POBOX.PH

I love online shopping. Imagine a 5000 Php Avent breastpump  here in our mall will only cost less than 2500 Php (including the freight cost) from online store.

Unfortunately, majority of the online sites I know do not deliver directly to the Philippines. 

Amazon now can deliver to Philippines thru EMS but I had a bad experience before in EMS, They do not deliver door to door. You have to go to your local post office to claim your package. And you will also need to pay custom fee. There is a certain computation for the custom fee. 

I got this computation from Bureau of Custom site. 

Total Duties and Taxes =Customs Duty+ VAT+ IPF+ Excise Tax (if applicable)

1. Customs Duty =Customs Value (Dutiable Value) x Foreign Exchange Rate x Rate of Duty

• Dutiable Value =  Cost of Goods+ Freight + Insurance+ Other Charges and Costs
• Rate of Duty = As per classification of goods under AHTN, Section 104, TCCP

2. VAT = 12% of Total Landed Cost (TLC)

• TLC = Dutiable Value+ Bank Charges+ Customs Duty+ Customs Duty+ Customs Duty+ Arrastre Charge+ Customs Documentary Stamp (CDS)+ Customs Documentary Stamp (CDS)++ Import Processing Fee (IPF)

I dont know how strict they are but the last time i paid 2T for a 5T product i bought from China while my friend only paid 50 php for a watch she bought from Amazon.

Good thing I got to know Pobox. I have tried them 3x for a package i bought from Amazon and Babies R' Us. 

The step is so simple. 

1. Register on their online site

2.  Purchase an item online and have it delivered at Pobox warehouse

3.  Fill out the shipping form online

4.  Contact them thru email so you can settle your payment. You can pay online thru paypal or credit card

5. Wait for 4-5 weeks and your item will be delivered at your door

They charge packages according box sizes. This includes the insurance which up to $200. You have an option to add $5 per $100 in excess on the original coverage. They also do consolidation, meaning you can shop from different online stores and they will combine it all in one box. 

This is how they packed my box

On the negative side, you can never be sure on how safe your package will be. 

A damage/broken cover of my cookie butter and a dented feeding bottle box.

BTW,  Pobox.ph is in partner with Forexworld. And they also offer the same services as pobox. Maybe next time i will also try Forexworld services for my online shopping

Ms Polly's caramel cake

Last September I've posted Ms Polly's chocolate cake. Like what i stated, we also want to try their other variety of cakes.

So this time we bought the caramel cake. . This box of cake cost 620 php which is more expensive compared to their chocolate cake.

Caramel filler and icing on top of the chocolate cake

This is just as moist as their chocolate cake. The same melts in the mouth experience! 

Whatever your choice will be. Both  chocolate and caramel cake will give you a comforting feeling.

One of the best chocolate cake I've tasted so far. :-)

Whats inside my box? Part2: FLUFFERNUTTER

Just like speculoos cookie butter, i also became curious on what Fluff is. Aside from ive been seeing it from online stores, there are also instagram posts by well known actors and actresses. I immediately bought this to test what/how it is..

it looks and tastes like a melted marshmallow 

I've read that fluff taste good with peanut butter. These two combinations are called fluffernutter. So Ive tried it with Reese peanut butter (another item inside my box)

Creamy

spreadable

Well i think that fluff alone taste like an ordinary melted marshmallow. While reese alone also taste like an ordinary peanut butter spread. But with this two joined together 

Perfect! Reese compliments the sweetness of fluff marshsmallow spread

Now how much calories will this two spread combined will gain me?

2 tsp each will gain 230 calories. Nearly equal to half rice..:-)

Walk this way (Intramuros-Carlos Celdran tour)

This is already a late post but i still want to share my experience with my Intramuros walk.

I lived around Manila in my college days. Its quite a shame that i never had the time to wander around the area during those days. BUT its still better late than never..

Meet our tour guide:

The legendary Carlos Celdran

The tour started with us singing Lupang Hinirang. (The Phil. National Anthem). And then he explained how Manila started. Back when we were still being ruled by datus, rajahs and sultans to Spanish and american colonialism to Japanese occupation (World War 2). He also described how we are at present days.

Carlos Celdran explaining while a crowd of  around 20-30 people are listening. Mostly are foreigners and balikbayans. A free choc nut is given for those who can answer his questions.

Carlos Celdran is so funny. The tour is educational in a humorous way. A lot of intriguing trivia from our history were also discussed.

- Do you know that we have the first airport in southeast asia?

-How Rizal ended as our national hero and not Bonifacio

-why we are not mestizo and mestiza if we were invaded by spaniards for 300 yrs. -its because only priest and governor generals are being sent here. :)

-we were sold by Spain to US for 20M along with Cuba,West Indies,Guam,Puerto Rico under the treaty of Paris

Manila Cathedral Dome- Previously referenced as Km zero during spanish colonialism

Entrance to Fort Santiago

Rizals footprints on his march to Bagumbayan. 

Intramuros wall

Mac Arthur ordering the bombing of city - contrary to what we believed that he opposes the bombing. While the Japanese soldiers needing to redeem themselves massacred innocent civilians. This battle leaves 100,000 dead

Free Kalesa ride around the city

Structures around Intramuros Old site of Ateneo de Manila and Adamson University

Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church - Two of the seven churches located in intramuros that still remains  in the area.

San Agustin church which according to him is also an illusion of a nipa hut. Also notice its pillar that supports nothing.

Lastly, there were free halo halo for all. He compared Filipinos with halo halo. We are a mixture of several cultures. Nothing really is a distinct of our own.

Just like as what he describes himself in his blog site: " A man who is trying to change the way you look at Manila. One step at a time." He has been successful because this tour made me appreciate the  culture and history of Manila.

Walk this way tour costs 1100 (Adult) and 600 (Students).  Carlos Celdran will infect you on his love for his country and will make you proud of Manila. 

However, if you are thinking that the tour is quite pricey.. There are  other available tour guides along intramuros. I think they charge 600 including the kalesa ride. A visit about Intramuros is a must for every Filipino.

Whats inside my box? Part1- TRADERS JOE'S SPECULOOS

After 4.5 weeks of waiting.. Finally! My box arrived.

Guess whats inside my box? Well aside from feeding bottles, diaper bags, breastpump. I also ordered cookie butter, marshmallow spread and peanut butter

Fluff marshmallow spread, reese peanut butter, traders joe cookie butter and lotus biscoff spread

My curiosity on cookie butter started when my friend from US (Emil)posted speculoos cookie butter in his FB account. Then i realized that everybody now are making a fuss on this cookie butter. I decided not to compare speculoos, biscoff and reese peanut butter from each other since what i got are not an apple to apple comparison. (a creamy traders joe cookie butter, a crunchy lotus biscoff cookie butter, a creamy peanut butter- see they are not comparable - and the fluff marshmallow spread is a different story)

TRADERS JOE'S SPECULOOS COOKIE BUTTER

Most online store here in the Philippines sell this at 450 php per jar (quite expensive compared to Lilys :-) )Not to mention that some online store will let you wait for a month. (Preorder)

I did my research on what really is speculous cookie butter. Bits of information from wikipedia says

1. Speculoos is a type of spicedshortcrust biscuit.

2. Spices used in speculoos are cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger,cardamom and white pepper.

3. By 2007, several Belgian companies began marketing a paste variant of speculoos, now available worldwide under various brands and names: as Speculla, Cookie Butter 

4. As a form of "spreadable Speculoos cookies,"the flavor is caramelized and gingerbread-like with a color similar to peanut butter and a consistency ranging from creamy to granular or crunchy.

5. The spread consists of 60% crushed speculoos cookies along with vegetable oils.

It is indeed creamy and looks like peanut butter

sweet with a mix of spiciness, you can taste the granular cookies.

Personally, i find the mixture of its sweetness and spices strong (pinoy tastebud). I agree with all that its delicious but unlike others it does not blow my mind.Maybe i have set my expectations too high on this mysterious bottle. 

Anyways,we opened the bottle just last night and now its almost empty. I think someone in my family loves this cookie butter. :-)

Sambokojin @SM southmall

i love eat all you can even though i know that i cannot taste all the meal a bufet can offer. Im always on the watch for metrodeal, dealgrocer, ensogo for eat all you can vouchers. Buying this voucher is the only time i can afford eat all you can since most of buffet cost 1K+++. 

The only eat all you can resto we know here in the south aside from hotel buffets are yakimix (@alabang town center) and sambokojin (@SM Southmall).We already tried yakimix so we want to try sambokojin. We arrived 6:30 pm at southmall and immediately made a reservation at sambokojin. We were at #13 from the waiting list. Since we are still not hungry, we roam around SM while waiting for our turn. By 7:30 we return at sambokojin and luckily a few minutes later, we were called by the receptionist

Note that i took the picture below after we eat. Its around 9 PM, replenishment at that time is already slow :)

 

Grilling section

 

Sushi station

 

Tempura

 

Korean station

Breaded stations

Desserts. 

Crew and staff are very accomodating. Its just sad that replenishment is slow unlike on what i read from other blogs. Maybe because its already late and maybe we are the last batch of customer to eat. Anyways..

 We love the grilling and cooking our food .Different sauces and condiments are available per table

hubby's plate in the background. (Cant control eating rice.. :) )

My plate from breaded and korean station

Another batch

Before moving to dessert, i need to add more bacon wrap in my tummy :)

My last plate.  i have been longing for sweets for sometime now.

i would like to tag my friend here when i return, maybe on my bday so i can eat free. :) (Calling BFF Malou!)

Overall, i can say that the 625 php per head for this thursday's dinner date is worth it.