Hafeet.

Today I am starting my new blog with a pledge of posting at least 2-blog entries per month. Being today “Friday” (weekend) after the most hyped dooms full week of bustling at work seems to be a good day for me to write a new post from what I had gone through the year 2015.

It was a milestone, roller coaster ride and superb year where I achieved one of my bucket lists, though this seems to be a small thing but I’d still consider it already an achievement of its own. 

Hiking to the Jebel Hafeet Mountain, Al Ain UAE from its foothills and the highest Peak  - a long steep, creepy stretch road from The Green Mubazzara is indeed fun and amazing journey!

I love being on the road, but the funny thing is: I can't drive. :(

Two weeks before Christmas early last year, one of my friend in town invited to join and go on a hike in Jebel Hafeet Mountains in celebration of her birthday. We recall it a long drive so we opted to leave Dubai early after the evening mass or “simbang-gabi” as we call it. Simbang gabi is a traditional filipino beliefs that every year we must complete the 9 morning mass so our wishes / dreams will come true or at least somehow you're part of the holy mass across UAE. 

It was a two-hour and a half drive from Dubai and we weren't sure about the exact location but with ample road signs, we easily found our way to the mountain. We arrived there at 2 o’clock in the morning and it was insanely cold. Our road trip doesn’t end there. Of course we cannot just leave Jebel Hafeet without taking selfies. ;)

At the bottom of Jebel Hafeet lies the beautiful park called Green Mubazzarah. This park is special because this was one of the last projects of Sheikh Zayed, the country’s founding president. I’m told that Sheikh Zayed was often referred as “the man who turned the deserts green”.  This is the camping area, and we camped here till dawn.

I feel so fulfilled having done this trip.

I must say that I have been to Al Ain, Sharjah, Ajman, Abu Dhabi, Dubai

And yes, I haven’t been to all 7 Emirates but I'm almost there.

Till' next time..

xx

The Global Experience: Global Village in Dubai

Are you saving up to travel around the world? Would you like to savour exotic cuisines from all corners of the globe? Unpack your bag, put your passport down, and throw away that plane ticket – Global Village Dubai is the only destination this weekend!

Experience a journey through cultural shows, sample some of the finest delicacies from across the globe, or simply shop till you drop for a variety of items from the different countries.

The Annual Global Village in Dubai features 38 different nations showcasing their homegrown talents and pride – this year UK, France, USA, Burj Khalifa, DXB UAE and Germany are also joining-in on the fun!

With so many places to see in Dubai, this has to be one of my favorites! With a fusion of different cultures, Global Village is truly a place you need to visit. 

Here are the highlights and some photographs of my fun-filled weekend at The Global Village:

"The Global Village"
"Main Entrance"

"Russia"

"Hollywood , USA"

"Hollywood, USA"

"Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy"

"Eiffel Tower, Paris" 

"Statue of Liberty, USA"

"Big Ben in London, UK"

"Malaysia"

"China"

"Syria"

"India"

"Africa"

"Egypt"

"United Arab Emirates"

H e l l o ,

Global Village...

See you next time!

Location: Arabian Ranches on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road

Timings:

Saturday to Wednesday: 4pm to 12am 

Thursday’s, Friday’s and Public Holidays: 4pm until 1am

Monday is a family day (except public holidays)

Entrance fee: AED 15.00

These are just a few of the exciting pavilions you can visit at Global Village Dubai, too bad I haven't seen my country PH! Which will be your favorite? Share your experience on my comment box below. Thanks for dropping by!

#globalvillage #mydubai #happydubai  

Versatile Blogger Award

I've been nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by Lou-Ann of Live Love Lou.

Thank you very much for the nomination, I think this a good way to round up new bloggers and give them more exposure in the blogging world.

The rules are quite simple:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog.
• Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your post.
• Nominate 15 other bloggers that are relatively new to blogging.
• Let the bloggers know that you've nominated them (either thru email or comments).
• Share 10 random facts about yourself.

Sometimes it is quite hard being a blogger. Of course, it requires time, effort, dedication and not to mention, motivation to keep you going. That’s why I’m glad to find some fellow bloggers who shares great posts and inspirations. It is therapeutic for me when I write something although at times of work loads and exhausted of my day job I failed to constantly update my blog. I know I shouldn’t be making excuses, there’s always a time for everything if you really wanted to right? 
So here you go....

Here are my Top 15 Nominees:

1. Tiffany of A Girl and Her Passport
2. Jackie of Day well lived
3. Brittany of Girl in the dynamic City
4. Jozi of Open roads are calling
5. Karen of What will happen to me
6. Naomi of Tea time with Naomi
7. American expat of My thoughts from the deep end
8. Joana of B Hong Kong  
9. Angie of The Stereotypical American
10. Gail of Hungry at midnight
11. Jenny of The little adventurer
12. Sofia of The pallet of life
13. Honey of You will miss me when I'm gone
14. Kerstin of My manly blog
15. Lynnette of Sincerely Lynnette

Curious about the girl behind the words????

Random Facts About Myself:

• Pure Filipina
• I love potatoes (fried, mashed, baked, whatever)
• I'm a big fan of Nicholas Sparks book and movie. I like reading erotic books or any romance, inspirational and informative ones.
• I love beaches. (Suck swimmer).
• I'm addicted to sweets, (chocolates, sweet corn, caramel, nutella, peanut butter, pick-up lines?) Anything that involved sweets, I'll buy it!!
• I don't bite into the cob when I eat corn, I want to remove it piece by piece and eat. I also don't like it shaved, I just really want to pluck it out one by one.
• I'm a sucker for TV series. Anything, reality TV to zombies to vampire (and their love lives). I enjoy watching TV (while I eat my corn by bits. Haha)

HONG KONG INVADER: The Hiking Experience.

Hi there, remember me??? 

I used to blog here! I’m working very hard to make blogging a priority again. I really miss sharing my outdoor adventures and documenting the current happenings in my life. Lots of good stuff going on lately. I’ll play catch up soon. But if you really want to follow along on a daily basis, please come visit me on Instagram @diaznett. 

Since this day, I have wondered just how many important daily moments have I missed?

Mind full.

Schedule packed.

Running late for work.

During my vacation in Hong Kong earlier last month, we hiked out to Mui Woo Tung Chung Island - my first hiking experience and I liked it.  

But how to make the most of your mountain hiking experience?

“I’m cold, I’m tired and I’m hungry!” are the most common complaints heard out on the hiking trails. It’s called whining. What is the hurry? The whole idea behind hiking is to get to your destination no matter how slow or fast you walk. 

Of course, this can change just as fast as the unpredictable weather in the mountains, when it comes time to book it to safety. Don’t believe what they tell you about lightning, because it can strike anywhere, randomly. So, slow down and enjoy the view. Don’t get cocky out where the rubber meets the rock; rather, enjoy discovering the powerful gift of nature that is hard for mere mortals to comprehend. Always remember that you are in a wild place where wild things can happen. 

"FIRST STOP"

Hiking never gets boring because there is always something new to see and experience. Thumbs down to people who talk about taxes and business out on the trail. Leave that trash at the trailhead along with the cell phone. It probably won’t work out there anyway. If you really want to get primitive, leave your watch and just enjoy the beauty of nature...  

After losing 590 calories,
a healthy breakfast being served - Thai cuisine.

Though traveling is not a big deal for me today, before my trip to the mountains, I used to be a homebody. I had friends to hang out with, several hobbies, and I felt completely comfortable spending weekends at home — without going anywhere. All my demands of novelty were satisfied by the Discovery and National Geographic channels, and I seriously thought there was no difference between seeing something on the TV or with one’s own eyes.

While you are out hiking, 
take a moment to give thanks 
that you are able to enjoy nature in all its glory.
Till next time..

xxx

Hong Kong Island

March 2015

#BLOGGER ON LEAVE - OFF TO HONG KONG!

I’m in Hong Kong, for the nth time, which is hands down one of my favorite city in the world. After working and dwelling in the desert for about a year, I finally got to visit my second home - HONG KONG! I’ve visited it well over a dozen times, and I don’t think there’s a city I’m more passionately familiar with than Hong Kong (I get lost in Dubai despite the “grid” system, yet I could guide you around Hong Kong with my eyes closed) kiddin.

I get asked all the time why I love Hong Kong so much, and I have a hard time explaining it. So I figured I’d step back and kind of explain what I enjoy when it comes to travel, and frame that in the context of Hong Kong.

First of all, Hong Kong is just such a gorgeous city. As far as I’m concerned, for me Hong Kong has the most beautiful skyline in the entire world. Even though I’ve visited well over a dozen times, I literally get giddy every time I arrive in Hong Kong and see the Hong Kong Island skyline from The Avenue of Stars. 

Similarly, while it’s touristy, the view from Victoria Peak leaves me in awe every time.

But what I really love about Hong Kong is the vibe — it’s one of the only cities in Asia I could actually imagine living in. You have parts of Kowloon where you literally feel like you’re in the middle of China, while you take the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island and feel like you’re in the most modern city in the world.

And let's not forget about nightlife in Hong Kong. One of the reasons why I just love Hong Kong is, - it's a home for party people. Bar is open 24/7. People are quite nice and friendly. I loved seeing drunk people on the streets, nobody cares how you look like so long as everyone's having fun and making their night most out of it. Really a fun City! I really wanna move here but not as easy as Dubai. 

So here's the rest of happenings of my stay in HK! 

RUGBY 7'S EVENT - BUSY BUSY..

"Jagerbomb shots"

"Blowjob shots"

I realized I’m all over the place, because I can’t actually put into words why I love Hong Kong. And I think that’s actually what makes travel beautiful. If I could put into words what I loved about it so much, then it could be experienced “virtually” and there would be no need to visit.

But there’s something about Hong Kong that leaves me feeling energised, that leaves me feeling like I’m missing out on life if I’m not out in the streets. And every time I leave Hong Kong I get that empty feeling in the pit of my stomach like I’m leaving home.

I will miss you Hong Kong,

See you next time....