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Sentosa Day and More Fun in Singapore

2012-05-26T22:06:00.000+08:00

I'm not done yet!! I still have few more Singapore stories to tell. Hahaha. Sorry for the hiatus, I just got really busy at work. Well, busy is an understatement, really. :P

Now, on with my story!! On Saturday of my second weekend, Eli went with me in Sentosa. Instead of riding the Sentosa Express, we opted for the boardwalk. Para tipid ng S$3. :P

Sentosa Boardwalk :)

It was a long walk. I got a little tired, actually. Okay, I got a little more than 'little' tired. :P I'm getting old. Gaah. We went around Sentosa immediately. :P Pero syempre, dapat may map muna! :)

And here's the map! HAHA! :P

Eli was my photographer and my tour guide. :P He was blabbing about this structure inspired by the works of his favorite artist, who I could not remember now. :D

Camwhoring! :P

Ito na yung 'art' :D

We then went to Palawan beach! Wahaha, they have their own Palawan but, with a very big BUT, our Palawan is way better! HAHA. Competitive lang. :D

Singapore's Palawan beach :)

You know that I have a thing with hanging bridges. :D

Okay, Sentosa, fine! :P

We left Sentosa and rode the Sentosa Express. During the ride, I thought I lost my phone. Gaah. Good thing, it was just stuck somewhere in my bag. Thank God! :)

We then went to Chinatown. Pasyal galore dapat. :)

Chinatown it is!

We saw so many things in Chinatown. I haven't been to Chinatown here in the Philippines, so no comparison really. I bought some key chains here for pasalubong, hehe. :P I also bought a very cute iPhone case which I haven't used yet because I feel like it's quite tight.

I am a star! :P

We then went to Mustafa Centre for my pasalubong. Gosh, chocolates overload dito!! :P After few hours of counting my friends and my dollars, we were able to buy few pasalubongs. :) We headed back in the hotel and had dinner in Gluttons Bay! Yey, not bad for a Saturday! :D

Sheemangit

2012-05-12T20:19:00.001+08:00

My Singapore Mall Hopping Weekend

2012-04-28T14:27:00.000+08:00

I know, you wouldn't believe it but I spent my Saturday morning on my first weekend in Singapore looking for a laundry shop. HAHA! Lucky for me, Eli went with me. We found Laundromat in the internet, a coin-operated laundry shop.

Laundromat

I spent a little less than S$10. Fair enough, I guess. :) We went around mall hopping after. We also went tiangge shopping in Bugis. :))

Gusto ko lang itong picture na ito. :p

After the Bugis shopping, Eli left to meet up with his friends, and I had dinner with Jenny, my college friend, in Sentosa. After the dinner, we went back in the hotel, and Jenny spent the night with me. Kwentuhan to the max lang! :p

Jenny Ann and Tsina

On Sunday, we went mall hopping again. We went to the bonggang the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. We were also able to see the Rain Oculus. :)

Olympic Walk

Mall lang ito, promise!

Sa loob ng mall ito!! Hehe.

We had konting Kodak moments, too. We also went to the Art Science Museum and they had the Titanic exhibit which costs around S$30. I regretted not going in during that time. Kuripot kasi! :(

Smile! :P

We then went to Funan Mall. Daming gadgets! I did not buy any. Totoo! :p To end our mall hopping weekend, we went to hear a mass in St. Andrew's Cathedral.

St. Andrew's Cathedral

Singapore has more malls than I could imagine. There were times that I wasn't aware anymore that we were on a different mall already. My first weekend could have been better spent if only I planned my itinerary. But I was too consume with work. Naks! I tried checking the net and came across this Time article - Singapore: 10 Things to Do. I was able to visit some of the places mentioned here. But of course, I didn't went to Singapore for a plastic surgery. LOL. But kidding aside, I still enjoyed mall hopping and bought a thing or two for myself. :p

My First Week in Singapore and its Amazing Nightscape

2012-04-22T01:27:00.000+08:00

I'm soooo back in Pinas! :p Actually, I've been here for almost a week already. Still busy as a bee, as usual. But I'm not complaining.. not yet. :p

When my manager told me that I'd be sent to Singapore for three weeks, I got a little excited. Well, I haven't been out of the country then. It should be a good opportunity for me to squeeze in gala with work. I have few friends in Singapore that I could meet after work, and go out during the weekends. Bakasyon ito, bakasyon!! :p

We got to Singapore at around 7pm last March 25. We checked in immediately at Mandarin Oriental. Very fabulous place indeed. I even tweeted that I was feeling out of place. Susyal kasi. :p There were also so many Pinoys working in the hotel. May cute pa nga, eh. :p

the view from the room

The room was awesome as well. This was the room I shared with my team lead.

our room

But unfortunately for me, the first week proved to be very toxic. It was hotel - work - hotel route. Insert breakfast buffet in the routine. :p

Melt - The World Cafe

breakfast buffet

Seriously, the first week was very toxic. Work clocked to around 11 to 12 hrs everyday. I also had to complete my school requirements. Crammer, alam mo na? :p

I had lunch with Mariane on Thursday of my first week in Pepper Lunch at Suntec. It was my first time to get out of my routine, and that included my first train ride. :p She was laughing at me the whole time and tagged me as 'lost in Singapore'.

I went out with An on the Friday of my first week. She brought me in the Merlion Park.

i-Light

By the way, I so love the mesmerizing nightscape of Singapore. Look at the Sands hotel, simply amazing! Who wouldn't love this view? :)


Sands

Friday night!

So, my first week in Singapore were mostly work and school cramming. Glad I was able to squeeze in meeting up my friends. :)

Singapore Galore!

2012-04-05T00:54:00.001+08:00

Hello everyone! Can you guess where I am now? Yep, that's right! I'm in Singapore for almost two weeks now! I've been sent by our company for a training (.. and toxic work!) for three weeks! :) As much as I'm excited to share my experience to you, guys, I'm still very busy with work! :) In the meantime, let me share few of my photos!

By the way, I'm facing a big dilemma now! Can't force my friends to go to Universal Studios Singapore with me! Hopefully, I can visit it before going back to the Philippines! #conyoproblems

CDO-Camiguin-Bukidnon : Travel Expenses and Itinerary

2012-03-05T13:04:00.000+08:00

So, there you go, my CDO, Camiguin and Bukidnon kwentos! Now, it's time to divulge our itinerary and expenses. I actually asked EA to send me her list of expenses because I accidentally deleted the Expense Manager app on my phone. :| Good thing, EA listed down our expenses.

The Cagayan de Oro - Bukidnon tour package included airport - Balingoan port transfer, Balingoan - CDO transfer, two nights accomodation at Victoria Suites with breakfast, zipline and whitewater rafting package and Victoria Suites - airport transfer. The zipline includes all the zip rides + snacks, while the whitewater rafting includes the basic course + lunch. Brenda arranged this one for us. I got her contact number from Girltalk.

On the other hand, Teddy arranged our Camiguin trip. I got his contact number from PinoyExchange forum. The tour package included overnight stay at Bahay Bakasyunan sa Camiguin, countryside tour, entrance fees, boat to While Island, Bahay Bakasyunan to Benoni transfer. Our trip was DIY, the easy way. :p

So that's Php 7,291 plus food and pasalubong. Next is our itinerary, we tried to squeeze in everything. :p

If you want to go over my kwentos again, go ahead.

For our first day, we were haggardo versoza visiting the different attractions in Camiguin. But the cold spring, saved the day! :)

Lesgow, Mindanao!

Day 1: Camiguin Countryside Tour

If you want a laazzzyy day, just stay in White Island and be sunkissed. Don't blame me if you get all negra after. :)

Day 2: White Island Bumming

Of course, the third day that was full of adventure. :)

Day 3: Let's Fly in Bukidnon

Day 3: Rafting is my Thing

Don't also forget my kwento of our short stay in Bahay Bakasyunan sa Camiguin.

Camiguin: Chillax sa Bahay Bakasyunan

That's all folks! Surely, you'll enjoy your CDO-Camiguin-Bukidnon trip. You'd get the right mix with the relaxing feel of Camiguin and the adventure-filled CDO and Bukidnon. :)

Contact:

Brenda - 09175490866

Teddy - 09392440521

Day 3: Rafting is my Thing

2012-02-26T20:09:00.000+08:00

Lesgow, Mindanao!

Day 1: Camiguin Countryside Tour

Day 2: White Island Bumming

Day 3: Let's Fly in Bukidnon

Booooo! It's been more than a month after this trip and I haven't finished my kwentos yet. Anube, I'm so tamad! #not I was just very busy with my career woes and school paper. Gawd. Just thinking of my overdue papers makes me want to go back in Bukidnon to zipline while shouting my heart out. Profanity included. Wahaha. *just kidding*

So after the very exciting zipline adventure in Bukidnon, we did another adventure, but this time in Cagayan de Oro. You know, the ever famous white water rafting. :) Part of our tour package with Brenda was the white water rafting with the The Red Rafts. We arrived from Bukidnon just in time for a very delicioso lunch prepared by the people from The Red Rafts. Super sarap! We had our sea food fix - grilled tuna belly and shrimps. We also had chicken inasal, softdrinks, bottled water and banana.

Sarap!! (grabbed from Apple)

We rode a jeep going to the starting point. From there, we wore our vests, helmets and tons of sunblock lotion courtesy of Apple. :p With Apple on the trip, I had everything I need, sunblock lotion included.

I was dark na even before we started. :P

Okay, I just wanted to show that I was wearing my oh so reliable top which I wore on my Sagada trip and Dalampasigan team outing, too. Kidding aside, make sure you're wearing long-sleeved shirts to protect you from the sun. Otherwise, bring rash guards.

REaaaaddyy! :p

Our guide gave us a pep talk before starting the whitewater rafting adventure. He gave us a lecture on paddling. Hmm, I think I'm ready to join the dragonboat club at work. :p During the rafting itself, we had three guides with us plus the photographer on a separate boat. We took the basic course with the 14 rapids, and they told us that the most difficult rapid would be the one on the 11th.

So, how is this whitewater rafting? Well, to start the rafting experience, the guide will tell you to "lock your feet" in the raft pocket. Then, the paddling will begin which must be synchronize with the counting. Each time you're done with a rapid, the guide will shout "high five". Ooops, make sure you'd be smiling all throughout the adventure because kuya, the photographer, will always be around taking your pictures using his drool worthy DSLR. Lock your feet, smile, paddle, smile, high five, smile. Ang fun lang. We got our dose of adrenaline rush.

On our first rapid and the bring it on moment :p

The High Five

On areas where the current are not strong, the guides will let you go down the raft and swim. I tried once. But since I was just nagpapanggap na swimmer, I had a hard time going back on the raft.

I was that far from the raft!

The guides told us that the formation of the rock changed after the Typhoon Sendong so they had to be used to again to the rapids. Still, the white water was very exciting because of the occasional paddling and non-stop whining. :p Anyhow, I think when you try the white water rafting adventure, just go with the flow. Feel the current, and move your body with it. Take it from me, I'm a rafting expert now. :p Ooops, I forgot to mention that *ehem* our raft never overturned and no one from the group fell off the raft. :)

And that's for our Mindanao leg!! Now, I owe you the itinerary and expenses. I will try to squeeze that on my very toxic schedule. Promise! :) #itsmorefuninthePhilippines

Day 3: Let's Fly in Bukidnon

2012-02-12T12:40:00.000+08:00

Lesgow, Mindanao!

Day 1: Camiguin Countryside Tour

Day 2: White Island Bumming

We were in Cagayan de Oro again on the night of our second day. We stayed in Victoria Suites which is quite a letdown compared to Bahay Bakasyunan sa Camiguin. But well, Victoria Suites is the typical accommodation for a budget travel. The good point though - they have a wifi connection but really bad network signal in the room. :p

The next morning, we headed to Bukidnon for the Asia's longest zipline at the Dahilayan Adventure Park. On our way to Dahilayan, we passed by the Del Monte's pineapple plantation at Camp Philips. We grabbed the chance to take a bite on the giant pineapple. *kidding*

I can eat this in a month! :p

We reached the Dahilayan Adventure Park in around two hours. I didn't want to admit on my friends but I was kinda scared then. I think of myself as adventurous .. but scared. I will try something just for the heck of it - EdgeCoaster in Cebu, cave connection in Sagada and even Space Shuttle Max in Enchanted Kingdom.

The Dahilayan Adventure Park is offering three ziplines - 150m, 320m and 820m. I have the zipline jitters on the 150m. Syempre, first time. :) I told the attendant twice to ensure that I'm safe, paranoid much lang. :p

Prepping up (grabbed from Apple)

So the usual, I kept on screaming during the ride! Kiber. It was a good stress reliever. I felt like I've unloaded my stress and frustrations at that time. At sa second zipline, medyo chill na. :)

Pa-smile smile na lang.:)

For the last and the longest zipline, we needed to ride an open 4WD to the launch tower. It was a bumpy ride to an uphill road. In the launch tower, we had to be in a full body harness for the last zipline.

Feeling a little safer, I guess. :)

But to be honest, my scare meter suddenly went up. Coward much? :) But it was a fun ride after all. The view from the top was superb.


More fun in the Philippines, indeed. :)

It was an exciting morning. Our day 3 was packed with adventure. We had our white water rafting in the afternoon. Enjoy yun, promise. :) So, expect my rafting kwento next. :)

Dahilayan Adventure Park L-R Tsina, Apple, Dwin, EA, Jelai

Camiguin: Chillax sa Bahay Bakasyunan

2012-02-12T07:34:00.000+08:00

I travel on budget. For me, I just need a place to stay while I explore the place of interest. It doesn't need to be fancy, but it has to suit my budget. :)

Bahay Bakasyunan sa Camiguin (BBC) looks fab in their website. Add the tagline "The Premier Resort Vacation of the South". Kaboom. Can we afford that? :p But it's been months after our last vacation, so why not indulge a little? :p Kuya Teddy quoted us for a tour package plus BBC accomodation. Shoot sa banga ang budget. :)

We arrived a little late on BBC since we did the countryside tour already. We were too tired so we did not get to explore the resort during that time. But even at first glance, the resort exceeded our expectations. We stayed in the hammock stargazing though. Saya. :)

Aw.:)

In the morning, we were able to see what BBC has to offer. I thought, I was still browsing their site. Ganda lang. :p We had photo ops by the hammock finally. :p

Forgive my bagong gising look. Bagong gising talaga ako niyan. :p

We had a hot choco to jumpstart our White Island bumming. We brought our breakfast in the island, remember? Then, after being sunkissed in White Island, Kuya Teddy offered to take us to Katibawasan Falls, but we chose to stay in BBC. Minsan lang mag-feeling richie rich, lubusin na. :) We were supposed to check out by 12nn but we asked if we could stay longer in the resort. They agreed, the downside though was we need to take our shower in the common restroom. We didn't mind. We felt like we owned the place and we got to enjoy BBC all by ourselves.

Woot, woot. :)

We spent our time swimming and sleeping in the hammock on our three-hour extension. Syempre, photo ops galore pa din. :)

Smile lang ng smile. :)

We then took our bonggang lunch in their Oceanside Bar & Grill. Bakasyon mode talaga. :p

Lunch time! :)

Our stay in BBC was just short. But we all loved the vibe of the resort. The staff were very accommodating and the food was excellent. Plus point pa, solo namin yung place. Sabi ko nga sa twitter, babalik kami. ;)

Day 2: White Island Bumming

2012-02-05T16:01:00.001+08:00

Lesgow, Mindanao!

Day 1: Camiguin Countryside Tour

I am on an unlimited data plan in Globe. I can check my mail, tweet, FB, YouTube, and all anytime and anywhere! FYI though, this is NOT about Globe. This is supposed to be a Camiguin blog entry. But hey, I was able to check in White Island. Ang bongga! With Globe, abot ko ang mundo! :p

Bongga mo, Globe!

Enough of my being a proud Globe user, White Island is in Camiguin. We beach bummed there last January 19. It was part of our tour package with Kuya Teddy. We were supposed to leave the resort at 6am but we were turistas, so we slept longer. :p On the night before, we advised the resto to packed our breakfast. By around 7am, we were heading to White Island. We needed to ride a boat to reach the island.

Bakit parang pa-demure ako? :p

In few minutes, we were there na! White Island is nothing but a sand bar in the middle of the sea. But it's a wow, Philippines! K fine, #itsmorefuninthephilippines ! White Island is a wonderful place. You could just get lost in that piece of heaven! :)

Piece of heaven

We had a breakfast in the sand! :p Bongga, ansabe ng breakfast in bed dyan? :p

Anlasa ng white sand? :p

Right after the hearty breakfast (hindi na ako slim!), we took a dip, photo ops, rolled in the sand (just kidding!), beach bummed, kwento and more photo ops! Very chillax. :p

Yes, we were in Camiguin. Obvious ba? :p

By around 10am, we headed back in the resort. Stop over muna sa port.

Pasalubong mode na agad? ;p

We arrived at Bahay Bakasyunan by around 11am. We were supposed to check out at 12nn. But we asked if we could stay further. They said yes, but we needed to check out our rooms. Expect kwentong Bahay Bakasyunan on my next post. K? :p

Bakasyon sa Bahay-Bakasyunan!

Day 1: Camiguin Countryside Tour

2012-01-31T14:01:00.000+08:00

Lesgow, Mindanao!

Did I mention that I went straight from work to the airport? Well, I dropped by my place to pick up my things and changed. I was hoping to get to Camiguin really early to take a really good bath. But to my horror, Kuya Teddy suggested that we proceeded with the countryside tour. Haggardness. :|

From Benoni Port, we started our countryside tour immediately. The first stop was the Sto. Nino Cold Spring. Cheers to instant but oh so cold bath that I've been waiting for.

Ready now? L-R Dwin, EA, Apple, Jelai, Tsina

Yun lang, you'd freeze cold with the water. But so what, we were haggardness na! :p

Sto Nino Cold Spring

Our next stop was the Gui-Ob Old Church Ruins. Kuya Teddy showed us the old chapel, the bell tower, and the century old tree.

Jelai and Dwin

If you are familiar with that creepy local movie, Ouija, then you might have seen our next destination - the Sunken Cemetery.

We're getting there!

If you notice that rope in the picture, that was what they used to transfer us. I'm not kidding. Practicality wise, that would be quicker and easier. Believe me, look!

Kailangan may photo op sa bangka, Teh Apol?

The Sunken Cemetery is an interesting place. But creepy, yes. Maybe because it's a cemetery. According to Jelai, it's a good spot for photo op to capture the sunset though. She's the photographer in the group, she should know. :p Anyway, the guides had so many picture tricks but only Dwin tried them. Well, I did try the one with the paddle, but it didn't come out as good as Dwin's. So erase erase erase.

Moment ni Dwin :p

Last stop was the Walkway to Old Volcano and Stations of the Cross. We just stayed here for a minute or so for a group picture. We were too hungry by this time. We then went to the Terrasse International Ristorante. Okay, they made us wait here big time. But oh well, the food was awesome. We loved the pizza. We had yummy seafood pizza, cheesy cordon bleu, sweet and sour fish, bulalo and lechon kawali. It was really worth the wait. :)

Now, that was a jam-packed first day. We headed then to Bahay Bakasyunan in Camiguin which was simply awesome. More on that on my next posts. :p

Lesgow, Mindanao!

2012-01-23T16:36:00.001+08:00

It's been awhile since my last trip. Finally, I was able to get a well-deserved break from work and school. Yehey! It's the Mindanao leg this time! :)

I did the last minute itinerary for this trip. We were a bit hesitant to push through a vacation in Cagayan de Oro feeling that it might be a little insensitive considering the recent calamity that hit them. But according to Brenda, our CDO local contact, white water rafting is operational since Christmas.

Hello CDO, the City of Golden Friendship with my friends!!

Kuya Gammy picked us from the airport at around 10 am. Flights got delayed. By the way, Jelai, EA and I flew with AirPhils, but Apple and Dwin took Cebu Pacific. Apple and Dwin were late for their flight so they needed to get another flight. Re-booking is more expensive.

We reached the Balingoan port at around 1pm. We paid the ferry ticket and the terminal fee. Ferry left at 1.45pm, and Kuya Teddy, our Camiguin local contact, picked us in Benoni port at 3pm. :)

Hello Camiguin!

We started our countryside tour and stayed in Bahay Bakasyunan in Camiguin. We beach bummed in White Island the following day. Short but sweet stay in Camiguin. Watch out for my Camiguin stories. :)

Good morning, Camiguin! <3

My 2011 in a Delayed Review

2012-01-15T15:37:00.001+08:00

A year-ender post? Deym. It's the mid of January already. I know, I'm too lazy. But I'm just enjoying my iPhone 4S to the bones that since I got it on the 24th of December I wasn't able to use my laptop until today. Namen!!!

Let's get back to the uber late year-ender post. Last 2011 -

I starred in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid via my Batulao failed attempt on the summit.

I've been on my first volunteer work in Nueva Vizcaya through Lifeline Foundation.

I survived spelunking in Sagada.

I tried the Space Shuttle Max in Enchanted Kingdom.

I've gotten all dirty in the mudslide at Caliraya for the project's summer outing.

I beach bummed in Dalampasigan with my team.

I celebrated my third year at work in my current company.

I leveled up and got ISEB certified.

I got kindle-citement and signed up the Apple fan list.

That's it. I know, I didn't blog that much last 2011. I had a serious heartbreak and I couldn't bring myself into writing all the messy stuff.

But my 2011 is not really bad. It was just a heartbreak, I have gazillion things to be thankful about. My Facebook status summed it up.

Bring it on, 2012! :)

#mygiftstoself

2011-12-27T15:04:00.001+08:00

I'm a convert.

I have no patience with touch screen devices that I surprised even myself by getting, not just one, but two touch screen devices this Christmas. You know, #mygiftstoself. :) I blogged about the Kindle touch few weeks back, and I'll be getting it from Silin this week. When she got the order from Amazon, she BBM'd me these pictures.

Kindle touch to go -

Hopefully, we'll meet this week so I could get my Kindle, and she could treat us to Spiral in Sofitel. #ASA

This another #mygifttoself is not really planned - more like an impromptu gift. It just so happened that I was up for re-contracting of my Globe plan, and my teammates bought their new mobile phones - an S2, yes, three of them!! So, nainggit ako. I decided to upgrade my plan and grabbed the iPhone 4S. :D

#applelateadapter

I was supposed to be getting it during the launch, but I wasn't able to talk to a customer representative. I just registered online, and confirmed on the text message I received. Unfortunately, I needed to claim it on SM Pampanga, which probably because my account is in Bulacan. To make the long story short, I wasn't able to get it because my work is in Manila. I don't think I'm such an Apple fan girl to go all the way to SM Pampanga. I just called in 211 and reserved my unit. It should have been delivered on the 28th. Initially, I ordered a 16gb white. But the impatient me wanted to get the unit before Christmas, so I checked SM North Edsa, Trinoma, Eastwood Mall and even Edsa Shang. Unfortunately, no iPhone 4S for me. On the 24th, I decided to check the Globe Business Center in SM Makati. I immediately told them that I have no reservation, but I would like to avail of the iPhone 4S on Plan 1799. Lucky for me, in less than three hours, I went home with my black 32gb iPhone 4S. Just in time for Christmas, sweet! :D

So there you go, I've got myself the Kindle Touch and iPhone 4S for Christmas! What about you? :)

Kindle-citement

2011-11-27T12:36:00.001+08:00

I'm not excited. I'm not excited. *repeat 100x* But I am super excited for my Kindle Touch!!! Yehey! My gosh, it took me a year to finally get myself a Kindle Touch. Remember, this has been part of my Christmas wish list for 2010, and it's Christmas 2011 for crying out loud. :p

Mini-my-ni-mooooo!

When Amazon announced their three new Kindles, I was like - Oh my gosh, it's time to get a Kindle! I initially planned to get the cheapest one - $79. You know, I'm such a cheapskate! Fortunately, I could not imagine how to navigate it since it's not touch screen like the new one and lacks the keyboard compared to its predecessor. So, I debated on getting the Kindle Keyboard or the Kindle Touch instead. The Kindle Touch is the new model so it should have been better. But being a non-touch screen fan, I hesitated for a while and almost told my friend to get me the Kindle Keyboard. Luckily, I realized that I want the X-ray features so finally told my friend to order me the Kindle Touch.

Silin, my Kindle should come in a ribbon, too! HAHA!

I selected this Belkin Verve Tab Folio for my Kindle Touch cover. I play it safe, so I chose the black one. By the way, I tried to search it in Amazon just now, and I could not find this cover anymore. Hmm. My order will arrive at my friend's place by December 6, but I should still be able to get this, right?

Black is safe!

Since I am not sooo excited - just a little, I guess - I signed up for an Amazon account last night. I also installed Kindle for PC and got myself few free ebooks. :) I'm trying to download Calibre but my internet connection is bad. :| See, I am not excited, right? :D

My friend will be coming back in the Philippines for a vacation on the third week of December. Hopefully, I could get the Kindle by then! (Paging, Silina!! :p)

*Thanks 2dayblog, Amazon and Belkin for the pictures.

TM: 50% Done

2011-11-12T18:43:00.001+08:00

Oooh, okay. It's been a while, right? Well, nothing much is happening in my life aside from the fact that I'm half-way through my masters!! Yehey for that!! We had our last class presentation for TM281 last October 26. Right after the presentation, we had simpleng salu-salo c/o my classmates. :D

Miss miss #TM281 friends

Last Friday though, we had our first class for TM 206. Quickie lang ang sembreak, hays. :( I'm not paid yet though. I will drop by UP this Monday to enroll TM 291 and TM 206. Oh, by the way, I don't have Saturday classes now but Monday and Friday classes. I'm free on weekends, friends, lesgo sagow! :)

Ang Litanya sa Paglisan: Mga Tula sa "Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa"

2011-11-07T11:46:00.002+08:00

I was browsing Facebook when I stumbled on this status by my friend that got me very curious.

So I asked him about it, and he told me that it came from the movie "Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa." I told him to message me a copy, and he did. Now, let me share you the feminist poems written by Merlinda Bobis and Joi Barrios. I honestly like these two poems, and I wish I wrote these instead. Nangangarap lang naman! :D

The first one was written by Bobis - a writer, performer and academic. I highlighted in black the lines that I considered the best for me. O simpleng swak lang sa akin? :)

Litanya

Tula ni Merlina Bobis
Tinig ni Victor Robinson III kasama si Rocco Nacino
Guitars: Ada Tayao at Jema Pamintuan

Huwag mo akong iiwan
Tulad ng pag-iwan ng anghel
Sa kanyang pakpak, nalimutan
Sa bus na gumarahe
Sa gabing walang buwan

Huwag mo akong iiwan

Tulad ng pag-iwan ng buwan
Sa kaniyang mata, nahulog
Sa sapang nananaginip
Ng dilim na walang pintuan

Huwag mo akong iiwan
Tulad ng pag-iwan ng dilim
Sa kanyang tainga, pinigtal
Ng hanging nananalangin
Sa kay agang namaalam

Huwag mo akong iiwan
Tulad ng pag-iwan ng hangin
Sa kaniyang dila, nangupas
Sa kakahiyaw na
‘Huwag mo akong iiwan’

Pakpak mo, mata mo, tainga mo, dila mo
Ang nagpapatunay sa akin -
O di kaya ako
Ang lumikha sa’yo
Sa aking pananampalataya

Sa lipad, tingin, pandinig, awitin?
Pasulpot-patago na salawahang ulap.

Barrios - a Filipina poet and activist, got me into thinking with her poem. I'm sure, we all know the feeling of being left behind. Barrios tells us more than that heart-wrenching feeling.

Paglisan

Tula ni Joi Barrios

Sinasalat ko ang bawat bahagi
Ng aking katawan.
Walang labis, walang kulang.

Sinasalat ko bawat bahagi
Ng aking katawan.
Nunal sa balikat,
Hungkag na tiyan.
May tadyang ka bang hinugot
Nang lumisan?

Sinasalat ko bawat bahagi
Ng aking katawan.
Sa kaloob-looban,
Sa kasuluk-sulukan,
Nais kong mabatid
Ang lahat ng iyong
Tinangay at iniwan.
Nais kong malaman,
Kung buong-buo pa rin ako
sa iyong paglisan.

Buo pa ba ako sa iyong paglisan? Echos. See, this video for Paglisan.

Seriously, I love these poems that I wish I could be able to write something as wonderful as these. Simple pero tagos sa buto. :)

Four Months

2011-10-23T10:45:00.001+08:00

Tell me, why did you cover the chocolate with lies? Stop the drama. NOW.

Double A

2011-09-12T13:09:00.001+08:00

I've been very busy. Hindi ko tuloy na-share ang bonggang August ko. I'm still on night shift and it is making school a lot difficult. I have classes on Fridays at 6pm-9pm and Saturdays at 4pm-7pm. Work comes in between at 10pm - 7am. My routine becomes work-sleep-work. I couldn't find time for my readings, papers and group meetings. I guess, I need to attend a time management seminar.

Now, back to the bonggang August. I just got ISEB certified - ISTQB-ISEB Certified Tester Foundation Level. I've been wanting this ever since I've been aligned to software testing. But the review sessions almost killed me. Imagine, I attended my Friday class (6pm - 9pm), went to work from 8pm - 5am, proceeded to the review that started from 9am - 5pm. This was the time that I skipped the quiz and forgot to submit my paper on TM 281, so much for trying to manage my schedule. Tsk.

I got a little scared that I will not be able to pass the certification. Despite my testing experience, there were still a lot of concepts that I needed to understand then. It was very hard to do so due to my shift schedule. I've been quite a pain in the ass to few of my friends. They were left with no choice but to listen to my tralala. :) And did you know what my motivation is? Ayaw ko mapahiya! I guess that did it, I took the exam on August 9, and fortunately I passed!! I am now ISEB certified! :)

Last August also, the senior manager on my previous project told me that I'll be promoted for the coming fiscal year. Promotion announcement is usually slated on Sept 1, the start of the fiscal year. I didn't quite expect it because I was only on my career level for at least one fiscal year. I love them na. It has been one hell of a surprise for me. :) For some reasons, the announcement came in a little late. Okay lang, because the ISEB announcement was on the same week. Feeling ko, ang galing ko! HAHA! Double Awesome!

Unfortunately, I couldn't be lucky in both career and love life. :) This 'thing' with him just ended. Short-lived, really. It was more of an 'on and off thing'. But I'm glad that we're still good friends. :) Dami pa namang fish dyan! :)

On a lighter note, I won a pair of Hed Kandi Disco Heaven Headphone from Technoodling last July. I was waiting for them to get in touch but unfortunately I did not receive any communication. So I decided to email them, they apologized and told me to claim my prize at Digital Walker in Eastwood. This was the first time I won something online! Yey! :)

I am getting #shoephoric now, hope I'll win a TOMS shoes. Positive vibes, come on in. :)

P

2011-09-11T06:11:00.000+08:00

Hi P -

Can I be in a different place at a different time? Dance with the wind, and chase the stars. I can see the butterflies. Did you know that butterflies have a direct line to Him?

Perhaps, you could see this as a coward's exit to the non-negotiable clause of life. But I envy the free flowing clouds. He can take the form of a child's dream. I can see him smiling now. I think, he's teasing me for being here.

Can we catch the morning light? When you smile, you give me a glimpse of heaven. But that piece of heaven is somewhere outside the rainbow's rays. Tell me where the leprechauns are hiding, and I will avoid them like a plague.

I'm scared. Did you know how frightening it is for the bird to take its first flight even though he knows that he could fly? Nature has its own way of pushing us to our limits. You keep your extra parachute in your pocket when you jump in the plane expecting the worst. Only to find out that your parachute is really working and you don't need the spare. When you think you could enjoy traversing the wind and the earth, you find your feet on the ground.

Maturity indeed doesn't come with age. But I am too late to correct the mistakes. It left things into pieces. P, the least that I can do is to promise you that I will not be going back to that place.

I wish I could keep you. I just really wish. But you deserve someone better.

I remember your first unassuming grin.

- S

Tier 1 sa Dalampasigan: A Break from Work

2011-07-31T19:30:00.003+08:00

I didn't get to splurge in a beach vacation this summer for so many reasons. That was why I was so glad that our team building last July 16 - 17 was in Sariaya, Quezon. Yea, far too different than being sand-kissed in Bora (I've never been to Bora, but well, it is said to be the perfect summer spot) but it was relaxing just the same. :)

Pumo-photography si Prince! :)

We left the office at around 9am since Don came in a little late and had to make up for his time. We came straight from work, oh I love night shift (ohh puhhlleeaasee!) Prince brought his car and we all squeezed ourselves in. I was seated next to Joey on our way to Quezon. Si Sir Iggy kasi, ayaw pumuwesto sa likod. :D

We bought our stuff in SM San Pedro. Magluluto kasi sila, eh. :) We arrived in Dalampasigan Beach Resort at around 2pm. We needed to pay 30PhP/pax for the corkage fee. Well, actually, we only paid 8000PhP which includes the two rooms (good for 6pax each), the cottage and the corkage fee. I think, we were able to save around 2000PhP because Regina is friends with the owner. Haha! We stayed in the Dahlia room which is quite too big for the three of us (Regina and Jam included), the boys stayed in the room next door.

We just brought our things in our room and then proceeded to help out Joey and Jam in preparing the food.

Yan lang talaga kaya kong gawin :D

Since Joey insisted on doing all the work, I sneaked back in our room to sleep. Talk about being tamad.But forgive me, I had my class on Friday at 6pm - 9pm, then work from 10pm - 7am. This girl was effin' tired.

We had sinigang na baboy, liempo and I-don't-know-what-its-called for dinner. Then, we proceeded in the swimming pool. We were hours in the pool when I realized that my face was hurting like crazy. Not sure, but it could probably be due to the chlorine content. We also had few drinks that night plus pusit and fish for pulutan FTW.

The following morning, we had hotdogs and eggs for breakfast. Joey went with me in the beach for a dip. Jam opted for the swimming pool. Prince and Jun were busy with their DSLR. Buti walang masyadong stolen shots. We enjoyed the beach kahit hindi white sand. Sarap magtampisaw at magpanggap na marunong lumangoy. It was indeed fun. :)

Kailangan talaga may pagmo-moment, eh :D

After an hour or two, we all joined Jam in the swimming pool. We just fooled around for hours in the water. Jam got her underwater camera with her. So you know what that means? Pictureessss! :)

Wateerrr! Wait for me! (Kunwari marunong mag-swim!)

Photo-op with the founteennn!

Who has the best shot? :D

We left the resort at around 2pm. But before that, syempre, pictures muna! Dami kaya naming bitbit na photographers! :)

L-R Jam, Don, Iggy, Prince, Regina, Tsina, Joey, Jun

O, black and white naman. Bat walang sepia? HAHA!

For the much needed break, thanks Tier 1! I enjoyed it to the bones! :)

***Salamat sa mga larawan, Jun, Jam and Prince!

Happy 3rd! :)

2011-07-28T16:30:00.002+08:00

We were young then. We are young still!

*** Update (7/31/2011)

I had dinner last Thursday with Apple, Dwin and JV in Amici to celebrate our third year at work. Sad that most of our batch mates were not available that day. Silina missed the dinner as well! Uwi ka na kasi, Silina! :)

Brought to you by my BlackBerry! :

... and counting! :)

Doodling: Cubao

2011-07-10T10:14:00.002+08:00

.. and then finally, she leaves the place where the star used to dance with the rain. It comes as a surprise for the star admires the rain, but the blank stares and the cold shoulder prompt the star to stop on wanting to learn new dance steps to impress him. No more dancing with the rain.

#happydaysarehere

5/26

2011-06-26T19:20:00.001+08:00

Fine, I failed big time on my 26 before 26 goals. *crying*

I have no excuse but my lack of foresight. Well, I think another reason is that I did not stick with the SMART goals. Remember SMART goals?

www.learnthat.com

So, next time, I'm going to set really SMART goals. Yes, there is a next time. But perhaps, I'll create 30 before 30 goals. Hopefully, I will come up with a better list. Still, let's share a toast for the things that I've accomplished. :D

Cheers! :D

Curve

2011-06-26T18:07:00.004+08:00

Love is like a gadget. Kahit ano gawin mo, it would always be the yesterday's highlight. Did you remember buying yourself that single-core smartphone that you've been drooling over and over? Ampogi ng smartphone mo. But the next thing you know, there is that dual-core smartphone which makes your new phone seems passe. Pero sabi nga nila, what really matters is sticking with your choice even after seeing the best of this world.

So, Curve, forgive me for drooling over the LG Optimus 2X. Also, even though you're missing the flashlight, radio, and 3G which are my basic requisites for a mobile phone and I don't even think, you're up with the single core smartphones. Hey, I'm sticking with you. :D