~ yuhui * dreaming of my filipino dream ~

Entering 2012

2012-01-03T01:02:00.004+08:00

2012 has crept in, much to my reluctance. The past 365 days had gone too soon, and honestly speaking, I really can't recall any significant events that took place for the past year. Except for the fact that I flew back to the Philippines 4 times in a year. Ha.

And the date with Piolo. :D

The trip back to Malaysia for the Qing Ming Festival was worth cherishing, it has been quite a long while since I met my relatives there, and I never knew that I have step-aunts, not to mention seeing them and hearing the exciting stories of their days in the jungles during the communist war.

Interestingly, the intoxication from Korean dramas has its unexpectedly lasting effect on me. Haha.

Of course, as time passes, people come and go. I enjoyed all the get-togethers with old classmates, and I am thankful for the company of friends dearest to me. I will miss the ones who left for a better place, and will try to look on the bright side, for people who chose to walk out of my life.

With the new year already trickling in and away, I just wish for peace and happiness, with lots of good company with friends. :) No new year resolutions for me, because I don't want to stress myself, and most probably I won't be able to keep to them. Haha.

Hope 2012 will be an awesome year for all of us!

Back from Manila

2011-12-08T17:44:00.003+08:00

It was as though I was dreaming. After 2 weeks of mad rush over work, I flew to Manila immediately right after I completed all my missions (for now), and back again to reality 4 days after.

I guess I was really exhausted over the past 2 weeks, I slept like a dead log over there in Manila. I did not bother to take any pictures too, I should have left my camera here.

But it was great seeing my friends there, both from Manila and Bago City. :) It was more like an early Christmas get-together with my friends, which I enjoyed it that way. Haha. Not to mention it was also a meaningful meet-up, to discuss the upcoming volunteering project in April. I'm very excited about that. :)

As usual, I love the shopping. Glorietta, Greenbelt and SM Mall of Asia are my playgrounds. :) Watched a pinoy movie too!

And oh! I took the MRT in Manila, ALONE. Haha. It can't be compared to the train system here in Singapore, but of course it was a kind of an experience for me. And I survived that. Haha.

I would still love to spend the Christmas in the Philippines, but air tickets are super expensive during the festive season, and work doesn't permit either. Maybe there would be a miracle, since my horoscope reading says that I would be travelling on Dec 3 - 4 and Dec 23. HAHA.

Yes I can never get enough of the Philippines. I'm already a pinoy at heart. :)

The Youth Choir

2011-11-04T01:35:00.005+08:00

I've been following the Korean variety show 'Qualifications of Men' lately, intrigued by the latest mission on the show.

The mission was to form a 'Youth Choir', with members aged 52 and above, and to take part in the national choir competition. Auditions were held, and 40 senior citizens, with the oldest being 84, were selected.

Their journey in the past 3 months was a testimony to the growth of the choir. With an average age of 62, it was not easy for them to develop into a mature choir from scratch, let alone tackle the challenges of competing in a competition. I admire their courage and preseverence. Each of them has their own story to tell, and everybody has become well-loved by the viewers. Even the conductor Kim Tae-won, who is a band player, had to humbly learn conducting from another master in order to take up this challenge. He single-handedly did the composition and the arrangement for the 2 competition pieces.

I love the concept of the 'Youth Choir', it's never too old to sing on stage again, and to show to the young ones, that the seniors citizens can do it too. Totally love the idea of the K-pop idol medley, which they sang for the final round of the competition.

我也算是在舞台上成长。在小学时，曾是口笛队的队长，有好几次在台上领奏、弹钢琴。进了中学后，就和华乐结缘，一直到大学时期，甚至到毕业后，上了无数次的台演出和比赛。也因为参加华乐团，让我有机会出国表演，除了二胡也接触到板胡及竖琴，更让我结交了一群志同道合的好朋友。就和这支合唱团一样，乐团注重的是团队精神，而不是个人表现。这样的成长过程，比较扎实。

虽然现在并不活跃于乐团活动，却有想念排练、上台演出的时候。看着这支‘青年合唱团’，因为喜欢唱歌而聚在一起，因为不想再错过上台表演的机会而勇敢接受挑战，让我想象，50年后，我会不会有像他们一样的机遇，一群喜欢音乐的陌生人聚在一起，一同表演呢？我会有那股勇气吗？

‘青年合唱团’的努力不负众望，在比赛中得了银奖。他们的歌声，打动了许多听众的心，多得了观众如雷般的掌声。我也因为他们的演出感动得落泪。比赛结束后，他们解散了，但是天下无不散之筵席，我相信，他们就算不是为了比赛，也会为了共同爱好，还会继续聚在一起。

And with that, I'll leave you to enjoy their performance for the competition. :)

Went to Manila, and back again!

2011-10-30T23:24:00.020+08:00

Before I knew it, I was in Manila, and back again. :(

Time flew too fast, 4 days in the Philippines is definitely not enough. There are just so many things I want to do, I could do. Very tempted to fly back there again, immediately. Ha.

But anyway, this time round, it was a different kind of fun, because I was like a Singaporean working as a tour guide in the Philippines. :)

Right after we landed in Manila at 5am, we went to the hotel, had breakfast at the nearby MacDonalds and to tap on the free wifi, to plan our itinerary.

We were glad that we went to the Legazpi Sunday Market nearby. It was so colourful and there were so many interesting stuff there.

From accessories..

To handphone covers..

To toys..

To interesting stuff like paperweight..

To food..

Love how the photos turn out. :)

We had lunch at Dampa, and they were amazed by the cheap and good seafood there. You buy your seafood from the market, and bring it to the restaurant nearby and ask them to cook it the way you want it to. I hardly get disappointed whenever I get to eat there. :)

Thanks to Imee, we had a free tour around Fort Santiago, a defense fortress in the old city of Intramuros. The guide was an interesting fella, though there were quite a few times I couldn't catch what he was saying. Too deep. Ha. At least now I know more about the Philippines' history, and gained some insight while going around the Prison House of the Philippine hero Jose Rizal.

But I think we were more concerned about our wet feet after walking through the tour in the rain.

Our itinerary for the second day was to trek up the Taal Volcano Island. My Ate (sister) Shelyn was very nice, she accompanied us there and hired a driver for the journey. It was about 1.5hr drive from Manila to Tagaytay, where we took the bangka across the lake to the Taal Volcano Island.

When we reached there, overly-friendly guides and horses were waiting for us, hoping we would pay them for the horses to bring us up to the top of the volcano. We decided from the start that we would trek up, since we were already in proper shoes. But they still followed us, trying to convince us to take the horses because we looked like 'we couldn't make it'. Of course, they gave up when we were halfway up the volcano. Haha.

Even if it was physically exhausting to trek up under the hot sun, I am glad we chose to walk, to enjoy the beautiful scenery that greeted us along the way.

Other tourists must be thinking, these people must be mad, not to take the horses. Haha.

It took us around 1 hour to reach the top, and the view was gorgeous. A crater lake in a volcano within a lake. :)

We stayed up there for around 15 minutes, and it took us just 20 minutes to get back to the foot of the volcano. The power of gravity. Haha.

Lunch was exceptionally satisfying after the climb. The pinoy food wasn't bad, anyway. :)

We went on to Sonja's Garden, everything's pretty with the plants and whatever.

We even had a competition among the smartphones, to see which is smarter in taking photos. The result? iPhone won. :)

While traveling back to Manila, they went crazy over the outlet shops at Greenfields.

Dinner was at Via Mare in Greenbelt. Love the bangus (stuff milkfish) and the eggplant with eggs.

I realised I had lots of coffee in Manila, not just because it's cheaper, there are more cafes, more choices. :)

The next 2 days were mainly about shopping. We became the shopping queens and king at SM Mall of Asia, and I've instantly brushed up on my Tagalog while bargaining at the Divisoria 168 Mall.

Ate Shel treated us to dinner at Barbara's, which came with a cultural performance too. Dancers performed various traditional Filipino dances to the tunes of the rondalla.

Yup, before we could say 'hello', it was time to say 'goodbye'. I didn't even get to shop in my favourite Glorietta and Greenbelt! I guess I still miss the moments of travelling alone, but I don't mind having the company too. :) At least there were more fun and laughter, when they were not performing their SOP, i.e. sleeping in the car. Haha.

I really, really can't wait to be back in the Philippines again. Shucks, my compulsive air-ticket-purchasing disorder is acting up again.

A date with Papa Piolo

2011-09-25T11:22:00.008+08:00

Many of my Filipino friends would be happy for me. No, I'm not getting married to a Filipino (still contented with my freedom), neither am I migrating to the Philippines. Haha.

But I finally got to meet my idol, the Philippines' ultimate heartthrob, Piolo Pascual!! :D

Yes most of my Filipino friends know that I'm a fan of Piolo, and they like to make fun of me for that. Haha. Come to think of it, I started learning Tagalog after watching my first Tagalog movie, 'Don't Give Up On Us'. The main leads are none other than Piolo himself, and Judy Ann Santos. So I should thank him that I can now understand and speak simple Tagalog. :)

He was in Singapore last Sunday for his Asian tour album's launch, and I knew about it some time in August. I was actually procrastinating about it, because I didn't want to go alone, and my Filipino friends here in Singapore are working on weekends as well. But I was glad I got to go to his concert afterall.

The opening act was by a Filipino band, and once again they proved that Filipinos are indeed talented in music.

Then comes the guest performer, the rockstar princess Yeng Constantino. True to her name, I've never seen any other female singers who could carry off and sing rock songs as good as her. She writes her own songs too. 'Hawak Kamay' and 'Salamat' are the hits that you will hear, and you must hear in any of her concerts or performances.

And with much ado, Piolo finally came out to the delight of many screaming (or perhaps shrieking) fans. That includes me. Haha. With that good-looking face and well-toned body (oh.. drools at that chest!), who won't go crazy over him? Hahaha.

Belting out songs like 'Babe', 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' and 'Be My Lady', he melted my heart many times. Haha.

Sadly, he only sang for about 30 minutes, and that was the end of his concert. Would love to hear him sing more songs. He didn't even sing some of his major hits like 'Kailangan Kita'. Then again, this was for his 'Songs of the Decades' album launch.

After the concert, there was a meet-and-greet session. It was in chaos. Ha. We had to purchase the merchandise, which included the album and a poster, in order to get into the meet-and-greet session. And disappointingly, personal cameras were not allowed and we could only take photos with Piolo in groups of five.

And I couldn't share any photos of the meet-and-greet session, because the organiser screwed up and had not uploaded all the photos. Very disappointed and annoyed.

Oh well, at least, after 5 years of waiting, I finally got to come up close with my Papa P, and got his autographs too. :) Despite so, I shall continue to plead with the mayor and Tricia to get Piolo to perform during Bago City's fiesta. Haha. I will fly to Bago City at all costs. Wahaha.

Love you, Papa P!! :D

写给阿公的信

2011-09-17T16:17:00.004+08:00

阿公，

三年了，你还好吗？你应该不时在喝茶、做墨画、弹琴，偶尔抽几根烟吧。

自从你离开后，这三年，大家还是以你为中心，特别日子或佳节大家依旧在你家聚在一起。一切应该和往常一样吧，也许小孩子们都渐渐长大，他们的改变应该很大吧。

我很惭愧地说，我也得承认，我和这个家的距离，已经疏远了。你应该正在骂我，家庭是最重要的，为什么我一点也不关心这个家庭。阿公，你没有错，可是很多时候，很多事情，我选择自己一个人解决。有很多时候，我真的觉得凡事都要向他们报告，是一种负担，是一种拖累。甚至会换来不必要的唠叨，这并不能解决问题，不是吗？

我很想自己搬出来住，可是我又有什么能耐？在你的孙子当中，我是失败的。更因为大家对我的期望高，我看起来更狼狈。

阿公，我不是在向你诉苦，我只是把憋在心里的话说出来罢了。我希望你不要为我担心，就让我用我自己的方法过生活。这样我会好过一些。你应该知道，你这个孙女，虽然固执，但是还有坚强的一面。

阿公，我还是很想念你。我们应该要再等上五、六十年才能在见面。放心，我也不想那么快再见到你。但是，光阴会在我们不知不觉中从身旁飞逝。那么，我们到时候见吧。

Our 7th President

2011-08-28T22:16:00.002+08:00

We have just elected our 7th President. To be honest, I was a little disappointed at how the results turned out. I had hoped that a familiar face in my younger days would have been elected instead. With a mere 0.34% margin difference, he had been a strong contender, and I believed a strong message has been sent out, that the Singapore politics is entering a new phase, and the people in white are no longer standing on strong grounds.

Updates on my Facebook were telling me that many of the younger generation (a.k.a us) would have wanted the outcome to turn out otherwise too. At least, I felt relieved we all think the same way, and perhaps 10 years down the road, the Singapore politics would be shaped differently.

And I wonder, how would that 1.8% of spolit votes have changed the outcome, if these people could be less apathetic? And would having less candidates reduce the dilution effect on the votes? This reminded me of the presidential election in Philippines last year. Having 9 candidates running for the presidential post, to me, is a joke. Getting celebrities as endorsers, and having an ex-President once ousted because of corruption running again, is a mockery.

Oh well, the newly-elected President has 6 years to prove himself.

On a lighter note, yes, the blog has been neglected again. Was busy with work itself, and some work-related photoshoots (editing has always been a tedious process). Saturday afternoons would be the only time to unwind intellectually by reading up on my new language skills, and Sundays are reserved for being a couch potato. :) Of course, quite frequently the days aren't always peaceful. Ha.

And soon, there would be a wedding marathon coming up for the next few months. Time to shop for dresses, shoes and bags.

In a heartbeat

2011-08-09T18:06:00.002+08:00

Having been to quite a number of countries, there were times I wished I was living in somewhere else. But there are still things here that we should be thankful for.

Happy 46th birthday, Singapore!

Richard Poon - Beautiful As You

2011-08-07T22:55:00.003+08:00

It's scary how fast time flies. And now, it's already August. My gosh.

Anyway, just wanna share the latest song of Richard Poon - Beautiful as You.

A song that will melt your hearts (as least for me, it did). :)

Goodbye, Tito Dad

2011-07-26T23:28:00.002+08:00

Tito Dad passed away this afternoon, losing his battle with a stroke that left him in a coma for 3 days.

My heart just sank upon hearing the news.

Papa was admitted into the hospital last Wednesday, and before I left for Manila last Friday, I went to visit him at the hospital and Tito Dad was there. Having a flight to catch, I bid everybody goodbye, and kissed them on the cheeks, including his.

On Sunday, I was asking how was Papa recovering, but got the bad news instead. Tito Dad looked perfectly fine that day, having lunch and reading the newspaper in the ward. His stroke came so sudden, that I think everybody in the family couldn't believe it as well.

I was worried about Tita Vic as well. She just had a heart surgery in February, I was so afraid she might not be able to cope.

Perhaps, it was time for him to go, but I never like seeing people go, so suddenly, just like that.

I don't know if this is a mere coincidence, Lolo Samuel passed away last year, the day after I saw him in the Mondia's house and after I left Bago City. Is it a consolation that I was able to see them before their passing, or should I wish that I was never there?

Maybe I shouldn't even be thinking about that.

Tito Dad and Tita Vic live just across the Matti's house. If I wake up early enough to sit with Papa outside the house, or if I return early before dinner, Tito Dad would always be around, chatting with Papa. He was always so welcoming, and just like Papa, he would ask if I have eaten, where have I been to, where would I be going.

Now, I won't get to ask him back the same questions, but I know the answer, because he is already in a place with no sufferings and no agony.

My condolences to the Yulo and Matti family.

Goodbye Tito Dad.

Greetings from Bago City

2011-07-20T21:12:00.002+08:00

Life here has been good, in my own words, a good way to detox from all evils. Haha. It might have been a short stay, but nothing falls short from feeling right at home here in Bago City.

I have not yet gotten to meet up with everyone (too many people I've known here), but of those people whom I've seen, they are doing fine. Except for Papa, he has just been admitted into a hospital due to his high blood sugar level. But I'm sure he will recover and get well soon.

This trip would just be a rest-and-relax trip, a time for me to get together with my friends, and some time for myself too. I did not plan for any activities or gift-giving for the children, I hope they won't be disappointed.

And so far so good, I have been sleeping and waking up early (so different from my usual body clock back in Singapore), and eating well too. :) Of course, I've satisfied my craving of chicken inasal, and lots of Starbucks because it is cheaper here in the Philippines. :)

But things have changed too. As the years passed, all of us have matured, and for various reasons, we might have grown closer, or become further apart. For whatever that may mean, I'm learning to accept that.

Alas, time is never enough. I have always wished I have had more time with my friends here. I wish them well, as always.

Till next time. :)

Hello Philippines :)

2011-07-16T04:56:00.000+08:00

Yup, it has been a while. It has been 5 months. And now...

Hello Philippines! :)

Time for a change

2011-07-06T21:19:00.003+08:00

A change is not a bad thing. We ought to try to be different at times, otherwise life would be boring. :)

Don't worry, I'm not quitting my job. I'm still here. Haha. And apologies for the lack of posts (again). There has been an intense lack of inspiration due to my recent over-intoxication with korean dramas and my preeettyboy. ;D

Home?

2011-06-15T23:53:00.003+08:00

I have not been on good terms with my parents for quite some time. I would not like to talk about it because it is not a good thing to share, but it has been taking a toll on me. I avoid going home before they sleep. Even if I do, I would keep quiet, and retreat to my personal space in my room.

I wish I am staying on my own. No conflicts. Peace.

What am I

2011-05-24T23:29:00.009+08:00

It is rather interesting to know how differently people view you, from how you look at yourself.

I was given a task during a training, to make a clay model to represent myself. I usually don't like such questions, because sometimes I'm really unsure of myself, what exactly I am.

I started asking some of my friends, what could I make with the clay. I got answers like 'a musical note', 'a musical instrument', because I love music and I could play the organ and the erhu. But I thought it was too generic and common, because many of the colleagues in the training session would have similar passions too.

Then I got more interesting answers:
A camera - because I like photography, and I always record the things I see
A doormat - because I'm always welcoming my friends from overseas
A walking dictionary - although I don't think I'm one
Philippines - no prizes for getting it right
A sun - because I'm a sun-loving person
An ox - because I am determined (in another word, stubborn)
A 'nuah' shape - because I like to 'nuah' HAHA
Something to represent my horrible laughter - how am I going to show it with a clay model??

Then I decided on something else - an alien. A weird person, with extreme personalities and unusual habits. HAHA.

And during this 2 day - 1 night training, I realised I couldn't be deprived of even a little bit of me-and-myself-time everyday. I actually felt relieved sitting alone at the cafe, drinking coffee, doing nothing and watching people go by. Go ahead and say I'm anti-social. :)

In the end, the activity was scraped, we didn't need to make any clay models. What a relief. But it was very nice to have a colleague who made something for me. Thanks! :)

So, if you know what could well represent me, share with me! :)

Ah..

2011-05-23T01:52:00.002+08:00

Life has been (fill in the blank).

I'm still alive. Ha.

中毒了

2011-05-02T23:01:00.009+08:00

最近又开始追起偶像剧来了。

为了追看偶像剧，我不只把一些睡眠时间给牺牲了，连平时收看的菲律宾戏也暂停不看了。很难想象吧，我竟然不看我的“家乡戏”！

所以我说，我中毒了。哈哈。

不切实际的爱情故事，也许是偶像剧的吸引力。当然，也要有帅哥美女的衬托。虽然这样的情节不太可能出现在平常生活里，有时候却会不经意地在幻想，自己是剧中的女主角。

我的感情生活是一份白卷，我可能不懂什么是爱情。也许是这样，有点渴望想经历一次像偶像剧般那不切实际的恋情。当然，我知道感情不是闹着玩的，我也不是18岁的少女（也就是说，我不年轻了），所以只能把渴望当成奢望，当作是自己异想天开吧。自己也清楚，一段稳定的爱情，比谈一场轰轰烈烈的恋爱来得现实一些。

至于我的感情生活什么时候会有转机，就听天由命。我相信时机到了，自然会来。就耐心等待。:)

Life is short

2011-04-22T23:30:00.005+08:00

Life is too short to give way to regrets.

A young Filipino actor passed away in a vehicular accident while on his way back home from a provincial show last weekend. AJ Perez was only 18 years old, gone too soon. I admit I was a little affected by his death, not just because he was cut down at such a young age, and he was so well-loved by many people in the industry and his fans. His passing reminded me of my cousin who passed away when she was only 14 years old.

Then I got to hear about Fatima Soriano, a blind girl in the Philippines who could 'see' Mother Mary and has 'healing powers'. The parents of AJ decided to donate his corneas to Fatima after watching her interview with Boy Abunda, but it was then reported that a cornea transplant was not suitable for Fatima because her blindness is a retinal problem.

Out of curiosity, I watched the same interview of Fatima. I watched it with skepticism. I know there are certain things that can't be explained, but I would rather believe in facts than in beliefs and religions.

Fatima is a very pleasant girl, and speaks with amiability yet with affirmation. She is just a 18-year old teenager.

When asked about her 'healing powers', she was very humble and said, she was just happy to be the instrument of God. She was very certain that if you trust in Him, He will work it out for you.

I still remain skeptical about it. I have questions, and they are debatable. And I've said this before, I would not believe in any religion without having any true understanding of it.

The main objective of the interview is not to leave us in debates. I'm amazed by her humility, and the wise words that came from her during the interview.

"Let's not postpone love."
"Why waste time getting angry?"
"I 'see' Mother Mary, not with my eyes, but with my heart. What is essential, is invisible to the eyes."

Indeed, life is too short, life can be unpredictable. Probably we should be embarrassed about how we take time for granted, for an 18-year old to remind us of that.

Perhaps we can start first, with not postponing the sharing of love with the ones you care.

A learning excursion on the Pu family history

2011-04-21T00:47:00.008+08:00

Ahh.. procrasination has once again took control.

Anyway, I went to Malaysia and Betong (Thailand) with my family not too long ago, for the Qing Ming Festival. It has been an annual affair for my parents, because that would be the only occasion (unless somebody gets married) the Pou family gets together and pay their respects to my grandparents. And this year, all of us managed to get away from our usual responsibilities somehow, and went back as a family.

Sunrise at my grandparents' final resting place

The Pou family has a history of its own. My grandparents were born in Guangxi, China, and came down to Betong, Thailand, to eke out a living. Before that, they had separate families of their own. Probably during wartimes, families got separated and my grandparents got together and formed another family of their own. My father has 10 siblings, and 4 step-siblings.

My father was born in Betong. He was the last of the siblings born there, before the entire family moved to Penang, then to Padang Serai. Some of his siblings came down to Singapore to work, but only my father stayed here, and thus my existence. :)

His step-siblings from my grandfather still live in Guangxi, while the step-siblings from my grandmother live in Betong.

Betong town

This gathering was a huge one, because my step-aunt from Guangxi came too, and all of us went to visit my step-aunts in Betong. This was my first time meeting all of my step-aunts.

But the most amazing thing was, I got to learn that one of my step-aunts joined the communists when she was only 20 years old, fighting against the then-Malaya government. She shared with us many stories, and I'm so privileged to hear these rare experiences of living in the jungles, from the woman herself. And she still lives near the jungles. :)

Probably the most valuable moment in this trip was that the Pou family got to spend time together, even if it was only a fraction of us who went to Betong for that 2 days. It was also then my father told us of his family stories.

The largest mailbox in the world

I remembered I've been to Betong once, when I was a young kid. I remembered seeing the red mailbox, visiting the temple and playing with chicks with my other cousins. Time to dig out all the old photos again.

Wat Phutthathiwat

But I guess this time round, it was much more fulfilling to know about the legacy that my grandparents had left us.

Langkawi morning

We did side-trips to Langkawi and Penang too. We rented a car and drove around the little island of Langkawi. There was not much to explore, only the Sky Bridge and the Telaga Tujuh falls were worth going.

Langkawi Sky Bridge

Telaga Tujuh falls

My father spent some of his childhood years in Penang, so this trip was also for him to reminisce his past. He loves to walk, even with so many different kinds of the local delicacies we have eaten, I don't think we have gained any weight. My father would simply explore the entire Georgetown on our reliable feet.

Cheong Tze Fatt Mansion

Inside a Chinese temple

This trip wasn't as bad as I imagined. I am so used to travelling independently, and I don't have the tolerance for my parents' constant naggings. Surprisingly, it was still endurable, not that they have been yakking non-stop. Ha. And it was all expenses paid for. :)

A little part of me wishes for another family vacation like this, to learn more about my own family. Perhaps we could start working on 'The Chronicles of the Pou Family - Part 1'. Haha.

Another short respite

2011-04-07T01:38:00.004+08:00

Ah.. Another short respite, that came just in time. A call for duty as a family member of the Pu/Pou.

Afterwhich, it will be back to piling of workload again. Woot.

很累

2011-03-29T02:40:00.005+08:00

很累。

上一周，有朋自远方来，当然不亦乐乎。很可惜，没法抽出很多时间陪她。

忙于华乐团演出的幕后工作。今年大胆挑战在 Esplanade 办一场音乐会，也大胆地尝试演奏作曲家陈能济4首大作。喜欢这次上演的曲目，更怀念少时演奏《龙的传奇》的时光。

难得能和陈老师，和古琴演奏家余美丽老师合作。虽然没能和他们同台演出，排练时坐在乐团后面听陈老师述说他对音乐和创作的感言，也算是一种荣幸，也领悟到一些道理。

私底下，他们都很客气，很平易近人。在我合作过的音乐家之中，他们算是容易相处的。余老师很尽责，虽然她可以与家人一同游走新加坡，她却选择留下与乐团排练。与她的家人话不多（我听不懂广东话），但看得出他们很支持她。

也很感谢陈老师这位大师级人物愿意和我们这样的一个学生团体合作。他说我们是“专业的业余乐团”。不敢当。

音乐会算是成功，辛苦大家。

但是对幕后的安排工作感到失望。话若说多了，很容易被人误解。如果有心，事情或许会好办一些。所以怨言，就往里吞，又不是没做过，反正说了，也于事无补。

累了。

You can help Japan

2011-03-15T22:53:00.000+08:00

It was a devastating weekend for Japan. A 8.9-magnitude earthquake shook the country, and the tsunami wiped out beautiful towns and cities that were once scenic spots.

Images and video footages of the destruction are constant reminders to us, that nature will still reign above man, we should love the only Earth that we have.

And for whatever reasons you may have, please do not gloat over the tragedy that Japan is now battling against. There's something called karma.

Japan is a very disciplined country, I am sure the people are brave enough to overcome all challenges, and they will rebuild their country back to its glory, or even better.

But for now, you can help them. Don't just sit there and do nothing. Singapore Red Cross is now accepting monetary donations towards the Japan's earthquake-tsunami disaster.

Please visit the Singapore Red Cross' website for donation information.

Or, check out the Red Cross' websites/offices in your respective countries.

I've made my contribution. Have you?

P.S. And don't shun Japanese products. So what if they will get expensive? Buying their products will help in regaining their economy, and I know you can jolly well afford it. :)

Back from the Philippines, for the 11th time

2011-03-05T15:32:00.010+08:00

Yes, I'm back, since last week. But I was too preoccupied with the uploading of the photos and getting back to the hectic lifestyle. It felt like I have been back for weeks. :(

As always, the time spent in Bago City has been enjoyable and meaningful. There's always so much to experience, so much to learn.

That was my first time experiencing the fiesta and the Babaylan Festival in Bago City, and wow, what a colourful and awesome fiesta it was! Good to have Jiahui with me too! :)

I had so much fun during the fiesta. We had our very own kite decorating and kite flying activity, I think it was also the first time we had such activity in Bago City.

And it was quite a sight to behold, seeing 80 kites flying up into the sky above the Bago City sports field, all at the same time. I hope the kids have enjoyed the activity as much as I did.

And what's a fiesta without the presence of the celebrities? :) Princess Velasco of ASAP Sessionistas, 'Sample King' Jhong Hilario, Bianca Manalo, Bret Jackson, Andrew E. and 4 artistes from GMA performed live in Bago City. :)

Princess Velasco, Jhong Hilario

Bianca Manalo

Bret Jackson

GMA artists

And I've got autographs of Princess, on her CD. Woohoo~! :)

Andrew E taught me something too, "humanap ka ng pangit, at ibigin mo ng tunay". Which is translated to, look for somebody who's ugly, and love him/her truly. :)

Giving away 800 sets of stationery was also my way of giving back to the community. I've gained so much from Bago City, the warmth and the friendship, that I would wanna do more for the people there. I am very thankful to have friends who have been so supportive towards my cause. :)

The kids are so cute, their definitions of love are also out of the world. This is my favourite: Love is like a bubblegum. When it gets sticky, it will make you go crazy. :D

Got to visit The Ruins in Talisay City. Beautiful.

And revisited the Kipot Twin Falls and Paradiso Beach.

Kipot Twin Falls, Paradiso Beach

And I survived Manila. :) Was going around places alone in Manila, good that I know the shopping malls well. A perfect excuse for retail therapy. Haha. My friends in Bago City were a little paranoid about me being alone there, but I think they worry too much. Haha. There were incidents where taxi drivers tried to cheat me of my money, thinking that I was just like any other foreigner easily bullied. But hey, I can speak Tagalog, and I can deal with you. HAHA.

It was also good that I was able to meet up with some of my friends there. The me-and-myself-alone time I promised to give myself was comforting, in a sense that I was able to give myself some space, to sit down and do nothing.

Was also able to witness the 2nd Philippine International Pyromusical Competition at SM Mall of Asia. Fireworks right before my eyes. Breathtaking. I think I was just too lucky to have seen 3 times of fireworks within 2 weeks. :)

And for the 11th time, I am still not getting enough of the Philippines. Can't wait to be back there again, god knows when.

Handog Ng Pilipino Sa Mundo

2011-03-01T23:05:00.000+08:00

"Handog Ng Pilipino Sa Mundo" ("The Philippines' Offering to the World") is a song written, based on the success of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.

With my level of understanding of Tagalog, the song is about the fight of the Filipinos against injustice under the dictatorship of Marcos, for their freedom, without violence but through the unity of the country.

Through the years, I've read on the history of the country, and with the passing of the former president Mrs Cory Aquino in 2009, people are again reminded of the significance behind the EDSA revolution. If you could watch video footages of the revolution, the sight could be quite overwhelming.

I happened to be in Manila when the Philippines celebrated the 25th anniversary of EDSA revolution on 25 February 2011. People were in yellow, congregating near the EDSA Shrine, yellow ribbons were tied around poles and fences as well. I did not participate in any of the celebrations (for fear of the huge crowd), but I could feel the patriotism everywhere I go.

But 25 years on, the Philippines still faces problems of poverty and corruption. The son of Marcos made a comment, that the Philippines would have become another Singapore had the country remained under the Marcos' rule. I have no comments to that, but I do think the Filipino government and the people should focus on improving the country, instead of just remembering that historical event without honoring its legacy and its significance.

And I definitely hope to see a better Philippines.

Going back to Bago City again

2011-02-11T23:03:00.004+08:00

After 5 (long) months of waiting, soon I'll be on the road back to Bago City again. It has been 7 long years, and I still love this place.

For the first time, I'll be there for their city's charter anniversary fiesta celebration and the Babaylan Festival. And I do look forward to our very own kite-flying activity, which to my surprise, is a part of the fiesta celebration. :)

And a very big thank-you to my friends for the support, we have raised slightly more than $800 for the stationery sets to be given to the children. :)

I'm also giving myself some me-and-only-myself-time during this trip. I hope I can survive, and come back safely.

Will be back 2 weeks later. :)

莫名奇妙的情绪

2011-02-02T10:59:00.003+08:00

这几天，心情会无端端地酝酿着一些莫名奇妙的情绪。搞不懂，到底是怎么一回事。

工作，和上几个月比起来，顺利得很。健康，还好，只不过一些老毛病就从此离不开。撇开爱情，因为八字都没有半个丿，而且由不得我去主宰。友情，很庆幸一直都在。家庭，也还好。曾经为自己算过命，朋友会比自己的亲人还亲，我也不否认。

所以，真的搞不懂，到底是怎么一回事。

对新年一点期待也没有，因为不是特别喜欢过新年。没做任何准备，只包了红包给重要的长辈们。

很快就能回到我的第二个家，可是，我迟迟未定自己的行程，和一向速战速决的我，很不像。

希望这种莫名其妙的情绪，快点消失。

Raising funds for Bago City

2011-01-30T21:26:00.003+08:00

It has been quite a while since I did something big scale for the children in Bago City.

In 2006, I managed to secure sponsorships for the shipping of 4 boxes to the Philippines, and an enormous amount of stationery. We had 2 fabulous Christmas parties for the children, and these donations came as a pleasant surprise to them.

I guessed I was just being lucky.

People were touched by the video of that trip. It never fails to make me laugh and cry, leaving a beautiful memory.

I continued to help the children whenever I was back in Bago City, however in much smaller ways.

This time round, I'm planning something big. I've secured a sponsorship of 100 kites, and I'm going to do a kite-flying activity. It was also ambitious of me to set a target, to raise $500 for stationery sets to be given to the children.

I'm very thankful to have friends who have been supporting me in my efforts to help the children. Within a week of my announcement, the target was achieved. Some even donated toys and clothes. I can't thank them enough.

I'm just lucky to have you guys as my friends.

P.S. I hope I'm not being too ambitious to raise the target to $800. :)

Help the Filipino kids

2011-01-25T23:48:00.002+08:00

Everytime when I visit Bago City, I would always try to help the children there, in the little ways that I could.

This time round, you guys can do your bit. :)

$1 can get a Filipino kid a basic stationery set. If you wish to contribute, do drop me a message or email me at "puyuhui at starhub dot net dot sg" (or SMS me, if you are my friends).

My target is to help 500 kids, but of course, the more the merrier. :)

Principles

2011-01-15T23:29:00.002+08:00

I had a lengthy phone 'conversation' with a parent this afternoon. It wasn't the first time I had to swallow my tears while enduring the unpleasant words coming from the other end of the line.

Over the years, I've learnt to understand that such nasty problems are part and parcel of work, and I'm still learning to deal with them effectively. Sometimes I could take them in my stride, sometimes I couldn't let them lie down.

Today's 'conversation' stemmed from some misunderstanding and miscommunication issues. Things got heated up, and I just kept silent, absorbing all the angry words being lashed out. It took quite some time for us to really settle the problems calmly. In the end, 'all is well'. But I wished I could have the wits to deal with the problems faster.

The parent insisted that he had his principles, and he was setting as an example to his children, that principles should be followed once set.

Yes, I agree, but to a certain extent. I do have my own set of principles too, be it personal or for work. But sometimes, I have to set them aside for certain circumstances. And that doesn't mean that I'm not assertive enough. Sometimes one has to be flexible, sometimes we are left with no other choices.

It's just a fine line between sticking to principles and being stubborn.

Shifting of office

2011-01-12T00:10:00.002+08:00

There have been too much movement within these few months. Having to deal with a new working space and project venue was a challenge. Hell, on some days, I would say. But at least the office wasn't on that serious tone (especially when there are people shouting 'bloody nonsense' here and there), just that I had to make do with the small space I had.

And 2 months after, we had to repack our things and move back to our old office. But it was a messy shifting of things. Dust was everywhere, files and materials were more than before. I dreaded the trouble of unpacking, given that I am quite a neat-freak. And today was only the first day. Shucks.

Once all the cleaning and clearing up are done, it's time to plan my homecoming to paradise.

Gone with 2010

2011-01-01T16:08:00.003+08:00

In 2010, I had..

- gone back to the Philippines 3 times! :)
- snorkelled for 3 consecutive days in Coron, Palawan. But no thanks to the coral scratches, I had many bouts of rashes attacks after that.
- watched Aiza Seguerra and Juris sing live! and photos with them after the concert!
- a greeting from Richard Poon!

- been a tour guide to my friends from the Philippines on many occasions. I could work sideline on that already.

- many gatherings with my friends from primary school and high school, reminiscing the good 'old' days.
- taken many photos on quite a number of special occasions. Satisfaction doesn't come everytime.
- given my hair a new look.
- watched Voyage de la Vie, seated at the 2nd row, centre. For free. Haha. Fulfilled my childhood wish of watching a live circus show.

Of course, there were disappointments, unhappiness and frustrations that I would rather not mention them. No point anyway, let bygones be bygones.

Just hope that 2011 would be a better year. Happy new year, everyone!

格格不入

2010-12-21T00:16:00.003+08:00

格格不入，用来形容我的个性，应该非常贴切。

我不否认我的性格很难以捉摸，脾气很火爆，思想很怪异。我任性，我自我，我不善于社交，我不会说话，甚至说话都不经过大脑。

有时候我很恨自己，为什么把自己搞成这样，却不试着去改变。我不改变自己，却希望帮助别人，很可笑，不是吗？

一切，只能说是咎由自取。很想钻进属于自己那渺小的世界里。垂头丧气也好，发泄情绪也好，没人管得了。因为那个世界，是属于我的。

我的世界，你敢进入吗？

Pinoy Christmas songs

2010-12-09T11:13:00.004+08:00

I hate Christmas this year, because I can't go back to my lovely 'homecountry' to spend Christmas there.

During such depressing moment like this, I shouldn't be listening to Christmas songs. But everytime I get to hear them, I have the urge to just buy the tickets and fly over right away. Argh.

Sharing with you guys 2 Tagalog Christmas songs, very touching. It has been sung by many artistes, but I can't find the music videos by the original singers.

I want my Christmas.

Pasko Na Sinta Ko (My darling, it's Christmas) - Christian Bautista

Sana Ngayong Pasko (Hopefully this Christmas) - Erik Santos

2 horrible weeks have passed

2010-12-05T23:53:00.002+08:00

Finally, I could get to sleep without thinking of what would happen tomorrow. No more imaginations of worst-case scenarios. It has been exhausting, mentally and physically. It was much tougher this year, more people and problems to deal with.

Even if I had dealt with them badly or wrongly, mistakes have been made. Probably these coming weeks would be crucial, to see the effects of my mistakes.

At times like this, I hope to be away in my paradise. But paradise is nowhere near my reach, even for this coming Christmas.

Twenty-five

2010-11-17T22:57:00.002+08:00

A quarter of a century has passed. It hasn't been a spectacular life journey, but I'm thankful for the experiences I've gone through.

I'm contented with the rather peaceful birthday I had, and I sincerely thank all of you for the warm greetings. :)

I don't need any celebrations on my birthdays. Peace and happiness in simplicity throughout the year would be more worthy than that. :)

Again, thank you, my friends.

Pasko na!

2010-11-04T22:35:00.004+08:00

With the release of ABS-CBN's Christmas station ID, the Christmas spirit is starting to get festive.

Very heartwarming to watch the video, to see my favourite stars coming together. :) Because I'm a true Kapamilya. Haha.

But I still prefer last year's station ID 'Bro, ikaw ang star ng Pasko'. It was more catchy, and more meaningful because of the unity the Filipinos have shown after Typhoon Ondoy has wreaked the islands.

Sadly, I can't be there this Christmas. I miss spending Christmas with my friends in the Philippines. And now, I wish I could have a 'parol' hanging in my room.

Another busy week has passed

2010-10-31T11:34:00.004+08:00

It has been a busy week, with my time packed with work, the shifting of the office, and being the tour guide and host to Tricia and Joseph.

This was the 2nd time Tricia has been in Singapore, and the 1st time for Joseph. They were here for a conference, and definitely to meet up with many of their friends here, starting from the legendary BHBH1, to BHBH5 and some other groups. I hope they have had a good time here in Singapore, just like how I would always enjoyed my time in Bago City.

It's funny when I was kept being asked if I am close to the people in Bago, and if I've been going back there often. I don't want to make it sound like it's something to boost about, I just want to cherish my close relationships with them, and keep it private.

There is nothing to boost about anyway, the things I've done for Bago, is nothing compared to the large-scale projects carried out by the various groups. It is a good thing that there have been groups going to Bago to do community service, and I'm glad that the group leaders have been making a continuous effort to keep it going.

I'll just continue with my small little ways to help Bago. I'll just keep on going back to Bago.

:)

Former Supreme Court

2010-10-18T22:42:00.003+08:00

Went to the City Hall and former Supreme Court Open House last weekend. It was indeed an eye-opener, nobody would want to step into either of the buildings for no good reason. Haha. Actually, I have been there twice, 10 years ago, to listen to a court trial on a murder case. To clarify, I have nothing to do with that case. It was just out of pure curiosity. :D

I always think that the colonial architecture is one defining characteristic of the buildings, clearly reminding us of our history, their presence and significance further creating an iconic landscape in Singapore. It is a pity that the buildings have to give way to the new National Art Gallery, but I hope that they will keep to the existing interiors and retain many of the furniture.

The guided tour was very educational, the guide was humorous too. It has been a long time since I followed a Mandarin guided tour, I'm glad my language competency is still of standard. :)

Photography would have been more enjoyable, if not for the crowd. But I guess, I did come up with a photo I'm statisfied with. :)

The door outside the holding cells beneath the Supreme Court.

A very early morning

2010-10-15T07:09:00.004+08:00

I was stirred awake early this morning, 15 minutes before 6. The house was quiet, and I couldn't get back to bed. I know there were things that were keeping me up, but my mind was blank. I was just staring at the ceiling the whole while. I was waiting for the alarm clock to go off, and I was frustrated because I could have slept for 2 more hours.

I was thinking to myself, should I just get ready for work, but probably that would be kinda freaky, turning up in office before the sun comes up. There are tons of work to clear for sure, but still, work doesn't dominate my life, or so I don't let it to be.

It has been a long while since the last time I got to read the newspaper the first thing I woke up. I miss the days when I have the luxury of lazing around in the morning.

Perhaps this was what I would have wanted, to sit down somewhere and do nothing. But I wish it wasn't in this manner. Insomnia would just make the rest of my day restless.

The months ahead don't look good. I wish.. for a holiday again.

Nothing

2010-10-11T22:34:00.003+08:00

I'm exhausted.

The weeks have been hectic, work, kids and whatever else. I would very much love to have peace and more quiet time for myself, if not with close friends.

I just want to sit down somewhere and do nothing, think about nothing.

My beautiful home of Bago City

2010-09-25T14:37:00.003+08:00

Many of you would have known that I'm very attached to my 2nd home in the Philippines, Bago City. A youth expedition trip 6 years ago has changed my life, I fell in love with the place and the people there. I can never have enough of Bago City, because there's so much more love, friendship and peace it can give me. :)

6 years on, I'm still in love with Bago City. I just came back from my 10th trip, and I definitely look forward to my 20th, or more.

This, is my beautiful home of Bago City. :)

Back from Bago City, for the 10th time :)

2010-09-20T00:51:00.006+08:00

I'm back from Bago City, for the 10th time. :)

It was absolutely fun, and many firsts again. I am so glad to have my dear friend princess Sarah with me this trip, it was wonderful to reminisce the times we spent in Bago City 6 years ago (that's damn long ago). For once I could push away all the attention and avoid answering questions. Haha.

We went exploring 3 caves in Mabinay, walking through the caves up and down the stones and on muddy grounds wasn't exactly that marvellous, it was still a one-of-a-kind experience after all. We had photos taken inside the caves, and we ended up talking about the 'faces' that appeared on the photos and ghostly talks after that.

We were also lucky to be part of the action of releasing a giant green sea turtle out to sea. It happened that the fishermen in Puntaplaya accidentally caught the turtle in the nets, and the environmentalists were called in and the sea turtle had to be released. Our dear princess Sarah appeared on the local newspaper the next day. :)

We were also invited to be a judge of a poem recital by students in the Bago City College, which was actually the students' mid-term grading. I hope our comments didn't kill the students or ruin their grades. Haha.

And the Jollybee party! We managed to get the mascot to Bago City, and had a party for both children and adults! Haha. And I still don't quite understand why some kids (like my godson) are scared of the bee. It's so cute! I hope everybody have had a great time during the party. :)

This trip has been filled with lots of laughter, over the lansones VS chiku, the Jollybee party, and the SMSes between Sarah and her mum.

And one of the things I've learnt from this trip, or rather, trying to convince myself to believe in, is that 'everything happens for a reason'. If Tricia is reading this, I bet she must be laughing at it. Haha.

Thank you to everybody whom I've got to meet up, it was simply heartwarming to see you guys. :) Thank you for spending your time with us, for the treats, for the fun, for everything. And thank you Sarah. :)

I've fulfilled my wish to celebrate my 10th trip with a bang (Jollybee party!), what would my next trip turn out to be? :)

Hello Bago City!

2010-09-10T07:15:00.002+08:00

Hello! Magandang umaga po sa iyong lahat! :)

Yes, I'm now in the Manila airport, waiting for my transit flight to Bago City. :) This will be my 10th time in my second home, and I'll celebrate it with a big bang (I don't mean it literally). Haha.

My blog has been dormant for quite some time, work has been hectic for the past few weeks, and will continue to be so. There's only 2 words to describe, 'mad rush'. I've been lunching-in for a couple of days, and even turning up for work at 8am yesterday just to make sure I could finish the important tasks before going on a week's break.

I hope this trip would be able to resuscitate my soul. Haha. Time to relax, sort of. I can't wait to see everyone again. And this time round, princess Sarah is coming with me! :D

And yes, I'm already becoming 3/4 Filipino, I have my own Philippines' HP number and mobile internet connection. How cool is that? :)

And till then, mabuhay!

Manila's bus-hijack

2010-08-28T22:35:00.002+08:00

The tragedy of the bus-hijack in the Philippines has been making headlines for the past few days. There's no need for me to list out the details of what took place, and the so-called blunder the Philippines National Police had made.

In fact, I'm not surprised that the event turned out this way. I do not mean that the Hong Kong tourists on the bus deserve to die. I'm not taken aback by the incapability of the Philippines' police. The security system of the country is not without flaws. At times, I find it ridiculous.

I shall not comment on the actions by the police in this incident, but my experiences in the country would pretty much sum up my sentiments on the issue.

Take the airport for example. All travellers have to go through at least 2 rounds of security checks from the point of entering the airport premises to the boarding gates. Of all the countries I've been to (not that I've been travelling that much), the Philippines' airport the the most troublesome. So much so that I always make it a point to reduce my carry-on baggage and dress light, i.e. slip-on shoes or slippers, no belts, no jackets.

Security guards are probably one of the most employed jobs throughout the country. You see them everywhere. Every shop in a shopping mall would have at least one security guard on duty. But just look at them. They open the doors for customers, greet the customers, thank the customers for shopping. Don't that make them like any other shopkeeper or salesman?

The society has to play a part. Crime rates are high because the people are not educated, corruption is prevalent, the police are not doing their jobs. It is a vicious cycle that the country needs to break itself out of.

I once watched a Filipino news documentary, on the '10 lessons Philippines should learn from Singapore'. In one of the interviews with an urban planner, he pointed out that there should be a central control or system managing the country, or at least the Metro Manila. The Metro Manila is probably less than the size of Singapore, but there are 17 cities in the Metro Manila and they are run individually by their own local governments. Just imagine, if Singapore is divided into 17 areas and each area has its own management systems in security, traffic, economy etc. It would just turn chaotic. Which is exactly what is happening in the Philippines.

Perhaps I should cite an example. Airports should be built on areas where there are rooms for expansion, given the fact that the aviation industry is constantly growing. The Manila's airport is right smacked in the middle of Pasay City with skyscrapers surrounding it. There have been debates of relocating the airport, but the Pasay City government is not receptive of the idea for fear that it would affect its own economy and tourism. See the problems now?

I agree with my boss, it was just too unlucky of the tourists to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Such incidents could have happened elsewhere, anywhere. The matter was just made worse by the mishandling of the event.

Having said all these, it doesn't stop me from travelling to the Philippines. You would still go back to your home country even if such incident happens in your own country, am I right? Haa. My relationship with my Filipino friends is very strong, reaching out to the children is still what motivates me to continue with my voluntary work. I would just take extra caution when travelling alone.

The Philippines should realise that there are a lot more they need to buck up on, and may the 8 victims rest in peace.

December Rains

2010-08-17T00:05:00.004+08:00

I have been soaking myself in December Rains since last night. No, I don't mean the rain literally, and December is still far away. I'm referring to the Mandarin musical 'December Rains' awesomely staged up by Toy Factory Productions, featuring the amazing Kit Chan, George Chan and Jeffrey Low.

《雨季》是本地经典的华语音乐剧，1996年首次登场，2010年再次呈献在观众面前。TOY 肥料厂以这部音乐剧庆祝成立二十周年，是献给所有支持TOY 肥料厂及本地创作的朋友们最恰当不过的礼物。

《雨季》的编剧是本地华语音乐流行歌曲教父梁文福，他除了动笔写出扣人心弦的歌词，也和创作歌手叶良俊一起创造《雨季》的幽美旋律。《雨季》的另一大卖点，就是把陈洁仪、田伟鸿和刘俊葳，连同梁文福的作品撮合在一起。

故事，简单地说，是个三角恋。这个爱情故事，充满着无穷的欢乐和持久的痛苦。设在五十至八十年代的故事，总离不开政治的变化，社会的动乱，年轻人的感情逃脱不了家人的干涉及反对。没什么特别，反正牵动人心的是剧里的歌曲。

我爱上了那首《请你告诉他》，歌词带出三角恋的凄美，主角对爱情的期盼与挣扎。果然是梁文福的创作。其实所有的歌词都很有意思，很佩服梁文福的创作天赋。当然也欣赏陈洁仪、田伟鸿和刘俊葳难以抗拒的歌声。

《雨季》从开场主角们对未来，理想和爱情抱着希望，到落幕感叹过去的幼稚，委屈和无奈，是不是在提醒我们，人都会犯错，都得牺牲，要学习走出那场雨季，才能看到雨后的彩虹。

欣赏一部好的作品，不只是体验它完美地呈现在观众面前，也应该了解制作背后的努力。

恭喜TOY 肥料厂及所有演员们《雨季》演出成功，就让我暂时沉浸在这场美丽的雨季里吧。:)

Song for Singapore

2010-08-07T14:58:00.004+08:00

National Day is coming, once again the whole country will come together and feel the spirit of patriotism soar. I'm not 100% patriotic (you could tell from my declarations of love for the Philippines and the Filipinos), National Day is nothing but a holiday to stay home and rest, and watch the National Day Parade on TV.

The military parade, the aircraft flypast, the show segments, and of course, the fireworks, are a staple of the NDP. But the theme songs are the ones that connect the people to the parade, to the entire National Day celebration.

The theme songs started with the familiar tunes of "Count On Me Singapore", "Stand Up For Singapore", "One People, One Nation, One Singapore", and a few more. It was then in 1998 when a different theme song was composed for every NDP, featuring our very own talents. I find that most of the Chinese lyrics are much more meaningful, and some songs, forgettable. Ha. Of all the singers, Kit Chan is still the best. :)

Listing out the various theme songs here, and my favourites. If you want to feel patriotic, you can click on all the links. Haha.

1998: Home

家

1999: Together

心连心

2000: Shine On Me, 星月

2001: Where I Belong

属于

2002: We Will Get There

一起走到

2003: One United People, 全心全意

2004: Home

2005: Reach Out For the Skies, 勇敢向前飞

2006: My Island Home, 辛福的图形

2007: There's No Place I'd Rather Be, Will You

2008: Shine For Singapore, 晴空万里

2009: What Do You See, 就在这里

2010: Song For Singapore

Happy 45th birthday, Singapore!

Go go power rangers!

2010-08-01T19:33:00.003+08:00

Does that rings a bell? :D

I'm sure children of our age (note that I used the word 'children', because we are still young!) would definitely know the show. It was the most popular and coolest kids' show on TV during our primary school days! Haha..

It was over our usual catch-up session and we were reminiscing our childhood days. Power Rangers came to our minds, and surprisingly, we could name out the colours and the names of the rangers! And their power morphers!

I would sit right in front of the TV every Saturday morning (it was on TV12 then), and watched the rangers fight against the evil witch Rita and the monsters. I can't remember for how many years I was glued to the show, but I could recall that from the inital 5 rangers (red, blue, yellow, black and pink), the green ranger joined the group, and who in turn became the white ranger. There were replacements to the initial cast as well, and then I had no idea what happened next.

Every kid would talk about Power Rangers. My class even had a 'Rangers group'. Ha. Yes, I was part of it. I shall not say which ranger I was.

I think there used to be some ranger toys around in the house, I supposed they were either being passed down to my younger cousins, or they are now somewhere in Bago City. Haha.

Children shows nowadays are overly matured, kids should have some fantasy and imagination! Despite how violent the show was, Power Rangers is still a classic. Just look at their animations! Haha! But hey, that was in the 90s!

Go go Power Rangers! It's morphin' time!

I built a camera

2010-07-26T20:52:00.003+08:00

My blog has once again became a dead town. Haha. Was rather 'diasppointed' with what work has turned out to be, and not so inspired to write anything.

But thankfully, my Nikon baby has been resuscitated (expensive attempt, but still.. yeah!) and I'm back to photography. :) Has been taking photos on different occasions, e.g. weddings, performances, festivals. And I'm loving it. :)

And yesterday, I built my own 35mm reflex lens camera! Yeah! It took me almost 2 hours, trying to figure out the set-up manual which was in Japanese, and I almost freaked out when I thought I've stuck the mirror the wrong way.

I love the look of the camera, so old-school. Haha. Can't wait to play with it!

A very bad week.

2010-07-16T17:01:00.002+08:00

I hate coming to work this entire week. And I think it would be the same for the coming weeks. Period.

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

2010-07-12T16:35:00.002+08:00

Everytime when I hear this song, somehow it would make me happy. Very nostalgic. Haha. I hope it's not because I feel connected to it. It doesn't belong to my era, I was only a toddler when it became a hit. ;)

Then I chanced upon another rendition by one of my favourite Filipino acoustic bands (yes, I have mentioned it quite a number of times), which sounds nice too!

And we can build this dream together, standing strong forever, nothing's gonna stop us now~~

Stffy and Lionel's ROM

2010-07-05T22:01:00.003+08:00

She was one of my confidantes during my high school days. Both of us were 'weird', we don't fit into the main clique. That's why we clicked. Haha.

It has been a good 11 years, for the both of us. :)

I'm happy for her, for finding her true love, and now beginning the next phase of their lives together as one.

Congratulations to Stffy and Lionel, Mr and Mrs Lim. :)

And thank you, I hope I've captured the beautiful moments of your special day. :)

Voyage de la Vie

2010-06-28T23:10:00.002+08:00

Voyage de la Vie is a circus theatre production created in Singapore with an international cast. I was glad I was able to catch the show (thanks to the complimentary tickets) at the Resorts World Sentosa Festive Grand theatre, fulfilling one of my childhood dreams of watching a circus show.

Erm, I am not that old, by the way. Haha.

Sitting in the second row was a BIG plus, enhancing the thrills of watching the circus acts live. :)

Of all the acts, I enjoyed the contortions, the jugglings, the magic and the cloud swing acts the most.

I love the contortionist. He is a 16-year old Russian boy, but yet very charismatic. Haha. Love his hairstyle. I could be half as flexible as him, if I hadn't stop dancing 18 years ago, and still religiously do my Yoga. HAHA.

The juggler is just as amazing. Especially to a person with butter-fingers and no ball-sense. Like me.

The magicians fulfilled another of my childhood dreams to watch magic shows right before my eyes. I was, and still am, trying to figure out the magic tricks on stage. How did he cut his partner into half, and the partner could still play the piano with his legs on the other end of the stage??

Love how the white rabbit popped out of his magician hat. Classic.

The cloud swing act was exhilarating. She was like on a giant swing, reaching a full 180-degree swing up high near the stage lights. I dare to do the same thing, WITH the safety harness attached. :D

There was a moment when the arrow shooter swung his way into the audience, right in between my guests who were just a seat away from me. I think my jaws dropped at that instant. After the show, I asked my guests jokingly, if they had purchased insurance for their trip here to Singapore. Haha.

I had a good time watching the show, and I am glad my guests enjoyed it as well. Most importantly, I could cross out something off my list of childhood dreams. :D

Another one is leaving

2010-06-18T18:07:00.003+08:00

One by one, people are leaving. For the greener pastures.

I wished that one day, I could be like Kuya Kim, and shout out, 'I love this job'.

Suddenly, I want to fly away again.

Dreaming of the TRY camp again

2010-06-14T23:38:00.003+08:00

For the 4th time in a month, I dreamt of the TRY Summer Youth Camp.

I'm not sure if there's anything wrong with me, but I do feel a little distressed after every dream. I would be struggling, on one hand, trying to figure what was going on, and on the other, trying to fight the 'homesickness' that would strike as the day went by.

I find it unbelievable to have dreamt of the same event in such frequent manner. I told a friend about it, and she said, I should just find a job in the Philippines to ease the 'homesickness'. Then another friend said this (on a separate matter), 'This world is full of opportunities for the bravehearted'.

Perhaps I'm not brave enough to step out, just yet. Perhaps I'm just waiting for the right opportunity. Hmm.. right.

Terrible headache

2010-06-08T22:37:00.003+08:00

It was one of the worst nights I ever had to go through. The headache last night was terrible. It happened so suddenly and it was so painful that I couldn't sleep. The throbbing pain was absurdly driving me crazy. I felt like I was going to die.

So coincidental that I had no painkillers in the house. Great.

I bore with the pain through the night, and went to the doctor in the morning. She couldn't give me an exact diagnosis, she said I could be stressed, or due to the caffaine intake, but I don't think that was convincing enough. I was given painkillers, and a day of MC. Sadly I had to get back to work in the afternoon, and the MC went half-wasted.

I'm still having mild headache now, even after taking my medication. I hope there's nothing wrong with me.

Back from hometown once again

2010-06-01T23:34:00.004+08:00

10 days in the Philippines is definitely not enough.

And I realise, the more people I know, the less time I've got to spend with them.

The death of my camera no doubt dampened my mood, but perhaps I've learnt to step out of my small world through the hard way.

Manila was so-so, Subic was a disappointment. Bago City is always my safe haven.

A series of unfortunate events happened in Manila and Subic, and I sought solace in my hometown. I am thankful I had the company of my dearest friends during the TRY Summer Youth Camp. I did not speak about what happened, I don't like being asked as well. Seeing how everybody has been so accommodating, I really appreciate it a lot. I hope I've been of some help during the camp, I hope I've brought smiles and laughter to everyone.

The camp made me realise how much more I need to work on to become a better person. Sometimes I feel I don't deserve all the love and blessings. Sometimes I feel I'm better being by myself.

Maraming salamat sa iyong lahat. I'm missing you guys already. Very much.

10th time to the Philippines

2010-05-21T09:17:00.000+08:00

My 10th time stepping onto the beautiful islands of the Philippines! :D

And my 9th time to my wonderful home of Bago City!! :D

I love the Philippines! Pinoy na Pinoy ako! Mabuhay!!

Philippines' Election Day

2010-05-10T23:02:00.007+08:00

I'm a total Pinoy today. I can't believe I'm actually tuning in to the Filipino news channel the whole day. Coincidentally, I was wearing a tee imprinted with a map of the Philippines. I swear it was really a random pick from my wardrobe. :)

May 10 marks the day for the Philippines' presidential and local government elections, another milestone for the Philippines' political history. I am very curious what the results would turn out to be, but as at the time I'm typing this post (11pm), only 38% of the total votes are being tallied.

This is the first time the country is carrying out fully automated polls, but of course not without glitches. A week ago, vote count machines were reported to be configured incorrectly, and today, there were cases of machines breaking down, leading to speculations that the election could be manipulated.

Such a large country, with over 17,000 positions at stake, from president down to municipal council seats, I would say it is an eye-opener for a foreigner coming from a very protected and regulated government. Ha.

The campaigning has been very colourful, and I mean it literally. Different parties, presidential and vice-presidential bets adopt different colours to identify themselves, and the entire nation has been coloured by banners, ribbons and posters during the campaigning period.

But of course, their political scene comes with violence and yes, corruption. Gunshots, private armies, massacre, bribery, whatever. Despite how much the Filipinos are fighting for their so-called democracy, the fight would just be a dirty one.

It sets people thinking, how would the country develop amidst such challenges against corruption, and how capable the candidates would be. Are the citizens wise enough to choose the right person to lead the country and the local governments, or are they easily swayed by the publicity the candidates are pumping millions of dollars into. And with the endorsements from the celebrities, and celebrities themselves running for senate and local government positions, would it just make the entire election a child's play? Not to mention the buying of votes. How would the country fight for their democracy when their actions are the complete opposite?

I will be waiting to see which colour would be ruling the country for the next 6 years.

The Filipino rendition of 'Maria'

2010-05-03T21:39:00.001+08:00

Are you familiar with the musical West Side Story?

I was caught by surprise when I heard the Filipino pop singers' rendition of the song 'Maria'. Sung by Gary Valenciano, Christian Bautisa, Erik Santos and Jed Madela, this doesn't sound Broadway at all! But I thought this was better. Haha.

De-sian sessions needed.

2010-04-27T23:50:00.003+08:00

I'm experiencing mixed feelings of frustration, resentment and depression.

De-sian sessions needed.

Aiza Seguerra - Man In the Mirror

2010-04-21T00:29:00.004+08:00

Sharing with you a video of one of my favourite Filipino singers, Aiza Seguerra.

This song is recorded in her latest CD released in August last year, Aiza Seguerra: Live, and it is my favourite from this CD.

Love her to the max. Haha.

My summer paradise - Bago City

2010-04-15T00:17:00.002+08:00

Last part of my summer paradise - Bago City

Bago City has always been my safe haven. Everybody knows that. That's the place I know I can escape to, away from reality, but with a rather hefty price (expensive air tickets).

It was my first time spending the Holy Week in Bago City, and my shortest stay so far. 3 days is definitely not enough.

In this predominantly Roman Catholic country, Good Friday is commemorated in many communities with street processions.

In Bago City, people from all barangays gathered on the streets near the St. John the Baptist Church. The entire procession started in the evening, and took more than an hour (although I couldn't remember exactly how long it took), with the devotees and the carrozas parading from one station of the Cross to another.

There were actually two processions happening on that day. I was being told that there were just too many people joining in the processions, and the devotees were from two different churches in the city.

That was my first time experiencing the Good Friday procession in the Philippines. I wouldn't say it was exciting, it was supposed to be a solemn event anyway. But it did allow me to witness the colourful and ritualistic displays of faith of the Filipinos.

But I think the kids enjoyed it. Ha.

In some other part of the Philippines, Pampanga actually, there are devotees who self-flagellate, and some even have themselves nailed to crosses as expressions of penance or in fulfillment of a vow accomplished in thanksgiving or exchange for a granted request or prayer. If given a chance, I would like witness the crucifixions too, but I guess it would take me a bit more courage to do that.

Anyway.

The Philippines will be having their political elections this coming May, and of course, campaigns are going on everywhere in the country. Billboards, posters, TV commercials of politicians everywhere. It's a rather interesting sight actually. Haha.

Again, it was my first time witnessing the campaigning in Bago City, and some of the people were teasing me that I was running for a senate seat. HAHA. I'm never into politics.

Children were rather excited though, because they got to get stickers and flyers, and soon they started singing the jingles that went around the barangays.

It was tiring walking under the blazing sun,but that's all part of the campaign. But kids just love it. Haha.

The short stay in Bago City ended with a serious bout of diarrhoea and vomitting. That doesn't stop me from going back to my safe haven. I have yet to experience the other important fiestas in Bago City. I told myself I'll celebrate my 10th visit to Bago City with a blast. This was my 8th visit. Two more to go!! :D

Could it be within this year? :) I love Bago City!

My summer paradise - Coron

2010-04-12T23:19:00.007+08:00

Part 2 of my summer paradise - Coron.

The Philippines is made up of 7107 islands, it would be a waste to keep going back to the same old places. This time round, I ventured out to Coron, a municipality in the island of Palawan.

3 full days were spent there, doing island-hopping, sailing on the traditional Filipino bangka.

Honestly, sailing on the bangka, looking out to the horizon, is simply therapeutic. My kind of peace. Haha. Except for the wave-splashing moments when navigating across the rough waters.

We had a group of very experienced boatmen and guides with us. Kudos to them. They know all the islands in and out, they prepared our delicious meals, they steered the bangka for hours straight, while most of us ended up dozing off along the journeys. One of the boatmen even got pricked by many sea urchins while trying to steer the bangka out from the shallow waters in dusk darkness. Salute to him.

The entire island-hopping experience was all about the white sand, blue sky and the blue sea. A true summer paradise. :)

We have been to so many islands, which most of the names I couldn't remember. Well, who cares, what's important is to enjoy ourselves in the beauty of Mother Nature, and to have FUN!

I totally love swimming in the open sea, with the life jacket on of course. Haha. The waters in Coron were so clear, making snorkelling a great pleasure. I could see the corals and fishes swimming in schools. Superb.

The sunken Japanese warships off the island are one of the main attractions of Coron. Snorkelling there was another awesome experience. Corals formed on the warships, fishes swimming in and out. Imagine Titanic, or Pirates of the Carribean. Haha. These sunken warships are listed in Forbes Traveler Magazine’s top 10 best scuba-diving sites in the world. What else can I say?

We also went to some of lakes and lagoons, claiming to be one of those with the cleanest waters in the world. Indeed, the Kayangan Lake was very serene, we just floated on the waters and drifted off to our paradise. Haha.

On our last day, we woke up at 3am and set sail to Calauit, 4-hour boat ride away from the Coron main island. Sadly I was disappointed with what I saw. The Calauit Zafari Zoo was supposed to be a sanctuary for Kenyan animals. Despite the large piece of land and resources, the number of species of animals on the island is within the count of my fingers.

Oh well, at least I had my fair share of taking photos of these free-roaming animals.

Up-close. :) I guess it's not quite possible to do that in the Singapore zoo.

And feeding the giraffes. :)

The entire trip was made a total enjoyment, because of the company, and the new-found friends. All of us had a hell lot of fun, and I have once again surprised people with my little command of Tagalog and my superb knowledge of the entertainment industry. Haha.

I miss seeing the beautiful view at dawn, from Mount Tapyas where we stayed.

I definitely miss watching the sunset, my favourite moment in a day.

I had a great time capturing the wonders.

And all beautiful things. :)

I left Coron with many scars on my legs (no thanks to the sharp teethy corals), but I left Coron with lots more splendid memories. :) I wanna explore other islands!

Next up (and a final one), my ultimate haven, Bago City!

My summer paradise - Manila

2010-04-08T22:01:00.001+08:00

Part 1 of my summer paradise - Manila.

I love Manila. I love Manila for its vibrancy, shopping malls and entertainment industry. It's rather cosmopolitan, considering that the Filipino diaspora is huge and it brings back foreign cultures (and people).

This trip has given me the opportunity to come up-close with some of the Filipino artistes whom I like, all thanks to my friends. :) Watching a live Filipino concert was simply awesome, not to mention that I've got backstage access and also photos taken with the artistes! Woohoo~!

Juris, the girl with a very nice and sweet voice. Love her voice. If only she sang Love Moves In Mysterious Ways.

Nyoy, I could only remember one song of his, You're My You. But I was surprised that he's so good with his guitar, and he was so springy on his feet. Haha.

Sitti, the Bossa Nova Queen of the Philippines. Very soothing voice, although I'm not into Bossa Nova.

And of course, my favourite, Aiza. Watched her performance in Singapore last year, and her performances never fails to captivate me. You know that the audiences love her, when you hear a chorus from the audience seats singing her songs. Haha.

Everything was wonderful, except for the fact that the concert started almost 1 hour late, and ending at 12 midnight.

Besides watching the concert, I managed to catch a Filipino movie as well, Babe I Love You. Theme song sung by Papa Piolo! :D

Didn't spend a lot of time in Manila, so less shopping, less sight-seeing. But I still love Manila. Love my Manila friends too. Too much laughter from them. Haha.

Next up, adventure in Coron!

Back from the paradise once again

2010-04-06T22:33:00.002+08:00

I'm back, from my paradise, again.

There's never a lack of surprises whenever I'm in the Philippines. Well, it's a country of 7107 islands. Haha.

Coron was simply b-e-a-u-tiful. From the sunrise to the sunset, from the blue sky to the corals, simply awesome. Very satisfying to take photos there, very happy to be in my own small world. Love the sun, the sand, and the sea. :)

Manila was purely for entertainment. Live Filipino acoustic music, Filipino movie, shopping~! So excited to come up-close with some of my favourite artistes. :D

Bago City, my safe haven. :) Managed to make up for the lack of sleep, due to all the early morning flights I had been jetsetting on. My first time experiencing the Good Friday procession and the political campaigning as well.

Everything was splendid, except for the diarrhoea and vomitting I had on the day I left Bago City. Raw oysters, perhaps. Or retribution, for making fun of somebody else of having the same thing. Ha. Tricia was saying that I should have gotten accustomed to the Filipino food by now, well, I have a weak stomach I guess.

Had a serious terrible outbreak of rashes on my last day as well. All over my legs, and the cuts from the corals in Coron. On medication now. There goes my pretty tanned legs.

Will blog on the adventures in the later posts. My brain is on sleeping mode right now. But photos are already up on Flickr. :)

三月天

2010-03-23T22:20:00.005+08:00

NUSCO《三月天 - 汇》演出已落幕，乐团再一次证明我们是有水准的。

今年演出的曲目，有挑战性，有好一段时间没有听到乐团演奏这样的曲目了。在真正演出时，我有被感动到。听到从观众席传来的掌声，我替乐团感到高兴。

第一次以局外者身份听乐团演奏，感觉。。不一样。七年了，我倒是还有一点点想念在台上拉胡的感觉。演出前的兴奋和演出后的满足感，也算是总结一年来大家一起辛苦练习的成果。今年不上演出，我为自己找了借口。曲目太难了，参与演出的“老将”少了，工作开始繁忙了，我累了。

这只不过是一些烂借口。

一个人对音乐的执着和热诚，不足以被这些烂借口阻扰。也许，我对音乐的执着和热诚开始动摇了。

选择引退，也许不是一件坏事。“老将们”总不能一辈子留在乐团，总得让小伙子们有个机会表现。我也不想因为工作上的不顺利而影响练习的情绪。为乐团默默地付出，我想，这就足够了吧。

将来能否再次拿起二胡坐在台上，再说吧。是时候让自己好好休息了。

I wished

2010-03-17T22:17:00.005+08:00

I wished life could be simpler.

I wished life was just about sitting down quietly watching the sunset.
I wished life was just about doing what you like to do.
I wished life was just about travelling around the world.
I wished life was just about being together with the people you love.
I wished life was not just about money.
I wished life was not just about working like a dog.
I wished life was not just about enduring what people might think and say about you.
I wished life was not just about satisfying others, and ending up sacrificing yourself.

If only life could be simpler.

Pilipinas Got Talent II

2010-03-12T00:01:00.003+08:00

It would be a pity if I don't showcase the amazing talents the Pinoys have. More wonderful performances from the reality show Pilipinas Got Talent.

(Videos are with English subtitles! Yeah!)

*He really sounds like the original lead singer of the band Journey.

*My favourite so far. :)

No more OCBC Cycle

2010-03-07T08:29:00.004+08:00

One day, there was a girl (an idiot for one) named Yuhui. She was supposed to go for the OCBC Cycle challenge on this day and she was rather excited about it.

The day before the challenge, all her friends were discussing about the reporting time. The flag-off time was scheduled at 6am, which would have meant that all of them would need to report at around 5am, which would also imply that she would need to leave the house by 4am. Everyone was afraid that they wouldn't be able to wake up on time, and she even joked that she might not sleep after all.

And as usual, when she got home at night, she went to watch her Filipino shows and played her daily Killer Sudoku. At around 12+am, she decided to catch some sleep. She set her alarm, and then sank into her bed.

At 3am, she stirred up and checked the clock. Thinking to herself, she could have another 30 mins of sleep and she went back to bed.

The next thing she knew, it was already 6am and she had 26 missed calls on her mobile phone. She was so irritated with herself, for being such a pig and an idiot. Then she realised that she had set the alarm wrongly. 3.30am on the weekday mode. BAMZ.

At that moment, she really wished she could do something to vent her anger and frustration. A run, a photoshoot, or something. She saw her work file on the table, and started doing her meeting minutes.

She regretted her stupidity, and couldn't wait to be away from this country.

-END OF STORY-

A tour guide once again

2010-03-02T00:32:00.003+08:00

The past week has been somewhat bustling with activities. I became a tour guide, once again. Well, I'm the ambassador of Bago City. :D I hope my friends have had a good time spent here, and I wished they could have stayed longer, not because there are that many places in Singapore to tour around, but because I just want to see them. :)

No prizes for guessing where this is. :)

I really really really miss everybody in Bago City. I can't wait to be back. That will come pretty soon. :)

Pilipinas Got Talent's auditions

2010-02-22T22:00:00.001+08:00

The Philippines, the country of 7107 islands. A country with a very vibrant culture, with amazing people. The Filipinos are undeniably talented, especially in dancing and singing. To name some famous people: Lea Salonga, Charice, Apl.De.Ap from Black Eye Peas. See? :)

And they have no lack of reality-talent shows. It was the premiere of the 1st Pilipinas Got Talent last weekend, and boy, I had a good laugh, and of course, the amazing ones are equally entertaining.

Introducing to you the future singing sensations. Haha.

**Happy birthday to my godson, Ryzel! Maligayang kaarawan! :)**

Chinese New Year 2010

2010-02-17T22:53:00.004+08:00

As I keep saying, if given a choice (and money), I would rather spend the Chinese New Year in some other country, away from the hype, the dong-dong-chiang music, and avoid being asked the same questions again and again.

Not that I'm ignoring the family. I give ang baos to the senior ones. But I guess I'm just slowly drifting away.

Because of my jetsetting habits last year and probably this year, I didn't get to go anywhere but to stay at home. It has be a long time since I get to sleep till 11+am. A luxury. Haa. And for the past few days, life has been tidbits-tv-movies-sleep. What a life.

Alas, holidays will still come to an end. Let's hope that I won't oversleep tomorrow for work, and I think I should go on caffeine-high to keep myself awake.

Piolo Pascual - Can't Take My Eyes Off You

2010-02-12T20:18:00.001+08:00

Papa Piolo!!! :D

What a beautiful sunset, but that's not the point. Papa P throughout the entire video. Love it! :D

This song is part of his latest album Decades, featuring songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s. And yes, I've already gotten hold of the album during my trip back to the Philippines last December. A Christmas present from a friend. :)

You're just too good to be true.. Can't take my eyes off you~~ :)

May Bukas Pa

2010-02-06T00:04:00.002+08:00

May Bukas Pa has finally come to an end.

The final episode was a star-studded one, many stars of ABS-CBN including those who have guested in the teleserye, came together to put up a grand finale. It left me in tears, from the beginning to the end. From tears of sorrow, to tears of joy.

May Bukas Pa (yuhui's translation: There's Still Tomorrow) has left a very deep impression in many Filipinos, since it started airing early last year. It is a story of a young boy named Santino, who befriends 'Bro' (Jesus Christ) and touches the lives of people who come along.

Never underestimate the 'power' of this miracle boy and the teleserye. Despite his young age (he's only 8!), Zaijan's expressive acting skills and his cute face would just melt your heart, and make you fall in love with him. :) Imagine, the show has gained so much popularity that it could last for a year! Not only that, the ABS-CBN's Christmas ID last year was themed as 'Bro, ikaw ang star ng Pasko' (yuhui's translation: Bro, You are the Star of Christmas).

For the past year, I've been watching every single episode, without fail. I love Santino, I love the fathers and brothers in the church, I love the entire cast. And now with the ending of the show, I feel sad. No more Santino, no more Bro, no more Father Jose and Father Anthony. No more.

Salamat, May Bukas Pa, for being with me for the past year. Let's hope for a Part 2. :)

Richard Poon - Kahit Di Mo Napapansin

2010-02-01T22:58:00.002+08:00

This is one of my favourites of Richard Poon's - Kahit Di Mo Napapansin (yuhui's translation: Even If You Are Not Noticing).

This song is from his first album released in 2007, it may not be one of the major hits, but I still love it. :) Richard penned the song!

So happy that they decided to make a MTV for it, and it was officially released last Sunday. :)

Still hoping to get to see him in person. 'Bro, pwede ba?' :)

It's not a promotion

2010-01-30T18:01:00.004+08:00

Clarification: I did not get a promotion, nor a pay raise. Just an increase in workload (and responsibility). Don't expect me any treats from me. Haha.

But the change has indeed brought about some stress. I haven't been sleeping well, hate the feeling of having to drag myself out of bed, and having to curb the urge to grab a cup of coffee.

Was reading the horoscope and zodiac forecast for the coming year. It's supposedly a good year for career. I think the bad start can only make it better in the coming year. Ha.

Time to start gearing up for the fight. Hope that I can still keep my sanity. I hope the weekly cycling helps.

Changes in the office

2010-01-21T23:48:00.001+08:00

The wave of changes within office has finally hit onto me (directly or indirectly). New challenges ahead. I hope the extra workload is going to be help me in my development. And my credentials. Haa.

Before reality strikes hard, I shall dream of my paradise once again.

'Good service'?

2010-01-15T22:44:00.003+08:00

I'm not cut to be a service-oriented working individual.

Don't expect me to go all out to offer something called 'good service'. And I believe only rational and reasonable people deserve 'good service'.

Philippines Christmas 2009 and New Year 2010

2010-01-11T22:26:00.004+08:00

Photos of my Filipino Christmas and New Year have already been uploaded to my Flickr (and Facebook).

Much delay to this post, due to me returning to work (too soon) and nursing my cold, cough and fever.

I love spending Christmas and New Year in the Philippines. It is so much more Christmas-y over there in the Philippines than anywhere else in the world. The scale of Christmas mass at the coliseum is enough to overwhelm you.

New Year had been a blast too, literally. People lighting up firecrackers, starting hours before the clock strikes twelve, till the next day. The 17-minute long of fireworks on the New Year's night was just awesome. I've never seen fireworks that close, right before my eyes. Simply breathtaking.

But most importantly, I was with my dear friends in Bago City. People always ask why do I keep going back to Bago City, and like what Ryan says, we are just like a family. Not only that I'm the adopted daughter of Papa Momoy, I have 2 godchildren there in Bago City (Ryzel and Iza), and perhaps one more on the way. Haha..

I've got to meet up with the Mondia family too, for a short while. Haven't been able to meet up with them for quite some time. But the passing of Lolo Samuel came as a shock. I saw him during my visit to their house, and the next day when I returned to Manila, he passed away. Grief as there is, we are still glad that he was able to spend Christmas and New Year with the family.

Joining the mayor for the gift-giving was rewarding, in some sense. It gave me opportunities to take nice pictures of the people and the scenery.

I was also able to share my blessings with the others as well.

And back to Bantayan, "our boulevard of broken dreams". Haha.

As usual, I'm always amazed by the kids. How they can get entertained so easily. Simple pleasures, I suppose. And I can confirm one thing: baby boys like to flirt with me. Except for my godchild Ryzel.

And I love to amaze people with my (little) command of Tagalog, and my unbelievable knowledge of the Pinoy's entertainment industry. Haha.. Go Papa Piolo and Richard Poon!

Yes, I'm already a half-Filipino, and I look forward to more Christmases and New Years spent in the Philippines. Mabuhay.

Welcoming 2010

2009-12-31T21:40:00.003+08:00

Another 365 days have gone. Too fast.

I would wanna tell myself that the past 365 days have been good. Don't really want to look back too much, so that I won't remind myself of any bad memories or incidents, and also to leave less room for regrets. :)

Resolution for the coming new year - keep on travelling. :)

And to be back in my safe haven here in Bago City of course. :) Right now, fire crackers are blasting all over, non-stop. Welcoming the new year with (lots of) blasts.

May everybody's wishes for the new year come true. :)

Down with a sore throat

2009-12-29T21:39:00.003+08:00

Just when I'm trying to enjoy myself to the max here in Bago City, I'm down with a sore throat that I didn't even want to eat anything, because swallowing is just too painful.

I hate it. I'm just praying that this is not a prelude to a fever.

Back in paradise

2009-12-22T22:17:00.004+08:00

It's nice to be back in a place I call paradise - Bago City. :)

Manila was just a stop-over, for shopping. Haha. Was more or less rewarding, but I just hate the traffic.

I miss Bago City. It really feels good to be back 'home'. Everything looks so familiar, and everybody is doing well, if not better. Haven't get to meet up with everybody yet (it's only my first day back here), but I hope to see my friends during this Christmas period and New Year too. :)

This afternoon, I visited a child's home in Ma-ao Central. This child was adopted by one of the city government offices for a day, as part of their celebration of Christmas, sharing their blessings to the less fortunate.

I think a picture speaks a thousand words.

I donated 1500 pesos to buy rice for him and his grandfather. It costs around $150 to buy materials to rebuild a small nipah hut for his family. If you want to make contributions to change the life of another child just like him, please let me know.

Merry Christmas. :)

Last day

2009-12-18T23:55:00.001+08:00

It's my last day today. How time flies.

For the past 12 months, life has somewhat been a rollercoaster ride.

Work has somewhat taken centre stage, workload was piling, and all I know was to rush to meet deadlines. Managing the publishing of 30 books of music scores is sure hell no mean feat. It was definitely a good training for my patience. I have banged the table and puked blood so many times, to the stage that I couldn't be bothered anymore. Ha.

Just when I was trying to catch some breaths after the scores have been published, I was once again caught up with the preparation of the 'annual event' a.k.a the exam. You would have thought that everything would be easier, since I've been through it twice. Ha, no. More problems cropped up, and I was exhausted by the time I overcame them.

But I live to travel. I love to see my passport getting stamped. Bago City, Macau, Hong Kong, Bydgoszcz, Warsaw, Krakow, Prague, Salzburg, Vienna, Manila.. woohoo~!

Life is full of challenges, and I've managed to conquer them, sort of. I completed the 40-km cycling challenge, survived in a sea of Filipino strangers watching Aiza Seguerra's concert (and taking photo with her!), handling a big group of grown-up kids on tour in Europe, dealt with nonsensical kids, and keeping myself sane. Haa.

Yes, how time flies. It's my last day. Here in reality, for the year. And off I go, to my paradise. :)

End of the 'event'

2009-12-03T21:58:00.004+08:00

It's over. Sort of. Finally, two weeks of mad rush, storms and their aftermaths, lack of Starbucks, it's almost over.

The wrapping up of the 'event' is also another headache. Many things to finalise, little time to do so.

Again, for the past two weeks, I've seen a lot, I've heard a lot. How well I've fared, I don't know. Everything is a test of my capability, but I couldn't tell if I've accomplished anything.

I don't want to doubt myself, but that may not be what people see in me.

Oh well. Time for a break.

Wanna hack people up again

2009-11-29T23:04:00.002+08:00

Once again, I feel like hacking people up. But I'm already exhausted.

I can't wait for my Christmas to come.

Arghh

2009-11-24T21:30:00.001+08:00

I want to hack people up. I just want to.

Storm has approached

2009-11-22T19:32:00.004+08:00

Just before the 'event of the year' kick off tomorrow, the storm approached and caused a massive destruction.

Perhaps I was right, I knew something would go wrong. Murphy's Law.

I'm now afraid of my phone ringing, messages buzzing. I couldn't sleep well, I lost my appetite.

Hearing Christmas tunes on the radio and on tv, I just hope that it's Christmas now. Nasaan ang Pasko ko?

Stressed

2009-11-20T23:26:00.005+08:00

Stress level is building up, so is fatigue and exhaustion.

Very soon, it's the time for the 'event' of the year. Somehow, there's a tinge of uneasiness lingering around. The peace before the storm is very scary.

I need to ensure I have enough stock of my chocolates and coke. I wished for Starbucks delivery.

It's time.

Happy birthday to me

2009-11-16T01:25:00.003+08:00

Thank you for all the wishes and greetings on Facebook, Friendster, through SMSes. I am thankful to have friends who are with me through the years, all the ups and downs. My goodness, I sounded old. Haha.. another year of wisdom!

But really, I didn't expect pleasant surprises to keep coming. Birthdays are just like any other normal days, it would be nice to just spend it peacefully. I love peace. :)

A birthday song from Juris of M.Y.M.P (live from the USA! :D), a pseudo-birthday cake, lollipop, a real birthday cake, pinoy's birthday song, and whistling sparkers. And of course, special company of friends from the Philippines. Thank you to all for making my day less peaceful, but definitely special.

Thank you, maraming salamat. :)

Time to pack the donation box!

2009-11-12T23:13:00.002+08:00

It's the time of the year again, time to pack the donation box! :D

Donations of old stuff (clothes, toys and books) are welcome, and of course, if you wish to help sponsor the cost of the shipment (yes, it's always out from my pocket..), I'll be glad to know.

After years of doing this, I'm an expert in taping up the boxes. Haha.. And I guess it has become one of my unique ways of destressing. :)

Spread your love during this Christmas season, and bless others. 43 days to Christmas!

Bro, ikaw ang star ng Pasko

2009-11-04T22:48:00.003+08:00

In times of hardship and despair, there's always hope and strength to keep us going, leading us out from the darkness.

Presenting to you, the heartwarming Christmas ID of ABS-CBN - Bro, ikaw ang star ng Pasko. :)
(Bro = Jesus, you are the star of the Christmas festive season.)

Christmas is coming! 51 days to Christmas!!

Chinese Orchestras

2009-10-31T00:50:00.004+08:00

My friend from RVCO recently posted tons of old photos onto Facebook. Photos taken back almost 10 years ago, during our days spent in RVCO. Indeed it has brought back memories.

A big part of my life revolves around Chinese orchestras and Chinese music. From RVCO, to HCCO, to NUSCO. 11 years. :) It's a long journey, with its ups and downs.

There were happy days, when we had fun together playing music, or maybe just a chit-chat session at our usual hangouts (Remember Jurong East Entertainment Centre? And NUSCO's favourite kopitiam. :D)

There were days when things didn't go well. I think my high school days was a struggling period. I call it my 'teenhood's agony'. Ha. I'm an introvert (I think I am). I didn't have many close friends in school, in fact, I think I did piss many people off with my attitude, which I don't really know how to describe. To put it simple, I wasn't well-accepted. Ouch. Ha.

But I do miss the days when all of us fought hard for a common goal, to win in the SYF. Practice hours were long, expectations of instructors were hard to reach. That was what forged strong bondings within the orchestra, something memorable to reminisce for the years to come.

Orchestras are like big families. But people do come and go. When work starts to take up too much time and energy, people start to let go of other things. Many of my friends are no longer involved in Chinese orchestras, and seniors are slowly becoming inactive. New members come in as always, but the age gap is widening and honestly I can't click with the kids. The circle is getting bigger yet smaller.

I was entertaining the thought of letting go as well, to be contented with just being a supporter, an audience. I wouldn't know how things would go, perhaps my level of procrastination would just leave it at a standstill. Ha.

Oh well, this is life. Enjoy the moment.

Thomson Airlines safety instructions' video

2009-10-21T22:14:00.003+08:00

I consider myself a frequent flyer, having been on 4 overseas trips this year so far. :) I never really pay attention to the aircraft safety instructions' videos or demonstrations by the air crew, well, depending on which airline or air crew. Haha.. Besides, they are all of the same content.

But if the airlines were to do this, I think all passengers will pay 101% attention. Haha.. :)

Splurging and collecting donations

2009-10-20T22:23:00.002+08:00

I just splurged. In pursuit of my happiness. Wahaha.

Anyway, yes I'm still collecting donations. You may choose to contribute in the following ways:

1. cash donation for the victims of Typhoon Ketsana and Parma in Manila, the Philippines
2. donation of old clothes, books, bags and toys for the children in Bago City, the Philippines.
3. cash donation for purchasing of stationery sets as Christmas gifts for the children in Bago City, the Philippines.

Please contact me! :) You can email me at puyuhui at starhub.net.sg. Share your blessings with the less fortunate. :)

*P.S. Apologies for the lack of posts. Too busy with work. Will wait for inspiration to strike. :)

A letter from my sponsored child

2009-10-08T23:50:00.004+08:00

I received a letter from my sponsored child in Philippines today. The first thing that she wrote:

"Don't forget to rest and relax because it can cause stress."

Wow. I don't whether to laugh or to really ponder over what she wrote.

And yes, I apologise, for the lack of posts. Been caught up with work, and also trying to seek ways to help the typhoon victims in the Philippines. As of now, the most practical and ideal method would still be making monetary contributions.

I'm still collecting the contributions, to be donated to the NGOs in the Philippines. Please contact me if you would wish to reach out to the Filipinos. :)

So here's a beautiful photo taken in Nasugbu, Batangas, away from the city of Manila. :)

Donate to help the victims of Typhoon Ondoy

2009-09-30T22:25:00.003+08:00

To everybody who is reading this,

You may be my friend, we may be total strangers. But I'm appealing to all of you, to do what you can, to help the victims of Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) that has swept away lives in Manila, Philippines, and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

The Philippines experiences an average of 20 to 30 typhoons a year, but Typhoon Ondoy took everyone by surprise. The extent of its destruction was unexpected. The heavy floods left many stranded on rooftops without food and water for hours. Houses and vehicles were swept away by the currents. More than 30 areas were declared to be in a state of calamity. The death toll is still on the rise, millions of Filipinos remain affected by the aftermath.

I was lucky enough to have escaped from the raging typhoon. If I were to stay in Manila for a few more days, I could be one of them.

The floodwaters have subsided, but it is going to take a lot of time and effort to rebuild the affected areas. A big part of the population is surviving on a very low income, it's not an easy task to get back to the lives that used to be.

Relief operations have been ongoing, but the the scale of the devastation is still overwhelming. Food and water are being distributed to the affected areas. Donations in cash and in kind are pouring in. The disaster has also kindled the 'bayanihan' spirit in the Filipinos; people from all walks of life coming together to lend a helping hand.

But that's not enough. They still need help.

Don't just sit down and wait, or do nothing. Help.

I'm collecting cash donation, which is more ideal at this point of time. Donation of clothes and blankets can be arranged. Please contact me, or leave a message.

Donation can also be made to the ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya Foundation and the Philippine National Red Cross.

I thank you for reaching out to the Filipinos. Maraming salamat.

Photos of Manila

2009-09-27T23:26:00.004+08:00

Photos taken in Manila are already up on Flickr and Facebook.

Here's the link.

Ya, bad weather and bad traffic, didn't take as many rewarding photos as expected. Oh well, there's always a next time. It's just a 3.5 hr flight away! :)

Tropical storm Ondoy (international code Ketsana) has subsided, but the aftermath is still a disaster by itself. At least I know that my friends are ok, Joy and Niña are back in Bago City already.

Read article of Pinoy's bayanihan spirit during this period of calamity here.

Manila is hit by Ondoy

2009-09-26T23:58:00.001+08:00

Manila has been hit by the tropical storm Ondoy.

Many families are trapped on rooftops, flight operations have been suspended, power supply is cut off, roads are impassable. Many areas have been declared to be in a state of calamity due to the heavy floods.

The weather wasn't like that a few days back. Yes it rained, but it seemed to be the usual one. Somehow I felt I should be thankful that I returned earlier, but I'm worried about my friends who are in Manila.

Joy and Niña are stranded in Manila; they were supposed to return back to Bago City this afternoon. I hope they are fine, together with Tita Celina.

The storm is expected to move west, across the Luzon island, before exiting the country early Sunday. It better be over soon, but it is not going to be easy to pick up the pieces after such destructive damages have been done.

I just hope that everything is fine.

A short respite in Manila

2009-09-23T23:35:00.004+08:00

A short respite in Manila, I've enjoyed it, but it wasn't satisfying enough. Time was wasted meaninglessly while getting stuck in traffic jams, and waiting for one another.

I wished I had time to walk through the shopping malls (there are countless of them in Manila), or just to sit down and have some nice coffee. Talking about coffee, it's a Starbucks heaven in Manila. Starbucks is everywhere. I see a Starbucks outlet every 10 minutes when cruising down the streets.

Yes, I love Starbucks. :)

Photoshoots were less rewarding than expected. Traffic jams, bad weather. Oh well.

I was lucky though, to have close encounters with the Filipino celebrities. Although I didn't get my chance to see Piolo and Richard Poon in person, I was able to enter the studio of ABS-CBN to witness the production of a live talkshow. Many thanks to Nonoy's contacts. :)

And I was even luckier to see Kris Aquino in person, with her cute little Baby James, hours before my flight back to Singapore. :) Had a photo taken with her too! :D

Managed to trick people that I'm a fake Filipino (or maybe a fake Singaporean). Haha.

Thank you Imee and Tita Celina for hosting, thank you Joy and Niña for flying in from Bago City, for bringing me the squid rings. Thanks to Tricia and Nonoy too, for knowing how much I wish to see Piolo and Richard. Haha.

It's just a matter of time before I return to Manila, or to other parts of the Philippines. And I look forward to the day. :)

2009-09-19T23:52:00.001+08:00

Manila, a place that is familiar and unfamiliar to me at the same time. I'm not foreign to the Filipino culture and the language (to a limited extent), but it's still my first time here in the country's capital.

The city is rather similar to the other cities of the Philippines where I've been to, but of course more developed, more complicated.

The city is still embracing the sacrificial spirit of Ninoy and Cory Aquino; yellow flags along the Roxas Boulevard are still standing tall, yellow ribbons are still tied everywhere. Every now and then, I see cars with yellow ribbons tied to the antennas drive pass.

The 1970s -1980s architecture leave traces of the Marcos' dictatorial reign. They are just like blocks of grey cement. Crude as it is, I think it's a rather apt description. Ha.

Traffic is horrible. They should implement the COE system here. Tonight's experience of being stuck in the traffic jam for 4 hours is one of my worsts so far.

Further away from the hustle of the city, Tagaytay offers the serenity that the city lacks. Its picturesque scenery is worth the travel (definitely that does not imply when there's a traffic jam).

If not for the rain, I could have explored more places and taken more photos. A pity the weather made the sky foggy that I couldn't capture a nice photo of the Taal volcano.

Lake Taal and Taal volcano

There's more explorations to come. Good to have my laptop with me. Haha. :)