All posts by Heart2Heart

Dinner with the Maharajah of Jodhpur

By | Celebrations, Travel | 3 Comments

We were so thrilled to be invited to the Palace by the Maharaja!!!  In celebration of Diwali, His Royal Highness invited us to his Fort ( Mehrangarth Fort ) for dinner!!  Of course we accepted! 🙂

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Everyone got dressed for the occassion!  I wish we had a Saree to wear!

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I am so happy my husband is so GAME!  He wore a turban!  LOVE IT!  The Maharajah really looked at him and said ” You look like one of us!”  and he looked at James when we greeted him and when he said goodbye to us 🙂

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With our tour guide Raj!  His uncle works for the Maharajah so he has access too 🙂  We love Raj!  

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I forgot my bindi!

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This was the old Fort, Mehrangarth Fort, where the dinner was held

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As you enter, camels welcoming you 

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Music

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More camels

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Wow, walking up the castle

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The view of the City of Jodhpur!  BEAUTIFUL!  Later on you will see lots of fireworks in celebration of Diwali

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Musicians on the roof

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The India group 🙂

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I am telling you, we are beginning to look Indian – look at Mom! haha

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What an honor!!! To have the Maharajah sit with us on the table

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Later on Her Majesty arrived so photo opportunity also!

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What a long buffet table!! with a delicious Indian spread!!

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Better Than New. And Yes, You’ll Need a Bigger Spoon

By | Golden Spoon, Yummy! | No Comments

Finally after a year of renovation in the mall as Shangri-la Plaza Mall was building their annex

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Golden Spoon reopens!!! 

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And with the reopening of the flagship store, Golden Spoon is the first to launch the new concept of weightless pricing.  When everyone else is paying by the weight, Golden Spoon allows you to fill your cup with as much yogurt and toppings as you want

Golden Spoon’s take on frozen yogurt has long ascribed the brand to be the “ice cream lover’s frozen yogurt” of choice, with its unique in-house developed flavors and premium yogurt formulations. However, it does not limit its innovations to its one-of-a-kind yogurt flavors that mimic a premium ice cream experience. With its 30th anniversary coming up in 2013, Golden Spoon has opted to take this year to embark on an extensive retail rebranding.

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Not only has the company continually launched new flavors; it has also updated the look of its stores, came up with a new logo, and revitalized the overall look and feel of its brand

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But above all, Golden Spoon has also introduced new and creative concepts that will transform and improve the entire customer experience. The company recently introduced a retail store concept that is sure to send shockwaves throughout the industry, CEO Roger Clawson says. “It is a highly innovative retail experience called ‘Weightless Pricing’.”

Weightless Pricing is the first-of-its-kind pricing and service offering that allows customers to pay in advance on a simple, fixed price, per cup basis. The consumer pays first and is given the option of the “concierge” or “artist” service options. Through the “concierge” option, the stores have retained the tradition of providing full-service for which Golden Spoon excels above all others.

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On the other hand, with the“artist” option, it now also provides an innovative self-service component.

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Weightless Pricing is the ultimate in healthy dessert bingeingIf you can pile it in, it’s yours at no additional cost no matter the weight.

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We have created a warm, clean and orderly environment in which our customers can do it themselves or where we can offer assistance or suggestions.  Our staff is trained in the tradition of Golden Spoon to provide information on calorie considerations, swirling of certain flavors and combinations with certain toppings.  

This is a far cry from the usual slap and clap experience in most food retail stores outside of fine dining. With its “Weightless Pricing” dynamic, Golden Spoon brings the “best value for money” ideal into true form.

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“One of the things consumers despise of the weigh and pay model is the ugly surprise at the end of the process,” Clawson said. “…The choice is now the customers’ and they seem to love having options that cater to their individual mood and needs.”, he adds. With Weightless Pricing, customers have the freedom to create their own dessert without worrying about the cost tied to the total weight.gs-launch-08.jpeggs-launch-04.jpeggs-launch-05.jpeggs-launch-06.jpeggs-launch-07.jpeggs-launch-09.jpeggs-launch-010.jpeggs-launch-011.jpeggs-launch-012.jpeggs-launch-013.jpeggs-launch-014.jpeggs-launch-015.jpeggs-launch-017.jpeggs-launch-018.jpeggs-launch-019.jpeggs-launch-020.jpeggs-launch-021.jpeggs-launch-023.jpeggs-launch-022.jpeg 

Golden Spoon’s famed take on sweet and creamy frozen yogurt blends and its superior execution of quality service has brought slews of avid frozen yogurt aficionados. It is now available in nearly 130 stores open in different parts of the world such as in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Colorado, as well as in Canada, Japan and Qatar. Check out any (or all) of their well-followed branches here in the Philippines – Paseo de Magallanes, New Port, Shangri-la Plaza Cineplex, Shangri-la Plaza Mall, The Podium, Greenhills Theater, Eastwood Mall, Trinoma, Glorietta 5, Ayala Triangle Gardens, St. Luke’s (Fort Bonifacio, Global City), Alabang Town Center, Paseo Center, San Antonio Plaza Arcade in Forbes Park, as well as its first outlet outside of Metro Manila, the store in SM Northwing (Cebu).

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Umaid Bhawan Palace Rooms

By | Accomodations, Travel | No Comments

Took a peek at a suite

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Living room leading to the bathroom, the master bedroom and another door to the dressing room

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Our room 🙂  A unique door which has a door before the door and then curtains for privacy 🙂

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View from the window of the dressing room

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Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur

By | Accomodations, Travel | No Comments

Just when I thought I saw the best hotel ever, we arrive at out next hotel and get shocked to see another palace that just takes your breath away!! I did not do any research before going because I wanted to be surprised and indeed every next adventure was a pleasant surprise!!!

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The same group as Rambagh Palace in Jaipur – The TAJ Hotels, Resorts and Palaces 

Previous entry:  Rambagh Palace Jaipur by the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces December 3, 2012

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I love the drama whenever we arrive 🙂  Each hotel has their own unique way of welcoming their guests and they really make you feel important- just like a Maharaja/ Maharani 🙂 

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Leigh and bindi 🙂

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Further down

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Amazing!! I tried to get a full shot of this but just could not because it was really very high- I was already on the floor taking this 

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The ceiling

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Happy Diwali! 🙂 Beautiful fresh flowers and rose petals on the floor

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Turn left wing or right wing, we were left wing 🙂

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The Maharaja and his family live in this part of the Palace.  The government was taxing palaces so high – they either made part into a museum or a hotel

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Main entrance to their home which is part of the courtyard that we pass

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At night, they light small tealight all around this courtyard!!!  SO SO BEAUTIFUL!! I was not able to capture it so well but it was really amazing.  Each arch had a tea light which went around the courtyard

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Click below to go to their website for more info

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Dung Paddies

By | Animals and Pets, Great Inventions, Green, Travel | No Comments

I think I am never going to run out of stories from India!  They are such a unique culture!  

Donkeys on the road 🙂 aside from cows, bulls, camels and dogs

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bulls

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A herd of bulls blocking our way

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On the road going out of Jaipur towards Jodhpur, there were a lot of Dung paddies.  Dung paddies are made out of the feces of cows and bulls

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They collect them and with their bare hands, they form them into patties

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They are then dried under the sun and being used in their homes as charcoal/fuel for cooking!  No need to buy gas 🙂

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Doors in India

By | Homes and Interiors, Travel | No Comments

In one of the shows of Million Dollar Decorators, Mary Mcdonald went to India and she described it so well- “India in its nature  is very design related.  There is this hyper awareness of color and texture, pattern and they spent centuries perfecting this.”  

Aside from taking photos of elephants 🙂  I also took photos of doors!!!  There were so many kinds of doors – so unique and so beautiful!  This is dedicated to my Dad who loves antique doors 🙂 

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Risala at The Rambagh Palace Jaipur

By | Foodie, Travel | No Comments

Our last night in Jaipur, we had dinner in the hotel 🙂

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The menu is a mixture of Indian food and Continental – so everyone was happy 

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Foie!

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They make good Italian food in India- the risotto at least.  Dad always orders this so I got to try his risotto in around 3 restaurants in India and they were all good!

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My sisters second favorite Indian desert ( after Gulab Jamun ) – Malpua 🙂

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