Kodanda Archery Range at SM Mall of Asia

Last year, I went to the Kodanda Archery Range in Makati. This time, I visited their SM Mall Of Asia branch. I had so much fun shooting arrows last year that's why I was so excited to visit their newest branch!

Kodanda is an indoor shooting range that is suitable for both professional archers and newbies, like me! Since I am not a professional athlete, I appreciate indoor courts and ranges because they allow me to play the game, have fun while still in the comfort of a roof and an air-conditioned place.

Kodanda SM MOA is located along Coral Way, Annex Building of the mall.

If there is one thing I noticed, it's that the place is quite difficult to find. Not only it is located at the annex of the mall, but it is also situated inside the car park area and there are no signage outside to let people know that there is a shooting range inside. We had quite a hard time finding the place since it was our first time to visit. But frequent goers surely do not have a problem with this anymore. Though, I hope Kodanda could do something for the sake of first-timers.

Oh well, I was happy and excited when we finally spotted the shooting range!

HOW MUCH?

Php 580 per hour. Includes basic instructions from a Kodanda coach, target paper and equipment rental.

I'm such a "pabebe" when it comes to situations like this.  The coach helped me put my gear on to prepare me for my shooting session.

Are you guys Team Legolas, Team Katniss or Team Daryl? I am Team Daryl all the way! 

Though I was secretly humming to "This girl is on fire! This girl is on fiii-iiire." while shooting. Haha!

There are more than 10 targets at Kodanda which means more than 10 people can shoot at the same time. 

That is just perfect for Barkada or Family Bonding session, don't you think?

Before shooting, you will be briefed by a Coach how to properly handle the arrows and the bow, explain some house rules and answer some questions from you. This was my second time at Kodanda so I didn't have any problem with the briefing.

And, YES! OMG! I am short! Haha!

Let's start shooting!

A funny yet helpful tip from me, though! If you want to come here yet you are conscious of your underarms, then be sure you wear something with sleeves! Hehe It is also advisable to wear something tight and sporty so you'd be able to move comfortably and to prevent your clothes from getting stuck on the bows.

First set! Some bows failed but I had one bullseye!

After each set, the coach will blow his whistle and you will have to leave your arrow and go to your target and reclaim/pull your own arrows.

Time really flies when you're having fun! I didn't notice our 1 hour was almost coming to an end!

The secret here is to keep your arms firm, your eyes sharp and the arrow steady. In one of the sets, I got 2 bullseye that hit the same center spot!

Hahaha! I like playing around! I was pretending there was an apple on my head and the archer successfully hit it!

We had so much fun shooting arrows! Thanks to Kodanda for inviting me again. Some people ask me why I blog stuff that are not Beauty nor Fashion related. It's because I like trying new stuff. I am not really a dare-devil but I am quite adventurous! Indoor Archery is just the perfect adventure for me!

With Luis, the owner of Kodanda Archery Range.

Oh, yeah! You also get to take home your target as a souvenir. Here are our targets! Who do you think did better? Are you Team Blue Chucks or Team Red Chucks? Hehe

Here is my OOTD. Black and Red is one of my favorite color combinations!

Thanks to my newly-found photographer for this cute OOTD photo! More OOTD and Photography sessions with you, I hope!

Thank you for reading today! Don't forget to check out Kodanda Archery Range. You may check out their Facebook page here for more information.

Vlog: Junca Hair Salon + New Camera (Casio TR60)

I recently discovered a new salon, it's the Junca Salon near ABS-CBN. It's a high-end Japanese salon that recently opened. I'm happy that I got to try it first. Today, I'll be sharing my experience at Junca.

This is what I saw when I went to the salon. I thought there was a press conference but turned out, this is just the usual set up at Junca.

LOCATION: 58 Sgt. Esguerra Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City

This is the interior of the salon. I was impressed because it doesn't look like the other salons I've been to. I really like the simple and modern interior that they did.

I know you missed our vlogs so I decided to film a video. I also got a new camera that I am very excited to review for you guys! It's my dream camera, the Casio Exilim TR60!
I hope you enjoy the video.

Let's be honest, one of the things that people want is to be treated as a VIP. Junca Salon has a VIP area for their VIP customers. It looks so cozy! I also like bright rooms with natural light from the sun so that's one of the things I appreciate about Junca Salon.

Because it's a Japanese Salon, of course they offer new hair technology to their customers!

Hey, girls and guys! I'm on Instagram! Please follow me if you haven't yet! User name is @RealAsianBeauty!

One of the new treatments that I've tried is this hydrogen infusion that infuses nutrients to the hair in a safe and non-damaging manner.

Have you guys heard of COLD HAIR IRON?! I tried it for the first time at Junca Salon! Instead of ironing hair using heat, they use cold/frozen treatment. This is called the Amino Acid hair treatment. 

They will apply the cream on hair and then they will iron the hair to let the hair absorb the cream. What makes this different is that they uses cold hair iron! How amazing is that?? I was impressed when I tried this new hair technology at Junca!

I really appreciate service workers that are eager about their work. My attendant that day, Rose, was very nice. I liked how she took care of me and made me feel really pampered.

By the way, a lot of you guys have been asking about the contact lenses that I use these days, It's the World Series Lenses that I got from www.LensCircle.com. I just alternate the colors Brown, Gray and Blue. I love it because though it does not look very natural, it looks subtle compared to lenses that have thick, dark circle around it. It also comes in three-tone color so the lenses pop against my dark brown eyes.

I had my haircut, too. Though I have to be honest that I did not like my haircut. It was plain and wasn't very appealing. I wish the stylist put more layer or curve to my hair when she cut it. I also think she should smile a bit more so her customer would feel more comfortable with her.
Looking at this picture, don't you agree she needs to smile more at her clients?

This is the final result of my hair makeover at Junca Salon! Yay! What do you think?

Because my nails were already ugly, I also decided to get my nails done.

Though I am a nail artist, I have to admit I haven't tried gel nail polish before. It's not because I am way behind the trend but maybe because I am not yet ready for that kind of commitment. I mean, 2 weeks with the same color is too much for me! I need to change it at least every 4 days!Hehe

I was excited to try the gel nail polish service at Junca!

If there is one color I can stand being with for 2 weeks or so, that color would definitely be PINK!

This is how it looks on my nails. The brand is not Orly but I just decided to put the nail polish around my hand to make the photo picturesque! Hehe

Thanks so much to Junca Salon for having me over as one of the first bloggers to ever visit their salon! Yay!

Here is a mini OOTD picture! Hehe

Can you guys tell I just had my haircut? Hehe Thanks, @JuncaSalon! #JuncaSalon #Japan #Japanese #OOTD

A photo posted by Kristine Roces (@realasianbeauty) on Mar 5, 2016 at 2:25am PST

Do you guys miss me doing OOTDs?I miss it, too! I wish I could get my DSLR from Canon back and meet a new fiend that would be willing to take my photos so I could post outfits for you guys again!

And in case you have not heard yet, I GOT A NEW CAMERA!! I've been announcing this everywhere so it's impossible that you missed that one great news! Hehe

It's my dream Casio Exilim TR60! You see Xiaxue and Cheeserland use this camera and now you will see me with it, too! Yay! I used this camera to film this Vlog video and to take all the photos in this blog post! How impressive!

I can't keep calm because I finally have my hands on my dream camera!! The Casio Exilim TR60! O.M.G. I got this from @Camerahaus! This is good news, guys! My favorite Casio Exilim cameras are now available here in the Philippines. Get yours at Camerahaus! #Casio #CasioTR60 #CasioExilim #Camerahaus #Camera #Japan #Japanese #photography #Kawaii #Selfie #Blogger #Youtuber #Gadgets #KeepCalmAnd

A photo posted by Kristine Roces (@realasianbeauty) on Mar 4, 2016 at 7:08pm PST

I got my Casio Exilim TR60 and my other Casio Exilim cameras from Camerahaus! Such a relief that now, I won't have to go abroad or order online just so I could get the latest Exilim cameras! And you won't have to, either. Camerahaus now sells Casio cameras! Yay!

For more details about Casio Exilim cameras, check out Casio Philippines Facebook Page HERE.

Thank you for reading today! Please stay tuned for a new video that I am editing now. Should be up Saturday or Sunday this week.

♥

Kristine

First Time at Enchanted Kingdom!

After 20 years of being open to the public, I was finally able to go to Enchanted Kingdom for the first time! Don't you think it's funny how I was able to go to Disneyland already but I haven't visited the only theme park we have here in the Philippines yet? I thought so, too! That's why my friend and I decided to finally go!

Enchanted Kingdom is located in Santa Rosa, Laguna, about 39 kilometers away from Manila.

At first, we thought traveling from Manila to Laguna would be difficult but were so glad E.K. has their own shuttle service so park goers could conveniently and safely travel going to their park. They have 2 stations but we decided to take the one in Ayala Park Avenue Station.

One way trip costs P150 and two way costs P300. I suggest taking the two way trip to secure a seat for you in the van later at night.

Travel time took less than an hour, surprisingly. My friend and I just talked about AlDub,because she's a hardcore AlDub fan, while we munched on the peanuts that my mom prepared for me. Next thing we knew, we were already in Enchanted Kingdom!

Entrance ticket costs Php500 for weekday entry and Php600 for weekend entry. We went on a Friday so we were supposed to only pay Php500 but the lady asked us for Php600 because according to her, Thursday was a holiday so it was considered a long weekend, hence the Php600 ticket!

The picture that has been long overdue! Hello, Eldar and the gates of your Enchanted Kingdom!

I went with my friend, Maine! She was the friend that I went with to Disneyland Hong Kong. She's also my travel buddy and one of my closest friends. I like travelling with her because she's so easy to get along with and we share almost 90% interests. Oh, did you want to see our Disneyland Hong Kong trip? Please click HERE.

Whenever we travel, Maine would be the organized one while I'm the free-loader, happy-go-lucky one.hehe She plans and studies the ways while I'm the one that likes stopping every now and then to take photos. hehe I'm so glad she's always patient and never gets annoyed.

We left Manila around 11:30 AM and got to the park less than an hour later. Our first ride was this. Since we were there early, there weren't too many people yet. It looks fun when you're on the ground, but this ride would make you feel dizzy. Like, seriously. It was not fun for me, at all! Hehe

After that, we explored  the park and couldn't help but reminisce our Disneyland trip! Of course, we didn't compare because it would be unfair for both parks to be compared to one another.

I loved the stuffed toys that I saw there, especially the Monkey stuffed toys!

I wish I went with a boyfriend so he could try to win at least one of the huge dolls for me. But, yeah, #foreveralone. hehe

Whenever I see animal stuffed toys, I always get caught between choosing the Pig or the Monkey!

We decided to take this theme park experience all the way by buying ourselves some sweets!

My crazy, crazy friend decided to ride this thing called Space Shuttle. I don't know what I was thinking! I didn't even ask how or why. I just said "Game!" I should have said "But I love my life..." or something along that line...

It was so scary! When it was slowly going up and I could feel the nervousness kicking in, I started shouting "I want to go back down, I was just joking that I wanted to ride this!' Haha! It was so scary, I am telling you. I usually never take rides that have loops or steep down falls. This ride, I'm never taking again! It was fun, yes. And thrilling, at that. But it was so scary and fast and steep!

After that, we decided to take the EKstreme Drop/Tower. My friend wanted to take it because she likes thrills. I wanted to take it because I got curious because Yaya Dub/Maine cried when she rode this. Yes, just out of plain curiosity!

It is scary, but it's the fun kind of scary. I love watching people's reactions before the drop and after the drop. Before the drop, everyone would be scared and nervous, but after the drop, everyone would just be laughing! This is my favorite ride! We took it thrice!!

On the 3rd take, I sat beside a guy. I was still nervous and still shouted so loud while it was falling. When the wagon was already on the ground, I was still in shock but then the guy beside me stood up and unbuckled my seatbelt. I didn't bother saying thanks because I was still in a state of shock. When we left the ride, my friend told me that the guy that removed my belt was cute and that I should've said thanks to strike a conversation. I remember seeing the guy and he did look cute and has nice sense of fashion. I would have said thanks if only he allowed me to release my shock before making a move. hehe

If wishes made on a well do come true, what would you wish for?

My friend rode this and she said she didn't like it. I told you she likes thrills and heights but according to her, this one was not fun but rather just made her extremely dizzy.

I ate our candies while she was riding it.

Then, we decided to go inside the Kubot Haunted House, It was not a part of the ride-all-you-can ticket so we had to pay additional Php75.

Because we had to pay additional for it, we were expecting it would be spectacular and extremely scary. Like something that would not let us sleep alone in the dark for a couple of nights.

But to our surprise, it was not as scary as how we were expecting it to be. It was just a dark room with some actors that would chase you around. Occasionally, they would go near your ear and say "Hi, miss." or "I love you, can I get your number?" Like, OMG. The haunted house in Star City was even more scarier than this. Kubot was so plain! Star City's haunted mansion has a lot of scary decoations that still haunt me now when I think of them.

Though, I got scared a bit. It's because we went there with four Grade 6  students that kept shouting and won't move forward.

Carousels are always picturesque!

I like how I look in this picture. It looks like I was feeling something from within. Like pure love or sincere happiness. But in reality, the wind suddenly blew towards us so the water sprinkled on me but I had to pretend they were not existing so my friend could proceed to taking a photo of me. Hehe

Then we rode the Riogrande Rapids. I always avoid taking rides like this. It's not because I don't like it or because i'm a fun-killer but because I dislike the feeling of wet hair and wet clothes. But my friend really wanted to ride it so I had no choice but to go with her.

Soaking wet! Hehe That's why if you want to ride this, you better bring extra clothes. Also, make sure your bag is waterproof and your gadgets have been wrapped in plastic to prevent them from getting wet.
But the ride was surely fun and exciting! I would definitely ride it again. Next time,I'm thinking of riding it first so my clothes would get dried while I'm at the park and then ride it again before heading home so I won't bother anymore even if I'm soaking wet.

Maine wanted to go inside the Rialto Theater for a 4D experience. We've already tried it at the Mickey Theater in Disneyland. But we also wanted to see what our own park offers. But the line was long and according to the girl, we would have to wait for 40 minutes! So we just decided to skip it so we could enjoy the park more.

My friend wanted to ride the Space Shuttle again. She kept on begging me for us to ride it again. But I'm still young and I have so many dreams I want to achieve. Lol! I told her I can't take it again. So, she took it again, ALONE! Hehe Here is a photo of us. I was on the ground while she was there, upside down in the roller coaster!

Alone time means Selfie Time! I used my Casio ZR3500 for the photos! I have a review on that camera, please CLICK HERE for the review.

I wanted to win one of the stuffed toys so bad so I played one of their games. There were easier games but I tired here because I really liked and wanted to take home the huge monkey with the blue earphones! This was the only store I saw that had this kind of monkey!

I tried and tired, but still failed. My friend even tried playing another game just so she could win a monkey stuffed toy for me but Year of the Monkey's luck wasn't on our side that night.

Okay, so just take a picture with the monkey! Hehe

I have also been wanting to ride a big Ferris Wheel so I could have a birds eye view of sunset. But because Enchanted Kingdom decided to reserve the best time slot for their "Dinner date" promo, we had to wait until 7 PM until we could ride it. Too bad! I was wanting to see the sunset from the top.

Anyway, here's what we saw when we rode it.

Because our clothes were still wet from riding the Riogrande Rapids, we felt colder and we were chilling. Good thing, my friend was able to take this nice candid shot of me. Hehe

One of the things I was most excited about was the fireworks display part. Maine and I cried when we experienced the Disneyland fireworks for the first time. We missed the feeling so we were excited to see what Enchanted Kingdom offers.

We also looked forward to the night parade. We didn't get to take a photo with Eldar in the afternoon so we grabbed this chance to take a photo with him when he passed by us.

At the latter part of the show, the performers/mascots gathered at the center of the park. The spectators formed a circle around them, too. I was shocked when Eldar came to me and invited me over to the center of the park to dance with them. I was overwhelmed. I felt like a kid picked by a clown at a birthday party to be the "sampler" for a magic trick. hehe I felt... special!

Then, the fireworks lit up! It was amazing, just like how fireworks always are. I always get amazed and awwed by fireworks. When I get married, I promise I will have fireworks at the end of the ceremony, too!

However, the fireworks was short. I guess Enchanted Kingdom doesn't want to spend too much on that part. Which reminded me that SM MOA Pyrolympics is currently on going. I wonder which of my friends should I bug this time to go with me to watch it! Hehe

That's how first-timers enjoyed Enchanted Kingdom. Now we can tick-off EK off our bucket list.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog! Oh, guys! I got a new camera so I was able to film a new vlog video! Have you seen it? Click here to watch our new vlog using my newest Casio Exilim TR60 Camera! Yay!

Thanks for reading!

♥

Kristine