on my mind...

hello there, stranger!

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:11:00 +0000

Read about this quote from somewhere, "When we were little kids, our parents would always remind us not to talk to strangers. Good thing we don't totally listen because if we did, we could never find our dear friends. 'Cos truly, EVERY FRIEND WAS ONCE A STRANGER."

2nd quarter 2011

One day, on my way to work a guy saw me leaving the apartment. He asked me, you're from AK right? I said, yes. Then, he said he's from 5J. We chatted for awhile before he bade goodbye... that was Sky.

***

September 2011

Almost every night when I get home I see this guy standing by the door across our unit. He greets and smiles at us but we never get pass the Hi's and Hello's cos Mimi and I immediately goes inside the house and shuts the door close... that friendly cheerful guy was Nino.

***

November 2011

It was a boring night, I thought of calling Cla to have a chat. It was difficult to get through so I went out to the doorway to get a better connection. Sitting by the door across ours was Nino, he greeted me and asked about work. Found out that we had worked under the same airline way back 2003, and had common friends. We didn't notice that how many hours had passed till my knees hurt for standing for too long. He excused himself for moment and went back with 4 bottles of iced tea and gave it to me. I called Mimi and informed her about our new found neighbor friend. Mimi graciously invited her to our house and we continued chatting till the wee hours. As Nino would say to us teasing, he had us by 4 bottles of iced tea. And we admit, that was our weakness.

Since that night, Nino was a common sight at our house. And every night was fun night with Nino and Sky.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

***

January 2012

The news was so sudden, Nino and Sky will be stationed in Manila starting February which means that they'll be leaving the apartment. No more fun nights. *boo*

On his last day, I helped Nino packed his things. He hugged me tightly as we bade goodbye and promised that we'll see each other again soon. I felt sad. Soon after he left, he called me. haha! I guess we both missed each other.

Never had a chance to see Sky left but he said we'll definitely meet up when I'm in Manila.

***

Who would have thought that these 2 guys would turn out to be one of our friends. We started as out strangers in one apartment complex and ended up being our close friends. Oh well, that's life one big surprise... that you'll never know who you'll meet and end up having a blast.

anywhere but here

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:18:00 +0000

inside Em's mind...

I really want to go to a place where you and I can be alone with no one else to bother us, to have you for myself even just for a day.

As we walked I wanted to reach out for your hand and hold it with mine, I wanted to embrace you and kiss you but there were too many people, too many spectators. Just as I was about to say goodbye, you embraced me tightly for what seemed like eternity and kissed my head... and the world stood still... I wanted for that moment not to end... forever frozen.

When all that was happening, I suddenly realized that the place didn't matter all I want to be is to be anywhere but here beside you...

boy and girl

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:02:00 +0000

girl: sinagot mo yung tawag ko kanina noh?!
boy: ui, hinde ah.
girl: eh bat 13 pesos na lang load ko.
boy: kume-kerengkeng ka kasi sa text!

wahaha! wasak!

boy: hmpf, mamimiss mo ko!
girl: ha! mamimiss mo ko!
boy: ciempre, oo naman!

umamin kagad! wahaha!

boy: we're not getting any younger kaya kung ako sayo mag apply ka na samin. sa admin ka na lang madami vacancy, maganda pa benefits.
boy 2: oo nga. sa dispatch ka o kaya inflight. araw-araw pa tayo magkikita. :)
girl: pwede ba ko dun? baka di ako matanggap.
boy: ire-recommend ka namen.
boy 2: tanungin namen si #joy kung ano vacant positions.
girl: okay, sige gow!
boy: dun na lang cia sa department ni #annie.
boy 2: dun kaya si #ivy, wala vacancy dun.
* sabay na nakaisip ng bright idea*
boy and boy 2: paalis naten si #ivy. pagresign-in naten cia! ikaw ang pumalit.

#names were changed

wahaha! affected sila masyado sa future and career ko. :) mamimiss talaga nila ako.

the year that was...

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 08:44:00 +0000

2011 has been very challenging right from the start. There were hard lessons that taught me a lot about life, love, friendship and many other things.

*I learn to appreciate those who truly care and never take them for granted.

*I stopped seeking recognition / approval from those persons that doesn't value who you are. Even if we try to do our best if they didn't care at all it won't matter to them.

*In retrospect, its good to know that God always know everything... as my room mate Mimi would always say, God knows who does not work.

*In love, we will never bring back what you had and everyday we live by that decision/by that regret. so learn to value what you have before its too late.

*There are times when I really want to give up ... Thank you Lord for the reminder that whatever happens YOU are the hope we cling on to.

This 2012, I pray that'll be a good year. and I'm happy to say that as of now, it started out great. I've finally received that email I have been waiting for, and it bears good news!

So here's to a new year filled with more good news and a good life ahead of us.

Let's all....

smile. save. learn more. blog. jog. walk. dream. organize. get moving. de-clutter. unwind. travel. discover. sleep right. move on. let go. love. love. love. go fight win! and lastly, hang on, hold tight and enjoy life's crazy ride!

God bless us all. :)

thank you 2011!

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 09:46:00 +0000

Heartbroken that's how I started my 2011. As they say, Broken hearts don't kill us. We only sometimes wish they did. Throughout the rest of the year, that's how I have been 'broken' with several happy moments in between. Even if 2011 was not that good, I still have a lot of things to be thankful for. And these people made me survive 2011.

*in random order*

Tadz - I do not where to start but let me say that I'm forever grateful for all your help. I don't know how to repay all your kindness and generosity not only to me but to the rest of the family. I may not be able to repay all your kindness, but I know HE will be the one to giveyou back all the blessings.

Family - Family will always be there no matter what. With me on the verge of unemployment, my sister agreed to take care of me. :) *it's payback time* wahaha! I told my dad about the situation, he never said a word and was willing to take me back. My mom and brother have been very supportive, I'm very lucky to have all of them in my life.

'Dex' - Dex and Em. Em and Dex, that's how it should be. Well, at least in the book and movie. But oftentimes, life does not imitate art. I thought I lost you... Thank you for teaching me about love, sacrifice and pain.

Law - muh brotha from anotha motha. We didn't get along well at first, we were bickering all time. well, we still are but its just us acting childish. Law, you always took care of us and think of our welfare, You'd always come to our rescue whether its a disruptive passenger, or we don't have a ride home, or we need your car for errands, you're always there. You've always been a team player, and you've taken bullets for us. It saddens me that we have to part. Thank you for everything, I'm forever indebted to you.

Shei - We've been friends for 8 long years and I tell you this is not goodbye. We've been through some bad times... and yet we still manage to work out our differences. Thank you for being a friend through and through.

Rest of MAA - Mimi, Josh and Nel: My Crazy Clark Family. Its been 5 1/2 years and it has been a CRAZY ride with you guys.

Mimi - ever since I moved in to Clark, you have been very accommodating. Thank you for making my life easier. You patiently listen to my heartbreak stories even if you heard it a million times before and even if I didn't heed your advice I never heard you say, 'I told you so'. I have gazillions reasons to thank you and space is enough, THANK YOU for all the things you've done for me. I may have left my sister in QC but I also found one here in Clark.

Josh - you always made me smile. Thank you for keeping up with my unpredictable mood swings and always trying to make things lighter.

Renel - you're the last one to join our rowdy family and made the effort to adjust to us. Thank you for all the support, understanding and love you showed especially when I'm upset or in a bad mood

We will be all working together soon. Till next time. :)

Whine and Dine Partner - Bambi AKA Bogart and Cla : From Bangkok to Macau to Hong Kong to Camiguin we traveled far and wide together and been through a lot, I'd like to thank you for listening to my endless whines and sharing yours as well. hehe! :) looking forward for more whine and dine sessions with you two.

Bogart - My evil twin sister, my partner in kalokohan. :) Thank you for keeping up with my pranks and crazy antics; for not getting tired from listening to my endless chika and whining! We'll continue being crazy in another continent, hopefully soon! *fingers crossed

Cla - My soul sister, my partner in senti moments. Whenever I need someone to call just to express my sadness or just need someone to vent out my emo heartaches, you're always there. The one who supports me in everything I do... Thank you Cla! We will soon find Prince Charming. :)

Nino - You brought fun and spontaneity to my dull after flight nights... chikahan, DVD marathon, food trip, spur of the moment lakwatsa, coffee and inuman sessions I don't drink, I'm just accompanying nino. defensive?! Almost every night whenever we get home you're by the door or at the gate, you've always been friendly and cheerful. You know our weakness... FOOD! You had us by 4 bottles of C2. wahaha! I'm really glad that we got to know you. Thanks to you, every night is fun night! :)

Thank you for making 2011 a memorable one! See you this 2012! :)

there's no goodbye...

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:09:00 +0000

At first, 31 Dec 2011 may seem the end of everything... everything we've worked for, we lived for, we believed in... but I know HE has better plans for us... for now, we just have to cope and accept the situation. Some may have left like Sheila and Law, others may leave soon too... but all I could say is there's no goodbye only see you later. it was a pleasure working with you all. i would never trade our 6 years spent together for anything else. someday soon, i could feel that we would be together again. thank you for the wonderful memories we spent together. till next time.

a wedding and a funeral

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:48:00 +0000

October for the Hype clan is a festive busy month. Nanay, my aunt and 2 cousins plus me celebrate our birthday during this month. This year aside from birthdays, we celebrated my Ate's wedding and mourned for our Aunt's passing.

*wedding*

Early this year, everyone is excited when my cousin announced that she's getting married. You can feel everyone's excitement. This will be the 1st wedding in our generation. As I said relatives are flying from different places to witness the event. Last night, the highly anticipated affair came. It was a night of celebration, a celebration of friendship, life and love. You can really feel the overflowing happiness of the couple. Everyone enjoyed the night. Btw, its a double treat because its my cousin's birthday too!

* funeral*

Last week of September, we received a terrible news. My Aunt Jane passed away. The aunt whom I got my first name from, my dad's ate, the doll collector... had left us. Though we maybe world's apart she always kept in touch and never forgets to call or send cards on all occasions. We still can't believe her untimely death. But I guess, God has better plans for her. Maybe she has been through a lot and needed rest. Though we still cannot fathom everything, we trust in the Lord's plan and I know she's happier up there. She was laid to rest last October 5. We may not be there physically to bid her farewell... Aunt Jane, you know you are always in our thoughts and prayers. You are dearly missed. We love you.

***

A wedding and a funeral... what does it have in common? Some might say that the two are incomparable because weddings are joyous celebration while funerals are for mourning. But for me, I see both as a beginning. Death is not an end, its a beginning of new life, a life with our Creator. Weddings are a start of a new life with the one you love.

Indeed, October is a memorable month for our clan.

Birthday Wishlist 2011

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:45:00 +0000

Almost halfway through October so to my fairy godmothers, generous godfathers and thoughtful friends here is my annual birthday wishlist. You'll never know I might have a ultra rich friend reading this post. *wishful thinking mode*

1. Lomo Camera

I really want this spinner 360

look at these cool photos you can take...

or this Lomo Fisheye

Lomo Fisheye

the fisheye effect

2. Rubber Shoes
I've been eyeing this since last year. I so love the color. :)

3. Spark your Dream

Its an inspiring story about a family traveling around the world in a vintage car; how the dream began for the couple; how they embark on the journey of a lifetime. They've been here and traveled the Philippines for a month or two, I think last December 2010.

Its not available in the Philippines and when I tried asking the local bookstores. The book costs around PHP2500 because they have to order it abroad plus tax plus shipping, etc., But when I checked on amazon it only cost around PHP750. Its way cheaper if I just purchase it online, the thing is I just have to wait for someone to go to US and bring it here in Philippines. Calling all my friends and relatives in the US, ito na lang pasalubong nyo. hehe! :)

4. iPhone

or Blackberry will do. I'm not choosy. hehe! :)

5. Funds! Funds! Funds!

I need a sponsor to fund my great escape. I'm in the process of gathering all the necessary docs for the big move. I hope all will go well. The world out there is waiting for me... I'm gonna be strong and free!

Thanks in advance! :) hehe!

click wishlist to see last years wishlist. :)

forever friends

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 09:26:00 +0000

Since yesterday is Friendship Day, this post is dedicated to my college barkada.

One sunny morning of June 1997, I was anxious to go to school... too excited to be in college; to be "out there", at the same time scared to death of what awaits me...

So finally after summoning all my courage, I went to the room assigned for 1T1, the room at the far end of 2nd floor near the girls' washroom, GREAT!

There I saw a tall morena girl with long black hair (naks, parang model description ko say Berna, dapat may bayad to! wahaha!) I instantly recognized her because we've met during the interview (for college admission). I don't have to worry, I have a friend. What a sigh of relief! Inside the room we chose to be seated 2nd row from the front. Then, one tiny girl sat beside me, introduced herself as Cla; and right in front of me sat a Mylene Dizon look-alike who was carrying a thick pocketbook. This girl would always looked at us and give out a wide grin. Eventually in the years to come, she would sat beside us so as not to have stiff neck from always looking at her back. (palagi kase nakalingon sa likod!)

neoprint mania

Seated at our back (3rd row) were a group of 4 girls; one stands out because of her bogartness quality though will not manifest yet in the years to come but you can still feel and identify her unique bogart like qualities. Also seated at bogart's back (4th row) were another group of girls , one has a goddess like aura which I can strongly identify with (di ba Goddess Nikki?!), Then there's really tall girl with beauty queen like stature; beside her was a really quiet laid back kinda girl and at the far end of the that row was a shy girl who was really fond of mickey mouse.

This is where it all started ....

Proximity might have something to do with it or maybe not, or maybe it must be fate that lead us to seat on that one side of the room...

OR maybe just maybe that's just the way it should be to find friends you know you'll treasure forever...

P.S. we made this pact that every year or every quarter we would meet up and/or travel somewhere. And it had always been like that since 2001 after graduation.

almost complete (si nicanor kase eh!)

more than a decade of friendship...

Something Borrowed

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 05:23:00 +0000

Movies are made to entertain us, to make us happy or sad, oftentimes it teaches us a lesson, and sometimes it mirrors our lives, some way or another it reminds us of memories, good or bad that had happened in our lives. There are movies that evoke or awaken our feelings, feelings that we pushed aside knowing that it is better to have it stay hidden.

And so this is one of those movies. Last night, I watched Something Borrowed. I heard that it didn't receive good reviews in the US, still I like the movie. For others, this is just another chick flick but for me its more than that.

At first, I thought I was like Rachel, the 30 something terminally single girl who had feelings for Dex but kept her feelings to herself. The problem is Dex is getting married and he realized that he loved Rachel too but he isn't man enough to call the wedding off. I thought that part was a ripoff from my life minus the best friend part of course. And then there's this line that Rachel said "...it's hard to see you with her..." kinda reminds me of what had happened a few years ago. At least in the movie, Rachel made a choice.

But towards the end, I think I'm more like Ethan. The silent type who would still be there for his love even if it pains him to see her with someone else; who would push you to go after your one true love just to make you happy; who would keep all your secrets; the one who would fight for you and defend you, if there's a fight he'll always be on your side. And Ethan knows when to stop, and walk away, to not pursue things that aren't meant to be.

So yeah, I guess I'm more of an Ethan than a Rachel.

And like in the movies, I'll have my happy ending too. :)

P.S. I think Colin Egglesfield stole my heart. hehe! Loved the sountrack too!

my alter ego

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:20:00 +0000

My sister jaichey and I have an idea of creating a blog about travel. We've been talking about this since last year and finally its up! Dear friends, if you have time please do visit and follow our site, http://tripidsistahs.blogspot.com/.

so why tripidsistahs?

It is a portmanteau taken from 3 words. TIPID (tagalog word for budget/low cost); TRIP (traveling) and SISTAHS (the slang of sister). We have a passion for budget travel. We like to explore and discover new places without having to damage our already burnt pockets. Join us as we conquer the world and learn more about the joys of traveling. This blog is dedicated to 'financially challenged' wanderlusting yuppies like us.

P.S. I will still maintain this blog as my personal page. :)

blessed

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 02:56:00 +0000

Yesterday, my officemates attended a mass. I opted to stay home. After an hour, Mimi called and told me that Renel is going to pick me up. We're having dinnner somewhere, I barely had enough money to get me by for the rest of the week; but its my CRK family, who can say NO to them.

my CRK family

We ate at a famous pizza place here in Angeles, when its time to pay for the bill. They didn't let me pay for my share, its their treat! I was touched coz they could have eaten dinner without me. The church is just 5mins away from the pizza place but they went back to pick me up at the apartment, and then treated me for dinner. I feel really blessed having these guys around. I'm so glad to have met these people in my lifetime. For some, this is just a 'mababaw' moment but for me these moments are what endeared me to these group. We look out for each other, we've been to hell and back.

When Law needed a place a to crash, he took refuge at our apartment. And he is more than welcome to crash our place anytime in the future. If Josh wants to vent, we would drop everything and be there for him or for anyone who needs comfort. We are not merely colleagues, or friends, we are more than that. We regard its each as a family, we may not be blood related but I love them to death. I have found another set of brothers and sisters away from home.

I do wish all you to find these kind of people in your life. Treasure them, they are a rare find. :)

freeloader

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:11:00 +0000

From Evernote:

freeloader

The past 2 nights at the apartment we were able to get connected to the cyberworld courtesy of my neighbor. I don't know if they are aware that their wifi isn't password protected.

Mimi and I were ecstatic! Free wifi for all day, all night, unlimited chat and internet surfing. We slept really late. The first night I slept around 4am just browsing the net. Last night, slept at 2 am watching Russell Peters.

Tonight, is the 3rd night that we had a free internet access. I'm beginning to think that this blessing is becoming a curse causing us to have sleepless nights. My housemate and I didn't talk to each other for the past 2 nights because we were overwhelmed by the thought of having free internet access whenever we want to... at the comforts of our room.

EDIT: As I was writing this blog (last night), I got disconnected. And when I tried looking for the wifi connection its now password protected. Indeed, some good things never last and maybe its for the better. Its also a welcome relief 'coz by 10pm I was already in dreamworld, and got my much needed sleep.

Mimi and I are still contemplating on idea of having internet connection installed in the apartment. It may be a good idea or maybe not. I think moderation is the key to balance it . We'll just have to figure it out.

shut up and watch

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 01:08:00 +0000

From Evernote:

shut up and watch

The other night I watched the final installment of The Harry Potter series' Deathly Hallows. And no, I won't give a review or comment about how great or bad the film is or give you any spoiler for those who haven't read the book. This is all about my movie experience.

Okay, so first of all we go to the cinema to watch a movie not to chitchat with our friends or go there to harness our commentator skills. But there are some movie patrons that are really annoying and does not care about people who are there to watch and enjoy the movie too. I'm all cool with those who give exaggerated reactions (when watching) like a loud laugh, or a high pitch scream, a constant giggle those are all but natural response . What irritates me are those who go to the movie house and watch as if they own the place.

Meet some of my annoying seat mates:

a. The Commentator - these are the people who can never keep their mouth shut. every scene they have to say something; like how lame the actor's expression is; how Ron's eyes are big; how the twins have grown, that Dumbledore looks like Gandalf, that Ginny is ugly, blah blah blah blah blah... Its alright to express your opinion but to give out your comment on every scene and actor is way too much for me to handle. i didn't go there to hear you speak your thoughts on the film.

b. The (feeling) Know-it-All - the smarty pants who thinks that they know everything that happens in the story. even if you read the book or wrote the script itself who don't have the right to tell the others what will happen next or how the protagonist will die or whatever inside info you have read on the book. you're killing the climax!

A man seated at the back explains something about Snape. In all movies, before the film ends there's an explanation why certain events happen. duh?! But he kept on blabbering about it. And then my seat mate, another wiseass said (when he saw the 9 3/4 platform at the train station); oh look, yung nine and three PORTERS! kuya pa-impress: EPIC FAIL!

c. The Chatter - at the very least the commentator and the know-it-all talks about the movie, but the chatter doesn't care about the movie. All she/he cares about are the mundane things that happen about him or between him and his companion. how the exam was hard; or how demanding his boss was. hello?! you can do that talk somewhere else. i didn't go the movie house to listen to your life and problems. I have my own, I don't need yours.

d. The Rocker - these people never sit still. they rock or swing their feet back and forth which in turn makes the whole row feel the swaying motion of his feet. When Law, Mimi and I watched X-Men we thought there was an earthquake, turns out the man at the end of the row was rocking his feet so hard. Mimi and I got dizzy. Please people be considerate.

Also falling on this category are those who tap their feet behind your seat. Its irritating.

e. The Don - speaking of feet, these people doesn't respect those who sits in front of them. They put their feet up on your headrest so you have 2 big rabbit ears behind your head. what's bad is when you turn to face them you'll catch a whiff of smelly feet or worse you might even accidentally kiss their soles.

To deal with those insensitive movie patrons, here's what i do:

a. the move - I shift or change my sitting position and give a loud sigh, enough to make the annoying seat mate realize that they are bothering me.

b. parinig - if the 'move' doesn't get enough attention; i resort to parinig. i usually say, 'ang ingay naman!' or 'bawal magkwento ng mangyayari', 'wag kang malikot nahihilo ako'. As i said, there was this 'rocker' who kept on swaying his feet, i'm starting to have a headache, so I blurted out, 'isa pa tatadyakan na kita'. then he stop swaying. for a while. then after 10 minutes, he started swaying again which led me to confront him.

c. the confrontation - when all else failed. this is my last resort. i would call their attention and tell to stop talking or stop swaying their feet. it depends on the level of my annoyance, i do it in a nice way. But sometimes, my mean streak would come out and i don't care if they'll be humiliated in front of other people, i'll say what i want.

i tapped the "rocker's", shoulder and said, could you please stop that (pointing to his swinging feet). hilo na kame dito eh! (and by the way, we were one seat apart, and Mimi was 2 seats away from him that's how strong he was swaying).

then there's this one time, i lost my cool and a group of girls seated at my back got a taste of my fury. 'pwede pakihinaan ang kwentuhan nyo, hinde lang kayo ang nanonood dito!

Remember when you watch a movie be mindful of other people watching too. Don't talk loud, if you can't resist telling the plot, do it discreetly. Please don't put your feet up or rock your feet. Think of your GMRC (Good Morals and Right Conduct) lessons when you were young. Now is the time to make use of that.

cheated

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:34:00 +0000

I felt cheated. why?! coz I'm forfeiting my ticket with Cebu Pacific. Our roundtrip ticket costs around 2000php per person for our MNL-LGP-MNL trip this coming July 20. Up until last week I was excited to finally unwind and have my much needed rest. But something came up and the money that was supposed to be used for the trip went to something else more important. Its a promo ticket so the only option is to rebook the flight with penalty of course plus fare difference. Its non-refundable, non-transferable. If we rebook the flight the cost is way too expensive, this I know because I work for an airline that has the same concept as CebuPac. The best option is to forfeit the ticket. Now, I felt how our passengers feel when they can't do anything their flight.

I'm not THAT rich to forfeit a 2000php ticket. It breaks my heart but what else can I do?

And cla, is quite supertitious. She said that there are signs why we should not push through with the trip. Like me, she had an emergency and her pocket money was used for some unexpected medical expenses. Then, Bogart couldn't confirm our 3 nights stay in Misibis because there's a big event coming up next week, she can only confirm one night, the 2 other nights will be spent on a hotel in the city.

this is what I'll miss... :( *photos courtesy of vina*

For all my selfish reasons, I wish a storm would come up next week that will make CebuPac cancel the flight and rebook my ticket without penalties. I wish no one any harm, no floods, no very strong rain, no strong wind, just enough drizzle and wind.

Mt. Mayon, Misibis and Pili nuts, I promise i'll visit you some other time.

lost in translation: Guangzhou adventure

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 05:18:00 +0000

September 2009, I had a chance to visit Guangzhou, China. As they say, every trip is memorable, every misadventure is worth remembering and so here's a list of 10 things/experiences in my Guangzhou trip.

1. Looooong trip

Philippines to Guangzhou and back only takes 2 hours air travel. But because we're availing our "free" tickets, we need to transit in KL and connect to Guangzhou in less than an hour! It's like an amazing race challenge, we we're frantically running inside the airport like lunatics. CRK-KUL 4 hours; KUL-CAN 4 hours; so much for a free ticket I guess.

left PH with the sun still up and arrived in GZ by sundown

2. Currency Exchange

Remember to change your peso or money before arriving at the destination or leaving the airport. I have high regard for Ringgit (RM) so instead of bringing USD's, what I brought were RM's and a decent amount of Hong Kong dollars. I've done that in my trip to Cambodia, HK and Macao, so I thought I won't have a hard time exchanging my RM's but I was wrong. We arrived on a Saturday, banks are closed. Not all banks accept RM's but PHP are accepted widely. Lesson learned!

3. Taxis

We have pleasant experience with taxis except for one. Overall, most of taxi drivers we encountered were honest and disciplined. They issue receipts not only that they give back your change no matter how small it was.

para po!

a. upon arrival we hailed a cab at the airport, showed him the hotel address, he couldn't understand us but he has a 2-way radio. he radioed a translator. how cool is that?! :)

b. on our flight back, Mia left 1 of her bag inside the cab. good thing the cab issues receipt so we were able to get in touch with the taxi operator and the operator immediately called on the radio all the drivers who dropped off a passenger at the airport that came from Guangzhou Hotel. our cab driver was kind enough to go back to the airport to deliver Mia's bag even if it means that he'll pay again a certain amount for entering the airport premises. Mia was giving him money to pay for the fee and as a sign of gratitude for his gesture but he won't accept it. God Bless that man. and I hope more of his kind would grace our streets.

c. we 2 hailed 2 taxis going to Pearl River. the other taxi driver was mean and convinced our driver to take the longer route so that our meter fare would be higher! hmpf!

4. Language Barrier

Its hard to communicate, not everyone speaks English. Before leaving the hotel, we asked the concierge to write the names of the places we're going to visit to in Chinese character if in case we got lost we can ask around. Its hard to eat too because there's no translation in the menu. Thank God for the pictures!

5. What to see

a. Yue Xin Park - largest park in GZ. You'll see the 5 rams and Zhenhai tower. The 5 rams represent the 5 gods that came to GZ each giving a stem of rice signaling that Guangzhou will never experience famine again.

b. Municipal hall - There was another park we went to but we don't know the name. It was a nice building with Chinese architecture. We tried to go in but the guard didn't allow us, apparently, it is a government building. Maybe a municipal hall.

c. Guandong Folk Arts Museum - with just a few steps away from the MRT station, we paid a visit to this museum. It was a different kind of museum I would say. At the entrance we were greeted by a building that has intricate stone carvings on top of the roof, they also have open spaces and landscaped courtyards where you can sit, relax and contemplate.

d. Pearl River - one of the famous tourist attraction here in Guangzhou is Pearl River. There are several bridges along the river, it is lit up at night. And it changes color every minute. Along the sides of the bridge are some restaurants and wedding-needs shop.

beautiful Pearl River at night

6. healthy street foods

What can I say? The street foods they sell are a healthy treat. They have different kinds of fruits. We could not resist to try it out.

papaya, guapple, pineapple, chestnuts, melon, radish, apple

7. English Translations

I find these English translations on different public transport amusing.

at MTR station

sign inside the taxi

8. Shopping

Aside from Hong Kong, Guangzhou is known as an alternative shopping destination. The very famous of which is Beijing Road Pedestrian Street. There are also districts that specializes in different kinds of goods. I forgot the name but we went to a street that sells watches, then there's a street that sells only shoes (all kinds of shoes) and also a place dedicated in selling wholesale clothes. One tip I can offer is when you haggle be sure you're going to buy that item and don't walk away (you know us Pinoys, its our style) or else you'll get scolded by the seller. True Story! hehehe! :)

9. Misadventures

What I love most about traveling is the misadventures I always encounter like...

somewhere in Guangzhou

at last, a Chinese Temple.

b. eat something you've never eaten before - tried this grilled tentacles by the street. tentacles of what?! we don't really know, of octopus maybe?!

c. let loose - I try to enjoy everything. They say museums can be boring but with a little imagination you can spice it up.

try imitating the statues

look for unusual place to take pictures

10. caught in the act!

Last but not the least, this is the most memorable event that happened to us while in Guangzhou. A man was doing these magic tricks at the corner of the street. He was making a stick figure dance, stand up and sit at will. Josh was so fascinated that we was asking the man how much it cost. He was so busy scrutinizing the stick dolls that he didn't notice the vendor was being arrested by police. We called Josh but he was chasing after the vendor, we told him that he just leave the vendor coz the police might arrest him too. But he didn't listen. We don't know what to do, either leave Josh or be arrested too! Finally Josh got what he wanted, apparently he bought 10 pcs of those wooden doll sticks. And he was chasing the vendor to get those stick dolls. And FYI, up to now he don't know to make it dance, let alone move the doll itself. Wahaha!

Everything was happening so fast that I wasn't able to take photos or video of what had happened. Found a similar video in You Tube, its almost the same as the dolls we saw in GZ. Watch and understand why Josh got so fascinated. wahaha! :)

5 stages of grief

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:12:00 +0000

Denial

When I left LTP, they said I'm welcome to go back anytime. In fact after a few months, they told me to go back and work for them.

Anger

5-6 of our life, we eat, we breathe, we sleep AK and all of a sudden we were given 2 months to prove our worth or else its time to let us go. This has been our life then suddenly they're handing out death sentences. Have we not proven ourselves for the past 5-6 years? Have we not been loyal, honest and hardworking?

Bargaining

Maybe I've became complacent over the years but I still receive good feedbacks from the guest. Hearing words like, you're very efficient and good! ; you're a star! you're a sweetie, thank you for your help. Though its only verbal I know I've done my job well

Depression

Rejection, one after the other. How much more can I handle?! rejected by the person I love for the longest time, and now rejection from the job I've always love.

Acceptance

I think nobody gets immune to rejection. It crushes all your hope at same time it challenges you to step up your game. It's either I mope around, or pull myself together and fight.

"The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times." - Paulo Coehlo (The Alchemist)

photowords v.3.0

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:24:00 +0000

still hooked with typogram. here's the third version of photowords. phrases are from 28 realizations and photos are taken in Clark, Kuala Lumpur and Boracay. :)

you can check out PHOTOWORDS and PHOTOWORDS V.2.

walk the talk

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Sat, 14 May 2011 05:33:00 +0000

i said in my previous entry so here's the plan; i'm going to chronicle my quest to lose weight.

as part my plan to somewhat become healthy, i bought a step counter. a sedentary person average 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day, they say its about 10,000 steps a day to be healthy. so, let's walk! i know i'm far from that goal but every big leap starts from a small step. so this is it!

by the way this step counter costs 88php only! i don't know if its really accurate like that of an expensive pedometer but what the heck, this gadget will give me atleast a rough estimate of my average daily step count. it will help me gauge my progress.

after my 30 minute morning walk, almost 4000 steps! :)

earlier today, i went out for a walk. and it felt good. :) i will try to do it again tomorrow. erase that i will do it again tomorrow.

i can do this! ftw!

reliving the bangkok experience

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Mon, 09 May 2011 23:46:00 +0000

I went to Bangkok, December last year for a 3 day trip. this was my second time to visit Thailand's capital. I was so excited to go there then a few weeks before my trip he said his infamous goodbye and everything turned upside down for me. I feel sad and I was hesitant to go Bangkok after that. I was afraid that memories will haunt me when I go there again. I'm worried that if I go to the places where we've been to before I might suddenly remember him and I would burst into tears.

Tickets and hotel were already confirmed and paid for so there's no backing out. My friend doesn't have any clue on what I've been going through that time. I didn't want to tell her.

16dec2010 we landed safely at Suvarnabhumi airport, this was not the airport we went to before so everything is a brand new experience.

We stayed at Sukhumvit area, a different district from where we stayed. so far, so good.

On our second day, we went to MBK. this was the first mall we went to back in 2004. memories came flooding in... oh-oh! we where looking for some tamarind candies for pasalubong. and now, we were doing exactly what we were doing 6 years ago! no, i didn't cry. i just remembered him and i just felt sad. but I've pushed it aside and continue to do what i need to do. this is a business side trip not a trip down memory lane. and besides, i promised myself I'm moving on.

the rest of the day went by okay though occasional thoughts about him and the Bangkok tour would come up but still it was a good day!

memories didn't bother me the remainder of the tour. everything became bearable even the heat and exhaustion. my source of comfort is this uber yummy pad thai. It melts all the pain away. :) I ate it for 3 days for lunch and dinner.

pad thai! *drooling*

when it was time to go home, I looked back... and it wasn't bad after all. It was a test on how will I handle the 'goodbye', I think I came through just fine. :)

I'm glad I went to Bangkok. all the memories old and new, whomever I'm with is still a happy memory I'll cherish. I'm pretty sure I'll be visiting Bangkok soon.

coffee break

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Tue, 03 May 2011 10:40:00 +0000

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Earlier today I accompanied "Jericho" (my twin brother from another mother) in his job interview. He'll be thrilled to know that I called him Jericho,. eewww! wahaha! Anyway, he almost convinced me to apply for the job too but something's holding me back. I have to wait for a few months before I can decide if I'm going to look for a new job or not. There are alot of applicants today. I pity the other guy because he got rejected due to insufficient years of work experience. The applicants today kinda remind me of myself 5 years ago when I was submitting resumes left and right in hopes of finding a job abroad.

This is a common sight if we go and visit employment agencies. The place is almost always packed. Nowadays, right after college everyone wants to leave. Nobody wants to be left behind but who can blame them they just want a better future for their family. Circumstance led them to chose those path. The government should do something about this problem. Create jobs and give the people a decent pay so noone will be tempted to leave or resort to corruption or other wrongful deeds. Government should do something about this rapid brain. We are rearing a parent less generation. And we all know that families are important in honing a person's well being. I just hope in the future everything will turn out all right.

Back to my story... Unfortunately, my twin brother didn't make it. Half of me feels relieved that he'll be staying with us longer, another half feels sad seeing him lose hope.

Nothing but tall mocha frap could cheer him up. And so to Starbucks we went, sat and drank our fraps without talking. Stayed there for 2 hours or so till he was ready...ready for another challenge life has to offer.

photowords v.2

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Mon, 02 May 2011 08:27:00 +0000

Well, as I said, I'm hooked with typogram. Here are second set of my photowords. Photos are taken from my Bohol and Guangzhou trip and a wedding celebration. Texts are phrases from my poems; blur, still-frames and daydreamer II.

so here's the plan...

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Sun, 01 May 2011 08:45:00 +0000

I got a text from my cousin, the message goes like this, I'm engaged! And then she said, you'll be my maid of honor!

My cousin, who I fondly call Ate Cci, was practically the older sister I never had. Growing up together, we would wear the same dress from head to foot, people thought we were twins. I'm happy and excited to be part of her entourage.

Hearing that she's getting married made me excited, great news indeed! This would be the first wedding in our family on my father's side. So relatives from all over are flying in to witness this event of the year.

So here's the plan, starting this month I will COMMIT myself into walking/running exercises and lose weight. I will soon have my medical exam too that will determine if my visa will be granted or not, the best time to start is now.

Discipline and focus will be my powerful ally. I gotta make this work! That's why I will chronicle my weight loss endeavor here to get me motivated.

Wish me luck guys!

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” - Jim Ryun

PHL airports

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:19:00 +0000

A travel site named the guide to sleeping in airports voted NAIA as #5 worst airport in the world and #1 worst airport in Asia.

It doesn't come as a surprise, having been in the airport premises for nearly 8 years (for work and travel) I can say that we belong to that list, not only NAIA but half a dozen of our domestic airports as well.

Let's say 15,000 passengers per day x 750 terminal fee x 365 days. do the math. What I can't understand is that where did it all the money go?!

NAIA had been my home for 2 years (2003-2005). I don't know if the passenger noticed it but when it rains potted plants suddenly appears at the departure lobby. These plants supposedly absorb/catch water dripping from the terminal ceiling. bright idea huh?!

I have not visited NAIA for almost 4 years now, and I've heard it got worse. Aside from outdated facilities, I heard horror stories about utility personnel asking for 'tip' from passengers using the toilet. At first, I thought its ridiculous and my friend just misinterpreted the way the utility person helped him. But after hearing accounts of the same incident happening to 3 more person I finally accepted the fact that it does exist. Wow, that is just so wrong!

Aside from NAIA, other domestic airport are also in bad state. I wish I had taken photos of the said airports.

One classic example is Caticlan Airport, year in year out there is a steady flow of tourist arriving and leaving the airport. As far as I can remember, Boracay was famous more than 10 years ago, I was still in college when Secretary of Tourism Mina Gabor went there and said that Boracay waters are clean and safe. The point is, that was eons ago and still Caticlan Airport is small. I went there 2008 off peak season and boy, the waiting area is packed. Its lean season! What if its summer or peak season?! What will happen to the passengers waiting there? With more than a decade of Boracay's fame weren't the airport officials collected enough money to expand or even repair the airport?! You don't have to imagine how small or how crowded it can get in Caticlan Airport. I found a video.

off peak, see how small the airport is.

A very crowded Caticlan Airport

I wouldn't mind paying a little higher airport tax if they can make sure that the taxes goes to the improvement of the facilities.

Case in point, Siem Reap, Cambodia. We paid 25USD roughly around 1100php. But the airport is nice, though its quite small its still nice and cozy. More hi-tech than our airport at the same time you can see traces of Cambodian Architecture. You don't see that in NAIA.

Siem Reap Airport *photo taken from www.kestan.com*

Airports are the first thing the tourist see when they come and visit us. We don't wanna ruin their 1st encounter/experience with us. I do hope the government would do something about it, after all its named after PNoy's dad.

not so 'holy' week

noreply@blogger.com (gaiLie) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:10:00 +0000

Holy Week ngayon kaya punuan ang mga flights namin. Ang unang araw ng pasok ko ngayong linggong ito ay kahapon, Maundy Thursday. Ito ang simula ng mahabang bakasyon para sa karamihan kaya medyo traffic ang mga dadaanan. 4 na pasahero ang na-late ng araw na to, sa kasamaang palad di na talaga sila nakasakay. At lahat sila ay inaway ako. Okay lang, medyo kaya pa. Migraine attack lang naman nun hapon ang napala ko sa kanila. Pero walang tatalo ngayong araw na ito. Quota na lahat ng klase ng mura! Mayroon 1 pasahero na sa bawat sasabihin nyang salita may kasamang 'bullsh*t' lalo na kapag nagpapaliwanag ako sa kanya. Pero ang winner na winner sa lahat ay ang Pranses na pasahero ko. Kung baga sa beauty pageant siya ng kokoronahan; grand slam, hinakot lahat ang award!

fra pax: if i were a terrorist, i will shoot you first (points to my colleague), and then you (points at me). this country is so f*cked up! f*ucked up! f*ck it! sh*t!

Gaya nga ng nasabi ko sa inyo dun sa isa kong post, read here; i eat death threats for breakfast! Award ang kanyang mga banta. Pagdating sa Immigration nang-away pa ulit cia. Ayun, balita ko hindi na cia pwedeng makabalik pa dito sa bansa natin ever!

Ang Good Friday ko naging BAD Friday. Sana bukas, mas okay na at wala ng pasaway.