my own little world

the big move

2011-10-05T14:53:00.001+08:00

hi! i am now on tumblr! i don't know if this is for good but, yeah, i'm there for now...

for the latest updates about my life (haha!) please don't hesitate to visit ambebi.tumblr.com. (or check my sidebar for my updated worlds elsewhere in the internet.)

hope to see you there!

xoxo,
almi

p.s.
my other blogs are now also on tumblr. for links, click here.

gratitude list 11.09

2011-09-30T23:17:00.000+08:00

1 - successful zomba night (albeit with stomach cramps). photo ops with zombies, kuya dick and the film's remington and jigs!

2 - went to the zen institute (this time i tried their bonifacio global city branch) for a diamond peel session. the sofitel branch was so much better (as expected) but the service itself was the same for both branches.
3 - a lazy day at home in the province. playtime with my nephew and niece on the sides. i am thankful i have a home in the province where i can regress to when i city life gets too stressful for me (and especially my stomach).
4 - a light day at work following a lazy day at home, what more can i ask for? hehe.
5 - citibank did not charge me late and finance fees, woohoo!
6 - thank god for loving, caring boyfriends like mine who accompanies her girlfriend to and from the hospital all day. never mind that he got so stressed and developed fever after. oopps...
7 - i was so relieved with the results of my endoscopy today. thank you, lord.
8 - today is my dad's birthday!
9 - sg trip, day 1: clarke quay, marina bay sands, the helix bridge.
10 - sg trip, day 2: discovery center, orchard road.
11 - sg trip, day 3: singapore zoo, night safari.
12 - sg trip, day 4: little india, chinatown, bugis street.
13 - sg trip, day 5: sentosa island.
14 - sg trip, day 6: 123rd monthsary celebration at universal studios singapore.
15 - sg trip, day 7: jurong bird park.
16 - sg trip, day 8: esplanade and clarke quay (at night).
17 - sg trip, day 9: simei, east coast park.
18 - home <3
19 - met up with my college friends--cy, ice and kate.

20 - finally completed my requirements for south korea visa.
21 - discovered an interesting restaurant at greenbelt 3--cerveseria--via my september birthday gs gehls. will be suggesting an angels' night here some time.

22 - i remembered my alexandre voucher on time. it was supposed to expire today, haha!
23 - watched secret reunion at the korean film festimal at sm mall of asia. i enjoyed it! it has the elements of action, comedy and drama. it also tackled family and brotherly love as this year's festival's theme is love.
24 - went home to the province and had sushi dinner with my nephew and playtime with my niece.
25 - my nephew and niece dropped by the office. life's cute surprises, hehe.
26 - an entertaining night with dae woong and gu mi ho, hehe.
27 - despite the lashing of typhoon pedring, my family and i are *relatively* dry and safe.
28 - finished watching my girlfriend is a gumiho! nomu nomu nomu nomu nomu chua!
29 - i had a fun time reminiscing with kate over lunch today that day 10 years ago when i first got acquainted with alcoholic drinks, haha!
30 - touchdown, mindanao! hello, davao!

sg trip: souvenirs

2011-09-19T23:17:00.000+08:00

i did more shopping in singapore than i planned to. here are some other stuff i bought that i forgot to post in previous entries about our singapore trip.

1. of course, the requisite souvenir: key chain (or cellphone charm, hehe)

2. stickers from urban write

3. hershey's singapore cap

4. mints from candylicious (each purchase at the store comes with free a stickers pad, photo to follow)

5. graveyard of the fireflies lemon drops from bon japan

6. dark chocolate pocky with almonds from bon japan

7. pasalubong: merlion and lady bug chocolates from mustafa, and hershey's from duty free (got the same pack from our hong kong trip, hehe)

* * *

just in case you missed my other posts about our trip click: day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | day 6 | day 7 | day 8 | day 9

sg trip: day 9

2011-09-18T23:17:00.000+08:00

i spent my last day in singapore with old friends and i really had a great time. never mind that i missed my original flight at 5:40 p.m. and that the next flight available is at 12:40 a.m. with an eta in manila at 4:05 a.m. or that kim repeatedly scolded me for an hour, haha. oh but thank god for old friends who prove that friendship knows no time or distance.

so where was i when i was supposed to be checking-in at changi budget terminal? i was with my high school friends teng and joni, biking at east park coast while catching up on each other's lives. i remember the last time i rode a bike was during a high school field trip at the ccp complex, haha!

moi, joni and teng :D

but before that, joni treated us for lunch at sakae sushi. and i am very happy to announce that i am now a maki-lover convert, hihi. but please, don't ever peer pressure me into eating sashimi again. thanks!

i ate all of these in the name of friendship, haha!

as you can see, things were really looking great until i arrived 5 minutes late at the airport (5 p.m., i should have been there by 4:55 or 45 minutes before the flight). lesson learned: never try checking in online if you are not sure what you are doing. apparently, my web check-in didn't came through. but it was a blessing in a disguise. not only did i have more time to spend with teng and joni, my ticket was also eligible for rebooking. if i were checked in and didn't make it 45 minutes before my flight, the ground crew said i need to pay for the entire new booking. or baka sabi lang nila yun.

nevertheless, after this (mis)adventure i will be going back to being the early bird who arrives at the airport at least two hours before her flight, haha.

until then, singapore. kung may next time pa ngang talaga. ang mahal mo e!

xoxo, almi.

sg trip: day 8

2011-09-17T23:17:00.000+08:00

we spent our last day together in singapore hopping from one mall to another: city link mall, suntec city mall, marina square mall, esplanade exchange and raffles city. here we are camwhoring while comforting our tired soles after walking non-stop for hours.

i was so happy to have chanced upon a clearance sale at a schu store. i got these ballet flats at a 70-percent discounted price. as i've mentioned in an earlier post, i was disappointed with the shoe selection in singapore (the beautiful ones are the branded kinds only because singaporeans are rich like that, hehe), so this purchase really lifted my mood. my old red flats from celine had just recently retired so i was really looking for a replacement.

and then there's this convertible shawl at a store called action city. super cute and practical! and i love its packaging! there is a mirror inside, a photo manual of the different ways to wear the shawl, an instructional dvd and, of course, the shawl. kim was very supportive of this purchase because he said i could use it on our trip to south korea this november (if ever we'll push through with it as planned).

i was also able to buy a new luggage with a three-year warranty. it's an american tourister by samsonite. it's quite a steal at s$160 (around php5,600), considering that i was saving up for a php14k samsonite travel bag! but wait, there's more! it was discounted (around s$123, plus i refunded the 7-percent goods and services tax at the airport) and i only found out when i was already paying at the counter so i was really ecstatic about this bag, hehe. (photo to follow)

but before mall-hopping, we had lunch first. we decided to eat at toast box because it originated in singapore. we had curry and rice (yay!) and their new thick bread creations.

and then after shopping, we dropped by the merlion park. it was a long walk from the esplanade but as they say you've never been to singapore if you didn't pay a visit to merlion so we persevered, haha.

the esplanade

finally, at the merlion park! sabi nga nung isang bading sa isa pang bading dun, "best friend, ang init!" in a nangsisisi tone, haha.

and here be the requisite photo with merlion, who was newly-restored after it was struck by lightning last year.

for dinner, we met up with one of my high school friends working in singapore. he treated us at hooters in clarke quay. para bang wala lang sa kanya ang s$100+ na dinner! we retired early, around 9:30 p.m. because the boys were not very happy with the hooter girls there, haha.

sg trip: day 7

2011-09-15T23:17:00.000+08:00

today was bird appreciation day for us. we spent a whole afternoon at jurong bird park, which claims to be the largest bird paradise in the world. the park boasts about 5,000 birds from 380 species.

but before bird-watching, we had lunch at bongo burgers.

our first stop was the penguin coast, which houses nearly 100 penguins of six species including the endangered african penguins.

wish lang namin tunay na penguins sila, hehe.

sila, tunay na!

we continued our journey by foot. alternatively, there is a panorail with designated stops.

i fly!

i couldn't possibly memorize the names of all the birds we saw there. it was also a challenge to take pictures of them, especially the small and flying ones. here is a collage of some of the better photos of the birds we saw around the park:

we also checked out the bird discovery center, which we found interesting albeit small.

we were also able to catch the bird shows. in birds n buddies, birds were made to fly very low--almost touching our heads! for the finale, we listened to a parrot count from 1 to 10 in english and chinese, and sing a hindi song and the birthday song.

kings of the skies features eagles, vultures and owls. imagine being so close to these birds of prey!

while walking along a wooden bridge at the swan lake, we saw a lady taking the opposite direction. kim said, "mali ata yung way natin, bakit sya bumalik?" being the sometimes overly-confident person that i am, "hindi yan, tama tayo. imposibleng may dead end dito." it wasn't long after that, we discovered the reason why the lady retreated:

kim has always wanted to join the kids playing at the fountain at market!market! and today he just checked that goal out of his bucket list at the park!

look at this happy kid! :))

the pelican cove gave us an opportunity to take couple shots, using the wooden bridge handrails as "tripods," heh.

did you know that the wings of a full grown pelican can spread up to 10 meters?

the parrots at parrot paradise were caged and were hard to photograph so we just took a photo with these giant parrots:

meanwhile, at the african waterfall aviary...

masked men

arts & crafts session, hehe

and here's a couple shot. i couldn't be more thankful for "clean" flat-topped trash cans after this trip. haha!

i enjoyed the african aviary because it was really like being in a jungle in africa. while walking, we saw the african birds flying above us or resting on the tree branches, swimming in the pond, hopping from one feeder to another, or simply walking beside us! at the heart of the jungle is a waterfall.

last couple shot near the park's exit/entrance:

<<<333

sg trip: day 6

2011-09-14T23:17:00.000+08:00

we decided to celebrate our 123rd monthsary at the universal studios singapore! we had so much fun there! as in! there were no dull moments talaga! we were kept busy by photo ops, street and theater shows, and rides the whole day! nakakabitin sa sarap ulit-ulitin everything!

this time, we decided to take the sentosa boardwalk to and from the island.

pappi <3

let's go that way!

upon arrival at the uss vicinity, we took requisite globe photos, hehe.

once inside, the first thing we spotted was po of kung fu panda! so adorable! we immediately queued for a photo with him.

welcome to hollywood! population: glamorous <3

right photo: with miss mae west

other celebrity sightings in hollywood:

charlie chaplin (w/o mustache), charlie chaplin (w/ mustache), moi :))

best girlfriend/boyfriend award <3

we then headed to new york and caught the performances of mel's dinettes (na ramdam kong lubos na ikinaligaya ni kim, haha!) and the daddy o's (attn college batchmates: spot marvin tomandao!) just outside mel's drive-in where we had lunch.

mel's dinettes

daddy o's

after that we watched a short musical titled "monster rock." the performers were superb! too bad flash photography and video recording were not allowed. the same rule applies to all other indoor uss attractions.

waiting for the show

monster-performers

burger, fries and soda lunch at mel's drive.

there was a mini jukebox beside our table, cool! we didn't try it though.

at mel's drive-in parking lot:

after lunch, we watched lights! camera! action! hosted by steven spielberg. we entered a studio set where a hurricane simulation took place. we got wet when the ceiling fell off. what an experience! it just shows that there are no limits to our imagination.

more pictures in new york city:

concrete jungle

we took the subway to...

...my new workplace, chos!

new york alley

don't be fooled by the rocks that i've got ;P

brick + wood = <3

kim got arrested!!!

moving on to sci-fi city, we rode the cylon battlestar gallactica (blue coaster)! we didn't try the human version (red coaster) because we heard it was boring.

a thrill seeker's fave!!!

our next stop was ancient egypt. super win the revenge of the mummy ride!

we then passed by the lost world and thinking all the rides cater mainly to kids, continued our journey to far far away right after. it was too late when we found out there was a water world show there and the last show was at 4 p.m. too bad we missed it!

an adventure 65 million years in the making

two of a kind ;P

medyo kinilig kami nang matanaw namin ang far far away, ayiii... <3

far far away

are we there yet?

welcome to far far away *\0/*

camwhorage at shrek's house:

beware!

ogre!!!

the first attraction we checked out was shrek 4d. galing!

before watching shrek 4d

inside the castle

upon exit, we spotted shrek and fiona walking toward cinderella's carriage. super close nina kim at shrek; nag-fist bump pa sila, lol!

na-deadma si fiona >.<

near cinderella's carriage, we spotted the king!

kiss :*

we also passed by little red's ride. it's so cute!

we also watched donkey "live" just beside fairy godmother's potion factory, where all your dreams come true, yihee!

after donkey's show, we boarded the magic potion spin.

wish granted: 100

view of the potion factory from the ferris wheel <3

our last stop: madagascar.

welcome *confetti*

we went on a crate adventure.

if you ever go on this adventure, watch your reaction aboard because you will be photographed at one point (i won't tell where para surprise, heh). super priceless ng itsura ko dun sa picture! but it costs $18 per print so i'll just cherish the memory, lol.

fragile, handle with care ;P

after that, we watched the boogie wonderland show. dancing penguins are so cute!

of course, we queued for a photo op with the penguins, heh!

we also rode king julien's beach party-go-round a.k.a. the carousel! a requisite ride for all theme parks, yes?

and this photo ends our uss day!

shocked smiles :))

outside the uss, we spent some time admiring the selection at candylicious and the hershey's store. some camwhorage outside candylicious:

wow, candies galore!!!

if you're happy and you know it, jump!

in summary, a super happy youthful monthsary! though madami din kaming di nasakyang rides kasi quota na daw si kim after riding the rollercoaster, haha! <3

sg trip: day 5

2011-09-13T23:17:00.000+08:00

we spent the whole day at sentosa island. we chose to reach the island via the sentosa express at vivo city mall because it was cheaper (only s$3 per person including the s$1 entrance fee versus the s$24 one-way or s$26 two-way fare per person via cable car). another option is to go to the island by foot via the sentosa boardwalk and then pay s$1 entrance when you get there.

welcome to sentosa

upon arrival at the island, we took advantage of the sunny weather and headed straight to palawan beach. there are free beach trams with designated stops so going around the island was very convenient.

at the palawan beach, we crossed the bridge to the southern most point of continental asia.

let us cross the bridge to get there!

we did it!

at the southern most point of continental asia

after that, we hit the beach! the sand was fine and the water was cool and clean--perfect to combat the scorching heat! palawan beaches in the philippines are still more beautiful than this palawan beach in sentosa but i'd say the latter was still a perfect beach for its location. imagine you can enjoy a beautiful beach for just s$3 (around php150). we just dropped our bags by the shore and kept an eye while we swan until lunchtime. there are shower rooms that you can use for free.

ready to take a dip!

sunkissed

farewell jump

after having chinese rice lunch (only our second time to eat rice in five days!) at koufu food court at palawan beach,

we headed to the underwater world to watch the dolphin and sea lion show.

ice cream while waiting for the show :9

i was a bit disappointed because the dolphins that performed that day were not the super pink ones. i guess they were reserved for those who payed to swim with the dolphins. i just saw them from afar while they were being fed by the caretaker.

dolphin jumping over hoop

twirling dolphins

sea lion

we also toured the oceanarium.

it was smaller compared to the manila ocean park but there are some marine animals that i've seen there for the first time. like this unicorn fish,

and these leafy and weedy sea dragons!

it was also my first time to see an octopus!

have you seen a spider crab? they can grow this big!

why do they have to be that big?

i don't know...

i was able to stroke the back of a baby shark and a stingray. so fun!

kim and i were also able to touch these huge stingrays! thrilling!

after that, we headed to siloso point and tried the sky ride,

and sky luge!

our last stop at sentosa island was siloso beach. we just walked around and took a requisite tourist photo at the siloso letters, heh.

we decided to take the sentosa boardwalk back to vivo city for dinner.

but first, on our way there we passed by imbiah point.

we love the greenery <3

another requisite tourist shot with merlion at the background.

at the sentosa boardwalk, i was glad there were walkalators!

kim took some photos of me along the boardwalk as the sun sets.

at the top of vivo city were cute artsy stuff like this bench:

there was also this interesting restaurant/marketplace called marche. we were too shy to enter because their food was a bit pricey and we didn't want to be obliged to eat once we entered, heh. ang hirap lang, lol!

before going home, we passed by a daiso store and of course i was not able to resist checking it out. hello, everything at s$2 (around php70)!

earmuffs, sparkling loose powder, black cotton buds

navy tights, black knee highs

sg trip: day 4

2011-09-12T23:17:00.000+08:00

it was a walking and shopping day as we tour little india, chinatown and bugis street.

little india. according to the central intelligence agency, indians make up about 8 percent of singapore's population and little india is where most of them can be found. i've read reviews that the area is dirty and smelly but it was not. i was expecting more color but maybe i would have appreciated the colors more if we visited the place in the evening.

here is a photo of a street in little india:

the first thing we did at little india was to look for muthu's curry and have a taste of authentic indian curry, which turned out really spicy! the complimentary chips and side dishes were spicy as ~~hell~~ well!

we then went to the famous mustafa centre, a 24-hour shopping mall near farrer park. this is where i bought a pair of scissors that kim can used later to trim my bangs, heh. getting a haircut at a salon in singapore can be really expensive, with rates starting at s$35. barber shops are cheaper with a base price of s$10.

after that, we resumed our walking tour around little india. we passed by sri veeramakaliamman temple along serangoon road.

we also passed by masjid abdul gafoor mosque at dunlop street.

little india arcade is also an interesting structure. the shop buildings in that make up the arcade are said to be built in the 1920's.

we also passed by quite a number of shops during our walking tour and the heat obliged us to buy cheap matching sunglasses (s$1.90 each), heh.

chinatown. a must-visit, of course, for a feel of, well, china.

a typical street in chinatown

street market

we passed by and took a quick look inside buddha tooth relic temple and museum.

bugis village. our mission was to see the largest street market in singapore and the place did not disappoint. it offers a wide selection of good and affordable clothes, bags, accessories and other stuff. i was a bit disappointed with the shoe collections though.

shopping at bugis street market

kim got us matching watches at s$5 each.

i bought these cute shirts for s$10 each,

and this lace top with owl print for s$15.

we also did some window-shopping at the nearby bugis junction and hylam and malay streets.

on our way home, we bought cute yummy mini bread at four leaves for late night merienda.

sg trip: day 3

2011-09-11T23:17:00.000+08:00

it was animal appreciation for us. we spent the whole day at singapore zoo and the evening at the night safari.

like kids on a field trip

singapore zoo. i had hesitations on visiting this zoo because i was thinking we've been to enough zoos in this lifetime.

hmmmm...

but kim was really interested so we went and we were both glad we did. this is the best zoo ever!

we love sg zoo *\0/*

we got to be as close as possible to the animals.

and i got to use my evil cam for the first time taking pictures of animals. so fun!

but before anything else, here's a new toy vs old toy photo:

we also love how the name plates for each animal includes their pictures and some bits of trivia or story about them. did you know that a giraffe can knock out a lion with just one kick? i should have taken a photo of everything but i was too excited to see all the animals so... waley!

aside from animals, there are also gardens and shows that kept us busy the whole afternoon.

rainforest fights back show. a 20-minute skit on wildlife conservation, where the inhabitants of the rainforest stops a greedy man from destroying their jungle home.

elephants at work and play show. elephants may look gentle but they can be strong and powerful when they have to. effortless ang pag-crush ng coconut with one footstep!

splash safari show. i loved how the kids seated at the splash zone (first two rows from the stage) would squeal whenever they get splashed by the sea lions.

and ice cream. i just realized, masarap pala mag-ice cream habang nasa zoo, heh.

i stole kim's ice cream ;P

plus souvenir shops. where it is okay to take pictures kahit hindi kami bibili, heh.

roarrr!

moon night. we were not aware that our trip coincided with the mid-autumn festival. i'm sure we missed other related events but at least we experienced a bit of lantern parade at the zoo. there was also a free moon night show after 6 p.m.

paper lanterns

lantern parade <3

animal friends show. the show that night was part of the moon night event and it had street animals adopted and trained by the zoo for performers.

night safari. flash photography was not allowed during the tram ride so i was not able to take good photos of the animals. i still don't know how to fully utilize my new camera so i really ended with blurred photos. so here, have a photo of us instead, haha.

queuing for the tram ride

after the tram ride, waiting for the thumbuakars

thumbuakar show. we've seen fire-eater-and-dancer shows before but this is the best so far!

they really are human torches exhaling 5-meter high flames! at pinagpapasa-pasahan nila yung apoy! a must-see!

impressive!

creatures of the night show. a showcase of animal predatory and survival instincts. my camera ran out of battery so i was not able to take photos. i think kim just filmed the show because flash photography was not allowed too.

sg trip: day 2

2011-09-10T23:17:00.000+08:00

we spent the afternoon at singapore discovery center.

singapore discovery center. the place was less crowded than we expected on a saturday. wala tuloy kaming makalaro sa mga interactive games! so we just took pictures of each other, lol.

discipline

love the colorful wall art

the exhibit and games at the center basically shows how diverse, beautiful and progressive singapore is.

that's why they *heart* singapore! ;)

we also watched an in-house 3d movie there. it was titled "rescue" and it was a docu-drama about professionals (e.g. air force, navy, marines, medical doctors and nurses, volunteers, etc) that became involved in the rescue and relief operations in haiti in 2010. it was touching; i cried and i was like "make peace, not war" after watching. btw, a staff member of the theater gave me this balloon bracelet.

safti. after the movie, we went on a guided bus tour of the safti military institute. we were not allowed to take pictures of the place though so here's a photo of us aboard the bus, lol.

army museum. we also dropped by the army museum. aside from army artifacts, there is a simulator studio where you can see (and hear and feel) a typical war scene. beside the museum is an outdoor gallery, which is the only place within safti where we were allowed to take pictures.

orchard road. we spent the rest of the day mall-hopping at orchard road.

we passed by a lion dance competition

at ion orchard

i was able to queue in for the newly opened h&m.

my h&m loot <3

i also ended going home with a new toy--a panasonic lumix gf3, finally!

<<<333

sg trip: day 1

2011-09-09T23:17:00.000+08:00

we had an early flight to singapore via cebu pacific, as in 6:25 a.m. being the obedient (a.k.a. excited) people that we are, kim and i were already at naia 3 two hours before our flight schedule (nahiya pa itodo ng three hours, haha). we realized we haven't flown in a while because we were surprised when we got receipt-like print-outs as boarding passes.

(side story: and due to sleepiness, i was not able to refuse our cab driver's "mandatory extra fee" of 50 bucks just because we have baggage fitted behind the trunk. i know.)

sleepy me >.<

btw, check put our semi-matching shoes, hihi.

our flight was super on time, nakakapanibago. we arrived at the changi budget terminal at 9:50 a.m. on the dot. queuing at the immigration counter, waiting for our check-in bag at the conveyor belt, and queuing for foreign money exchange and ez-link card took around an hour.

we have an eight-night reservation at the mitraa backpackers' hotel along race course road in singapore. we arrived around 12:30 p.m. (medyo naligaw pa kasi kami, hehe) and after checking in, the first thing we did was look for a relatively cheap place for lunch. the pinoy staff at the mitraa was very kind and accommodating. they tipped us into taking put chicken rice at a nearby restaurant. two orders of chicken rice cost us $7 only. that's considered really cheap here in singapore. thankfully, the serving was big kaya super sulit!

clarke quay. after lunch, we headed to clarke quay. we were supposed to go on a singapore river cruise but we turned kuripot on the $18 per person rate. as an alternative activity, i suggested trying out reverse bungy but it was more expensive, heh. so, we just walked around and took pictures.

overlooking the singapore river

river point

where to?

marina bay sands. after realizing the place is more lively in the evening, we decided to head to marina bay sands first and then come back to clarke quay if ever we'd have another free night during our stay in singapore. at marina sands bay, we were greeted by singa, singapore's national mascot.

this art work in front of the artscience museum at marina bay sands appealed to me in a way that melted my heart.

helix bridge. after checking out the shoppes at marina bay, we crossed the helix bridge and waited for the lights to turn on, which didn't start happening until 7:30 p.m.

waiting below the helix bridge

afternoon & evening

view of the singapore flyer from the helix bridge

view from the helix bridge

admiring the lighted helix bridge

we planned to walk all the way to esplanade after but our feet gave up on us so we decided to head back to the hostel. esplanade another day.

spot me? ;)

one day, three autumns

2011-09-08T14:44:00.000+08:00

i usually reserve posts like this for my tumblr but i found this so heartbreakingly beautiful that i just wanted it to be here, too. <<<333

i know that i am going to miss you like this every single day...

two weeks

2011-09-01T09:20:00.008+08:00

so, i just realized that it's been two weeks since my near-death experience (just my point of view, you'll know more about it later) at makati medical center's emergency room. for starters, here, have a picture:

august 18, thursday. my tummy has already been acting up the night before and if i weren't so hard-headed, kim would have brought me to the hospital then. but i just decided to bear the pain until it *hopefully* gets better. i was optimistic, okay? and i think it did get better because i eventually fell asleep.

the next day, i was feeling just a bit of pain and i just ignored it because didn't want to miss work. i don't know when i started being this *dedicated* to work, chos. by lunchtime, i knew i've made a mistake of not seeing the doctor sooner. i started to have major stomach cramps and it got worse by the minute.

i wanted to be rushed to the hospital right away but i had no one to accompany me. kim was with his family at sm mall of asia that day and i didn't want to spoil his moment with them. as earlier planned, he would pick me up after work so i just tried to ignore the pain and waited for him. in times like this, i am always reminded that in the end i only have myself to rely on.

so i waited. and by the time i was off from work, i could barely walk. i couldn't even stand upright. of course, he scolded me for not letting him take me to the hospital the night before. we hailed a taxi and god was so good to have blessed us with a kind driver. he understood that we were in a hurry and took a shortcut. i was also touched that he seemed concerned about my situation. he asked what i was feeling and tried to diagnose what i could be suffering from. well, i guess he shouldn't be diagnosing my symptoms but the concern was there. i felt it. he was like a father worrying about her daughter. thank god for angels in disguise.

so, anyway, we reached the er in the soonest time possible, around 7:30 p.m., considering the traffic. but i felt like it was still a long ride due to my condition. the admitting nurse was not very friendly. she scolded me for (1) not seeking medical help asap and (2) taking medication without prescription. i know what i did was wrong but she should have been a bit caring like that attending nurse who kept saying sorry to me like it was her fault that i was sick.

sitting at the waiting area for my name to be called, i was really in major major *physical* pain, like one that i have never felt in my entire life. and i was disappointed on how they handled my case. i understood that the service there wasn't a first-come, first-served basis but i just couldn't understand how all the other patients' condition who was called before me was more urgent than mine. there i was, sitting uncomfortably on a hard chair while those being called can even laugh with their companions and stride when their names were called. i wasn't even offered a wheelchair. maybe i was acting too strong, like i can bear whatever i was feeling?

after an hour, i was finally called for consultation. i was so relieved when i was offered a bed only to be disappointed to be sent to the waiting area again after the doctor evaluated my condition. it took another hour for my name to be called; i was given two injections, after which, i was sent to the waiting area again. minutes later, i felt nauseated and ran to an open toilet being cleaned by a janitor. i wanted to vomit but nothing came out.

when i returned to the seats, i really couldn't stand the pain anymore that i just laid on the first empty bed i saw nearby. thankfully, the nurses and the doctors did not asked me to get up. i don't understand why they didn't offer me a bed in the first place, hmpft.

by this time, i was already wondering if i was dying because the pain is not going away--it is even getting worse. i was already thanking kim for being there and he was getting mad about it, heh. (but i really wondered, what could have happened to me if he wasn't around? what would i do if i get sick while he is far away?) i was also feeling cold already but the nurse said i don't have a fever. i was shaking while lying there, which frightened kim. i was given another injection and an oral medicine. and the caring nurse i was talking about earlier gave me a blanket.

another hour went by and my condition wasn't improving so the doctor decided to give me another injection to fight the pain. after 30 minutes, a nurse took three vials of my blood for testing.

after another hour, the pain finally started to subside. and by 12:30 a.m. it was already negligible. the blood tests were all negative for everything worse the doctor was suspecting so by 1 a.m. i was discharged with a diagnosis of gastritis. and my medicard payed for all the expenses.

but oh my, the prescribed medicines were expensive! i spent around php2,000 and i already bought the generics, huh! yung sakit sa tyan ko nalipat sa bulsa, haha!

so, for two weeks now, i've been a good girl--eating meals and taking my medicines on time. staying away from spicy, acidic and fatty food, alcoholic and acidic beverages, sodas, chocolates, coffee, tea, milk and milk products. and managing stress appropriately. (the doctor also said i can't take antibiotics and pain killers so i also spent a week trying to live harmoniously with sore throat, cough, colds and occasional headaches. also imagine that day i had to bear with cramps due to dysmenorrhea. was i that sinful to deserve these sufferings???)

i should be seeing a gastroenterologist soon as per the resident doctor at the er's advise. please pray that it would not be anything serious.

p.s.
i have been noticing weird things about myself since the er incident but i hope it's just me being paranoid. i'll give you one example. i have a very sharp memory. sure, i do forget some little things sometimes but i've been forgetting a lot recently. the whole day after i was discharged, i kept forgetting where i put my phone and i always felt like i lost it or got pick-pocketed but all those times it was inside one of my pockets. and then one time, i left it at home when i went to work.

over the weekend immediately following the er incident, i kept coming back to the mall to buy some things but each time i ended going home with stuff i don't intend to buy and forgetting not one but all that i needed to buy. come monday, i forgot to pay my credit card bill.

could my forgetfulness be a side effect of my medication? or maybe i'm just really getting old.

gratitude list 11.08

2011-08-31T19:46:00.032+08:00

1 - i had a very busy day at work, but i'm still thankful because i wasn't asked to write anything.
2 - i learned some ways of reconstructing a shirt via video tutorials on youtube. (p.s. i also made a new blog on tumblr. if you're over there. please do follow me here. thanks!)
3 - dinner with the boyfriend after work. also checked out vans x hello kitty at glorietta, which was a bit disappointing. good thing i already have this cute pair from zara. kim also taught me how to sketch today. guess which one was mine? :))

4 - watched ang babae sa septic tank with this big group of old and new friends. (when in doubt, i-elevator na yan!)

5 - spent some bonding time with my nephew in the province and visited my niece who was confined in the hospital due to fever.
6 - these cheap lace trimmings for my diy projects made me so happy, heh.

7 - i finished another diy shirt project, yay!
8 - i had a fun night with my best college friends.

9 - i went to sleep early, yay!
10 - i learned that drinking a glass of cold water after fasting for 12 hours will give you a terrible stomach ache. (tip: if you do this accidentally, take one or two 10mg of buscopan.)
11 - i had some reading time before going to sleep.
12 - it was a sunny friday so i was able to wear my diy tank top for the first time today.
13 - kim and i finally had the chance to check out late night mercato centrale.
14 - kim gave me a drawing of the two of us on our wedding day. it made me teary-eyed, heh.
15 - i've been suffering from this sore throat for two days now and i ended calling my mom to ask what medicine i should take. i always feel like half of the healing is done once my mom knows that i am sick. thank god for moms!
16 - i had to exercise again after two months, aja! i only lasted for 20 minutes of mixed floor and ball pilates routines and jumping jacks though.
17 - banapple dinner with my gs gehls <3

18 - i'm just thankful to be alive...
19 - today is my mom and dad's 33rd wedding anniversary and my niece's 1st birthday. a blessed day, indeed.
20 - my morning was spent watching cartoons and then exercising and playing soccer with my nephew. i am helping him lose weight, heh. i also tutored him in math (pemdas, y'all!), haha. after-lunch was boyfriend-girlfriend time. later in the afternoon, i had a short meet with my long-time friend jeanne at the mall. the night was spent on secret garden marathon at home. thank god for family and friends.
21 - breakfast was pizza, which i bought for my parents' wedding anniversary. lunch was roasted chicken and pork barbecue and then dinner was at shakey's for my niece's 1st birthday party. family day <3

22 - hello, office! i'm alive!
23 - i was finally able to book tickets for our "unplanned" life-changing trip next month. we're keeping our fingers crossed.
24 - i was able to have the finance and late charge fees of one of my credit cards reversed, yay!
25 - i was finally able to book a hostel for our nine-day vacation, yay!
26 & 27 - spent a rainy weekend in tagaytay for kim's 27th birthday.
28 - my iphone has been restored after a whole day of dormancy.
29 - i was able to go grocery-shopping with kim again! kim has been doing the grocery for me for months now but i love grocery-shopping so i was just so happy i had time to go with him again because it's a holiday. also enjoyed fast and free wi-fi at ucc park cafe. i loved their strawberry waffles!!!

30 - it's holiday again! i went to work later than i normally should because it's allowed on holidays. and i also can't wait for my next paycheck, heh.
31 - we had bonchon for dinner, yay! my simple happiness.

kim's birth month: week 4

2011-08-28T22:30:00.001+08:00

celebrating kim's birthday always feels like it's also my birthday because no matter how i try to make him the boss and the happiest birthday boy in the world, he would end up making me even happier.

for the last stretch of his birth month, we spent a rainy weekend in tagaytay. we were really not interested in staying outdoors so we didn't mind the gloomy weather. kim said our togetherness brings sunshine wherever we go.

we love taking road trips because we can decide the wherever's, whatever's and whenever's on the spot. it also gives us time to talk about everything and anything.

for this road trip, i took care of all the expenses as my birthday gift for kim. i could have kidnapped him as a surprise but he has to drive for me so that wouldn't work, heh. we left for tagaytay on friday and our first stop was at paseo de sta rosa. we had lunch at cafe breton.

mandatory birthday boy shot #1:

kim had this huge breton burger,

while i had a chicken run sandwich.

we then headed to tagaytay and checked in at the lee boutique hotel tagaytay. the hotel is relatively new so everything looked nice even though there really is nothing fancy about the place. (tip: if you ever decide to go here, specify that you want a room on the top floor upon reservation. we didn't so we were given a room at the ground floor.)

as you can see, the room is spacious. it was also very neat and i love the comfort room (toilet, shower, bath tub, wide mirror, complete toiletries, towels and robe). the room also has a flat screen cable television, personal refrigerator and mini bar.

there is also free wi-fi!!! that's why, after settling our things, we immediately started planning our singapore itinerary. in between our planning session, we watched the last episode of secret garden and one episode each of hellcats and teen wolf.

around 6 p.m., we decided to go to the cliffhouse, where we took tons of photos of each other. i will not be posting all of them for my readers sake, heh.

mandatory birthday boy shot #2:

we had dinner at buon giorno.

mandatory birthday boy shot #3:

this pumpkin soup is so delicious and perfect for the cold weather.

we also had margherita pizza,

and spinaci ravioli.

the following morning, we had the complimentary breakfast at the hotel, which was nothing fancy (corned beef, fish, sunny side up, java rice, bananas, orange juice).

we had some camwhorage before checking out. sharing this a la family portrait sofa photo, haha!

on our way to batangas, we made a last stop at nuvali and had lunch at italianni's.

mandatory birthday boy shot #4:

we loved these truffle fries,

and herb chicken (good for sharing).

back in batangas, we caught the last full show of cars 2 in 3d at sm city lipa. kim was the noisiest kid in the cinema, lol! the toy story clip before the movie was also funny.

mandatory birthday boy shot #5:

the day was capped off with a drinking session at kim's house. of course, i couldn't join them due to my gastritis so i just sat there and listened to their stories and laughed with them. i watched them get drunk while i cheered tequila, tequila, tequila! *\0/*

aya's 1st birthday party

2011-08-23T08:25:00.029+08:00

how time flies so fast! my little niece is now one year old! she had a barney-themed shakey's party last sunday.

of course, there were pizza, pasta, mojos, bread and flowing *non-alcoholic* drinks, and games both for the kids and the adults!

captain shakey's dropped by after the blowing of the candle. (funny side story: i filmed the kids singing a happy birthday to aya but i forgot my digicam was muted so there was no sound! hahaha! *toinks*)

i took a lot of pictures using my brother's dslr so photos are soon to follow.

for now, here are photos from the wacky booth! these are raw photos that i edited via picnik.com. thanks to my hs friend meg, for letting me use her premium account, heh.

with sis and mom <3

with kim :))

family is <3

kim's birth month: week 3

2011-08-22T11:32:00.034+08:00

this week was off to a good start with our simple 122nd monthsary celebration.

on wednesday, i tagged kim along to a dinner date with my gs gehls at banapple. it was our first time there and i let kim order for the two of us.

pork something something :))

banoffee :9

we could have gone out on thursday night but i was rushed to the hospital due to severe stomach cramps. i was diagnosed with gastritis. (sorry, baby... babawi ako sa week 4!)

good thing i was feeling better by friday so we were able to go to splash island with his family.

on saturday, we played resident evil on wii. and then had a secret garden marathon after.

122nd monthsary

2011-08-15T12:41:00.002+08:00

august 14. kim was on leave so he picked me up from work and then we headed to our favorite pizza place--california pizza kitchen. on our way there, he slipped a folded piece of paper into my bag and it was the first thing i checked when we reached our destination.

ahwww... <3

it was late already so there were no other guests when we got to the glorietta branch. it felt like we had the whole place reserved. at one point, "power of two" was playing in the background while we were eating, sweet. <3

it was a little pass 10 p.m. (and we were halfway through with our food) when four guests came in and occupied the table near one of the televisions which was tuned in to "magandang gabi vice." we couldn't help but watch too and we found ourselves laughing with them from four tables away, haha.

a woman also came in and sat two tables from ours. she was alone and asked for a shot of vodka on the rocks. it made me imagine myself being alone and living in a foreign land. i don't know why that woman was alone but imagining myself in her place made me sad that kim had to comfort me that i will never be alone.

anyway, we had thai chicken satay and white pizza (and iced tea, which worsened my sore throat).

kim's birth month: week 2

2011-08-14T16:58:00.000+08:00

on wednesday, we went to starbucks again. we saw this ad along the underpass and of course i had to bully the birthday boy so i could photograph him with it, hehe.

for a change, kim had my usual hot choco while i had chai tea latte because i had a major tummy problem earlier that day. we just talked and talked and talked but at one point kim zoned out while checking the stock quotes so i just read a few pages of "the year of pleasures" by elizabeth berg. we also spent a good deal of our time planning the month ahead, heh.

me, my planner, pink pen and hello kitty stamp set :))

on friday, i let kim chose where and what to eat the whole day. we had mcdo for brunch, toast box for merienda and shakey's (tip: their new burger pizza is a must try!) for dinner. aside from eating, we just spent the day hopping from glorietta to landmark to greenbelt to landmark to glorietta to sm makati, heh. oh, but before everything else, i accompanied kim at tony & jackey so he finally had a haircut, which i think gave him a totoy look, haha.

i love this shelf at toast box,

and my hot choco--better than starbucks'.

on saturday, it was a toss between sm mall of asia and bonifacio global city. we ended going to the latter with the thought of checking out mercato centrale in the evening. we went to market!market! after lunch and after a failed attempt on shopping, i let kim chose where and what to eat for dinner and he chose pizza hut.

as a consolation (for the failed shopping), i got kim a new pair of earphones for his *ancient* samsung corby and a donut wire winder, heh.

after that, we walked to serendra and bonifacio high street. we spent the earlier part of the evening at fully booked. and then by 9 p.m., we were on our way to mercato centrale. we had to wait for about 45 minutes because apparently the market opens at 10 p.m. we just walked around mc depot, passing lexus' showroom, and played with my camera.

taught him how to make a "bokeh"

we were not able to eat a lot because kim ordered lechon and rice so we were full already after that. but i was happy to have quail eggs and corn on the side. and avocado and melon shakes. we'll come back next time and remind kim not to buy something too heavy on the stomach so we can have a real food trip.

by 11 p.m., we called it a day. of course, there has to be a souvenir shot for this first mercato centrale experience so here you go.

we were too happy to catch a bus to edsa at 11:25 p.m.

kim's birth month: week 1

2011-08-07T18:02:00.000+08:00

on wednesday, we had some fun-with-art moments at starbucks. i hurt my feet from too much walking and had to use my emergency domo band-aid and upon seeing it kim suddenly thought that his cap can be made into a domo cap. i entertained the idea and offered my ohp pen and correction fluid pen.

et voila!

for a job very well, and cutely, done, i believe he deserves a star and so i pulled out my hello kitty stamp set from my bag and let him choose which design he likes, haha. he chose the biggest one, just like a kindergarten would, haha.

he also drew the two of us on these paper cups before we leave. i just have to take a photo of them because they really looked like the two of us that night.

<<< 333

on saturday, kim bought himself a pre-birthday gift--a varsity jacket from zara, which he offered me to wear while i was chilling...

it fits me well, too ;D

...over a cup of chocolate truffle gelato at gelatissimo! haha. here be a photo of my cup while kim devoured his almost instantly.

we also went book-shopping. kim got just one finance book and read some other books while i hoarded a few titles, including "bunny's fuzzy christmas" for my niece and "the water horse" for my nephew.

we then ate dinner at bonchon before watching rise of the planet of the apes. i had my usual chicken sandwich meal while kim ordered drumsticks with rice.

p.s. kim's hair is screaming "hair cut!!!" so i think i would be suggesting a salon date for week 2.

gratitude list 11.07

2011-07-31T19:33:00.003+08:00

1 - i found the cutest hello kitty shoes at zara!

later that night, i watched transformers 3 in 3d with kim and my godsons. it was so fun! rajah was too ecstatic while niño fell asleep, hahaha.

2 - i attended a family reunion <3
3 - kim and i accompanied his sister to buy a nikon d5100. she said we can borrow it when we go on trips, yay!
4 - i was not feeling well but i was surprisingly in a working mode. i was able to finish updating the correction files for last month and filing materials that have accumulated under my desk. i even worked on an article that was not due until tomorrow.
5 - i had some time to continue reading this neil gaiman book at the office. i hope to finish it by next wednesday.
6 - kim went to forever 21 in makati to buy me this pair of lace canvas high tops i've been drooling over for the past five days already!

7 - my tummy has been acting up again the past days after having coffee for breakfast because i ran out of milk and i keep forgetting to restock. this also meant i've been having sleepless nights and this morning i had the most terrible headache. the one thing to be thankful about is having an excuse to have starbucks' hot choco before bedtime, hehe.
8 - i spent the whole day with kim. we were able to watch a japanese film through the eiga sai. also, bonchon for dinner, yay!
9 - i had to buy an umbrella because it was raining so hard. i was too happy that the design i liked had a duo automatic version. oh, i love rainy days!
10 - i became style council on chictopia! to celebrate, i gave my first advisory post on what to wear when shopping here. please do check it out, thanks!
11 - today was just an ordinary day, and i guess it is something to be thankful for.
12 - kim has reserved a slot for a laser tag game on friday, yay!
13 - i finished reading my fifth book for the year! one mission, down! plus, happy house cooling at ching and gail's place with my gs gehls!
14 - up won against ue in the uaap men's basketball. harry potter opens. kim and i turn 121 months.
15 - kim and i had fun playing laser tag at lazerXtreme in market!market! plus shopping spree under p1,000!!!
16 - i had some catching up with my high school friends.
17 - it was a light sunday at work. that's all to be thankful for amid the sad news of my grandfather passing away hours after i took off for work. if i could have stayed a bit longer, i would have been able to get to him and see him one last time before he left.
18 - kim understood when i lost my temper easily.
19 - food overload at work. thanks to daydesk and assessment meetings and eliza's send-off pizza party.
20 - it was good to see family and old friends today.
21 - i survived a busy day at work.
22 - i had a fun time while waiting for my salary that did not arrive today, haha.
23 - i finally got my salary, yay! also, i finished reading my sixth book for the year!
24 - it was nice to have family around.
25 & 26 - i was able to give my body a much deserved rest (a.k.a. spent two days being sick and locked in my little room).
27 - it feels so filling to have bonchon chicken sandwich for dinner again, hehe. i also watched captain america with kim. and ended choosing seats beside gerlie and her boyfriend. what a small world!
28 - i had a light day at work which is good because i was feeling dizzy the whole day.
29 - today is the birthday of the best mom in the whole world--my inay!
30 - i brought kim to cash and carry at filmore and had fun at the grocery, haha. i also got a p99.75 hello kitty stamp set at a store there called "mindwerks." i am currently having fun using it for my planner.
31 - i spent a good deal of my free time comparing mirrorless cameras. it feels good to want something and look forward to getting it one day (say, by christmas? hehe.).

a day of goodbyes

2011-07-25T21:14:00.000+08:00

yesterday was my mamay se's funeral. the weather was crazy. it was cold when we left our house but it was so hot when we arrived in san jose. the sky started to darken with clouds by the time we were about to go to church and then it started raining during the last stretch approaching the cemetery. the rain stopped almost instantly after we left the cemetery.

paalam. mamay

advanced happy birthday, mamay...

later in the evening, we had a simple despedida dinner for tita tata and her family. she cooked chicken adobo afritada. there was my favorite sliced cucumber in salted/peppered vinegar, yum! and ice cream! too bad we missed tito lito and charlene who went to pampanga earlier that morning. they will be flying back to california on the 27th. tita tata said they will visit again after five years.

bon voyage, tita tata, tito lito and charlene!

baptism, birthday, wake

2011-07-22T15:26:00.002+08:00

july 20. it was my friend's birthday and his son's christening. she asked me to be one of the sponsors. i actually volunteered while she was still pregnant and i was touched when she accepted, hehe. i just love being a godmother. i now have eight godchildren--six godsons and two goddaughters, if i remember right.

ninangs

ninongs

naturally, the event became another mini-reunion for us.

afterwards, i went to my grandfather's wake. i spent most of my time there taking care of my niece.

that night, i also had my first poker game. i just learned how to play the night before by watching my cousin. i learned fast because i have pusoy dos experience. at one point, i have over 300-peso worth of chips more than my first buy in. but in the end, i won a grand total of 30 bucks, hahaha!

(all photos were taken by kim. thanks!)

mamay se

2011-07-17T22:42:00.000+08:00

today, my mamay se was reunited with my nanay se. i know that he is now free from pain and feeling young again. but more than relief for him, i am just feeling sad right now.

i can only be thankful that i was able to visit mamay while he still has the strength to sit down and talk with me. he was supposed to celebrate his birthday on august 7 and the last time i visited him he told me he's not sure if he'll still make it. he was already tired, i guess. he has resigned to time, he told me. "kung kakaunin na ako ay sasama na ako..."

but i was hopeful then. i told him to eat well so that he will regain his strength.

and then earlier this afternoon, around 1:30 p.m., my mother called me to tell the sad news that mamay passed away. i still cannot absorb it. death is a hard thing to accept.

now as i try to remember my moments with mamay, one memory stands out--the way he says "ang aming almi" when i was still a kid. and then there was this memory from about nine years ago, when one of cousins gave birth to a baby girl that mamay said reminded him of me, "mayroon na tayong bagong almi," he announced.

i also remember how mamay was gifted with a healing hand. whatever body aches we had were gone after a massage from him. recently, i discovered my nephew might have inherited that gift. he would always ask me if i wanted a massage. "ikaw pala ang papalit sa mamay e," i told him. i almost feel guilty saying it. because mamay will never be replaced.

paalam, mamay.