The King, The Queen and I

After so much delay… finally ay natuloy na rin ang paglalakbay ng mga housemates ni Lola. Me and my two other housemates went to Bangkok, Thailand. I was so excited as I have not traveled to a place (non-Pinas) I have never been to for quite a while now. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali – my last travel was Hongkong pa. And that was ages ago na… ok.. fine.. couple of years lang… pero since I tend to exaggerate… ages ako na yun….

Anyway – di naman talaga dapat mga housemates ni Lola ang original kong kasama… but due to some unforeseen circumstances .. di ako nakasama so original casting…. And eto nga… sa second casting ako natuloy. No regrets naman… I had so much fun.

I have been to Thailand before — sa Phuket nga lang… so I am still not sure on what to expect with Bangkok. Everyone is raving about shopping — pero I have heard this before with Hongkong — and I was terrible disappointed. So – para di masira ang aking travel – no expectations muna. Bahala na ika nga.

My first glimpse of Bangkok — is of course the new airport. Syempre – dito lumapag yung eroplano e. So ito ang una kong makikita. I was impressed with its size. Ang laki ng airport nila. It’s definitely bigger than Changi Airport… close in size with the new Hongkong Airport. It has this industrial/unfinished look. I am not sure kung yun talaga ang gusto nilang effect… or hindi pa lang tapos yung interiors nung airport. Anyway – its impressive. Although — medyo madumi ng konti. I think dito lamang ang Changi Airport — it is always clean. Medyo chaotic din dun sa new airport ng Bangkok — unlike Changi na quiet and orderly.


Nung papunta na kami sa hotel namin — feeling ko nasa South Expressway lang ako papunta ng Makati. Pinas na pinas ang surroundings. Kung hindi lang thai ang mga nakasulat sa billboards and signages — it can easily be mistaken as Pinas. Feeling at home tuloy ako. The ride from the airport to the hotel (Baiyoke Suites) took more than an hour and a half. Grabe. It was morning pero traffic sobra. Naku — OA sa traffic ha. Naku — pasalamat talaga ang mga Pilipino. Kung trapik sa Pinas — mas trapik sa Bangkok. Kahit puyat ako – di ako natulog during the travel to the hotel. Gusto ko kasing makita yung surroundings… and as I mentioned… Pinas na pinas talaga. Mula sa itsura ng mga houses and buildings hanggang sa mga sidewalk vendors.

Our hotel – Baiyoke suites – is located in the center of the tiangge shoppings. The hotel itself is not that grand since 3 star hotel lang… but the location is quite good. Paglabas mo pa lang… feeling nasa Divisoria ka na. The sidewalks are filled with people selling their wares — from shirts to shoes to inihaw na tilapia!

Pagkatapos na pagkatapos naming ilapag ang aming mga bagahe — takbo na agad kami palabas para maglunch. Sobrang gutom na talaga kami. At syempre – bilang ganti ng tadhana… wala kaming makitang makakainan. We had to walk around for an hour bago kami nakakita ng KFC. May mga ibang kainan naman – pero we decided to stick to the “known” places to eat muna. Sarap ng chicken — the taste is quite close to the Pinas KFC. Sarap!!!!!

After eating – we walked around again to shop. When in Bangkon — you shop. So who are we to resist. We went to this newly opend shopping center Central World. It is a huge shopping center. Comprarable to SM Mega Mall siguro. It has a Glorietta feel. Isetan is the flagship department store… and kung hindi ba naman swerte — they are on sale. Ang daming branded clothes na naka-sale. I bought a couple of short sleeves polo shirt… on 20% off…. Buy 3 take one free pa! It was really a steal! Afterwards — ikot-ikot pa rin … then we decided to take a break and had coffee at Starbucks. I bought a Starbucks city mug for my collection. Pagkatapos magpahinga – ikot na naman. May napuntahan kaming lugar na parang ang daming tao.. tapos may mga pulis pa. Syempre – dahil true blue pinoy kami — nakiusyoso kami. It turned out that the official opening of the mall was that day. Kaya ang daming high profile guests. Gaano ka high profile? Well… the Thai Royal family was there lang naman. I saw the King and Queen… nope…I am not kidding.. the King and Queen of hearts… este of Thailand was there. I was able to see them quite close… mga a few yards away. What a treat! Sobrang swerte di ba? Nung dumaan na ang entourage…. Ikot ulit kami. We went to Marks and Spencer…. The price is the same as Singapore.. so wala ako nabili…. Nung nasa loob na kami — medyo may commotion na naman….. dadaan pala dun ang Hari at reyna. For the second time that day — I saw the King and Queen up close — as in kung dudura ako… kaya ko silang tamaan. Nice di ba? Pero alam nyo – di ako masyadong impress sa itsura ng hari at reyna nila. Ewan ko ba… I don’t find them “royal” looking. I was expecting them to be quite regal looking… parang commanding ang presence. Kung hindi lang siguro nagkakagulo at walang nagsabi sa akin na hari at reyna sila… pwede ko silang mapagkamalan na ordinaryong middle class lang. They are a far cry from Queen Elizabeth… or Princess Diana…. Wala lang.. Opinyon ko lang naman yun….

After the royal sightings. ….. lakwatsa pa rin… visited a couple more shopping centers… wala pa masyadong purchases….but very happy. We bought some ammunitions sa grocery (water, chips, candies) then decided to walk back to the hotel… a long walk back to the hotel if I may say so. My feet is killing me na… kaya naisipan naming kumain na lang sa hotel imbes na maghanap pa sa labas… I had a forgettable dinner… After dinner…. Yun namang mga tiangge sa paligid ng hotel ang inikot naming. Ang daming mura!!!!! Shopping heaven talaga.. I think its better than Tutuban or Greenhills. I did not buy anything – kasi isip ko na mag-shop pa naman kami kinabukasan after the half day city tour. We decided to call it a day… and returned to the hotel.

The next day – we woke up early since susunduin kami ng 7:30 a.m. for the half day city tour. We had a buffet breakfast 46 floors up….. we have a nice view of Bangkok while eating a superb breakfast… Bacon, eggs, toast, butter, hot coffee and the Bangkok birds eye view… what a good way to start the day. While eating — we saw a lot of places that looks like shopping malls… so tinanong naming sa mga waiters yung mga names… around 4 more shopping centers pa pala ang kailangan naming puntahan and we only have that day. Hmm… half day city tour? Or Whole day shopping? Hirap ba? Not really…. Whole day shopping siyempre. We decided to ditch the tour … wala naman bago dun e… Floating market? E sa Pinas… pag bumagyo… hindi lang market ang floating, pati schools, churches, houses etc.. Lahat floating. Reclining Buddha? E di magpapapicture na lang ako na nakahiga… voila!… reclining Buddha! Hehehe….. Unanimous decision.. SHOPPING! SHOPPING!


Actualy – I was feeling sick the night before… tapos when I woke up.. I had this terrible sore throat… pero nawala ang lahat ng yan ng nasa shopping frenzy mood na ako. We visited a few more shopping centers. We took a cab to MBK center…. Inikot naming ang lugar… and had luch there as well. The Pad Thai was great!!! Best I ever tasted. Afterwards – a short distance was the Siam Center. Beside it was the Paragon Shopping Center. MBK is more masa… Siam Center and Paragon is more of an upscale place. Paragon Shopping is a destination by itself… there was a garden inside the mall… the theme food place was great… and it even has an Oceanarium. We visited the Oceanarium and had a blast looking at different seas creatures. We even tried the 4D movie… it was short but funny. I didn’t like the “4D” effect though… di kasi sure kung malinis yung tubig na ini-ihip sa mga mukha naming hehehe. Di kami masyadong nakaikot sa Siam Center and Paragon Mall as we still have one more shopping center to go to… and ayaw naming maipit sa rush hour traffic. Around 3 p.m. we decided to head back and visit Platinum Mall which is just a few blocks away from our hotel. Platinum mall is very much like Tutuban Center… Tabi-tabi ang stalls selling items at really low prices. I bought a few items here. Sabi nga nung housemate ko “wagi” daw kami. We then decided to head back to the hotel para idispatsa ang mga bags na dala naming then head out para mag dinner. Habang naglalakad-lakad kami sa kalye… naisipan naming to try out Thai street foods.. We bought inihave na isda, inihaw na pork, inihaw na shrmp, sausauge likle food na grilled din, rice and Coke zero. We head back to the hotel and had the best meal ever sa aming hotel room. Sarap!!!!!! Not to mention really cheap!


After dinner — we went out with one mission – find the Hard Rock Café…. Hotel concierge said it’s a t Siam Square… so we took a cab and we asked na dalhin kami sa Siam Center. Ok.. fine… ako na nakaisip na ang Siam Square at Siam Center ay iisa…. No need to throw stones at me. Tao lang ako…nagkakamali…. Syemre pa… hindi naming nakita ang Hard Rock café sa Siam Center…. Nagtanon-tanong kami … and went to the direction pointed to us. Oppps….. had a quick stop-over sa Dunkin Donuts! Have I mentioned that their Dunkin Donuts is comparable … no… loads better than Pinas? Believe me. I am a Donut expert and the Bangkok Dunkin Donut is definitely better than Pinas… Its no Krispy Kreme… but it’s a class on its own.

Okay… back to the quest for Hard Rock Café….. We asked around… had a few wrong turns… but in the end found the place. Nope – di kami kakain sa loob… Bumili lang po ako ng shot glass for my collection. Since nandun na rin — bumili na rin ako ng t-shirt with Hard Rock Café Philippines na print… hehehe… joke lang… syempre Bangkok. Bumili rin yung mga housemates ko… so we had to coordinate not to buy the same prints/style. Baka akalain ng mga tao — naghihiraman kami hehehe. After the success of our quest .. balik na kami sa Hotel… pero inaya ko ulit sila ng isa pang round sa mga night market tiangge. Yung sandaling ikot turned into an hour or so of shopping. Dami ko na namang nabili. My wallet is definitely considereably thinner…. Not to mention the credit card bill! But it is so worth it. Since magagabi na… and we have a very early flight the next day…. We decided to head back. Syempre — after all the saya… lungkot na… we had to pack… this is the part of the trip that I hate… and I hated it more — since hindi magkasya sa maleta ko yung mga nabili ko. Kailangan ko pang makilagay sa bag nung housemate ko.

The next day – we woke up early … then head to the airport… sayang nga yung buffet breakfast. Kung hindi lang mahuhuli kami sa flight…. Sinulit ko talaga yung buffet breakfast na yun. The checking-in was uneventful… had this pricy breakfast at the airport lounge.. then lipad na pabakik sa Singapore. It was the end of a truly tiring trip. However – truth be told – I loved every minute of it. Will I go back to Bangkok? Of coure —- May 2008 perhaps? And this time — I will be more ready — a bigger bag, saved more money, and a longer stay!

Dry Spell

I am in a “blogging” dry spell. Yup. Wala akong maisip na isulat. Gone are the days na dire-diretso lang ang patipa ko sa aking keyboard while the ideas flow freely. Ngayon – I have been staring at a blank MS Word page for a few minutes now and still — wala pa rin. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Iniisip ko nga ang madalas na topic ko sa aking blogs :

1.        Food! — hmm…. Nada… I haven’t been to any new eating places lately. I haven’t eaten anything out of the ordinary. So far – lahat ng kinakain ko ay on the “OK lang”  list. I had the “best banana walnut muffin” for merienda yesterday – but it seems ordinary with every bite. Don’t get me wrong — it was delicious… still the best banana walnut muffin in my opinion — but seems ordinary…. Hmmm….

2.        Television — hmm… Zilch….  Wala akong sinusubaybayan ngayon sa Boobtube…. Walang teleserye na nakakuha ng aking attention. 

Walang Kapalit – dapat na itong palitan. Masyado nang stretch ang story.

Kokey – hmm… the character is weirdly lovable… di ko alam kung nakakatakot sya or nakakatuwa. Hmm… kailangan ko pagisipan mabuti yan.

Ysabella  –   nagiging boring. Parang walang chemistry between the lead stars which is odd dahil magsyota sila. Or maybe it’s the too much drama… the initial episodes are very promising… but somehow the recent ones are too melodramatic. Coney Reyes is good though.

Natutulog pa ang Diyos — well the title says it all … it seems that everyone is sleeping while making this series. The characters can’t act….  no chemistry….  Plot and dialogues are  bad…  hmm.. basta.. I can’t say anything good about this series. Mukhang kailangan nating gisingin ang Diyos dahil I do think that we need a miracle to make this show worth watching.

Margarita – hay… don’t start with me… I was able to catch a couple of episodes.. In fairness — Wendy is not that terrible in acting… may potential ika nga… but the dancing… more… more… more practice! Sobrang gasgas na ng storyline nito…. Kung dvd ito – iluluwa na ng dvd player kasi unplayable na.

As for the “imported” shows — nandyan pa rin naman ang mga usual suspects — Brothers and Sisters, CSI, Veronica Mars, Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty etc.  Mukhang sa “local” shows lang talaga mayroong shortage of good and quality television e.   Hay…. kailan ba sisimulan ang Maging Sino Ka Man? Miss ko na si Celine, Jackie, Ely at JB!

       

3.        Current Events —  as per normal… yan ang aking description sa mga news and current events na nangyayari. Sa Pinas – the usual stories pag ganitong panahon — baha at bagyo. Syempre nandyan pa rin ang mga ever reliable na corruption, dirty politics at mga oppositions. Lam nyo – ang mga Pilipino (me included) – napakagaling maghanap ng mali na ginagawa ng iba. Kaya buhay na buhay ang mga oposisyon sa Pinas e.  Just read in the news that the senate will again open up the Hello garci issue. Isa lang masasabi ko dyan – Hello! Senate!…. mukhang wala na namang mga batas na maipapasa.  Dapat siguro ang senate isama na lang sa NBI… hilig naman nila mag-investigate e. Does anyone still care about the Hello Garci issue? Hmm.. sabagay … meron… yung oposisyon… para magkagulo at baka sakaling makaupo sila ng mas maaga bilang presidente. Kung ako sa kanila —- isapuso muna nila ang ibig sabihin ng “united opposition” – kasi sila-sila nag-ooppose sa isa’t-isa. Sabagay – oposisyon nga e.

4.        Travel — asa pa hehehe.. the only traveling I do nowadays is from Simei to Tanjong Pagar via Bus 531.  Saka MRT pala  from Tanjong Pagar to Simei.  Nandyan pa rin naman paminsan-minsan ang taxi… but.. I am happy to mention na nabasawan na ang aking pag-tataxi. Wala na akong pangtaxi e… mahal…  Bago ko malimutan… a bright light in the horizon… possible trip to Bangkok! Fingers crossed…..

5.        Gadgets — hmp.. pangtaxi nga wala e… pangbili  pa ng bagong toy.  The Motorola V9X is still to be released… baka end of this year daw or early next year.  The new IMac…. Hmm… tempting…. pero mukhang no-deal.  Mas practical yata ang MacBook Pro…. My computer expo next week dito sa Singapore – tingnan natin kung gaano kagaling ang aking self-control.

6.        Movies — haven’t watch any movie lately.. the last movie I saw was The Simpsons… no movie night last Friday … slept early…. Wanted to watch the third Bourne movie.. but friends says I need to watch the 2^nd installment first.  Might watch Hairspray this weekend — seems that I need some singing in my boring life….

7.        Books — tambak ang books ko sa bahay…. Bili ng bili.. di ko naman binabasa….  Anyway.. darating din siguro ang time at mababasa ko ito… recently — I’ve been browing on some fiction books sa bookstores…. Gusto ko kasing magbasa ng isang novel na masasabi ko talagang wow…. Yung I missed half of my life kung di ko ito nabasa? So far… wala pa akong napipili… kung meron kayong suggestion… suggest nyo lang… pero make sure na talagang worth basahin ha… I wanted somethimg different… kakaibang storyline….  No  auto/biographies please……

8.        Office — same-same.  Lakad pa rin ng lakad si Chichay. Puro pa-japorms pa rin si Ate Vi. Malapit nang mawala  si Ate A. At  nakakatawa pa rin ang pagmumukha ni My Sassy Neighbor. Nothing to report….

9.        Friends — hmm… meron ba ako nun? Alam nyo naman ako loner…. Hehehehe….. wala naman ako masyado natsitsismis sa mga sangkaibiganan. May mga sad L…. May mga happy J…. may mga deadma…. May mga praning…. All in all — tuloy pa rin ang ikot ng mundo.

10.     Plans — I am thinking of enrolling to something… Cooking? Pwede….  Computer Related course like java, html etc ? Pwede rin…. Something artistic — computer graphics, photography? Pwede rin. Driving? Pwede rin. Isa lang problema – naghahanap pa ako ng mag-sponsor ng aking scholarship… hehehehe….. that … or  need to save muna pangbayad ng tuition fee…  Sa mga mag-volunteer to sponsor sa aking quest to further my education — contact me anytime J

Yan.. yan ang aking top 10 topics sa aking mga blog. At wala talaga ako maisip na isulat sa kahit ano man sa kanila …This dry spell  should end soon. Baka iisa na lang nga ang aking fan – mawala pa.  For the meantime — tiis-tiis na lang po muna tayo… Ganyan talaga ang buhay … minsan may tagtuyot … hmm…. cloud seeding….. pwede din kaya itong sagot sa aking “blog” dry spell?    

Lakbay Pinas

May nadaanan akong site na nagbibigay grado kung gaano mo na nalakbay ang Pinas. Sa lakwatsero kong ito - “C-” ang aking marka! Aba… kailangang dagdagan pa ang lakwatsa. You can visit the link : http://forge.codedgraphic.com/lakbayan/

Home for the Weekend – Day 3 and 4

Finally went home to Nueva Ecija on Day 3. Pero di muna kami dumiretso sa bahay. Nag-arkila ako ng sasakyan for a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan. So – sinundo ako nung sasakyan sa Makati… me, my younger bro, 2 niece and Neil (Jade wasn’t able to come)  went to Pangasinan . 5:00 a.m ako sinundo sa hotel dahil coding yung sasakyan… Antok na antok nga ako hehehehe….. Off to Pangasinan… pero stop-over muna sa may North Expressway…. Syempre for Breakfast… at saan pa… sa Jollibee… hehehe… expected na yun hehehe……  After breakfast — off to Pangasinan na … Grabe. Ang layo pala ng Pangasinan from Manila hehehe…. Dumating kami  sa church ng 11:00 a.m.  – just in time for the mass. We heard Mass…… nagpasalamat…. humiling….. nagsindi ng kandila  for the departed….  Wala lang… the Our Lady of Manaoag is special to me… tuwing nagpupunta kasi ako dito… at humihiling…it is always granted. Sabi ko nga… I should make it a point to come kahit once a year lang… a personal pilgrimage ba. Its the least I can do for all the blessings that has been given to me. 

Afterwards… we head home na… Cabiao Nueva Ecija…… finally… hehehe….. pero bago uwi.. dumaan muna kami sa N.E. Pacific Mall. Bumili lang ng mga bagay-bagay na dadalhin ko pabalik sa Singapore. Sayang din ang 20kg na limit kung hindi gagamitin hehehe….  We arrived home around 6:00 p.m. Had a nice dinner — and slept. Grabe. Kapagod.

 

Day 4 is very uneventful. Woke up around 8:00 a.m. … nag-impake… nagbreakfast  (Yum!!!! Longganisa, Tuyo, Gatas ng Kalabaw at Garlic rice!!!! I love breakfast talaga. For me it’s the beast meal of the day!) then nagprepare for take-off… este… leaving… 9:00 a.m. dumating na yung sasakyan… and travel na ulit kami pa-manila.  Check in ako around 2:00…. Then  sakay na ng PAL flight PR501. Balik na ako sa Singa-bore…este Singapore.

Arrived Singapore 6:20…. Back to reality na…. back to praning na buhay… but okay lang.. kailangan ulit kumita…. para makapagbakasyon ulit sa Pinas!  Hopefully — my next vacation will be longer…. And planned… para naman may time ako to meet old friends… dami ko nang utang sa kanila e….. J

Home for the Weekend – Day 2

Second day… still in the hotel….  Woke up early… another hectic day!  Nagkayayaan kasi few days ago na mag-Tagaytay. Wala lang. Madami na raw kasing bagong places of interest… ok… new places to eat… sa Tagaytay. 

Met Neil for breakfast…. Syempre pa… best place for breakfast… Jollibee! Hehehe… namiss ko lang. Pabayaan nyo na ako. I wanted to taste the Corned Beef meal… and the Longganisa Meal… and the Tocino Meal.. and the Macaroni Soup…. Hay…. di naman pwede… so I ordered this special breakfast meal… may Corned Beef, Pancake, Chicken Longganisa and Garlic rice. Wowowee! I gave in to temptation and ordered a side of Macaroni Soup. Whew. Big Breakfast at Jollibee? Hehehehe….  Ewan ko ba. I never had any bad or sad memories sa Jollibee. Lahat masaya.  Para sa akin… hindi Disneyland ang happiest place on earth. Jollibee! J  

Anyway – after a very fulfilling breakfast…. Dumating na rin sina Jade and Mommy Gie (kasama  din pala).  Off to Tagaytay na kami. Pero dahil sa di pa sila nag-breakfast — nagstop kami sa South Expressway for food (gasoline para sa car…. Mc Donalds para kina Jade and Mommy Gie).  Since I had a very heavy breakfast … tumunganga lang ako while they are eating. After filling up – on gasoline and fast food….  Off to Tagaytay na talaga! Road trip! Road Trip.    

Nung nasa tagaytay na kami…. Napansin ko nga na commercialized na rin ito. Dati Mushroom Burger lang hehehe… ngayon lahat na yata nasa Tagaytay.  And overlooking Taal volcano lahat. Kaya siguro madaming pumupunta dito for a weekend get-a-way.  The comforts of the city and the good weather…panalo!  

Our destination is Sonya’s Secret Garden. I’ve been hearing about this place for quite a while na. I even saw it featured in Travel time. Since Tagaytay naman ang punta…. We decided to visit the place.  It’s not really hard to find since we have the directions. Since everyone is raving about this place… medyo mataas ang expectations ko. It’s good that I was not disappointed. 

First thing I noticed nung papasok na kami… was the smell. Flowery scent…fragrant but not overpowering.  I am not sure what it is.. pero di na importante yun. Hehe… I was so excited to go inside.   The place… very nice… very quiet… very serene.  Napapaligiran ka ng iba’t ibang foliage. Flowers are in bloom. I specially love the sunflowers. Napaka — hmmm.. sunny? Hehehe. ..  To make this trip truly relaxing.. we scheduled a Sonya’s special Massage. It costs PHP700 which I think is quite ok. Ganun naman talaga price ng massage dib a? Anyway — massage schedule is at 1:00 p.m. pa – so we decided to have our lunch! 

I am quite looking forward sa lunch. My friend Vida is raving about the dalandan juice. Sa mga travel blogs naman — everyone enjoyed the organic salad and the main course.  Isang kaibahan dito sa place na to – they don’t have a menu. Kainin mo kung ano ang ihahain sa yo. Parang sa bahay no? Di pwede mamili.  The lunch costs PHP600. Quite steep… so I am planning to eat my money’s worth hehehe… Medyo nagsisi ako with the heavy breakfast… pero kaya ko ito… J  

They first served the salad… the greens, dressings, add-ons (nuts, boiled eggs, pate), mango, pineapple… etc…etc…  Syempre may bread din. Hay… the greens are soooo good. Fresh and crunchy. The salad dressing is very nice. The add-ons — great!  The Mango… whew… really sweet! Sabi ko nga.. hihingi ako ng hihingi ng ripe mango!  And the much awaited Dalandan juice…. well … it lived up to its expectation. Its good…. tamang taman lang ang tamis at asim.   Ano ba yan… salad and appetizer pa lang… ulam na hehehehe……. 

The main course was served after…. DIY pasta…..  the tomato based sauce is good… a little oily … but good.  the Salmon is nice as well.   Main course + Dalandan juice… perfect combination hehehehe….. Simple lang… pero lasap na lasap hehehe….. 

Dessert was served last… but definitely not the least for me. I love desserts…. Kahit na bundat na bundat na ako…. I always have room for desserts. They first serve the turon and sweet camote. Hay… grabe na to.  2 of my most favorite desserts! Tuwing umuuwi nga ako ng Pinas nagpapahanap ako ng Banana/Camote – que at Turon.  The sweet camote is divine. The sweetness of the syrup is just right… and the camote… heaven in every bite. ( take note…. I’m partial to these two desserts… so baka may pagka-exag ang aking description) After the great Filipino dessert… the served a slice of chocolate cake… we also ordered coffee. Chocolate cake and coffee—- the best way to end a very good lunch. Lam nyo…  the price of the lunch is so worth it… 

After the sumptuous lunch…. Pahinga lang ng kaunti… then the massage!!!!!  Yung place for massage is ok din. It’s a private room… na may private shower. So  for PHP700 … mura na sya di ba? I was assigned a male masseuse (tama ba spelling?).  I have had massages before… pero babae lagi…. (o wag nang maging madumi ang isip… hehehe). Anyway — ok lang naman… no issue. He asked me to shower first… then higa na sa massage table… The massage was great… siguro kasi lalaki kaya naman talagang kayang-kaya nya ako ihagis hehehehe….. and that’s a feat di ba? Sa laki ko ba naming ito.  Massage was a combination of Thai, Shiatsu and Swedish. Nakakarelax talaga. I fell asleep nga e… After the massage.. I again took a hot shower para matanggal yung lagkit sa katawan. The soap that was provided is really good… ang bango hehehe… pwede bilihin.. 3 for 100 yata. The shampoo is ok as well… honey-mint something.

After the massage… talagang rejuvenated ako! I am the relax and happy me! Pansamantalang nalimutan ang mga problema! Hehehe…… We went back to Manila afterwards…… on good spirits…… relax….. happy…….  revived…..  It’s a secret worth sharing….I will definitely go back to Sonya’s Secret Garden…  

For those interested… their official website is http://www.sonyasgarden.com/

(Pics???? I posted it in my multiply site - www.rollypollypanini.multiply.com)  

Home for the Weekend – Day 1

 Whew… medyo matagal na since my last blog.  Medyo po kasi naging busy ang inyong lingkod. Tulad ng nasabi ko sa previous blog ko — I went home for a few days… dahil na rin sa mga bagay-bagay na nangyayari sa aking buhay.  I went back to the Philippines last Saturday (June 23) and bumalik ako dito yesterday (June 26). It was a very hectic four days. Grabe…. Kulang na kulang lagi ang oras pag umuuwi ako Pinas.  I had a packed 4 days… kaya marami-raming blog entries ito hehehehe….   

Day 1 - left Singapore 9:20 a.m sakay ng PAL flight PR502.  Nasa dulo ako ng plane - aisle seat nakaupo. Medyo late na kasi ako dumating - kaya wala na available aisle seat sa banding unahan ng plane. Ayaw ko naman nung nasa gitna… masikip hehehe…. The plane landed sa Centennial Airport around 2:00.  Pero di agad kami nakababa.  Walang available na bridge for the plane… kaya we have to be transported via bus papunta sa airport building.  Pero di pa dyan natapos… PAL provided only 1 bust na maghahatid sa lahat…. Kaya  the bus need to do multiple trips…. Pang 4^th batch ako nakasakay. Hay. Nagtatawanan nga ang mga sakay… for sure raw na nasa Pilipinas na… kasi trapik agad sa loob ng plane…. Nakatayo ang lahat… pero hindi gumagalaw… moderate to heavy ang traffic sa loob ng plane.

Nung finally nakalabas na ako… sinundo ako nina Jade at Neil….  Nag-check in muna ako sa hotel … o wala nang kokontra…. Hindi ako sossy… sa Tondo pa kasi nakatira ang mga lola ko… baka naman mapana ako dun pag umuwi ako ng gabi…. Ayaw ko naming maka-abala sa mg kaibigan. 

After  mag-check in… nagkayayaan na mag lunch/dinner.  We decided to eat at Market Market. I love this place — sarap ng pagkain . We normally eat dun sa parang food court place. That time nga lang… walang steamed crab… so naghanap kami sa iba. May restaurant sa may isang side…(forgot the name.. but its beside the Kamay Kainan  place) na mukhang okay ang menu. We decided to ear there… and it’s one decision we will never regret. We ordered sort of a “combo” meal…. When our order arrived.. it was served in a big wooden tray…  the garlic rice was in the center.. then nakapalibot dun yung  crab, bbq chicken, grilled tilapia, grilled squid, grilled eggplant, prito na danggit. May side order din ng boiled vegetables like eggplant/okra/sitaw and salted eggs.  Syempre.. hindi mawawala ang all time favorite na mga sawsawan — suka, bagoong isda. Hay…. ang sarap… teka lang… punasan ko muna laway ko… tumutulo sa takam e… 

After the sumptuous lunch/dinner….. inaya ko silang mag-dessert. Vida suggested this place in Serendra where the cup cake is to die for. Hinanap naming… nalimutan ko pa nga ang name… ang tanda ko lang.. may babaeng name. hehehe…. Dami pala  dun…  may Mary Grace  etc.. etc..  I sent an SMS to Vida… pero bago ko pa nareceive ang reply… nakita naming ang place.  Cupcakes by Sonja.  The place is small and cozy. The cupcakes are a bit  pricy.  I think the cheapest is around P55… and the most expensive that time is around P90+.  Too expensive for a cupcake right? Well….. yes… but the taste…. Hayyyyy…  The best cupcake I have eaten so far.  I ordered the Melt in Your Mouth Flourless Chocolate Cupckae.(around P90+).  Neil ordered Mocha Motion (around P60+) … and Jade ordered the Goin’ Bananas (P70+ I think).  One big advice… wear a name plate… kasi pag natikman mo na… malilimutan mo ang pangalan mo. Okay.. medyo exaggerated yan… But it is really good… hmm.. if I will describe it in one word - it will be HEAVENLY. (One blogger described the taste as “Orgasmic”… hehehe… medyo wholesome ako kaya “Heavenly” na lang…) If you are a “sweets-whore” like me… well… this is definitely for you.  Para naman dun sa mga hindi mahilig — okay pa rin… medyo wag nyo lang masyadong kainin yung icing.  The cupcake itself is not that sweet.  It is superb with brewed coffee by the way.  Hay…. I will definitely go back. 

After  the heavenly dessert … we went to SM Makati to do some shopping. Isa lang ang masabi ko… I need to loose weigh (hehehe.. after the big dinner and sinful dessert… magtaka pa ba). I saw a  few clothers that I really like… pero di ko gusto ang itsura sa tummy area. Need to do sit-ups… para magkaroon ng six-pack… okay.. okay… di ko na pinapangarap ang six-pack…… basta lumiit lang ng kaunti masaya na ako.  Bought a couple of clothes…. Nung magsasara na… we decided to call it a night…. Balik na ako sa hotel.. I ended the day by watching Pinoy Big Brother… leche… nasira ang gabi ko… di pa rin naalis si Wendy!!! @#@!!$%@%^@$@

 

  

P.S.

Some useful links from the net :

a. Cupcake variants in Cupcake by Sonja   (http://www.shopcrazy.com.ph/2006/11/06/cake-heaven-in-a-box/3/)

b. Photos of the place/food (http://photos.the-protagonist.net/cupcakes-by-sonja/IMG_3253)

-27JUN07-

Sufficient?

Due to some recent events – I decided to go back to the Philippines for a couple of days. Wala lang. Mag-aksaya lang ng pera hehehehe. Anyway – my problem is that I have only earned 1 day Vacation Leave so far. Di naman kaila sa lahat na kasisimula ko pa lang dito sa aking new job. Dahil sa nalagay na sa aking isipan na uuwi ako Pinas ….. lakas loob akong nagpaaalam ngayon. Actually… dapat last week pa ako nagpaalam – kaso nakabakasyon ang aking amo. I sent a mail early this morning seeking permission to go on leave (June 25 and 26) due to family matters. Hehehehe…..hindi poi to lie. It matters naman talaga to my family pag umuuwi ako. J I am expecting a mail na either approve or disapprove. The mail I received was definitely a surprise. My supervisor replied to my mail and asked if I think 2 days is sufficient.  Whoa! Parang hindi ko yata naririnig yan dito sa Singapore… ever. Nung nasa Siyudad pa ako – paiyakan lagi ang magleave. Laging may tawaran. Para kami laging nasa games show. Parang lagi naming katabi si Kris Aquino at si Banker — is it a Deal… or No Deal! Dahil sa ang No Deal ay di ka makakapag leave …. Kadalasan… Deal agad. Ganito ang sitwasyon ng karamihan sa mga nasa Siyudad. Iilan lamang ang katulad ko na dahil sa katigasan ng ulo — hindi pumipili ng brief case! Basta… nagsabi ako na magleleave ako. Yun na yun. Wala naman magagawa ang amo… pero naku… talaga naming kukunsensiyahin ka hanggang sa kahulihulihang araw ng iyong buhay. Mental torture ang kapalit ng ilang araw na bakasyon. He’ll make you feel that you are being irresponsible because you are going on leave kahit na tambak ang trabaho. Asus. As if naman nababawasan ang trabaho dun no. Kung hihintayin ko maubos ang trabaho bago ako magbakasyon – di na ako makakapagbakasyon… ever!     Now you know why the mail caught me by surprise? Naku… first thing na naisip ko… gawin kong 5 days hehehe… Pero naisip ko rin… don’t be too greedy. 2 days ang unang pinaalam… kaya dapat magstick to 2 days. I replied and said 2 days is enough. Wala pang isang minuto – my supervisor sent a mail to the people of Singapore that my leave has been approved.  Yehey… 2 days….  I’m so excited… and I just can’t hide it…  Para tuloy gusto kong kumanta ng…  

Manila, Manila
I keep coming back to Manila
Simply no place like Manila
Manila, I’m coming home Hinahanap-hanap kita Manila
Ang ingay mong kay sarap sa tenga
Mga Jeepney mong nagliliparan
Mga babae mong naggagandahan
Take me back in your arms Manila
And promise me you’ll never let go
Promise me you’ll never let go 

Hmmm…. jeepney? Wala bang FX? Mainit sa jeepney e…. J

-18JUNE07-

Seven Days in Mongolia

This is weird… kagabi lang a friend and I was discussing of the places to go and I mentioned Mongolia.  Sabi ko a friend of mine from highschool  is volunteering there. Anywway - when I logged in sa YM this morning - I have an offline message from this friend - Chielo.  Anyway - long story short - a colleague of hers wrote an article which was published in the Inquirer.

Link : http://globalnation.inquirer.net/diaspora/diaspora/view_article.php?article_id=67761

I copied the full article below :

Seven Days in Mongolia
By Joei Villarama
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 05:40pm (Mla time) 05/29/2007

 

We thought the captain was playing a joke on us but the sandstorm turned out to be real - the plane couldn’t land in Ulan Bator so we made a giant u-turn back to Beijing (not an unusual occurrence for a regular visitor to Mongolia). We waited for hours in an airport hotel, trading stories with fellow passengers on what brought us all here.

There was a lawyer for mining companies, a manager for a chain of clinics across Asia, a person on a UN environmental project to combat desertification, a smattering of businessmen and tourists. Then there was me on a mission to see how my volunteer friends were doing. Hopping to four different homes in a week wasn’t a typical relaxed vacation but a discovery of the Spartan life they led.

“Sharing Skills, Changing Lives” is the motto of VSO - the Volunteer Services Organization which sends people from different parts of the globe to contribute their expertise to development programs in third world countries. My friends Chielo Sta. Maria, Rayso Natividad and Willie Mercado were only four months into their VSO contract, but had plunged right into their jobs in livelihood security after only a month of language training and country orientation.

Beautifully illustrated books sing paeans to the far-reaching expanses of Genghis Khan’s empire, Mongolia. There are no grand monuments surviving from that distant era - what you see is a Socialist state coming out of its cocoon. The ubiquity of Genghis Khan’s face on many products, including several kinds of vodka and beer, has prompted the government to curtail the use of the famous conqueror’s bearded likeness. A teacher expressed a wish that his students, when asked to think of people they admired, would be more creative and come up with other names.

We stopped by Joe’s place to water his plants on the first day. Also a Filipino volunteer, Joe had been rushed to Korea for medical reasons - Rayso was looking after the plants left growing under a Sioux Indian dream catcher that filtered the rays of the afternoon sun. Rayso raved about the impact Joe was making in training accountants in Mongolia, helping to fill a huge gap created by the shift from Communist rule to the free market system.

The next day we took a two-hour ride north of Ulan Bator to Darkhan (silent k) where Willie and Chielo were posted. Smooth rolling mountain ranges stretched before us as the driver sped down the road with the occasional yak crossing. We stopped by a diner where the drivers had the typical meat-laden dishes. Vegetarians won’t have many choices here.

Darkhan is a city so small you can easily master the taxi system loop, boarding coasters similar to our FX. In a moment of serendipity, a Mongolian student stopped to help me buy ice cream, fortuitously leading me next to the Filipino volunteer teacher Alain, about whom more later.

I gathered from Chielo’s interpreter, Galaa, that drinking is a major national problem. It’s not uncommon to see drunken men sprawled on building stairs during winter. Somebody said it was a habit inherited from the Russians but that’s like saying our mañana habit came from the Spaniards.

For breakfast the following day, Willie served me tuyo. I felt guilty eating it, knowing that the supply he generously shared with me was limited. Willie trained entrepreneurs for over a decade at the Department of Trade and Industry back home. Now a consultant in the Darkhan Business Incubator Center, I saw him in comic struggle to surmount the language barrier with his officemates when his computer failed to start. (Still, he took time to introduce me to a woman in the felt products business who wanted to expand her market.)

Along the school corridor, the French volunteer Christiane Merz spotted me looking somewhat lost so she invited me to sit in her class for Social Work students. While she had a Red Cross activity the going on, she led me to another class of students learning English and asked me to handle the discussion. The students and I exchanged stories about our own countries, giddy with excitement to communicate. They sang a Mongolian song, talked about their hobbies and the three important sports for men – horse riding, archery and wrestling.

Christiane’s class of Tourism students then walked us to two recently finished monuments. From the hilltop, one student pointed out the tallest building in Darkhan, all of 16 stories high. She proudly informed us that it was built by Russians, with people from two other nations contributing labor. Only later would I discover that there was something more to this building than its record-breaking height in this city. The strangest thing - it had no elevator.

Christiane had worked for a year training social workers in Sophia, Bulgaria, as a VSO volunteer. She expected that to be her role in Darkhan too but was instead initially given a job as an English teacher. But this turn of events does not deter this extremely pro-active person; she is now organizing a summer camping trip with her students.

The concentration of NGOs and international organizations was astounding. Chielo lived in a building with people from American, Japanese and South Korean aid agencies. Jim, a British volunteer who cracked us up with his wry sense of humor, was handling education methodologies, trying to create an impact on a macro level.

The next morning Chielo took me to a cooperative they were assisting. Here women make delicate angora scarves and other wool products. Angora fetches a steep price in high-end stores in the developed world; here women in a small room weave these beautiful fabrics with techniques not too different from their ancestors’.

Next stop was the Darkhan Health Department where many accolades were heaped on the Pinoy volunteer Glenn Benablo, who’s been in Mongolia for almost two years now. His goal was to train the nurses, but soon realized that he couldn’t jump into it straightaway. So he conducted Focused Group Discussions to get to the bottom of things, finding how over-burdened the nurses were.

That was the beginning of helping to improve the health management and delivery system. He even brought eight Mongolian health workers to Davao - they returned home excited to create their own puppet shows, the kind that enables people to open up about previously taboo topics like domestic violence and alcoholism.On our last night in Darkhan we went to a typical, must-see yurt (‘ger’ to the Mongolians) and found our host hand-rolling a big piece of heavy brown felt in a basement. He drove us back to his home as though his tiny car were a fierce four-wheel drive that could ram its way through the desert sand in hyper speed.

His yurt is plain white on the outside; inside are orange floors, patterned carpets on the walls, reds contrasting with blues all around and ceiling spokes painted with swirling designs, all spelling simple joy. In the center, a stove warms the whole house during the harsh winters. I wondered if people living in multi-story residential flats felt cooped-up and detached from the land where they have been living in yurts for millennia.

Then we were in Alain’s home – a volunteer piece de resistance. An artist through and through, his bathroom was literally sheer poetry, with quotes and poems pasted all over. Because it was her own battle cry, Chielo asked me to look for the lines from the movie “Mona Lisa Smiles”: “Not all who wander are aimless, especially not those who seek truth, beyond tradition, beyond definition, beyond image.” Alain has been teaching English for more than a year. He told me about some of the challenges he encountered - one of them is the Mongolian sense of time which is actually not far from the Filipino.

British David Whitworth and Singaporean Gek Khong have been in Mongolia only since August last year but they’ve already held a joint painting and photography exhibit to raise funds for the Lotus Children’s Center – a shelter for orphans, abused kids and children with disabilities. David was a university lecturer in engineering design in England; after his wife died, he joined VSO to teach construction workers in Mongolia. Similarly, Gek was working in the IT industry in Singapore for 21 years when she decided to take the artist’s route. Now she divides her time between painting and working with children, drawing out and discovering their talents at the Lotus Center.

David and Gek chatted about how international aid agencies tend to operate in isolation, not knowing about other organization’s projects when they can easily avoid redundancies. A higher degree of synergy can be attained if the local government encouraged more communication among the agencies.

Going back to China, the difference in development levels became starker to me. There’s nothing like taking a holiday in a less developed country to make one appreciate home. For now, China is home to me – and the leap it’s made in the nano-blink of a decade seemed all the more incredible after Mongolia.

Asking me if I rode a horse, my Chinese friends seemed disappointed that I had only a picture of a yurt to show for the journey, capturing the Gobi Desert only through bars of pasalubong chocolate. I didn’t even get to taste authentic Mongolian barbecue, but I did encounter something more – a glimpse into the life of Filipinos and other foreigners bravely, tirelessly working to make a dent in the global fight against poverty. It doesn’t matter which continent they serve. They’re citizens of one world.