Life as Ays sees it

touched

2011-12-04T21:57:00.000+08:00

i have issues with the ofw situation (ie. it fosters a vicious cycle of laziness and dependence on the family left at home), but this video has gone viral over the past few days.

heartwarming!

ay, bali!

2011-11-14T01:35:00.002+08:00

for the longest time, i'd been wanting to go to bali, indonesia. perhaps i took elizabeth gilbert's description of bali in her book "eat, pray, love" that i had such high expectations of the place. don't get me wrong, i also had a lonely planet book about it, too. but somehow, the more romantic version of bali was much better to read and imagine about rather than lonely planet's matter-of-fact details.

and so for our third anniversary as a couple, bali was our destination. the first thing that you notice about bali when you land is...well, it's like any old province in the philippines, except a few minutes away from the airport, you get greeted by this:

and every house you pass by has small temples. you really get the feeling that you are in a place where spirituality is clearly and visibly expressed. even our hotel has a temple, and these icons.

but we were definitely looking forward to the beach. lonely planet notes that the beach in kuta area where we were staying is a surfer's paradise. meaning: waves. and i don't like waves. i conjure up images of a tsunami when i think of big waves. and the fact that kuta beach is facing the indian ocean straight on doesn't help a bit. but thankfully, we timed our jaunts to the beach during low tide, so we were able to swim a bit (strong undertow, though).

what i like about the beach here is that it's a separate area for most of the hotels. meaning, there's no such thing as a "beachfront" hotel, save for one or two that are at the edge of the island. if you want to go to the beach, you have to step out of your hotel, take a few minutes walk onto the street and pass by a few street vendors/stalls first.

and since i know bali is not just about the beach, i pulled lloydie to go with me for a few touristy activities. we hired a car and a guide to take us to watch a traditional bali play (i'm sorry, i get that they want to introduce their culture to tourists, but a play using their own language, with a flyer for explanations in badly written english, is not really the way to go). it was...strange and towards the end, bordered on weird and disturbing.

anyway, after that, we went to silver and wood crafts shops (tourist traps, i tell you), but the ultimate tourist trap (and one that i almost fell for) is the small family museum/store. i had a few "wow" moments in that place, but after looking at the prices, i knew i was going to leave empty-handed.

in the afternoon, we dropped by a small coffee place where they had us tasting that famous, expensive coffee made out of animal poo. hmm... it was good, but i've had better.

we were also brought a little further up north, to see beautiful temples and have lunch with a nice view of one of their beautiful mountain, sort of similar to eating at a roadside in tagaytay.

mt. kintamani

ancient cleansing area at the gua gajah temple

at the besakih temple

but i must admit, we were not too impressed with the food. but this ayam penyet meal was good!

most of the people i talked to said that shopping was good in bali. personally, i didn't really go there to shop, but it's really not that cheap. we kept mentally converting prices of stuff like billabong shorts and roxy shirts, and they seem to be the same as in sg. and can i just say, this particular area of the island is becoming way too comercialized. they have a mall here (with starbucks and all those other stores--buti na lang, hindi pa ganito masyado sa boracay). their tourism department had better be cautious.

but we were blown away by the massages! oh, i can tell you we will definitely go back here for the massage services. all those little spas and salons offering really cheap massage and all sorts of pampering scrubs and lotions and oils. we took advantage and had these hour-long sessions everyday that we were there.

overall, i can say that bali is a nice place, worthy of exploring. we'll probably try the other areas of the island next time we visit. and i'll probably go to ubud and walk around there. maybe i'll see what "eat, pray, love" was talking about. i think i saw glimpses of it this first time, but a few more trips will definitely be better.

more pictures here

100 things series --part 7

2011-10-26T18:13:00.002+08:00

i am back in business with posting something into this series. to be honest, i really couldn't come up with at 10 things that make me happy in the past few weeks, but then again, i thought really long and hard this morning about the moments when i felt good in recent days, and decided those are what's going to be in my post today. and so here goes..

61. real steel. the movie. yes, the one with wolverine (er, hugh jackman). lloydie and i watched it last sunday, and i thought it was good. and don't tell lloydie, but i think i saw him tear up in that final scene. haha.

62. my new nike structure 15 running shoes. i needed an alternate to my current running shoes for my half marathon training.

63.discovering bittorrent. and figuring out how to download and watch/listen to all the TV shows, movies, albums i want. just downloaded the latest adele and tony bennet album.

64. finally having enough space in my C: Drive. for the past few weeks, i've been trying to find out what was causing my C: Drive to be almost 100%. lloydie eventually found out what it was, and my pc is much faster today.

65. planning a trip. lloydie and i finally found a common date for taking a leave, and the preparation is in full swing. in fact, i even bought a guide.

66. christmas lists. the gremlins are starting to send their wishlists for christmas. i think i should start making my own too.

photo from weheartit.com

67. my new magazine subscriptions on the ipad. finally, i have oprah and martha stewart.more on oprah in my next posts.

68. ran through five seasons of HIMYM (how i met your mother). this show is really funny and people of my age can totally relate to their situations. give an emmy already to NPH, please!

69. discovering jodi picoult. i must admit, i thought her books would be all depressing. well, actually, most of them are, in the beginning, but the twists at the end are quite good.

70. revlon's photo ready foundation. this is a good product. perfect coverage, and doesn't cause too much oiliness.

photo from revlon

and happy deepavali to those who celebrate it!

isad

2011-10-07T01:57:00.001+08:00

just to add my thoughts on steve jobs' death..

i resisted apple products for a very long time. i think my first apple gadget, the iphone, was just back in '08. and once i had it, i still wonder what made me not get apple stuff in the first place. today, as with most people, i simply cannot think of anything that i can't do with my iphone (and ipad, courtesy of lloydie), except of course, conan's ideas.

i'm still not fully converted though. i'm holding on to my desktop PC. maybe soon, i'll cross-over.

after seeing these ads, i think i will.

we all owe steve jobs a big "Thank You!" for thinking up these seemingly crazy ideas and making them reality for us. thank you for changing the way we communicate, the way we listen to music, and i think for a lot of people, the way they work.

and although there was no iphone5 during the latest apple conference, if siri works as well as promised for iphone4S (and i suspect it will), steve jobs would have done something revolutionary. again.

thank you, mr. jobs!

our f1 weekend

2011-09-30T01:32:00.000+08:00

every year, singapore holds the F1 night race at the heart of the city. it's actually a fun event because they also invite international artists to perform in shows, which is a good thing for people like me who are not really interested in the race.

two years ago, they held the concerts at the fort canning park where i got to watch the beyonce and b.e.p. concert. i think starting last year, the organizers decided to put up the concerts in areas near the race tracks. anyway, lloydie bought us walkabout tickets to the saturday event. as i said, i'm not really into the race itself, just for the concert.

stolen shot from the overpass. those seats are reserved for those with much more expensive tickets

we went there about 5PM, just enough time to have light dinner and watch one race. it wasn't the main event yet, and i don't know what cars were used, but they were pretty fast. i think the best view really is from where the cars turn a corner. this is the shot i managed to make.

this one, wala lang, it's always nice to take a shot of singapore icons. and i just miss going to the city. imagine, we can see MBS from our office windows before. now, we've been exiled to the probinsya that we call cbp! boo!

while waiting for shakira's show, we walked around the esplanade and the padang area.

and then finally, si ate shakira, lumabas na! her abs are to die for, really. and although we couldn't understand half of her songs, she performed really well and super energetic sya. it was a good show

i took a video of her "hips don't lie" performance, but it was ruined by background screaming from the guy behind me. i really don't think you'd want to see that. :)

100 things series --part 6

2011-09-08T01:57:00.000+08:00

i failed to make an entry for last week. i actually think that coming up with more things to put on the list is getting harder. it really shouldn't be, right? ok, so here goes..
51. getting a random "kilig" message from lloydie.

52. mcdonald's hot fudge sundae

photo from weheartit.com

53. listening to music from tony bennett, harry connick, jr and other artists of that music genre. it's just a really good break from the fast rhythm and auto-tuned songs going around these days.

54. searching for stuff in google -- all the information i need at the click of a button.

photo from weheartit.com

55. an afternoon of whiling away my time using "stumble upon" on our ipad.

56. when your taxi fare is $10.20 (or some random fare that requires coins) and the cab driver says "never mind the 20 cents, lah!".

57. pink things

58. watching cooking shows -- the likes of nigella and the barefoot contessa. plus those reality shows (iron chef, masterchef, hell's kitchen, etc).

59. the morning sun - there are (rare) days when i manage to wake up very early and witness that transition from night to day. but everytime i see it, it's always a good thing.

60. justin timberlake when he's on snl -- everytime he's on the show is a laugh trip.

that's it for the week. i need to think more happy things for next week's post. :)

istana entry attempt 2011 - fail!

2011-08-30T22:08:00.001+08:00

one of my facebook friends posted the announcement that there will be an open house for Istana today, and i dragged lloydie to go there. in my more than five years of stay here in singapore, i have never been inside the place. the Istana is the official residence of the President of Singapore, the equivalent of the Philippines' Malacanang Palace. i've pretty much gone around most of the tourist spots here, this is one of the very few places i haven't seen.

unfortunately, the line to get in was too long. and since my companion is not really the type to stand on a very long line for a few minutes view of a government building, we scrapped the idea altogether. the most we have is a few shots of the istana park.

so this attempt is a failure. there's one more open house date in october, and i told lloydie we're going to line up early for that.

well today's not really a complete bummer. we also tried gong cha tea. there are a lot of tea stalls scattered in singapore, and you'd see long lines for some of them. i think this brand is from taiwan. some more details here, here and here.

this branch is in an interesting location. that couple didn't know which one to go to first, gong cha? or the other shop (wink, wink!)

i had the black milk tea with 30% sugar (apparently, they let you choose how sweet you want your tea to be). lloydie had milk melon tea. it had an interesting, but i'm not reallly sure what the hoopla is all about. it's normal tea, with some cream on top.

so here's to hoping we'll be successful getting to the istana next time. just one thing i want to cross off my singapore list. :)

100 things series --part 5

2011-08-28T18:32:00.000+08:00

well, it's not wednesday, i'm late for putting up this post. here's the fifth part of my list. :)

41. finding good videos in vimeo/youtube. here's a series that's been going the rounds lately. awesome and inspiring, it makes me want to go travelling again.

42. gifts from my boyfriend (aka: lloydie!) his recent gift is my new folding bike. granted, it wasn't a surprise at all because i've been hounding him for the longest time to get me one. but still, to get something from him always makes me happy :)

43. watching magic tricks and always wondering "how'd he do that?". never mind that most people know the secret behind these tricks already, i'll always be fascinated with these slight-of-hand tricks.

photo from weheartit.com

44. walking around ikea.

photo from weheartit.com

45. watching sex and the city reruns. my little guilty pleasure, only because i understand and can relate to some of the situations on the show now, at this age, rather than when i was just out of college. and the outfits, most especially the shoes, love them. :)

photo from weheartit.com

46. the smell of garlic in butter!

photo: mine

47. fireworks!

photo from weheartit.com

48. a good hair day. which, with my hair type, is really very rare.

photo from weheartit.com

49. christmas coffee from starbucks. especially the peppermint mocha!

photo: mine

50. finding some bills/coins in a bag you haven't used for a while.

100 things series --part 4

2011-08-17T23:53:00.000+08:00

here goes my list for the fourth week...:)

31. fluffy pillows and clean sheets -- because i like a good night's sleep

photo from weheartit.com

32. watching a good play -- when i was young i went through this phase of wanting to join theater (that was when lea salonga was the biggest news for being cast in "miss saigon"). now i really just appreciate good productions.

photo: mine

33. a long shower/bath -- don't you just love that clean feeling afterwards?

photo from weheartit.com

34. playing with make-up -- i used to play with my mom's make-up and try to copy from seventeen magazine. now i watch youtube videos for makeup tutorials.

photo from weheartit.com

35. looking at old pictures -- i'm halfway through scanning old family pictures. still thinking what to do with the negatives.. should i have them developed?

photo from weheartit.com

36. a good bottle of wine -- preferably with cheese and meat.. and with good friends, of course!

photo: mine

37. looking at stars -- which seems harder to do these days given that cities (yes, even seemingly pollution-free singapore), don't really allow for it.

photo from weheartit.com

38. fruit tarts -- lloydie and i love going to fruit paradise for their yummy tarts. i love how it goes perfectly with a hot cup of tea.

photo: mine

39. finding a good cologne/perfume -- i'm on a l'occitaine phase right now..

photo from weheartit.com

40. a good breakfast -- oatmeal and coffee is my go-to meal :)

photo from weheartit.com

100 things series --part 3

2011-08-11T13:43:00.000+08:00

just a day late, but here's my third set..

21. trying shoes on and maybe buying a pair or two

photo from http://weheartit.com/entry/13192493

22. a bowl of marche's mushroom soup

photo: mine

23. running (although i don't get to do a lot of it these days).

"i just felt like running" --forrest gump

24. looking at clouds

photo from weheartit.com

25. oranges

photo from weheartit.com

26. babies

photo: mine

27. pretty prints

photo from http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/c-103-fabric.aspx

28. hong kong

photo: mine

29. saturday mornings (except when i have to work).

photo from weheartit.com

30. looking at pictures in national geographic

photo: mine

inspiring words to live by

2011-08-04T13:18:00.000+08:00

that one line is really tempting me. can you guess which one?

photo from holstee.com

100 things series --part 2

2011-08-03T02:22:00.000+08:00

on the second week of the challenge, here are some more things that make me happy.

11. will ferrell movies - i know, some of his recent flicks were box-office bombs, but his old ones were really funny. chilli f and i watched stepbrothers, and seriously, we were rolling off our seats. as in we "laughed until we cried". i think it's his delivery of the lines that makes his movies really funny. i wish he'd make new movies.

12. cooking - although i haven't done a lot of cooking lately (my cooking diary needs an update!), i find it therapeutic. i think it's the preparation, ie. slicing, cutting, dicing, that calms me down. and of course, the satisfaction of having people taste what i've created that makes me happy.

13. putting something in my bank account - just the thought that i'm putting something away and allowing myself to be independent gives me a really good feeling.

photo from wehearit.com

14. unexpected hugs and kisses - from a friend, family or a loved one.

photo from wehearit.com

15. getting thanked for a good deed.

photo from weheartit.com

16. getting a pat on the back for something you really worked hard for.

photo from weheartit.com

17. christmas

photo from weheartit.com

18. a good pampering at the spa

photo from weheartit.com

19. seeing old people obviously still in love.

photo from weheartit.com

20. when i listen to a radio (which is not often, these days), and hear a random song from the 70's, 80's or 90's, and i can actually sing along to it. below, incidentally, is on my repeat playlist the past couple of days. i like using this as a warm-up song when i run (which will be further down my list).

there goes part 2 of the list. already looking forward to next week's post. :)

100 things series --part 1

2011-07-27T04:09:00.000+08:00

this is just something i found on sofia's site. lately, i have been feeling a bit down, so i think this exercise is a good way of reminding me of the things that make me happy. so i'll be doing this every wednesday. nothing significant with the day, i guess it's just something i can look forward to write about.

and here goes, in no particular order, with a few tiny bits of information about each..

1. popcorn -- let me say this: i can survive a whole day just eating popcorn.

2. books -- given the choice between shopping for clothes or books, books win everytime.

3. chocolate peppermint -- the.best.ever.

4. flowers -- especially those given by a loved one.

5.the beach -- sun, sand, the wind..and that sun-kissed glow you get after lounging around

6. travelling -- especially to new places!

7. love actually -- funny, sweet, inspiring movie

8. staying in bed on sunday mornings...and then getting up for a wonderful brunch

9. going to museums -- all that lovely art from people who lived long ago...

the met in nyc

10. the visayan accent --haha. i'm biased, i know. but i just love the tone and how sometimes, even if the person talking to you is actually annoyed, it still sounds sweet.

amy winehouse

2011-07-26T02:25:00.000+08:00

i read the news of amy winehouse's death this weekend via twitter. the first thought that came to my mind was "well, it was only a matter of time". it's such a sad thing when someone who's clearly talented passes away. when i first heard her version of "will you still love me tomorrow", i was blown away. i loved the quality of her voice, it was like listening to music from the 60s or 70s.

i'm no psychologist and i don't know what her real issues are, but i can never understand why anyone would ever take drugs (note: officially, drugs is not yet pointed as the cause of her death, but let's be real, maybe it had a lot to do with it). there is no valid reason, except for illness, of course, that anyone should take drugs. well one can say the same thing about cigarettes and alcohol, but let's focus on drugs for now. why would you want to take something that alters your state of mind so completely. why can't you face whatever issues you have, deal with it and move on?

for artists, ie. musicians, actors, painters, etc, sometimes i wonder: do drugs fuel their talent? if they're on a high, does it make them create better songs, better movies, better art? would their work be less spectacular if they weren't on drugs? and by the way, what are all the important people around these artists' lives doing, like their family and friends?

remember britney spears' meltdown a couple of years back? i was so glad that her father stepped in and got rid of her manager/publicist and started to take over her affairs. look at where she is now. well i'm not sure if she's still on something, but she looks great and her career is going up again.

amy winehouse had a promising career ahead of her. it's so tragic to lose one more talented person in the world. but she created good music, that i'm sure is going to be listened to for years to come.

one word: sayang! (what a waste!)

angelina for louis vuitton

2011-07-22T02:10:00.000+08:00

i love the new ad campaign of louis vuitton with angelina jolie. the focus is about how a single journey can change your life. everyone knows she fell in love with cambodia and adopted her first son there. watch the ad and see how she talks about the country. it's clear that her love for cambodia is genuine.

and her picture is gorgeous!

as a person who likes to travel, sometimes i tend to go to a new city or country just to look at the usual "tourist-y" places. in recent years, i'd like to think i've matured as a traveller. for instance, while i was awed by the taj mahal in india (it literally brought me to tears!), i also realized how proud the people of india were about it, and treat it with such reverence. in myanmar, knowing the political history and background of the country, i understand and appreciate how the people are so peaceful and calm.

"a single journey can help you find yourself" -- that's what it says on the LV ad. that is very true. i like to think that every journey is an opportunity for us to find ourselves. more than the kitschy pictures, the stamps on the passport, the souvenirs, and even the food, each new place we go to presents us with the chance to experience other cultures, see a little bit of ourselves in the people we meet and change a little bit of our perspective.

water for elephants (the mystery of the book cover)

2011-07-21T00:34:00.001+08:00

i was going through kinokuniya's shelves yesterday. i wasn't really going to buy anything, just browsing and making mental notes of what i'll be downloading in my kindle.

on the "must-read"shelf was sarah gruen's "water for elephants" with this book cover:

this was selling for 17SGD.

Because I didn't want to imagine Robert Pattinson while reading the book, I walked further along to the "Literature" section and found two more versions of the book, with different covers.

this was priced at 21.94SGD

while this was selling for 23.20 SGD.

so that's three different book covers for just one book, with almost a six dollar difference between the first one and the one with the original book design.

obviously, it's a marketing ploy to get more people to buy. i see a lot of twilight fans grabbing that copy.
kindle still wins, though. at about 7USD, which is still almost half the price of any paperback/hardcover version.

has anyone seen the movie? i purposely didn't watch this when it ran in singapore because i wanted to read the book first.

i'm into you

2011-07-19T12:40:00.000+08:00

i've been playing this song since this morning. i actually like the beat. but the thing that got me was the lyrics.
haha. cheesy.
"when i look into your eyes, it's over. you got me hooked with your love controller.
i'm tripping and i can't get over. i'm feeling like a four-leaf clover"

one would think a 14-year old wrote the song. what the heck is the "love controller"?

at the 3 minute mark, there's a short interlude na parang pang-"showtime".
not sure that it contributed to the video and the song.

one day

2011-07-13T03:03:00.001+08:00

sometimes, a book just speaks to you -- the characters, what they're going through. this one did for me. i understand and can relate to emma's confusion about what to do with her life after graduation. i understand dex's disillusion and sometimes, bitterness at what life dealt him.

the book is 23 chapters of the two character's lives every 15th of july, the day they met, and started their friendship. out of college and trying to figure out what to do, getting jobs, being in relationships and all the while drawn to each other -- really just a nice, inspiring story.

i love this quote from the book:

"Live each day as if it's our last', that was the conventional advice, but really who had the energy for that? What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. Better by far to simply try and be good and courageous and bold and to make a difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you. Go out there with your passion and your electric typewriter and work hard at...something. Change lives through art maybe. Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved, if you ever get the chance."

i like buying books with the original cover, but it wasn't available in borders that day, so i settled for this one, and was thinking to myself: "nye, si anne hathaway?! the character is british, i wonder if she can do the proper accent".

but after finishing the book, i couldn't think of any other actress to play emma. and jim sturgess! i loved him in "across the universe". i can't wait to see how the film turns out.

here's the trailer.

bye, harry!

2011-07-11T11:33:00.000+08:00

i was a junior in college in 1999 when all the hoopla about the "harry potter" books started. the yearbook editor, whose name now escapes me, was carrying around the first book (hardcover) and he was excitedly talking about wizards and spells at the org room. pretty soon, almost everyone in campus was walking around with that book -- some were even reading during class.

so i saved my allowance and bought that book, and i must admit i was hooked. i thought about how impossible it would be to make this into a movie. but i was wrong. two years later, the first film was shown, and was such a huge hit. as news came that each subsequent book will be turned into a movie, i actually lost interest. i think i stopped reading at book 4. and even when the last book came out to much fanfare, i didn't bother to read it (that hardcover copy has been sitting on my shelf for about 2 years now). the film would come out sooner or later.

so now the final movie is coming out in a few days. and we're all pretty sure that it's going to be big. it's going to be the end of an era, i guess. there's a whole generation of kids that grew up knowing harry, ron and hermione and all the rest of the characters in the series. it's amazing to see how the actors who portrayed these characters have grown up right before our eyes.

i think everyone is going to feel the way they did when the last movie of the "lord of the rings" series was shown: kind of lost... what else do we look forward to? for the past decade, we expected a "harry potter" movie to come out every couple of years, and now...nothing. but it was a good series.

here's a nice clip about the last days of shooting the movie.

bye, harry! i'm looking forward to that last movie. and someday soon, i'll read the series again, this time, i'll finish until the 7th book.

expect more traffic in edsa

2011-07-01T02:23:00.000+08:00

a few days ago, the tweeters i follow were all agog about the new bench billboards along edsa featuring the philippine rugby team. with a little search around the interweb, i found this: (na-echapwera si lloydie on the left)

and this..

ay sus! i'm sure this is going to cause more traffic in edsa. well, at least it's eye-candy and maybe it will get pinoys interested in rugby.

more pictures here. HOTNESS!

dilemma

2011-06-23T03:00:00.000+08:00

pardon the tagalog:

sa totoo lang, hindi ko na gusto yung ginagawa ko sa trabaho. oo nga, ok ang sweldo, oo nga, mataas na posisyon na sya (pero walang titulo, pero oks lang yon), ie. pwede na kong mag-utos sa ibang tao. pero naman! kakaibang stress sya. una, stress sya dahil ikaw yung nasa gitna nung mga taong totoong gumagawa ng trabaho at nung mga sabaw. imaginin mo yun, buong team, sa 'yo nilalapit ang problema nila. sa schedule nila, sa mga bakasyon nila, syempre, sa stress nila sa dami ng trabaho. at hindi ito maliit na team ha. halos 40-katao 'to. imaginin mo yun, 40 plus na tao, sa yo nilalapit ang issues nila.

at para mas masaya, yung mga sabaw, iba-iba ang sinasabi nila. kanya-kanyang agenda. kanya-kanyang strategy. tapos sinabi sa kin dati na ako daw ang magisip ng strategy. nung naisip ko na at sinabi ko na "ganito dapat...", e hindi naman sinunod. hahaha. panalo.

minsan nga, mas gusto ko na lang bumalik sa dati kong ginagawa. ok lang yung stress nun e. kasi nagiisip ka, technical stuff. matapos mo yun, meron na namang bago, tuloy tuloy lang. wala kang iniisip kundi yung binigay sa yo, tapos pano mo idedeliver yun. e itong ngayon, paikot ikot sya e. ang idedeliver mo, yung actual na tao. ngayon, problema pa yon, kung medyo aanga-anga at sakitin yung binigay mo. e tinuruan naman ng mga kateam, kaso slow talaga. so pati yon pa, poproblemahin ko? wala naman akong magic para magbigay ng common sense, di ba?

so ngayon, naghahanap ako ng ibang trabaho. kahit sa parehong kompanya, or sa iba. kahit ano, ok lang. may mga interesting na options. yung isa dun din sa parehong kompanya, ibang department lang. iba yung work, medyo hindi ko alam. pero tingin ko kaya ko. kung ang kurso ko sa kolehiyo e legal management at napadpad ako sa IT at natutunan ko lahat ng alam ko ngayon, sigurado ako na magegets ko rin yan. yun nga lang, medyo mababa yung posisyon, parang back to square one ako, utusan ulit, kung baga. ok lang, basta hindi bababa ang sweldo. hehehe.

yung isa naman, ibang kompanya, kaso medyo hindi secure. contract position lang. pwede na rin, kung ok yung offer nila. meron pa nga sa 'pinas e. kaso ang iniisip ko, gusto ko bang bumalik sa pinas at this time?

ayun, yun lang. nilalabas ko lang ang dilemma ko. kayo ba nangyayari din to sa inyo? kapag araw araw sa pag gising mo sa umaga, wala kang gana pumasok, at kahit sa weekend, iniisip mo pa rin yung trabaho mo, tapos sa bawat usap nyo ng mga kaibigan mo sa trabaho e sinasabi mo na ayaw mo na talaga, there's something wrong di ba?

more movies (we're spending way too much on this)

2011-06-20T23:52:00.000+08:00

so i've been telling you guys lloydie and i are in a movie-watching spree these past few weeks. there doesn't seem to be an end in site, there are more summer movies coming out. the latest movies we watched were "x-men" and "green lantern".

we watched "x-men: first class" the same day i watched "something borrowed" alone. lloydie doesn't know this, but when he sees this, he'll know. i like this version of "x-men". i've loved james macavoy ever since i saw him in "atonement". the movie is really good. i like the balance of the special effects and the way the story was told. it also works that the actors are not yet too famous (jennifer lawrence, i think, will be very soon, when "hunger games" comes out).

never mind that lloydie said some of the parts there were not exactly the way it happened in the original comic version (which i haven't read anyway), this was just interesting to watch.

"green lantern", on the other hand, i found kind of boring and listless. i know, i know, ryan reynolds' body should be enough to make me happy with the movie, but it wasn't. green lantern's power is really unique and kind of heavy (like, really? they harness "will" and the only thing that defeats it is "fear"? it's so philosophical and abstract). i think that's difficult to translate into a movie. i mean, superman is an alien, the x-men are mutants, iron man is self-made, but green lantern--has "will". in a lantern/ring. he's probably the last superhero i'd want in case aliens want to destroy the earth. pa'no pag natakot sya, e di wala na tayong lahat!

and blake lively. ugh! her acting is as bland as her hair color. i wish they asked her to stay blonde, that would have at least given her a bit of life. she's the reason why i never finished the "gossip girl" series. why can't she be as animated in acting as she is when she's modelling something? the girl is fierce in pictures.

there's a bit of humor sprinkled throughout the film, courtesy of ryan reynolds. he is a funny guy, after all. but sadly, there weren't enough of them to get me hooked.

it'll be interesting to watch how all these super heroes come together in that "avengers" movie being cooked up. maybe then, green lantern would be more interesting.

what i think of "something borrowed"

2011-06-19T11:37:00.000+08:00

i couldn't convince lloydie to watch another chick flick, so i went to this movie alone. watching a movie by yourself is sometimes good because you don't have someone to tell your nasty comments, which i had plenty of for this movie.

some of the bits are funny, especially when john krasinski is on the scene. but it's much more than a rom-com, it actually forces you to think: is it right that you sneak around with your best friend's boyfriend because you and the boyfriend know you actually like each other, but just hid your feelings because you both were too cowardly to admit it when you were younger?

for those who believe in happy endings, the movie does not disappoint. the cheaters ended up together, never mind that the girl lost her best friend. there's a hint at the end that suggests they will eventually be friends again, but let's face it, in reality, once something as major as your friend cheating on you with your fiance happens, nothing goes back to being the same.

an afternoon with dali and van gogh

2011-06-01T11:10:00.000+08:00

one fine saturday morning, right after i got my mri result and treatment plan, i dragged lloydie to the art and science museum to see the van gogh and dali exhibit. the new art and science museum is that hand-shaped structure right in front of the marina bay sands casino.

entrance is at 30sgd (kinda steep, if you ask me). for the van gogh exhibit, i was expecting to see his actual works. so they didn't fly his works over to singapore, just some reproductions with some notes about his life. they did have an interesting sound and light presentation, where they reflected his paintings onto the walls. i managed to sneak pictures despite the "no photo and video" sign at the entrance. you can probably sit the whole afternoon here and just look at the pictures projected on to the walls.

i love how van gogh summarizes how we can all work effectively:

moving on to the dali exhibit, this one was so much better. i love this quote from the artist. oozing self-confidence, i must say.

but his art! one word you can say about it is: "surreal". only a genius would think of rendering an elephant in this manner.

loved this melting watch outside the museum.

there was also an exhibit about an ancient sunken ship. it wasn't really interesting, in my opinion, so i'm skipping details of that in this entry.

more pictures here.

movies every week!

2011-05-31T13:48:00.000+08:00

lloydie and i have been watching a movie almost every week, and will probably be doing so in the next couple of months, given that it's summer in the US and there's a whole slew of movies coming up.

first we watched the latest installment of "pirates of the carribean". um, actually, i wasn't really interested in this series from the get-go. i watched the first movie, and apart from johnny depp's interesting (and funny) portrayal of a pirate, the story didn't really do much for me. i didn't even watch the second and the third movies.

i also didn't get why penelope cruz was in the movie. that love story angle didn't really add much to the plot. i mean, the general storyline was already good and could stand on it's own, it didn't need that side story. on the other hand, the preacher-and-mermaid bit was more interesting.

just last weekend, we watched "kung fu panda 2". such a fun movie for the family. i LOVE Po!

and the good news is, it looks like there'll be a third movie. we're already looking forward to that one :)

umm..i don't know if i like this..

2011-05-22T23:29:00.000+08:00

i just saw how jennifer lawrence was dressed up as katniss. from this look, they made her look like this...

i'm not really sure she looks the part, but well, let's see.

i just finished mockingjay, the last book of the trilogy. actually, i didn't really like that one. towards the end, katniss's weaknesses and indecision became too apparent. and it all became about her, plus the scenes depicted were too gory, i'm not really sure if this is good reading for young adults (which is the target audience for the book). i hope they tone this down for the movies.

signs of old age?!

2011-05-19T21:53:00.000+08:00

for the past couple of weeks, i've been having these intense back pains. at first, i thought it was because of playing kinect for the first time (side note: have you tried kinect? so much fun!), and lloydie said it might just be because i haven't been exercising for the longest time. i thought it was gonna be gone in a few days, but alas, the pain grew worse. sitting down, lying in bed, standing up, and any small movement became too uncomfortable, that i finally told myself to have it checked.

so while i was in manila on vacation, i had some x-rays done. the doctor who checked up on me was a GP (general practitioner), and referred me to an orthopedic surgeon. but he did give me his general findings. somewhere in between t-9 and t10 (apparently each bone in the spinal cord has a number), the thingy that separates these two bones looks to be getting thinner, causing the bones to rub together at times. so basically, there's some compression going on that may be the cause of the pain. his prescription was some meds until i get back to singapore to consult with the ortho.

in singapore, when i showed the ortho my x-rays, he wasn't too concerned with the t-9/t-10 issue, although he will also check that. he was more concerned with the middle portion of my back that he says looks to be some collapsed or minor slipped disc. i checked online and did some research, i think this one is closest to what my problem is. so anyway, he scheduled me for not one, but two MRIs.

anyway, this whole issue with my back has really got me thinking that it looks like all my bad habits are catching up with me, or is it just old age creeping up a little too early, or both? i think it's more of the latter.

to be honest, for the past couple of years, i've been letting myself eat too much, and exercise less. yes, despite the fact that i train for and join runs, i'm still overweight. by the way, the doctor in manila said that the weight gain could be contributing to the pain, because my spine has extra load to carry.

so now i understand, that our bodies just returns whatever we put in or do to it. if you do/put good things in it, then you don't really have a problem. if it's bad, well, pasensyahan kayo ng katawan mo. i used to think that when you're young, you can still make up for all the things you do to your body. the truth is, you can't take it back, all you can do is prevent these issues from getting worse.

well, i guess i'll just have to wait for the ortho's findings and recommendation on what i should do (i suspect diet and exercise will top the list, but which exercise is safe for me, i don't know). wish me luck!

hello again, boracay!

2011-05-18T11:43:00.001+08:00

the first time i went to boracay was in college, senior year. i went with my classmates as our graduation outing. i loved the powder white sand, the clean beaches and at that time, good food that can easily be bought at small restaurants. to be honest, i didn't have a concept of what station 1,2,3 were, i just knew station 1 was where we always stayed.

over the years, i've been to the island several times. for the usual getaways or several friends' weddings. everytime i go back, there's always something that's changed. slowly, but surely, commercialism and modernity has settled into the island.

this year, i went with my family. it was my nephews and nieces' first time to go to boracay. the almost 6-hour trip (we went the kalibo route) was still worth it, once you see the beach.

and the sky bursting in color when sunset arrives...

at night, there's a lot of entertainment and shopping options for the kids. i suppose this is a positive thing. years ago, your only gimik option in boracay was hanging out on the sand with drinks on-hand. or, go to the few bars along the streets. these days, the "d'mall" area is full of restaurants and shops, good enough to entertain the kids for a couple of hours.

overall, it was a good trip. i'm glad we did it before boracay becomes too commercialized (well, actually, it already is, but at this point, the beach is still beautiful, unlike what happened to puerto galera). i hope that the next time we come back, there won't be a jollibee or mcdonalds on the island. that would just kill the beach experience, really.

more pictures here and here

oh, thor!

2011-05-02T00:11:00.000+08:00

to be honest, only lloydie wanted to watch the movie. but our friends invited us to watch it as a group, so there we went. we watched the 3D version of the film. personally, i really don't think 3D made it any better. it's a film for the fan-boys of the comicbooks. until chris hemsworth took his shirt off. ah, from that moment on, the girls in the theater were interested.

i heard the collective swoons of the girls when this moment happened. hahaha. and that includes me. i can understand why natalie portman was reduced to a stammering, clumsy girl around the guy.

i didnt know director kenneth branagh (he who brought shakespeare books to movies), can do an action-hero flick, but this one is good enough.

watch the movie, and fall in love with chris hemsworth. ka-gwapong lalaki!

the hunger games

2011-04-26T11:59:00.000+08:00

one of my girl-friends at the office gave me a whole bunch of e-books i can read in my kindle. i was trolling through the list this weekend and found i had the hunger games trilogy (salamat, gracia!). so i started reading and i'm hooked!

the one thing i did wrong was check out who's going to play the lead role when they make the movie. totally screwed with the image in my head. but i think she's pretty and looks right for the part. the guys though, um.. pwede na rin. elizabeth banks is perfect for her role, i think.

you've got to read it before the movie comes out, i promise it's really good!

the time of my life

2011-04-14T01:38:00.000+08:00

lately, this song has been on "repeat" in my playlist. it's such a sweet song. i swear, when i get married, this WILL be played.

i remember watching "dirty dancing" when i was a kid, and just fell in love with patrick swayze. how can anyone resist if you had a good looking guy that moves that way? oh and that line: "nobody puts baby in a corner". if someone believes in you that much, especially the person you love, then you'll probably run into his arms the way she did.

look at the original video here and fall in love again.

*sigh* i wonder, kaya ba 'kong buhatin ni lloydie like patrick did with jennifer? wishful thinking!

ang instagram...bow

2011-04-06T13:30:00.000+08:00

there's this iphone application called instagram. the concept is pretty simple. you take a picture with your phone, select any of the available filters, then post for all the world to see. you can also choose to post it on facebook, twitter and flickr, or send by email.

i've been looking at some pictures on the app, and i just noticed that some of the photos look like they're taken from an actual camera. point and shoot of DSLR. well, actually, may issue lang ako don sa nagpopost ng pictures from dSLR cameras. and worse, photoshopped pa. na-photoshop na, tapos lalagyan pa ng instagram filters. sobra sobrang edit na yun. haha.

anyway, methinks ok lang kung galing sa point and shoot na camera, kasi gusto mong gamitan ng filters para may "effect". pero yung dSLR, tapos photoshopped, tapos gamitan pa ng instagram...well, there's only so much editing you can do sa picture. but then again, for some people, it's more about how many people "like" your photos. so parang naging popularity contest na rin sya.

anyway, with all these iphone photo apps available out there, it's so tempting to give up on using cameras altogether. but right now, i'm actually tempted to try out lomography. i saw some cute cameras online. temptation again. lagot ako kay lloydie. haha. there was also a set i saw in pageone at vivo city, so i dont think i have to order online. oh well, i have to think about it first. medyo mababa ang EQ ko, im not sure i can wait for my pictures to develop, which is what happens sa lomography.

for now, instagram muna :)

here are my pictures in flickr. only four are from my p&s cam, can you tell which ones?

sucker punch-well, sucks!

2011-03-30T00:50:00.000+08:00

so, lloydie has a new passion card and wanted to highlight one of it's amazing features: $7sgd for cinema tickets, even on weekends. that's a big help to us, especially since we're fond of watching movies. unfortunately, this time, we chose to watch a crappy movie, that, in hindsight, isn't even worth the discounted cinema tickets. it was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing, so i didn't get to read any kind of review. if i had, we wouldn't have watched this.

directed by zack snyder, director of 300 and watchmen, it's about this girl who, using her wild imagination, tries to escape her dark reality..i don't want to get into the plot synopsis, but you can get it here. what i will get to are the reasons why i hate this film:

1) if you're looking for movies that objectify females by showing a lot of skin, for no reason at all, this will be on top of the list. so guys, if you want to waste your time ogling at girls, this is your movie, but then again, the shallow plot will probably have you wanting to just go ahead and watch porn.

2) those dream sequences do absolutely nothing for the plot. we've seen those slow-motion sequences in 300 and watchmen. thats nothing new.

3) and the major major reason why i HATE this film: it actually pretends to have some "deeper" meaning that it tries to explain at the tail end of the movie. note to the director (who, incidentally, is also the writer of the film). if you want your film to be campy, just be campy. don't make some "zen-like" statement at the end that tries to justify what happened in the film, which is well, NOTHING!

more reviews here and here.

do yourselves a favor, don't spend your money on this one. if you're curious, download the film from somewhere and watch it from home, if you really want to waste your time.

spaceship

2011-03-28T14:13:00.001+08:00

found this cute thingy on a playground while my friend and i were walking in pasir ris park.

i realized singapore is kinda obsessed with space,it's reflected in their architecture. will show some examples later.

oh and by the way,this post is being written while on a train going to the office.mobile
blogging is a good way to pass the time,especially when your office is in a far-flung area such as mine.

a freebie and the yellow square

2011-03-18T09:56:00.000+08:00

this year, i'm on a hiatus from buying paperbacks and hardcovers, on account of the fact that i now have a kindle (which is awesome). but i joined a book challenge from book chick city, and they sent me a free book to kickstart the challenge. i didn't really expect to get one, but here it is. i love freebies!

in other news, i realied i'm, really getting older. instead of buying fasion magazines, now i buy this. i didn't really know that the earth, nature and all that would be interesting. i guess it could be that i'm so much more aware of how we humans affect the planet. besides, all those fashion magazines talk about the same things over and over.

it's a long weekend for me, and i'm up for a nice break. how're YOU gonna spend your weekend?

out of the calendar

2011-03-17T10:34:00.000+08:00

a few weeks ago, i was thinking of the best way to celebrate my birthday. i browsed through travel sites, looked through amazon, and checked out a few spa websites here in singapore. somehow, i really wasn't up for anything. these are strange times to be celebrating, folks, with all that's happening in japan and in the middle east. some people here in singapore actually think that those events are so far away that there is no cause to worry. but there is.

so i ended up staying at home, and just made this day all about reflecting, trying to see what's changed about me. where i am in my life right now, where i want to go (i think this is a constant question for everyone), and when. i did play these songs over and over, just to remind myself that even if i'm getting older (and hopefully, wiser), there's still a lot to learn and aspire to be.

and that in the grand scheme of things, all my little problems are just part the ride.

i am thankful to everyone who got in touch with me via facebook, twitter, text, email, etc.

mobile blogging

2011-03-16T13:53:00.001+08:00

as if tweeting and updating facebook status using my phone wasn't enough,i just picked up a new app that allows
for updating blogger.

hmm..let's see how this one goes!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

blue valentine

2011-02-28T21:31:00.000+08:00

well, i didn't watch the movie, which i heard was great, but somehow, hindi ko feel si michelle williams (maybe because i still see her as that girl from dawson's creek).

pero feel ko yung title, because it's related to my valentine. haha. look! blue roses!

wikipedia defines the blue rose's symbolism as: "attaining the impossible, or never ending quest for the impossible". the "impossible" here, in the mind of the person who gave this to me, is the avoidance of being the target of my pms mood swings. hahaha.

i love it anyway. thank you, lloydie!

day 30: a photograph of yourself today and 3 good things that have happened in the last 30 days

2011-02-28T21:15:00.000+08:00

this challenge took waaay longer than expected. instead of 30 days, it spanned a couple of months. haha. sometimes, i get so lazy to write, or a couple of times, i actually looked at what the topic is, and i honestly could not think of anything to say.

anyhoo, to end this series, here's a picture of me. not exactly today, unless you want to see me in my pambahay after unpacking a few boxes (have i told you i moved to a new flat recently? well, fyi). this one is my current profile picture in facebook, taken last december in L.A. an apt picture, i think, considering i just finished watching the oscars (kinda boring this year), and they held the oscars right at the kodak theatre behind me.

and the three good things that happened to me, not exactly in the last 30 days, but since i started the challenge:

1) went to the us to visit mom and ate. you know about that here and here.

2) i got a kindle! this, i tell you, is the solution for book-addicts like me. no more lugging around heavy books, which is a hassle if you're moving to a new flat. but you know, if you have your own place and space, go ahead and get the paperbacks and hardbounds. for nomads like me, this is the perfect tool.

3) gremlin #8! a.g.a. he's not mine, but this is one more gremlin to spoil rotten. cutee! parang i want one for myself na rin. hahaha.

oh, and one more thing: (Tagalog na lang, baka may makabasa). mas lumalaki ang responsibilidad ko sa trabaho, which i think, is a good thing. pero sa totoo lang, 'di ko masyado gusto yung ginagawa ko ngayon, but i know soon enough, pag nasanay na ko, i'm gonna learn to like it. kung lumaki ang responsibilidad, lumaki rin ba ang sweldo? uhmm, secret na lang yan. :)

and this concludes the 30 day blog challenge. on to look for the next one.

day 29: something you cannot get tired of doing

2011-02-11T11:13:00.000+08:00

i will definitely not get tired of reading, and, it goes without saying, learning. when i build my own house, i swear there will be a mini-library. while most girls dream of a dressing room (or walk-in closet) clothes and shoes, i dream of shelves and shelves of books.

out of college, about ten years ago (oh god, it's been that long?!), when my bank friends and i were talking about quitting and thinking what jobs we really want to do, i actually answered, i just want to be a librarian in a cruise ship. can you imagine what an adventure that would be?

my mini-library here in singapore has grown from this, to this, with some more piling up in another area of the room.

can you imagine that i'll be packing these all up when i move to my new flat? i love books and the way they can inform, entertain, scare, make you laugh, cry, think and take you from one place to another. but recently, i just don't like the way they're taking up too much space. maybe if i have my own place, a display of books would be nice. but for someone like me who's moving every few years, well, the strain of taking my precious tomes is just too much.

luckily for us, we're at the digital age. and someone brilliant thought of digitizing books. my choice and the best one, in my opinion (as well as most reviewers i've read online), is the Kindle. i even put in on my wishlist. thankfully, i waited for the newer version, AND i didn't have to pay for it. woohoo!

now i can get all the books i want (at a cheaper price), without having to worry about space in my room. don't get me wrong, though. i'll still have my personal library, but that'll be a few years more.

ps: one of my friends gave me a torrent of kindle books, now i have about a thousand digital books to read. enough to last me several years. haha. where do i start?! :)

miss janet's concert

2011-02-10T02:50:00.001+08:00

when janet jackson went to manila for a concert a couple of years ago, i did not have the moolah to buy tickets to her show. thankfully, i got the chance to watch it now, here in singapore. last monday, i went to the concert despite the fact i was feeling feverish.

it was a fun night, especially because she was performing her #1 singles, so it was a walk down memory lane. most of the songs were from my high school years (god, i feel old!). i'm still a fan.

i bought the cheapest seats, because i figured i was just there to listen, and besides, there will be a jumbotron anyway. lucky for us, we got upgraded to the more expensive seats. it looks like not all tickets were sold (i don't know why. it's JANET J., singapore!).

as with most concerts, it didn't really start at 8. when we got there, people were just starting to trickle in.
*jologs moment: spotted aiza seguerra with girlfriend. but i didn't bother to take/ask for a picture. they were kinda in their own world. pda, much!

about half an hour later, medyo napuno rin. so the lights dimmed. there was a short video about her tour. so apparently, she's gonna do 35 cities corresponding to her 35 #1 songs, and she'll dedicate a song for each city. singapore's is "someone to call my lover". i like the remix version they played.

and lumabas na si ate

still sexy after all these years. and can i say this: i covet her boobs! cleavage kung cleavage!

she is still fierce

she sang "scream" which is a duet with her brother

i really liked the songs, and her moves. nagbalik high school ako, and almost (almost lang) cried when i heard my two favorite songs by her.

there was a touching moment when she sang the line "no worries will you ever see my, baby" and they flashed a picture of michael on the screen. i think she choked back tears. so touching.

here's the closing song. this one took me back to senior year, high school. so many fond memories of my batchmates with this song.

day 28: your favorite movie

2011-02-09T11:16:00.000+08:00

this one's easy. if there's a movie i don't mind watching every few months or so, it's got to be love actually. every few years after this movie came out, there were other ensemble movies that followed, ie. "the holiday", "he's just not that into you", "valentine's day". but i like this one the best.

"christmas is all around" by bill nighy is a fun song to listen to, and watching alan rickman and emma thompson act together is such a treat.

day 27: a picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?

2011-02-08T13:34:00.000+08:00

last year, we went to the floating platform in marina to view the annual chinese new year carnival. i don't think much has changed since then, apart from gaining a few more pounds, haha. i got a bit more stability, job-wise, but as always, i have a few more questions about where i want to be a couple of months/years from now.

i know, oiliness!

this year, i went home to manila just to take a few days of rest, and meet the new gremlin!

this is a.g.a, the 8th gremlin

we also went to resorts world to watch "kaos". such an interesting and fun show.

harrassing the white lion :)

here's a sample video of "kaos". definitely a good show for kids and adults.

more pics of my manila visit here.

the mystery and suspense reading challenge of 2011

2011-01-30T00:05:00.001+08:00

thanks to miss t for the tip, i'm going to participate in this challenge this year. honestly, i'm not really into mysteries and suspense. i've read the trilogy by larrson last year, and found it interesting. so it's a good thing someone forwarded me this link.

now, off to amazon to look up good mysteries. where to start, i wonder?

day 26: a photo of somewhere you've been to

2011-01-26T11:20:00.000+08:00

i've been to a lot of places in the past couple of years. on my latest trip, i visited the good ole US of A. spent christmas in the east coast (you know how that went). the second part was flying over to the west coast in southern california to spend new year's with my sister and her family.

i finally got to disneyland! when i was younger, the dream was to go there and meet mickey and friends. a few years ago, my friends and i went to hongkong disneyland. that was a good one, although, i must say, iba pa rin pag sa original na disneyland.

come to think of it, i didn't actually see mickey himself, but i did see mary poppins. and some princesses walking around. also, there was no fireworks display and parade when i went. all the more reason to visit again next time.

till next time, disney. i want fireworks!

more pictures here...

day 25: what's in your purse

2011-01-21T13:09:00.000+08:00

here's what's inside..

1- make-up kit
2- tissue -in singapore, we use that to reserve a seat in the hawker center
3- umbrella - very useful when your office is quite a walk from the mrt station
4 and 5 - hand sanitizer and cologne. i'm in a bath and body phase right now.
6- wallet
7- MRT card - for train and bus rides
8- shades - again, useful for while walking to to the office
9- mini purse - for going out on breaks and i don't need to bring my bag.
10- keys - obviously, for getting in and out of the house.

no official picture of the actual purse where these are placed, because i like changing it depending on my mood and outfit.

my sister showed me the bag organizer. it looks nice and perfect for people like me who like to change bags often. where do i get one here in singapore?

day 24: a photo of something that means a lot to you

2011-01-19T01:35:00.004+08:00

i don't really have anything concrete that means a lot to me. sure, the gifts i receive from family and friends are much appreciated and treasured. but if they get lost, damaged or whatever, i wouldn't really lose much sleep over them. they are simply material things. the fact that i was remembered, and deemed worthy to have received those gifts is more important to me.

what means a lot to me, these days, at least, is to be able to spend time alone. not doing anything specific, really, just to organize my thoughts and reflect. sometimes, it is a true bonus to spend time alone looking at beautiful things, old and new. in my recent trip, i visited the met and spent a few hours just appreciating the things on display.

sit here..just stop and look

in looking at these ancient things, you get to think about how people lived in thousands, hundreds of years ago. how they raised kids, what they did for livelihood, how they loved. it makes you actually realize that in the grand scheme of things, whatever problem you have right now, all that is going to pass.

more met pictures here

day 23: 15 facts about you

2011-01-10T15:37:00.001+08:00

well, well, well. this challenge is taking longer to finish than i expected. i've been out the past couple of weeks to spend the holidays with my mom and sister far, far away.

i won't even bother with listing 15 facts about me, just that 15 is the number of pounds i think i gained while on vacation. haha. seriously, i feel so heavy with the foods i tried, and not a minute of exercise, too boot! i don't think the amount of walking i did was enough to count as exercise. besides, it was cold, so i don't think i sweat a lot at that time. i seriously need to get back to the gym--pronto!

real new york cheesecake from lindy's

remember the cyclone the chillis and i survived in myanmar, a couple of years ago? well, this year, i survived the first snowstorm of 2010. my mom and i were supposed to go shopping in the outlet stores of new jersey, but had to turn back because the snow alerts started.

it was starting to fall in jersey

undeterred, we proceeded to shop a few blocks of the apartment, but we got caught right smack in the middle of the storm. the bus we took going home got stuck!

and what do i have to show for after that snowy situation? just one fabulous bag i got on the macy's after-christmas sale. hehehe.

finally, home after walking in the storm

the next day, i had fun walking around the neighborhood. snow, snow, snow! apparently, there was just too much snow for the nyc government to handle that their clean up got really delayed. but for me, walking along snow-paved streets was a novelty. i just hope that next time the snow won't be as heavy.

a little action along the streets of queens

some more pictures of my snow adventures here

day 22: a letter to someone who has hurt you recently/the start of christmas parties

2010-12-17T02:13:00.001+08:00

this entry should start with a "dear insert name here". but i really can't think of anyone who's hurt me recently. if anything, i don't really get hurt, emotionally, that is. i do get annoyed by people who think they know everything when clearly they're clueless. and those people who think they're soo good when all they have is hot air in between their brains. with maturity (ehem, old age) comes the knowledge that i actually know better than to "make patol" these people, so i just choose to ignore them. it's really better that way for everyone.

in other news, christmas is just around the corner. and with this is the numerous gathering of friends here in singapore. this year, we were told to dress up as cartoon characters. so much fun to wear costumes. it's really more for the kids (who, may i say, are growing in numbers here in lah-lah land).

*photo from francis
more pictures here..

i've got one more costume party to attend, i've got to figure out what to wear. i'm looking for inspiration here.

day 21: a photo of something that makes you happy (and the 21K result)

2010-12-15T02:53:00.000+08:00

i'm not a very high maintenance person, in fact, it takes very little to make me happy. chocolate is right up there on the list of stuff that will make my day. bonus points for mint chocolates, because they are absolutely the best.

now the other thing that makes me happy these days is finishing a run. two weekends ago, i finished my first official 21K run. who would have thought, right? a few days before the event, i was having second thoughts about going through with it. i wasn't really doing any kind of training in the weeks leading up to the run, so i was kind of resigned about it. and who in their right mind would actually wake up at a god-awful early hour and subject themselves to running that distance?

but then again, i thought that NOW is a good time as any to see if i can actually do it. and so i woke up very very early and took the train going to harbourfront where a huge crowd was forming at the starting line.

on a regular day, going inside sentosa is very easy with the free bus ride, the mini train and the cable car as options. it's a different story altogether when you have to walk/run inside. the only thing that made it a little bit more fun is getting into universal studios and being greeted by the staff and the mascots.

i couldn't resist, i lined up to take a picture with puss-in-boots...

took photos of shrek..

and the guards at the mummy temple

eventually, i had to move on, because for a moment there, i forgot i was supposed to be running, not taking a tour of universal studios. and that is the reason why my official time is 3 hours, 9 minutes and 45 seconds.

so there. i've done it. one more thing to cross off my bucket list. let me tell you, finishing that 21k was such a high. i must admit though, that halfway through the race, i was thinking of just quitting. it looked so easy to just go to the sidelines and walk away. then i saw those people who were down at the roadside, and had to quit because they were either running out of breath or pulled a muscle, and any other medical reason, and i just thought that these people want to finish, but can't, and i didn't have any reason to quit.

i tried all sorts of mental tactics to finish. "run for 5 minutes, walk for three", i thought to myself. then i had that pain on the side of my tummy, i had to make it short. "run for three, walk for two" became my mantra. eventually, i just told myself, "just walk, but finish". getting to that finish line took forever, but crossing it gave me this feeling of accomplishment. i'm just so happy to know that i CAN do it. it really is amazing what we can push our body to do if we put our mind to it.

would i do it again? definitely. the next goal is to improve my time. here's to next year's runs! :)

the finish line..i made it!

day 20: the meaning behind your blog name (and the 21K)

2010-12-03T00:35:00.000+08:00

i don't really recall where the blog name came up, i think one of my former colleagues mentioned it in one of our conversations when i started this. the url is straightforward, just my name, because i didn't know you could actually put in something more creative in between www..blogspot.com. hehe, clueless. by the time i thought of a better url, most of my friends already know about it, and i didn't want to change it anymore.

but anyway, the blog is really just to update friends and family of what i've been up to, random things i find on the net, what i think about things going on in the world. sometimes, it's also where i rant about annoying people, issues, etc. etc. nothing really major. i've been able to meet some new friends online too, so it's all good. there was a year i would write almost everyday, but right now, i like to think about what i'll be writing before posting anything.

on a separate topic, this coming sunday will be my first time to do a 21K run. i haven't really done much training for it in the past few weeks, because of my preoccupation with christmas shopping, work, and of course, that bout of katams (katamaran = laziness). to be honest, i'm having second thoughts about going through with it. just look at the route! it so daunting.

or i could take it as a dare, and just think it'll be one of the things i'll tick off my bucket list. i will post what happens on sunday. we'll see. :)

day 19: another picture of yourself (and it's christmas season)

2010-11-28T14:42:00.000+08:00

to start off, here's a shot of this year's red cups from starbucks. peppermint mocha is l-o-v-e. i think they came out earlier than usual this year.

in manila, when these cups arrive, a lot of people line up not just to get coffee, but to collect stamps in order to get Starbuck's yearly planner.

by the start of the year, you'd probably have spent more than a thousand pesos just to get that planner. when you could have just bought something cheaper from national bookstore. i don't think they have that promo here in singapore, though. which is fine, because mahal ang starbucks dito.

anyway, on to the challenge, and i know i am so bad at this:

this picture was taken six years ago. wow, time flies really fast, right? in a few weeks, i'm flying out there

again. whee! but first, there's a slew of parties to attend in the next few days. and work, of course. i've got a list of things i have to do before i leave, i wonder if i'll have time to squeeze in a run or two. we'll see.

day 18: something you crave a lot

2010-11-17T23:04:00.000+08:00

well, everyone knows i LOVE anything chocolate-mint or mint-chocolate. but the other thing that i really love munching on is POPCORN! i can survive a whole day on just this snack. too bad, the quality and flavor of the popcorn here in sg leaves much to be desired. there are only two flavors available here: salted with butter or sweet caramel (sorry, i HATE sweet popcorn. eww!). sobrang kulang sa variety! besides, it's also expensive.

how i miss the simple and cheap popperoo popcorn in manila. there's cheese, butter, barbecue. and also tater's. ooh.. sourcream and chives is my favorite. i could literally finish a large box all on my own. when i was still working in manila, i used to drop by at the glorietta 4 cinema, even if i'm not going to watch anything. i just buy from tater's and take it home.

one of my friends here in sg shared this in facebook on how to make homemade popcorn the healthier way. i think i'll try this one out, because i've been spending a lot on microwaveable popcorn here.

day 17: a photo of you and your family

2010-11-15T22:59:00.000+08:00

the last family picture we had, my mom had to be inserted via photoshop. we're pretty much scattered, so it's hard (and expensive) to put us all together in one place.

here's a pretty old picture of the fam, circa early 80's. can you guess where i am in the picture?

the challenge is going to take more than 30 days, for sure. i am so bad at this.

day 16: your celebrity crush

2010-11-09T19:21:00.000+08:00

do you really have to ask?

muy gwapito! we had our moment a few years back. i know he remembers it. hehehe.

day 15: something you don't leave your house without

2010-11-08T15:32:00.000+08:00

very important never to leave your house keys. it's embarrassing to hassle your housemates by calling them at ungodly hours to open the door.

anyway, i got this keychain a couple of years ago when i went to atlanta for work. that was a fun trip, maybe i'll visit again soon. on a side note, i have to tell you i don't really know how to put/take out keys from a keychain. i always manage to injure myself when i try. so i always get someone else to do the work for me.

day 14: a TV show you’re currently addicted to

2010-11-03T20:23:00.000+08:00

there was a year where all i wanted to watch was grey's anatomy and house. but i outgrew the phase. the storyline of grey's anatomy just became too sappy for me. house is still a great show, but all those medical conditions they tackled made me paranoid. this year, i'm kind of addicted to TFC's teleseryes.

this one is going to end this week.

although gretchen looks like melting wax, the role of a bitter, bitchy woman with revenge on her mind fits her perfectly (i personally think she's too young to get botox, and have her face stretched, it's actually scary). angel aquino's performance overpowers everyone else's.. in a good way. too bad the series is ending this week.

one more teleserye i watch every night is of this one, of course. i've got to support my future husband, right? hehe.

day 13: your favorite musician, and why

2010-11-01T15:20:00.000+08:00

i actually like different kinds of music. but if i should wake up one morning and find that there's only one remaning singer/songwriter/performer that the world should listen to, i'd probably want it to be jason mraz.

i've seen the guy perform live, and his show is a lot of fun. his lyrics are witty and the music is easy to listen to, whether you're just chilling at home, going on a joyride with your friends or lounging at the beach.

day 12: a photograph of the town you live in

2010-10-30T10:20:00.000+08:00

i'm not sure there's a concept of the "town" where i live. singapore is a very small country, it's also just a city. but to be more specific, i live on the east side of lah-lah land. here's a map.

somewhere in the squared off area is where i live. that orange stretch is the east coast park. as you can see, it's walking distance from my place. funny how i don't go there that often. ecp is a great place to run, and bike. but i run more often in the gym. however, since our team recently moved to cbp, it's more likely i'll be trekking off to the ecp for my runs.

the thing i like most about where i live right now, is the fact that there's lots of places to dine in. and it's not just the hawker center, but there's different types of restaurants in the area (italian, thai, cambodian..oo, meron dito no'n). and the area is not too crowded and noisy (as in some cases in heychdeebees), at maraming expat na puti, kaya ang daming eye-candy.

unfortunately, our contract is about to expire early next year, so it's going to be time to look for a new place soon. i hope to find a place in the same part of town, though. *crossing my fingers*.

day 11: what's in your make-up bag?

2010-10-27T22:56:00.000+08:00

i have a LOT of make-up. really. however, i don't get a lot of opportunities to use them. mainly because we don't really need it in my line of work. you don't need to fix yourself up too much when all you do is face the computer all day, reading codes and working on servers. especially when you go on shifts.

but, in my previous career as a "phonebanker", we were taught that "when you look good, you feel good, and you become more motivated to work". and so, i carried that bit of "kikay" attitude in my "oh-so techy" work. yun nga lang, i don't get to use my funky-colored eyeshadows and blood red lipstick. for work, i prefer more subdued colors, and just the basics and nothing too fancy.

day 10: a photo of your favorite place to eat

2010-10-26T18:54:00.000+08:00

oh, hello! i went home to attend my friends' wedding, then went somewhere in southern philippines.

anyway, to get back on track with the challenge, here is the picture. this is my favorite meal in marche. it's a restaurant originally from europe, where you get a card at the entrance, and then pick your meals around the place. you present your card at each counter, then pay it all off before you go out. we love the place because everything is fresh and prepared right before your eyes.

the mushroom soup is heavenly, and the salmon caesar salad is super yummy! i should probably go back here soon.

side entry: reviewing eat, pray, love

2010-10-19T23:31:00.000+08:00

early this year, i was excited about the movie version of this inspiring book. last weekend, my girlfriends and i watched it, excited to see how it all translates into screen. and while it was nice to see italy, india and indonesia on screen, the story kind of lost its soul for me.

chilli f said it would have been better if an unknown actress did the movie. the fact that it's julia roberts playing it kind of distracted from the story. also, i think the bit about india was the best part of the novel (my book is littered with highlighted notes here). sadly, it was the shortest bit. and although richard jenkins was the oldest among julia's leading men, he was the one that made the most impact. i'll just let mr. egbert and cinemablend explain.

in the novel, the character's stay in bali was actually highlighted by her interaction with the medicine man and the local woman, not so much the brazilian guy she met and eventually ended up with. but i guess it's more interesting to see that on screen, because really, between the medicine man and javier bardem, who would you choose?

all i can say is, watch the movie for the sights and javier. but read the book to get more insight.

day 9: a photo of the item you last purchased

2010-10-17T21:42:00.001+08:00

everyone knows my love for all things chocolate and mint. found this during my weekend shopping at sheng shiong. happiness.

thank goodness i took a snapshot before i finished the entire pack.. well, not really, it's still there. i foresee a hard week ahead, so these'll be my reward for each day i stay too long at the office. i think it'll be everyday. oh well..

day 8: a song to match your mood

2010-10-16T23:36:00.000+08:00

...coz you're amazing, just the way you are.

day 7: your dream wedding

2010-10-15T12:09:00.000+08:00

to be honest, i haven't really thought about this. i've been witness to quite a few wedding preparations over the past few years, and i must say, ang daming kelangan ayusin! i've been to big ones and small ones, and always, the one thing i really look at is how the bride and groom are on that day. sometimes, i've seen the stress of all the preparations show on the face of either the bride or the groom. parang hindi na sila nag-enjoy sa wedding.

anyway, if it were up to me, i think i'd prefer a small, intimate wedding attended by family and a few very close friends. someone once said, the ideal wedding would be just ten people, that already includes the couple and the priest. hehe. then it would probably be in a garden, on a weekend afternoon. then it's off to dinner and some dancing (eighties music, woohoo!)

anyway, it's all simple and straightforward. i don't want a lot of stress for me and my groom. on the groom front, sino nga ba? let me tell him my plans once he gets back from taping "imortal". hahaha.

day 6: a photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet

2010-10-14T01:26:00.000+08:00

nothing too exotic. we have dogs back home, but they're not really familiar with me, so they keep barking when they see me. but if i have enough space at the flat, and time to take care of another creature, i'd really like this kind of dog (*hint, hint).

i won't dress it up like this, but isn't it adorable?

day 5: a photo of yourself two years ago

2010-10-12T11:48:00.000+08:00

two years ago in hongkong for my college friend's baby's christening.

day 4: your favorite photograph of your best friend

2010-10-12T11:21:00.000+08:00

i don't really have a best friend. i do have several close friends who, even if i haven't seen for a couple of months, even years, i know they've got my back.

my friends from grade school and high school, who i literally grew up with.

my college friends, whom i "matured" with. in college, you do a lot of experimenting to "find" yourself. i'm lucky to have found this bunch.

a special mention to these two girls. they help put my issues in the right perspective, and pull me back down to earth when i'm kinda floating with my thoughts. hehe.

of course, the chillis. we're bonded by our love of travelling and art.

day 3: your idea of the perfect first date

2010-10-09T02:37:00.000+08:00

hmm.. this one is gonna be hard. when i was a teenager, i had this whole idea set in my mind of how my first date should be. it was going to be on prom night, with a great-looking guy (preferably luke perry, or, since we're in the philippines, red sternberg..if you don't know who that is, you're probably too young or missed out on the "classic" TGIS), we'd go to a fancy restaurant, he'd give me a bouquet of flowers, of course. and at the end of the night, he'd propose. not really to be his wife, just be his girlfriend. swoon!

the reality is, i didn't get to attend a prom. the nuns at school cancelled it during junior and senior year. i didn't meet luke perry (90210 got cancelled, and he wasn't so cool anymore), nor red sternberg (TGIS got way complicated and lost its appeal too). some girlfriend proposals came, but i wasn't really interested in those until i got a little bit older.

a few years later, a guy asked me to tag along to fetch his younger brother from his prom night. well, we didn't exactly go inside the party, we weren't dressed for the occasion, so we stayed at the parking lot. we can actually hear the music from inside the party, and when they played a nice, slow tune, the guy asked me to dance. right there on the parking lot.

over the years, i've been on several dates.some good, some bad. at this age, i think i can say that a perfect first date is not about how how fancy the food or the place is, but about the person you're with. if you feel comfortable with him/her, and you're really not trying too hard to impress each other, i think that's a perfect date. first dates (and dating, in general) are always a trial and error thing. you go with one person once, twice...if you know it's not working out, then you move on.

that is until you find that one guy/girl who makes you want to go on a first date again and again and again. we should all be so lucky to find that one person.

as for me..well, i've been on that perfect date..again and again and again. i'm just working on sneaking in some slow dancing :)

day 2: a picture of something you ate today

2010-10-08T00:29:00.000+08:00

for busy people like us here in singapore, there is no hot meal waiting when we get home. there are the few lucky ones who have partners/siblings/helpers who cook for them. or there are those who still have the energy at the end of a long day to make their own meals.

this little can (and others, such as corned beef, sisig, flavored tuna, etc) saves the day when you really don't want to buy another meal at the nearest hawker center, but also don't want to cook. just put this over steaming hot rice, and you're all set for dinner.

however, buying these canned goods from lucky plaza costs almost triple its' price in manila. it's no wonder tuwing babalik galing ng 'pinas, we pack these into our suitcases. this costs less than 15 pesos in manila supermarkets.

anyway, i really should be staying away from rice these days. but we shall see, it's a challenge when my cupboard contains de latas and instant noodles.

day 1: how my day went

2010-10-06T23:38:00.000+08:00

this is me today. well, at the end of a long day. i'm hiding my eyes because it's red from looking at spreadsheets all day. and no, these are not ray-bans. i was thinking of buying the wayfarers, pero naman! ang mahal nya! i'd be able to buy return flights to manila (cebu pacific on sale at go-lite prices) for those sunglasses. the alternative is look for an imitation. bought these at $20 sgd, it came with another pair. sulit, di ba?

nothing much happened today. unless you think Excel is exciting. ooh, pivot table! ooh, now i can make charts and graphs. trust me, hindi sya masaya if all the number crunching your doing really shows negative, at wala ka nang magagawa. all you can do is show what you have sa mga sabaw, sila na bahala.

i was supposed to start my 10K/21K training yesterday, but i caught this coughing bug somewhere, so good luck to me on the 31st (for the 10K) and in december (standard chartered half-marathon).

the highlight of my day, is always going home and taking some much needed rest, and watching TFC's teleseryes. yes, pinapatulan ko na ang teleserye. don't judge me, gano'n talaga pag-OFW. haha.

till tomorrow!

the thirty day blog challenge

2010-10-05T22:46:00.000+08:00

it's no secret that everyone is on facebook these days. it's easier to make those one-liner updates than writing full length sentences and paragraphs. i must admit, medyo bitin. so i picked up this idea from another blog. let's see how i'll do (chilli friends, eto na ang chance para i-revitalize ang blogs!).

for thirty days, i should write about the following:

Day 1 – A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was.

Day 2 – A photo of something you ate today.

Day 3 – Your idea of the perfect first date.

Day 4 – Your favorite photograph of your best friend.

Day 5 – A photo of yourself two years ago.

Day 6 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet.

Day 7 – Your dream wedding.

Day 8 – A song to match your mood.

Day 9 – A photo of the item you last purchased.

Day 10 – A photo of your favorite place to eat.

Day 11 – What’s in your makeup bag?

Day 12 – A photograph of the town you live in.

Day 13 – Your favorite musician and why?

Day 14 – A TV show you’re currently addicted to.

Day 15 – Something you don’t leave the house without.

Day 16 – Your celebrity crush.

Day 17 – A photo of you and your family.

Day 18 – Something you crave a lot.

Day 19 – Another picture of yourself.

Day 20 – The meaning behind your blog name.

Day 21 – A photo of something that makes you happy.

Day 22 – A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.

Day 23 – 15 facts about you.

Day 24 – A photo of something that means a lot to you.

Day 25 – What’s in your purse?

Day 26 – A photo of somewhere you’ve been to.

Day 27 – A picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?

Day 28 – Your favorite movie.

Day 29 – Something you could never get tired of doing.

Day 30 – A photograph of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days.

starts tomorrow :)

beef salpicao (or why i will not eat at krokodile grille anymore)

2010-10-04T18:11:00.000+08:00

this is beef salpicao (picture from the 'net)

looks delicious, right? how much do you think you should be paying for this dish? Php 150, 200, 300? how many people do you think can share this serving? two, three?

now this is beef salpicao from krokodile grille trinoma branch

how much do you think i paid for it? Php 150, 200? i paid PHP 260 for this. yes, that's right. 260 pesos for 10 beef cubes (when i took the picture, a gremlin had taken two pieces already), swimming in oil and garlic. (rice is not included yet). REALLY! when the dish got there, i actually called the waitress to ask where the beef salpicao was, and when she pointed this tiny plate, i had to ask again. i thought they were serving it in two separate plates, but NO. eto lang yun! REALLY? this is it??!

and krokodile grille's service sucks big time. we had to wait for 30-45 minutes for the food to come out. the more irritating thing about it is that the tables with only two to three people were being served first, despite our group getting there first and placing our orders earlier. and our orders were not that difficult to cook, ha. fried chicken, grilled blue marlin, seafood pasta, the not-worth-it beef salpicao and grilled buttered tahong (which i specifically told the waitress to bring out first. appetizer sya, which became my ulam already because they brought it out together with our meal, and because the salpicao was not enough to feed two people).

i'm not a picky eater, but i do take note when i don't like the food, and especially, the way it is served. so my conclusion is, i will NOT eat at krokodile grille again. the service is lousy, the food is not that good, and definitely, the beef salpicao IS NOT WORTH PHP 260.00!

stepbrothers

2010-09-14T18:49:00.000+08:00

when i need a real good laugh, i turn to will ferrel movies (except "land of the lost", corny 'yun). guaranteed, my mood becomes lighter after watching them. i watched this particular movie with chilli f a few years ago, and we were laughing like crazy (as in umiyak kami sa tawa!)

i especially loved this interview scene. of course, you wouldn't want to do this in your interview, or you won't ever get the job.

simple and practical tips for running

2010-09-09T01:15:00.000+08:00

running has become my sport-of-choice in the past couple of years. i think it's inevitable, since the lifestyle in singapore is conducive to running. first of all, the air is clean, second, parks where you can run (and do other sports) are easily accessible. third, there's a lot of running competitions the whole year, so you're always motivated to train. and last, stressful ang life sa singapore, so the cheapest and easiest way to let out some steam is by running.

anyway, for me, running is a great stress-reliever. let me tell you, way back when i was truly depressed here in singapore, i hopped on that old treadmill in my old condo, and ran myself to the bones. whenever i felt i was going to cry, i just ran faster and harder. mahirap umiyak at tumakbo at the same time (try nyo lang!), so tumakbo na lang ako para hindi ako umiyak. haha.

however, i have a love-hate relationship with the sport. sometimes, i feel really lazy and don't even bother to put my rubber shoes on head over to the gym or go to the ECP. i think i was lazy for about two years, hehe.

this year, i've been trying really hard to be consistent. a couple of months ago when i was doing my dry-run for my first 10K (oo, nag-test run ako, para ma-estimate ko how long its gonna take me to run 10K), i was thinking of some ways to make my running life a bit easier, especially for girls. so here are the things i came up with:

1) when running, don't even bother with make-up, especially mascara! - i learned this the hard way. one time, i ran after work, and i forgot to take off my make-up. i thought it was ok, since i was wearing waterproof mascara naman. but nooo! i was wrong, about 15 minutes into my run, sweat was dripping on my face, and therefore, into my eyes. sweat + mascara + contacts = PAIN! so, 'wag na magmaganda, at alisin ang make-up. after all, nobody's going to look at you anyway. besides, the make up is going to stain your towel, or your shirt. pahirap lang yan sa paglaba (at ikaw rin ang maglalaba nyan. haha!)

2) the support - girls, please wear proper sports bra. iba ang level of support nya from the regular bra we wear. i've seen girls whose "girls" bounce like balls when running, and it's not a pretty sight. you should focus on your form and proper breathing when running, and not if your "girls" are doing their own thing.

*si ate katie holmes, panalo na sana dahil walang make-up, pero um, there's something wrong with the picture..guess what?

2) of course, you're gonna need music to motivate you, but don't turn it up too loud. - unang una, nakakairita yung malakas ang music, especially sa gym. and, you'll never know if someone is calling you because you dropped something. again, from experience: i dropped my towel one time, and since my music was too loud, hindi ko narinig yung auntie na tinatawag ako. fortunately, i had to stop before crossing a road, so nahabol ako ni auntie. hingal na hingal sya, and galit na galit nung sinoli nya yung towel ko. haha.

3) don't wear very short shorts - in tagalog: "p*k-p*k" shorts. haha. i understand why some people wear them.. mahangin, refreshing, less friction and all that. pero hello, think of the stares you'll get. leave those shorts to the professionals. kung tatakbo ka lang sa park or along the roads, wag na magpapansin. (nope, im not speaking from experience, nakikita ko lang 'to)

4) if you're a girl and you're planning to run at night outside, better not. and while it's relatively safe in singapore, syempre, hindi pa rin makakasiguro. if you really want to, stay along the roads where there are lots of people, and let someone know where you're going. have you gone to the ECP at night? yeah, wag na lang.

5) it's all about the shoes, promise! eto, both for girls and boys. the brand doesn't matter, as long as the shoes fit you right, running will be more effective. like for me, nagtyaga ako sa nike free na shoes for a year. then i noticed, when i run sa treadmill, ok lang sya. but when i was running on the road, my shins hurt real bad, so affected yung time ko. eventually, i bought new pair of running shoes that has better cushioning and support, and the pain went away.

*old shoes - the purple one, new shoes - white and blue

so that's what i have for now. syempre, hindi ako expert, but i think the list is easy to use, specially for beginners. i'll think of some more one of these days. enjoy!

the lovely bones

2010-09-03T18:41:00.002+08:00

i've always wondered where souls go after death. in the philippines, most people believe souls roam the earth for forty days (maybe to say goodbye to loved ones), before going to either heaven or hell (raised catholic, the idea of heaven vs. hell has been firmly ingrained in my brain). in "the lovely bones", the soul of the dead girl who narrates the story shows that apparently, the afterlife is not exactly what we imagined it to be. in her "heaven", she has a counsellor, a roommate, has an apartment, and sees her family struggle to accept her death.

even though the movie came out a couple of months ago, i held off on watching until i'd read the book. and now i understand why peter jackson chose to make the film. only his imagination can do justice to the book.

can't wait to get the dvd and watch the movie version!

we're all hostages

2010-08-27T12:13:00.000+08:00

this past monday, everyone was glued to the drama that happened in manila. a disgraced policeman went psycho and took a busload of hongkong tourists hostage in an 11 hour standoff with the philippine police. it all ended at 8PM with the ex-policeman and a few hostages, dead. i won't even talk about how the philippine media and some grandstanding government officials eager for political mileage contributed to aggravating the circumstances, because all sorts of invectives should be hurled at them.

the truth is, that man did not just take those tourists hostage. he did it to every filipino trying to make their lives better by earning an honest living, both back home and overseas. for filipinos working abroad, especially, the effect of this drama, i think, would last long after everyone updates their facebook and twitter pages. for instance, the cab ride to lucky plaza on wednesday was tense, because as soon as the taxi driver noticed that i was filipino and started to rant about how "all philippine policemen stupid, lor!", and "i don't want to go to philippine, very risky, lah!". i kept silent the entire time, because how can i defend my country when what he was saying was true?

as an ofw (and i think most filipinos here in singapore do the same), it's not about "making the philippines proud", it's simply making sure i don't do anything that's going to reflect badly on the country. it's in the simple things. for example, sa opisina ko, laging maaasahan ang mga pilipino na mag-overtime para tapusin ng maayos ang trabaho. yung iba, pag tapos na ang shift, uuwi na sila, walang pakialam kung tapos ang trabaho o hinde. tapos, pinoy rin ang sumasalo sa mga kapalpakan nila sa trabaho. which to me, says something about the working ethic of most filipinos. that's the reason why most employers like to hire pinoys, but with monday's event, i think they'll probably have second thoughts before doing so.

whenever i'm asked by foreign colleagues about the philippines, i encourage them to visit the country. although, truth be told, i don't suggest they go to manila. i tell them to go to the beaches, more specifically, the southern parts, like cebu, bohol, boracay, davao. how do i do that now? i can just imagine how monday's drama is going to affect the already sad state of philippine tourism.

the hongkong tourists have gone home, traumatized, for sure. but for us, we're still hostages: of an inefficient government that can't protect foreigners and much more, can't take care of its citizens. how do we get out of that situation?

weekend in rawa

2010-08-16T19:39:00.000+08:00

a few weeks ago, we were last-minute invitees to the FDS's trip to rawa island. salamat dun sa nagback out!

rawa is an island north-east of singapore. it's about a 3 hour bus and 45-minute ferry ride from singapore via the mersing ferry terminal. it's the perfect weekend get-away.

it's not too crowded at this time of the year, which is really great if you want to relax and have a little quiet time.

the view from my shades...

can we stay for one more day? puhleez?

unfortunately, it was time to go back to singapore the next day. but we will definitely come back. thanks, FDS!

my first 10K

2010-08-15T07:07:00.000+08:00

after joining several 5K runs these past few months, i finally gathered up the guts to run my first 10K. actually, i signed up last year for a different 10K, but unfortunately, hindi ko na tinakbo, because i had a stressful project that time. i got the goody bag for that, though. this time around, i didn't really have a lot of preparation (tinamad lang talaga ako), but about two or three weeks before the race day, i increased the distance of my runs gradually. i also had a practice run around our neighborhood so i can estimate how long i'll do the race, and i estimated i'd finish in about an hour and a half.

i'm glad to say i beat my practice run time by a few minutes. when i did my practice run near my flat, i would keep going through the same paths. paulit ulit lang yung scenery. but on the actual run itself, makikita mo na marami ka palang mapupuntahan sa 10K!

sorry, 36 is not my placing. that's my bib number. yung 2001 po. i think i did fairly well, considering that there were 4,186 runners in the race. nasa middle group naman ako, so hindi rin nakakahiya.

i have a few more runs coming up in the next months. my running year will end by joining the standard chartered marathon. don't get excited, i'm just doing the 21K (half marathon). good luck to me. training starts pronto!

the bad boy

2010-08-11T10:46:00.001+08:00

in the 90's, robin padilla was a very hot item. for a year or two, you wouldn't finish the day without reading something about him. there was a publication called "mariposa" owned by cristy fermin that ran a series of special editions about "bad boy", that my older sister religiously bought and collected.

i believe it was because of this movie. (flashback to the 90's please!)

oh, ha. mega was so slim back then. and vina was a dalagita. a few years later, it was vina who became the apple of his eye. they made a movie, where, in a freak accident, he suffered some serious burns. die-hard fans that we were, my siblings, cousins and i piled into our old owner-type jeep and went over to the cardinal santos center, with the intent to visit our "idol" and make sure he's ok.

on the way inside, nakasalubong namin si ruffa gutierrez (she was tall, and had big hair) and anna roces (do you know her?). but anyway, for some strange reason, asking the nurse to get us inside his room was easy enough. and there he was, lying in the hospital bed, his arms wrapped in bandages. we were starstruck. he didn't really look like the typical artista we expected (ie. mestizo, clean cut, etc). his face was really ordinary, but what makes up for it was the fact that he had kind eyes, and was really charming and down-to-earth.

i vaguely remember us asking how we was doing, and he did mention that his burns were very painful. and my brother and male cousin asked if they could become stuntmen in his movies. but alas, he wasn't in any condition to make one any time soon, seeing as his injuries were quite serious.

it was a short visit, that when we got back to our jeep, there was a brief moment of silence, followed by a lot of screaming. "oh my god! nakausap namin si idol!"

a few years later, i would see him again under different circumstances. he was an inmate at the bilibid prisons, and i was with my high school senior class for one of our "immersion trips". (on a side note, i really don't think that bringing a bunch of teenage girls to bilibid is a good idea. i hope they're not still doing it in my high school). anyway, he still had that charm about him, the inmates and even the prison guards looked up to him.

and now, despite being forty and having four teenage kids, he definitely still has what it takes to make girls swoon. and yes, they're still buying his lines.

hay, i don't know if i believe it, but i'd think there's an inkling of truth given that there's a Php 1.2 million ring involved. why, i ask you, why do most girls fall for the romantic bad boy?

the night festival

2010-08-06T01:38:00.001+08:00

there are times when i just want to take a break and treat my senses to some art. you know, walk around the museum, look at paintings. i don't really do deep thinking and try to understand what a painting is all about, or try to determine if it's abstract, modern or whatever category it falls under (because i wouldn't really know). i just like looking at pretty pictures and stare at them for a while.

in singapore, the focus is mostly on works by asian artists. no picassos or van gogh's here. when museums mount exhibits of pieces they borrow from the louvre, greece or egypt, you usually have to pay for entry. that's why one of the events i look forward to is the night festival. once a year, all museums in singapore (yes, even the philatelic museum - that's a museum for postage stamps) are open until two am, and people can go in and look at various exhibits for free. there are lots of activities, so it's more interactive.

this year was no different. there was the "slowest sms billboard".

this is how you get messages up there.

and i got to watch graffiti artists at work.

one of their finished pieces.

strange and beautiful paintings, like rabbits and nudes...

clowns and fruits..

there were some outdoor performances too. unfortunately, i didn't understand what they were about.

but i'm sorry, but what's a muay thai match doing in an art fest?

the highlight of the night fest is usually the large installation at the front lawn of the national museum. two years ago, there were floating dancers. that was awesome.

this year, it was kinda boring. for the first five minutes, the discs were just moving around with different light patterns. then there was music played supposedly synchronized to the movement of each disc. we left after about ten minutes. hindi ko gets!

but it was a good experience altogether. i hope next year they make the programs and exhibits more interesting. may i suggest borrowing some pieces from the louvre again?

the millenium trilogy

2010-08-02T21:54:00.001+08:00

i finally gave in to my curiosity and picked up stieg larsson's "girl with the dragon tattoo". it's been on border's best-seller list for a couple of months, and for the past few days, i've seen people on the mrt and bus reading it. besides, lately my tv has been stuck on the c.i. (crime and investigation) channel. i'm fascinated with crimes and mysteries, so the book matches the phase i'm in right now.

i'm not really a fan of mystery thrillers, like the ones james patterson and james lee burke write. i've read sidney sheldon once, and christopher pike during high school, and decided that i can't keep up with the details in those kinds of books. surprisingly, i didn't mind reading larsson's first book. maybe it's because i liked the girl character (she's bad-ass).

it's the first book of a trilogy. i'm actually on the second book now, "the girl who played with fire". funny, i was wondering when the movie version will be made, if at all (there are some details in the book that are quite disturbing). then i did a quick search in google, and the first movie is about to be shown. at least, the original swedish version. hollywood is planning an english version, with daniel craig as the lead character.

i didn't actually picture the male lead looking like this in the book. the girl is close enough. and daniel craig in the hollywood version? it's a trilogy. pa'no na yung james bond nya? hehe. i was thinking the guy would look more like liam neeson (did you see him in "taken"?), and the girl, well, they got it right in this movie. please lang, not natalie portman, she doesn't look bad-ass enough.

the sad thing about these books is that the author, stieg larsson, died after he sent the first book to the publishers. so he never got to see how big his books became. i guess that adds to the intrigue surrounding the trilogy. that said, i was intrigued and i'm glad i read it. i'm looking forward to seeing the movie, if it gets shown in singapore, that is.

weekend in kl (by plane!)

2010-07-27T22:45:00.002+08:00

to be honest, the only way i've ever travelled to malaysia was by long bus rides from singapore. this time around was my first time to go to kl by plane. nag-level up na ko!

so apparently, from the lcct (low-cost carrier terminal) of the kl airport, you can take a shuttle bus and train ride to get to kl sentral. reminded me of hongkong, pero slight lang, because i like hk's airport train better.

what was i doing in kl? no agenda, really. i just wanted to get away from singapore for a while. and have a "miss you like crazy" moment. hehe.

"minsan,pag tinitingnan ko ang petronas,naimagine ko para silang magkaholding hands"

revisited putrajaya, and one of the prettiest bridges i've seen.

the view from the menara tower. hello, kl!

bye, kl! i'll see you again soon!

new stuff at sentosa

2010-07-12T21:17:00.002+08:00

visited sentosa a couple of weeks ago. we were actually there to try out the casino, so we went a little bit late. universal studios was still open, though the rides were closing down. we bought the after-hours walkabout tickets for about $2 each, you can walk around hollywood boulevard and take some pictures inside.

the first thing you see when you get in is the shrek studio. lots of souvenirs here. good luck to the parents, i'm sure the kids will want to buy everything they see here.

there's really nothing much to do here, unless the rides are open. but you will definitely take a lot of pictures.

right outside the theme park is hershey's world. good luck again to the parents, your kids will want to buy all the chocolates; it doesn't matter that you can buy the same chocolates at the grocery.

i will not have to wait for shipments from the states for york's. yipee!

anyway, the main purpose of the night was take a look at the casino and maybe try our luck at the slot machines.

no pictures allowed inside the casino, of course. but let me tell you, the place is huge and there are a lot of people inside. i'm thinking they'll probably get their r.o.i. in about two years. this despite the fact that they impose a $100 entrance fee for P.R's and citizens. parang wala lang ang $100 dahil there were still a lot of locals there.

anyway, i'm not much of a gambler. mainly due to the fact that i don't know how. hehe. not even the slot machines. it's not that straightforward "pull the knob and wait for three figures to line up" kind of thing. it's all computerized, and kind of confusing. there is a "help" menu, which i spent a lot of time reading. it's different for each game.

all in all, we spent about $30 for the slots. the moment we won about $130, we stopped already. bawi na sa puhunan, as they say. wouldn't want to risk it. it was fun for a night, but i don't think we'll be coming back there soon. unless we drop by universal again, and we get really, really thirsty (libre ang tubig at softdrinks sa casino!).

next time we'll be trying the marina bay casino. i wonder if they serve free drinks too?

since the last post

2010-06-23T16:55:00.002+08:00

1. i ran another race. i can honestly say i've improved my time. yey!

2. i went home to manila for a break, to catch the last days of summer with the family. my mom, my sister and her family came all the way from the states. we finally met gremlin #7. yey!

ok, i think he was a little moody that day. and maybe he was getting overwhelmed with the other gremlins.

we met up with our relatives, raided the malls (i hear you, sm marikina!), and hung out at the house. i took some pictures.

3. i also attended my college friend's baby shower. yep, our barkada is definitely growing.

4. i also met up with my former bank friends. unfortunately, i wasn't able to take our picture. what i did take a picture of was the food!

inihaw platter and stuffed squid at mesa in greenbelt.

for dessert, we went over to gelatissimo. whatever calories i was trying to burn when i went to the gym that morning, they definitely found their way back. who can resist these?

and these cool flavors. i ended up taking the american chocolate flavor (not in picture). it tasted just like a snicker's bar. only creamier. i'm gaining weight as i think about it. and the great thing is, i just found out there's a branch here in singapore.

5. hmm. let me see: train for the next 10k or hang out at gelatissimo to try out all the flavors? it's a big dilemma, really

and because i'm getting older...

2010-05-02T23:58:00.001+08:00

i need a manual to figure out my body. as if those science subjects in school weren't enough.

i got interested when dr. oz guested on oprah and talked about how making slight changes to your lifestyle can actually decrease your age (your real age is defined by how healthy your internal organs are, apparently).
did you know that having a daily dose of baby aspirin will help prevent clogging arteries, certain cancers and stroke? and did you know that the main reason that we yawn is because our body needs more oxgyen in the blood, and not necessarily becuase we're tired or sleepy? interesting...

i love how the book was written, as if dr. oz were speaking to you directly. and the illustrations are great help too!

ok, now back to eating my chocolate (dark chocolate, as recommended by the doc!).

really high heels

2010-04-30T00:31:00.000+08:00

highest heels i ever saw.

i wonder if i can walk on heels these high?

another 5K

2010-04-29T23:02:00.002+08:00

a few days before my birthday last march, i ran another 5K. i just got the certificate by post.

oh, ha! i clocked in at 39 minutes. i didn't even do enough training before the run. as always, the main motivation was to avoid the crowds because of the (ahem!) "air pollution". hehe. apparently, the first place winner finished in about 15 minutes. how she did that, i couldn't figure out. if she was at the first lane on the starting line and really sprinted the whole time, maybe?

my next run is a 5.6k this may. and i've been trying to squeeze in some running time in the mornings. let's see how i'll fare on that one.

eat, pray, love

2010-03-27T17:18:00.001+08:00

a few years ago, i stumbled on this wonderful book by elizabeth gilbert called "eat, pray, love". it's about travelling and "finding yourself". apparently, it became a bestseller, and now, as in the fate of other best-selling books, it's being made into a movie. with julia roberts, no less. and javier bardem...dreamy!

i now foresee that more women will travel to italy, india and bali, just to see what the author experienced there. i hope the movie is as inspiring as the book.

my boyfriend has a movie

2010-02-20T01:46:00.000+08:00

i just stood up from that seat in the middle, and they took his picture and used it as a movie poster! why is he looking at that girl? i have to talk to him about that, tsk tsk.

haha! got ya there! :)

v-day korean

2010-02-15T13:08:00.000+08:00

you know how there are restaurants who have friendly waiters, who take their time explaining their menu and how they're gonna present their food to you? well, the korean barbeque place we tried last night wasn't one of them.

maybe because valentines day and chinese new year happened at the same day this year, and there were throngs of people at the esplanade area last night, that the staff at the restaurant looked pretty much dishevelled and they were running all over the place. literally, running from one table to another. we waited for twenty minutes to get a table. and when we finally got seated, we were handed a menu that's barely readable (korean characters), and the waiter spoke very little english.

so we had to resort to looking over at the other tables to see what others were having, and just pointed out which seemed good. we got all these.

so apparently, you have to order a minimum of two meat dishes, which cost 25 sgd each, that you cook on your table, and it comes with all these side dishes. the verdict: not good. we should have gone to that italian bistro next door. at least we don't have to cook the food ourselves.

the kimchi, which should have at least saved the meal, didn't taste as good.

note to self: never pay more than ten dollars if you're the one who's gonna cook your own meal. you're out to dine and relax, so get someone else to do all the work.

four years hence

2010-02-02T01:43:00.000+08:00

time flies fast when you're having fun. or when you've been really caught up in work. or when you've been going places you'd only read about in books. or when you're slowly making your dreams come true. or when you're having the pinoy ofw experience of hard work, missing family, enduring heartaches, and making new friends. time indeed flies fast.

four years ago this month, i quit my job, packed my bags and said goodbye to my family in manila to try my luck here in singapore. i was welcomed by friends who came here ahead of me. when i got to singapore, there was a party, which was thrown not because i'd arrived, but for some reason i'd long forgotten (someone please remind me).

this was a preview of things to come. for in singapore, this is how we bide the time. in trying to forget how much we miss our families back home, we have gatherings and in the process, make a family of friends bound by the highs and lows of being ofws.

that first year, i learned a lot. lessons learned:

1) nasi lemak is good, but it will cause an almost immediate weight gain. i gained about ten pounds in my first month, because i told my manager i liked it, and she proceeded to bring it almost everyday to the office during that week we had a big production issue (this presumably was to make up for the fact that we worked almost 24 hours straight for at least a week). four months into the job, no amount of nasi lemak could make me stand the stress at that office. i quit and got a new job. nasi lemak stayed out of my vocabulary for a long time, until recently when i tasted the ones sold in tanjong katong road.

2) when depressed, a good make over will do wonders to boost your confidence. try perming your hair, for instance. or dyeing it a totally different color. the picture below was taken right after i got the dye job. i tell you, that was a long session at the salon, not to say a bit painful. i spent the next couple of months figuring out how to maintain it, until i finally got too lazy and grew it out.

3) explore the place you're working and living in. sure, you're here to work and earn all that moolah to probably get married and build your dream house. but try to break out of the home-office routine once in a while and do something different. in singapore, i learned to appreciate art and museums. it's a good break from facing the computer screen all the time. for example, try to ponder on the reasons why there is a giant chilli lying at the nms grounds.

4) singapore is a good jump off point to anywhere around asia. do not underestimate the thereapeutic effects of travelling. there are a lot of cheap airlines operating here, so you can take your pick of the different destinations. again, it's a nice break from the monotony of life and stresses of work.

visit hongkong to fulfill that childhood dream of seeing mickey mouse in person

or go to cities in nearby malaysia. like malacca

or kuala lumpur

5) and whatever experience you have as a worker living in a foreign land, be it happy or sad, don't forget that there will be friends who will share that with you. they will keep you sane during the times you think you're going crazy.

a lot of changes have happened since that first year. some friends have left singapore, some are married (and i must say, an awful lot are getting married!), some have kids already. some i rarely see these days. but in looking back, i don't think i would have survived the craziness of 2006 if i didn't meet these wonderful people.

kampai! here's to four more years (a big maybe at this point). but whatever, let's continue to enjoy the time we have here.

iron chef - mexican/spanish night

2010-01-11T20:31:00.004+08:00

we could be starting something here. one weekend, my friends decided to organize a themed cookout night. nothing too fancy, just a get-together at the kman's flat, have a nice meal, and watch some tv.

but someone was only too happy to make the extra effort to give us a great dinner. look what we had.

seafood paella...

and it wasn't enough that we had just one kind of paella. we also had a meat version.

and chips and salsa (my contribution), sliced veggies and chili con carne (it's in the pot below). and so it began...

for dessert, delicious crema de fruta!
so the iron chef award this time goes to the kman. he cooked all that. (pwede na mag-asawa, right? hehehe)
until the next one, iron chef-mates! let's think of more exotic themes. i'm thinking turkish? indian?

2009 was the year..

2010-01-09T00:14:00.000+08:00

i went to places in singapore i haven't been to yet. at the start of my stint here in lion city, i realized it's a very small place, that you could literally see everything in one or two days. with that knowledge, i told myself to save some of those other touristy places for other times. you know, for thosetimes when you literally have to think about where to go and what to do because life can be really boring over here.

so for 2009 it was the henderson waves...

and the bird park (love the birds, but it gets smelly when it rains)
and the flyer. the view is not much, i've seen it before on the dhl balloon. they have good restaurants at the ground level, though.

there wasn't much travelling that went on last year. i did get to meet lapu-lapu and ate the best lechon ever.

i did my yearly visit to my favorite city in asia and tried out pret a porter (definitely better than the sandwich shop in singapore). super yummy!

i participated in the f1 activities via the big concert featuring the fabulous beyonce (and b.e.p.). the ticket price was definitely worth it.

and to end the year, i got hugged by a chimp! thus i learned to love conditioner, lest my hair becomes the same texture as his.

oh yeah, and to top everything off, chilli f got married and had a cool wedding. i didn't get to attend though. chilli n's sister wrote a beautiful article about it. sweet!

here's to hoping there'll be a lot of good things to come in 2010. love, health, work, travel...i'm just hoping for good things for me and for everyone. happy 2010!

christmas/whole year wishlist

2009-12-15T14:33:00.007+08:00

i'll probably end up buying them myself anyway, but just in case you wonder: "what would ays want for christmas/valentine's/her birthday(in march)?", pls consider the following:

1) i will never buy a book again, after this, promise!
2) for instant pictures (inspired by friends donnah and paul)3) anything that comes from a blue box4) anything from this store

but then again, i'll appreciate anything that's nicely wrapped and definitely gifts from the heart.

merry christmas, 2009!

things discovered in macau

2009-12-15T13:20:00.005+08:00

1) shaina speaking cantonese..

2) diether crying in cantonese

3) pinoy sari-sari store on the backstreets near largo de senado

4) kawawa naman si piglet sa macau. and you can get full just getting samples of cured pork and almond cookies near the ruins to st.paul!

5) and finally... the "goin' bulilit" kids were in macau! got a picture with nash. this kid is gwapo, he'll probably be the next heartthrob in a few years.

more pics from hk and macau soon

easy saturday

2009-10-25T18:40:00.005+08:00

saturday brunch was at the east coast park to satisfy my craving for seafood. there weren't too many people at that time, plus jumbo was still closed.

we tried out long beach resto. talaga namang beach inspired, pati tissue holder...

the order was...shrimp in ginger and garlic sauce..

sambal kangkong (para kunyari healthy pa rin)

and the main meal of the day...chilli crab!

the verdict: chilli crab was not as good as jumbo's or no signboard. ok lang.

on our walk back home, we noticed this ad for the face shop. ang tanong: girl ba sya, o boy?

on the one hand, mahaba ang hair nya, makinis ang face, parang girl, right? but then the name is bae yong joon, apparently a big star in korea.

i'm not a big fan of korea-novelas and other type of "novelas" (i was in a "meteor garden" phase way back in '02, though). and chinito guys are really not my type, but i must say kudos to the face shop for getting a guy as their model. usually, girls ang model pag skin ang pinaguusapan, di ba?

run, run, run

2009-10-19T23:20:00.005+08:00

last august, i ran my first 6k race. i'm proud to say i finished at under 45 minutes. i told one of my managers about it the next day, and he said that's actually an impressive time for a beginner. all i got to show for was this certificate and a shirt. but that's ok, it was all for the experience of running with other people and the sense of accomplishment going through that finish line.

encouraged by that first run, i signed up for another race. this time, it's a 10k, so technically, i'm in competition with other runners. at $65 sgd, i got a lot more. freebies! i love freebies.

i haven't been training hard (er, not training at all!), because of work (yep, there's always an excuse). i still have two more weeks to catch up on the training. let's hope that''ll be enough for me to finish at a respectable time. i don't expect to finish at under an hour, but i'll do my best.

because i deserve it

2009-10-15T23:11:00.003+08:00

i have been working very hard these past couple of months. hopefully, the things i'm working on will be over. ok, to be realistic, they won't be over, but hopefully, they'll slow down a bit.

i've set a prize for myself and ahem, to celebrate a special occasion, i am scoping out places to visit. i have to consider : a) i'm going with someone who doesn't like long travel times, b) the trip shouldn't be too pricey c)i've got to learn something new, culture-wise, and e) i want to go somewhere that has a lower temperature than singapore.

and so it's gone down to these choices:

re-visit where this building is located (you know i love this place!). and we can even do a day trip to it's neighboring city (the one with all the casinos). besides, there's always something to discover here.

not much on the culture front here, but it's a new place to visit. anyone ever been here, let me know what to do/see. i believe they have cheap massages here too.

which trip to take?

what's in the hole?

2009-10-08T00:17:00.003+08:00

hanging around park mall in somerset...something interesting caught my eye.

i just had to look..

and closer...wala lang. it was just a display of a living room design.

i could have walked around the cardboard wall and walked over. well at least i was able to take a picture.