Monthly Archives: July 2016

Blogs, Food

WTE Copenhagen: Hija de Sanchez

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A lot of you might have heard about the famed 2 Michelin Star restaurant NOMA. It is truly a place for foodies and culinarian alike. It is so famous around the globe to the point that all aspiring chefs would like to experience working there under the supervision of no less than René Redzepi.

So when the news broke out that its pastry chef Rosio Sanchez left NOMA to start her own business venture, everyone was shocked and at the same time thrilled on what and how she will do outside the revered 2 Michelin Star resto.

And ‘lo and behold, she did well! I mean so well that on the opening day of her stand called Hija de Sanchez, she said on an interview via Vogue Magazine that “Sunday we had the longest line I’ve ever seen.” Of course I will never let the opportunity pass. A week after my husband and I arrived in Copenhagen we went and tried this coveted taqueria stand.

I can’t really say much about it but all I know is that it’s the best taco I have ever had.Try their Ice Pops called Paletas. It taste beyond perfection! If you want to experience ultimate foodgasm without breaking a bank, go to Hija de Sanchez!

Locations:

Torvehallerne, Frederiksborggade 21

and

Slagterboderne 8

PS.

WTE means Where to Eat!

 

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Blogs, Uncategorized

It’s the Thought that Counts

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“Sharing is caring”, may seem like one the world’s most cliché adage.  (Time is gold tops it.) We hear it almost every day of our life. We know that we ought to help one another. We ought to share our blessing. We know that we ought to help without expecting anything in return.

But why is it so hard to do?

Last Sunday, July 10, 2016, my husband and I attended the mass. The sermon that father gave was about Sharing. He spoke about sharing your time, talent and treasure. This concept is not new to me. I have always loved helping people. When I was younger, I would go up the mountains, to far-flung places even, just to help our less fortunate brothers and sisters through teaching them or to simply just giving them small gifts. The children in the area cannot go to school because the nearest one is about 3 hours walk from their area and mind you, the way there is not easy. You have to cross mountains, walk through slippery slopes and even walk through a bridge made of two bamboo trees/stems tied together.

Every time I go to those areas, I feel like I was always hanging for dear life. Apart from those far-flung areas, I have been to areas where armed rebels have devastated so the chances of them coming back is not remote and, ‘lo and behold,it did happen once or twice. I know it is dangerous, I know it is tiring but there is always something that pulls me back every time I feel like I can not do it anymore.

At first, I thought it was my love for the children that motivates me. Seeing them smile made me really happy but while listening to the sermon last Sunday, I realized it was not just their smile that motivated me. It was the joy of giving that was filling me. The happiness that I felt seeing the kids smile and knowing that I have been an instrument of the happiness that they feel overwhelmed me. It feels so good to know that even though I was just doing a small thing, it made them glad and it mattered to them.

However, when we (my husband and I) moved here in Denmark, I felt like it is hard to share our treasure with other people. Honestly, my husband and I are not rich. We live a comfortable life but we are not rich. Apart from that, Denmark is a very expensive country! As much as we want to give to the less fortunate, financial constraints limit the help we can give. We are not complaining, though. We know that we are really lucky and we are so blessed to be living the life that we have. And since we feel really blessed, we want to pass it forward. We want to help others who are in need and share our blessings.

So my husband and I thought of ways to help others without the thought of financial constraints limit us. We accepted the fact that we cannot share TREASURE as much as we want so we focused on sharing our TIME and TALENT.

How did we do it? 

Simple. When we have friends who ask us for help in moving heavy things in their unit, we go and help. We offer our time to look after their kids if they are busy. We spend time with them and just do nothing but listen if they are going through tough times. When they are celebrating a milestone in their life, my husband volunteers as photographer/videographer and me as host/emcee. No buts, no excuses. Expecting nothing in return.

I know what these are just little things but it does not matter. What matters to my husband and I is that we are doing it from the heart. We just want to help, and if these are just what we can do, then be it. At the end of the day, it is always the thought that counts.

 

Photo credit: cogdogblog via Foter.com / CC BY

Blogs, Travel

UK Visa Application Guide

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I have read in many group pages a lot of query about visas going to London. For European citizens, this might be a puzzling question because they do not need any visa at all, but for us Asians especially Filipinos, this is not new.As I have mentioned in my previous Blog, 5 Important Tips in Traveling, visa inquiries/passport regulations are always and should be on top of our deciding factors whether we will go to a country or not.

These past few months, my husband and I have been scouring for cheap tickets and the cheapest that we always find is a RyanAir flight bound to London. So we decided to book the flight and then go to London. Now here comes the bloody part, visa application.

We are fortunate enough to have never experienced rejections in any country that we want to visit and so we prayed that the UK will not be the first. I have been dreaming about going to London ever since I was young. So going there will surely feel like re-living my childhood dreams and memories!

The first thing we did is to comply the documents for the visa requirements.

Here is the list of documents that you need.

  • Current passport or other valid travel identification
  • Evidence that you can support yourself during the trip. E.g. bank statements or payslip for the last 6 months

Seems easy right? But they can ask for more documents if they want to. So here is the list of documents that you MIGHT need but be sure to give these just when SPECIFICALLY asked to.

  •  bank statements or letters issued more than 1 year before the date of application
  •  driving licence
  •  photographs (other than passport photographs required in section 1)
  •  notarial certificates
  •  business cards
  •  hotel bookings
  •  flight bookings
  •  photocopies of bank cards
  •  credit card statements
  •  certificates relating to leisure activities
  •  evidence of car ownership
  •  travel insurance
  •  sponsor’s utility bills
  •  sponsor’s council tax bill

After you have prepared all the documents that you need, you have to register and apply  in GOV.The UK and pay the application fee. Just to give you and idea, my husband and I paid 190 Euros each for 6 months’ multiple entry visas. Expensive, I know.  But I’m sure it will be worth it! (I need to tell this to myself every day just so I can move on from the fact that it is really expensive!)

After registering in GOV.uk you have to register again in their outsource company under Teleperformance. It is called TLSContact. It is important that you sign up on this website so that you can track your application. Also, it is in their service center where you will pass the requirements. Their address is,

UK Visa Application Centre
Regus Copenhagen
Orestad Fairway House
Arne Jacobsens Alle 7
Center Boulevard
S 2300 Copenhagen
Denmark

Before you go to your appointment, make sure that you have everything that you need. Here is a checklist that they provided in TLSContact.

  • printed copies of your appointment confirmation,
  • printed receipt(s) of payment of Added Value Services if applicable,
  • original documents,
  • online application form,
  • passport,
  • residence permit if applicable,
  • other documents you want to be considered.

So as you can see in the list, you need to bring the copy of your payment receipt. You will receive this copy via email after you paid the application fee, so make sure to print it out.

Okay, now, let me tell you what I submitted for the application. I submitted a lot of documents! Since it was mentioned that I can bring any documents that I want to be considered, I took the liberty of taking all the documents that I have!

Here is the list of documents I submitted excluding the above-mentioned requirements.

  • Photocopy of my passports. (Old and New)
  • Marriage certificate
  • Birth certificate
  • Hotel booking
  • Airline booking
  • EU residence permit (Pink Card) and Social Security Card (Yellow Card)
  • Personal bank statement
  • Shared bank account statement of my husband and I
  • My husband’s bank statement
  • My husbands’ certificate of employment

You might be wondering why I included my husbands’ Certificate of Employment. The reason is actually very simple. I wrote in my application that I am TOTALLY dependent on my husband so I included his bank statement to prove that he has the capacity to pay for our trip and also his Certificate of Employment for them to know that we will not stay in the UK more than what we are supposed to because he has a job that he has to go back to. Let’s call it perks of being married. So what’s his is mine and what’s mine is…uhmm…I actually have nothing. Joke!

Now,for my tips during the interview.

Visa applications are always tough but it is doable! Just always remember though that when you are applying for a visa,you have to look presentable and likable. Smile and greet everyone you meet there. And the most important thing, be honest on what you write in your application. They always have a way of finding out the truth.  The processing time is just about two weeks Good luck and enjoy the UK!

P.S.

For security reasons, I will not post a copy of our visa. Rather we will post a picture of our trip to London after our vacation. 🙂 Happy traveling!