what a new year..

this chinese new year is no chinese new year to me.. i can't believe that i'm alone at home on the 2nd day of the new year.. it's now only me and the computer and the tv..

woke up to see my parents not around, and brother went to work earlier on.. watched tv until i fell asleep.. besides there wasn't much of any interesting shows going on anyway.. other than discovering that there was a philippino drama going on TV3 the malaysian channel..

played online games until i'm sick of it.. oh man.. this is not new year..

and i can't believe that i had to call for macdonalds delivery for my late lunch and afternoon tea.. on new year!! what the... arghh..

maybe the next few new years i should go away for a holiday.. then i won't need to worry about buying any new year clothes and having to tackle questions coming from relatives.. not bad an idea huh..

update: happened to watch a documentary on Channel Newsasia, about a philippino maid who set up a small welfare organisation that helps needy children in philippines.. the crew went to Iloilo with her, and saw her family, the library that she set up, and the children that she has helped.. all these brought back memories that i had when i was in Bago.. sigh..

seeing the things that she did, it somehow made me want to do more.. but the most touching part of the show, was when her children said that they didn't miss her that much.. perhaps that's the agony of a philippino maid who has to work overseas to earn money, to support her family back in hometown.. sigh sigh sigh..

another call to philippines..

manz.. another call to Bago city makes my day.. =)

a call to ryan and joseph, who were there with the dancers and musicians practising for the Babaylan Festival that is coming in february.. princess sarah was with me on the phone.. =) and it was really heartwarming talking to them on the phone.. yar, again, how i wish i'm right there with them now.. i used to watch them dancing and playing music almost every night.. i looked forward to walking out of the house to the central plaza, to the community centre where they train.. i looked forward to seeing ryan, joseph and temogen there every night..

i really miss them alot.. =(

today's dinner was nice and full of laughter.. there will be no lack of laughter with huijie and ryan around.. haha.. menu of the day? CHEESE FONDUE AND CHOCOLATE FONDUE!!



there's a new addition to the gang.. ryan's girlfriend.. haha.. it turned out to be "scenario X", whom she turns out to my ex-schoolmate, but i don't really know her.. haha..

had a real hearty time eating and laughing.. =)

i continued playing "santa claus", passing presents to people.. today was to ryan and huijie.. and huijie was so happy to see those presents and the graham biscuits and the recipe for the ice-box cake.. haha..



shopping for new year clothes was unsuccessful.. hmm... maybe i'll need another last minute shopping..

happy birthdays..

i made a call to Bago city today to wish tricia "happy birthday"..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRICIA!! =)

hehe.. i shall be nice, not to reveal her age, but hope she will stay young always.. =) may everything be nice and smooth for her, because she's really a wonderful person.. Tricia, i love you!! hugs and kisses to you!! miss you very much!! =P

it was nice to hear the fun and laughter in the background, though i very much wished that i was there too.. great to hear from Bong and Nonoy too.. =) and after the call, i was smiling to myself for the rest of the day.. =)

oh.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PAPA!! =) hehe.. papa (tricia's dad) has the same birthday as her! hehe..

anyway, today i met up with the co-leader and the secretary of Big Hands Bigger Hearts 2.. sharing my previous experiences with them, things they should take note of.. though i may want to be part of the team, i've no money!! tricia asked me when am i going back there again, i told her i'm broke.. haha..

after that, shopping for new year clothes.. sad to say, no luck.. haha.. have to keep to my own budget.. went causeway point but left there empty-handed.. then headed down to west mall on my way back home.. walked around, and ok.. bought a dull-pastel-pink skirt.. yar.. must stress the dull part, because unlike most gals, i'm not really a lover of pink, in fact, sometimes i detest the colour.. haha.. so i still have a top and shoes to go!! manz..

happened to see a cai shen ye (fortune god) in the shopping mall.. so, as a singaporean, i went up to him, together with all the aunties and uncles, to get a chocolate-money.. haha.. yar, so if i happens to go buy some lottery, i can be heng heng and huat lar! haha..

i want money! so i can go Bago again!

one week back..

*waves to all my friends in Bago* HELLO!! hehe.. didn't expect you guys to drop by my blog and leave messages.. hehe.. really miss u guys alot alot ALOT!! now i've my yahoo messenger, so we can chat online! add me to your friendster, or to your yahoo messenger or whatever! so that we all can keep in contact often!! =)

let me digress a bit, first time i see my father staying up so late to watch a movie on tv.. those soldiers-war kind of movie.. not my cup of tea, haha.. but anyway...

i can't believe i've been back from Bago for more than a week.. everything is so different from there.. went to school, went for orchestra practices, meeting up with friends.. there was no time for me to feel lost, maybe when i have nothing to do, i'll start listening to "Makita Kang Muli" and think of the days i've spent there..

i'll be too tired to think of anything when i go to bed.. and i'm still used to the sleeping timing i had over there.. sleeping at 12am, waking up at 8am.. haha.. healthy lifestyle huh.. but once the schoolwork starts getting hectic, i may revert back to my night-owl habits.. haha..

i'm only looking forward to use my computer everyday, so that i can see them online, or send texts to them.. i'm also looking forward to my next trip back there again.. *cross my fingers* hopefully soon..

chinese new year is coming, but i'm still missing the christmas in bago!! =(

a nightmare..

i don't know if i should call this a nightmare..

i was sleeping in nina's room, and i supposed to have a flight to catch, at 7.15am (which was exactly the time of my flight from Bacolod to Manila).. but somehow i overslept, waking up at 7am..

ok, it doesn't sound so bad.. but it was freaky.. freaky that everything seems so real..

adjusting back..

this time round i guess i have an easier time adjusting back to the life here in singapore.. i remembered the last time when i came back from philippines, i cried for the first few days, and i couldn't get over it for at least 2 weeks.. maybe this time round, there wasn't a lot of time for me to be alone and think back of the things that would probably make me cry.. had to go back to school the day after i arrived back in singapore, and today was another day spent in the orchestra practice.. but maybe at night, when i listen to the songs i've heard in bago, or when i look into the box filled with all the gifts they have given me, it will just bring back the memories and hmm..

now my fingers hurt, with the blisters.. the result of not practising the harp for almost 2 months.. but i would miss all my dear friends in bago more than the harp.. haha..

opened my letterbox when i came home from dinner, and saw a letter from WorldVision.. looking at the stamp that came from philippines, i was kinda excited.. haha.. the child that me and my friends sponsored wrote a letter! wow...

although the letter is simple, but i'm still touched when i read it.. one day, i will go back to philippines again, and will arrange to pop by Bohol and visit this adopted child of mine..

Jen Melfe, Savior.. just hope that she is doing better now, with the little help that we could offer..

i miss Bago..

i think i've gotten used to the life i've been living for the past month.. waking up at 8am, thought that nina's still around, most probably still sleeping.. thought papa, joy and tessa might be sitting outside the house right now..

i miss everyone.. tricia, bong, nonoy, remia, joseph, ryan, temogen, stephen, judee, karen, the mondia family, the office people..









i miss the things i used to do over there.. going around places with the whole gang in the van, playing games on the computer in tricia's office, talking to people, sitting down with the big kids in the house, going to the central plaza at night, watching people training for the babylan festival, teasing people..

now i'm alone in the house, it's even harder for me not to think of the days i was in Bago.. no more night strolling out the plaza, no more chatting with friends over there, no more watching of dances.. i wanted to call back or text back, but it would be very expensive for me.. i wanted so much to hear their voices again..

i will go back again..

back in singapore..

ok.. i'm back le..

saying goodbye was hard.. and i was trying very hard to control my tears.. but i think i've matured, didn't cry that much, not like the last time.. haha.. but who knows, i may end up crying out loud tonight when i go to bed.. =P

woke up early in the morning, and the whole Matti family woke up too (even the sleeping beauty nina.. haha) to say goodbye.. Saldo, JiJi, Putol were there too.. will miss this wonderful family..

at the airport, with tricia, remia, nonoy, bong, ryan and stephen and franz.. haha.. stephen, only got to see him twice, and the second time was in the airport.. everything seems like the last time, except that joseph and temogen were not there.. and less 23 people.. yar lar, i did cry for a little bit.. but at least it wasn't like the last time.. almost 1 month spent there, how not to feel sad when i have to leave?

and there's always a first time for everything.. taking the plane myself to manila, then transferring to another plane.. but it wasn't that easy like in singapore.. i had to get a taxi to get to another terminal for my international flight.. -_-"" and the ninoy aquino airport was so crowded.. manz.. and when i say budget airline, it really shows the kiasu spirit.. people queueing up before 9.30am when the flight is at 12.50 pm.. -_-''' and things were taking a long time.. be it queueing up for check-in, to clear the immigration, or to pay for the airport tax..

waiting in the airport for 3 hours alone was hard too.. called ryan and tricia before i board the plane.. wahh.. that made me cry.. even papa's (tricia's dad) voice can make me cry.. man..

yar, budget plane is very small.. no leg space.. think those big size guys are going to have problems squeezing in.. but lucky to have the window seat lar.. and maybe the good thing about this plane is, i could get the magnificant view from the top, overlooking those beautiful islands and clear blue seas for more than 15 minutes after take-off..

slept for a while, reached singapore around 4.30pm.. called back to tricia again, and i got to talk to bong and nonoy..

yar.. and i'm still unpacking all my stuff.. too many things to settle too.. and i don't feel like going to school tomorrow.. still on the holiday mood.. arghh..

to all my dear friends in philippines, thank you very much for making my stay there a truly wonderful and enjoyable one.. =) will be back again.. =) and i will try buying the lottery.. haha..

update..

hihi.. haa.. 4 more days to me going back to philippines.. starting to feel a bit reluctant to go back already..

the past few days were a bit hell for me.. having diarrhoea and vomitting.. eww.. having to go to the Bago City Hospital at night to see the doctor.. only to have my temperature, blood pressure measured, answered some questions, and then the doctor prescribed some medicine and asked me to drink Gatorade.. huh huh.. "no more fatty food", she said.. but that's gonna be tough, because the food here in philippines are all either barberqued, fried or oily.. haha.. so i'm going to stick to plain rice, with soup, bananas, apples and eggs.. and so now Bong cannot call me "tambok" (fat) anymore.. because i'm going to be "niwang" (thin).. hahahahha..

anyway, i went to distribute some of the old stuff to one elementary school in baranguay Du-lao.. this school does not have any electricity at all, so the classrooms do not have lights and fans installed.. the kids there are poor, to the extent that they do not have any uniforms, stationery of their own.. some of them are malnourished.. so we had some interaction, playing games and toys and stationery were the prizes.. then we distributed the clothes and some bags to them.. books were given to the principal, for her to do the suitable distribution..

i don't know how to describe the feeling when i saw them taking and trying out their new clothes, but i know it's not just my own effort.. without the wonderful friends i have, i don't think i can gather so much stuff to give them.. the "thank you" from the kids are also meant for all these wonderful friends.. =)

the next day i went back to the Bago City College again, to see students using the computers.. sadly, the computers we donated are still not able to be used, because of some poor power connection.. so they could only had theory lessons in that new classroom.. but i've seen some other computer lessons going on, and at least i'm glad that they are making full use of whatever resources available in there.. =)

was invited to be the guest for the elementary school day of the school in Du-lao (yes, the one i went distributing the old stuff).. haha.. very weird.. when they kept mentioning "Miss YuHui Pu, our Singaporean friend".. haha.. was even invited to crown the queen of the coronation event, together with the baranguay captain.. wahha.. yar.. i was "finally" being pulled into dancing the "pinoy" song.. wert.. haha..

then the rest of the day and the next day i was "grounded" in the toilet doing my cleansing of my digestive system.. yucks.. horrible.. even tricia is not letting me out of the house.. boring huh..

but now i'm feeling better lar.. so don't worry.. will be back very soon.. =)

happy new year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

erm.. it's a very late greeting, but i was busy here lar.. with parties and going around places.. so it was eating and eating and eating, drinking and drinking and drinking..

dec 29 - tagged along to Bueno Aires, for a christmas party for the people in tricia's office.. swam in the super cold swimming pool there, and ate and ate and ate.. Bong brought his cute dalmation dog along.. night time was ktv-time.. and ryan and temogen suddenly popped out, and we guys sang like nobody's business.. haha..

dec 30 - a rest day.. wasn't feeling too well.. maybe i ate something wrong (see? that's the problem with eating too much)..

dec 31 - new year eve.. didn't go anywhere far.. went to church for a mass in the evening, and waited at home to welcome the new year with food.. yeah.. food again.. saw some fireworks after the mass.. though it wasn't very spectacular, it still made me go "wahh~~!!".. haha.. saw stephen on my way back.. =) he looked thinner, i guess he was too busy with his job in bacolod.. poor guy, having to work during holidays too..

jan 1 - new year.. food food and more food.. joined tricia's big family for a new year celebration.. played games with all the kids, suddenly became popular with them.. haha.. it was enjoyable.. =) but i popped over to the mondia's house for dinner, and somehow stayed there overnight.. haha.. drinking with the guys was crazy.. when all of them spoke consistently in "stone-stone english".. haha.. dadai carloy even became "english-less" for a few moments.. haha..

jan 2 - did my cheap manicure and pedicure there for only 50 peso.. home service.. haha.. now i know why manicures and pedicures are so expensive in singapore.. haha.. then went bacolod again with them, for another big family dinner.. haha..

jan 3 - went to this baranguay sagasa to visit a library donated by one of the villagers (the baranguay captain's sister) who is working as a nurse in the States.. although it was only a size of a room, it was very nicely done, and quite well-equipped with books.. and i was told that the students from the elementary and high schools in the baranguay benefitted alot from it.. the library is also open to the public, so it is well-used, i can say.. =) travelled to another city, La Carlota City.. along the way i went up a buffalo-cart, ate sugarcane.. then we went to the park where 24 of us went there last year.. the park with the statue.. yup.. when i saw the stairs where we took our pictures.. memories flooded back, and i almost teared.. (of course i didn't..)

jan 4 - went swimming in canonoy beach (in the swimming pool) in another city.. now in the office again, using the internet.. tsk tsk..

ok, that's all for now i think.. i'm going to do my work distributing old stuff tomorrow and visiting the bago city college again on friday.. will keep you guys updated.. haha..