Christmas 2010

Christmas 2010 Wishlist

Since I started blogging 4 years ago, I never missed a single Christmas Season without posting my wishlist :)

Altec Lansing Moondance M302 iPhone Speaker

Ray-Ban Aviator

Burberry Ladies' Watch

Adidas' Philippine Flag Jacket

Donkey Kong Wii Game

I better spend more weekends at work, eh? :D

WII-hah! :D

My latest toy from SITEX 2010

Black Nintendo Wii with New Super Mario Brothers for Wii :D

On SG's Electronic Shows

In my more than 2 years of stay here in the Lion City, I've already witnessed 10 blockbuster Electronic Shows and most of the time, I ended up a victim... a happy victim at that :) IT Show, PC Show, COMEX, SITEX call it whatever you want but they all serve one purpose, to give the consumers the best deals in Electronics and sometimes even more than that. My Macbook, iTouch, External HDs are just some of what I have purchased from these events. And just last Thursday, I got my latest toy from SITEX 2010 :D Will post a separate entry for that ;)

Anyways, I decided to write this entry to share my observations to this quarterly events. And hopefully give some potential buyers on how the business works. Hmmm... let me list down the points:

1. Are the prices really cheap? There are different views to answer this question and I will try my very best to give an accurate answer as much as possible.

As a Filipino, the first question that pops into my mind before buying any electronic item is: is it cheaper here or in Manila? And 99% of the time, the answer is YES, it is much much cheaper here than anywhere else (I think) :D

If I wouldn't care about the Php price, then, the next thing to find out is if the price offers are really discounted. Meaning, it is much less compared to the regular price when I buy it from their store outlets. And 90% of the time YES, the prices are at discounted rates. Maybe you would ask, how about the remaining 10%? Let me explain in the next point.

2. If the they don't give discounted prices for their items, what benefits should I get then?

PERKS. Lots of perks :) Take for example this: buy a laptop computer and get a laptop bag, free memory upgrade, a printer and a warranty extension. Or buy a digital camera and get a camera case, tripod, SD cards and screen protector. Buy an LCD TV and get a free blu-ray player. Sounds great, isnt't it? :D

And you can even join lucky draws if you meet the minimum required purchase.


BUT....... here are some precautions before spending your precious money:

1. Don't be fooled by the magical words from these salesmen who will tell you that when you buy their product, you get to save hundreds of dollars. How? Here's a perfect example. They will offer you a 42-inch LED TV with a net price of 1800sgd. In addition to this, you will get a free HDMI cable, a video camera and a 50-sgd worth of voucher.

But wait! Try to check the actual regular price of the TV set from other stores or on the internet you will be surprised that it is even 500 or 600 less than their published rate. YES! I personally checked that one out before. In the end, your actual savings is not the actual figures you thought you got. Surely, you'd still get some price cut-off but not as much as what you thought it was. Good thing, I did not fall to their trap :D*

*Note: this one is just from one store, I did not bother to check from other stores anymore.

2. Most stores offer very attractive price deduction but, these same promos are being offered to their store outlets as well. So if you would do your homework, you might realize that there's no need for you to go to the exhibit and switch faces with different strangers just to get the brush off you wanted. You might probably get the same offer from their mall branches :)

With this post, I hope I can give a little help to those who've been asking information on how things are going during these events. And eventually, more savings to our hard-earned money :)

I Just Want You To Know...

I miss you so much... I really do... ;-(

Alain

148 days ago since we last waved goodbye and uttered the words "see you soon..." And since then, I've been looking forward to this day when I will get to see him again.

August 23
I woke up at 3am and prepared myself to look and feel good as much as I could. Took a heavy breakfast, cold shower and put on my daily dose of make-up to cover up any imperfections due to lack of sleep. 6:00AM is the ETA of his flight from Zurich and I reached Terminal 3 of Changi International Airport 10 minutes earlier. Thanks to the on-time trips of Bus 3 and SMRT that I managed to be there at less cost ;) I checked the electronic boards to find the gate where I suppose to wait. Gate 43 it says. So I sat in one of the vacant seats in front of Gate 43 and few minutes later he texted, "Now Immigration then baggage belt!" Yes, excitement pours in as I search for a familiar face from this bunch of strangers walking out of the gate.

And finally, a tired but gorgeous face came out.  About 20 feet away, I saw him smiled... and I waved and smiled back. I walked gracefully to hide my excitement but I guess it was too obvious to hide.  Then we kissed and it felt like it was just yesterday since the last time we did it. 

And he immediately gave the chocolates he promised :D

We soon got a cab and headed to Fairmont Hotel where he would stay for 3 weeks.  We took a nap, he refreshed himself up with a quick warm bath then we went to the CBP office together.

Just before he checked the training rooms that he will use on his 1st week here, I introduced him to my friends/teammates and went on a tour around the office floor.  And at lunchtime, he had salad and I had pasta from Souperlicious.

Until the jetlag kicks in :(  He had to go back to the hotel and get some sleep.

Right after work, I bought a Carl's burger and half-dozen JCO donuts for his dinner and surprised him in the hotel.  Thank God, he liked it! :D 

August 24
Today is the first training session for the project he works for.  I, together with another group from Operations, attended.  It only took him an hour and a half to finish the presentation and afterwards, we went to Din Tai Fung in Tampines Mall for lunch.  This time, we were with my teammates and some pinay friends from other group.

And in the afternoon, he moved to our ORL office and we just met in the evening.

August 25
The 2nd session was supposed to be with another Support Team but due to conflicting skeds, the training turned out to be just him and me :D   

Lunch is in Subway this time, a 10-minute walk from the office building.

August 26
Another training day for him today, minus Kendz.  So, we only got the chance to meet at lunch in Yummy Chiffon.  We both had Chicken Cutlet + Fried Rice + Egg + Coke and shared a piece of Chocolate Chiffon Cake for dessert.

August 27

This is going to be his last training day in CBP office, for the next 2 weeks, he'll join the rest of the Project Team in ORL office.  I felt a bit sad, of course.  It would only mean less chances of seeing and being with him :(  Anyways, we'll see if the universe will conspire to make wonderful things happen :D

By the way, we had our lunch in Lerk Thai together with Monika (his boss), Pipay, Erika and April (my officemates).

And since it's a Friday, we both deserve a relaxing evening as a start of our first weekend together :).  Nope, we didn't hang out in a bar nor had a romantic dinner by candlelight.  He worked till 9pm, had dinner with the bosses and finally we met at the hotel lobby so late in the evening so we just decided to crash his room's mini bar and had counted the Singapore city lights from the 20th floor of the hotel.  

August 28
Saturday is still a working day for him :(  but it wasn't too long  that we still had a chance to grab a dinner in the busiest district of Singapore. 

T.G.I.Friday's Orchard

And once again ended the brilliant night overlooking the Marina Bay

Oh, before I forget, thanks Alain for giving me this cute heart of yours :)

August 29

Time to momentarily part ways... to give him much-needed space from me... :D

August 30
Did not get a chance to have a glimpse of him today :(( and before I slept tonight, I received a text message from him... saying sorry for something he had done yesterday... which is:  for sending me, according to him, a "lame" text message.  Just one of the sweetest things he has done for me.

August 31
On this day, he went to CBP for a meeting and we had a chance to see each other again, for 5 minutes.... :( yes short and quick 5 minutes... he had a meeting one after the other and the only break that he got was the time for me to attend an urgent team meeting... WTF!!!! Nevertheless, the day was still better than not to see him at all :D

September 1
Just an ordinary "facial" day for me :D

September 2
Early afternoon today, I got a mail invite from him asking me If we could watch a movie tonight.  (Last Saturday, we came to see a teaser of this comedy film with Adam Sandler and we both promised we would watch this in the big screen sometime.) If there's one thing that I am grateful for during his 3-week stay here, that is, my work was super cooperative.  No OTs, no weekend work... which means.. more TIME for and with him :)

So, I immediately booked a ticket:

September 3 - 4

"Me" time for A & C.

September 5

It's the last day of IT Show for this quarter.  I was about to go to Suntec to check for an iPod Speaker when I received a text message from him that he just came from the event and bought a massager.  I went to his place and tested his new toy and it was pretty cool :)  I could see the excitement all over his face.  He tied and locked it on his chair and never failed to use it in a single day :D

At this point in time, I got too lazy to go to the IT exhibit.  Instead, we just pampered our tummies with superb Filipino dishes from 7107 Flavours.

September 6

What so special about today? Hhhmm... nothing much... I just ironed around 3 sets of his office clothes that he can use for the next days :)

September 7
He worked for 10 hours, overtime in the office while the others are having a party in Sentosa celebrating a colleague's birthday.  Doesn't he deserve a sumptuous meal from New York! New York! ?

 

snob :P

September 8
Got an early evening invite from him to join him and the rest of his friends at the New Asia Bar for a relaxing night.  Unfortunately, I was already at home and in the middle of domestic duties that I could not even leave for a night.  I've been to this place and I told myself then I would bring him here, at the 71st floor of a first class hotel perfectly located in the heart of Singapore.  God knows how much I wanted to be with him and witness the panoramic view of Singapore at night.  But timing was not perfect :(

Few minutes later, he informed me that they just decided to spend the night in Chjmes and assured me that there will still be a first time for us together in this classy and sleek night spot.

September 9
Tomorrow is a holiday and tonight, a party is set to celebrate Erika's birthday.  We reached Prive in Harbour Front at exactly 8PM, just in time for dinner.  Days before, I have already invited Alain to join us but he couldn't commit because of the project workload which will go to production tomorrow.  And he just predicted it right, he was in the office 'til 10PM and it would be too late for him to catch up :(  I was a bit sad, then.  I've been looking forward to this occasion where he could join me and my friends in a stress-free get-together.  Where we could just hang out, drink some booze and PARTY!!! But I guess, we just had to set it some time.
 

group pic :)

September 10
Thank God it's not just a Friday, but it is a Holiday! :)  which means.... LONG WEEKEND!!!! And a perfect time for me to finally buy some souvenirs for Alain and his family.

Alain left the hotel for work so early today... it was around 8AM, I guess :(  I was too sleepy to check on the clock then.  I gave myself another hour on the bed before I took a cold shower and left.  It's a perfect day for me to go shopping! but not for me, but for him and his family.  Hhmmm nothing extravagant actually, just went to Charles & Keith in Orchard to buy a purse for his sister then headed to Mustafa for some souvenirs: the usual fridge magnet and key chains :D

for him and me :D

Today is the Go-Live date for their project therefore, one hell of a busy day for him :(  So, I just let him spend the day and night with the team: work during the day and party at night :)

September 11

4 more days and he'll be leaving.. :(( All I wanted is to spend MORE quality time with him and we'll be off to our 2nd movie date tonight. But not after him, spending the whole afternoon at work and dinner with the bosses later. Which, by the way, gave me ample time to buy more stuffs that he can take home with.  After putting down my bag in the room hotel, I went back to Orchard to buy cute little things like shot glasses (for him and his dad) and a compact mirror for his mom.  And the best part of this shopping spree is when I bought him a pair of Ray-Ban shades which he's been looking for since we met last March :D.  Actually, he wasn't looking for that specific brand but just a decent pair of sunglasses that he could use everyday.  But of course, I looked for the best available item around.  Also, I passed by this artful store and bought a simple card for him :) Good thing when I went back to the hotel he wasn't around yet so I had time to write on the card and I could still surprise him with the gifts tomorrow :D

It was already past 11PM when he came back from dinner at Marina Bay Sands.  We just hang out in a while before watching Going the Distance in Douby Ghaut at 12:15AM.

And before we hit the sack, I enthusiastically gave the pasalubongs for his family.  I couldn't describe how surprised and happy he was :) which made me 2x times happier :D

September 12
We started the day at around 1PM :)  Still sleepy from a late movie date yesterday but it was fun :)  It's always fun anyway being with a special someone no matter how late or tiring it could be :)

Before we headed for lunch and shop today, I couldn't help myself but to give him the sunglasses already.  And he couldn't believe his eyes.  He was like a child who just opened a Christmas present from Dear Santa.  I just kept my tears from falling, all I wanted is to see him happy :)

We had lunch at Marche' in Vivo City and guess what.... we hit the Singapore Flyer after!!!!! :D totally, a dream come true for me :D  I've been wanting to experience the ride in this gigantic ferris wheel and to be with a very special person in my life now is such a bonus!  Thank you so much, Alain! mwaaahhh!!!!

a dream come true :)

September 13
It's been a long day for both of us.  I was in the office 'til 8PM and he worked overtime 30 minutes longer.  We met at the hotel lobby and put down our stuffs in the room before we had dinner at Shokudo Raffles Shopping Centre.  We both ordered Sukiyaki and shared a bottle of orange juice and Sake.

enjoying the night together...

It's now time to pack his stuff back to his luggages :(  And this time, I am bursting out in tears while folding his shirts and pants. All of a sudden, he held my hand as we walked through the glass door and for the last time, we watched how the city lights danced in the middle of the night.  There was SILENCE.  And all I could hear was his heartbeat as I lay my head on his chest.   And amidst the stillness of the night, I was praying and hoping that somehow he could listen to what my heart was trying to say. God knows how grateful and thankful I am for meeting and knowing a guy like him.

September 14
The day started as how it ended yesterday.... in T-E-A-R-S.  As soon as my cellphone alarm rang, I knew it would be the last morning that I will wake up with him beside me.  He tried his very best to comfort me but we both know, nothing can stop my tears from falling.  We fixed ourselves up 'coz we still had to report for work and momentarily hide the sadness that surrounds us.

The day flew by so fast.  I almost didn't notice that I was already back in the hotel room, waiting for him to arrive for checkout.  But before we finally left the room, we hang out a bit and had our last movie date in front of the TV.  The sweetest yet the saddest movie date I've ever been.

And before we went to the airport, we had our dinner in Hog's Breath, Chjmes... the place where we also had our first date last March :)

trying to hide the tears....

 Thank you, Alain.... thanks for the wonderful time that we spent together.  Thanks for the laughter, the sweetness, and most of all... for the respect you've shown me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

P.S.

I'll take extra care of the necklace :)

Eat, Pray, Love

I'm done reading He's Just Not That Into You a week ago. Together with Just Like the Flowing River, the compilation of my fave quotes from these 2 magnificent books is still on its way. Hope I can post real soon. Meanwhile, here's the next in line:

Hope I can finish reading this before the movie version hits the cinemas ;)

To Stand for Something

"as long as I have voiced out what I stand for,
I'm more than fine with it;
the ball is not in my hands,
the hell I care! damn it!" =))

I may sound furiously mad while you are reading this, but I'm not! :) This is just how I burst out my disappointments. I may be pissed off, but not crushed; annoyed but not angry. Life is too short to get mad at someone or something. There are other more important and desirable things to spend my time for. What matters for me now is I never kept quiet when I knew I needed to be heard. I'm not your typical gal who would say 'Yes' when it is a 'No'; who would say 'I can' when in fact 'I cannot'; who would say 'Yes, it's fine by me' when the truth of the matter is, 'Bullshit, it sucks bigtime!' =))

They heard me right, but I know in my heart, they never listened. And just like what my banner proudly shouts:

"...to stand for something, to have made some difference that I lived at all."

He's Just Not That Into You

if....

1. he's not asking you out. because if he likes you, he will ask you out;
2. he's not calling you. because men know how to use the phone;
3. he's not dating you. "hanging out" is not dating;
   

agree or disagree?

• guys don't mind messing up a friendship if it could lead to sex, whether it be a "fuck buddy" situation or a meaningful romance;
• if a guy truly likes you, but for personal reasons he needs to take things slow, he will let you know that immediately. He won't keep you guessing, because he'll want to make sure you don't get frustrated and go away;
• men are never too busy to get what they want;
• no matter how powerful and real your feelings may be for someone, if that person cannot fully and honestly return them and therefore actively love you back, these feelings mean nothing;
  

Buy or Not to Buy?

It was March of last year when I bought Posh, hoping that somehow I would eventually learn to use Manual Settings. Most of my friends advised me to buy DSLR instead since it has more features than Canon G10 but, I had no plans to really devote my time on photography. All I wanted to do was to learn the basics and at the same time, own a gadget that is handy and compact. G10 was the perfect answer to my month-long contemplation.

And up to this point, I never regret owning such a wonderful digicam :) She's been to Manila, Boracay, Malaysia and Indonesia... countless gimik nights with friends or just simply shooting the street overlooking from my room.

But, just last week, I've realized that I've never really utilized the use of Posh since I had her. Up until now, all I know about camera is how to turn it on and off, how to switch modes from Beach scene to Indoor to Sunset to Foliage. And there were several occasions when I had to leave her at home because she couldn't fit into my purse :(

There are 3 options that keep playing on my mind though:

1. sell my Canon G10 and buy a new Canon S90; or

2. keep my Canon G10 and buy a cheaper yet fits-into-my-requirements-camera, Canon A495; or
3. stick with my G10 and save money!

If I only had enough budget, I would definitely buy S90, no questions asked! :) But, since I don't have much, I'd rather be practical.... somehow :D

I found quite a number of good reviews about A495 and here are some points that make me want it even more:

* compact and handy
* less than 200sgd
* with good low light feature
* with sufficient selection of auto modes

Isn't it cute? *sigh*

silver?

red?

blue?

What I Am and What I'm Not

An excerpt from the book, He's Just Not That Into You

I hate talking about my feelings. I hate talking about my "relationship". I know I'm a chick and chicks are supposed to be all emotional, but I'm not. I don't like it one a bit. I particularly don't want asking a guy where the relationship is going or how he feels about me. Ew. It should be natural and easy and obvious.

So I guess if I have to start thinking and planning and devising all sorts of ways to find out what kind of situation I'm in, I'm probably not in that good a situation. Shit.

But wait. Starting a new relationship is terrifying. We are all old enough to have experienced or witnessed the triage of broken romance. We know that if there has been a beginning to a relationship, there has been, if we are still out there dating, always an end to the relationship. And the endings always suck.

So of course, people, women included, will create all sorts of tricks and diversions and distractions to try to not notice that we might in fact be getting into a relationship. That just seems like a very crafty and understandable aspect to human nature. So what if in the beginning or a while into it, it's a little vague? Who wants to be that crazy girl who needs to know exactly what is going on the minute she meets the guy? You want to be the cool girl --- the girl who knows how to hang out and not be all demanding. That's who I always wanted to be. That's who I always was.

The thing about that cool girl is that she still gets her feelings hurt. She still has reactions to how she's being treated. She still hopes he'll call, wonders when she'll get to see him again, and if he's excited about being with her. I hate that.

Maybe this is just me, because my priorities have changed as I've gotten older. But now I don't want to be "sort of dating" someone. I don't want to be "kinda hanging out" with someone. I don't want to spend a lot of energy suppressing all my feelings so I appear uninvolved. I want to be involved. I want to be sleeping with someone I know I'll see again because they've already demonstrated to me that they're trusthworthy and honorable --- and into me. Sure, in the beginning you have to be somewhat cautious about how much you give away. But that caution shouldn't be to make them feel more comfortable; it should be because you know that you are ultimately a delicate, valuable creature who should be careful and discerning about who gets your affection. That's what I'm doing now. And it's not going so badly.

- Liz Tuccillo

A Roller Coaster Day

My day started so good with a chit chat from a friend living on the other side of the world. It was short yet lighthearted, the kind of conversation I always wish I could have everyday. Until a frustrating news hit my desk in the office and my mind just went blank the whole morning at work. Good thing though, tears, friends and chocolates were invented that I was able to burst out my disappointments with their help. I seldom complain, no, it's not my cup of tea. I seldom, or should I say, I never invite negativity in my system. As much as possible, I want to smile, I want to make people laugh, I want to joke around, I want nothing but a happy life. But a lot of things had happened in the past weeks that frustration has already taken its toll on me.

The day was so frustrating that I even ate a whole bar of Snickers in just 2 minutes. Which, by the way, I have promised not to do until the end of next month: to eat any forms of sweets :D but I just did!

Next, a plate of chinese noodles for dinner. NO! NO! NO! NO carbs during dinner!!!! but yes, I just had! whew!

Good thing though, the day wasn't bad after all. My fave basketball team just won in their series, 3-1. Just one more win and they will move to the finals.

But kidding aside, I know this, too shall pass. I'm still sad, confused and disappointed.... yes, I am! But I know for sure, there are more wonderful things out there that are worth smiling for. Maybe it's not yet the perfect time to get the things I wanted and definitely, God has better plans for me and for the people I most care about.

Goodnight.

“My recipe for dealing with anger and frustration: set the kitchen timer for twenty minutes, cry, rant, and rave, and at the sound of the bell, simmer down and go about business as usual”
- Phyllis Diller

Now Reading....

Books Galore

I just finished reading Like The Flowing River by my latest favorite author, Paulo Coelho. Which one to read next? I bought 2 books 3 weeks ago and another 1 this afternoon:

1. The Alchemist (by Paulo Coelho)

This is the magical story of Santiago, a shepherd boy who dreams of travelling the world to seek the most wonderful treasures known to man. From his home in Spain, he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and, from there, into the Egyptian desert, where a fateful encounter with the alchemist awaits him.

2. Eat, Pray, Love (by Elizabeth Gilbert)

One woman's search for everything across Italy, India and Indonesia.

3. He's Just Not That Into You (by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo)

This book educates smart women on how to tell when a guy just doesn't like them enough, so they can stop wasting time making excuses for a dead-end relationship. He's just not that into you if he's:

• not asking you out;
• too busy to pick up the phone;
• doesn't like the words "relationship" or "boyfriend"
  

Like the Flowing River

If you are a type of person:


1. who loves to read;

2. who, in one way or another, has touched someone else's life;

3. which life has been touched by people you hardly know;

4. that believes in practicality in life.

I highly recommend this book :)

My fave quotes from this book will be posted soon.

Pending

I still have more or less 10 pending entries for this blog that are all locked up in my drafts folder. The oldest will turn a year old this August. All I need is time.....

Everytime

by Janet Jackson


I'm afraid I'm starting to feel
What I said I would not do
The last time really hurt me

I'm scared to fall in love
Afraid to love so fast
'Coz everytime I fall in love
It seems to never last

.........
.........
'Coz every time I see your face
My heart does begin to race everytime...

One half wants me to go
Other half wants me to stay
I just get so all confused

I'm scared to fall in love
Afraid to love so fast
'Coz every time I fall in love
It seems to never last

At Long Last.....

After 2 years and 7 months of not even touching a paddle.... I never thought I could still show this move that I used to have.....

July 22, 2010

Burberry Watch

saving some pennies for this timepiece :)

House of Onika Giveaway with CSN Online

Just click on the title to find out more... ;)

May 10, 2010

I must admit I was one of those non-believers of the Automated Election System when it was passed into law not so long ago. For me, the nation is still not ready for that huge turnaround and it would only create chaos and massive cheating if would push through. But after last Monday's, National Election, I never thought my words would taste this good that I've eaten them all.

The nation was stunned as the tallying of votes, at least for some of the local posts, was completely done just before the day's end and as of the 2nd day, millions were already officially counted. On the third day, some presidentiables conceded humbly while quite a few was still waiting for the final count.

5 days after this historical event, I personally believe that the 1st National Automated Election was a gigantic SUCCESS. Of course, there were some troubles along the way but generally speaking, it was something that we, Filipinos, can be truly proud of!

And though I felt somewhat frustrated that the one I voted for did not make it to the top.... way way below the top, I can proudly say I VOTED FOR DICK GORDON! who by the way, is the author of this AES. With that, I know my vote never got wasted ;) May he still continue helping the Filipino people the best way he could and may the nation work together for the common good.

Hardcore Drinker? Nahhhh.....

I just realized that I could take all these in just one night:

1. A shot of pure Smirnoff vodka (no chaser);
2. A glass of locally-made Singapore Sling;
3. 2 medium glasses of iced-cold Heineken;
4. 1 large glass of in-house beer from Highlander.

An Invitation

My Burberry Blue Label Bag

An advanced birthday gift to myself :D

All The Best, Mare!

Summer Officially Starts, NOW!!!

What Now?

2 cups of rice for dinner, 3 pcs of buffalo wings, 1 fried fish dipped in vinegar with bagoong with a can of ice cold Coke Zero. Seems like there's no tomorrow, huh! This is not my usual dinner or should I say, I am not really taking any dinner at all. But since I'd be on a graveyard shift this Saturday, 1AM-10AM, I need a lot of energy I could get to keep me going.

An hour before my call time, when I was about ready to go, with my make-up on... shutting down my lappy... I got a call from Roselle, my teammate that I don't need to go in the office at 1AM because I got nothing to do anyway. One of the ITOPs is on ML and there's no one to do a four-eye check to.

This is how the Production Weekend goes monthly. As part of the Configuration Team, we need to be at the site doing four-eye checking on Operations. In short, it's a buddy system, ITOPs are doing the actual deployment while us, seating beside them and making sure that all the documented instructions is followed. And now that one of the ITOPs is not around, the schedule suddenly has changed.

So what's the problem? Why am I blogging instead of sleeping at this hour? It's not about the abrupt change of sked because we all got used to it anyway. I'm bothered about...................

all the calories that I took a while ago expecting that they will all get burnt while on GY shift. But now that my call time has changed from 1AM to 8AM, I need to get a sleep.... even if it would mean... I will sleep with all the carbs inside my bulging tummy.... waahhh... :((

Celestial Resort

It was weeks ago when a friend/officemate invited me to join her and some of our friends to explore the northeastern island of Pulau Ubin. Since the 4-day celebration of Chinese New Year would definitely be boring (malls are closed), and plus the fact that I've been wanting to see more of Singapore and not just shopping malls and sale outlets, I excitedly accepted the invite.

Roselle, made all the planning: searched for an affordable resort that offers various water and land activities; verified to the resort personnel that everything posted on their website would be available on day of stay; even asked if there was an available hair blower in the room (my special request :D). Positive! We booked our stay at Celestial Resort.

Februray 14, Valentine's Day. We all met at Punggol Marina Country Club where a service boat will bring us straight to the resort. We missed the first trip and while waiting for the 2nd one, we had our photo shoot first at the port.

It was only a 10-minute ride from the port to the resort. Since we were 2 hours earlier from the standard check-in time, we asked Ate Jenny, the Filipina receptionist, if we could go for an early check-in. She said, no room was available at the moment and maybe we could tour around the resort first and she would just give us a call. But before doing so, we asked for the schedules of the acvities we inquired about prior to our booking. And to our surprise, NO SINGLE ACTIVITY was available on that day and on the following day!!! WTF!!!! The reason? It's Chinese New Year and most of the staff are in a holiday. WTF again!!!!

I am not questioning how they celebrate CNY, but for hell's sake, why did you tell us that the activities would be available on that day. You did even confirm the price of each activity. Que horror!!!! This is a HUGE, OBVIOUS LIE!!!! We were also on a holiday break and we wanted to relax, to have fun.... but how could we if there's nothing to do but count the trees and leaves around us!!! The biggest question still is, WHY THE HELL DID YOU LIE, PEOPLE??!!??!!

But this is just a beginning of a terrible experience at the resort. We tried to bargain with the staff like letting the seven of us stay in just one suite. But the caucasian lady arrogantly turned us down and with a sarcastic look on her face, she said, "You booked for 2 rooms, you must take it". Oh well, that's customer service for them.

I may sound furiously angry but believe it or not, we all kept our heads cool and relaxed while trying to accept the fact that we were fooled by the resort. No arguments nor altercation arose.

After about an hour of waiting, we finally checked in in the first of 2 rooms we occupied. We put down our bags, checked the whole suite and planned for our next activities. I wasn't in the mood to take photos of the rooms, but somehow, it's good that I did not 'cause for sure, everytime I'd get to see those, I might end up with nightmares. The toilet was clean, but the rust and stains on the toilet bowl and tiles were too creepy to stare at. There were 4 cups at the side table but no coffee nor sugar was present, what's the use of these cups, huh? I checked on the toilets again, NO HAIR BLOWER!!!! This is what I call, DISASTER!!!!

Before this tragedy get into our nerves, we all headed to the restaurant for our lunch. The food was good.. nothing special, though. We even had more fun time playing foosball than getting satisfaction with our food.

After a short meal and playtime, we inquired again for the day tour. The receptionist just told us to go to the other side of the resort and wait for a van that offers day our package, no coordination from them at all! Sariling diskarte kami!

And how did the daytour go? Again, nothing special.... the van brought us to Wetland Check Jawa, a downtown village where we had our very early dinner and a couple of stopover to take pictures with not-so amazing natural backgrounds. We started and ended the night with videoke and booze and tried to leave all the misfortunes behind.

We started the following day with the usual buffet breakfast that most, if not all, resorts and hotels offer. But then again, the disappointments keep pouring in. Breakfast without bread and egg?????? That's not breakfast at all!!!! How about serving 2 sets of the same sausages, one is fried and the other has overflowing sauces. Here's more, 2 kinds of noodles that both lack ingredients. Whew!!!! How bad the food was? We were not thru with the breakfast yet but we were already planning where to have our lunch :D

And up to the last minute, we couldn't help but to burst out our frustrations when we found out that our trip back will get delayed due to lack of boat, or was it because there were too many people wanting to go back asap. While waiting for our turn, the owner even advised us that the next time we visit the resort, we should take the other way to avoid overcrowding at their own port. And that's big B*LLSH*T!!!! Telling your visitor to take a different route where it will take them both boat and land transfers before reaching the resort instead of making a commitment to improve your service and facilities. Never mind, sir! There will be no next time, and that is a PROMISE!!!!

Despite of all the disaster and tragedy that went our way, good thing though, I was with a bunch of wacky and awesome people that this short experience is still something worth looking back to.

Thank you and 'til the next adventure, guys!

For photos, please visit my multiply site.

BBS JAKE

Now that the Big 5 has been revealed... it's time to officially announce my Big Bet to be the Big Winner :)

I've been following the Pinoy Big Brother since it started in 2005 and only this time that I really got hooked on it. Never missed a single episode, big thanks to my co-addicts who constantly uploading each primetime episode on youtube.

3 weeks had passed and still, I'm persistently begging all my friends and colleagues to vote for JAKE to be this edition's BW. Why Paul Jake Castillo? Here are just some of the 101 reasons:

1. He is a fighter, he knows what he wants and how to get it done. In every tasks and challenges that BB gave them, he has shown his determination and always comes up with a game plan.

2. Despite of his social status, oh well to simply put, despite of being a rich guy, he never put down anyone in the house and treated them equally and just. Marunong makisama, 'ikanga.

3. A very intellectual guy, analyzes each given situation logically but still shows his big heart.

4. Respects other's opinions and decisions. The Tower Task just proved how broadminded he really is. Eventhough Melissa and Jason did not join the rest of the guys to defend the tower domino, Paul Jake never lost his focus and instead just accepted the fact there are other housemates who oppose him. "Gawin nyo yung gusto nyo, gagawin ko yung gusto ko, that is to defend the tower."

5. One-woman-man. I never thought that there is still a guy like him who remains faithful to his partner and no matter how tough we see him... he really has a marshmallow heart when it comes to his la-love, Denisse. Lucky girl! :)

6. Never a time that I've heard him say nasty things about any HM.

7. Has a sense of humor. Yes, he has! In real life, it's not always about winning and surviving, it's about winning and surviving with a smile on your face.

8. The only HM that remains consistent since Day 1. He has shown his true self and knows how to improve himself. He defends his belief bravely and delivers his thoughts without being defensive.

9. Confident. When some sees him as being arrogant or mayabang, correction please he is just being confident.

10. He's gwapo! :D

BBS JAKE
send to 2331 for Globe, TM and Sun
send to 231 for Smart and Talk 'n Text

P2.50/txt - Globe, Smart, TM, TnT
P2.00/txt - Sun

500 Days of Summer

Summer: I just woke up one day and I knew.

Tom: Knew what?

Summer: What I was never sure of with you.

Love Month

The 2nd reading from today's mass is just in time for the coming Love Month which will strike in less than an hour.

1 Corinthians 13:4-13

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

"Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I reasoned like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."

"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greates of these is love."

MJ's This Is It..... Featuring: Cebu Inmates

SUPERB!!!!

Team Manila Rocks!

My new set of Team Manila shirts :)

mine is pink :)

and dark blue

still searching for the Manila Riders image... so lazy to take a picture of what I bought :D

Thank You, CebuPacificAir

Almost a year and a half ago when I told myself that I wouldn't get an International Flight from CebuPacific anymore. This was after having some trouble with my booking in October 2008. But since I have to keep my New Year's Resolution as real as possible, I grabbed the airline's 50% online seat sale in time for my vacation in April.


For just SGD188.00 (approx. Php6000.00), I booked a roundtrip ticket to Manila with the inclusion of the following: 5kg of excess check-in baggage (MNL-SNG) and seat reservation on both flights.

This is pretty damn good ;)

2010 - New Year's Resolution

Never been in my life that I had made a single New Year's Resolution 'coz I knew I wouldn't make it happen perfectly. Yeah, for me it should only be 0 or 1, yes or no, now or never. So, If I had a feeling that I couldn't give my all, I'd rather not try it anyway. I could win... I might lose... I could succeed... I might fail... nothing is definite, definitely! All I want is to give my best, whatever the reason would be.

2010..... this is the year for me to : TIGHTEN MY BELT!
for something worthwhile.....

and this is for real. ;)

Welcome, 2010!

fresh from London....

fresh from the box.... ;))

Happy New Year!