Charm in the Year of the Snake at Acacia Hotel Manila

Indulge in an array of dim sum,
which symbolize wrapped pockets of luck

MANILA, Philippines -- Whether greeting each other in Cantonese, “Kung Hei Fat Choy!” Or in Mandarin, “Gong Xi Fa Cai,” welcome the Year of the Snake at Acacia Hotel Manila!

Acaci offers an abundant buffet spread laden with lucky Chinese dishes to welcome the New Year. Sip on some Hot and Sour Soup with an array of condiments. Move on to enjoy the offerings at the Dim Sum Station such as Siomai, Siopao, Vegetable Dumplings, Hakaw, Chicken Feet, and Pork Spareribs, paired with favorite condiments like Calamansi, Chili Garlic Oil, and other light sauces.

According to Chinese culture, noodles symbolize a long life. Ensure longevity with dishes at the Noodle Station and choose from piping hot Egg Noodles, Bihon, Hopan, Lomi, or Sotanghon Noodles. Indulge in a variety of main dishes such as Deep-fried Spare Ribs King Dao style, Sautéed Scallops with Shrimp and Pine Nuts, Steamed Lapu-lapu Fillet with light soy sauce, Braised Bean Curd with assorted mushrooms, Chinese Deep Fried Chicken with chili garlic sauce, and Yang Chow fried rice. Sweeten the meal’s end with a refreshing serving of Mango and Sago with Syrup and Crushed Ice, and Fried Tikoy. Pair the sumptuous feast with unlimited soda, iced tea, and Pandan Juice.

The Chinese Food Fest will start on February 10, 2013 and will run until February 15, 2013. Buffet rates are Php1,488 nett per person on February 10 and Php995 nett per person on February 11 to 15 for lunch or dinner at Acaci.

To find out more about Acacia Hotel Manila, check out the website at www.acaciahotelsmanila.com. For inquiries and reservations, please call 720 2000 or 588 5888 or email enquiry@acaciahotelsmanila.com. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

The Ayala Malls 2013 Welcome Sale

WAHM Tool: World Clock Meeting Planner

When you work from home, you will need to incorporate some processes and tools (that you may not normally use in an office-based job) to become more productive. One of the common misconceptions is that people who work from home can be more relaxed and laid-back. While that's partly true, since we don't have to contend with the daily commute to and from work or have to wear business suits for meetings, you have to be on top of everything since you are responsible for your own work schedule and output. And since most virtual employees work with employers in other countries, the time difference can be a crucial factor. So when I have to set meetings, I use the World Clock Meeting Planner from TimeAndDate.com.

All you have to do is enter your city and enter the city where the other meeting attendee is located, then click on the "Show Timetable" button. In this case, I entered Manila and New York.

It then gives you the current day in 1-hour blocks. Your time on the left, the other city's time on the right. It grays out the hours that have already passed. Nighttime or possible sleeping hours are in the reddish pink hue. Green represents the first half of the day, when people are typically at work. Yellow represents the second half of the day, when people are most likely still awake but may not be at work anymore. Think of it as a traffic stoplight: Green, yellow, red. Go, slow down, and stop. :)

This web-based tool is great for determining the best times for online meetings. No more errors when converting hours!

Acacia Hotel Manila's First Toy Drive Aims for Countless Smiles

Acacia Hotel Manila, the newest five-star hotel in Filinvest Corporate City, launches its first ever Christmas toy drive called CREATE A SMILE: AN ACACIA TOY DRIVE. The hotel invites you to help them create countless smiles this season of giving by simply donating old or new toys.

The hotel will accept unwrapped old or new toys from December 1 to 15, 2012 at its Gingerbread House at The Lobby. Toys will be displayed around the hotel’s Christmas Tree.

As a special thank you, the first 200 generous souls who will donate a minimum of two (2) toys each with a total retail value of at least Php 250 will be treated to a Christmas buffet breakfast on December 15, 2012, from 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM at the Grand Acacia Ballroom with special performances by SOS Children’s Village Choir. Succeeding donors will also get a special gift--a 15% dining discount voucher for Acaci restaurant valid for 3 months. You can also give cash donations.

This project aims to collect at least 100 toys, which will be given to Springboard Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises funds to improve lives of children in the Philippines. Beneficiaries include Hope Worldwide Foundation, Give a Life Foundation, A Better Chance Foundation, Jesus Loves the Children Foundation, Kinderhilfe Philippinen, Virlanie Foundation, SOS Children’s Village Philippines, and many others.

For more information about the toy drive, you can call (632) 720 2000 and ask to be connected to the Marketing Department.

My Hanoi, Vietnam Trip: Food Fest

This is the first time I’m traveling to a new country since 2007 when I went to Beijing, China. For the last five years, I’ve been back and forth Singapore and Hong Kong because these are the only countries that the Dark Lord wanted to visit.

This year, I and some friends booked a trip to Hanoi, Vietnam. It was a four-day trip that covered the city and Halong Bay. Well, I really didn’t get to tour Hanoi because my companions became so engrossed with shopping that we ran out of time to visit some must-see places in the city.

The only places we were able to check out were the Old Quarter (which is where we stayed) and the Hoan Kiem Lake temple (which was just 200 meters away from our hotel).

In this post, I’m sharing with you the many dishes—Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese—that we enjoyed.