Chipmunks 2 and Avatar

December 28, 2009 (Monday) - It was a very quiet day in office cos most of the staff were not working. After work, I watched Chipmuncks 2. Surprisingly, extra lang naman pala si Charise, akala ko pa naman one of the Chippets na sya.

December 30, 2009 (Wednesday) - I was on leave this day cos I have to clear at least one day for the 2009 else my annual leave will be forfeited. And on this day, I finally managed to book a seat for the Avatar movie, that was after two weeks of trying my luck to book a ticket.

And true enough, this movie will change the movie calibre cos it has set the standard to its highest. For once, parang naramdaman ko na ako ang Alien na naninira ng isang planeta. Yung maka-connect ka sa movie ang goal ng isang movie, and it just happened.

After the movie, napadaan ako sa Zara. At yung pagdaan ko, nauwi na naman sa isang katutak na gastos. I bought 2 jeans and 2 shirts.

And on the following day (Thursday, New Year's Eve), balik na naman ako sa Zara at bumili naman ako ng long sleeves for my daily office attire. Tama na ang dalawa muna this time, with matching red shirt. These past two days has been a day for myself, I pampered myself a lot by getting the simple things I like. Just week before the year ends, I felt sadness, but I don't want to see myself in a desparate situation by just sitting on one corner of my house.

I get up and appreciate the life God gave me. The year is ending soon, and 2010 will be another year of surprises, I don't know what is in store for me, for my family, for my job, for my lovelife, for myself. But one thing is for sure, I will keep on living my life to its fullest.

Thank you God for 2009.

Yuletide 2009

December 24, 2009 (Thursday, Christmas Eve) – considerably one of the saddest Christmas eves I have ever experienced. Maybe I was too longing of the last Christmas break where I was in the Philippines with my family, it was perfect to the point that I have all the resources to share with my loved ones. And this time round, my vacation was beyond under my control as my job performance will suffer in exchange.

Natapos ang work ko ng 2PM at halos ayoko ng tumayo sa kinauupuan ko. Parang gusto ko na lang na lumipas bigla yung Noche Buena. So instead na umuwi ng bahay, nagpunta na lang ako sa shopping mall at nag-aliw kahit na wala naman akong plano na bumili ng kahit na ano. Naubos ang oras ko sa kakasukat ng jeans at shoes sa iba’t-ibang brands, pero wala din naman akong binili. After ko mapagod, I collected my pre-ordered cupcakes at sya kung inuwi ng bahay. Sobrang tahimik sa bahay, walang maingay na nagluluto, walang nagkakagulong tao. Hanggang sa mag-decide ang housemate ko na mag-grocery ng cold cuts para pagharapan namin with wine. And then, isa-isa nang nag-sms ang mga friends na sa bahay sila mag-spend ng Noche Buena. May mass ng 9PM, kumuha lang ako ng damit ko kung ano ang nasa ibabaw at sya kong sinuot. After the mass at nakabalik na ako sa bahay, saka ko lang namalayan na color pink pala ang napili kong damit para sa Noche Buena. Hindi man lang pula para festive ang dating.

Madami din naman ang kinalabasan ng food sa mesa, yung unang cake lang at cold cuts ay nadagdagan ng mas madami pang finger foods, ng beef, more wines, vegetable salad, shepherd’s pie, kaldereta at kung ano-ano pa. Natapos ang party naming ng 7 AM. Kung hindi pa sumikat ang araw, hindi magsisi-uwian ang mga bisita.

December 25, 2009 – Almost 2PM na ko nagising na sinundan ng late lunch from our left overs. Ito na din yung time na tumawag ako sa family ko sa pinas, nakausap ko si Ate ng almost 2 hours yata. Kwento sya ng happening nung inabot nya sa lahat ang regalo kong sobre. Nakakataba ng puso kasi lahat daw sila sa bahay ay parang nabuhay nung nalaman na may bigay pala akong sobre sa lahat. Inumpisahan sa mga pamangkin ko, na sinundan ng kapatid ko, at sa huli naman ang parents. Nagtatalon daw si Mama sa tuwa nung binuksan ang sobre. While nag-uusap kami ni Ate, wala na sa bahay si Mama at Papa, nasa mall daw at namimili ng blouse si Mama at shoes naman para kay Papa. Nakakatuwa ang mga bagets.

Christmas dinner, nag-invite si Bernard (friend ko na nasunugan ng bahay just few months ago) ng dinner sa newly rented house nya. So I went there at nakakagulat ang ganda ng bahay nya. Halos magsisigaw ako nung nakita ko yung room nya na may walk-in closet na parang may mini-shopping mall. Based on my calculation, there are 500 pieces of shirts, 100 pieces of jeans, 500 pieces of long sleeves and etc etc etc. Sabay sabi nya ng “I lost 80% of my clothes on the fire incident”.

Madami akong na-meet na bagong kaibigan sa dinner na to kahit na ako lang ang nag-iisang pinoy.

December 26, 2009 (Saturday) – Sa bahay naman ni Ee Min ang tropa. Hindi ako nag-enjoy sa hapunan kasi mostly ay hardcore Chinese food na hindi ko masyadong kilala. Nagpakabusog na lang ako sa wine na ang presyo ay P30,000 pesos.

December 27, 2009 (Sunday) – nagtipon-tipon ang Chinese friends ko sa bahay para naman i-celebrate ang birthday ni Matthew.

Walang katapusang kainan ang ginawa ko during the long weekend.

Pain of Losing Someone

Now I believed na may nagdudugtong talaga sa puso ng nanay at ng anak. Kahapon, kausap ko lang sa phone si Ate at si Mama while papunta sila ng SM para mag-grocery para sa Noche Buena. Napakasigla ni Mama, tawa ng tawa kahit na kulang daw ang budget nya para sa Pasko. Pero ngayong umaga, halos hindi daw makatayo sa sakit ng katawan at nilalagnat pa.

Kahapon, isang kaibigan ko ang nawala.

Isang kaibigan ang nagpaalam.

Naramdaman kaya ni Mama yung pagod ko kahapon? Siguro naramdaman nya yung sakit na nararamdaman ko? Ganon pala kasakit. Nagmuka akong katawa-tawa kakapunas ng panyo sa mata ko habang nasa food court ako, parang may gripo sa mata ko na walang tigil kakatulo. Hindi ko na din nakuha pang kumain ng dinner kasi nawalan na ko ng gana. Nakitulog ako sa ibang bahay kasi parang hindi ko kayang alalayan ang sarili ko. Hanggang sa pagtulog, wala akong naiisip kundi yung sakit. Bakit naman kung kailan pa magpapasko saka pa nagkaganito?

Umuwi ako sa bahay ng 7:30AM kanina, and as expected, nagtatakbo ako kasi I need to be ready by 8AM para umabot sa work ng 8:30AM. Nagpaka-professional muna ako at pumili ng maayos na long sleeve para harapin ang another day at work.

Napaka tahimik dito ngayon sa office, keyboard lang ang naririnig ko. Madaming work, pero eto ako at gumagawa ng input para sa blog. Inisip ko na kumain sa canteen (na hindi ko ginagawa usually sa umaga), and for the first time, nagsalita ng ibang words yung ale na nagtitinda aside “coffee or tea?”. She greeted me “Merry Christmas”! Siguro pinitik yung tenga nya ni Lord para i-cheer ako, and true enough, napangiti ako sa gesture nya and I greeted her back. Ito yung maliliit na bagay na nagbibigay ng meaning sa Pasko.

Pero mamayang gabi, pano ko kaya haharapin ang ilang kaibigan ko na makakasama sa Noche Buena na hindi naman alam kung ano ba yung mga pinagdaanan ko kagabi? Bakit ganon? Hindi ko alam. Wala akong sagot.

:(

Bigla akong napagod.

Pagod na pagod.

Christmas Parties

December 16, 2009 (Wednesday) - I had a Christmas party with another set of friends which was held at James' house. The host just moved to his new "white house" and so the party serves as Christmas party and house warming at the same time.

I gave a Levi's shirt para sa exchange gift and ang host ang nakabunot. While wallet naman ang natanggap ko from Vincent na fresh na fresh from Europe at fresh graduate din.

December 19, 2009 - Another Pre-Christmas dinner na naman ang pinuntahan ko. This time, it was a very special kasi tatlo lang kaming magkakaibigan na nagharap. It was held at St. Regis Hotel, isang napaka gandang hotel na may European touch. The purpose of this dinner was to really have a good talk while having a good meal. We had a french buffet dinner, accompanied by unlimited wine too.

I sent one of my friends to tears nung nag-wish ako para sa aming tatlo, this were the exact words I said during my toast "I wish that whatever problems we had in 2009 will not happen again on 2010. May the good Lord give us another set of problems (then I laughed)" ...... and then she cried. I know madami syang pinagdaanang problema this year kaya siguro masyado lang syang naging masaya na hindi na maulit uli yung mga problema nya :)

My well wishes was then followed by "thank you" from both of them.

Saturday errands

I met one of the guys from Converse who pimped my chucks because I don't like the outcome, pinapalitan ko ang shoes ko, so binalik ko yung dalawa na ginawa nila.

Afterwards, punta ko ng 313@Somerset to check the latest promotions of Uniqlo, nakakita ko ng napakalambot na material na t-shirts and maganda ang fit saken. Kaya naman, napa-apat tuloy ako.

After mini-shopping, nakatanghod na naman ako sa new iMac at nakikipagligawan na naman ako sa kanya. Sa pagod, isang Western bacon cheeseburger tuloy ang kinain ko sa dinner. After my dinner, I met Cindy and Ate Cleofe, and these ladies were inviting meto join them for yoga session tomorrow. I don't know yet if I will join kasi I thought it's just not me going to a yoga session.

And when I reached home at 10PM, feeling ko gutom ako at walang sustansya ang kinain kong burger, kaya naman to the rescue ang fridge na mabuti na lang may fruits pala, kaya pinainit ko pa ng konti ang nagyeyelo nang ubas. Sarap!

Christmas Party @ Meritus Mandarin Hotel 2009

December 9, 2009 - Myself, together with my Filipino friends had our yearly Christmas party at Meritus Mandarin. We had a japanese buffet. Sobrang sasarap ng foods, at sobrang dami ng nakain ko, from appetizer to main course to dessert, sulit na sulit.

Sa exchange gift portion naman, si Karyn ang nabunot ko, and likewise, ako naman nabunot nya. For some strange reason, naramdaman ko na mas masaya ang Christmas party namin last year.

Regine

I went to Orchard and looked for an item para sa exchange gift with friends tomorrow na gaganapin sa pabulosong Meritus Hotel . Napadaan na din ng dinner sa "Lutong Pinoy" restaurant ng sinigang at lechong paksiw. Na sinundan ni Guen na umorder naman ng bulalo at pritong tilapya, FIESTA!

The best of all, dumating na ang anticipated CD ko ni Regine na bigay ni Lorie.

Movie, Reunion, Headache, Air Ticket, Alak

Loaded ang weekend ko na inumpisahan ng meeting with Elaine (December, 5 2009) sa paborito kong tambayan na Spinelli dahil tanaw ang Somerset sa terrace na ako pa lang yata ang nakakaalam. Dalawang balot ng pastillas ang pasalubong ni Elaine from Manila na nilantakan ko kaagad. Na sinundan ng matinding sakit ng ulo, na sinundan ng dinner na sinundan ng shopping na sinundan ng inuman sa paborito ko na namang place na cuppage (Wine Connection). Tanghali pa lang ng Saturday, nakikipagbuno na ko sa sakit ng ulo ko pero inabot pa din ako ng alas-tres ng madaling araw sa kalye. Enjoy ang reunion with Elaine and Eric, na sinamahan din ni Tonet and Wini. Hindi lang ako naging masaya sa topic namin around 2 AM, kasi mga multo experiences na ang usapan. Kaya suffering na naman ako pag dating ng bahay dahil pakiramdam ko may mumu akong kasama sa elevator habang paakyat ng bahay :(

Sunday - tulog ako hanggang tanghaling tapat. Nagluto ako ng makapa-amnesia sa sarap na fried rice na tinernuhan ng halabos na hipon. Isang busog na lunch. Followed by purchasing my ticket online for January 30 holiday. I'm excited dahil bumili na naman ako ng ticket para sa travel ko sa January, I can't wait for another week of vacation, soon. Salamat uli sa promo n Singapore Airline na nagamit ko na naman :)

Late afternoon, I watched Zombieland. Kakatuwang movie, matindi ang edranalin at talagang napapasiklot ako sa pagkakaupo. Bago pa lang pumasok sa sinehan, equiped with pain killers na ko dahil sa sakit ng ulo ko. Grabe talagang dumalaw ang sakit ko, kug kelan ako nagpapahinga, saka naman umi-style, hindi manlang makisama at hayaan naman akong i-enjoy ang weekend :(

The Long Weekend

November 27, Fiday, was a holiday in Singapore. The event was Hari Raya, a Hindu religious celebration for the muslim. Since it was a long weekend, it was also one of the most anticipated break for most of the Singaporeans.

To start my long weekend, I watched New Moon on the eve of the holiday. It was also an anticipated movie of the year, everyone is just going gaga over this movie. The Twilight was better, I guess. Because in this second installment, I didn't see anything new in the movie. I know there will be vampires and wolves, and that's what I exactly saw. If the first Twilight was a showcase of fashion, this time round, it was a showcase of body for warewolves when they are in the form of human.

The first day of holiday (Friday) was a migraine attacked day, to make it short and simple, I stayed home the whole day. I was supposed to have trip to Indonesia but I cancelled it due to my impulsive sickness. The medicine I took was so strong na nagmuka akong laseng after ko syang inumin.

The second day of long weekend (Saturday), I took time to walk around camera shops to buy dry cabinet for my sweetie ( my camera). It took me couple of shops before finally ended up getting something like the image below.

At least, panatag na ang loob ko na hindi manginginig si sweetie sa lamig ng room ko, and at the same time, hindi naman sya pagpapawisan kapag wala nang aircon. Dry cabinet ang solution kasi ime-maintain ng dry cabinet ang humidity para sa exact temperature ng camera equipment.

The last day of long weekend (Sunday) - went to Yishun for a bar-b-q party, Bibay's birthday. Joe prepared Kebab in the house while I brought a chocolate cake and some other small stuff to be grilled.

It was a busy weekend.

The new and fastest iMac - ever

Heto na naman naririnig, kumakaba-kaba itong dibdib. Lagi na lang sinasabi, kung pwede ka bang makatabi. Eto na naman ang panget kong pakiramdam, umaarya na naman. Sabi ko na nga ba na dapat kong iwasan ang shopping mall at hindi maganda ang naiidulot sa buhay ko, pero nakita ko pa din ang latest iMac. Sa presyo nitong $2,900 (27 inches), para yatang kalabisan na kung ito ang regalo ko sa sarili ko sa Pasko, kaya tama na siguro muna ang ligawan ko sya. At kung kami talaga, magkakaron ng way para magkasama kami in the future. Stand by ka lang honey, papa will rescue you soon.

Japan Exploration

It has been one of my long time dreams to see Japan and visit my friends, to experience the uniqeness of Japan as I see it from many emails, be it funny videos, horror movies, weird inventions and awesome fashion.

Last October 24-31, 2009, my dream came true. It was 1:00 AM when I left Singapore to Nagoya, but my memorable Japan exploration had started many days ago even before my trip cos I enjoyed looking for air ticket, exchanging email with Ofel on my itinerary which was changed for many many times. Indeed it is true, that the journey is as exciting as the destination. Nasa Singapore airport pa lang ako papunta ng Japan, nag-eenjoy na ko. In fact, maaga akong dumating sa airport para mag-window shopping. Hindi pa ko lumalanding sa Japan pero nag-uumpisa nang mabawasan ang kakapuranggot kong allowance.

And so I reached Nagoya at 8:20AM. My gosh, kakaiba ang Japan. Unique sya talaga. Medyo naghintay ako ng konting saglit sa arrival area and dito ko pinagmasdan kung ano ba ang magiging buhay ko sa mga susunod na araw. Naglakad-lakad ako sa airport kahit hindi ko alam kung magkikita ba kami ng sundo ko, pero ito yung moment na wala akong worries sa buhay. I don't have coins to call any of my friends, my phone's roaming service doesn't seem to work, no one knows how to speak english, I was with my luggage, alone, and yet .... I was actually smiling and enjoying the moment. .... Until I saw Ofel, mas nagkaron na ng light ang arrival ko sa Nagoya. Then I saw Geh. It was one of the most wonderful feelings, to be reunited with friends in a foreign land :)

I visited 4 cities of Japan namely, Nagoya, Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

Nagoya - this is my embarkation city and where my friends stay too. Super enjoy ang first two days ko sa Nagashima Resort and Nabano No Sato. Memorable ang hot spring experience kasi first time ko na maghubad sa harapan ng mga wala namang pakialam na tao. "Awesome" ang comment ko sa itsura ng hot spring, in fact, kinausap ko ang mga kaibigan ko na nakasubok ng hot spring sa Japan, pero mukang walang gaganda sa hot spring na pinagdalan sakin ni Geh and Ofel :)

Panalo din ang oras ko sa Nagashima Spa Land dahil sa roller coasters encounter na napilit kong sumakay ang mga hosts ko kahit na sobrang takot sila.

Pano ko ba naman makakalimutan ang napaka sasarap na foods sa Nagashima Hotel, simply amazing. At dito din ako nagsuot ng Japanese robe na medyo mahirap dalhin kasi hindi pala madaling magpalda, hehehe.

Memorable moment din yung nakapag-celebrate ako ng birthday ni Bel na inabot kami ng 4AM yata sa kalye. It was such a nice feeling to meet many people na lahat ay mababait saken, hindi nila pinaramdam na foreign ako sa lugar nila, but instead, super warm welcome ang naramdaman ko sa mga bagong tao na nakilala ko.

Tokyo - Disneyland, Tokyo Tower, Imperial Palace, Tokyo Garden, Nikko Hotel, and many others are my memorable experiences in Tokyo. Hindi ko din makakalimutan ang maghapong ulan habang nasa Disneyland kami, ito lang naman ang bagyo na galing pala ng Pilipinas. Somehow, happy ako sa mga friends ko kasi first time din pala nila na ma-explore ang Tokyo, and with that, nakakabilib ang galing nila sa pag-iikot sa train station na talaga namang nakakahilo sa dami ng pasikot-sikot. Dito ko din na-meet si Cherry na sobrang bait na bata na hindi nakalaban sa resistensya ng mga taga-Natividad at nirayuma sa Tokyo.

Somehow, itong Tokyo experience ko ang nagbigay sakin ng reason para magpabalik-balik sa Japan. Parang nakita ko yung sarili ko sa mga tao sa Tokyo na laging natatakbo sa umaga, at talaga namang stylo-milo lahat ng tao. Taas ang kamay ko sa porma ng Japanese. Kung marunong lang mag-English ang mga Japanese, malamang hindi na ko bumalik ng Singapore (joke lang my beloved Singapore).

Dito sa Tokyo para kaming mayayaman! Sobrang ganda ng Hotel Nikko! Madami na din akong napuntahan na magagandang hotel sa ibat-ibang parte ng mundo at hindi nagpapahuli ang ganda ng Nikko Tokyo. Pagdating naman sa tour, may hatid-sundo kaming coach na nagdadala sa mga places of interests around Tokyo. So in short, turistang-turista kami sa Tokyo.

Kyoto - with only 1 hour of sleep, gumising na naman ako para mag-travel ng 2 hours papunta ng Kyoto. Ito ang isa sa mga gusto kong makita sa Japan kasi nandito yung mga temples and mountains na madalas kong makita sa mga pictures. Medyo bitin kasi one whole day lang ako with Gerald, pero thankful pa din ako kasi napuntahan ko pa din ang Kyoto. Madami din akong memorable moments dito, nagbasa ako ng horoscope and it turned out to be a good horoscope. Napaka dami ding free mochie na nagkalat lang sa kalye, kaya halos mabusog ako kakakain ng libreng mochie.

Osaka - one day lang din ako sa Osaka, kasama ko si Geh and Ofel. Universal Studios ang detination namin sa Osaka. It was a fun filled day na puno ng exciting rides at colorful photos.

My visit to Japan was made possible through the kindness of Ofel who have been so patience from the beginning of all these plans. And of course, thru the help of Gerald as well. It was nice to be reunited with Bel too and Dali.

I have heard many stories of people who have been to Japan and we kind of exchange our own experiences in the land of the rising sun and I am proud and happy to know that my vacation was one of the grandest of them all, with almost 3 thousand pictures, of approximately US$1000 worth of breakfast, lunch and dinner, to be in the tallest roller coaster in Asia, to be escorted by thoughful and beautiful friends and many others in between ... these are the reasons that will keep me longing to be back in Japan.

2012 and Christmas Carol

2012 - I watched this last week. Ok, the effects are stunning and it was something unavailable on other movies of the same caliber. If I were to rate this movie, I will give a 3/10 (10 as the highest). Why I say so, the script was just simply impossible. The beginning of the film, the stars of the movie tried to escape from falling buildings to collapse on them, nahahati na ang lupa pero sila tuloy pa din ang takbo ng sasakyan and all. Sana inalis na lang ang part na to para mas naging beleivable ang story. This scene happened during the first quarter of the movie kaya nakakawala na ng gana ang the rest of the scene.

A Chrstmas Carol - I watched it on Nov. 21 and may minute na nakatulog ako sa sinehan. But not because it was a lousy movie but because antok na antok lang ako from another weekend activity. This movie was good enough para sa napak simpleng istorya nya. Entertaining and nakaka-miss talaga ng pasko.

Converse

It has been a long while since the last time I bought a pair of converse shoe, and my favorite one has been serving me for like 10+ years. Yesterday, I was at the ION shopping mall and came across the Converse shop, I looked around and got my new pair of converse shoe. The staff are quite surprised to see my old shoe co0s it has the natural dirt on it which a lot of converse fanatic are off to.

And later tonight, I will be heading to the shopping mall again to get another 2 pairs of Converse shoe cos there will be painters on stand by at the converse shop where they will paint a newly purchased converse shoe. So I thought one pair isn't really enough for me, so I will make it 3 to go.

Levi's Organic Jeans

After work, I went to Ion and bought my ever longing organic jeans by Levi's. I am loving it so much although I have to leave the pair of jeans to the shop for them to alter it first. I was glad cos I got $50 off :)

And I added Crave by CK to my collection of smells...

Weekend in Indonesia

October 17-18, 2009 (Saturday-Sunday) – I was invited by my company’s helpdesk support team to join them on a weekend getaway to Batam, Indonesia.

We left Singapore at 9:20 AM of Saturday and reached Indonesia at 9:20AM also (an hour difference). Karay-karay ko si sweetie sa trip na to. Upon reaching the Indo’s ferry terminal, sinalubong na kami ng tourist guide na si Nelly at hindi na kami nag-inarte pa dahil inumpisahan na naming ang lamyerda. We started the tour by:

1. Visiting an old temple – madaming Buddha sa temple na to.

2. Dinala kami ni Nelly sa factory outlet ng Polo – hindi naman ako namili kasi sobrang mahal pa din considering na sila na yung gumagawa ng ini-import sa USA. May nagandahan akong shirt pero almost P4,500 pesos pa din, so hindi worth it na bumili sa outlet nila, might as well sa mall na lang.

3. Sumunod naman ang visit sa gawaan ng layered cake, famous cake ito sa Indonesia na may local name na “lapis”. May libreng patikim sila ng cake kaya sa libre na lang ako nakuntento. Pakiramdam ko kuripot ako sa trip na to, parang naaamoy ko na ayaw kong gumastos at all.

4. Sumunod na ang lunch sa Golden Prawn Restaurant na talaga namang parang fiesta ang atmosphere, actually, parang pinas ang Indonesia. Sampu kaming magkakasama kaya nasa isang malaking round table kami. First dish was veggy na maanghang na ako yata ang may pinaka maraming nakain (excuse ako sa pagkatakaw kasi ako naman pinaka malaki sa lahat). Sinundan ng shell food na parang kuhol, then sweet and sour fish, then cereal prawn na paborito ko, then chilli crab at madaming-madaming rice. Ito uli ang chance na magpakalunod ako sa buko juice dahil napakamura compared to Singapore price.

5. After lunch – dinala kami ni Nelly (Furtado?) sa bilihan ng pasalubong. Wala na naman akong binili, hahaha! Pero ang mga kasama ko, halos hindi magkanda-ugaga sa dami ng bitbit. Pag akyat namin sa bus, bukasan sila lahat ng binili nila, ako naman ang taga-kain. WISE.

6. Sumunod naman ang visit namin sa racing cart na hindi ko din sinubukan dahil sa sobrang init ng araw. Almost 15 minutes lang kami dito.

7. Sumunod naman ang culture exploration – we watched locals as they performed national dance, anjang kumain ng bubog, magbalat ng niyog gamit ang bibig, sumuot sa gulong na nag-aapoy, may lion dance din. At nagbigay naman ako ng tip na 5,000 rupiah. Magkano yon? Hmmm, halaga ng isang coke in can, hahaha!

8. Sumunod naman ang visit to another Chinese Temple na sa sobrang bilis ay inabot lang kami ng 15 minutes. Well, wala din akong gustong makita don kaya ok lang na umalis kami agad.

9. At dumating na ang pinakahihintay ko, ang visit namin sa spa. Napansin ko na sa sampung magkakasama nung araw na yon, ako pala ang pinaka reklamador. Una, pinadiretso na kami sa massage room ng hindi man lang kami in-offer if we would like to take shower, syempre alburuto ako dito kaya nag-request ako na maliligo muna ko dahil nangangati ako sa init ng araw. Unfortunately, walang marunong mag-english sa staff kaya sumigaw ako ng “can somebody please help me translate!” In short, nakaligo ako. Pero, pero, pero … ang hina ng tubig sa bathroom. Lumabas ako ng bathroom na naka-tapis to the highest level at reklamong mahina ang tubig. Nilakasan nila ang tubig. And finally, nahiga na ko para sa massage. Isang masarap at magaling na masahista. Babaeng powerful kaya request na naman ako na medyo gaanan nya naman ang massage J

10. Sumunod naman ang shopping mall – hindi ko naman na-enjoy ang shopping mall kasi para lang syang n.e. pacific. In short, wala man lang akong binili na kahit na ano.

11. Finally, checked-in na kami sa Golden View hotel. I was sharing a big room with Mark. Very nice ang hotel, considering na nasa probinsya kami ng Indonesia. May magandang bar, panalo ang lobby na may napakataas na ceiling at gorgeous chandelier with matching welcome drink na lychee juice. We occupied a long table during the dinner na may dalawa namang option between chicken or beef steak, I had beef. After the dinner, swimming naman ang tropa na hindi ko na sinamahan dahil umatake ang sakit ng ulo ko. I ended up sitting at the pool side na nakikitawa sa kalokohan ng lahat at nagpapagaling ng sakit ng ulo habang umiinom ng beer. Beer and 3 types of tablet for my headache = goodluck Ray.

12. Sinundan naman ang visit namin sa in-house bar ng hotel na magaling naman sana ang singer nila kaya lang medyo may kalumaan ang mga songs na alam nya. Indonesians are known for having a vocal prowess kaya birit-biritan din yung lead singer. But then again, super jologs ang mga songs na kinanta nya, na talagang hindi ko kinaya dahil kinanta pa ang “Paint My Love”. In-enjoy ko na lang ang beer. Dito natapos ang unang araw namin sa Indonesia, kakapagod pero masaya.

13. Sunday – started the day with a western buffet breakfast. Kawawa nga lang ako kasi walang gana pang kumain ng 7:00AM kaya kumain lang ako ng cereal. Ang ending, 10:00AM ako nagutom nung wala ng breakfast kaya gumastos ako para sa beef burger. After the breakfast, swimming na naman ang tropa while nilibot ko naman ang surrounding ng hotel para sa photo opportunity.

14. We left the hotel at 1:00 AM and collected our ticket back to Singapore. We had an ample time before our ferry schedule, kaya punta kami sa nearby shopping mall at nag-fiesta na naman sa masaganang lunch at nagpa-massage na naman ako after lunch. I had crème bath na sa Indonesia ko lang nakikita and nagagawa. Head massage sya, lalagyan ng crème ang buhok tapos sasabayan ng massage na talaga namang nakakatunaw ng stress. One hour of pleasure J

Sa dami ng activities na ginawa namin sa loob lang ng dalawang araw, nakakapagod din kahit na sabihin pa na puro tawanan at massage man sya. But the best thing about this trip, the total package including the ferry, lunch, dinner, hotel, tour package and transportation only cost S$75. But of course, excluded na dito yung mga bote ng beer na ininom ko, massage and mga extra candies na kakaiba sa paningin ko. It was simply an enjoyable way of spending weekend not too far from Singapore but totally different world at its most inexpensive way.

OFW cares

It was October 2, 2009 - Friday, when our house served as a relief center for the victims of the typhoon Ondoy. At first, lima lang ang tao na dapat magtutulong-tulong sa pag-pack ng boxes, but we were overwhelmed by the donations gave by many pinoys and foreigners kaya umabot sa 20 people ang nag-ayos ng boxes. At the end, naka 29 boxes kami na pinadala sa pinas.

Our living room

Outside our unit, just right in front of the lift

Our second living room - the far right door is my room.

Canon PhotoMarathon 2009

October 10, 2009 - Saturday. I was an excited soul cos I joined for the first time the Canon Photo Marathon 2009. The registration starts at 7:00AM, kaya naman 5:30AM pa lang gising na ko (that means, 11:00 PM pa lang ng Friday, pinapatulog ko na sarili ko). I reached the venue at 7:20AM (after having a quick breakfast at McDonald's) and immediately registered where I was also given the official Canon shirt and my event ID.

Nakakapanliit sa venue kasi dito ko na nakita lahat ng photographers na sa photoshooting na yata umiikot ang buhay dahil para na silang naglalakad na dry box sa dami ng camera accessories, I wondered gaano kadaming dolyar ang inubos ng mga yon sa dami ng gadgets nila.

Anyway, there were three themes that has to be completed for 3 hours for each theme. Parang amazing race, kasi kailangan maka-produce ng subject within 3 hours lang, kaya mahirap kalaban ang time sa aspect na to. The first theme was "Togetherness". My entry was the wedding ring of my couple friends (of course suot-suot nila yung wedding ring).

The second theme was announce at 12:30PM, and it was "Motion". My entry was an old guy rushing with his motorbike.

The last theme was "Energy". It was like 4:30PM already during the 3rd theme kaya naman nauubos na ang energy ng lahat ng participants. Pero tuloy pa din ang energy ko to walk around and look for an energy subject. My entry was an element of fire.

I didn't win any of the categories, but that was fine. I don't want to be sound bitter, but there are tens of blogs complaining how the judges chose the winning images. But based on my opinion, I liked the entries being sorted out as the finalists, they look very genius and really done excellently. I participated the marathon to have a feeling of how was it to be working with professional and amateur photographers, and at the same time, I want to challenge myself and my limit when it comes to creativity. So for that aspect, I think nanalo na din ako kasi I have a good Canon shirt. I got booklet of my camera. I got free flow of mineral water and Milo. And finally, I got A4 size free photo printing. It was an experience which will not stop me from joining again. Not really to win the contest, but just to be belong :)

Canon EOS 7D

October 2, 2009 - Friday. Indeed a day to be remembered cos it was the day I bought an item which I have longed craziest than any other things I dreamt of in the past. Yes, I closed my eyes and purchased the Canon EOS 7D. Honestly, I have never waited like a hungry human for a product to be launched but this Canon DSLR. Day by day by day by day, I was checking all the websites, articles, news, visiting different camera shops and etceteras just to get a hint or clue when will be the launching date of this wonder girl (I just assumed she's a girl). And finally, October 1 was the date of her birtdate in Singapore, and I got her on her second day :)

Here are few of the binyag shots done by my sweetie, Eos 7D.

And this photo was her first morning with me. I just captured the kalat of my so-called computer area and it still turned out to be not so irritating kalat I was expecting to see in a photo.

In a short while, I will be out with Tonet and Wini (my adik-sa-photography friends) to search for a good bag for my babe. And will also purchased my dream lense EF 24-105mm f/4 L. Ewan ko ba naman kung bakit kung ano ang mahal sya ko pang napag-interesan, naaawa naman ako sa sarili ko kung maglalaway na lang ako lagi sa shops pag nakita ko sya at wala man lang ako magawa para mabawi sya and bumalik sa aking kandungan. And with all these recent purchased na talaga namang apektado ang bulsa ko, I would be launching "Oplan-tipid" sa lahat ng bagay para naman may pangkain pa din ako.

I am a happy soul.

(On the day I bought my camera - also the day when me and my friends gatehered in our house to packed an overwhelming donation from many people of goods to be sent to Philippines. We are just expecting a box of four to be filled, but ended up like 12 jumbo boxes. I was so surprised when I reached home kasi wala akong malakaran sa buong bahay, roughly 20 friends came in to help the packaging kasi hindi makakayanan ng limang tao lang. Yes, gumastos ako ng wala sa oras, pero I did my own share sa help-drive na to and siniguro ko din na masasaktan ang bulsa ko sa contribution ko para mabawasan ang guilt ko sa pagbili ng mahal na item. My 42 inches TV was also delivered last night, pero literally walang mapaglagyan sa bahay kaya pinabalik ko sa Samsung and i-deliver na lang uli sa ibang araw. We reached the point of talking to our neighbor and asked their support and cooperation kasi pati ang mga lift namin ay busy sa dami ng nagdala ng donation. Naiiyak ako sa response ng lahat ng nag-donate. Indeed, madaming nadedevelop na pagtutulungan sa gitna ng malaking kalamidad na dinadanas ng Pilipinas)

Longing for you

My most anticipated DSLR is on its way to my house (ambisyoso). I really can't wait to see this lady in person and just face the world together, I know we will live happily ever after and I will see the world in its most beautiful angle. Bibilin kita sweetie, just hang in there cos Papa's gonna get yah!

I gotta feeling with Oprah

One of the coolest video I have ever seen!!!!!

Oprah got so frustrated watching people without fuckin' movement. Then she just had the blast of her life. Really, that was the coolest thing.

My Canon Powershot G10

I am leaving house in few minutes and gonna be meeting a possible buyer of camera which I am seeling at $700. This is to give way to Canon EOS 50D which I am planning to get anytime soon. I want to get this camera in time of my for my visit to Japan, I just thought it will give me priceless souvenir through memorable crystal clear prints.

Whitney is back with a BANG!

I have been listening to her latest single "I look to you" for quite awhile already, until I decided to search the video and see what is the song up to. Then I have begun to like it even more cos I found out that "I look to you" means she looked up to God. This is indeed a very inspirational song to all those who have lost hope, para sa malungkot, para sa nangungulila, para sa mga taong nasa dilim at hindi makawala.

Honestly, lagi ko sinasabi sa mga pinapasahan ko ng player ko na pakinggan itong kanta to, na naririnig na yung pagiging matanda ni Whitney sa boses nya, na nawala na yung spark, na parang ibang tao na yung nasa likod ng voice. Pero, nung nakita ko yung video, nabura yung konting stain na impression ko sa song.

Beautiful.

COMEX - IT Show

I have been going in and out of the IT show for 3 days in a row. Honestly, natutulala ako sa dami ng magagandang computers, cameras and my ever longing gift sa parents ko na 42 inches plasma TV.

On the first day that I was there in the IT show, Joe bought a lenovo notebook na hanggang langit ang inggit ko sa ganda. And kanina naman, si Guen naman ang kasama ko na bumili ng notebook, not one but two! Tsk tsk tsk ..... galit na galit si Guen sa pera.

And once again, nakatanghod na naman ako sa 42 inches plasma ng Samsung. Pero naging mabait si Lord dahil yung original price ng TV, biglang bumaba sa 60% off on their last day. This time round, wala na akong patumpik-tumpik na binayaran ang magarang TV. At least, mission accomplished na ako sa wish ng parents ko na gusto nila ng malaking TV sa living room namin :)

And with the savings I got from the super low priced plasma TV, nag-celebrate kami ni Guen ng isang masaganang hapunan sa Dome after attending church.

Year One

I watched this movie last Sept. 2. Poster na poster pa lang, alam ko nang walang gagawing maganda sa buhay ko ang movie na to. Mas maganda ang trailer than the whole movie itself.

Weekend Birthday Parties

September 4, 2009 – Friday. The gang gathered at Pasta Fresco which is just few walks away from my previous workplace for an evening of Italian food and surprise party for our dear friend Karyn.

September 5, 2009 – Saturday. I got so busy that I woke up very early (9:30 AM) to do grocery cos it was the day I have invited friends who gave me surprise birthday treat for an afternoon of good food in my humble home. Ate Cleofe brought Kare-kare and brownies, Guen cooked my requested sotanghon soup, Joe cooked veggies, Tonet came in with leche flan, while I prepared a shrimp and chicken dish.

It was my humble way of saying thank you to my ever loving and thoughtful friends for staying by my side throughout the years and for keeping me company for the many birthdays I had in Singapore. It was an afternoon of eating, dvd watching, and shopping. Yes shopping, kasi nasa bahay si Tita Sola na mommy ni Karyn na madaming dalang diamonds from pinas. Once again, nakita ko na naman kung gaano katinik ang mga kaibigan ko lalo na pag dating sa mga bagay na “mahal” at shopping topic. Pinakyaw ng mga girls ang mga alahas na dala ni Tita Sola considering na P50,000 pesos yata ang cheapest sa mga collection na dinala nya this time. If I am not mistaken, nakabenta si Tita ng at least 8 sets of jewelries na may pinakamahal na P125,000 pesos. Phew! Mga kakain lang ng tanghalian pero nagsibilihan ng diamonds.

My friends left the house at 5PM, then I fall asleep shortly after cleaning the kitchen. I woke up at 3AM in the morning dahil sa gutom, kaya ang ending, nagpapa-init ako ng pagkain at 3AM. Mabuti na lang nasa bahay din si Joe kaya may kaharap akong kumakain, yun nga lang, nosebleed ako sa madaling araw.

Japan Visa Application

I decided to apply my tourist visa to Japan today cos I didn't go to work and still want to make my day productive. Honestly, feeling ko madami akong kulang na documents, kasi last minute ko lang nabasa sa website ng Japan Embassy na kailangan nila ng guarantor from Japan na magpapatunay na tourist akong pupunta don, and that someone will sponsor me, etc etc. Pero nag-try na din ako na pumunta although medyo diskumpyado ako sa documents na dala ko.

Ito ang queue number ko, 1066. Customer number 1062 nung dumating ako, pero mabilis na tinawag ang number ko. And nagulat ako na wala man lang iba pang hinanap na documents saken, and even waived the processing fee na aabutin din ng $46 if I am not mistaken. So in short, libre ang application ko.

And the below slip is given to me, collection na sa Friday.

Isang weird and scary ang nangyari sakin habang naglalakad ako papunta ng bus stop galing ng Japan Embassy ..... madaming puno ang damo sa labas ng embassy, and habang naglalakad ako, biglang may nahulog na ahas sa harapan ko. Isang kulay green na ahas! Halos nadikit din sya sa balikat ko. For one second, parang natulala ako (mabuti nang matulala kesa mapatili) sa nakita kong ahas na nahulog saken. Inisip ko na lang na muka siguro akong malinamnam na tanghalian kaya gusto akong dambahin ng lintek na ahas. Nagagawa ko pa ang blog ko, kaya ibig sabihin, buhay ako at walang rabis.

Afternoon. Nagpunta ko ng Robinson's para bilan ng shirts ang dalawang kapatid kong lalaki na nagpaparinig. I got them Esprit shirts, syempre kasali din ako, binilan ko din sarili ko.

Afther the shopping, nanood naman ako ng Year One movie na punong-puno na naman ng kaistupiduhan :)

My 33rd birthday

August 29 ang birthday ko, pero dinner pa lang ng August 28 may nag-invite na saken ng dinner. It was Lorie who corresponded me thru email and she told me na dalawa lang sila ni Bibay. I reached Highlander restaurant at 8:30PM, pero nakita ko na si Karyn and Len sa loob ng restaurant kaya nagka-idea na ko na setup na naman ang birthday dinner para saken. I ordered sausages with mashed potato na nakakagulat sa sobrang laki ng serving. Below photo was the very first photo I had in Highlander, kakaupo ko pa lang sa table namin na napaka ganda ng view namin na nakikita sa background ko.

While naghihintay kami ng main course, I ordered long island tea na sya kong hawak sa photo below. Masarap ang kainan namin, kaharap ko si Karyn, Len, Lorie and Bibay. Walang humpay din ang picturan kasi photo opportunity talaga ang place.

It was around 11 PM when Lorie brought a banana walnut cupcake with candle and they started singing happy birthday. Tawa lang ako ng tawa kasi gusto kong itago yung highest expectation ko about cakes and nakakadisappoint naman kasi na makita na ang birthday cake ko is a cupcake na iisang piraso at napaka plain pa ng kulay. As a sign of my good attitude, itinawa ko na lang and I really did consider na sya na talaga ang birthday cake ko. Before I blow the candle, I closed my eyes so tight while deeply praying and wishing. Then laking gulat ko na lang na may isang malaking box na sa harapan ko na umiilaw na, laman na nga yung mga cupcakes na galing pa sa Marriot hotel and si Joe ang may bitbit ng box. Nanlaki talaga ang mata ko kasi I know na mahal ang mga items na nasa harapan ko. Sobrang gulo na namin dito kahit na lilima lang kami and wala namang lasing na isa sa amin.

Favorite ko yung may meruenge on top kasimahilig talaga ko sa icing, kaya after ko mai-blow ang candles, nilantakan ko na ang mga beautiful cakes. Pinagpasapasahan na lang namin ang cakes para naman matikman namin lahat ng flavors :))

It was 1 AM nung nag-umpisaa akong magsayaw kasi I really wanted to be on the move on the first minutes of my birthday. And when I dance, I really dance! Dapat siningil ko ng talent fee ko ang mga katabi naming table dahil na-entertain sila sa sayaw ko as much as I did. My friends accompany me na din sa pagsasayaw, and nagulat ako na sumasayaw na din pala si Joe sa harapan namin, hahaha! Para syang robot kung sumayaw, hahaha!

Ito ang almost complete attendance picture namin kasi umalis na si Karyn this time. Joe, Lorie, Len and Bibay. Saying thank you is not enough ro these 5 friends of mine who made the effort of keeping me company while I waited for my birthday, and not to mention that they all paid what I ate and drank. Actually medyo nahiya nga ako when they got the bill kasi medyo malaki talaga ang bill :)) Around 2:30AM when we decided to leave the place and call it a wonderful day.

Lunch time. Ito ang highest level na sobrang pormang lunch na nagawa ko, sa Equinox ng Swissotel na nasa 70th floor. Super professionals ang mga crew na tipong sila ang mag-aayos ng chair para makaupo ang mga guests ng maayos. Well explained din kung ano ang menu nila etc etc. For the main course, I had chicken cordon blue na naaapaaaaaka sarap naman talaga. Nakangiti talaga ako while eating, hahaha! Sobrang dami ng pagkain at sobrang dami ng cakes. When my friend called the hotel for a reservation, he specifically requested for all the desserts I like, mabuti na lang at pinakinggan sya ng management.

Ito ang birthday piece na present saken, it was delivered by the hotel crew after ko maubos ang food na hinanda for me. Sinabi ko pa sa crew na I am done and I didn't order anything kasi nakatago pa ang cake, kaya na-surprise na lang ako na cake pala ang laman ng akala ko another dish.

Cheesecake ito na may melon balls sa ibabaw with three pieces of blueberry and slice of fresh strawberries. The white thing on top is a white chocolate na ninamnam ko ang bawat piraso nya. Yun namang "Happy Birthday" was a dark chocolate. Pagkasarap-sarap.

After the sumptuous lunch, we took time to explore the whole place and took advantge of the ambiance and totally took photos in almost every part of Equinox, hahaha!

The photo below is just few inches away from our table, ito actually ang view namin habang kumakain na lalo pang nagpagana, haha! Natapos ang lunch namin ng 2:30PM. Dumaan ako sa Robinsons para mag-window shop sana kasi birthday ko naman, kaya on my birthday, niregaluhan ko sarili ko ng madaming bottles of vitamin C and multivitamins + another stock of wax + my favorite toothbrush na may kamahalan pero pinikit ko na ang mata ko since birthday ko nga eh.

I went home at 4:00PM and took a nap for while, then I prepared myself again to meet Cindy for dinner. This time round, I was only expecting Cindy. But then again, my friends started to arrived El Toro once more, this time round, it was another set of friends. Dito ko nalaman na may appointment pala sila yesterday kaya they cannot join me sa Highlander.

The photo below was taken inside the resto after our foods have all been served. May paella, madaming tacos, pizzas and many others na hindi ako masyadong familiar.

May small event sa restaurant and we find it very noisy kaya we asked to moved outside the restaurant na may maganda din namang view ng Orchard road. But before we moved, kataku-takot na complain ang binigay namin sa management kasi hindi nila sinabi na may event sila when my friends reserved a table. In short, we got 10% off the total bill and on the house white wine as a sign of their apologetic act.

Halos solo namin ang isang space sa labas ng El Toro kaya we are all moving here and there. This photo below was taken around 11PM na with my wine glass beside me.

Roman bought a very special ice cream cake from Ben and Gerry's. Dapat mabilis ang pagkain dahil mabilis matunaw :))

To end this birthday blog, I would like to extend my gratitude again to all my friends who made my party possible and memorable. They never get sick of giving me surprises on my birthdays, and to say "thank you" to them, I will be preparing a lunch date with all friends of mine who played a part in the many surprises I received on my birthday.

Gant shopping for the second time around

I really cannot resist not to go back to Paragon and shop at Gant again. Ligo agad ako pag kagising at sugod uli sa Orchard. Salamat sa newly opened shopping mall na umagaw sa attention ng mga tao dahil wala na namang tao sa Paragon, napaka sarap mag-shopping ng walang kaagaw sa fitting room.

But something bad happened at me, sinabit ko sa fitting room ang dala kong sunglass container na may lamang camera at office phone ko, and napansin ko na lang na nakalimutan ko pala sya sa fitting room. And with that, nag-iwan ng isang matinding sakit ng ulo ang pagkawala ng camera and phone ko dahil wala na sya sa fitting room after ko balikan. Mabuti na lang at nasa Singapore ako at nasa mamahaling shop na walang magkaka-interest sa kahit na ano yatang gamit ang maiiwan. In fact, customer pa ang nagsabi sakin na may nagdeposit ng gamit ko kasi napansin nya na may hinahanap ako. Whew! Nagka-reunite kami ng camera ko at nasa counter nga sya. Inakap ko sya.

Matapos ang reunion, balik shopping uli ako. Isang malaking bag na naman ang bitbit ko.

Buffet Lunch with SingTel colleagues and Gant

Busog na tanghali na naman. I had an international buffet lunch with ex-colleagues from SingTel. Madami na naman akong tutunawin nito.

After the lunch party, balik ako sa pag-hunting ng damit na isusuot ko sa Saturday (bertdey ko kasi). Honestly, nahihirapan akong bumili ng damit kasi ang mamahal ng damit nowadays. Pinaka mura yata na nakikita ko was $80. Ewan ko kung bulag ba ko sa ibang damit, pero ito lang talaga nakikita ko for many days na din. Kanina while I was walking sa Paragon, ginulat ako ng napaka laking sign "SALE" sa Gant. Gant ang isa sa mga brands na kinakatakutan kong tignan man lang, kasi sobrang mahal ng damit nila. Cheapest is $100 dollars, kaya hindi pa ko nakakabili ng kahit na isang piraso man lang ng damit dito. Pero kanina, I got really so lucky that everything was on sale. Inabot ako ng dalawang oras sa loob ng store, good enough na wala pang mga tao kaya halos solo ko ang fitting room.

Ang ending, dalawang malalaking paper bag ang uwi ko. Ang total price without discount was $700 dollars. SYEPPPP! That's 23,000 pesos. Pero dahil nga sa kaswertehan ko at may sale, inabot lang ng $150 dollars ang total bill ko, whew!! Nakakanerbyos ang original price.
Ito ang bunga ng dalawang oras na pagsusukat ko sa Gant.

Friend's Trial Times

After watching The Proposal last night, while I was walking down the shopping mall with another friend, we saw Bernard, a top interior designer and a very good friend of ours. Mas kilala ko sya sa pagkakaron ng Jaguar na sasakyan na until now hindi ko pa nasasakyan, pero ok na din kasi minsan na nya akong nabusinahan while I was crossing the road to my previous office, SingTel. Sya ang parang tatay namin sa isa sa mga circle of friends ko kasi sya ang pinaka matanda sa lahat, a very good adviser indeed, laging magaling magsalita. I would probably conclude na sya ang pinaka well off sa lahat ng nakilala ko sa Singapore, not to mention na mahilig syang mag-collect ng mamahaling relo. If I am not wrong, wala syang relo na bababa sa $3,000 sgd. Almost all the time na magkikita kami, I cannot help myself not to glance at his watches kasi talagang napaka gaganda lagi ng relo nya. Minsan nga, parang pinipigilan ko na lang sarili ko na magtanong ng brand na suot nya, he is just an eye-catcher human na hindi nagsusuot ng jeans cheaper than $300 dollars. And mind me, hindi pa ako nakakabili ng ganito kamahal na jeans, if I remember it correctly, $180 dollars pa lang ang pinaka mahal na jeans na nabili ko (although the most treasured jeans I got was one Levi's blue jeans from my mom worth P2,000 pesos when I was still in University and another black Jag jeans from my sister which I have not seen both for many years now). Bernard also is a collector of expensive stuff, name it, he has it.

And last night, I saw him from far, the usual Bernard "boy-next door". Pero habang papalapit ako sa kanya, wala syang ngiti at parang madaming iniisip. The first thing he said was "my nails are so dirty". True enough, madumi nga ang kuko nya. Then it was followed by a shocking news na nasunog ang bahay nya ............

Parang nanghina ako sa sinabi nya and I got lost for awhile na hindi ko alam kung paano ako magre-react sa news nya. It was funny kasi ang unang tanong ko sa kanya, "where are all your watches?" Then I was relieved knowing that all his watches are safe in a vault. He started showing me photos taken from his phone of the wreckage of his house, sobrang sunog especially his room na parang abo na lang ang nakikita ko. Sad to say, nasunog halos lahat ng damit nya except yung mga nakasampay at nasa laundry area. He was wearing his nephew's jeans and shirt last night and just came from a house viewing cos he eventually need to look for a new house to rent. In short, sunog lahat ng damit nya, ng collections nya, gadgets etc etc and etc. Ganon na lang yon? Hindi lang isa, dalawa or tatlong taon na inipon, mawawala lang sa ilang minuto? It was a little creepy, kasi habang nasusunog ang bahay ni Bernard, the cremation of the body of Matthew's dad was also in place.

Hindi ko naiwasang maka-relate kay Bernard kasi nasunugan na din kami ng bahay when I was just 5-6 years old na ang nag-iisang agony ko lang ay yung lungkot na nasunog lahat ng laruan ko. This tragic incident happened after we lost my dear little sister. Nalunod ang younger sister ko, then shortly after our family recovered from the lost and pain, nasunugan naman kami ng bahay. It was a blessing na nakitulog kami sa Lolo ko that night, else, wala sanang blog na richardays ngayon. Natatandaan ko pa na nanghihingi kami ng damit sa mga pinsan ko kasi the only clothing left for us was the pair of clothing we were wearing, we eventually need something to replace the next day. Nung panahon na yon, walang pera ang parents ko, and the only possessions we have are the clothes from our cabinet na sya namang unang nasunog. Our house back then was literally a bahay-kubo na iisa lang ang room, na yari sa kawayan at kailangan mong bumaba sa bahay kapag nahulog ang coins mo para kunin sa ilalim ng bahay.

Narealize ko kung gaano katatag ang parents ko, kung paano sila nagsipag para bumangon sa total disaster na pinagdaanan nila and completely heal the wounds left by an unfortunate events.

August 18, 2009 - Tuesday. I was expecting a stupid movie over Bruno and it did not disappoint me. I can tell that Bruno is one of the most stupid movies I have ever seen. This is what I have expected anyway, to watch a no-brain movie and it justified my desire. Isa't kalahating oras na puro kabulastugan. Pero bilang ang tawa ko kasi medyo pilit ang pagpapatawa. Sige, pwede nang bigyan ng 2 popcorns ang movie na to.

August 20, 2009 - Thursday. Kilig-kiligan naman ang The Proposal. Dito, malakas ang tawa ko. Ang sarap ng feeling na after mapagod maghapon sa work, may isang movie na magpapatawa at mag-aalis ng stress. May part na nahihiya na akong tumawa kasi nagmumuka na akong OA, pero huli talaga ng movie na to ang kiliti ko. Isang simpleng expression lang ni lola, natatawa na talaga ko. Isama pa ang scene na sinukat ni Sandra ang traditional family wedding gown na talaga namang naluluha na ko kakatawa. Galeng. 4 1/2 popcorn kayong dalawa.

Air Ticket to Japan

Through Glenn, I heard the news that Singapore Airlines will be having a promotional air ticket only today. Then I called up Lloyd to help me check on the dates covered by this prmotion. And the rest is history. From $882 from all my previous search of ticket to Nagoya ...... now it is down to $528!!! Wooohoooo!!!!

Weekend

August 13, 2009 - Thursday. Super rushed na shopping ang ginawa ko after work kasi magmi-meet uli kami ni Tisoy at naisip ko na magpadala ng kahit na ano sa mga kapatid ko na walang hilig masyado sa t-shirt. May favorite akong brand na availble sa ion kaya don na lang namili ng shirts for my brother, the shop is called uniqlo. Then CK perfume naman para kay inay at itay na meron palang latest line ngayon.

August 14, 2009 - Friday. I had dinner with Doc C at food rep. Shopping day naman to kasi nabiktima na naman ako ng Esprit, ended up with a pair of jeans and a jacket, hindi na din masama kasi on sale naman sila. Then suddenly, Bibay and Guen called up and join us. Nasundan ng kapehan sa Dr. Cafe na inabot kami ng closing. Nag-try ako ng latest na drink nila called Cookie Frappe.

Gumimik kami ng mumurahing gimmick sa harap ng shopping mall, nagsayaw ako ng "Nobody" at nag-perform sa harapan ni Len at Bibay habang si Guen naman ang photographer.

Almost 1:00 AM na when we decided to visit a nearby bar, it's called Acid Bar. Galeng ng performer na parang nanadya pa ang salubong samen na song na Nobody ng Wonder Girls. Kaso nga lang, nasa toilet ang mga girls kaya hindi ako sumayaw, eh di sinsana nakakita ng total performer ang mga Singaporean na halos hindi makasayaw at chorus lang ang alam nila. We left the placeat 3:00 AM na, pero facebook pa din pag dating ko sa bahay kaya halos sumikat na si haring araw ng matulog ako.

August 15, 2009 - Saturday. Stayed home almost the whole day, I just went out at late eve and visited Matthew' dad's wake again for the last time. Nakihapunan kami sa wake ng aking United Nation friends, kasi masasarap ang foods na pina-cater ni Matt.

A Freind's Lost

August 12, 2009. I received a very sad SMS from Joe telling me the news that Matthew’s dad had passed away early morning of Wednesday. If I remember, it was just last month when his dad was diagnosed with cancer, from then on, the doctor gave him at least 3 years to live on. Naisip ko nung time na yon, na napaka ikli ng 3 years, kasya na ba talaga ang tatlong taong palugit para i-enjoy nila ang daddy nila? Pero ang nakakagulat, iniwan na sila after a month pa lang.

Last night, I went to the wake. But before that, nag-prepare kami ni Joe and Desmond ng dinner para sa 20 persons. I am no good in cooking kaya tumulong na lang ako sa packaging ng food na sobrang rush kasi they started cooking at 7PM na. On our way to the Singapore Casket, (me, Joe and Desmond), napag-usapan si Matthew na wala pa din daw tigil sa pag-iyak. True enough, dumating kami sa venue at nadatnan namin si Matthew na tulala. Sa mga ganong oras, hindi ko alam kung ano ba ang magandang approach sa isang kaibigan na nawalan ng mahal sa buhay. Walang kasing sakit. Habang kumakain kami ng dinner, walang tigil si Matt sa pag-iyak. Nakita ko sa kanya yung kinakatakutan kong oras. Hindi ako madalas magpunta sa wake, dahil unang-una, sinusumpong ang sakit ko kapag nakakakita ako ng ataul. It never failed me, kagabi, matinding sakit ng ulo na naman ang inabot ko. But aside sa maliit na problema ko, mas naaagaw ng attention ko yung lungkot sa mata ng mga naulila, especially yung kaibigan ko na nakilala ko bilang isang masayahin at palangiting tao. Kagabi, tulo lang ng tulo ang luha nya. Halos hindi ako makahinga sa nakikita ko, natatakot ako sa bulaklak, natatakot ako sa amoy, natatakot ako sa luha, natatakot ako sa gabing yon.

Nung pauwi na ako ng bahay around 9:30PM, habang naghihintay ako ng bus na sasakyan, napaisip ako na 60 years old na nga pala si Mama, at si Papa naman 59 years old na. Bigla kong tinanong ang sarili ko kung bakit ako nasa Singapore. Hindi ba dapat nasa tabi na lang ako ng mga magulang ko para maiparamdam ko sa kanila na nandito ako para sa kanila? Na hindi ba dapat ako na lang ang driver ng nanay ko na araw-araw nagda-drive ng 80 kilometers papasok sa office nya? Hindi ba dapat ako na lang ang nag-iisip ng gustong iwang negosyo ng tatay ko sa dalawa kong nakakabatang kapatid para naman mabawasan sya ng iniintindi? Tumatanda na pala si mama at si papa, halos hindi ko namalayan. Bigla tuloy ako nahirapang intindihin kung bakit ang layo-layo ko sa kanila. Di bale sana kung limpak na limpak na dolyar ang sweldo ko, pero hindi naman ganon ang sitwasyon.
Purpose driven life nga naman.

Reima in SG

I met a kababata from Natividad, Reima. She flew to Singapore all the way from Japan to meet her sister and brother who happened to be visiting Singapore. Panalong takbo ang ginawa ko kasi sobrang late ako sa meeting namin. Ewan ko ba naman kung bakit napaka hilig ng IRAS sa mga last minute issues. Haaay.

But anyway, we had a walk at the Merlion na super request ni Reima dahil sobrang nainggit daw sya sa mga pictures ni Ofel. But sad to say, medyo madilim na when we reached the Merlion kaya hindi pa din napantayan ang mga pictures ng nag-iisang donya.

We had a very, very, good dinner. Had it at No Signboard. We had 1.6 kilogram of Australian crab worth $208 dollars!!! JKD, WTF, OMG!!!!!! Yes, that was P6,822 pesos para sa isang crab! And the good news is, hindi lang crab ang in-order ko. May kasama pang pork, veggies and chicken. So ang total bill para sa isang kaibigan na sumusweldo ng Yen ..... $361 dollars or P11,840 pesos! OMG!!!! Gosh to the highest level, that will hurt my pocket forever, pero sa isang Reima, parang no big deal at all. Well, thanks to her kasi she paid the bill.

I kind of know Reima kahit na ilang oras lang kami nagkasama. Simpleng tao lang pala sya, tahimik and yet malaman magsalita. Hindi ko din sya nakitaan ng yabang sa katawan. Actually, ako pa ang pumansin sa Louis Vuitton bag nya na humbly nyang sinabi na anim na bwan nyang binayaran. Then I asked her kung nag-shopping ba sya, and she said she bought another Louis Vuitton bag kasi "DAW" napaka mura dito sa Singapore. When I asked her how much was the LV she bought ... medyo hindi pa sure and tinanog ang Ate Marivic, and the price of a Louis Vuitton bag ..... $2,500 dollars. DAMN!!! That's p82,000 PESOS! Oh but anyway, sabay bawi naman sya na hindi naman kasi sya madalas mag-shopping. Oh well....

Ended the night at 10PM. I was really so surprised na inabot nya sakin ang plastic bag na bitbit nya all along on our lamyerda. I saw 2 cups of noodles, and I smile kasi I like noodles a lot. Pero on my way home, kinati ang kamay ko na buksan ang bag, and napalundag ako sa napaka daming chocolate na laman (well, fyi, mababaw akong tao. pretzels lang ang ibigay saken, pwede na akong makidnap). And one more thing that really shocked me was a thin paper bag from Burberry na may napaka gandang panyo sa loob. Loved it....

But nevertheless, malungkot pa din kapag sabihan na ny bye bye ang mga susunod na words:( I really hate the word goodbye.

Holiday

August 10, 2009 - Monday. Nasayang ang holiday ko today kasi may lagnat ako since Saturday night :( Hindi ko tulog na-enjoy ang long weekend na sana naging laman ako ng bar, or kaya naman umuwi man lang sana ng lasing or halos hindi makalakad sa busog, or sumakit ang paa sa lamyerda. None of these happened, but instead, I was locked in the house cos I cannot barely open my eyes. Pasalamat na din at slight fever lang. Kaya naman nung naka-recover ako kanina lang, sobrang gustom ako. I texted Joe na walang angal basta kainan ang pupuntahan. We went to a Japanese resto and had teriyaki chicken pizza and seafood noodle. Wala ako makitang pleasing sa paningin ko na dessert kaya lumipat kami ng restaurant para sa cakes. I saw this shop called Mad Jack na nakakalaway talaga yung mga pictures ng cake sa menu, and so we ended up there ordering apple crumble pie and chocolate mud pie and cheese fries.Mabilis na namang lumipad ang oras, 9PM na kami natapos tumibag. Bigla kong naalala na nasira nga pala ang plantsa sa bahaykaya napadaan pa tuloy ako sa Best Denki para humanap ng plantsa. Swerte talaga ko sa mga sale, halos babayaran ko na ang isang iron na worth $50 nang bigla kong nakita ang wonder iron na to worth $69 pero under promotion na pumatak lang ng $44. Inuwi ko sya.