The view from Mount Eden. For me, the vibe in Auckland is so laid-back that it seems more like a province than a city. The central business district (CBD) has very few skyscrapers, most stores close early, and the place isn't noisy. All combined, it made for a great starting point to our last holiday as a carefree couple (our baby is due in March)!

I highly recommend staying in the CBD area as supermarkets, banks, and more importantly, tons of food options are just a short walk away.

One such option is Mrs. Higgins Oven Fresh Cookies which serves them just the way I like them - soft and chewy.

I must say that I bought their cookies for two days straight and would have gone for a third had it not been for time constraints. And at NZD 2 per cookie (NZD 3.80 if you buy two), it made walking down Queen Street even more enjoyable. I actually regret not buying in bulk - they sell 10 cookies at NZD 17. Skip the brownies though as they're rather dry.

Another cheap food fix is Sal's Authentic New York Pizza. At NZD 5 per slice, you can already have a light dinner. Earl and I shared three slices and that was more than enough for both of us.

A few steps away from the cookie and the pizza place is Giapo Haute Ice Cream. If you check TripAdvisor, they are currently ranked as number one out of 1,242 restaurants in Auckland.

It's NZD 7 per flavor, but we opted for the two flavor version at NZD 8.50. Earl chose Cookies and Cream and I ordered Kiss Kiss (chocolate with hazelnut). While it certainly looked like a work of art, I still prefer Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

For those visiting Auckland for the first time, here are a couple of pointers you may find useful:

Airport Transfer Options

1.) Airbus Express

- Rate per person: NZD $28 round-trip
*They also have a package rate for families (two adults and three children) - just check their website.

- Travel Time: 40-60 minutes

- Pros: Cheapest option and tickets can be purchased online.
- Cons: Depending on the number of passengers and where you're staying, travel time could be longer due to multiple stops. You may also need to walk the rest of way as the bus will only go to the designated stopping points.

2.) Super Shuttle

- Rate per person: NZD 70 round-trip
*This is before taxes and based on a shared ride. If there are two of you, the rate is NZD 86 for both.

- Travel Time: 45-50 minutes

- Pros: They use a smaller van so not too many stops along the way and they will drop you off directly at your hotel. You can pay for it online so no need to think about change.
- Cons: You could still end up going around the city if the shuttle is full and your hotel is the last stop on their list.

3.) Discount Taxis

- Rate for up to four (4) persons:
NZD 40 - going to the CBD area
NZD 35 - going to the airport

- Travel Time: 35 minutes

- Pros: They will go straight to your hotel and you won't have to deal with other passengers. If there are at least two of you, this is cheaper than the shuttle.
- Cons: They only accept cash payments.

4.) Regular Metered Taxis: Corporate Cabs and Auckland Co-op Taxi

- Rate for up to four (4) persons: depends on your destination, but approximately NSD 60-100 to the CBD area.

- Travel Time: 35 minutes

- Pros: They will go straight to your hotel and you won't have to deal with other passengers.
- Cons: This is the most expensive option especially if there's heavy traffic.

We chose Discount Taxis as I didn't want the hassle of figuring out the bus stop route and we get more privacy.

Foreign Exchange

If possible, have your money changed before arriving in New Zealand. The rates at both the airport and in the city are not great and the one at the airport comes with a NZD 10 commission.

Auckland Savings Bank (ASB) posts their rates online and you can use their Foreign Exchange Calculator to compare.

We were lucky that my parents had just visited Auckland a few months ago so they were able to warn us. Here's what the difference looks like:

SGD 500 = NZD 493 - changed in Singapore
SGD 500 = NZD 455 - changed in Auckland (inclusive of NZD 10 fee)

Mission San Juan Capistrano

The baby isn't even born yet and it's already changing the way we do things. Earl and I were in Los Angeles last week, but we decided to make this trip as relaxing as possible so as not to stress me (and the baby) out. Basically, it was a shop and eat trip where we hardly did any sightseeing except for a few places such as this one.

Founded in 1776, it is where you can find the Serra Chapel (pictured above) which is the oldest building in California in continuous use.

The mission was quite pretty and I'm glad we went, though the best time to go might be late in the afternoon when the sun isn't too hot.

Life Happened

Arriving in 2015:

Maybe it's the nausea, but I barely have enough energy to turn on the computer these days and it doesn't help that I'm always sleepy. I've been pretty lucky though that I have yet to actually throw up.

Speaking of luck, the fact that we're even pregnant is a blessing. This baby was courtesy of a very long, painful, and expensive process called in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Though to be honest, I was initially resentful that we needed to go through all this trouble when so many people are dumping their offspring in garbage cans. I had to constantly remind myself to be thankful we're able to afford this procedure and that it resulted in a positive outcome on our first try.

Note: We've decided to skip the down syndrome test as we're having this baby no matter what happens.

Now that we're on our second trimester, I've started to become very excited! I'm already mentally planning the baptism and the first birthday party. I am aware that it's still too early to prepare for the baby, but first on the list will be to find a bigger apartment. Also, we plan to give birth in Manila as it will be way too costly to do it here in Singapore. It's a good thing Earl's boss has kindly allowed him to be based in the Philippines for three months so he doesn't have to shuttle back and forth too often.

Second on my list is to travel before the baby arrives. Of course, I have to be mindful of our budget and the baby (can't get too stressed), but so far we've arranged to go to Los Angeles this month and New Zealand in November. We used Earl's miles for both flights so the tickets were a bargain.

As for this blog, things will get a little quiet from time to time as currently, all I want to do is nap.