fondue and concert

it seems like it's becoming a habit to combine 2 meals into 1. not good. i need something to keep to a proper eating time.

yeah! the big 4 of BHBH1 has come together again! and yes, over our favourite fondue. :)


Huijie, me, Aline and Waipeng

it was nice to see our dear Sarah Huijie growing, becoming a lady, and knowing that all is well for her in London. yup, i still hold on to the hope that we will get to go to Bago City together. one day. it will come. :)


our chocolate fondue, with the long marshmallows

and thank you for the unique marshmallows! we have never seen marshmallows in this shape before. and even the waiters were curious and laughing. haha.

and we should meet up again before you return to London. :)

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Lord of the Rings Symphony: Six Movements for Symphony Orchestra, Chorus and Soloists (part of Singapore Arts Festival)


water pool outside Esplanade

went to attend this concert on friday. it was good, although there were parts which i felt the arrangements could be better. i'm not an ultimate fan of LOTR, and i can't really remember everything from the LOTR trilogies, but parts of the symphony with the Irish whistle did make me imagine that the hobbits were jumping around on stage. haha.


from the roof terrace of Esplanade

many events happening this week. not a bad thing, at least i didn't need to see my kids (they are on holiday). took my mind off things as well. time to prepare myself for the challenges coming up. and one is coming up soon. arghh.

a week after coming back

a week ago, i was trying to control my emotions, not to cry at the airport. i could still remember Nonoy saying this in the van, "it's your 5th time already! don't cry!" and they all kept singing Leaving on a Jetplane. well i didn't wail out loud, i just pretended that i was having some eye irritations and a sensitive nose. haa. suddenly i remembered how i scared the hell out of my friends when i was crying like nobody's business on the flight coming back from Bago City the first time round. haha.

and now, a week has passed, but i felt like it has been weeks or even months, and i'm raring to go on my next trip already. somehow work seems to be getting heavier, my to-do list is getting longer. but it hasn't really able to take my mind off all the thoughts. for a few nights i have been dreaming about the place, and i felt depressed in the dreams. i knew i felt depressed. :(

everytime when i share my stories, i was reminded of the time i've spent there. i guess you can never remove the Bago spirit in me anymore. but it was still good to meet up with good old friends. Aline, Waipeng, Ryan, Shaoting. and soon, Sarah! :)

and perhaps very soon, everybody in Bago City! :)

P.S. photos are still being uploaded. please bear with me.

faces of TRY

i've a new blog look. :) just changed the header design, because the previous one did look a bit pessimistic. haha. this new one, although not nicely done, it's close to my heart. if anybody could recognise that, it's the Bantayan in Bago City. we all called it the boulevard of broken dreams. haa.

ok, this post is dedicated to all TRY members. :) and TRY is the abbreviation for Today's Responsive Youth.

it's always a pleasure to work with them, and i always have so much fun with them. we are like one big family, brothers and sisters. every time when i go back to Bago City, i'll meet new friends, new members from TRY. and the family is just getting bigger and bigger. :)

introducing to you, the faces of TRY!


Tricia, the president of TRY. a marvellous leader, and a wonderful friend to all. very committed as well, i've never heard a single cry of tiredness from her. super amazing. enough said. :)


Nonoy, Joseph, Marty

Nonoy can be serious yet fun at the same time. i used to be afraid of him because he looks stern when he doesn't smile. haha, that was when i first went to Bago City. but you will come to realise that he's a nice guy. :) and his catchphrase is 'my golly..' (pronouced as 'gali', which is his own version of 'my god..') and i'm being affected by that too. haha.

Joseph, the big brother. never short of witty jokes. an optimistic person. and of course, likes to tease me. haha.


Ryan, the father to my godson. super talented in dancing and super creative. he was actually one of the few whom i was closer to, during the BHBH1's time. loves to play around, but don't be fooled by him. he's known to be a strict teacher by all, and beware when he starts raising his voice. haha.


Serlu, with Yoga (BHBH4)

Serlu, but i like to call him Lolo Serlu. haha. likes to make fun of others. very active, but likes to sleep (i have a lot of his sleeping photos. muahaha). very thoughtful too. thanks for the dictionary! haha..


Karen and Ingrid, the two babes in TRY. haha. i still can't imagine Karen is already happily married with a cute baby Sophie. Ingrid, the other Sudoku lover. yeah.


John Paul a.k.a JP (seen here with a TRY camp participant), loves to eat. creative too. he designed the costumes of the TRY camp facilitators for the cultural night item! wow!


Eugene, another strict teacher. haha. good at dancing too. and no, i will not sing and dance in front of all people. haha. :P


Apple. the goddess with super long hair. haha. don't you think the costume makes her look like a goddess? :)


Jerievic, the environmentalist. likes to make fun of me too.


Andrew, the yes-ma'am man. we are the ones who always like to make fun of him. see? i've caught him in a 'scandalous' picture. wahahah.


Marty, and JR busily doing the silkscreen printing on t-shirts


Gamay, Ivan and Marty


Ryan and Sam

there are still many faces that i didn't get to capture, but nevertheless, they are as important as the rest of the TRY members, and they are my friends as well.

thank you all, for all the wonderful memories i had in Bago City, and thank you all, for all the assistance and help when i needed them.

i'll be back. :)

a get-together

savouring my special ice-box cake right now. flown in all the way from Bago City! woohoo~ i'm trying not to eat too much, not because it's fattening, but rather, my stomach can't take in too much dairy products sometimes. and the ice-box cake is full of condensed milk and cream. hee.

met up with Aline, Waipeng and Ryan yesterday for dinner, and relaxing at Musicdreamers cafe. it has been quite a long time since we last went there, i think our last visit there was almost 3 years ago. haha. but it was good, we had lots of laughs at each other and the singers' lame jokes. and it was just so coincidental that it was Aline and Waipeng's 6-month wedding anniversary. haha. :)

but the day ended with an adventure, when Ryan forgot where he had parked his car, and we spent 1 hour walking around looking for it. haa.

i know i'm back to my usual boring life, back to seeing kids. although with much reluctance, i'll still have to face it. there's never a day that i never think of Bago City, and i'm already looking forward to my next trip, and wondering when would that be.

yuhui the unofficial Singapore ambassador to Bago City and the unofficial Bago City ambassador to Singapore. sounds not bad. :P

thank you, Bago City

i'm back to reality. back to work. thank god the supposed meeting today was cancelled. but then, if not for this meeting, i could be staying there for a few more days. shucks. i don't mind a few more mosquito bites.

anyway, i did have an enjoyable time in Bago City. i know it was short (only 12 days.. sobs) but it was meaningful. i attended a baptism, a Christian wedding and a mass wedding (334 couples!). i've spent more time mingling with the people, especially with the TRY members. and all of us had so much fun, despite we were all tired preparing for the TRY Summer Youth Camp. thank you all, so much, for all the fun times and the laughter. =)

to all TRY members, congrats for the completion of the 8th TRY camp. you guys have done a wonderful job. i've gotten to know you guys better, and become closer to all of you through the TRY camp. sorry for not being helpful enough at times, and i know it was bad of me when i kept wanting to watch Lobo, and sneaking off to go swimming in the pool. hehe. but i really had fun, and many memorable times too. thank you all so much.

to all people in the HRMO office, including those in Joenil's office, it's always nice to just sit down and chat with you guys. there are always laughter when i'm with you guys. thank you all so much.

to the Matti family and all, i can never thank you guys enough, for everything you have done for me, making me feel right at home. don't worry if i don't eat much. i do eat, and i eat lots of junk food. so i won't get hungry. hahah. thank you for the many santols, the ice-box cake, the mashed potatos, all the rest of the goodies, and of course, the warmth. :)

to the Mondia family, although i didn't get to spend much time with you guys, but it was nice to be gathered with all of you. hopefully the next time, i can get to spend more time with all of you. thank you.

to all my friends in Bago City, thank you all so much, even if it was just a simple hello.

i will be back. the adopted daughter of Bago City will be back.

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more stories and photos coming up. just hang on. :)

3 more days

i've just experienced the TRY Summer Youth Camp, organised for the Sangguniang Kabataan officials of Bago City, and the BHBH4. it was fun, i had fun with all the people, and i think i've opened up more to the rest of the TRY members. :)

i think the TRY members have put in a lot of effort to make the camp possible and trying their best to run the camp smoothly. but it requires full cooperation from the participants as well, and sadly, i didn't see that happening. in fact, the cultural night last night started 2 hours behind time, because the participants were late and claimed they did not have enough time for their preparation. i'll be honest, the camp is meant to be a training ground for all members, especially the SK members, for they are the youths representing their barangays and perhaps they will be leaders in future. but i did not see them being able to cope with challenges and having the responsibility to assume their duties as a camper. i'm a little disappointed, but i hope they will learn from this experience.

putting those aside, i really enjoyed mingling with the people and the children. a good chance for me to practise my Tagalog and Ilonggo. haha. it was really enjoyable working with the rest of the TRY members, although i admit i didn't do much being a facilitator of the camp, as compared to the other facilitators. and i've gotten more nicknames. bleahz.

i've also distributed about 150 packs of stationery to the children who came for the feeding program during the camp. not all children received the stationery sets, but at least i tried making most of them happy. :)

wednesday is coming real fast. very soon i'll leaving again, but yes, i'll definitely be back. someday. haa.

6th day in Bago City

it's now bright and sunny. yeah. the typhoon and the heavy rains are gone. it's time to play!! hahah.

the BHBH4 group will be arriving today, and later in the afternoon, we will all go to Bueno Aires for the TRY camp. and i don't mean the Bueno Aires in Argentina. there's a Bueno Aires in Bago City, a little high up in the mountainous areas. :) spring water in the swimming pool. whee~

it has been quite eventful for the past few days. i've attended a Christian wedding, a baby's baptism, watching basketball matches, going around places to meet people. i went shopping for stationery for the kids too, and bought 250 sets of stationery for Grade 1 elementary school kids. they will come handy, just in time for their school term re-opening.

everybody has been doing fine, though life is never that smooth. the people here are rather optimistic, which is good. :)

and don't be surprised if you see this entry posted at 8 am in the morning. yes, it's kinda back to a 'normal healthy' lifestyle. i sleep early, and wake up early. i don't need an alarm clock here, because there are too many alarm clocks around i.e. the cats and the dogs and the chickens and the birds. haha.

yea, if you are trying to get away from being a night-owl, come to Bago City. it's the place to be (as quoted from the mayor). haha. :)

hello from Bago City

a very late good night to all, i'm doing ok here in Bago City. i've just experienced a bad heavy downpour a while ago, the rain didn't come splitter -splatter. it came like swooshing-swashing. pardon me for the lack of vocabulary, or rather, the inappropriate description, but i think it was like flushing a toilet bowl. a super long and heavy flush. ha.

there was brown-out a while ago too, while i was trying to check all my emails. i've been experiencing brown-outs since yesterday. yesterday , it was from 8am to 9pm. ha. back to the ancient days.

anyway, yar, i'm ok here, my Tagalog has been improving, so is my Filipino accent. :) everybody is doing fine too, although i've yet gotten to meet everyone. there were people who were surprised of my visit. :)

i've met up with my foster family the Mondias, together with their other big families, the Torres and the Singsons. things have changed, but life's still fine. kids have grown bigger. how time flies.

my schedule will be tight, since this is a short visit, but a lot of things to accomplish. and very soon, i'll be back in Singapore again. aww.

i will try to update whenever possible, if not, see you guys next thursday. :)

i'm going back to Bago City!

i'm flying again! woohoo~

i'm going to be back in Bago City!! yeah!! it's going to be my first time to be back there during summer (though i've been warned that there have been rainy spells these days), my first time joining the TRY summer youth camp, my first time arriving in the new Bacolod-Silay airport.. :)

it was a last minute decision, thanks to Tricia, who managed to succeed in tempting me. haha. it's going to be real short stay there, so yar, time is precious, and schedule is tight.

but it's a pity that i still can't get to see my white sand beach. there's always a next time!! there will be a next time!!

i'm gonna try relaxing throughout this trip. to recharge myself, but the whole busy-period-saga-that-will-last-six-months starts all over again. chill, yuhui, chill..

but before i embark on my trip, an email was sent to me informing that there is a flight schedule change. darn. a delay in flight timing. that's so great. -_-""

and i've not started packing my luggage. never mind, i'm trained, i only need at most 2 hours. :)

see you guys when i return!! :D

my alter ego

it's kinda interesting to know how different you portray yourself to others from how you think who you really are.

i have the habit of doodling (and discarding them.. haha) and penning my thoughts down. but some of my friends were surprised that i actually do keep a blog or a travel log. they thought that i'm the no-nonsense kind of person, maybe to the extent of being indifferent. i actually am, but i don't think i'm indifferent. as long as you don't step on my live wires, i'm fine. haha. and i do think i have a high level of tolerance, if not i couldn't have been standing up with all the silly things my kids do. haha.

i was chatting with a friend, and i mentioned that i've always been a crybaby. i cried the most when most of the BHBH1 team members returned back to Singapore while only a few of us stayed on. i cried every time i boarded the plane leaving Bago City. i even cried while eating Tita Tessa's mashed potatos when waiting for my next flight back to Singapore. in front of many people waiting in the boarding gate area. and this friend of mine couldn't believe it. haha.

i think i have an alter ego. so different, they are like worlds apart. sometimes i can't handle myself. but i think i'm still lovable. muahahahah. :P

May's playlist - Gold Classics

sorry, this month's playlist came a little late. was busy with something else. heh.

Playlist of the month - Gold Classics

i grew up listening to oldies, and i'm used to waking up on Sunday mornings with oldies blasting on the radio (because my dad likes it so). haha. i'm not so into the lyrics, and most of the time, i don't know the song titles, but i would be able to hum out the melodies while listening to it.

the songs i've chosen, some are of course, with special meaning to me, while some i find them sound better after revived by other singers.

i like Gary Valenciano and Jed Madela's version of Hard Habit to Break, originally sung by Chicago. i also like Barry Manilow's Somewhere Down the Road. a sad love song. Desperado by Eagles is another classic. :)

yup, so just relax, and listen. :)

i want my white sand beach with blue waters

i want my white sand beach with blue waters.

i want my white sand beach with blue waters.

i want my white sand beach with blue waters.

i want my white sand beach with blue waters.

i want my white sand beach with blue waters.

anybody wants to come along?

sorry

sometimes, you really don't know what kind of personality and characteristics a person has, you don't really know what kind of life they have been leading, and what they have gone through. just by looking at their appearances, or even if you claim that you are their friend.

it takes a lot of understanding to know a person, and to treat them how they deserve to be. but sometimes when you hurt them, consciously or unintentionally, you leave them with a scar. by the time you realise your mistakes, it may be too late, and you may have regrets for your actions.

i'm sorry for not knowing you well enough, and i'm sorry for assuming too much. i'm sorry for being so cold-hearted to you. i just hope all things will turn out fine, less trouble, less worries. please step out of your own world, and take care of yourself.

identity crisis

everytime when i'm about to experience some identity crisis, i have to tell myself that i have to be sure of myself, i have to be proud of who i am and what i have achieved.

i don't like to compare, but sometimes, the reality is there. but it's ok, mind over matter. i am who i am, and i don't need to be someone else.

yeah, this is me. i don't care if you like me or not, i don't care if you think lowly of me. i don't give a damn to your opinions. as long as i know there are people out there who appreciate me for who i am, for what i am.

i'm special. take it or leave it.


P.S. this is not intended as a personal attack. just a general statement. :)

time is relative.

my colleague once told me that time is relative. some people find 24 hours not enough, while some may end up rotting their time away. and some are able to live it up to the fullest (but again, it's hard to define what is "fullest"..)

although i just had my Bangkok trip about a month ago, it seems like i've been back for ages. the workload is always there, and kids are getting just as annoying. ha. (5 is divisible by 2 and 3. my god.)

but of course, i try to give some time to myself, to my friends. during the past few weeks, i've met up with aline and waipeng the married couple, and i've just met up with my mentor and my job attachment partner at Singapore National Eye Centre. i enjoyed going out with myself while doing errands out on the streets. :D

i'm also trying to spend some time reading up on some stuff. hehehe. perhaps a step nearer to one of my dreams.

yeah, time is relative, and i think i'm getting along fine. for now. haha.

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HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Bong and Ryan! i know a lot of April babies, but i'm not saying they are not close to me. these 2 guys just happen to have the same birthdate! :)

Bong, Tambok as i always like to call him, is one of my closer friends in Philippines. although some things may have changed, but nevertheless i hope he remembers what i've been telling him, and hopefully, all things will turn out fine. that's my wish for you!

and Ryan, he's the father to my godson, so am i supposed to call him pare? haha.. he's also like a brother to me, not so much like Joseph, he likes to tease me and make fun of me, particularly fond of reminding everybody how ugly i look when i cried non-stop when leaving Bago City. but really, he brings laughter to people around him, making him so likable. haha. happy birthday, and of course, wishing you happiness, and take good care of my inaanak! :)

miss you guys!

another sad piece of news

i thought it was another 'prank call' from Philippines when i received another missed call. it started with the usual greetings and teasings, and i started asking about my Papa P's coffee table book.

then came this, from the other side of the phone, "did you know Joseph's mum passed away yesterday?"

first, it was disbelief. then sadness. somehow i was loss for words to continue the conversation, and i just abruptly end the call by saying i would call back again soon. sorry Temogen for that.

it was saddening because Joseph had lost his younger brother to a kidney illness some time last year. and now, his mum.

i did not ask about the cause of death, sounded impolite. it could be due to old age, which perhaps may be more consoling.

my dearest Joseph

Joseph himself is also coping with his kidney problems, it makes me kinda worried seeing him getting thinner every year i'm back in Bago. i look up to him as a brother, and i see the strength he has, and his positive outlook in life. be strong, Joseph, i know you are.

less time

i'm starting to lose inspiration to write these days. you can blame it on the crashing schedules (again), or the proposals and plannings that are draining my brain cells. of course i'm trying hard not to be harsh on myself, but sometimes, it can't be helped. ha.

and i've realised that i did not blog about the NUSCO concert last March, and there are still many interesting stories about Bangkok that i have not shared.

even though orchestra practices have stopped temporarily (reminded me of my school days, when it was supposed to be the study break, but i don't seem to recall if i had ever been that hardworking :P), my kids' exams are nearing. implying that i'll spend more time getting frustrated over their silly mistakes.

it's ok, as always, give me some time. i'll give myself some time too, to take a breather whenever i can. don't worry, i won't stop writing. i know there are people out there who have been reading all this while. i'm tough. :)

good rock

surprisingly, the previous playlist's theme - Dreamz FM - was a hit. :) i was a little taken aback when i was looking at the statistics from my imeem. haha. currently my top 3 hits are songs from Dreamz FM: Ni Zhou Ye Hao, Bu Zhi De and Shou Hu Xing. isn't that great? haha. Dreamz FM! woohoo~!

ok, playlist for April - good rock :)

i actually enjoy listening to rock music, good rock music that will set you grooving. yar yar, people say i look like those pathetic girls that only listen to sad music. but hey, a musician does appreciate a lot of different music genres ok? well, except heavy metal and techno. ;)

and yes, sometimes when i'm feeling down, i do listen to rock music. it has a therapeutic effect. haha.

anyway, this playlist is a little unusual. because i have so many favourites, i can't narrow down to only 10 songs (which all my other playlists do), so it's 15 songs this time round. and topping the list, is Blind by Lifehouse. seriously, i don't know why i like this song so much. i just like it the very first time i heard it, played by a band at a charity performance in school. another favourite, is Won't Go Home Without You by Maroon 5. haha, people in the office, and my Thai friends would know that i keep singing this song for the past few weeks. hehehe..

some songs are, of course, original pinoy music. hehe. Jay-R Siaboc's Minsan Lang, Chad Peralta's Song For You, Rivermaya's You'll be Safe Here, Cueshe's Borrowed Time.. etc.. i have a lot of favourite pinoy songs, if you wanna know. haha.

so groove to the music, and enjoy! =D

Bangkok photos

Bangkok 2008 (27 Mar - 31 Mar)

ok, photos have been uploaded.

i did a little research when i was doing the captions for the photos. it was actually hard work when you have to find the correct names of places unfamiliar to you, but it was rewarding too. i enjoy exploring the beauty of different cultures, and i've learnt a lot from reading travel guides. i do keep a mini travel log everytime i go overseas, and i enjoy sharing my travel experiences with people. perhaps i could work towards being a travel journalist. haha. i am dreaming.

then i would need to brush up on my language and photographic skills. ;)

but anyway, enjoy viewing the photos. :)

Sawadika..

ok, i'm back.

i escaped to Bangkok for a respite. a short one. i only told a few people about it (people like my boss, because i needed to apply for leave), so that i could save some money on souvenirs and presents. haa, kidding.

i didn't tell many people because i wanted a break, i wanted to leave everything behind, to be away from the problems and stress that have been building up.

it's not the first time i travelled alone, and besides, i have friends in Bangkok. not a problem if i want to roam around. :) and oh, thanks to my friends and her family for the hospitality. :)

this being my first time in Bangkok, there were a few "must-go" places i've visited:


the Royal Palace


Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)


Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)


Khao San Road


Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)


The Erawan Shrine


Siam Square


Chatuchak Weekend Market

there are many things that are unique to Thailand's culture. there are some "must-trys" as well:


the Tuk-tuk


traditional Thai massage - that made me almost screaming in pain and i thought my back was going to break.

Thai food can be super spicy, which i couldn't take it, plus, i need to think of my not-so-strong stomach.

the Thais are friendly too, well, as least my friends are. :) but i don't understand why people like to speak to me in Thai. do i look like a Thai? not only people think i'm a Filipino, now a Thai. do i have a universal face, or what?

what i don't like about Bangkok is the traffic jams. one word - horrible.

and surprisingly, i didn't shop a lot. but i did walk a lot. i've been to too many places, i guess. and i had to hop back with a knee guard and a bandage on my foot, because they couldn't take it anymore. ouch.

P.S. pictures will be uploaded, when i have the time again. perhaps i will also share some experiences in Bangkok, yes, when i have the time.

Dreamz FM

i'm aware that my mood has been erratic, most of the time horrible. please bear with me for a few more weeks. i'll be fine. hopefully.

well, at least there are things that could uplift my mood a little. squid rings, papa P, and my new pillow.



yes, i'm that crazy :)

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anyway, playlist for this month is up.

theme: Dreamz FM

Dreamz FM (Dreamz Flying Machine a.k.a Meng Fei Chuan) is my favourite local pop group. they sing, they compose, and they play instruments. although they have not been performing for many years, they are still active in the music / entertainment scene. Jim and Ric continues to pen songs for many artists, while Cavin moves on to hosting and acting.

seriously, i think they are a bunch of talented people, but too bad they didn't manage to go far, because local bands weren't popular during that time. if only people are supportive of local music talents.

watch them:
Baby Come Back
Chu Le Ai Qing

some popular hits: Bu Zhi De, Should I Stay, Stay With You, Shou Hu Xing

enjoy!

my mentor

when i was doing a 2-week attachment at Singapore National Eye Centre during my JC days, i've never thought that we (together with my attachment partner) could still keep in contact with my so-called mentor.

but after all these years, we could still keep in touch, visit him in his lab, meet up for lunches or dinners. it's not just a simple relationship between a mentor and his students, but it's more like friendship. we don't just talk about science-related stuff, but also normal daily topics, and share our perspectives on life.

i can't say that i'm inspired by him (if not i would still be slogging my life in labs.. haha), but there are definitely things that i've learned from him. he've told me to look at things positively, and take a break whenever i can. haa, something i need to learn.

he's going back to Australia to continue on his teaching and research, but he'll be back every 3-4 months to clear his work here in Singapore Eye Research Institute. we can still meet up then, perhaps even more often than when he's still in Singapore. hahah.

before that, we will meet up again. =)

ice-box cake

wahaha.. felt so ecstatic after eating a huge chunk of ice-box cake. woohoo~

was my 2nd attempt, and i've made a little improvement. haha.. the aroma is there, but the cream is not yet perfect. will keep on trying, until i get it right, the Filipino way. haha.. i shall ask Joy to make that again, and i'll make sure i'll be standing right beside her throughout the whole process. but that has gotta wait till my next trip. =(

at least the ice-box cake has managed to make me destress a little. haha..

i didn't have good sleep for a few days, and the dreams were so realistic that they scare the hell out of me. and i'm serious, everything looked real, even the scenerios are happening or have happened in real-life.

and my twitching eye is back to haunt me. arghh.. can somebody tell me how to relieve the twitching? i don't want it to twitch for another month. yes, the last twitch lasted for more than a month, and i'm not joking. the twitching intensity only started to reduce when i went back to Bago City last december.

oh, does it mean that i must go back to Bago City soon? hahah.. if only i can do it..

papa P

i think by now you guys would know how excited i can get, whenever it comes to anything (almost everything) related to Philippines. =)

i was in town, after making some work-related deliveries. it was about time i took my much needed break and destressing. did some shopping, pampering myself, and of course, took a trip around Lucky Plaza. haha..

yes, i bought some graham biscuits, and i shall make my ice-box cake this weekend! haha.. i also went around hunting for the unexpectedly popular squid rings, but all the shops i went into did not have it. oh well.. which is why there's a real need to ration my squid rings. haha..

and i bought my first Filipino magazine! haha.. because my papa Piolo is on the cover. hahah.. thank god most of the content in there are in English. phew.. yes yes yes, i'm obsessed with papa P, and people in Bago City know that too. haha..

and last night, i had a date with papa P, via my Filipino entertainment source. =) was watching his teleserye, Lobo, and then a replay of one of his old movies, Don't Give Up on Us. it was actually the first Filipino movie i've watched, but at that time, i wasn't so crazy over him.. yet.. haha.. he's so cool! =D

but he's not the reason for me having overslept this morning and of course he's not the reason for me being so ultra forgetful. haa. i'm just overwhelmed with work.



go papa P! =) mahal na mahal kita! hahaha..

random

stress level has gone a little, but is expected to shoot up when all deadlines come crashing again. stocked up my coffee supply, my secret compartment still has chocolates in there. there are also some nice polvoron and squid rings on standby. good. 50% prepared for the warzone.

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went for a meeting with the BHBH4. a relatively smaller team, but hopefully it won't be a limitation to the group's abilities. =) good to see that BHBH is able to come this far (4 years!), which of course is a wonderful thing because people in Bago are able to be the beneficiaries of these continual efforts.

all the best, BHBH4, even though i won't be able to be part of the group, i will be glad if i can be of any help! =)

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i didn't know squid rings have such power to make people addicted to it. first it was biyun, now the entire office. wow. haha..

next time, i'll come back with 1 box full of squid rings from BongBong's. haha..

------------------------------

sarah you little tiger! you scared me when you suddenly called me from London! haha.. thanks for the pleasant surprise, and nice to hear your voice again, good to know that you are doing fine over there. =) yes, we are that old, 4 years have passed, but yet the memories are still deeply etched in our minds. quick! i'm still waiting for you to go back to Bago City with me! =D all the best, my dear, and take care, yar? miss you!

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mga kaibigan ko sa Bago City, miss na miss ko po kayo! how i wish i could be there, whenever i feel like it.. boohoo..

stressed

salamat ulit, temogen at ryan. it was nice hearing your voices again. i'm so envious, that you guys are together, having fun, and i could hear laughter too. you may not know how stressed and down i was feeling the whole day, but somehow your calls always come in at the right time. =) thank you gid..

------------------------------

was at a class gathering for a short while, good to see at least half of the class people there. =) i didn't know what to say, but at least i had some good laughs. i feel a little inferior upon seeing how well everybody is doing, but i tried telling myself that i'm blessed, in other ways.

yes, i'm blessed.

------------------------------

i'm stressed, very stressed. chocolates are starting to lose their effects. coke too. i need more time. arghh..

happy birthday, Ryzel

Happy birthday, Ryzel! happy birthday to my first godson! you are one-year old now! =)



i'm not particularly into kids, or rather babies. i have my fair share of tolerating their screams, and their silly annoying nonsense, no thanks to my kids and my little cousins.

but because Ryzel is my godchild, somehow i feel there is something closer. it's a special relationship. even people joked that he resembles me, a little. haha.. because he's so fair, unlike Ryan, his dad. ok, the wife Leizel is the fairer one.. haha..



ninay misses you, Ryzel! =) grow healthily, and stay cute! maybe the next time i see you, i won't be able to carry you anymore. haha..

------------------------------

i'm still kinda living in Filipino time. the sun is still not yet shining high up at 7 am, and i can't drag myself out of bed. stepping out of the office sometime near 7 pm, i would still think that it's still 5 pm, because that is how it seems, back in Philippines.

i miss the sunset, i miss riding on the van, sitting outside the house, looking at the sky turn dark. aww.


sunset, outside the Matti's house

thank you, sis Tricia, for the squid rings and polvoron and the keychains. =) they can come in just when i need some destressing at work. =) maraming salamat. miss you guys lots lots.

Sotanghon

haha, my dad is so easily psycho-ed, when it comes to cooking. =D

and yeahhey! i had my Sotanghon! haha.. but it's still not quite the filipino taste, for what i could remember.. haha.. maybe only a true pinoy can make it taste filipino? haha..

ok next! stuffed milkfish, bangus! stuffed crabs! =D

one day, i should go Lucky Plaza again to buy my graham biscuits and start making ice-box cake again. =)

filipino cookbook

i miss filipino food so much. i know, i know, i still have filipino snacks in my house, but i need to ration. haha.

i was shopping around the bookstore for stationery and other stuff, and came across this mini-cookbook with the recipes of.. .. filipino food! haha.. not a lot of recipes in there, and i don't think i've tried some of them as well, but there are of course, familar ones.. Sotanghon! Stuffed milkfish! =D

kinda regretting not buying any cookbook in Bacolod, at least those books would feature more food similar to what i eat over there, food that are more common and unique in the Visayas region.

nah, i don't cook (the fact is, i don't know how.. haha) and i won't be the one to cook. i'm psycho-ing my dad to do the cooking. hahah..

well, i thought, maybe we could start cooking something simple, so i showed him the recipe for Sotanghon. and you know what he said? "it's so simple, all are chinese food and chinese cooking." -_-"""

no it's not the same! i want it to have the filipino taste! it will only be good if it's cooked in the filipino way!

let's wait and see. haha. i want my Sotanghon! =D

my 2 dear friends

thank you my friends, for bringing joy.. =)


Temogen, 4 years ago. haha.

Temogen, thank you gid, although you were the one who miss-called me and i was the one who ended up making the long-distance call. thank you for letting me know that you still miss my laughter, and if i wasn't on the train, you would have heard my horrendous laughter.. haha..

i was telling my friend that there's no one for me to practise my Tagalog with, and i would end up talking to myself. but thanks to you, it feels great, to be able to converse with you in my own bato-bato Tagalog. =) sana, siguro next time na lang, my Tagalog would be better.

and i can't stop teasing you, for not informing me of your wedding. ikaw ha, you never fail to surprise me. haha.. hopefully i'll get to see you before you settle down in Canada. and when your baby is born, i'll be the ninay! yeah! haha..


Huijie, 2 years ago. hehe..

and little tiger, Huijie, thanks for the mail from London. simple and small, but it's the thought that counts. and yes, i have faith too, that one day, we will visit Bago City together. =) looking forward to the day when Princess Sarah and Princess Riza take over Bago City.. hahah.. take care girl, and work towards your dream. i know you can do it. =)

thank you, my two dear friends. miss you guys lots lots. =)

February's playlist

it has been quite some time since i last updated my playlist. hehe.. sorry, was lost in my own world, and am still re-adjusting back from my filipino lifestyle.. haha..

anyway, February is the month for love, for friendship. although a lot of people would associate it with Valentine's Day, but hey, it's also Friendship Day! haha.. i think the love for friends is equally important as the love for your loved ones. =)

theme of the month: season of love..

all the songs chosen are duets, for those who are deeply in love, and those who are hoping to fall in love. haha..

Happy Valentine's! Happy Friendship Day! i love you guys! haha..

a peaceful new year..

it has been a much peaceful new year this time round. not much of visiting relatives, but it was nice to see that everybody is doing well, looking well. after having been through the sudden deterioration of my grandpa's health, i just wish to see everybody in good health.

but i wasn't feeling well, what an irony. haha.

didn't get to wear new clothes either, because i didn't buy any, and my grandpa's house is just a few storeys below mine, and my nanny's house is just across the street. good, save money. haha..

it was my first time giving ang baos to grandpa, grandma, nanny and po-po. i felt weird, because i'm never good with words. but it was a simple blessing from me, to bless them with good health, to thank them for taking care of me. especially for grandpa, i want him to be around to see his eldest grandchild getting married, to see his great-grandchild.

enough of this, to think that i cried while typing that. and i'm laughing at myself for being so silly. ha.

and on the 2nd day of the new year, i was home alone. well, not a bad thing, i have the tv to myself, and nobody's there to nag at me, to scold me for channel-surfing. and i could have my long afternoon nap without any interruption. i had to call for MacDonalds for lunch again, because there was no cup noodles at home, and the delivery charge has increased to $3. my goodness. i can easily become broke in Singapore when the price for everything keeps on increasing.

perhaps i should consider going overseas for new year in future, maybe to Bago City, to celebrate its city's charter celebration, and the Babaylan Festival as well. =) miss ko po kayo!

Bago City Project 2006

i never knew i could do all these, until i really gave it a shot. =)


part 1


part 2


part 3

that was in December 2006. i was still a student then, when i had more time planning and collecting donated items. lady luck was with me as well, i managed to secure a few sponsorships to make the project very much possible. this video was painstakingly produced by biyun, because i know nuts about making videos.. hee..

i think the message of this video is very simple, it's just to let people know that it's not difficult to help others. a small toy, a few stationery, games.. it's enough to brighten up their day, to bring a smile to them. and of course, the video is even more meaningful to me, because i see my friends, it brings back beautiful memories. it may even be a good thing for TRY, because more people would get to know of the efforts of TRY and the situation over there in Bago City.

when i showed the video to my friends in Bago City, it was simply heartwarming. the smiles on all their faces, the laughter.. when Manang Stella cried after watching it, i felt like crying too. i didn't know that the video could touch the hearts of people.

i hope this video is inspiring enough to make people to come forward to reach out to the needy ones. it is inspiring for me, at least, because i hope to do better for my future projects.

thank you to all who have helped me for all my projects, whatever ways it may be. without all the encouragement, i wouldn't have make it this far. and don't worry, it's not going to be the last time. haha..

P.S. tricia? what is 132 + 12? hahaha.. oops..

pictures of bago city..

photos of Bago City has already been uploaded to flickr. =)

actually i've finished uploading them a week ago, just that i didn't have time to update, or rather, i was still preoccupied with other things. haha.. after removing a lot of repeated photos, there are still 455 photos in there. quite a lot, for a 18-day stay. hehe..

the photos can be accessed from the flickr tab at the side of the blog, or you can click below:

http://www.flickr.com/gp/41736852@N00/1m72cV

enjoy! =D

bad dream..

i dreamt that i was leaving on a jetplane~

if you are smart enough, you would probably get it right.

yup, i dreamt that i was leaving Bago City, and i was already at the airport. usually, it would be the usual gang who would send me off, but in that dream, a lot of people were there. most of them were the HRMO peeps. i can't remember how we bidded goodbye, i could only remember i was wailing out loud in the dream..

i don't like this dream, not my first time, but i never like it, and i never like the thought of leaving Bago, and being separated anyway. i felt drained when i woke up. it was tiring.

------------------------------

it was mentally challenging to have a 4-hour tuition. oh well, the parents wanted to add more lessons, and saturdays are the only days i could cater to long hours of teaching. for the sake of my future dreams, i'll have to bear with this for all my saturdays. wish me luck.

Riza Santos want to be back in Bago City.. to look for her papa P.. haha.. ok, joke lang..

happy birthday tricia and papa momoy!

Happy birthday, tricia and papa momoy! =D

i've sent a parcel over to Bago City last week, and was told that it would only reach there around the 28th.. but i was elated to hear from nina that the parcel reached yesterday, just in time for tricia's and papa momoy's birthday celebration! woohoo~


with papa momoy and the Matti family

papa momoy is a very nice man.. he will always make sure that i won't go hungry, and would tell tricia and the rest to bring me to different places.. he would make sure that i feel right at home, and truly enjoy my stay there.. maraming salamat, papa, for everything.. wishing you good health and happiness.. from your adopted daughter.. =)


with tricia, mama remia, nonoy and jun

tricia is another amazing lady.. she puts her heart and soul into her work, and of course, TRY.. looking at the activities and projects TRY has been doing and achieving so far, i can't help but admire this adopted sis of mine.. haha.. and i'm always amazed at the fact that she has over a hundred of godchildren, and she could have a children's party of her own.. haha.. i can't thank her enough, for all the arrangements and for making all my stays that wonderful.. thank you gid! =) you are already blessed with so many frienships and happiness, but i would still wish you good health, more happiness, and many more good things to come.. =)

oh, tricia, don't keep thanking me.. just send me papa piolo.. hahahaa..

and of course to the entire Matti family, TRY, HRMO mates, and all my friends.. maraming maraming salamat, thank you gid, para sa lahat.. =) let's cross our fingers, and hope for the day i return.. haha.. miss you all! =)

pinoy food..

i think i'm committing a great sin by wasting food.. such an irony because i've been trying to reach out to the needy ones, but yet i'm wasting food here.. nonoy! mama remia! serlu! where are you?? who is going to help me finish my half-rice??


porridge we prepared for the children..

ok, seriously, i can't finish my food because i'm still adjusting.. over there in Bago City, i only eat half plate of rice because they have a lot of side dishes, and their BBQ chickens and lechons are in huge portions, so i would tend to eat less rice.. and living in a pinoy community, eating is their favourite pastime and you will never stop eating.. imagine, food is presented to you every few hours.. i always hear papa momoy shouting, "yuhui, eat na!".. haha.. and i was having ice-box cake for almost every meal.. manz.. how not to get fat..

and the festive season is all about food.. partying, eating, beer-drinking.. it's like having a feast every other day..


lots of food on new year's day night.. wow..

but there are pinoy food which i really do love.. ice-box cake is one.. haha.. the sotanghon (stirred-fried vermicelli) and the seafood.. and BBQ chicken.. and eating with your hands the pinoy way adds flavour to the food (and i don't mean it the nasty way.. haha).. oh! and fried squid rings!! haha.. biyun's favourite too..

and of course, there are some pinoy food which i've yet got accustomed to.. especially those extra-super-sweet pastries and snacks.. i remembered there's this snack made of pounded banana, but it just taste weird to me.. i think serlu and nonoy would remember me saying this, "a banana that doesn't taste like a banana".. hahah..

and i came upon this new dish while in Bago City.. fried kangkong.. sounds foreign? the kangkong we usually eat is the entire leaves and stems stir-fried with sambal chilli or just some simple sauce.. over there, they fry it, and it's only the leaves.. so the leaves are dipped in some batter, and then fried, and are served with mayo sauce.. i got a little shocked when the dish was served.. haha..


this is what fried kangkong looks like..

but anyhow, i'll still miss my favourite pinoy food, and will look forward to having them again.. or i could try making the ice-box cake again, and hopefully the taste and the feel is there.. =) unless i know of people who can make it, or have them teleport here.. muahaha..

it's all about being pinoy..

it's not the first time i've been mistaken as a Filipino.. haha.. maybe when i'm really able to converse in Tagalog, i could start making plans about migrating.. hohoho..

and surprisingly, my graham biscuits are sold out in all the shops i've stepped into in Lucky Plaza.. perhaps it's still the festive season and everybody is making the ice-box cake.. haha.. that was just a random guess..

it was good to see a friend, and reminiscing about the good old days, where we bonded closer during our last 3 days in Bago City.. nice to know that all is still fine, and i don't mind being your postwoman everytime when i get to visit Bago City.. hehe.. and thank you for the cute Stitch box! i really love this handsome little monster.. haha..



the first week has gone by, and really, all seems too fast.. i'm still trying to adjust back to the lifestyle here, although i think i wouldn't be able to shake off the little pinoy spirit in me.. hee.. work is all coming back, and it's starting to get real hectic soon.. and it's going to make me ponder, when will i get to have my getaway in my hometown.. aww..

i wanna be back! right now!!

P.S. photos are still being uploaded.. hang on, people..

adjusting back..

my big tofu is back into my arms again! =D hehe.. fresh and clean again..

i'm still trying to re-adjust back to the life in Singapore.. no more nicely-prepared breakfast, delayed meal times, back to wearing painful heels to work, no more slacking time.. at some points of time, i felt lost at work.. i guess i've been missing out a lot of things, and the momentum has slowed down a lot..

and i could actually fell asleep while watching tv yesterday, when i didn't do much of any exhausting or tiring work.. mild withdrawal symptoms? perhaps..

and my computer has a problem.. no sound coming out from it.. so i can't watch my teleserye.. damn.. it always has to happen when i'm into the final few weeks of the shows.. arghh..

i really miss everyone there in Bago City, even though i didn't manage to meet up or spend a lot of them with some of them.. Philippines ain't that far anyway, it's just a matter of buying the air tickets.. but work and other committments will be tying me down, and i really don't know when i'll be back again..

let's cross our fingers, and hope that this will be real soon.. =) and this Riza will be back to her hometown again..

P.S. photos will be up soon.. will upload to flickr, a whooping 500+ photos.. hehe..

thank you..

back here in Singapore..

but like what manang Stella said, everytime i go back to the Philippines, i go to take my heart back, but would leave it there again.. boohoo..

back to work, although i really don't feel like working right now, but yar, have to face the reality, the real world.. no more holiday-ing.. working is the only solution to putting my mind away, so that i could minimise the withdrawal symptoms.. but thanks to the colleagues, for the pleasant little balloon surprise.. =)

i was alright when leaving the house, i was alright when entering the airport.. but once the plane took off, that's it, i got teary.. i guess i'm still a crybaby, not yet grown up..

i'm missing the lagaw-lagaw, ice-box cake, walking around with slippers the whole day, all the chats, all the laughter.. it's all too fast..

but thank you, to all in Bago City, all of you have given me such a wonderful time there, and i really truly enjoyed myself there, always not wanting to come back.. thank you all so so much, from the bottom of my heart.. hopefully i can be back there again.. siguro, summer? haha.. let's cross our fingers.. =)

so thank you, from the adopted daughter of papa Momoy Matti, a.k.a Riza Santos =)

the last 2 days..

it's my last 2 days here in Bago City (not counting the day i'm leaving).. good news, bad news, fun activities, long slacking time, making new friends, in all it has been a wonderful stay here..

i'm thankful for everybody here who has made me really feel right at home, treating me like a baby princess.. haha.. thank you, for trying to give in to whatever requests that i may have, and for everything you guys have done for me..

it was heartwarming to see the smiles on the kids.. even a simple gesture of me whipping out my camera, they would pose or put on their best smiles.. the genuine smiles when receiving the gifts.. thank you, kids..

even though this stay has been shorter than before, but it doesn't get less meaningful.. i'm getting more attached to the place, to the people.. think i'm going to miss the time where everybody sat down and watched Kapamilya Deal or No Deal, and everyone got excited at the briefcases being opened, and papa would laugh at my reactions.. haha..

thank you all.. from the adopted daughter of papa Momoy Matti, a.k.a. Riza Santos.. =)

my boxes have arrived!

hello all! =)

good news! my 2 boxes have just arrived!! yeahhey!! thought that it would take at least a month to reach here, since it's the holiday season right now, but it took less than 3 weeks! woohoo~

tomorrow i'll be going to schools to distribute the stationery, so i'll have to sort out the things in the boxes later on, so that i can distribute them as well to the children..

muahaha.. i'm getting excited now..

yeah, this last week is going to be a meaningful one.. =)

one more week..

phew.. is more or less done with the packing of the stationery for the school children.. 200 packets, each with a notebook, a writing pad, a pencil, a pen, an eraser, a sharpener, and a set of crayons.. will be distributing them this coming tuesday..

the past few days have been a fun yet embarrassing one.. that's the problem when you are the only foreigner in the whole pinoy community.. the pinoys love singing and dancing, and they will make you do it.. i sucks at dancing, so i could only entertain them by singing, which really turned out super embarrassing.. oh manz..

and now i have a new nickname, 'Riza'.. she's a player in the reality show Pinoy Big Brother, who speaks with an American accent.. and i'm beginning to imitate her.. her catchphrase? 'Oh my gosh!'.. haha..

one more week.. *boohoo*

introducing Ryzel..

introducing to you..

my godson, Ryzel!! =)



only 10 months old, and he knows how to pose already.. haha..

anyway, new year here in the Philippines has been good.. with all the eating and the drinking and the sleeping.. haha..

i went shopping for stationery yesterday, to be distributed to kids, since my boxes would probably not be arriving during my stay.. so i bought 200 each of notebooks, writing pads, pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners and crayons.. hopefully at least these items would be able to reach out to the needy kids..

my stay has been an enjoyable one, so far so good.. =) hopefully i'll get to see my white sand beach this year.. *crossing fingers*.. heheh..

so till then, tata~

Happy new 2008!

hello again! Happy New Year to everyone! =)

sadly, it's raining right now here in Bago City.. but i did have a good time during the day, eating the lechon (roasted pig) and getting entertained by the kids.. haha.. and finally, my ice-box cake! yeahhey! ahaha..

the past few days were fine too, so far i've been to a few barangays where the mayor had a few rounds of gift-giving to the village people.. it was kinda embarrassing when he mentioned me in his speech although i did nothing much.. the credits should all go to the office people who have been doing most of the work..

tricia had her children's party, where near 100 kids came and had their real share of fun.. and this year, the craze is the 'papaya dance'.. let's see if i can upload any video of that when i get back..

and the new year's eve was filled with loud firecrackers booming non-stop, as if war has begun *choy!*.. there were some fireworks, simple but still splendid..

any new year resolutions? yar, there are some in my mind, which i think a few would be expected.. haha..

12 more days, so all the more i should cherish the times i'm having here..

so anyway, happy new year to all, and may everyone be blessed with endless happiness and love for the entire year! love you all! =)

saying hi from Bago City!

hello! maayong aga sa inyong lahat (good morning to all)! hehe..

i'm fine here in Bago City, and caught almost everybody by surprise with my presence.. haha.. i only told tricia about my arrival, and asked her to keep it a secret.. ryan and temogen only got to know on Christmas Eve.. haha..

everybody's fine here, my godson Ryzel is already 10 months old, and he's heavy too (11 kg!).. people got married, going to have baby soon, people becoming slimmer, fatter, change of the political scene blah blah.. haha.. but really, good to know that everybody is well and fine..

this will be a much shorter trip the usual, so i really hope that i can make full use of the time here, and enjoy myself to the fullest..

ok, will try to update whenever i can.. connection here in the government office can be erratic sometimes.. =)

that's all for now, folks.. manigong bagong taon (happy new year) in advance! tata~

*update* went to 2 barangays, Taloc Baybay and Bacong for the gift-giving activities by the mayor.. although i won't get to distribute items that i've collected, it's still quite fun, because of the people that went with us.. haha..

waiting at the airport..

saying hi from Changi Airport Terminal 2!! *waves*

haha.. reached here super early at around 7am, but the check-in queue was already quite long.. Filipinos are quite kiasu as well.. haha.. but i had slight trouble with my checking-in.. took quite long to get my ticket because they need authorisation from the airline company to verify my e-ticket.. so much for the convenience of purchasing tickets online huh..

anyway, was walking around inside the shopping mall, but wasn't too keen to buy anything, because firstly, things aren't that cheap, and secondly i don't want to carry so many things up the plane.. haha..

ok, about half an hour to go, before my plane takes off.. =)

till next time, tata~

flying again..

ok, finally i'm done with walking around the house and packing my luggage.. =) strangely, my bagpack seems to be smaller than last year, although i think i'm bringing more stuff.. hmm..

flight is 9.40am, a few hours from now.. it will be another time of anticipation, but yet with every step i take, i would think of the day of departure, and sometimes i wonder why would i put myself into torture, knowing how hard it is for me to leave again..

oh well, it's always a learning journey..

to all my friends, i can't thank you enough for helping me with my donation drive, and for being so understanding, bearing with my over-enthusiasm and passion towards Bago City.. haha..

so that's all for now.. hopefully i get to update whenever i can.. if not, this blog is going on holiday until 13 January 2008.. =)

happy new year in advance!

it's time for a break..

after slogging for quite a while, it's time to slow down and take a break.. i just want to sit down, and enjoy the breeze by the seaside, or even just sitting down somewhere and do nothing.. that day will come.. pretty soon..

but after that, all will be back to usual.. i'm trying not to allow myself to slow down, not because i'm a workaholic, but because that would at least help to take my mind away, even if it's for a short while..

i don't know how strong the withdrawal symptoms will be this time round, but the strongest blow is always the moment of separation.. haa.. sounds silly, but yar, you have not seen me cry like a stooopid little kid on the plane before..

even a christmas carol overheard along Orchard Road can make me teary.. see, what an idiot i am..

oh well, things are different this year, but at least it will still be my long-awaited holiday..

2 more days..

what a week..

thank you all, for being such a great help.. 2 boxes full of old stuff have been sent to Philippines.. it wouldn't have been impossible without you guys.. thank you so so much..

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sorry again, this blog is really not so active these days.. and will perhaps continue to be so, until i return back from Philippines..

work has been quite a killer, though it haven't been that busy as compared to a few weeks ago.. packing the old stuff was equally tough too, making me feeling super shagged after packing the 2 boxes..

and there was the music camp.. it was my first time attending it, after having gone missing for the past 3 years.. haha.. but i wasn't really participating, because i was hiding in the office for most of the time, and only coming out for practices.. it's always nice to play the instrument after being lazy for a while.. haha.. just don't ask me to play solo.. hehe..

but the late nights are hazardous.. i made a number of mistakes during work the next day, and all the yawnings were of no help.. and i could actually fell asleep on the sofa while the 2 drums went rumbling on.. gosh.. thank god the hostel is just minutes' walk away from the office.. haha.. but still, sleep is essential to me and the lack of sleep will make me go grouchy (luckily it was mild during the camp)..

this december is going too fast.. i can't determine if it's a good or bad thing, but i just wish time would slow down a bit, and let life be less hectic..

tv..

i still want your old stuff!! old clothes, old toys, old books and usable stationery for the needy kids in Philippines! aiming to send them out by this week.. please please please do your bit to help the less fortunate ones!!

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i don't get a lot of chances to stay glued to the tv.. thanks to my cousin who got the chickenpox virus (luckily i have gotten the vaccine.. muahhaha) i spent my sunday afternoon watching movies and shows on tv.. and after my ah gong's birthday dinner, i continued with the Star Awards and Asian Idol.. i can't remember how many years i've not watched the Star Awards.. all these years i was away in Philippines during December.. haha.. but thank goodness i'm still here to catch it, because my prince was on the show!! whee~~ hahah..



isn't he cute and handsome!! =D



OH MY GOD!! =D



ok enough.. that's for me to drool over.. haha..

and then the Asian Idol.. not very keen on it, was more keen on Rivermaya who guest-performed during the event.. hmm.. i still prefer the previous lead singer Rico Blanco.. but anyway, my favourites were Philippines Mau Marcello and Indonesia Mike.. well, Singapore Hady isn't bad either, but the voice is not as powerful as the other two.. but the result was a surprising one.. he won.. haa.. oh well, at least he made Singaporeans proud..

and then another programme caught my attention.. it was about the 'flower girls' in Philippines, which actually refer to young boys who behave in a more feminine way.. in short, we call them 'gays'.. i was quite taken aback by how these elementary school boys behave, how they would put make-up going to school, and how vocal they are about their own sexuality..

actually i'm alright with that.. i think they still deserve the same as the rest of us do.. i know people do look and treat them differently, but really, they aren't that much different from us.. i happen to know a few friends in Philippines who are gays, but they are not afraid of being true to themselves, and i admire them for that..

but like what the psychologist said, "the mother is the first one to know, but the last one to admit".. not easy for the family to face such situation, and which is why i admire the courage of these boys and their families who have overcome the hurdles they face..

oh well, i guess the conservative Singapore is still not quite open to such stuff.. everything also want to ban and restrict and control.. -_-"""

december memories..

ATTENTION!! yes, i'm going to repeat this until i've achieved my aim.. I WANT YOUR OLD STUFF!! OLD CLOTHES, OLD TOYS, OLD BOOKS FOR THE KIDS! usable stationery are welcome too!! really, your help would be greatly appreciated..

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usually, by now i would be enjoying the sun and the beach in Philippines.. =(

oh well, sacrifices have to be made, and we can't keep on hanging on to what we used to have.. and i mean the freedom during school days.. yes, oh well, for the sake of better tomorrow, for the sake of fulfilling my wish of travelling round the world, i need to work.. sigh..

for the past 3 years, decembers are never dull and boring.. despite being in a country where everything is not as convenient as in here, its beauty is mesmerizing.. i like its rustic feel, although i would rejoice whenever i get my dose of surfing the internet.. hehe..

and because christmas is so much being celebrated over there (parties throughout the month!), you would really wanna stay there and spend a splendid christmas there.. you may not see the whole street lighted up like Orchard Road (hello, i stay in rural areas there), but the festive mood would definitely light up your christmas.. =) and of course, i'll never forget the time spent with all my wonderful friends there.. =)

and because these decembers are so special, hence the playlist for the month - december memories.. =)

all the songs hold special meanings to me.. some would make me remember the fun times i had, some would make me cry, some are just songs that i heard when i was there.. to friends in my YEP group, some songs may also ring a bell to you.. hehe..

my favourites: Leaving on a Jetplane, Hawak Kamay (Hold our hands together)..

so, enjoy.. while it's time for me to get some sleep..

aline and waipeng's wedding..

ATTENTION!! calling for old stuff - clothes, books, toys, usable stationery for children! please please please, be good boys and girls for the christmas, and donate! the needy kids in Bago City, Philippines need you!

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i've spent more than half of the day in bed, but i still feel tired and my eye is still twitching (for a week already!!).. the busy period is not going to end, because the kids are back for tuition, and i still need to complete my donation drive.. sigh.. oh well..

anyway, photos are up.. pictures from aline and waipeng's wedding.. i'm not going to upload pictures taken during the examination, because all of us looked super shagged and ugly.. haa.. and because it's work-related, i don't wanna get into trouble.. haha..

aline, waipeng and i knew each other through our first Philippines trip to Bago City and from there their love blossomed..


for some of you, you may be able to recognise where this is.. haha..

i witnessed their entire love journey, and being one of their mutual friends, i'm real happy for the both of them.. too bad the rest of the gang are not in Singapore, huijie in London and ryan in Korea.. and not mentioning all of our friends in Philippines.. =(


our favourite pastime: good food, good coffee.. =)

and this being the first time as a bridesmaid, it was an exciting experience.. it was fun to make new friends too, planning evil plots together to torture the guys..


the girls =D

another first time for me at their wedding - dinner at Fullerton Hotel! hee.. seeing their hotel suite is also another first for me.. haha.. the room is alright, but i love their bathroom! so spacious! hahah..

check out the nice scenic view of the river..

actually i think that the food there was only so-so.. but the atmosphere was not bad.. and speaking about that, those decor on the Fullerton lobby level, and i'm referring to those flowers in the super big pots and on the walls, they are REAL!! 5-star hotel indeed.. i wonder how much money is spent on these flowers.. manz..

best friends forever! yeah!

and the tables in the restaurant were also well-decorated.. scattered with rose petals, and glasses with roses floating in there.. wow..

nice flowers with nice chocolates.. hee..

although i was being super evil to waipeng and his guys that day, i really hope that they will live together, happily ever after.. =) love you guys.. muacks!

it's not the end of the madness..

two weeks of craziness, and it has all been overwhelming.. the lack of sleep has made me gone near insane, hopefully i didn't inflict any violence or hurt to people around me.. haa..

it has been fun to work with the examiners, although it was tough entertaining them, making sure that they were well taken care of.. nice and interesting people i would say, and i've learnt a lot from each of them.. and there are so many things i don't know of, what an ignorant fella i am.. haha..

and amidst of all the madness, there was aline and waipeng's wedding.. seeing them from being mere team mates (i still remember how she said, "i don't like him".. haha) to getting together as a couple, and now, walking down the aisle, making vows to love each other till death do them part.. i'm really happy for the both of them.. =)

there were many things that happened during these two weeks, and there were some which i would love to share, but i've not gotten any good sleep, so i shall leave it until when i've the mood.. haa..

i'm also developing withdrawal symptoms from working late during these two weeks.. it felt so odd to leave the office "early" at 6pm.. haha..

but the craziness is only turning mild, not about to end yet.. many paperwork for me to clear, and meetings to attend.. and i shall bear with it until i get to step onto the plane.. grr..

and finally, calling for old stuff!! if you have any old stuff to donate to needy kids in Philippines, please don't hesitate to contact me!! old toys, old books, old clothes, usable stationery.. i want them!!

ok ok, photos to be uploaded when i've more free time on hand.. hee..