My Blog Anniversary

Wow, I am glad I checked my friends' blogs today. I miss them so much and hungry to find out about their lives. I came across entries on blog anniversaries and decided to check mine too. My blog will be turning 1 this coming July 19. Time flies so fast. I am glad I still find the time to write with my busy schedule. As I said in "My First Entry", writing is one of my secret passions.

Here's to more blogging years to come!

The majesty of God's creation!

I got this email from my boss and thought it would be nice to put it in my blog. All I can say is WOW!

This photograph was taken by the crew on board the Columbia during its last mission. This photograph was taken via satellite, on a cloudless day.The picture is of Europe and Africa when the sun is setting. Half of the picture is in night.

The bright dots you see are the cities lights. The top part of Africa is the Sahara Desert. Note that the lights are already on in Holland,Paris, and Barcelona, and that's it's still daylight in London, Lisbon,and Madrid.

The sun is still shining on the Straight of Gibraltar. The Mediterranean Sea is already in darkness. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean you can see the Azores Islands; below them to the right are the Madeira Islands; a bit below are the Canary Islands; and further south, close to the farthest western point of Africa, are the Cape Verde Islands.

Note that the Sahara is huge and can be seen clearly both during daytime and nighttime. To the left, on top, is Greenland, totally frozen.

Fantastic photograph!

Shopping Spree and gimmick with my new officemates

Last Wednesday I learned that Mango's on Sale, the much awaited sale event for me. I immediately texted my Shopaholic officemate, Mare who is in Makati and told her to buy for me a brown shirt. But it turned out to be a wrong information. The sale would be starting on Friday, June 24.

The girls from my group were set on drinking that night, after Mare's business meeting. Seeing an opportunity, I asked Mi Ann to accompany me to Mango in Shangri-la for the sale while waiting for Mare. She was hesitant at first after splurging in the Puma Exclusive Sale last Monday. I told her she can just window shop with me but I was really dead set on buying something. Everything fell into place. It rained hard and so Mare was forced to hold her meeting in Figaro (right outside Mango) in Shangri-la Mall instead of Metrowalk.

As soon as we stepped in, we saw several people inside, some were ransacking the racks while their male companions were sitting/waiting on the sidelines of the store. There was a long queue to the cashier. We wasted no time in looking for clothes to buy since we already reached the store by 8PM due to heavy traffic.

By the time I was going to fit all the clothes in my arms, the shop was closed and the attendants were all saying that they would just honor reservations since the queue was still long. Mare and her sister were finally inside, trying on some stuff too. Being stubborn as I am, I still waited in line. There was no one to stop the line anyway and I had to buy these before I or Dom can stop me. I had to give up one blouse to lower my total bill. In the end, I was the winner with 6 items(1 pair of pants and 5 tops) for P3,700.Hehe. I never splurged like this in the Philippines but it felt great!

Would you believe we left Mango at 10:30 PM and we were all really starving. We decided to have our dinner and drinks at Capisce in Metro Walk. There, we met Mare's friends, a Filipino that looks like an American, a previous officemate who now works in the IT Department of the US Embassy, a former friend who married a French guy, and the French husband who is building a nuclear submarine. It was fun to be with very diverse people. I learned that Paris is nice but is very expensive to live in. Yikes, do you know what that means? I need to really save up for a week stay. Gosh. Positive thinking!

I had a grand time but felt it was too short. I just had a beer and a half before it was time to go. I bade goodbye to my new found friends at 1:30 AM after 30 minutes of trying to wake Dom up.

Weekend Getaway!

I thought I would not be able to travel or ride a plane for the next 6 months at least.I am just a month old in my current company and not yet entitled to leaves. But no! I was able to transcend that.

Included in his list of 30 gifts is an overnight stay in the most beautiful resort in Mactan, Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort in Cebu. That was my weekend getaway last June 4 to 5. We celebrated my birthday and our 4th year anniversary.

I took the earliest flight out of Manila at 5AM via Philippine Airlines alone since Dom was already there since Wednesday for a business trip. I was lucky to have gotten a discounted fare of P4,700+. I arrived Mactan International Airport at 6:30AM filled with excitement and a big smile on my face. I was exploring the resort and hotel by 7AM. Of course, I stayed by the beach and even dozed off in one of the beach benches. It was such a relaxing experience.

Enjoying the early morning beach.

I freshened up in one of the posh restrooms in time for the first schedule of the shuttle to Cebu City. I went down SM and took a cab to Magellan's Cross. My visit to Cebu wouldn't be complete without buying shell/capiz accessories from the vendors there.

I was frustrated at first, not finding anything that catched my fancy. I wanted to buy from every vendor, like last year and I stayed there for 2 hours, bearing the heat. In the end I was able to buy a hand full for a cost of one necklace in Manila. I even talked to one of the vendors to make her a possible supplier should I push through in making this a business.

As agreed, I was back in SM by 12 noon to meet with Dom and Kristine, his FA in Cebu. We ate at Sunburst for I wanted a place native to Cebu alone. Sunburst is Cebu's Jollibee and is well known for the fried chicken. Yummy! We went straight to Mariot for Dom to pack his things and then travelled to Shangri-La. We were welcomed by Dom's friend, Mike (the Resort's Sales Director), treated us watermelon shakes and even escorted us to our room. The room had a beach motif with starfish carvings and cabinet handles. Well, come to think of it so was the whole resort. Our room had a veranda with a view too.

We spent the rest of the day in the beach until it got dark. Too bad the sun did not set on that part of the island or did I just miss it? We enjoyed the pool until we our hands felt like prunes.

As recommended by Melon, my friend who always stays in Shangri-La everytime she is in Cebu, we had dinner in Cowrie Cove, a restaurant and bar situated by the beach. It was a romantic, candlelit place ideal for dates. We tried the Shrimp Sinigang and the Vietnamese vegatable soup. It was extraordinarily delicious. We ended our dinner with the bestseller dessert, Cowrie Sago (could not remember the exact name). Honestly, I wondered why. It was not that great at all. It just tasted like chocolate shake with sago. (I probably expected more.) We decided to call it a night by 11. I was really finding it hard to stop my yawns, having barely slept last Friday.

We were up by 8AM and got ready for the day ahead. I wanted to sunbathe for an hour while Dom wanted to workout in the gym. I experienced the good life again, sleeping by the beach under the heat of the sun before swimming. The weather was fine that day, sunny yet windy. I needed to have a tan before summer was finally over. At least in Visayas, it was still summer. I hit the outdoor shower to rinse the salt by 9:50 AM. Dom and I agreed to meet at Tides for the buffet breakfast by 10AM. Since the buffet was only up to 10:30, we wasted no time in eating and gathering all the yummy food being served. By 11, I had a bulging tummy and hoped that the peppermint tea would flatten it a bit. Thinking that our late checkout time was 1PM, we headed straight to the infinity pool and a quick dip and picture taking in the beach. We were almost ready to leave when Dom received a call from Mike that he moved our checkout time to 4PM. Why didn't he tell us earlier? We just decided to rest and regain our needed rest since it rained anyway.

Before our checkout, Dom wearing his new shorts from Novecento (my surprise gift for him)

Upon checkout, Dom had a short meeting with his officemate in the lobby then we hopped in the shuttle for a quick shopping in SM. For our dinner, we tried the famous CNT Lechon in Cebu. I enjoyed every bit of it even though we just ate in a takeout counter by the supermarket. Our stay in SM was a breeze because we needed to ride the last shuttle back to the resort and be in the airport by 7:45. We ssaid goodbye to our memories in Cebu at 8:40 and PAL was unbelievably on time.

Well, that was it, my memorable, money's worth weekend getaway courtesy of my honey.

Search is over!

After almost 5 years of waiting, reserving and searching for the 3rd Book of Andrew Matthews to complete my collection, "Follow You Heart" is now in my possession. I was elated, overjoyed and almost in the brink of tears. It was Gary's (former officemate in my first job) Birthday gift and pasalubong from his Singapore trip last weekend. What's more, the illustrations are colored, a new version maybe. I can't wait to read it.

Gary and I were searching for this book for the longest time. I first introduced Andrew Matthews's Being Happy to him way back in 1998 and he got hooked. I lent him my copy and soon after reading it, he got his own copy too. I wanted to share how this book changed my life and it still continous to guide me up to now. I recommend it to everybody who wants to be 'HAPPY'. I assure you, your outlook will change after reading the book.

Andrew Matthews is an author, cartoonist and speaker. His books, "Being Happy!", "Making Friends", "Get Faxed!" and "Follow Your Heart" have been translated into 20 languages. A popular motivational speaker, he regularly speaks to conferences and conventions around the world.

My 30th Birthday!

No matter how I wanted to freeze time, I just couldn't. Before I can even stop it, I turned 1 year old again yesterday, May 18.

The week before my birthday, I was in panic. I was trying to remember the article I read years ago on 'things you must do before you turn 30'. I tried searching for it in Google and find out how I fared. But i couldn't seem to find it. The only thing I could remember was to live alone, which I haven't done yet. Gosh, I felt I haven't achieved anything yet. I was in crisis and was even irascible at times that lead to some squabbles with Dom. Shocks, I did not want to age and with nothing. I don't know how to drive yet, haven't earned my first million and am not even married when I told myself that I would be married by 27/28ish. Oh no!

Then, Dom tried to talk some sense in to me. He told me that one achievement I can consider is being an officer in a good multinational company. That was when I realized that I had an achievement after all and then I counted my abundant blessings. Life must go on and there are still so many things to accomplish. It was time to re-think my life and put it in a different perspective. That is what I really like about my honey; he knows how to make me sane.

Eve of my birthday

It was just a regular work day for me. I even went to the gym for my last workout as a 29-year old. I felt that can help me feel better. I went home and spent my night on the phone with Rhea (my cousin) breathing all my worries and troubles away. As midnight was approaching, I got a call from Dom on my mobile. He was outside and wanted to wait for my birthday with me. He sang me a birthday song and made me blow my first candle. He gave me several gifts; a stretching Yoga set, badminton racket
and a tulip.(He said there were more to come, 30 things) Gosh, he forgot that I loved carnations but anyway I also like tulips.

The day

As usual, I came early for work dressed with my new white blouse and sandals from my mom. I was surprised to see my decorated workstation, a 'Happy Birthday' banner with white and violet flower-shaped balloons hanging from the ceiling, a big fuchsia ribbon made of unrolled paper twine, draped on my cubicle and scattered happy birthday plastics on my desk. It was super nice and I hated myself to have not captured it in my Sony Digicam. Grrr!

As their gift, my officemates treated me for lunch to a restaurant of my choice. Guess what! I chose Italiannis for the yummy stuffed mushrooms. I received a birthday song from the waiters, ice cream with a candle and dance from Vin to the tune of 'Di ako bakla'. It was a fun lunch.

I would have been happy and contented with those surprises. But that was not all, they even ordered in a cake from Gateau 'd Manila and palabok from Red Ribbon and sang for me. To top it all, they gave me a little Mango lavender bag. It was so cute but that means I have to buy either a lavender top or pants. Oh well.

Given it was just middle of the week, I worked up to almost 7PM, finishing some urgent MOAs. Then I went straight to Megamall to meet up with Dom. He got tied with work so I just roamed around the shops until my feet were killing me. I felt a little bad for waiting up on him and not have had our dinner, that I did not want to talk to him when he arrived in time for the premier of Star Wars at 10PM.

Good thing Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith was superb and it drowned my bad mood. We were in speaking terms before the movie ended. Yoda was so cute and I have always loved him. I told Dom that I wanted a Yoda toy and when we went to Jollibee for our midnight dinner, they were offering Star Wars' toys in their meals. Yuppie! I got a Yoda and Darth Vader.

Talk about 24 hours full of surprises.

Busy Saturday

I love the feeling of being able to do several things in one day. Well, my Saturday was filled with experiences worth sharing:

Divi in the morning

I was up and about by 6:20 AM to get ready to meet with Shiena in McDonald's Q. Ave MRT Station. I am so not used to waking up early on Saturdays but I had to since we were be going to Divisoria to get measured for our gowns for Shiena's Wedding on September. I was so excited to see the Shopaholics again and update each other on our lives.

Shiena and I were literally talking non-stop during our breakfast in McDo that we delayed the schedule a bit. Well, we were both late to begin with. After breakfast we met up with Maya and Nancy (Sheina's bestfriend) at the Ayala Station then took the bus straight to Adrian's pad. All 7 of us tried to fit ourselves in Varian's car: 2 boys in front and 5 sexy girls at the back (hehe). We reached the bustling streets of Divisoria a little after 9AM. The girls went straight to Pasilyo R while the boys were to meet with the others including Baet in 168 Mall.

After having our mesurements taken, we roamed around the area to look for cloth and then took a pit stop in Jollibee for some quick refreshments. While Jan and Varian had to leave, the rest of us decided to check out the stuff in 168 Mall. After approximately 2 hours inside, I was able to buy 1 bottle of salt with milk scrub(recommended by Baet), a pink dog tag for my new ID, 2 plastic soap dishes with shells and starfish for my bathroom and powder room, a fan for summer and a half eternity silver ring. Haay! I wanted to buy more but my wallet would not permit anymore.

Pizza and pasta for late lunch

We reached Evangelista St. by past 2 and had our late lunch at Pizza Hut. We loaded ourselves with carbo: Spaghetti with meatballs, Carbonara and New York Pizza. I was stuffed to the brim, same feeling I had yesterday when my officemates and I had lunch at Yellow Cab. It was just so delicious, nevertheless. After, we went straight to Adrian's pad to get quick baths to temporarily cool us from the summer heat.

My free haircut at Propaganda

I went straight to Propaganda in Greenbelt 1 to claim my free haircut ahead of my birthday on May 18. I was so glad to have the chance finally to claim this. I kept on forgeting for the past 2 years, only to realize it after the big day. However, I decided to try their hot oil treatment and ended up paying P1,850 for a dry hair treatment. Oh what the heck! It was so relaxing anyway. I just hope it gave my hair the repair and moisture it needed.

Memories of Love Concert as my second advance birthday gift

I met up with Dom as soon as I was done in the parlor. We hurriedly headed back to his flat to dress up for the "Memories of Love" Concert in Araneta Coliseum at 8 PM, featuring Kevyn Lettau, Lou Pardini and Joe Pizzulo. It was his first gift for me on my bithday.(I wonder what are the others.)

I really wanted to watch this concert so much that I wouldn't mind staying in the cheapest section. Good thing Dom remembered and heeded my call. He got the lower box B tickets and realizing that the sections were not fully occupied, I tried my luck by texting my friend, Vic who works for Araneta to upgrage us to a better seat. He was kind enough to put us in the far back of the Orchestra section. It was perfect! We had a good view of the performers and the seat was comfortable too.

The concert was superb, with a total of 20+ songs all in all.Lou Pardini sang my fave song, "What might have been" and his other beautiful songs, Kevyn sang "Faraway" and Joe sang Sergio Mendez songs. It brought me back memory lane since most of the songs were classics.

We ended our night with a quick drink with Vic, his wife and their friends at Oyter Boy. At least I also got the chance to spend time with him after like ages.

My Horoscope for Today!

Oh gosh, look at my Horoscope for Today. It says exactly what's on my mind - shopping!!!

Dear Kristine,
Here is your horoscope
for Monday, May 9:

"The new person you've created needs some new clothes, and you're entirely ready to make that person happy. It's you, of course -- the new you -- and it's time to do some shopping."

*courtesy of www.astrology.com

My First Day

Today was my first day in my new work. I arrived at 8:00 AM and went straight to HR to get the Company manual and others. I went straight to my floor after but to my surprise, my boss was not yet around so I had to wait in the lobby of our floor. Turns out he comes in at about 9AM everyday.

Below are some of my good news:

- I received a Welcome Lunch Treat from my boss. We ate at Super Bowl with my other officemates. I made him decide since I was still shy to exert what I wanted even up to ordering the food. He also insisted to pay for my coffee at Seattle’s Best after lunch.
- There are abundant tissue and soap in a well maintained CR in our floor plus a hand dryer too.
- My officemates seem to be good people although dominated by males, mostly married (too bad for my single girlfriends)

My day consisted mostly of reading the company manual, meeting with my immediate boss to brief me on some policies and backend reports and going around other floors to be introduced to some key people in support departments.I also had a meeting with the Unit head towards the end of the day about the overview of our Department, goals for the year and some of his general expectations.

I left the office with an unbearable headache, partly due to hunger and information overload.

Do I like the work? Well, I feel overwhelmed but as I said to our Unit Head, 'I feel challenged'.

Goodbye and Hello

I have officially said goodbye to my previous work last Monday, April 25. It was not extraordinary at all. I wasn't even given my own despedida by my boss but was just included in Tinette's depedida and Bridal Shower celebration. Good thing I already had a fun and hilarious going away gimmick with some of my closest officemates in the team plus Maya and Rico at Dencio's Metro Walk last April 22.

I honestly encountered some mixed emotions. I did not know whether to be sad because I am leaving my comfort zone plus the friendships I have gained for good or glad to have finally been given an opportunity to spread my wings. I felt a little depressed but I just clinged to the fact that I can still see my closest friends anytime I want although we wouldn't be able to do our usual things anymore. I will truly miss:

1. my shopaholic, eating, "CR anyone" buddies and the Voltes V
2. the members of the Sex Committee and our assemblies
3. my clients whom I have nurtured for more than 3 years
4. instant messengers ICQ, YM
4. Unlimited surfing of the net about new places, etc.
5. my computer and the weird things it does
6. taking leaves - Gosh!
7. going out on sales calls/having my own time
8. the joy and fulfilling feeling of closing big packages
9. P10 magazines, and
10. My team, our meetings and eat-outs

Goodbye to my old world and hello to a new environment and sets of opportunities for growth. I may be gone but I will cherish the fond memories I have shared with my officemates.

Tricia is now a mother!

My honey baby Trica gave birth to 3 cute brown puppies today. Unfortunately, the third one did not make it. She labored almost the whole day with 1.5 to 2 hour interval per puppy. I was with her the whole time and witnessed the miracle of life.

Pictures of Tricia while pregnant.

Here are some pictures I took on this red letter day for my honey.



Tricia with her cute puppies.



The third puppy who is now in heaven.

I do not have a name for them yet. Please help me think of adorable names(for a boy and a girl).

Pilomatricoma

This is the diagnosis for my cyst. “This is a common and benign skin tumor derived from the hair follicle. They usually occur on the head and neck and are more common in women.”(The Doctor’s Doctor website). It just so happens that mine grew on the right arm.

Benign!, this is my first good news for the week. After confirming the diagnosis with my surgeon, I immediately called the HR of my future employer. It was the only thing that we both wanted to find out in order for me to finally tender my resignation. Oh, wow! After almost two weeks of waiting for my medical results and hearing the frustrating news of other required medical clearances, this was it. What’s more, I can opt not to stay for 30 days since I still have 11 days vacation leaves and I can use them for my terminal leave. Yehey!!!

My current boss is requesting me to stay up to the 28th of April instead of the 22nd, my preferred last day in my resignation letter. But I will not give her that. But, I may have to compromise… we’ll see. I will think about that tomorrow. For now, I would like to savor the satisfying feeling of finally leaving for a new challenge.

My Milestone

I finally mustered enough courage, although partly forced because it is a pre-employment requirement to finally have my more than a year old cyst in my upper arm removed. I was accompanied by my very good friend Elisa who happens to be a medical student to Medical City for my operation at 5:00 pm. She said I was so fidgety and was obvious that I was nervous because I was asking silly questions. I mean who wouldn’t be. I knew it would really hurt. But come to think of it, I have had my share of physical pains in the past, including tooth extraction, facials, wart cautery, etc. All I had to endure was the pain of the anesthesia.

I left the office at 4:30 and went straight to my health card’s office to get my Letter of Authorization. By 10 to 5, I was already in Ambulatory OR and was asked to change to a medical gown. I was only talking with my Elisa for less than 5 minutes when the nurse told me that it was time. The operating room was daunting. It reminded me of the series ER although it was bare with few instruments. I was asked to lay down and the right sleeve of my gown was removed exposing my arm. My upper arm was cleaned with Betadine several times and the procedure was what the assistant doctor called “prep”. Then they positioned my arm on another table and covered my arm with eye sheet to just expose the area of the cyst. Then finally, they draped a cloth to separate my face from my arm. Oh God, this was it.

Then I felt the injections. The pain was gradual. I guess it was more painful as the anesthesia entered my skin. Then I felt being cut but there was no pain. They had a hard time taking the cyst off since it was already hard and stuck. I heard several nips and cuts and finally the doctor checked if there was any left. Then, they cauterized my blood vessels to close them and stop the bleeding. Next came the stitching which seemed like forever and finally the bandage.

The whole procedure took almost 30 minutes and the cyst looked like a ball of whiteheads(weird). After the operation, I was glad it was over and done with. I had a total of 4 stitches on a diagonal wound. I did not want to take a look at it yet. I just want to savor the thought that the cyst was gone and worry about the scar later. I just hope that the results of the biopsy would come out as benign. ‘Til Monday for the results.

A short-lived Beach Experience

Summer is my perennial favorite season and I would hate to waste the long weekend that the Holy Week brings without going to the beach to relax and reflect. A week before Holy Week, I felt so hopeless and pathetic with no definite plans for out of town gimmicks. Our Bicol trip was cancelled since most of my friends have their own plans. Too bad for me… I was actually resigned to the fact that I will just stay at home and sulk… reflect I mean. Hehe.

Then one day, I chanced upon asking Raffy, Abi and Claude their plans for Holy Week and they happened to mention about wanting to go to the beach. Bingo! What’s more, we could join Kimchi and his friend to Puerto Galera. I was overjoyed. Since there will be no boats on Good Friday, we decided to leave early morning of Wednesday, May 23. We stayed over at Abi’s place on Tuesday night so it would be easy for Kimchi and his friend to pick us up at about 2AM. In the end, Kimchi’s friend backed out and so we were a total of 5 bubbly, fun-loving beach buddies.

At the Bonfire Grille having dinner the night before


All aboard and ready for Puerto Galera (L-R: Raffy,Me,Claude, Abi and Kimchi)


On the boat to PG early morning


We maximized our first day by having our tatoo sessions with Kimchi, experiencing the banana boat and massage by the beach, all for one, one for all. No one should be left behind. After dinner we rested for a while and waited for everyone to finish taking a bath before we all went out to savor White Beach's night life.


Picture first before dinner.

We woke up early the next day to hit the beach. I sun bathed and swam with Kimchi while the others roamed and ate their breakfast. We also visited Au, a JobStreet alumnus and had lunch at her house since she just lives in Balatero, near the pier. Below is out picture with her.




The Votles V's last shot at the beach


And as if we cannot get enough, upon arriving at Batangas pier,we headed to Leslie's in Tagaytay for our dinner. I truly enjoyed my short road trip gimmick with the Voltes V and definitely the memories will not be short-lived but will stay in my heart forever.

Tom Hanks Is America's Favorite Movie Star

That is according to Harris Poll. Below is an excerpt from the results:

"- Every year at this time The Harris Poll(R) asks a nationwide cross-section of adults who their favorite movie star is. This year Tom Hanks recaptures the top spot, moving up three places from #4 last year. Mel Gibson, who had taken over first place last year, drops slightly to #2 this year. Rounding out the top four most popular stars are Julia Roberts at #3 and Johnny Depp at #4." Read more:

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=137176

I was so glad I came across this article in the sneak peak of OK! Magazine when I had my workout this morning. Tom Hanks is my favorite actor for the longest time and my friends find me weird. At least this time, I can prove that I've got taste. But anyhow, I don't care what others think. All I know is I simply love Tom Hanks.

I can't wait to see Da Vinci Code the movie. Yup he's in it.

Thailand Trip

I was in Thailand last week from February 24 to 27 and boy, it was tiring yet fun. It was our incentive trip for meeting our 2004 target. We stayed at Montien Hotel right across Patpong, the famous red light district of Thailand. Since it was my second time to go there, I made it a point to list all the things I was not able to do last 2003 and made sure to fulfill them all. My list included:

1. Experience an authentic Thai Massage because I did not have time to do it last time because our trip was packed with tours.
- Our Travel agent, Pia referred us to his friend's spa, Body Relax near Pratunam market. It was a salon type massage place with rooms divided by curtains and you could literally talk to your friend while having your massage. The massage lasted 2 hours for 400THB (original price was 300THB, 100THB referral fee). It seemed long but I still woke up craving for more.

2. Visit Ayutthaya City (old Siam or the former capital of Thailand). I saw this from a postcard in our hotel shop last 2003 and regretted not to have read this during my research. I am fond of historical places and make it a point to visit these in the new places I am planning to go to.
- We did this tour on our 2nd day. After our delicious breakfast at Jade Garden Montien Hotel, we were all ready and on our way for our Ayutthaya River Tour by 7:30 AM. First stop was the vast Royal Bang Pa-In Summer Palace where we went around the landscaped gardens and houses by foot. Exhausted, we took a break and bought water at a store and discovered that we could feed some fish and sea turtles by the lake with bread. It was awesome. Then we watched a cultural show before leaving for Ayutthaya.


We visited 3 temples/ruins: Wat Maha That,(the one I saw in the postcard)the heart and soul of the Ayuthaya people and was almost completely destroyed by the Burmese during Thai-Burmese war; Wat Na Phra Mane which remains in perfect conditions used as the Burmese headquarters and; Wat Lokayasutharam which enshrines the Largest Reclining Buddha Image

After our tour in Ayutthaya, we cruised Chao Praya River back to Bangkok.

3. Eat authentic Thai food.
During my last trip we mostly ate at fastfoods like McDo and KFC. This time I consciously chose to eat at the local restaurants and tried their street food. We had our first dinner at The Pizza Company since it was highly recommended by Shiena's friend who worked in Thailand. The pizza and pasta were delicious. I will miss the Spinach lasagna. Yummy...

We had our last night dinner at Anna's Cafe (another recommended place) at Wireless Road.We had fish, chicken curry, sticky rice, spring rolls and green salad . I specially like the curry and spring rolls, simply tasted authentic. We planned on going to other places like Cowboy Soy and Cabbages and Condoms but we could not anymore fit it in our packed itinerary.

I would like to immerse further in the Thai culture and way of living by trying their street food. We were so hungry during our first day that we had a pit stop at the vendors outside the temple with the tallest standing Buddha. We ate spicy chicken balls and also tasted their noodle soup which was way too spicy for me. If in the Philippines, vendors sell mangoes with bagoong, the Thai's have sliced guava to be dipped in sugar and chilli. It was so addicting, especially if you eat it with the native tea drink called "epa". It quenched my thirst from the scorching heat in Ayutthaya.

4. Watch the famous Patpong shows

Well, at last I had the chance to watch those kinds of shows during my first night. Given our accessibility to the bars in Patpong, we decided make that as our first gimmick. While we were traversing the bars, Ringgay was invited by a Thai local to view the show in one of the bars free of charge or 100THB if we decided to stay. And so we went up to a dimly lit bar and at the center was a stage where girls in 2-piece suits were dancing and doing exhibitions with their pussy. When our drinks came, we were being charged 300THB, contrary our agreement with the local boy. We could not complain anymore because he was already gone. We just decided to stay and watch the show which consisted of girls pulling ropes with pins/blades from their pussy, inserting an egg inside their ... , using muscle control to blow a whistle, smoke a cigarette, open a bottle of water and and throwing banana to the audience.

Was it a site to see? I can say it was one "hell" of an experience but I really pitied the girls, most of them at a young age being exploited that way.

5. Shop and go to Chatuchak again.

During my first Bangkok trip, my objective was to spend my money on tours but this time I wanted a balance of both tours and shopping, oh well more of shopping, I guess. I added Tokyu to my list of places to shop because this is where you can get cheap but genuine Naturalizer shoes and Wacoal underwear.

We also set aside whole 3rd day for shopping. The shopaholics' first stop was chatuchak were I bought Tricia's cute little shirt and bed. Kimchi and I also roamed around Pratunam market, Siam Discovery Center, Siam Center where we bought 80% discounted shirts and tops, and MBK to meet with Maya, Shiena and Ringgay. We also did some last minute shopping in Suan Lum,
the new night market that offers a variety creative gifts,clothes and trendy bits for the home. Actually, I liked this better than Chatuchak since it was not hot, less claustrophobic and the prices were more or less the same.

I felt so tired from walking the whole day. However, when I was packing my things, I realized that I did not really buy a lot so I was mostly window shopping. hehe...

So I guess I already did all the Must Dos in Thailand. Read more: www.bangkok.com/bangkok-miniguides/must-do.html> Next time I am going to visit their beaches and other provinces.

A different Beach Experience

I want to go to the beach badly, not only because it is nearly summer but because I want to get away. I need to think things over. I don’t want to elaborate but… Please, maybe a pool will do. I just want to float and drift away.

Anyway this was my feeling during the whole week. I tried contacting Jenni if she was up to an out of town trip but as it turned out she was already booked for the weekend. So, I decided to just spend it alone. Plus, I would be busy with Tricia (my doggie) and Blue’s (Fritz’s dog) mating on Saturday.

I planned my whole Saturday and even woke up early to read “Confessions of a Shopaholic”. I got a surprise call from my cousin, Rhea who was near the area and wanted to use the comfort room. She and Jon are on their way to Payatas to help build houses for the poor. They asked me to join them. I was hesitant at first since I will ruin my plan but Rhea could not just take a no for an answer. I felt that doing something or helping other people would be the best use of my time.

We stopped by McDonald’s to meet Jon’s friends then we proceeded to Gawad Kalinga, an Ateneo community whose thrust is to build homes for the poor. It was more like Habitat for Humanity. We arrived at almost 9AM. We had a quick tour of the place and met some of the residents. The task at hand was to tear down a house and build a new one in a new location. The boys took charge of disassembling the house while some of us painted rust-proofing on the beams under the heat of the sun. For almost 2.5 hours, I painted careful not to stain my favorite jeans (forgot to wear an old pair). It was tiring but felt that I could have done more. However, for them it was already a big help.

Jon, Rhea, Reggie, Dona, Menchu and I had our late lunch at Beach House in UP, known for their good barbeque. Who would have thought I can finally eat there after many years of begging Dom to take me there. The barbeque was yummy and so was the lumpiang gulay. We walked around, passing by UP Library and canteen to look for a CR to freshen up.

I arrived home at passed 4PM. Rhea and Jon stayed to rest and take a bath. Well, I guess I sort of got the beach I wanted only in a different and better way. Hehe.

I'd Rather by Luther Vandross

the song playing in my mind now...

I thought sometime alone
was what we really needed
you said this time would hurt more than it helps
but I couldn't see that
I thought it was the end
of a beautiful story
and so I left the one I loved at home to be alone (alone)
and I tried to find
out if this one thing is true
that I'm nothing without you
I know better now
and I've had a change of heart

I'd rather have bad times with you, than good times with someone else
I'd rather be beside you in a storm, than safe and warm by myself
I'd rather have hard times together, than to have it easy apart
I'd rather have the one who holds my heartwhoo-oo-oo-oo yeah

And then I met someone
and thought she could replace you
we got a long just fine
we wasted time because she was not you
we had a lot of fun
though we knew we were faking
love was not impressed with our connection they were all lies, all lies
so I'm here cause I found this one thing is true
that I'm nothing without you
I know better now
and I've had a change of heart

I'd rather have bad times with you, than good times with someone else
I'd rather be beside you in a storm, than safe and warm by myself
I'd rather have hard times together, than to have it easy apart
I'd rather have the one who holds my heart
who holds my heart

I can't blame you if you turn away from me, like I've done you,
I can only prove the things I say with time,
please be mine,

I'd rather have bad times with (please be mine) you,
than good times with someone else (I know)
I'd rather be beside you in a storm (anytime),
than safe and warm by myself (so sure baby)
I'd rather have hard times to gether,
than to have it easy apart
I'd rather have the one who holds my heart (my heart)

I'd rather have bad times with you (surely),
than good times with someone else (surely)
I'd rather be beside you in a storm (oh yeah),
than safe and warm by myself (all by myself)
I'd rather have hard times together,
than to have it easy apart (you know it)
I'd rather have the one who holds my heart

I'd rather have the one who holds my heart
I'd rather have the one who holds my heart
whoooo.....who holds my heart

Our Early Valentine Celebration

Dominique wanted to celebrate Valentines Day in advance to avoid traffic and other hasles the event brings. He wanted to start our date by breakfast but given his tight schedule, he ended up picking me up at passed 1PM. We had late lunch at Hapchan in West Avenue. Then, we attended a 3:30 Children’s Mass at the Church of the Divine Mercy near Kamias. I did not know that there was such a mass. Most of the attendees were children and even the topic of the priest’s homily was especially addressed and related to them.

After the mass, we went to visit his Mom in his Tita’s house in Kamias. We stayed there for a while or until before "The Buzz" ended. We passed by Hi-top for a while to buy some groceries and then proceeded to Le Souffle for dinner. I was so happy since I wanted to eat there since last month and try their risotto.

The risotto was truly delicious even the Caesar Salad, my perennial favorite order. Well, I had a great time even though we had a squabble just before starting dinner. We were able to redeem the night before it ended. We drank white wine and did toasts to our love, relationship and our careers.

What a happy day!

I helped make two (2) people happy today and what a truly good feeling it is.

As promised Maya, I conceptualized a last minute surprise thingy for her in time for her despedida with the A-holics on Saturday. I made each one think of a “thing” that reminds them of Maya and couple it with an explanation. Shiena, Baet, Winnie and I stayed overtime last Friday just to finish the designs in jpeg format since we wanted them printed like pictures the next day.

Shiena was kind enough to go the mall early to buy a mini scrap book and have the pictures printed. We were puzzling the pieces together while waiting for Maya to finish her workout in the gym.

We had our lunch despedida treat from Maya in Super Bowl in Eastwood. We wanted to keep the surprise until our dessert time in Coffee Bean. We fist asked Maya what she would remember about each of us. It was a heartfelt and memorable experience. I felt like high school again bonding with my girlfriends. Then, after the last statement from Maya with tears welling up her eyes, we decided to give ours in return. I guess she did not expect something like that. It was a fulfilling experience seeing her so touched and happy.

I love making surprises for those dear to me. Thanks Maya for the friendship and memories. I look forward to more good times with you and the A-holics.

As if an entertainer, my next call time was 6:30 PM in Jollibee, Libis. I was assigned by my cousin Rhea to oversee and make sure there were enough guests (at least 20) for Jon’s (her BF) surprise birthday party before they arrive. I made every guest sign on the nice Jollibee card Rhea made and to ensure that it was truly a surprise; I requested the staff to close the blinds and dim the lights. By the time Jon and Rhea arrived, all of us where gathered on the other end of the room and a birthday song played just in time Jon entered the room. It was so nice watching his surprised expression. Of course, I captured it in my Sony Digicam.

The surprise party was a success. Total guests were 29, more than we expected. Rhea was so thankful for what I did. I, in turn was also happy to do it for her. I had a great time playing the games and watching everyone kid around. It was nice to be in touch with the child in you once in a while.