Everyday Life

Nuvali Shuttle Service to Makati and vice-versa

Everyday Life

UPDATE as of Sept. 29, 2012:  We went to the Terminal to take the 8am shuttle last Thursday, and were very upset to be told that there were only two trips that day, and the last shuttle had left at 7:30am.  Nuvali management should be more responsible in posting schedules — this is not the first time they\’ve advertised shuttles only to let commuters down.

Spotted at the entrance of the Nuvali Terminal just last September 14, 2012.

\"Living

Harvest time!

Farming and Gardening Food Sustainable Living,

GIANT Langka from our Tagaytay garden:

Don’t they just make you smile? 🙂

Harvested 3 huge ones just last week, and another one over the weekend.

When it came to cutting them open, didn\’t want to stain my fingers with the smell, so took a knife and fork and sliced away methodically.  Was surprisingly therapeutic, felt as if I was carving meat.

Also very happy to harvest so many bananas and papayas:

Great for breakfast smoothies.  They\’re all very delicious, and taste ever the sweetest because they\’re homegrown.

🙂

Will need to decide on what to plant in my Nuvali garden soon.  Space is small so need to plan properly.   Care to share what you\’ve planted in yours?

Jungle is gone (for now)

Everyday Life,

I don\’t know whether Avida management responded to a collective call for landscaping maintenance in ASNU or if they really had grass-cutting scheduled last week, but I was happy to see this on my last visit:

\"Avida

Freshly cut grass in Phases 1-3 of Avida Settings Nuvali.

According to the roving guard, Phase 4 is still a construction zone, so they concentrated on the first 3 areas for now.

\"Avida

Hope the grass stays trimmed, especially since we can only expect more rains (lush greens) in the coming months!

How are Avida houses in Nuvali made?

Everyday Life, ,

Ever since I started building the house, I\’ve been more interested in different construction methods and techniques. I\’ve also documented, whenever I could, the way the different house models (Celena, Maia, Thea) were being constructed by Ayala subcontractors in Avida Settings Nuvali.

Thought to put them together here for everyone\’s benefit, also prompted by a recent exchange on the Skyscrapercity-Nuvali thread:

Concrete slabs for the Celena next door
\"Avida

Flooring works
\"Avida

Papa looking at ongoing construction of a Thea in Phase 4:
\"Avida

\"Avida

Insulation and roofing:
\"Avida

\"Avida

A Celena unit nearly done:
\"Avida

\"Avida

Exterior finishing:

\"Avida

Venare Section J Launch today – a successful last hurrah

Everyday Life,

\"Venare

When we saw the tents from afar, we thought they occupied too big a space for the selling event today, but wow, we were surprised to be greeted by so many people so intent on buying in Venare!

Section J is the last section of Venare, and considered by many to be the best.

It should\’ve come as no surprise then that there was an overwhelming response to Alveo\’s call for Letters of Intent, officially announced last January 17, 2012.

We had clients who lined up as early as December, but we were also glad to have been able to help even those who submitted LOIs just before the deadline last Thursday.

\"Venare

The queue for bulk buyers or those who want to buy more than one lot (one expressed intent to buy 8!), reached past 26, and single buyers started getting their chance at lot selection past 1pm:

\"Venare

\"Venare

Mom and Dad tagged along as they\’ve never experienced a priority selling event before, and mom kept close guard of the map and lot availability as the day progressed.

\"Venare

Here\’s the aftermath, as of 3:15 pm February 5, 2012, with taken lots in pink:

\"Venare

There were still a number of people waiting in line after the priority selling, so I assume more lots would\’ve been taken before the day ended.

If you are interested in a lot in Venare, contact me johanna@metrorealty.ph or 0920-9624116 so I can give you a heads up on remaining inventory asap.

Quiet and bridges

Everyday Life

I saw a TV feature on a Chinese painter the other night. Asked about his process, he said that everyday, he keeps quiet. He sets aside time to be quiet, then he paints. And he does these alone.

It’s a solitary act, to paint and create, and I’ve returned many times to the question of whether it’s an act for me, whether I’d be happy being solitary most of the time, every single day.

Honest answer: I found myself wishing for the same quiet time that that artist had. Honest-to-goodness quiet time, with no phones, no emails to answer, no urgency to attend to, no loose ends waiting for me to resolve, no one waiting for me to respond.

My ideal everyday would be spent quietly, with time for socials yes, but generally, it is a day spent slowly, without hurry or worry. My idea of “work”, which is really just a word for the most effective way to spend our most productive hours, is being alone, sometimes doing nothing but being alone. Because ironically it’s when I’m allowed my alone time that I’m able to be a better friend, sister, daughter, aunt. It’s when I’m able to see clearly, speak with weight, and create with courage. When everydays are noisy, all I can muster, when I do get to put anything out there, is a making-do, a pwede na.

A bridge maybe.

But bridges must lead to somewhere. And for now, that somewhere is the quiet. I want to get to the quiet.

Bridges are also what will get us to that somewhere, I know this. And for all of us who make do, who want more but also cherish what’s before and around us, I say thank you and good luck. There is courage too in bridging. It pushes us forward and gives a taste, of what’s to come.

Elaro update – gently rolling lots in Nuvali

Everyday Life,

\"Elaro

Late last December, I got to visit the newly opened Elaro sales tent on-site (pictured above), which sits on an elevated lot facing the Amenity Core or main park.

Elaro was launched in early August 2011, and three months after, by  mid-November, we were already sifting through lots for sale in Tranche #3.

What makes Elaro extra beautiful in my book?  I already wrote about its rolling terrain and abundant trees, but I think it worthwhile to point out again that Elaro is located in a beautiful part of Nuvali Central that\’s bounded by a bird and wildlife sanctuary.   No fail, whenever I visit the site, I see birds in interesting shapes and sizes, but most heart-tugging of all is the variety of birdcalls.

The next time you\’re in the area, roll down your windows and just take in the symphony of birdsong — it will really transport you to another place. 🙂

If you\’re interested in the latest lot availability in Elaro, click below.

[dm]12[/dm]

Also read this project brief on Elaro.

For more information and updates, contact me at johanna@metrorealty.ph, 0920-9624116 or 806-0939.

Commuting to Nuvali (as of January 2012)

Everyday Life

Here\’s the latest update on the Nuvali Transport Terminal, which went on soft opening last November 2011:

\"Nuvali

Serviced routes now include Nuvali – Ortigas, Alabang Town Center, Balibago and Makati.
\"Nuvali

\"Nuvali
The Transport Terminal is also accessible from the Sta. Rosa – Tagaytay road, and if you ask for route info, guards by the entrance hand out these flyers…
\"Nuvali
which detail shuttle schedules and pick up/drop off points:
\"Nuvali

Seeing the very empty terminal, I asked the guard on duty if these schedules are actually followed, and he gave me these numbers to contact, just be to sure:
\"Nuvali

\"Nuvali

I read on the Facebook fanpage of Nuvali that the shuttle to and from Ortigas costs P85 one way.   Would be great if anyone could actually confirm this– if true, it sure beats my driving cost  of P900 roundtrip.

Time to commute to Nuvali!

Nuvali Transport Terminal is ready for service!

Everyday Life

Update as of January 2012: http://mynuvalihome.com/2012/01/commuting-to-nuvali-as-of-january-2012/

So cool.  Can\’t wait to try this out.

\"\"

Found via @typicarlo.

Update:  Sharing more info from the Nuvali.ph Facebook page:

Jam Liner buses will pick-up passengers from NUVALI to Makati from 6am-7am only, while the Makati to NUVALI bus route is from 5:30pm to 6pm. The East Drive and Highway Drive pick-up point is located at the back of Hotel Intercontinental.

Update as of January 2012: http://mynuvalihome.com/2012/01/commuting-to-nuvali-as-of-january-2012/

Taking the Mamplasan shortcut to Nuvali

Everyday Life

Just got our Nuvali and Greenfield stickers– finally we get to take the Mamplasan exit to Nuvali-Tagaytay!

\"Along

Before this we had two exit options:  via Eton, which is two exits away (about another 10 kilometers) from Mamplasan, or via Sta. Rosa, which we avoid like the plague because of heavy traffic from tricycles, jeepneys and buses along the Sta. Rosa road.

To be able to pass through Mamplasan, we applied for the two stickers below:

\"Nuvali

Sticker application is quick and painless, if not for the hefty fees– the Avida Settings Nuvali sticker cost P100, but the Greenfield Parkway sticker was P750.

Given the rising gas prices and toll fees (we start paying VAT on toll next month, boo!), I\’ll gladly take any shortcut to save on expenses.   There\’s also the time saved, and the joy of driving through uncrowded roads.

\"Along

\"Along

\"Along

Things to get ready in case you also plan to apply for stickers (applicable to Nuvali residents):

Greenfield Sticker

  1. Filled out application form, signed/endorsed by Nuvali
  2. Photocopy of the latest OR and CR of your car
  3. P750 sticker fee
I suggest you pass for the Greenfield form on your way to Nuvali, so you can have it signed by your village admin while you apply for your Nuvali sticker.  Make sure you also note down your TIN as you\’ll need to include it on the form.

 

Nuvali sticker (via Avida Settings)

  1. Filled out application form
  2. Photocopy of your driver\’s license
  3. Copy of the latest OR and CR of your car
  4. P100 sticker fee